Review: Here Lies Bridget

Book Details

Title: Here Lies Bridget (Harlequin Teen)

Author: Paige Harbison

Genre: Young Adult

Page Count: 224

Publishing Info: January 18, 2011 by Harlequin

My Review

Why I read it: netgalley review copy

The Plot: 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.

The Characters: Bridget is a character you can't help but hate.  She's self-centered, mean, oblivious, and kind of stupid.  And since the story is told in first person, it makes it even worse.  But I'll give props to the author for writing a compelling enough story that even though I couldn't stand the main character, I kept reading.

The Setting: The setting really isn't very important here.  It's a typical high school setting, and I don't even remember if the book ever said what city they were in.

A Sample of the Writing: 
Nothing interesting ever happens or begins on a Thursday.
Friday and Saturday are the weekend.  Sunday is the end of the weekend, the last day of rest.  Monday is the beginning of another week.  Tuesday's a cool name.  Wednesday is "hump day," an expression I loathe.

Who Should Read This? Fans of YA high school dramas.

Final Thoughts: This book was short, and was very quick to get through.  That may have been the best part about it.  I was expecting something quite different when reading the synopsis, and what I got was more of a "mean girl" type story.  Bridget came off almost unbelievable in how mean she was, all the while being completely clueless about it.  The ending also seemed incredibly rushed, and we're left to wonder certain things, and I almost wonder if the author didn't really want to come up with the answers herself.  Not a horrible book if you're looking for an easy read to pass an afternoon, but there are definitely better YA books out there. 

Grade: C

Cover Thoughts: The cover is very eye-catching, but it gives you the impression that Bridget is dead in this story (as does the title), which is not the case at all.