Review: Great YA
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 02 21, 2012
3 1/2 Stars.the Shadow of the Moonlight is the first book in a series by German author J.J.Bidell.  I am a big fan of shifter-related books and was very excited when I found out that the main heroine of the novel is a `'supposed' were-panther. I say "supposed" because Naomi is about to go to the US on a school scholarship but her grandmother is trying to stop her. Her grandma warns Naomi that she too is descended from a line of were-panthers like her great-great grandmother and that it's not safe for her to leave. Naomi dismisses her grandmother's warning as crazy talk believing she's only saying that to keep her home in Germany. It turns out that her grandmother's warning wasn't just talk, and it's more dangerous in Maine than she thought.The prologue of the novel caught my attention immediately, and that doesn't happen often. This was a very quick read, I think the PDF pages clocked out at a little fewer than 200 pages.  The pacing of the novel was well done, and it didn't feel too rushed. I think this will appeal to many readers who enjoy young adult fiction or paranormal fantasy. As other reviewers noted this is a translated edition with some grammatical errors, but it does not affect the story. My only wish was that there were more paranormal elements to the novel. The first half of the book felt like a contemporary book and we didn't get to learn/see about Naomi transformation until a couple chapters before the end.The book ended with a shocking cliff hanger, and I can't wait to see what happens next. Overall a good read! Don't let the cover stop you from reading this book, it's definitely a book worth checking out!