Lyrical and atmospheric writing made for a pleasant reading experience, but didn’t fully mask the holes in the plot or the arm’s-length distance from all the characters. It felt like Capetta was trying to channel Anna-Marie McLemore, but couldn’t quite get things to jell.

DNF at 8%

This is another It's not you, it's me book.

I have a hard time enjoying books about precocious, artsy and altogether too whimsical and mysterious teens. It's why I hated The Raven Cycle, despite absolutely adoring The Scorpio Races, and why Truly Devious annoyed me as much as it did.

So why did I request it? Because I was getting strong The Craft vibes from the summary that overwhelmed my lingering sense of Oh boy it's The Raven Cycle all over again, and anything that is queer and set in the Pacific Northwest instantly catches my attention.

8% in isn't really far enough to make a judgment, but I'm already not super fond of the writing (a bit too lyrical, with descriptions that make my eyes cross trying to figure out what it means because to me it felt a little overly complicated—sitting at her mother's side, holding her fingers below the white-tipped nails, and a bit too description heavy).

Even when I got to the part about the boy (because this is how all YA dudes are described—to the point where every time I see a YA girl talking about "a boy" my eyes roll back into my head) being impaled through the chest with a falling tree branch, so hard that it stuck him into the ground I was like, naw, I'm out.

Additionally, these kids are hiking into the redwoods wearing cutesy little sandals and flowy skirts that barely hit the tops of their thighs (ok, one girl was wearing shorts and nothing else (?) and another was wearing shorts and a tank top, but my point stands), looking like rejects from Coachella 2007 and just...nope.

1) Mosquitos are a thing (depending on where you are in the redwoods, the time of year and how much mosquitos love you [note, this if last bit applies, location and season do not matter, they will find you]).

2) Ticks are a thing, particularly in summer.

3) Poison oak is really a thing.

Dress appropriately for all your woodsy outings people.

And now I feel like a grandma.

I feel that there's some good queer girl rep in this book, and that people who enjoyed magic ensembles with groups of mysterious and angsty teens (not a jab, btw) like The Raven Cycle will enjoy this, but it's not for me.

I received this ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

The Lost Coast is a beautifully atmospheric novel about witches, female friendship and being unapologetically queer.

I usually don't feel very drawn to stories about (modern day) witches but The Lost Coast intrigued me because I loved Amy Rose Capetta's Echo After Echo and all things queer, so I honestly didn't even care that this was a witch story! And I also ended up not minding the witchy elements at all and actually loved that all the girls had different abilities and things they felt more drawn to.

My absolute favourite aspect of this novel is how queer it is. And that's not just because of the f/f romance with a beautiful sex scene, which is something I hugely appreciate. But all the girls in the book are queer and so unapologetic about it. Having this diverse group of girls all being so openly queer is something that made so incredibly happy. I also loved how Danny is so casual about making out with girls because I feel like YA does not often show that it's totally cool to just casually make out with all kinds of different people, if they're all okay with it! Seeing a girl behaving that way, especially with other girls, is something I have huge appreciation for.
As I said, all the girls are queer but I wanted to write down all the specific identities featured in this book as well. There's Lelia who is non-binary (she/her pronouns) and "not allo". Hawthorn is black and bisexual. Rush is fat and June is Filipino.

I totally loved the structure and writing style and it really worked for this story. In the beginning the writing felt a little bit distant and until the end I had some issues getting really emotionally connected but I ended up not minding this at all. The writing is so lush and beautiful that the feelings and thoughts of the characters came across incredibly well!

The story switches between different points in time and point of views and included things like the whole school and "the trees" as well. I personally absolutely love perspectives like these because they create a certain atmosphere that just fits these kinds of witchy novels perfectly. In general the atmosphere was so easy to grasp and I felt completely engrossed in it.

If you love novels that center a group of girls that all love each other unconditionally and without any limits, this is a novel for you. It fits perfectly with stories like SAWKILL GIRLS or SUMMER OF SALT that all show a strong bond between queer girls.
I loved this novel with my whole heart and am so glad queer girls out there get to read it.

“the Grays are always touching and kissing each other because so many before us couldn’t. Each kiss carries the weight of so many kisses that never were.”

“The spellbinding tale of six queer witches foraging their own way” YEA IT WAS!

This book initially pulled me right in with how atmospheric it was. This book painted this pictures of the foggy redwood forest that you feel like you can lean forward and touch.

