Fantasy: Serafina and the Black Cloak

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Evaluation of the book:
Robert Beatty, author of Serafina and the Black Cloak, experiments with different uses of language in this book. For example, Beatty attempts to use understatement to hint at Serafina’s cat-like tendencies. Words like “scurrying” (p.49) and “scampered” (p. 67) that Beatty uses to describe Serafina’s movements are not natural for humans; the reader picks up pretty quickly on the fact that Serafina isn’t a normal human. By the time the revelation of her catamount origins happens at the end of the book, the reader has (most likely) already guessed at the truth. The understatement and little hints throughout keep the reader engaged and guessing until the very end.

Unfortunately, Beatty’s forays into experimental language have a more generally awkward outcome. He tries to express the different personalities of his characters through their dialogue, but what results is his characters being so different that they don’t seem to belong in the same house. Serafina’s pa’s harsh brogue is hard to read and makes him difficult to relate to. Serafina’s dialogue changes depending on who she’s talking to; with her pa she’s rough and brogue-ish but with young master Braedan she talks perfectly normally. These inconsistencies and oversights in dialogue make the language of the novel a little discombobulating.

Finally, the vocabulary of the novel itself is inconsistent. Beatty uses words like “apocalyptic” (p. 139) when Serafina is describing a scene internally, but later in the novel Serafina doesn’t understand the word “asunder” (p. 273). The intended audience of this novel are children around the same age as Serafina. If she doesn’t understand the vocabulary used, how are they supposed to understand?

Response:
I personally was not a huge fan of this novel. I tried to imagine myself as a child reading it and, from that perspective, I can see how the thrill of the mystery of the black cloak would be enough to keep me reading. However, the inconsistencies in language, shallowness of characters, and somewhat random fantastic folklore would have frustrated me even as a young reader. A book should go beyond a thrill; there should be just a little more substance than in this one.

Conclusion:
While I don’t think Serafina and the Black Cloak is at a level of being potentially dangerous for early childhood literacy development, I also don’t see it as being a particularly useful novel when trying to help children on their reading journey. That being said, reading is important, no matter the source. If a child is attracted to the story of cat-like Serafina saving the day, by all means, let them read!

APA Style Reference:
Beatty, R. (2015). Serafina and the black cloak. New York, NY: Disney-Hyperion.