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Reviewed by Heather Osborne for Readers' Favorite
Sarena of Beca by Sadie York is a fantasy novel geared at preteens and late chapter book readers. Sarena works with her mother and grandmother at the castle of the Duke and Duchess in the land of Lockshire. When a distant relative passes away, leaving money, Sarena is awarded the prestigious opportunity of attending Coblesweed, a school for the children of wealthy families in the area. Ever the adventurer, Sarena finds herself tangled in things beyond her control when one of her friends goes missing from the school. Can Sarena solve the mystery and bring her back in time or will she fall prey to a mysterious race of creatures?
Miss York presents an easy to read story in a straightforward manner. I found Sarena to be an interesting character, but I had difficulty picturing her surroundings. I was confused about some of the races and locations. There was also a long letter which I felt would lose the attention of a preteen reading the book. I wished there had been some sort of closure at the end of the novel and I do hope that Miss York intends to write other books in this series to bring the story full circle. I liked how it was a different take on underwater species, but it took me a while to realize that was the location. Overall, Sarena of Beca has, above all, a strong heroine and a curious storyline.
