Sixteen-year-old July MacKenzie can hardly recognize her own life anymore. A few months ago, she was enjoying her urban lifestyle in Vancouver, going to school, hanging out with the same old friends shed had for years. Now, when she steps out her back door, the only evidence of human existence she sees is an empty road, stretching off in the distance to … nowhere.

It all happened so fast! Her mom was killed in a hit and run accident, and before she knew it Marie, her other parent, had sold the house, packed up and moved them out into the Interior. How could she leave everything behind like that? July could never make new friends. Shed never get used to the dark nights of the countryside. And shed never, ever, stop missing her birth mom as long as she lived!

But then July meets the boy down the road. Surprised to find herself falling in love and making friends at school, she starts to see the possibility of building a new life. But mysterious events soon make it clear that her new world is still very connected to her past. When it is revealed that her mothers death was not what it seemed, July must face some shocking discoveries that quickly gain a momentum that spirals out of control.

In Watching July, author Christine Hart brings her readers into the innermost feelings, fears and joys of a contemporary teen. In the face of loss, relocation and the challenges of growing up, July gains the courage to move on from her past and confront the dangers in her present. Julys struggle to find a strong voice will resonate in the hearts and minds of todays youth.

3 Responses to “Watching July: A Young Adult Novel”

1. Catrin says:

   October 31, 2009 at 12:00 am

   A beautifully written novel about a young girl battling depression after her mother dies. I highly recommend this!