Serafina e a Capa Preta

As far as books go, this was one that first attracted me based on its cover alone. Even though I got this from the library, and it had a protected covering over the front of the book, I saw this at Barnes and Noble, and it looked amazing. It was bright and colorful, with an interesting design that felt unique as I held it. So when I actually began to read the book, I was wondering if the actual story managed to hold all the promise that the cover suggested.I am glad to say that this is a promising trilogy that can be a fun ride for middle school readers.

The story features a girl named Serafina, who lives in the Vanderbilt Estate, called Biltmore, in North Carolina. She lives her life away from the pretty guests and owners of the estate, preferring to live in secret in the basement with her father, wearing his old clothes, and chasing rats by night, as Biltmore's official CRC, Chief Rat Catcher. She stays out of sight of the other people in the house until one day she spies a man in a black cloak magically taking a girl away in the middle of the night. Thinking it strange, she comes to find that the same girl she saw disappear turns up missing the next morning. Eventually, she becomes friends with the estate's owner's nephew, Braeden Vanderbilt, who wants to know more about this girl who chases rats in the dark, and whom the guests have never seen before. Eventually, she and Braeden go out searching for the man in the black cloak, who continues to steal more and more children. This is a story that is filled with a mystery of just why Serafina has to remain unknown to the people of the Biltmore Estate, and who the man in the black cloak is. But can she and Braeden figure out who he is and stop him before they both go missing?

This novel was one that was very fun to read. You truly get a sense of scoap of the home as Sarafina moves throughout the home. It reminded me in many ways of the homes built during the Victorian period, with it's cavernous walls and hidden passageways. Beatty has a talent for making the most of a setting, and this building feels like a good house for people to be in, and can offer a sufficiently creepy setting for the first installment. Beatty also knows how to describe characters well, going for times where we are being shown, instead of told, about developing relationships, which I always improve of.

I loved the relationship between Serafina and Braeden. They both seemed to be excellent characters who could grow up to be friends, and maybe even a couple. They are excellent characters for each other, as Serafina is a girl who is so unusual that it is difficult not to become enamored with who she is and where she came from. Braeden is someone who the reader can sympathize with, as he is the only survivor of a house fire that killed his entire family. Yet, he is not the bitter young man we would expect, but a kind, and caring individual who would often care for Serafina in such a way that I could not help but find charming. These two were worth the read as I saw their relationship develope. The author managed to sell it to me wholesale that these two would become friends.

I do, however, have a few issues with the book. One would be that there is a slight pacing issue around the 50% mark. I won't spoil how, but Serafina manages to get herself lost in the woods, and it slows down during this point dramatically. What bugs me more about this fact is that the scene that leads her to get lost in the woods feels forced and contrived. Even if this scene comes back into play later, it honestly feels as though Beatty's editor told him he was short a word count, and he wrote this scene as a result. There were also a few cliche lines here and there that made me want the author to take another pass at the dialogue. Still, nothing too major in terms of problems, just something I noticed while reading.

This novel was a fun first installment in a series that I hope I come to enjoy. I can only hope that this series improves from here. I give this book a four out of five.