The lyrical writing style and the short POV switches really worked for me. I loved Danny and watching her find The Gray’s and a place where she could finally be herself was amazing.


Thank you to Netgalley and Candlewick Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

I could not get into this book at all, although I was super intrigued by the storyline, There are a good few novels coming out about witchcraft recently and this one definitely grabbed my attention when I first heard about it. The multiple point of views made it quite confusing and it did not allow to warm up to the characters, nor to get into the plot. I was not eager to pick up the book, nor to wonder what would happen to the characters. I did not finish the book, it is quite rare for me if I plan to do a review but I knew it would not be my cup of tea. It might be for someone else though, but I personally could not get into it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

The whole book, from its short multiple POV chapters to its queer female protagonists, were written so dreamlike and I love this way of writing. I know many people dislike multiple POV's with time shifts but I think the author used this method well to really flush out the narrative of this story (it helped that the chapters were labeled with the timeline as well).

I would love to see more magic take place, but I did like the way Capetta used a lot of ambient magic that would make itself known in subtle ways. It's very crafty and reminds me a bit of Tamora Pierce's "Circle of Magic" magic system (not a perfect likeness but similar in ways).

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Lost Coast by Amy Rose Capetta is a magical whirlwind of a story, and I loved every second of it. Capetta's writing is beautiful and lyrical and PERFECT. The story itself is absolutely breathtaking and gorgeous. This book also, in my opinion, features some FANTASTIC queer representation. I was a bit underwhelmed by the ending, hence my four out of five stars rating, but all in all, I have SO MUCH love for this book. I wish I could more coherently explain why you should read this book, but here's what matters: I loved almost everything about this book, and I think you will too. READ IT!

i want to scream into the world with how much i loved this book. honestly i just saw the “queer witches” in the synopsis and immediately was sold. and then it got even better when i started actually reading it?? the dream.

i basically adore this entire story but my favourite parts:

⇒ obviously all the friendship, support and love (every kind of love) between Danny, June, Rush, Lelia, Hawthorn and Imogen. Like, Danny felt like an outsider at the beginning, she didn't know them like they all knew each other, and she could feel all the love between them, but she started to feel part of the group and all their love between all of them i kinda want to cry thinking about it

⇒ part of the same point but their relationship?? with them being so touchy with each other and sometimes sharing kisses and all and!! i loved these polyamorous vibes, all these bonds and it wasn't necesseraly romantic but they love each other! they support each other! they feel comfortable with each other! they found people like them and it's so important for me

⇒ another point with me gushing about their relationship but i really, really loved it and i don't think i can make it justice talking about it, but know how much i loved it thank you very much

⇒ THE DIVERSITY!! obviously they were all queer and they had that in common but they were different too, Lelia saying she's nonbinary and grey ace, Hawthorn saying she's “bisexual black witch with a pretty strong lean towards masculine folks” but then also talking about boxes and calling yourself queer because this is how you feel at the moment

⇒ the povs. we start with Danny's first person narration and at first i thought this was gonna be like that for the entire book but no! we had a lot of “the grays” chapters, them as a whole group like they are and it fit really well, but also random narrators like the trees, the students from their high school or the ravens. AND we jumped time in time, most of it was “now” but we had some “six weeks ago” and “five years earlier” just at the right time for us to understand more. but not too much, we were still in a complete mystery to what happened to Imogen so obviously we can't stop reading, no, not right no, what do you mean i have to eat? reading is more important

⇒ the complete feeling of magic envelopping this whole story. they was so much magic all around it so when i say it's a magical book i'm right

What a dreamy, mystical, sleepy little book. While I was reading The Lost Coast, I felt like I was being cocooned in magical world of acceptance, friendship, and understanding; that just because someone is different from you, does not mean that it’s bad or that you should change yourself to what society thinks how a woman should act, talk, or dress. Being normal is vastly overrated, anyway. I love these badass queer witches.

Any book by Amy Rose Capetta has officially become an automatic buy for me. Thank you so much, Amy, for the diversity and inclusion. It was so nice to see women supporting women and to finally read a magical book that featured the normalization of my sexuality.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book!

*3.5 Stars*

Did your hear that crash? That was my expectations falling to their doom.
I requested this book on Netgalley not having read the summary because in the first line of it there "queer witches" and that's all I needed to know. Or so I thought.
I'm being way mean which isn't fair because this book wasn't bad, not by a long shot, but I expected so much more.

