The Lost Coast - by A R Capetta (Paperback)

About the Book

Danny didn't know what she was looking for when she and her mother spread out a map of the United States and Danny put her finger down on Tempest, California. What she finds are the Grays: a group of friends who throw around terms like queer and witch like they're ordinary and everyday, though they feel like an earthquake to Danny. But Danny didn't just find the Grays. They cast a spell that calls her halfway across the country, because she has something they need: she can bring back Imogen, the most powerful of the Grays, missing since the summer night she wandered into the woods alone. But before Danny can find Imogen, she finds a dead boy with a redwood branch through his heart. Something is very wrong amid the trees and fog of the Lost Coast, and whatever it is, it can kill. -Inside cover.

Book Synopsis

The spellbinding tale of six queer witches forging their own paths, shrouded in the mist, magic, and secrets of the ancient California redwoods.

Danny didn't know what she was looking for when she and her mother spread out a map of the United States and Danny put her finger down on Tempest, California. What she finds are the Grays: a group of friends who throw around terms like queer and witch like they're ordinary and everyday, though they feel like an earthquake to Danny. But Danny didn't just find the Grays. They cast a spell that calls her halfway across the country, because she has something they need: she can bring back Imogen, the most powerful of the Grays, missing since the summer night she wandered into the woods alone. But before Danny can find Imogen, she finds a dead boy with a redwood branch through his heart. Something is very wrong amid the trees and fog of the Lost Coast, and whatever it is, it can kill. Lush, eerie, and imaginative, Amy Rose Capetta's tale overflows with the perils and power of discovery -- and what it means to find your home, yourself, and your way forward.

Review Quotes

In Capetta's dreamy, enigmatic tale, a restless teen finds friendship, love, and self-acceptance among a coven of queer witches...the unapologetic characters, diverse in sexual and gender identities as well as diverse physically and ethnically, are the real draw. This is a slow-burning, mystical, and romantic character study about the life-affirming magic of finding a place to belong after being lost for so long.
--Booklist (starred review)

The positive, gentle depiction of Danny and Rush's physical relationship offers much-needed representation. Ideal for readers searching for queer- and female-driven contemporary fantasy.
--Kirkus Reviews

With lush prose, atmospheric descriptions, and nonlinear storytelling (segments intertwine present and past), Capetta (Echo After Echo) crafts an accomplished tale with a wide range of representation. Frank discussions of sexuality and identity intertwine with an almost raw emotionality as the characters wholeheartedly embrace their true selves, and an underlying current of suspense supports the overarching mixture of intrigue and interpersonal development.
--Publishers Weekly

A refreshingly diverse cast, and . . . a nuanced picture that traverses the fluid lines of human connection. . . . Capetta's prose has an attractive lyricism that underlines the mystique of the dreamlike wooded setting, and fans of McLemore's florid, sensual writing and queer romance in When the Moon Was Ours (BCCB 10/16) and Wild Beauty (BCCB 10/17) may appreciate this similarly styled offering.
--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Told through shifting points of view, this book wraps sinuous, sensual language around a tight, fast-paced plot to create a story that entrances readers from the beginning. Despite their magical powers, Capetta's characters are relatable teens from their highest hopes to their deepest insecurities. A powerful book for teens who long to feel seen. Recommended for all high school and public libraries.
--School Library Journal

This atmospheric story thought- provokingly explores the powers of magic within young women and in women loving women.
--The Horn Book

This surreal and magical story is hauntingly delightful and completely absorbing. I highly recommend for fans of Stiefvater's Raven Boys series...the book will soon wrap you up in the enchanting surreal story of the Grays. This book is mystery combined with magical realism and a lyrical narration that will absolutely captive YA readers.
--YA Books Central (blog)

The Lost Coast is devastatingly good and I can't wait to read it again.
--Tor.com

About the Author

A. R. Capetta, who previously published under the name Amy Rose Capetta, is the author of Echo After Echo and The Heartbreak Bakery and holds a master of fine arts in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. A. R. Capetta lives in a small town in the mountains with their family.