SOLVED. 2000s YA fantasy adventure series about a boy and a girl and their spirit animals. [s]

[Filip]

First of all, take my description with a grain of salt – I mostly rememeber images.

The story begins in California (for whatever reason I remember a scene in which the main character, a boy, is standing on a Californian beach, watching waves crashing into rocks and saying goodbye to his hometown) and then moves to another country, possibly South America, where the main character meets a girl who teaches him to see his spirit animal, which is either a jaguar or leopard. Hers is an eagle (maybe?). I can’t remember well, but I think later on they learn to shapeshipt into them.

I read it about 15 years ago, so it must’ve came out soon after Potter, at the beginning of the YA fantasy craze. There were at least 2 books in the series, possibly more. I remember the first one had a green-yellow jungle-themed cover with the boy and jaguar, and the second one was more blue-ish, winter-themed.

I appreciate your help:)

[Wisp]

Could it be City of the Beasts by Isabel Allende? The book cover on Amazon matches the colors you described minus the boy and jaguar. It takes place in the Amazon, involves a boy named Alex who has to move, and he befriends a girl named Nadia. His spirit totem is a jaguar and hers is an eagle. Not exactly as you described but I thought it worth a look.

[Filip]

That’s the one! Thank you, Wisp. Turns out the covers we had were actually german lol

[Wisp]

Great! Hope it’s as good as you remember!