Danny just moved to Tempest, California with her mom when she ends up at a party that has her stumbling in the woods. There, she meets the Grays, four teenage witches and friends who tell her they had been waiting for her. As Danny grows closer to them, she uncovers her powers and does everything she can to help them.

As I mentioned, I was very sure I would love this but I just had so much trouble getting into the story. As much as I liked the characters and even if I enjoyed the storyline, it was very hard to read because of the writing style. And that's very much a me problem, I just can't get into books when the style is so lyrical. Maybe it's because English is my second language, who knows? Anyway, that really put me off and I had a lot of trouble focusing and being really engaged in what was happening. Also, the different points of view and flashbacks didn't help me focus... Still, if you like a lyrical story, as I wish I would, you should definitely read this one, especially thanks to the queer representation that was amazing.

I really really wanted to love this one. Echo After Echo was one of my favorite books last year and probably of all time. This one just didn't work for me. The different viewpoints didn't flow together or feel like a cohesive piece. The main character did not have a strong voice and I didn't connect with her, or anyone really. The characterization in this one was just, not there.

The magic aspect was just really confusing and not in an intriguing way. I was annoyed with what I wasn't being told. The pacing didn't help this problem out either. It was so slow. I felt like I was constantly forcing myself to read or pick up the book because nothing was happening and it felt like it was going to drag on forever.

I love the idea of queer witches and found family. This has a diverse cast and I love that it's not just a singular lesbian character and it's being touted as an LGBTQ+ book. I really wanted this book to work for me, but it just didn't at all. It's a hard pass from me.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Candlewick Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

I'm always down to read anything that has the words "queer" and "witches."

Danny needed to get out of her home town and find a place to embrace who she is, and when she gets a pull to go to Tempest, California, she does just that with her mom. One night she comes across the Grays, a group of witches who called for Danny to help them find their missing friend Imogen. As the mystery of Imogen grows, mysterious deaths occur in the woods, and Danny's abilities are put to the test.

What I liked the most is the openness of the Grays about their sexualities and craft. They pull Danny in from the start and, like her, I liked learning more about them. Sometimes I wish we learned more.

Danny, on the other hand, had no friends back home and doesn't want to lose the Grays. She's still figuring out who she is and they help her along the way.

I'll admit it took me a while to get into the story, but once I did, twists and turns kept me reading.

My biggest complaint is the format of the book. Words got cut off, including the POV of each chapter (which changes from Danny to the Grays to others around town) so sometimes you didn't know whose POV you were reading from until you read further into the chapter. It got easier as the story went but it's still not something you want to think about when reading.

Overall, it's an enjoyable read with a good mystery and great representation.

After finishing this book, I'm really not sure how I feel. But I think I'm leaning towards dissatisfied. Which in of itself is quite sad because there was so much potential here. (On a side note, I might not just click with the author's style as this is the second book I have read where I have struggled to read and enjoy it, despite having elements I like thrown throughout).

To start, this book really had tons of elements that I adore. First off, witches. I love witch stories, especially ones that include basic witchcraft as did the Lost Coast (i.e. spells, enchantments, crystals, potions). Despite this element being strong throughout the story, it wasn't enough to sell me.
Next, we have the LGBT+ element - overall all of the main cast (the witches) were queer in some way. While I loved this aspect, it fell a bit flat for me. I never understood if the queerness was somehow related to the witchcraft (because the MC Danny seemed to hint at being an outsider and her family not understanding her liking other girls), or if the being a witch was a metaphor for being queer, OR if being queer was just that and it didn't have a deeper meaning or connection to the witchcraft. Unfortunately, this made me confused and continuously wonder if I was missing something. Although, the rep was still great and it is worth mentioning.
Lastly, there was a mystery element - which, when combined with witchcraft, makes perfect sense. But again, it all fell flat.

