Book Review: Skeleton Tree

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

"When Stanley Stanwright finds a bone poking out of the earth in his back garden, he is determined to take a picture of it and send it to the Young Discoverer's Competition, thinking it will help bring his dad back home. But the bone begins to grow, reaching up out of the ground until it turns into a skeleton - a skeleton with an unusual interest in his unwell younger sister Miren.

As time wears on, Miren's condition worsens, and the only time she is truly at peace is when she is playing with the skeleton. But Stanley is wary of him, especially when he finally manages to get a picture, and spots a scythe at the skeleton's feet. . .

A whimsical, heartfelt story about a boy who finds a friend in Death with the help of an unusual tree growing in his back garden. With black line illustrations throughout by Victoria Assanelli.

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

“I was little, so I didn’t know that death always had to be sad and terrible and something to fight against.”

In this book Stanley’s is difficult, his father has moved out and his mother is trying hard to make it in the world. She is just a clerk at Walgreens. Stanly and his sister Miren don’t have much but they are fortunate to have Ms. Francine, who is from Kyrgyzstan, babysit for them. His sister Miren is sick with some sort of respiratory problem. She is quite ill. 

When Stanley finds a bone growing in the yard. It looks like a skeleton, which is confirmed when the bone does grow into a full skeleton. While only the children can see the skeleton, Ms. Francine does seem to believe the children’s story. 

"When Dad was here everything felt balanced. Like how a seesaw needs someone on both sides to keep it upright. Now it was him and Mom and Miren on one side and inch by inch they were sinking into the ground.”

With the help of his friend Jaxon, young Stanley hopes that he can submit a picture to the Young Discoverers competition. He wants to win the prize money. Strange things happen when they try to photograph the skeleton.

As Miren's illness worsens, Stanley must deal with the issue of what is happening to his sister. He comes to the startling conclusion that the skeleton might not be the best thing. With the help of wonderful Ms. Francine, he will come to terms with what is happening. 

Overall while this book deals with grief it was surprisingly enjoyable. I really liked the topics and themes in this book. I am glad I picked it up from the library.

Book Review: Obsessed

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

A brave teen recounts her debilitating struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder—and brings readers through every painful step as she finds her way to the other side—in this powerful and inspiring memoir.

Until sophomore year of high school, fifteen-year-old Allison Britz lived a comfortable life in an idyllic town. She was a dedicated student with tons of extracurricular activities, friends, and loving parents at home.

But after awakening from a vivid nightmare in which she was diagnosed with brain cancer, she was convinced the dream had been a warning. Allison believed that she must do something to stop the cancer in her dream from becoming a reality.

It started with avoiding sidewalk cracks and quickly grew to counting steps as loudly as possible. Over the following weeks, her brain listed more dangers and fixes. She had to avoid hair dryers, calculators, cell phones, computers, anything green, bananas, oatmeal, and most of her own clothing.

Unable to act “normal,” the once-popular Allison became an outcast. Her parents questioned her behavior, leading to explosive fights. When notebook paper, pencils, and most schoolbooks were declared dangerous to her health, her GPA imploded, along with her plans for the future.

Finally, she allowed herself to ask for help and was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. This brave memoir tracks Allison’s descent and ultimately hopeful climb out of the depths.

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

I really enjoyed this book. I don't know anyone in my real life that deals with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Which means that Obsessed: A Memoir of My Life with OCD was such a cool read and it was extremely eye-opening. I always associated the disorder with just excessive cleaning and organization. Unfortunately, that is pretty wrong and often not the case. This isn't the case with Allison's experience.

While this is a memoir, it is kinda more like a novel, the author Britz is actually writing about her experiences with OCD in high school. Her going from a so-called normal straight A student, who is also a cross-country runner. To a girl that can't step on cracks because she believes it will cause cancer to her or someone she loves. She then begins to almost instantly obsessively avoid cracks in the pavement, tile, flooring, or anything her feet touch. In the end, if she steps on a crack then she needs to do something to cancel it out like not eat the next meal or only use a certain number of steps to get somewhere. The self-punishments get more severe as her symptoms progress. As her symptoms get more severe she believes that various objects will cause cancer; the color green, the toothbrush, certain clothing, and so on. 

