Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty is a thrilling tale of mystery and adventure set at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC in 1899. Having lived in Asheville and visited the house several times, there was no way I was going to pass up a chance to read this. (Also it's MG fantasy, always a bonus for me.)
Serafina lives in secret in the basement of the Vanderbilt's spacious vacation home. She has lived there most of her life. Her father worked on the house as it was being built and is the mechanic who runs the massive generator and keeps the electricity going. Serafina is the chief rat catcher, slipping through the halls of her massive home secretly and quietly. She is light on her feet, sees well in the dark, and is quick enough to catch the vermin and keep them out. Serafina knows she if different and strange. Her father insists she stay hidden. But all that changes when one night Serafina witnesses a horrible crime. A little girl, a guest in the house, is fleeing from a cloaked predator who seems to consume her whole in his cloak before Serafina eyes. She soon learns that the young Clara is not the first person to go missing. In a daring move, Serafina decides to investigate the matter herself and meets the young nephew of the Vanderbilts, Braeden. The two children investigate the matter together. They know Braeden is the next victim and Serafina is determined to keep him, the only friend she has ever had, safe. To do so, she must face the evil that is stalking them and confront the truths about herself and her mysterious past.
Serafina is a bold and decisive heroine who doesn't always follow directions, but does what she believes to be right and good. The story focuses on the mystery of the cloak, who is wielding it, and what exactly it does, but through this we also get to see Serafina's inner struggles. She wants to fit in but knows she doesn't. She is desperate to understand who she is and where she comes from, but is also afraid of the answers she might find. I liked how the relationship between her and Braeden developed. Both children are loners and so their friendship is not as unrealistic as it otherwise might be for a barely servant and member of the family to have. Braeden's character is not as defined or nuanced as Serafina, but he has an interesting backstory and serves his purpose in the book well.
Beatty beautifully sets the scene for Serafina's tale. He does an excellent job of describing the house and the surrounding land and forest. How dark, forbidding, and dangerous the forest can be gives the story an eery feel. Added to this is the intense harrowing events that keep the reader flipping pages to see what happens next. The action is intense and there are scenes that involve blood and gore. The peril feels very real and the stakes for Serafina are high. It is an intense yet fun read, perfect for summer. There is a good balance between scary and humorous, but this is definitely a book for kids who are comfortable with creepy stories and aren't afraid of the dark.
As an adult reader, I found the end to be a little too perfect and a bit saccharine. This was particularly disappointing to me as I really enjoyed the book up until that point. There seemed to be a definite difference it quality of the writing as everything was tied into an extremely neat and tidy bow. Children readers will probably not have this issue as much, and I can see this becoming a favorite for many. It's definitely a must have for upper elementary classroom and school libraries.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher, Disney-Hyperion, via NetGalley. Serafina and the Black Cloak is on sale July 14th.
Serafina lives in secret in the basement of the Vanderbilt's spacious vacation home. She has lived there most of her life. Her father worked on the house as it was being built and is the mechanic who runs the massive generator and keeps the electricity going. Serafina is the chief rat catcher, slipping through the halls of her massive home secretly and quietly. She is light on her feet, sees well in the dark, and is quick enough to catch the vermin and keep them out. Serafina knows she if different and strange. Her father insists she stay hidden. But all that changes when one night Serafina witnesses a horrible crime. A little girl, a guest in the house, is fleeing from a cloaked predator who seems to consume her whole in his cloak before Serafina eyes. She soon learns that the young Clara is not the first person to go missing. In a daring move, Serafina decides to investigate the matter herself and meets the young nephew of the Vanderbilts, Braeden. The two children investigate the matter together. They know Braeden is the next victim and Serafina is determined to keep him, the only friend she has ever had, safe. To do so, she must face the evil that is stalking them and confront the truths about herself and her mysterious past.
Serafina is a bold and decisive heroine who doesn't always follow directions, but does what she believes to be right and good. The story focuses on the mystery of the cloak, who is wielding it, and what exactly it does, but through this we also get to see Serafina's inner struggles. She wants to fit in but knows she doesn't. She is desperate to understand who she is and where she comes from, but is also afraid of the answers she might find. I liked how the relationship between her and Braeden developed. Both children are loners and so their friendship is not as unrealistic as it otherwise might be for a barely servant and member of the family to have. Braeden's character is not as defined or nuanced as Serafina, but he has an interesting backstory and serves his purpose in the book well.