There could be a few reasons why I found this story to be so flat. For starters, I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters. The story was told in short chapters in different perspectives. Sometimes these perspectives were Danny or "The Grays" (the main coven of witches Danny joins), but then we would get random chapters from the high school students, the trees, the ravens, etc. It sounds incredibly cool, but those chapters never added anything for me because it took me away from learning about the MCs. All the characters just blended together, which makes me believe it should have just followed one perspective.
Second, there were so many mysteries set up and only half resolved. For instance, Danny's entire backstory is alluded to, but we never actually know what happens. We know Danny leaves her home of Michigan because she gets in trouble (this is learned pretty early, so not really a spoiler). We get a brief paragraph about an incident that happened in Michigan, but I honestly never thought that the ONE incident was the reason to leave her family behind so that her and her mother could move to California. Maybe if more happened it would make sense? But it seemed super unrealistic (I'll admit that the one incident was pretty scary, but I work with TONS of teens who have risky behaviors on a daily basis and their parents solve the issues with therapy, not moving away... [foster care and placements are another story]). If the one incident was the reason her mom decided to move her, then I'm not satisfied with that.
Third, I don't think anything really made sense. I'm sitting here typing this trying to sort through my scattered thoughts - and they aren't scattered because I have a lot to say. They're scattered because I'm trying to see the point of the story. Sure, the author pretty much tells us the point on the last page, but it seemed pretty weak.

One pro the book has for it was the sex scene (the scene itself isn't graphic, but it is alluded to as "sex magic" a page later). I thought the scene was tactic and beautifully written. It was probably my favorite scene in the book, and it was only one page.

At this point, my thoughts are still scattered. Maybe I'll come back in a few days and add more, but for now I will leave you with this:
I'm really underwhelmed and unimpressed with this book. Personally would not recommend.

The Lost Coast:
After reading The Brilliant Death I had high expectations for this book about witches, shrouded in mystery and death on the Northern California coast. Danny, who has newly moved to Northern California from Michigan is dropped into a world where the leader of a close group is missing and they look to Danny to find her whole.

What I liked:
The author clearly sets the scene well of the foggy and mysterious woods, perfect for a story about witches.
The characters are all interesting in their own way and I was drawn to them all in some way or another.
The openness of sexuality and acceptance of choice makes for a richer story.

What I didn’t like:
I found the story confusing with the ever changing POV and shifting timeline. The chapters were so short that these changes became jarring and confusing.
This book is meant to be part mystery, one which I figured out pretty quickly so I was just waiting for it, knowing the answer.
While I was drawn to each of the characters, the sporadic writing also made it difficult to fully connect with them.
While the openness of sexuality is to be applauded, there were times that vehicle was leaned on a little too heavily to further the story.

Unfortunately, The Lost Coast did not live up to its expectations for me. Ultimately, while I did like parts and aspects of the book, in the end, it fell short.

So full disclosure I’m originally a Michigan girl who turned into a California girl now in New Zealand. I know that pull that those great redwoods have. Danny’s thoughts and her need to kiss everyone, it is all so raw and wonderful. I loved the way she feels the outside of The Grays, but wanting so hard to be part of them. We connect to her struggles from wanting to appease her mother yet feeling constrained by the rules. Even though we know those rules are there due to Danny’s history and troubles.

There is great representation in this novel with both POC, nonbinary individuals, asexual and aromantic individuals, all with a feminist approach. There are conversations about pronouns, and slut-shaming and what happens when your parents refuse to accept you. Around this exists the bigger picture of what happened to Imogen and what is going on around town.

She made me like POV switches!
Amy-Rose, who identifies as nonbinary and bi, writes as if this is a secret love letter whispered out into the world. Each line full of poetry and power, never a word wasted. Somehow she manages to make me even put aside, here they work. Specifically, there are multiple POV changing frequently. But they are not as dis-jarring, or confusing as I usually find, here they add to the magic. Part of this I think is that Danny’s chapters are always in the first person. The other chapters are almost always groups and third person. Even the great redwoods have a few chapters solidifying them as a character.

This is so beautifully weird and amazing

Usually this type of writing style isn’t my style at all, I can never understand what’s going on and I’m not a huge fan of swapping from first person to third in a book, but this one worked.
I LOVE The Grays. I want them. I want to freaking cuddle them and take them home with me. They are the most beautiful group of LGTBQ characters ever. They are all so uniquely different in their own way.

I really connected with these character which again is very rare for me with this type of writing but I felt for them and loved them.

The plot of this was also super interesting and strange. I never knew what really was going on and never guessed anything so the ending was really good.


This is definitely a strange one and the writing style is very quirky but lyrical! Definitely an amazing book though!!!

I was super excited about this book because I’m always down for a good witchy novel, and since the ones I’ve read before weren’t as I pictured or had in mind, I’m still on the hunt for the perfect witchy book for me.

I have to say that one of the first things I noticed about this story was the writing. It was very flushed and descriptive, and so lyrical that fit really well with the tone set in the novel. At first it threw me a bit of because there was a lot of information and I was a bit confused about what was going on and how everything was written, but as I kept reading I started to love it more and more.

