Here Lies Bridget Review

Author: Paige Harbison
Release Date: January 18, 2011
Pages: 219 (e-galley)
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Most Appropriate For Ages: 12+
Where I Got It: From netgalley to review
Challenge: Debut Author 2011

Bridget Duke is the uncontested ruler of her school. The meanest girl with the biggest secret insecurities. And when new girl Anna Judge arrives, things start to fall apart for Bridget: friends don't worship as attentively, teachers don't fall for her wide-eyed "who me?" look, expulsion looms ahead and the one boy she's always loved—Liam Ward—can barely even look at her anymore.

When a desperate Bridget drives too fast and crashes her car, she ends up in limbo, facing everyone she's wronged and walking a few uncomfortable miles in their shoes. Now she has only one chance to make a last impression. Though she might end up dead, she has one last shot at redemption and the chance to right the wrongs she's inflicted on the people who mean the most to her.

And Bridget's about to learn that, sometimes, saying you're sorry just isn't enough…. 

 Here Lies Bridget was a short book, and while it's plot had me intrigued enough, I never really connected to it's characters.

The first half of Here Lies Bridget is Mean Girls without the humor, and the second half is A Christmas Carol without the ghosts. It was interesting enough, but for some reason something about it was a bit off to me. I went into the book expecting more of a unique paranormal element than I got, and honestly I think that threw me off.

I never really connected to any of the characters. They were very stereotypical and occasionally a little bland and just unrealistic. I mean, what girl would stay friends with Bridget?

Oh, Bridget. Let us talk of Bridget for a moment.

Bridget was the girl we can't even "love to hate" because we simply refuse to put the word "love" in the same sentence as "Bridget". I just plain hated her. Sure, she's got issues and everything, but everyone does, Bridget. We're just not all byatches about it, K? Yeah, she grows in the end but man I just hated her too much to even care.

The final message that Here Lies Bridget tries to send is an important one and well-received, but it's not one that we haven't heard before. The characters kept me from connecting to this one, in the end. That being said, it was a very fast read, and I'll be on the lookout for more of Harbison's work in the future.

Plot: Kept my attention.

Characters: Eh.

Writing: Promising.

Ending: Very satisfying.

Kid friendly? Pretty. There's some mild swearing and teen drinking.

Overall: