When I was a Children’s Librarian, we prepared Battle of the Books for 5 months. To plan ahead or so to speak, I tried to read all of the titles that we selected. I was able to see why they were chosen, especially Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty. It was a good, spooky, and entertaining book even if I didn’t connect to it as much as a younger reader would.
Serafina and the Black Cloak is the first book in the “Serafina” series. Serafina and her pa – the maintenance man – have secretly lived in the basement at the Biltmore estate as long as she can remember. She has explored the mansion, yet she must take great care to never be seen. None of the rich folk including the owners – the Vanderbilts – know that she exists. But when various children at the estate start disappearing, only Serafina knows who the culprit is – a man in a black cloak who stalks Biltmore’s grounds at night. After she escapes, Serafina risks everything by joining forces with Braeden Vanderbilt – the owners’ young nephew. Together, they must uncover the true identity of the Man in the Black Cloak before more children vanish. In the meantime, Serafina’s hunt leads her into the forest that her pa had taught her to fear. There, she discovers a forgotten legacy of magic, one that’s bound to her own identity. To save the children of Biltmore, Serafina must seek answers that will unlock the puzzle to her past.
Serafina is a very interesting character who wants to know her true identity. For someone who’s been isolated for most of her life, she’s able to read people’s emotions pretty well. To be fair, she’s been observing the rich people all of her life. In addition, when her pa reveals where she actually comes from, her reactions are normal for a 12-year-old who just discovered the truth to something, ranging from relief that she has an answer to anger that her dad didn’t tell her sooner. I rooted for her to discover her true identity and to connect with people beyond the basement. Oh by the way, did I mention she fights a mountain lion at one point?
Another aspect that I liked was the villain. He’s the man in the Black Cloak who snatches various kids. He was actually kind of terrifying to me, and I’m an adult! To be fair, I’ve always been slightly unnerved by stories, in which people snatch others and take them far, far away. On top of all of that, no one knows who it is. The book even plays on various expectations on what readers think villains should be. Throughout, Serafina observes various men at the estate and takes mental notes on who it could be. At one point, she assumes it’s the coach driver because of how nasty he treats her and how he runs away when Serafina and Braeden fight off the Man in the Black Cloak in the forest. The identity of the villain will blow some younger readers’ minds.
I also enjoyed the world building in the novel. The descriptions of the basement that Serafina and her pa give it an isolated, yet comfy environment. For the Biltmore estate, it’s portrayed as a grand, but cold place with most of the rich people being indifferent to others who aren’t like them. This is especially true when Serafina leaves the grounds for the first time and remarks on how spooky it looks from the outside. (On a side note, looking at the actual pictures of the Biltmore estate only proves how accurate Serafina’s observations are of the place). As for the forest, it’s depicted as dark and menacing at first with all of the tree trunks blocking various parts of the walk paths and how Pa forbids Serafina to go there no matter what. However, once she finds herself in the woods, she sees all of the terrifying attributes, yet there’s an openness that allows her to be free before she has to endure various obstacles.
It took me a while to read Serafina and the Black Cloak because it didn’t connect to it as much as I wanted to. As much as I like Serafina, the villain, and the environment, it was another kid-discovers-real-world-and-true-identity story. I rooted for Serafina don’t get me wrong, yet I did that in the same way I would for other characters going through similar things. In other words, no matter how much she stood out, she’s still part of a trope.
Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty is a good book that I wished I had more emotional investment in. Even though the novel follows the kid exploring a new world and true identity cliche, it stands out with Serafina being a realistic 12-year-old, a villain that challenges readers’ expectations, and the world building. I would recommend this to kids aged 9 and older as well as adults who love fantasy, protagonists discovering their real identities, and books set at historic mansions like the Biltmore estate. If this novel did anything for me, it’s wanting to travel to North Carolina to see that particular home, so I’m going to get me some plane and museum tickets to go there in the future.
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Book Reviews by a Chick Who Reads Everything 