Book Title:  Watching July
Author: Christine Hart
Publishing Company: Sumach Press
Year:  2008
# of Pages: 205
ISBN:  978-1-894549-71-4
$12.95 Canada

Reviewed By:  Meghan Masterson (Calgary Correspondent - Canada)

I was a little disconcerted when I first looked at the cover of Watching July. The cover features a close-up photograph of a girl's face: her eyes are wide and staring directly out of the paper, her mouth is set in a firm, almost sullen, line, and her brow is shadowed, perhaps by a hat. She looks as if she is daring you to read the book, to intrude into her life and personal thoughts. Fortunately, I decided not to judge a book by its cover, and accepted the challenge. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the descriptive flowing style of the work invites the reader right into the life of July MacKenzie to the extent that it feels as if she is a friend.

This young adult novel begins when July moves from her hometown of Vancouver to the small town of Spruce Bend, following the tragic death of her mother in a hit-and-run car accident. Despite feeling out of place in new town and school, and being tangled in the process of grieving for her mother, July makes new friends, falls in love with an attractive guy from school, and starts to become involved in her community. However, her strange dreams, generally involving her mother's death, start to invade her waking consciousness, and it becomes clear that July cannot come to terms with her mother's untimely death until the truth has been discovered.

The plot is somewhat predictable; at least, I figured out who the villain was and some of the basic details of the crime when I was about one third of the way through the book. However, knowing the identity of the "bad guy" of story definitely does not detract from the suspenseful qualities of the book. This story is gripping, sometimes dark, and honest about the turbulent emotions of teenage years. It explores obsession, love, and troubled, abusive relationships. That said, there are also light, happy moments to the book, and though the conclusion is rather chilling, the story will not make you feel depressed. I found the book very thought-provoking, and spent the rest of the day after I had finished reading it thinking about certain events of the plot, and even re-reading some parts to further enjoy the details, now equipped with the knowledge of the conclusion.

My only real complaint about this book is the sideline about July's antagonistic relationship with another girl from school called Melissa. This part of the plot is never resolved, and does not noticeably enhance the rest of the storyline. Overall, Watching July is a cunningly written book, with strong and vivid characters, plot twists and turns, and dialogue that is only occasionally stilted. There is even a touch of the supernatural in the book, which adds to the suspense and makes it difficult to put down.