The Lost Coast

Gr 10 Up–Danny has trouble staying where she’s supposed to be. She sleepwalks, cuts class, wanders away from home, and kisses lots of people but never feels connected to them. Finally, with Danny’s grades plummeting, her mother decides they need a new start. They spread out a map and pick the town of Tempest, on the northern coast of California, as their new home. Danny’s mother hopes that her daughter will turn over a new leaf, and Danny longs for a place with other queer kids where she won’t feel so alone. She gets more than she bargained for when it turns out that her arrival in Tempest isn’t happenstance. A group of queer teenage witches who call themselves the Grays have been waiting for Danny, and they believe she is the only one who can find their missing friend, Imogen. Danny must simultaneously learn to use her new powers, meet the expectations of her mother and her new friends, and unravel the mystery of Imogen’s disappearance. She also needs to determine whether the Grays actually want her or if they’re just using her to find Imogen. 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.