Of course, this begins to really cause havoc in her life. The consequences of these behaviors are devastating to her personal, social, home, and academic life. She begins to isolate and really push away people that she loves dearly. What was really hard to watch was that she was doing this because she loved these people, yet she was left alone. I was really happy to see that her parents saw these changes and that Allison herself-sought out help. It was a really powerful part of the story. 

The only thing I really disliked about this book was the pacing. It was sort of rapid, then slow, then rapid, then fast, then slow, and then fast again. It wasn't a seamless transition from the first half of the book which describes Allison's changing behaviors, to the last half when the family took her in to see if there was help for what she was struggling with. 

All in All, I have to say that I really enjoyed this novel. It had its downsides but they were far and few. I did get hooked right away. I learned a lot about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and it was nice to read it from an own voices perspective. I am really glad I picked this book up from the library. 

Book Review: Garvey's Choice

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

Garvey’s father has always wanted Garvey to be athletic, but Garvey is interested in astronomy, science fiction, reading—anything but sports. Feeling like a failure, he comforts himself with food. 

Garvey is kind, funny, smart, a loyal friend, and he is also overweight, teased by bullies, and lonely. When his only friend encourages him to join the school chorus, Garvey’s life changes. 

The chorus finds a new soloist in Garvey, and through chorus, Garvey finds a way to accept himself, and a way to finally reach his distant father—by speaking the language of music instead of the language of sports

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

“I’m just beginning
to learn what I am made of,
to pay attention
to the kid in my own eyes,
starting to like what I see.

I feel unwritten
like that song says, in chorus,
my story untold.
I can’t wait to sing the song,
croon my own untold story.”

This little book broke my heart and then sewed it back up again. This adorable lyrical book is a quick read. It is a book packed with emotions and heart. This is a story about finding how to love yourself, healing, and learning to make friends. 

This book features a boy that is overweight who seeks to discover who he is. He struggles with body issues and his father’s disapproval. Garvey is named for black nationalist Marcus Garvey.  He’s into reading, chess, and food. He dislikes sports and competition things, which is something that causes a rift between him and his dad. 

Garvey eventually finds the heart and confidence to try out for his school's choir. He does this with help from his friends Joe and Manny. He experiences success with singing helps me develop an easier mindset around his weight problem. 

This is a feel-good story. I loved seeing weight issues resolved in a healthy way. I loved how the author handled its self-confidence. I enjoyed seeing the relationship with his father improve throughout the story. 

Overall this is a book packed with serious issues. It is a cute, quick, fun read. I am thankful my library had this book in circulation. Was such a pleasant read. 

Book Review: Lily and Dunkin

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

Author Donna Gephart crafts a dual narrative about two remarkable young people: Lily, a transgender girl, and Dunkin, a boy dealing with bipolar disorder.

Sometimes our hearts see things our eyes can’t.

Lily Jo McGrother, born Timothy McGrother, is a girl. But being a girl is not so easy when you look like a boy. Especially when you’re in the eighth grade.

Dunkin Dorfman, birth name Norbert Dorfman, is dealing with bipolar disorder and has just moved from the New Jersey town he’s called home for the past thirteen years. This would be hard enough, but the fact that he is also hiding from a painful secret makes it even worse.

One summer morning, Lily Jo McGrother meets Dunkin Dorfman, and their lives forever change. 




                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

I really enjoyed this book. It was incredibly beautifully written. It is a story of a friendship between two young eighth graders. They are dealing with some pretty hard things. I think that the author Donna Gephart really is brave tackling some serious issues. This book has topics that cover gender identity, bipolar disorder, abuse, suicide, grief, and sexuality with a grace that I haven't seen before. 