Beatty beautifully sets the scene for Serafina's tale. He does an excellent job of describing the house and the surrounding land and forest. How dark, forbidding, and dangerous the forest can be gives the story an eery feel. Added to this is the intense harrowing events that keep the reader flipping pages to see what happens next. The action is intense and there are scenes that involve blood and gore. The peril feels very real and the stakes for Serafina are high. It is an intense yet fun read, perfect for summer. There is a good balance between scary and humorous, but this is definitely a book for kids who are comfortable with creepy stories and aren't afraid of the dark.
As an adult reader, I found the end to be a little too perfect and a bit saccharine. This was particularly disappointing to me as I really enjoyed the book up until that point. There seemed to be a definite difference it quality of the writing as everything was tied into an extremely neat and tidy bow. Children readers will probably not have this issue as much, and I can see this becoming a favorite for many. It's definitely a must have for upper elementary classroom and school libraries.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher, Disney-Hyperion, via NetGalley. Serafina and the Black Cloak is on sale July 14th.
Comments
Welcome to the future! Financing made easy with Prof. Mrs. DOROTHY LOAN INVESTMENTS
Have you been looking for financing options for your new business plans, Are you seeking for a loan to expand your existing business, Do you find yourself in a bit of trouble with unpaid bills and you don’t know which way to go or where to turn to? Have you been turned down by your banks? MRS. DOROTHY LOAN INVESTMENTS says YES when your banks say NO. Contact us as we offer financial services at a low and affordable interest rate of 2% for long and short term loans. Interested applicants should contact us for further loan acquisition procedures via profdorothyinvestments@gmail.com
Services rendered include:
*Refinancing Loans
* Car Loan
*Truck Loans
* Home Loan
* Mortgage Loan
* Debt Consolidation Loan
* Farm Loan
* Business Loan [secure and unsecured]
* Personal Loan [secure and unsecured]
* Students Loan and so many others.
For more info; Contact us via Email: profdorothyinvestments@gmail.com
With Prof. Mrs. DOROTHY LOAN INVESTMENTS. you can say goodbye to all your financial crisis and difficulties as we are certified, trustworthy, reliable, efficient, fast and dynamic
How many bitcoin addresses are there with balances?http://allcryptosoftware.net/
free bitcoin private key finder http://allcryptosoftware.net/
Financial Instrument For Leasing And Purchase - BG, SBLC, MT103, FRESH CUT, MT799, MT760
We Offers Financial Consulting to Client, Companies Seeking Debt / Loan Financing And Seeking For Working Capital To Start A New Business Or To Expand Existing Business all over United kingdom, Europe/America. We are equally ready to work with Brokers and financial
consultants/consulting firms in their respective countries.
The Financial institution can finance your signatory projects such as Real Estate Development, Aviation Service, Agriculture Finance, Petroleum Importation, Telecommunication,
construction of Dams or Bridges and all kind of projects.
Our procedures are most reasonable and safest as we operate a 100% financial risk free process which entails that the issuing and receiving bank continues the transaction immediately after DOA is Countersigned.
We hope to establish a long term business relationship with you even after this first trial,
DESCRIPTION OF INSTRUMENTS:
1. Instrument: Bank Guarantee (BG)/SBLC (Appendix A)
2. Total Face Value: 1,000,000 MIN to 50B MAX USD or Euro
3. Issuing Bank: HSBC, Deutsche Bank Frankfurt, UBS or any Top 25 .
4. Age: One Year, One Day
5. Leasing Price: 4+ 1%
6. Sale Price: 32+2%
7. Delivery : Bank to Bank Swift MT799 and/or MT760
8. Payment: MT103-23
9. Hard Copy: Bonded Courier within 7 banking days.
BROKERS ARE WELCOME !!!
intermediaries are also welcomed; do get back to us if you are interested in any of
our services and for quality service. Our team of experts will be glad to share with you our working procedures.
Email : liamdarragh.finance@gmail.com
Skype ID : Liam-darragh
Whatsapp : +46734779448
senecapayne1976@gmail.com
INFO.GILBERTFINANCE@GMAIL.COM
ffconsultancyltd@gmail.com
nrfinanciials@gmail.com
ribellodasilver01.finance@gmail.com
Mchugh017@gmail.com
hidayahfactor@gmail.com
davidliska67@gmail.com
rybkowskamoniaa@gmail.com
Rollerdominika@gmail.com
durand123credito@gmail.com
m.beataelzbieta@gmail.com
financialinstrumentlimited07@outlook.com
srcfinancialplc@gmail.com
financialconsultant112@gmail.com
We have direct access to genuine providers of Bank Guarantee (BG), Standby Letter of Credit (SBLC), Loan. Issuance is by AA rated Bank in Europe, Middle East, Asia and USA.
