I don’t think I’ve explored the Western genre before this story. There’s not enough of the time period to hold my interest enough for a return to that time period, but I did enjoy this particular story. What saved this book from total oblivion was the promise of a backstory, a promise that did not fully materialize. I’ll let others, more knowledgeable about the time period, comment on the historical accuracy of the details, but some of the plot seemed overly contrived.

Overall, a three and a half star read. It is entertaining, but entertaining in the same sense a typical campfire story is entertaining. There is no lasting impression made and when you wake up in the morning, you’ve totally forgotten what you heard the night before. ( )

It took me awhile and a couple of starts to get into this book, but once I did it was an okay read obviously aimed at boys in the Grade 5-9 range. The second of a trilogy, it follows the adventures of a young Canadian boy who originally went to the United States to find his father. In Ghost Moon, he gets caught up with the infamous Billy the Kid and a band of renegade Old West outlaws who he at first befriends until he realizes that they are nothing but trouble.
An overall good plot but personally I couldn't really feel for the characters. ( )

Ghost Moon is story of historical fiction based on the events of the Lincoln County War, an 1878 range war that introduced to history such characters as John Chisum, Pat Garret and William (Billy the Kid) Bonney. Author John Wilson clearly loves history and has done a fine job of researching the events he writes about. Unfortunately, his writing style is somewhat clunky and mechanical which detracted some from my enjoyment.

The main character is Canadian youth Jim Doolan who was recently returned from a trip to Mexico in search of his father. While searching for a new adventure he meets Bill Bonney and sets off a chain of events that often threatens to terminate Jim’s adventures sooner than he would wish. Jim is the stolid dependable sort that you would want your daughter to date but he doesn’t make for very exciting reading. Billy the Kid, however, is portrayed as a volatile, almost bipolar character that easily fits the image that many of us have of this violent yet charismatic young man. It is this personality, caroming wildly through New Mexico that serves as a catalyst for much of the violence that takes place.

While most of the events and the dialog are fairly true to the period there was one word Wilson used regularly that I found somewhat anachronistic, namely the frequent use of the word ‘Hispanic’. I know this book is directed at younger teens and that one should strive to be sensitive to diverse cultures but this story takes place in 1878, only a generation after this land and its residents were governed by Mexico. I have a hard time imagining anybody referring to the Latino characters in the story as anything but Mexican. It is not a derogatory term and, even if it were, I never thought that Billy the Kid earned high marks for political correctness.

Ghost Moon is ostensibly the second book in a trilogy but from what I can gather, not having read the first book, the only connection between the two is that the main character is in both and that he occasionally refers to the events in the first book. The title refers to the name of a Mescalero Apache warrior who appears only briefly so it is possible that he will serve as a link to the third book. Personally, I found the references to the events in book one added nothing but distractions to the plot of this book.

To sum up, Ghost Moon is a mildly entertaining work of historical fiction that will appeal to younger teens interested in the history of the American West.

*Quotations are cited from an advanced reading copy and may not be the same as appears in the final published edition. The review copy of this book was obtained from the publisher via the LibraryThing Early Reviewer Program. ( )

What a pleasant surprise! I acquired this story as an ARC through LibraryThing Early Reviewers and liked it very much. This, along with the first book of the series ("Written in Blood"), is really interesting and immerses the reader in the landscape as well as the character's lives. I think my 11-year-old son will enjoy the stories as well, especially since they make history come to life. I'll be looking forward to the last book of the trilogy. ( )

Ghost moon is the second installment of the Desert Legends Trilogy. Much like the previous reviewer, I have not yet read the first book though it is indicative of the tightness of the plot that I plan to go back and read it. The book details the rise of Billy the Kid and the Regulators and the fall of order in New Mexico during the late 19th century. The story is carried by a fictional observer. There is a strong basis of historical research to the story which adds authority to the narrative. The text is fluid and the dialogue is entertaining. The book is an easy read but presents its conflicts in an engaging manner.

The biggest drawback to the book is the tone. At times, the narrative is comical in a dark sense but comical nonetheless. Other times it is dry, others it is blunt, others find it overly descriptive. While it is not off-putting to the point of putting the book down, it does come across as the author being slightly confused in how he wanted to portray his story. The text can go from Hemingway-esque abbreviated sentences to overly grandiose use of adjectives within a chapter. It takes away from the overall flow of the story but again does not interfere with the book's impact and enjoyment.

Ghost Moon is a page turner and one whose strengths encourage the reader to follow the series. ( )