The thing I loved the most was that there were so many strong characters that feel so real. I was very invested in their story. I found it really interesting that the author kept it real with having both Dunkin and Lily's family's being mixed about how they supported them. They were mostly strong and very supportive but there are certain family members that have issues or hold on to dated ideas about gender and sexuality. That is something we see in America. I am glad it wasn't just glazed over as a perfect situation. I enjoyed that even though they were not as supportive they were at least protective and loving. That was really beautiful.

This book as so many beautiful themes as I had said before. The themes of friendship, family, grief, bullying, transgender, and bipolar disorder were my favorite. As someone who struggles with bipolar disorder, I wasn't super excited about how the disorder was presented. There were some obvious stereotypical symptoms that aren't always the case in every person. I didn't like the idea of continuing bad stereotypes. I can't speak to the transgender representation because I am not transgender. 

Ultimately I thought this was a five-star read. I loved the creativity included in this book. I loved how engrossing it was. I loved the characters and the side plots. I loved how the writing made the book feel alive. I loved the appeal the book could have to teens and middle-grade readers. It is a must-read. I am glad I picked it up from the library. 

Book Review: Flight

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                 

Sherman Alexie is one of our most gifted and accomplished storytellers and a treasured writer of huge national stature. His first novel in ten years is the hilarious and tragic portrait of an orphaned Indian boy who travels back and forth through time in a charged search for his true identity. With powerful and swift, prose, Flight follows this troubled foster teenager--a boy who is not a "legal" Indian because he was never claimed by his father--as he learns that violence is not the answer.

The journey for Flight's young hero begins as he's about to commit a massive act o violence. At the moment of decision, he finds himself shot back through time to resurface in the body of an FBI agent during the civil rights era, where he sees why "Hell is Re driver, Idaho, in the 1970s." Red River is only the first stop in an eye-opening trip through moments in American history. He will continue traveling back to inhabit the body of an Indian child during the battle at Little Bighorn and then ride with an Indian tracker in the nineteenth century before materializing as an airline pilot jetting through the skies today. During these furious travels through time, his refrain grows: "Who's to judge?" and "I don't understand humans." When finally, blessedly, our young warrior comes to rest again in his own life, he is mightily transformed by all he has seen.

This is Sherman Alexie at his most brilliant--making us laugh while he's breaking our hearts. Time Out has said that "Alexie, like his characters, is on a modern-day vision quest," and in Flight he seeks nothing less than an understanding of why human beings hate. Flight is irrepressible, fearless, and groundbreaking Alexie.

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

I found myself not really caring for this Alexie novel. Flight has a fantastic narrative voice and addresses some many themes. Those are trauma, forgiveness, revenge, and violence. This isn't abnormal for Sherman Alexie, it just wasn't as good as I expected. Sherman Alexie uses his humor and writing skill to hilariously explore complex themes. 

This book has some major issues. It actually is sort of rife with them. They really turned me off of this book. I am tired of Alexie's constant need to make every Native American have a drinking problem. It is very stereotypical. As someone who lives around a bunch of tribes and has Native friends, so that isn't a problem with every single person. He is so defensive about this he makes it a truth rather than a horrible stereotype.

Another issue is every single girl is only mentioned or discussed in her sexual appeal. I understand that the narrator is a fifteen-year-old boy but it got old for me. I just don't like the view that women are sex objects that are one dimensional, while men have all the fun in these novels.

The ending of this book was so cheesy and too neat. I found it too has been wrapped in too neat of a bow. Our main character finally trusted again after finding an adopted home with a white cop. I disliked that a huge amount of this book is a mixed kid trying to figure out how to be Native, but the ending doesn't match that with him basically hating on his identity.

Don't even get me started on the 9-11 paranoia.

In summary, I am not a huge fan of this book, but I am a huge fan of Alexie. I disliked this one but I do believe it is worth reading though. I just think this book too on too many political and emotional themes.

Book Review: The Princess Diarist

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

The Princess Diarist is Carrie Fisher’s intimate, hilarious and revealing recollection of what happened behind the scenes on one of the most famous film sets of all time, the first Star Wars movie. 
When Carrie Fisher recently discovered the journals she kept during the filming of the first Star Wars movie, she was astonished to see what they had preserved—plaintive love poems, unbridled musings with youthful naiveté, and a vulnerability that she barely recognized. Today, her fame as an author, actress, and pop-culture icon is indisputable, but in 1977, Carrie Fisher was just a (sort-of) regular teenager. 

