Serafina and the Black Cloak

This audio tale blends mystery and fantasy with a heavy dose of horror. Strong descriptive language brings the Biltmore Estate of Asheville, North Carolina, to life. Cassandra Campbell keeps the listener engaged in this spooky story in spite of stilted dialogue and choppy transitions. Her voice for the Black Cloak is perfectly creepy; however, her portrayal of Serafina is inconsistent. She sometimes sounds more like a cultured child of the plantation than the Chief Rat Catcher of the basement. Parents, beware! Sensitive listeners at the lower end of the middle-grade target audience may find this story to be more horror than mystery. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine


This audio tale blends mystery and fantasy with a heavy dose of horror. Strong descriptive language brings the Biltmore Estate of Asheville, North Carolina, to life. Cassandra Campbell keeps the listener engaged in this spooky story in spite of stilted dialogue and choppy transitions. Her voice for the Black Cloak is perfectly creepy; however, her portrayal of Serafina is inconsistent. She sometimes sounds more like a cultured child of the plantation than the Chief Rat Catcher of the basement. Parents, beware! Sensitive listeners at the lower end of the middle-grade target audience may find this story to be more horror than mystery. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

September 28, 2015
Beatty’s suspenseful debut opens in 1899 in Asheville, 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. One night while hunting rats, Serafina witnesses a young girl getting swallowed up by a black cloak worn by a mysterious man. Soon other children who are visiting the mansion begin to disappear, and Serafina vows to fight the man and save the children. Listening to this audiobook is like hearing your favorite teacher read the class a story, switching voices and keeping everyone’s attention riveted. Voice actress Campbell’s pacing is perfect—sometimes the writing draws moments out, but she keeps everything moving along. Serafina sounds plucky and determined, with a slightly growly voice. The rich adults sound haughty and aristocratic. Her voice for the supernatural bad guy is menacing and otherworldly, with low tones and a hint of sibilance. Campbell’s Southern accents are subtle, befitting the narrative. This is a wonderfully sinister middle-grade horror story, and Campbell seems to delight in performing the creepiness. Ages 8–12.
A Disney-Hyperion hardcover.

August 31, 2015
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 Serafinaâwho was born with four toes on each foot, golden eyes, and other physical peculiaritiesâfrom 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 8â12. Agent: Bill Contardi, Brandt & Hochman.