Serafina is officially on the list of my most favorite young heroines. The Man in the Black Cloak shows up right away in the story, so you can easily read a couple of chapters and then gauge if you think it will be too scary or not. So parents, if you’re considering this as a bedtime, chapter-a-night kind of book, read it yourself first just to make sure it won’t cause any bad dreams. The only cautionary thing I have to say about this book is that the Man in the Black Cloak is a pretty vivid and frightening character and might be scary for younger readers. Although the book is written in third person, Beatty used simple language and short sentences, which made me feel as though young Serafina was telling me her story herself. I found the main and secondary characters to be well written and full of relatable, human emotions. She is physically different from others, and the mystery of her family origins as well as of the Man with the Black Cloak kept me quickly turning the pages. The main character, Serafina, is wonderfully written.

This story sounded like a wonderful adventure and childhood dream come true. Having been born and raised in the southeastern United States, I recall a trip to the Biltmore Estate in my younger days and simply being in awe of this “castle.” No child has ever visited Biltmore Estate and not wondered what it would be like to live there, even in the basement, and be able to sneak around and have your run of the place at night.

It is eye-catchingly beautiful with a silhouette of the young heroine against the night sky over the Biltmore Estate. I am so excited that I have FINALLY had a chance to read this book! Let me start by saying that it surpassed my expectations and is one of the most original stories I have read in a long time.

Serafina and the black cloak full book