With these excerpts from her handwritten notebooks, The Princess Diarist is Fisher’s intimate and revealing recollection of what happened on one of the most famous film sets of all time—and what developed behind the scenes. And today, as she reprises her most iconic role for the latest Star Wars trilogy, Fisher also ponders the joys and insanity of celebrity, and the absurdity of a life spawned by Hollywood royalty, only to be surpassed by her own outer-space royalty. Laugh-out-loud hilarious and endlessly quotable, The Princess Diarist brims with the candor and introspection of a diary while offering shrewd insight into the type of stardom that few will ever experience.

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

Right before Carrie Fisher died she found a collection of journals that were written during the filming of the first Star Wars movie. I really enjoyed this book. I found that the journal entries were pretty interesting and gave me a deeper insight into the mind of one of my greatest idols. 

One of my favorite things about these journals is that they show that a successful, confident, sort of loud celebrity was really just a naive, vulnerable woman. It made her more human and made me feel like we might have been able to be friends back in the day. 

"And as much as I may have joked about Star Wars over the years, I liked that I was in those films. Particularly as the only girl in an all-boy fantasy. They were fun to make. It was an anecdote of unimaginable standing." pg 5. Or the moment Carrie found out that she got the part: "...I laughed and dropped the phone and ran out into the front yard and into the street. ... It was raining in L.A. and I was Princess Leia. I had never been Princess Leia before and now I would be her forever. I would never not be Princess Leia. I had no idea how profoundly true that was and how long forever was." 

I was disappointed in the fact that there wasn't a real look into what happened on the set of the film, or behind the scenes. I was expecting from the title and the book jacket that it was going to be about the movie and it seemed more about an affair she had with Harrison Ford and about her life. Which is a fact that really bothered me about him and has since changed my opinions about him.  It is hard to perceive him as a man who arguably took advantage of a susceptible young woman. 

"I knew it wasn't a good idea. It would never be a good idea, but it wouldn't be a really bad one either. I mean, weird and grumpy as he might have been, he wasn't a bad human. He was much more on the good side of the bad/good human graph. He was bad and good, like most people. A good person who does bad things or a bad person who does good things - as long as people are involved, people will do bad or good things to them."

The last part of the book was the easiest for me to read. I felt that she mocked her fans but not in a rude way, I believe people take that part as seriously as they are. I get the sense of fear that she had at first when people could come up to her. That had to be pretty scary and weird. I would have been so mortified if people acted like I was some sex symbol. 

This was just an okay book. It didn't have the same feeling as other memoirs that I have loved from her. It is a quick and easy read. I think all fans of Star Wars need to check out this book. 

Book Review: Human Acts

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

From the internationally bestselling author of The Vegetarian, a rare and astonishing (The Observer) portrait of political unrest and the universal struggle for justice.

In the midst of a violent student uprising in South Korea, a young boy named Dong-ho is shockingly killed.

The story of this tragic episode unfolds in a sequence of interconnected chapters as the victims and the bereaved encounter suppression, denial, and the echoing agony of the massacre. From Dong-ho's best friend who meets his own fateful end; to an editor struggling against censorship; to a prisoner and a factory worker, each suffering from traumatic memories; and to Dong-ho's own grief-stricken mother; and through their collective heartbreak and acts of hope is the tale of a brutalized people in search of a voice.

An award-winning, controversial bestseller, Human Acts is a timeless, pointillist portrait of an historic event with reverberations still being felt today, by turns tracing the harsh reality of oppression and the resounding, extraordinary poetry of humanity.

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

I was nervous about reading this book to be honest. I have heard mixed things about it. I heard it was dark and filled with strange and weird allegory. Which is not exactly my normal read. This book seemed tragically beautiful. It seemed like it was going to rip my heart out and stomp on it. I was ready for tears and completely ready for an uncomfortable read. 

