Book Talk: Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publication Date: February 1, 2011

Series or Standalone: Standalone

ISBN: 0373210280

Format: Paperback, 224 pages

Description: 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….

First line: I looked down the hall and noticed one of the few people who had never been fazed by my reputation.

I hated Bridget. I mean, from page one I hated her. And I think that was brilliant, why I kept reading.. As the story went on, I liked her more and I struggled with that because I didn't want to. I don't understand her much but yet, i do. She was intriguing protagonist. I had to know what happened and that was why I kept reading. I was enthralled by Bridget and couldn't put the book down!

It's a good story about how our actions and words effect other people--and how we don't really know what when we do it. There are repercussions that we have to eventually come to terms with and moments in other people's lives that we have no idea about. This book explored that.

Ultimately, it was okay. It didn't suck or anything but in the end I was dissatisfied with the result. Harbison spent most of the book replaying scenes, merely changing from one point of view to the other. The best of these was Meredith's scene. (As well as Liam's.) It could've gone a little deeper with the characters and I wish more time had been spent showing us other instances (besides the ones we saw at the beginning). I liked seeing there opinion of those things--and seeing them from Bridget's perspective in their eyes--but, it seemed to drag. And where those moments could have readched huge depths, they only seemed to scratch the surface.

When she gets to go home and "Fix it" I thought it all came to easily. I wanted her to struggle with it more--and perhaps to fail. Everything seemed to be wrapped up in a pretty bow as "I've seen the error in my ways and I'm sorry." And everyone forgives her. I guess I didn't find it believable. The fact that it happens over twelve hours made it hard to do that.

So much of the book was spent telling us how horrible she was to everyone and then it was wrapped in thirty pages. I wanted to really see her struggle with her horrible-ness, not just cry and ask for forgiveness. I really wanted to SEE her change. Or, again, to see her fail. I also wanted to see everyone's apology. Some were left out--and having been a huge part of the story--should have been explored. I felt cheated.

All in all, it was a good then lackluster. I won't buy it for myself but it has a lesson. It has Liam, who is too good for Bridget, and it really shows the side of forgiveness that people aren't willing to provide. Huh....that explains my feelings from before. Perhaps it's not believable because we don't easily forgive. Something to ponder.