We also monetize same BG/SBLC for 100% cash if you do not have a monetizer.
Our bank instruments can be engaged in PPP Trading, Discounting Signature Projects like Construction, Oil and gas, Telecommunication etc.
Please contact me for full details:
Whatsapp : +16135085843
Name: Garvan Mairead
Email: inquiry.trustedfinanceplc@gmail.com
Skype : inquiry.trustedfinance@gmail.com
Email: jamesmckaywizard@gmail.com
What's App:+1 (507) 414-7049
We Offers Financial Consulting to Client, Companies Seeking Debt / Loan Financing And Seeking For Working Capital To Start A New Business Or To Expand Existing Business all over United kingdom, Europe/America. We are equally ready to work with Brokers and financial
consultants/co... firms in their respective countries.
The Financial institution can finance your signatory projects such as Real Estate Development, Aviation Service, Agriculture Finance, Petroleum Importation, Telecommunication, construction of Dams or Bridges and all kind of projects.
Our procedures are most reasonable and safest as we operate a 100% financial risk free process which entails that the issuing and receiving bank continues the transaction immediately after DOA is Countersigned.
We hope to establish a long term business relationship with you even after this first trial,
DESCRIPTION OF INSTRUMENTS:
1. Instrument: Bank Guarantee (BG)/SBLC (Appendix A)
2. Total Face Value: 1,000,000 MIN to 50B MAX USD or Euro
3. Issuing Bank: HSBC, Deutsche Bank Frankfurt, UBS or any Top 25 .
4. Age: One Year, One Day
5. Leasing Price : 4+ 2%
6. Sale Price: 32+2%
7. Delivery : Bank to Bank Swift MT799 and/or MT760
8. Payment: MT103-23
9. Hard Copy: Bonded Courier within 7 banking days.
BROKERS ARE WELCOME !!!
Intermediaries are also welcomed; do get back to us if you are interested in any of our services and for quality service. Our team of experts will be glad to share with you our working procedures.
Intermediaries/Consultant... are welcome to bring their clients are 100% protected. In complete confidence, we will work together for the benefits of all parties involved
Email : liamdarragh.finance@gmail... ID : Liam-darragh
Whatsapp : +46734779448
Reclaiming Your Stolen Crypto: A Successful Recovery with Captain WebGenesis.
Fraudsters steal hundreds of millions of pounds from innocent victims every minute using various methods such as phishing links and bogus investment schemes. That is why Captain WebGenesis, a Cyber organized foundation, is equipped with sophisticated recovery tools that are essential to assist fraud victims in recovering their monies. Although these fraudsters are generally intelligent, Captain WebGenesis is similarly designed with Cyber Intelligence (CYBINT) Experts who are very much knowledgeable in the crypto space and are able to penetrate to get to these fraudsters' systems thus obtaining access to the stolen funds and having them returned to your wallet in a timely manner. Captain WebGenesis is Extremely professional, Knowledgeable and always available for questions or consultations.
Get in touch with Captain WebGenesis,
Mail Info; Captainwebgenesis@hackermail. com
More Info ; Captainwebgenesis. com
CRYPTO RECOVERY EXPERT - HIRE A HACKER TO RECOVER LOST OR STOLEN CRYPTO // GO TO CAPTAIN WEBGENESIS.
How do I get my scammed Bitcoin back?
How do I get my stolen Bitcoin back?
Can lost Crypto be recovered?
I will advice fraud victims to seek the help of (Captainwebgenesis@hackermail.com) for a recovery of lost funds, after i have been a victim of fake hackers i was referred to Captain WebGenesis by a freelancer member and that's how i was able to get in touch with him and have my funds recovered. a big thanks to Captain WebGenesis for your endless efforts in recovering my lost Crypto.
Cryptocurrency Scam Recovery // Recover Lost Funds // Crypto Investment Gone Wrong. How To Hire A Hacker To Get Back Stolen Crypto Coins // Hire A Hacker To Recover Lost Or Stolen Bitcoin/Nft // Help I Can't Access My USDT Account, Seems I Got Hacked // Bitcoin Recovery Expert Needed// .
Learn More;
Text Cal / Whatsapp +1(501)4,36-93,62.
Website Page; Captainwebgenesis.com