Human Acts is a story of utmost importance right now. It is a story about something that happened that many people don't know went on. It is about the South Korean Gwangiu Uprising in the 1980s. It is a topic that before I read this book and researched it, I am ashamed to say I knew nothing about. I never knew about the horrible atrocities that happened. This is a daring topic and a daring book. 

The book shares details that are extremely graphic, the book starts out with dead bodies. More so corpses that were lined up in various boxes, just waiting for a family to identify them. I have no idea if all the people were identified or not but it was a haunting introduction. I also was haunted by the chapter of the book that it actually told from the perspective of a corpse. 

How long do souls linger by the side of their bodies?
Do they really flutter away like some kind of bird? Is that what trembles the edges of the candle flame? 

There are many different stories, that while connected seem to be intertwined and separate. They are really shocking and extremely sad. I have to say that in a lot of the chapters I cried my eyes out. I was really bothered by the way that some of these people were killed, horrified at the senseless acts that caused their lives to tragically get cut short. 

I buried you with my own two hands. Removed your PE jacket and your sky-blue tracksuit bottoms, and dressed you in your dark winter uniform, over a white shirt. Tightened your belt just so and put clean gray socks on you. When they put you in a plywood coffin and loaded it up onto the rubbish truck, I said I'd ride at the front to watch over you. 

I am not sure why I was so intrigued by this book. It is different than anything I have previously encountered. All in all, it was incredibly beautiful but sobering and tragic. I am so thankful I picked this up from the library.

Book Review: The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

Brimming with charm and whimsy, this exquisite novel set in the Tower of London has the transportive qualities and delightful magic of the contemporary classics Chocolat and Amélie.

Balthazar Jones has lived in the Tower of London with his loving wife, Hebe, and his 120-year-old pet tortoise for the past eight years. That’s right, he is a Beefeater (they really do live there). It’s no easy job living and working in the tourist attraction in present-day London. 

Among the eccentric characters who call the Tower’s maze of ancient buildings and spiral staircases home are the Tower’s Rack & Ruin barmaid, Ruby Dore, who just found out she’s pregnant; portly Valerie Jennings, who is falling for ticket inspector Arthur Catnip; the lifelong bachelor Reverend Septimus Drew, who secretly pens a series of principled erot­ica; and the philandering Ravenmaster, aiming to avenge the death of one of his insufferable ravens. 

When Balthazar is tasked with setting up an elaborate menagerie within the Tower walls to house the many exotic animals gifted to the Queen, life at the Tower gets all the more interest­ing. Penguins escape, giraffes are stolen, and the Komodo dragon sends innocent people running for their lives. Balthazar is in charge and things are not exactly running smoothly. Then Hebe decides to leave him and his beloved tortoise “runs” away. 

Filled with the humor and heart that calls to mind the delight­ful novels of Alexander McCall Smith, and the charm and beauty of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise is a magical, wholly origi­nal novel whose irresistible characters will stay with you long after you turn the stunning last page. 

Published in the UK in August 2010 as Balthazar Jones and the Tower of London Zoo.

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

You know a book is really good when you don't check to see how many pages are left. The best stories are told in a way that makes you feel like you are dreaming. This debut novel from Julia Stuart is the perfect amount of magic realism, whimsy, and charm. It was an absolute joy to read. 

I really liked this book a lot. But it wasn't without its own issues. I felt like it has so many funny elements like monkeys that flash their junk in inappropriate times, wandering albatross, and missing penguins. This book is about more than just funny elements though, this book is about grief. It is about the Balthazar and Hebe Jones grieving the loss of their son, Milo. It was an extremely painful experience to read about. The couples pain just bleed all over the page. The drastic switches from pain to joy was a bit jarring at times. It was hard to digest at times for me. 

"You haven't lost Milo completely, you know. We always carry a part of those we love tucked inside of us." 

I have never experienced the loss of a child, but I have lost family and close friends, too many to count. So I do know a thing or two about loss and grief. My pets always helped me get through it, and going to the zoo has always been a calming experience for me so I could relate to Balthazar’s connection with the animals of the Royal Menagerie. 