I feel like there was a lot happening but nothing really happened that made the plot keep going until half way through. It had a lot of POVs and jumps from present to past that I think sometimes didn’t add anything to the plot but only so the reader could know more about the different relationships between some of the characters. I enjoyed some perspectives more than others, but at times I just got confused because there were all these scenes and jumps that I couldn’t really distinguish what was going on.

Regarding the characters I feel they needed a bit more work. Though I loved the representation of all these girls and I think their friendship was so precious and incredibly tight, it’s true that I found that some characters were more complex and distinguishable than others. There were some of the girls that I kept mistaking from one another, and the ones that I feel we got a lot more information to create a picture of them in our heads were Danny, Rush and Imogen. However, I really enjoyed the interactions between Rush and Danny, and overall the dynamics of their relationship and the romance.

The atmosphere pf the book was amazing and one of my favorite things. Throughout the entire novel I had this sense of anticipation and mysteriousness that kept me wanting to know what happened with Imogen and how everything tied up. The descriptions were very lyrical and whimsical, and the tone fit so well with how eerie everything appeared.

However, even though I had some issues with the pacing of the story and how slow and uneventful it felt during the first half of the novel, the second half was absolutely amazing. There were some little twists and turns that kept me seat the edge of my seat and wanting to know what was going to happen next, and not only that but I feel we got some answers to questions that affected the plot, and that the book became much fast paced and entertaining. I feel the climax of the story was really well done, and the ending too.

Overall, it was a solid book and though it took a bit for the story to start being interesting, I ended up really enjoying the ending and the second part of the book more than the first one, and even though there are some things that could have been more descriptive and the characters could have been more complex, it was s whimsical story

What I liked: lots of diversity, the premise of the story

What Needs Work: The plot and pacing were very erratic, the narrative POV changes every several pages, and the story was not engaging or interesting.

Overall, this is a fantastic idea for a book, and the cover is gorgeous, but this particular book isn't worth the reader's time.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for review purposes.

I received an ARC of this book thanks to Net Galley and publisher Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautiful beautiful book. I was so excited to read this because the words 'queer witches' are instant attention-grabbers for me, and thankfully The Lost Coast did not disappoint. This is the story of a close-knit group of witches who live in a town surrounded by redwoods. One of their group has recently 'changed' so while she is physically present, she is no longer herself mentally. They cast a spell to call someone to them to help find her and the spell brings Danny, a girl who does not know she is a witch but has strong finding magic. When Danny arrives, a boy is found dead and the mystery behind what happened to their friend becomes a little more complicated.

I think the first thing I have to discuss about this book is the writing style. I am normally not a fan of overly poetic books and this certainly counts as one. Usually extended metaphors and dreamy prose yank me out of the story and distract me from the plot. However, Capetta's writing is beautiful and I found the story so compelling that it was only occasionally that the flowery language distracted me. It still did happen but there were also some powerful and/or beautiful sentences which I really did love. This writing style definitely won't be for everyone though and it's something to bear in mind.

The characters are perhaps this book's biggest strength. I didn't quite fall in love with everyone in the admittedly-large cast but I almost did. Hawthorne was definitely the weakest and I kept getting her mixed up with Haven due to their similar names. Everyone else had fairly distinct personalities and I found myself missing them in the second half where there seems to be less focus on the side characters. There is a lot of queer content in this which was great and it was incorporated well into the plot. The plot itself is actually stronger than I expected from this kind of story and I found the ending satisfying which almost never happens with books where plot isn't the main focus.

Overall, this is a gorgeously-written and compelling book about queer witches and the complexities of close-knit groups. If you like the sound of this book, you're almost certain to enjoy it as the blurb gives a perfect sense of what you're going to get. This is a standalone as far as I'm aware and I'm not sure a sequel would work but I almost wish I had more from this world and I would certainly love more about these characters. I will definitely be keeping an eye on Capetta's future work.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

I have no idea what exactly went wrong here. A book about queer witches? Sign me up! Unfortunately I could not tell you a single thing that happened in this book. I disliked pretty much every character, that is when I could figure out who they were and why they were being so generic and bland.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year but I just...I did not like anything about I except for the atmosphere. The atmosphere was brilliant but damn. I was bored and annoyed by so much of this book.

I understand the intention of this story but unfortunately the execution was not where I wanted it to be in order for me to enjoy this book. Which was a huge letdown because I was beyond excited for this book.