Serafina and the Black Cloak
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4.6 • 346 Ratings
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
"Never go into the deep parts of the forest, for there are many dangers there, and they will ensnare your soul." Serafina has never had a reason to disobey her pa and venture beyond the grounds of the Biltmore estate.There's plenty to explore in her grand home, although she must take care to never be seen. None of the rich folk upstairs know that Serafina exists; she and her pa, the estate's maintenance man, have secretly lived in the basement for as long as Serafina can remember. But when children at the estate start disappearing, only Serafina knows who the culprit is:a terrifying man in a black cloak who stalks Biltmore's corridors at night. Following her own harrowing escape, Serafina risks everything by joining forces with Braeden Vanderbilt, the young nephew of the Biltmore's owners. Braeden and Serafina must uncover the Man in the Black Cloak's true identity…before all of the children vanish one by one. Serafina's hunt leads her into the very forest that she has been taught to fear. There she discovers a forgotten legacy of magic, one that is bound to her own identity. In order to save the children of Biltmore, Serafina must seek the answers that will unlock the puzzle of her past.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Beatty's suspenseful debut opens in 1899 in Ashville, N.C., at the historic Biltmore Estate. Twelve-year-old Serafina and her father secretly live in the basement of the Biltmore, where he keeps the mansion's many mechanisms in working order. He forbids Serafina who was born with four toes on each foot, golden eyes, and other physical peculiarities from wandering upstairs among the Vanderbilts or into the woods, where he found and rescued her as an infant. One night, Serafina sees a man capture a girl, who vanishes into his cloak. With more children disappearing, she teams up with fellow loner Braeden Vanderbilt, nephew of the estate's owner, to search for the so-called Man in the Black Cloak, leading them deep into the forest. Serafina's quest to understand herself and her unknown family history, along with some truly creepy moments and imagery (during one encounter, the Man in the Black Cloak "seemed to float on the violence of the battle, his decaying, blood-dripping hands reaching outward as he came upon Braeden"), makes for an eerie historical mystery. Ages 8 12.
Customer Reviews
O.m.g.
Such. A. Good. Book. Oh. My. God.
Just awesome
This book is a mix of fear and suspense!
Awesome book
I read this book at my school library for Reading Olympics.First,I thought it was scary and weird by its cover but when I started reading it it tureens out to be surprising good in fact addictive. I was reading it everywhere then when my book report came though, I decided to chose it for the project I wanted to make a game for it. But when I told my mom about the book she thought it was weird in a lot of ways. But to go days later when I turned it in I couldn’t finish the last couple pages I was sad. But to fast forward later in the year, I saw this 6 grader literally look at the title and just throw it back on the shelf. And I just wanted to tell her a lot she was missing out on and how she was wrong on so many levels. But I knew she would think that I was some weird 4th grader girl. But now that I look back on that book I think about how much I liked it and all the places I was at reading it. It’s an awesome book and I would recommend it so this is the reason I gave this book 5 stars.