A review by gabalodon
The Lost Coast by A.R. Capetta

4.0

This book was extremely savory and sensual and all about the *atmosphere*, sometimes at the expense of moving the plot along and developing character relationships, which kept it just shy of something I would read again. But it was truly beautifully written. Clearly a deeply personal love letter by the author, and that love suffuses the writing. Such a dynamic cast of characters to work with, such a spooky set-up in a beautiful place. I was fascinated by the way the book bounces between chapters from a group perspective (the theme of belonging to a group, or flock, or stand of redwoods is extremely prevalent), those from a single perspective (I think always Danny, whose entire journey is about finding somewhere to belong), and pair chapters (in which we dive deep into how different pairs of characters relate to each other independently of the groups of which they are a part). I also enjoyed navigating the time jumps and the web of narratives.

For reference: this reminded me a lot of the Raven Cycle, mostly in that I felt like this was everything I wanted the Raven Cycle to be, because it didn't have that biting, malicious, barbed edge the characters have in the RC, but the RC has more of the adventure and fun and drive that I wanted this to have. I also feel like this has the same vibes as Sawkill Girls, so if you have read and enjoyed either of those or if the idea of a spooky witchy mystery exploring identity and full of strong, loving, growing friendships appeals to you, highly recommend.