was not too thrilled about this one......hard time keeping my interest for sure ( )

In the course of a day or several days, it is hard to tell, Bridget treats everyone in her path horribly, from her stepmother Meredith to her best friends Michelle and Jillian to one of her teachers Mr. Ehzno. She is sarcastic and mean when Meredith asks her if she wants to have a girls’ night and go see that movie she had been dying to see. She dismisses Michelle’s vague cry for help when Michelle tells her that she is insecure about her looks. Bridget gets Mr. Ehzno in trouble by starting a rumor that he is having an affair with Meredith. She feels a little guilty after each episode of meanness but not enough to change her behavior; she justifies it by blaming her mostly absent and neglectful father and the tragic death of her mother. She fancies herself as Cinderella and the novel uses this trope throughout the book. In the prologue, Bridget is driving her car and speeding up as she thinks about how sorry everyone would be if she had an accident and died. She imagines her ex-boyfriend, Liam, swearing he’ll never love again, her father leaving her stepmother, and her friends trying to decide what to wear to her funeral. Too late she realizes she can’t control the car and hits a tree. But she doesn’t die; instead she winds up in a boardroom with Anna Judge, the new girl at school that everyone likes, and all of the people she’s been awful to, but they don’t seem to see her. After Bridget is forced to step into the shoes of each of the people she’s hurt, the reader is then subjected to reread all of the scenes of her awfulness from the first part of the book. This part gets repetitive except for some minor insights into the other person’s life that astute readers will have discerned already in the first part of the book. The ending is too predictable and tidy, but some readers may like this book. ( )

I'm still slightly reeling from the bevy of emotions that this book made me go through. I only hope that this review turns out to be coherent enough for you to read. If for some reason it's not, let me start out with saying this: Bridget is NOT easy to love. Let's put it this way...Bridget is....well I'd love to use a choice expletive here, but I have young readers so, yeah. Bridget is a witch. Let's just start out with that.

When I first opened the pages of Here Lies Bridget I couldn't get over how perfectly Paige Harbison has crafted the ultimate "mean girl". See Bridget isn't just mean, she isn't just conniving, she's the popular girl who needs to be popular no matter what the consequences for others. I don't use this word often, but I literally hated her from page one. The things that she does and says in this story are just so downright evil that I wondered how one person could have so much anger pent up inside of them. Then, I read on.

As I read I saw a whole other side of this character. Although a mean girl on the surface, and trust me she's good at it, there is a lot beneath that as well. Paige Harbison has created a character that has so much depth, it's hard to explain. Without giving anything away I can tell you that Bridget's past has some skeletons in the closet, and that her father just doesn't know how to have a girl. Her stepmother does her best, but really who can replace a girl's real mother? Especially when there are such fond memories at the surface of her mind?

Here Lies Bridget is the perfect example of the "bad girl" who doesn't finish first. If you're wondering what I mean, you'll have to read the book. This plot is so perfectly written that it will suck you in and not let go. First you will despise Bridget, then you learn about her life and her insecurities, and then....oh and then....the ending. The ending took my breath away. I haven't sobbed this hard during the ending of a book in a long time. It fits the story fantastically, and I couldn't stop thinking about this book even after I put it down to move on to something else.

I'd love to say more. I'd love to tell you about sweet Liam, awkward Michelle and all the other characters, but I really think this is a book you need to go into without any spoilers. Truth be told I didn't even read the synopsis before I opened this book and I'm glad I didn't. The less you know before you start Bridget's journey with her, the more you'll really feel every aspect of it. Please don't be put off by her attitude, I promise you that Paige Harbison is only crafting that mean girl to show you how much people can learn about themselves. You'll fall in love. ( )

Bridget Duke would have to be one of the most obnoxious, spoilt and self-centered protagonists I have ever read about. Her attitude to others is appalling and even after her 'redemption' where she tries to right her wrongs, she is still totally unlikeable.

Having Bridget literally step into her victims' shoes while she lies in limbo after a serious car accident reminded me of Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" but not done nearly as well. It felt rather rushed and was unbelievable. Sadly, I can't find anything to really redeem this book so don't bother! ( )

Plot: The very first scene is of Bridget driving and about to lose control of her car. After that, the first half of the book explains why she got into the car hoping she would crash and possibly die or just get majorly injured. The second half is after the crash and takes place in limbo. This part reminded me a little of A Christmas Carol. She literally steps into other peoples shoes to see how her behavior and actions have affected them. The repeating of the conversations made it seem like I was reading the same thing over again. I know it was from a different perspective and bridget was supposed to be in the other persons head while the scene is happening, but the repetition of the dialogue could have been avoided. We already knew what happened, it would have been better to read what was happening inside of the persons head and their thoughts a little more. I felt really bad for all the people she mistreats once we are inside their heads, but that was really the only time I liked or cared about any of the characters.

Characters: I did not like Bridget at all at the beginning of the story. She is self-absorbed, self-pitying, rude, dramatic, and whines way too much. I felt that she was trying way too hard to be “tough” and was just a complete jerk. Her teacher, friends, and step mom had absolutely no backbone when it came to her which is probably the reason she acted the way she did. I really liked Liam though. He was one of the few people that would stood up to her. This probably has to do with the fact that he knew her before she completely changed from their elementary school days.

Cover: The cover is cute and reminds me a lot of Generation Dead by Daniel Waters. The colors, font, and picture are all really similar.

Overall Impression: This book is definitely very relatable and leaves you with the message that second chances are always possible as long as you really want them. ( )