July Mackenzie was an average, happy teenaged girl, who enjoyed life, got along well with her family and had good friends at a school she liked. However, the day her mother was killed in an automobile accident would change her forever. After her mother's death, July's step-mom (her biological mother's partner) packed them up and moved them to a small town in the British Columbia Interior, where they could start over and try to re-build a life together.

This element of the story is what brings about enormous amounts of trouble for July. First she was dealing with her mother's passing, but now she must also face a new home where she knows no one, a new school - which for teens is so hard - and the loneliness of being separated from her friends. Add to this the pressure of making new friends with kids who may consider her an outsider, being that she is from a big city. Also the judgements she may receive from people because of growing up within a same-sex family. It's amazing that July survives as well as she has, with only mild depression and anxiety.

Eventually things settle down for July as she finds a few close friends and begins a relationship with the most sought after boy in town. But the good times don't last long, as July starts being plagued by terrifying nightmares that strike a paranoia within her that compels her to investigate the details of her mother's accident.

Watching July is a very engaging story with wonderful use of suspense, the many plot twists keep this book interesting even with some predictability. Most of the characters are well developed with their own distinct appeal, however some of the secondary characters seemed unimportant to the story as a whole. The relationships between characters were strong and mostly realistic, although some of the dialogue did not translate well and felt slightly awkward. Overall, I enjoyed Watching July, but felt it needed a bit more polish.