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undetected throughout the house. These questions drive Serafina’s remarkable – and not cliché – journey of self-discovery. Braeden, like Serafina, struggles to find where he fits in. Even in a mansion full of people, he feels alone and would rather be with his dog than attend the parties his aunt and uncle host. He, like Serafina, wants someone to finally see him and accept him. Serafina and the Black Cloak tackles complicated issues, from class division to self-acceptance, thoughtfully and without preaching. Serafina recognizes that her upbringing was different from Braeden’s, and even though she sometimes longs to wear soft slippers or velvet dresses, she would not trade her life of living in the basement and catching rats for all the sweets in the Biltmore’s kitchen. She embraces her talents, like being able to see in the dark and track footprints, and it is her rat catching skills that make her able to protect Braeden and search for the missing children. This novel, which is the first in a series, is marketed for children and pre-teens. However, the second
ABOVE The Banquet Hall, featuring two of the Goeblin tapestries,
Biltmore House & Gardens (made in Switzerland by Atelier Graphique H. Vontobel, Feldmeilen), Asheville, NC
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half of the book, especially the last few chapters, drifts away from the mystery/thriller foundation and into horror. That being said, the frightening elements reflect the gravity of the children’s situation without being too graphic. But perhaps this is a series that parents will want to read with their children. Serafina and the Black Cloak is an ambitious and impressive debut novel. Serafina is memorable and inspiring in a way that few characters are. Her courage and persistence not only make her a role model but also remind us that it is not only the battles we win, but the battles we dare to fight that define us. n
COURTESY OF NORTH CAROLINA COLLECTION PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVES, WILSON LIBRARY, UNC CHAPEL HILL
children visiting the Vanderbilts. As children continue to disappear, Serafina pleads with her father to help her find them, but he dismisses what she saw as a nightmare or one of the many stories she creates. Serafina vows to find the children and stop the man, and along the way finds an unlikely ally and possibly her first friend in Braeden, the nephew and surrogate son of the Vanderbilts. Together, Serafina and Braeden search for the mysterious man in the black cloak, hoping to stop him before he takes anyone else. Beatty excels at weaving the plot together and keeping the reader in suspense. As Serafina and Braeden work together the constant need for secrecy puts them both in dangerous and frightening situations. The stakes are even higher after it becomes clear that the man in the black cloak’s next target is Braeden. Serafina, fearful that she will lose her only friend, makes a bold decision and risks everything to save Braeden and free the missing children. While the plot keeps the reader’s attention, it is the characters who drive the novel. Serafina, though still a child, sees things that others do not and can be admired for her convictions, her refusal to let evil win, and her compassion for others. “Just because something looked different didn’t mean you just threw it away. . . . She couldn’t help but wonder what kind of world it was out there” (53). Throughout the novel she questions why she is different from everyone else, from her appearance, thin features and yellow eyes, to her ability to move
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