Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty (review)
Buy Issue for $25 at JHUP- Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty
Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-4847-0901-6 $16.99
E-book ed. ISBN 978-1-4847-1511-6 $9.99
Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 5-7
It’s 1899, and the Biltmore estate is hosting a number of families. Meanwhile, young Serafina has been skulking in the shadows and navigating the dark nooks of the house; she and her father have lived undetected in the basement for years, and, by the orders of her pa, she cannot allow herself to be seen by any members of the household. An encounter in the middle of the night with a man in a black cloak and clearly terrified girl leaves Serafina shaken; when she hears that visiting children have begun to go missing from the house, she’s certain the man in the cloak is the culprit. Joined by Braeden, the young master of Biltmore, Serafina ventures into the eerie forest that surrounds the estate—the forest her father has warned her away from her entire life—to discover the nature of their enemy. In the process, however, she also learns of her own tragic history. Savvy readers will spot the identity of the cloaked man pretty readily, but the vast estate with a haunted past and a creepy present makes for an atmospheric setting, and Serafina’s multiple narrow escapes from her enemy are absolutely thrilling. Serafina herself is an enchanting heroine, brave and determined, and her attraction to the dark forest adds another layer of suspense and mystery. Pair this with Auxier’s The Night Gardener (BCCB 5/14) to introduce young readers to the Gothic tradition.
