Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison
Summary: 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.
***SPOILER ALERT***DO NOT READ IF YOU DON’T LIKE SPOILERS!***
My Thoughts: I really did not like this book at all. The main character leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and I just couldn’t get over how spoiled, rude, selfish, thoughtless – I could go on and on – she was. She was so very bad, so very clueless about just how HORRIBLE she was, that I couldn’t find it in me to have ANY sympathy for her. None at all, not even once she had to see things from others’ perspectives. I didn’t see much change in the way she thought between the beginning and the after parts. Everything was still all about HER. While I think she might have learned her lesson about how her actions affect others, I didn’t get the feeling that she had truly changed. While she said it wasn’t the case, I got the feeling that she was feeling the way she was and doing what she did more for HER own benefit than anything. Sure, she’ll set things right because she feels bad about what she did. And maybe she’ll be more thoughtful in how she acts in the future. What really would have made this a redemption story, in my opinion, would be if she stopped thinking so much about herself.
Fortunately, this book is short and a quick, easy read. I don’t feel like I wasted too much time on it. I kept reading, hoping the end made it all worthwhile, but I don’t feel it did. I wanted more remarkable change from her. And, at the very least, I wanted her to wake up in the hospital after her accident, and picking up where she left off. I didn’t like things continuing as if nothing had happened. I had a hard time placing her after she came back. I’m guessing it was maybe the Friday before she had thrown the party in the beginning of the book, but I’m not entirely sure about that. I don’t like feeling confused at the end.
In all, I’m glad I got to read this as an ARC – glad I didn’t spend money on it. Glad I get to send it on. Hopefully those after will like it better. And, no, I don’t intend to read this one again. Once was more than enough.
My Rating: 1.5 stars
Source: Received through Book It Forward ARC Tours for review.
FTC Disclosure: All items reviewed were either obtained by me for my own enjoyment or sent (from the author, publisher, publicist, via tour sites, etc.) in exchange for an honest review. I receive no monetary compensation for my posts. All opinions expressed are my own.
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