Reviews
Serafina Y El Bastón Maligno / Serafina and the Twisted Staff (Serafina, Book 2) by Robert Beatty
luci7's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
saralynnburnett's review against another edition
4.0
This series is totally middle age but I love them. It’s a bit like reading a Disney movie. There are cat-humans and shape shifters and warm and fuzzies, people who don’t appear who they are, and very clear cut good vs. evil. Plus - a small dose of American history as it all takes place at the Biltmore Estate just at the turn of the century.
emflibrarian's review against another edition
Such a good series. A great read for any mighty girls, or boys, in your life :)
chanman's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed the first book as a fun look at a girl with an odd history who tries to stop a cloaked villain. With this one, I wanted to have an expansion n the lore of this world, and have a new, fun adventure for Sarafina to go on. Thankfully, We got both of these things, but that does not mean everything is perfect.
One of the best elements of this book is the fantasy powers that we see. We see Sarafina come into her own, in this book, and we also find an explanation of who she is and some expansion on the lore of this world. It was also interesting to see how Biltmore fit into the story, as the history of its construction directly affects the plot. The mystery was good, not as good as what came before it, but still good nonetheless.
Sadly, this book is one that seems to drag throughout the plot. This novel is 370 pages long, almost 50 pages longer than the first novel, and it feels like it. I think this is due to a few things. Firstly, we have Serafina off on her own through most of the novel. This means that her interactions with Braeden, one of the strongest characters in the series so far is, is not as prevalent here, and this novel suffers for it as a result.
Also, this novel contained some things that, to me, were just too easy in terms of writing style. One is the classic cliche of a character who is dying just being able to gasp out the words “[Pronoun] isn’t who [matching pronoun] seems!”
Then there is the problem that I managed to guess half of the ‘twists’ that occur in this novel. Maybe it is because I have read far more than the average middle school student, or that Beatty just isn't that good a writer, but it seemed a little to predictable for my taste.
So, for me, I would give this book a three out of five. It was good to expand on the lore, but the novels slow pace hurt the text more than it helped.
One of the best elements of this book is the fantasy powers that we see. We see Sarafina come into her own, in this book, and we also find an explanation of who she is and some expansion on the lore of this world. It was also interesting to see how Biltmore fit into the story, as the history of its construction directly affects the plot. The mystery was good, not as good as what came before it, but still good nonetheless.
Sadly, this book is one that seems to drag throughout the plot. This novel is 370 pages long, almost 50 pages longer than the first novel, and it feels like it. I think this is due to a few things. Firstly, we have Serafina off on her own through most of the novel. This means that her interactions with Braeden, one of the strongest characters in the series so far is, is not as prevalent here, and this novel suffers for it as a result.
Also, this novel contained some things that, to me, were just too easy in terms of writing style. One is the classic cliche of a character who is dying just being able to gasp out the words “[Pronoun] isn’t who [matching pronoun] seems!”
Then there is the problem that I managed to guess half of the ‘twists’ that occur in this novel. Maybe it is because I have read far more than the average middle school student, or that Beatty just isn't that good a writer, but it seemed a little to predictable for my taste.
So, for me, I would give this book a three out of five. It was good to expand on the lore, but the novels slow pace hurt the text more than it helped.
attentionspan0's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
that1creativelady's review against another edition
2.0
Really predictable. More so than the first one.
chenoadallen's review against another edition
2.0
These are fun adventures for middle grade readers, but I have serious issues with them. The characters are stereotypes and caricatures, especially for characters who aren’t white middle class. The author might live in Asheville, but he clearly isn’t from these parts because he writes about mountain people as though his only reference is books about Appalachia from 1975. He introduces one Cherokee character who immediately becomes the wise guide here to help save the white girl. If you’re going to write about this era, write about it truthfully. Race is almost never mentioned, but that’s not a good thing - we should be past this colorblind nonsense by now.
There’s a reason people not born in Appalachia shouldn’t write about Appalachia, and this book is a great example. Appalachians and mountain folk are “others” in this book.
Also now that I know the author is an “entrepreneur,” I better understand why he kisses George Vanderbilt’s ass so much in his depiction of GV.
There’s a reason people not born in Appalachia shouldn’t write about Appalachia, and this book is a great example. Appalachians and mountain folk are “others” in this book.
Also now that I know the author is an “entrepreneur,” I better understand why he kisses George Vanderbilt’s ass so much in his depiction of GV.
mirandoom's review against another edition
3.0
This is a fun, action-packed adventure full of memorable characters. I’m not a big fan of the way the dialect is written, but that’s probably just me. I think there are things that don’t really make sense in this story and some events/characters exist solely to push the plot along. They just don’t feel organic. I think it’s better suited to a much younger audience, haha
sasbybelle's review against another edition
3.0
While I was still invested in the characters and the story, this one seemed to drag a bit more than the original story. I still enjoyed it, just not as much as the first book.