Book Review: Here Lies Bridget

What do you do when the five people you meet in limbo all want you to go to hell?

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.…

Release Date: 2/01/11

Goodreads: 4 out of 5 stars

**ARC Courtesy of NetGalley


I'll be first to admit--I wasn't fond of Bridget. She's yet another name on the Snarky List. But there were times when she showed vulnerability, and that's what kept me reading.

Bridget is rude to everyone. Her stepmother, her best friends, classmates, teachers. She even lost a relationship with the boy she loves because she had changed for the worse. The first half of the book chronicles how far she goes, how mean she really is. But when Bridget doesn't get her way, when things are completely out of control, she feels like she's losing her mind.

So, she decides to wreck her car. In doing so, she manages to slip into limbo, surrounded by those she's hurt. They are now her judges. But first, she has to slide into their shoes--literally. As she tries on each pair, they take her to past events and current events, all related to Bridget and the effect she had on their personal lives. Through their eyes, she realizes how horrible she sounds, and learns secrets she never knew about each.

After her fiasco with the shoes, Bridget pleads to go back and make amends. Her wish is granted--but only till midnight. After that, she'll return and be judged.

I won't reveal the ending for readers, but I will tell you that I ultimately enjoyed this book (even though, in the beginning, I thought I wouldn't). Paige Harbison did a really good job at creating a character that's snarky and mean, yet vulnerable, and was able to change Bridget's dimeanor over time.