Serafina and the Black Cloak (Serafina #1) by Robert Beatty REVIEW

Book Details:

Pages: 293

Publisher: Disney•Hyperion

Released: July 14th 2015

Synopsis:

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.

Review:

Serafina and the Black Cloak was a little disappointing to me. When I first saw this book in the bookstore I thought that the cover was beautiful, and the synopsis really drew me in. As I was reading this book I felt like the pacing was off. It was too slow and dragged on. I do understand that this is a pretty short and fast read, and that is why the author (Robert Beatty) tried to build some suspense by making the pace of the story slow. I agree that doing that works, but it was too slow and became tedious at times. It took me a while to finish this book. I stopped reading it for a while because I wanted to read something else, and that is also why I decided I couldn't give this book a 4-star rating. This was a good book still. The premise of the story, characters, and mystery was entertaining and enjoyable. I am happy to have read it and I still want to continue with the series. I will eventually pick up Serafina and the Twisted Staff. I recommend this book to people. This book is a little underrated. Give it a chance you might enjoy it. It is a good read, the pacing is the only issue. It is average.

3.5 stars