"Fury coursed through her veins at yet another night of disturbed sleep. Her usual revenge, performed each time her husband returned...was an anatomical masterstroke. Once she heard the muddy breath of a man descended deep into his dreams, she would suddenly leap from the bed and make the short journey to the bathroom with the gait of a demented sentry. Once installed on the lavatory, she would proceed to empty her bladder with the door wide open. The clamor of the catastrophic downpour was such that her husband would immediately wake in terror, convinced that he was lying in a nest of snakes." 

This book is adorably cute, perhaps to a sicking level of cute. Just like eating too much candy, some of the stories in the book gave me a stomach ache. For example, many side stories get started and slowly evolve in this book. Some examples are a romance between Authur Catnip and Valerie Jennings, the Ravenmaster's adultery, and the one person's secret career of writing serious erotica. It just became too much. They didn't get resolved in a way that was satisfactory to me. 

The writing in this novel is so beautiful and creative. As shown in the two quotes I have included in this review. I really enjoyed reading this book and can't wait to read more from the author. I am so very glad I got a chance to pick this little book up from the library.

Book Review: Sunny side up *SPOILERS*

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

Sunny Lewin has been packed off to Florida to live with her grandfather for the summer. At first she thought Florida might be fun -- it is the home of Disney World, after all. But the place where Gramps lives is no amusement park. It's full of . . . old people. Really old people.

Luckily, Sunny isn't the only kid around. She meets Buzz, a boy who is completely obsessed with comic books, and soon they're having adventures of their own: facing off against golfball-eating alligators, runaway cats, and mysteriously disappearing neighbors. But the question remains -- why is Sunny down in Florida in the first place? The answer lies in a family secret that won't be secret to Sunny much longer. . . 

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

Warning: Drugs 

I thought this was such a needed book with the issues facing America today. Although it is different than I expected since I picked it up based on the cover. 

Above all else, this is a charming graphic novel. Even though it covers a very serious and sensitive topic. This book is ultimately the story of a young girl who is sent to live with her grandfather in Florida for the summer. This book is set in the 70s, and she finds Florida to be boring given the fact she spends most of her time at her grandfather's retirement home. Meanwhile, she is carrying a dark secret that you find out by various flashbacks to her life months before this trip. 

Through these flashbacks, we notice a downward spiral it seems her brother is on. He goes from happy to mean and angry over the course of the book. Sunny must keep his terrifying secrets even after he hurts her. 

I believe this is a critical book for teens and tweens to have if they are going through a family member with a drug or drinking problem. Even without this in their lives, they will still be able to relate to Sunny and being bored over the summer. I know I was. 

It has a great moral to it. That addiction shouldn't be hidden, that no secrets that make you feel horrible should be kept, and to seek help from an adult. 

I am so thankful I picked this up from the library. 

Book Review: Serafina and the Black Cloak

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

“Never go into the deep parts of the forest, for there are many dangers there, and they will ensnare your soul.”
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.

Check the book out on Amazon. 

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

The cover of this novel is amazing. 

What potentional for a beautiful storyline. This is just a mysterious disappointment. This was a solid three star book, so not terrible but not incredible. I feel like my thoughts about this book were too high. I wanted to like it too much! This took me forever to get interested in. The writting was very boring and uniteresting in my opinion. It was dry and the discriptions are overly drawn out it seemed. 

Serafina and the Black Cloak is a story that takes place in the Bitmore Estates.  Serafina is a 12 year old girl that secretly lives in the Vanderbilt mansion's basement with her grandfather. As of right the begining of the story not a soul knew they were down there. That is until a man in a black cloak comes and little kids start going missing. Will this lead to quetions about where they came from? Who her mother is? Or why they live in secret? 

This is a really okay fantasy novel. It has the potential to be so much more than okay though, that is the killer part. It is your typical story about a weird girl who appears and saves the day and doesn't know why.  Don't get me wrong she is a great character, its just all be done before. 

This is a middle grade novel thaat kids of any age from preteen to teen will really enjoy. Check it out for yourself.