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Juvenile Fiction. HTML: 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....… (more)
User reviews
The first part of the book is in one word, intense. I can't even begin to describe how shallow and downrght nasty Bridget was. She definitely wasn't a likable character and I flinched and wanted to strangle her everytime she said or did something. For a book to evoke that much of a reaction from me speaks of how effective the author was in terms of conveying Bridget's mean ways. I thought the "stepping into other people's shoes" was a nice touch although the twist about the new girl was a bit out of the blue.
A good book about self-realization and second chances. 4/5 stars!
As Bridget Duke drives recklessly home after a miserable day at school, she imagines what it might be like if she were dead. Pressing her foot down harder on the gas pedal, picking up speed, she wonders would anyone even miss her? Who would show up to her funeral, what would be whispered at
Ramblings:
BACKGROUND
Here Lies Bridget is the debut novel for aspiring author Paige Harbison who just happens to be the twenty year old daughter of New York Times Best Selling Author Beth Harbison. Writing great books is undoubtedly embedded in her genetic code, so no surprises here that Here Lies Bridget is not only a fantastic read, but also has had the screen rights purchased, so it may be a movie sometime soon.
SETTING/PACE/WRITING STYLE
The story primarily takes place in an affluent private high school. Starting off immediately at a race pace and never really slowing down until it ends, Here Lies Bridget is a surprisingly fast read. Harbison's choice of writing in first person works extremely well, giving the reader the much needed insight into Bridget's self doubts and insecurities. Some readers may find fault in the fast paced fashion the author chooses to wrap up this book. She really does sprint through the ending. However, the key piece for making this book work is getting the reader to buy into the fact that Bridget wasn't always mean! (She really doesn't like the direction her life is heading in, either.) She's just not sure how to get off this crazy ride. Without out this buy in, lets face it, Bridget's character will be absolutely detestable without any chance of redemption and the story would have been a colossal flop.
CHARACTERS & PLOT
Bridget Duke, the main character in this book, is a cruel, spoiled, self preservationist who always thinks of herself first. If you looked up "bitch" in the dictionary, you'd definitely see her picture on the page. Harbison must be given a great deal of credit creating a main character who is so easy to hate! The book begins in the present, with Bridget's car accident and then goes back in time to the events leading up to the crash. It follows along a similar plot line to Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. After the accident, Bridget wakes to find herself in a boardroom at the mercy of a select panel of so called friends and enemies as they decide if she is worthy of life or death. She literally is allowed to step in the shoes of each member of the panel and see how her previous actions and words impacted each ones lives, usually in a very negative way. In lieu of her terrible past, will she be able to somehow persuade the panel she really can change or is it already too late for this spoiled rotten mean girl?
Recommendation:
I totally loved this book! From the moment I opened it up and read the first page I was hooked. I seriously couldn't put it down until I finished reading the last page. (Its been a long time since I've read a book like that.) I strongly recommend this book to all girls (sorry - don't see how boys would be interested in this one) ages 12 years old and older. Littered with real life examples showing teens how what is said to others (jokingly or not) can have a huge impact on lives and happiness shouldn't be measured by how many "friends" one has, written in a non-threatening, unpreachy way teenagers will gobble it up. Note to parents: Some underage drinking takes place in the book, but primarily as a tool to show how unglamorous it can be - that's a first , huh? Overall a fantastic, captivating page turner every high school aged girl should pick up and read.
I'm trying so hard not to give away anything too important in my review. It's hard because it was such an excellent read. Bridget is definitely a character you love to hate, and hate to love. She's arrogant, snobby, and selfish; she never takes anybody's needs or feelings into account. But she's also very witty, she tries to care about her friends' problems (sometimes) even though her advice and comments usually come out wrong and hurt rather than help, and you can assume that not having her mother around has had a large effect on who she has become. The few interactions she has with Liam, you can tell her still cares for her, and wishes that they could be together, but you certainly can't blame him for not wanting to be around the new her. When she (literally) gets to walk in the shoes of the people she hurt, it's nice to see her gradually realizing how much her actions and words hurt everyone around her and the horrible things she has done. She finally feels guilt, regret, and compassion. The revelation about her mom was definitely an "Aha!" moment for me when I figured out what was going on. I definitely recommend this book to everyone, because I don't think there is anyone who couldn't relate to this book in some way or another. My favorite read in a long time, bravo!
My rating: 5/5 stars
I was glad that Bridget got stuck in limbo to see herself in her own ways. She did nothing but use, abuse and treat people badly. This book in a sense was a real eye opener. Bridget has no idea what she was doing. In her own mind, what she did was okay. Bridget was given a second chance to make things right with the people she wronged. I was glad to see that she saw the error of her ways and made things right.
At this point I rooted for Bridget. In the end, Bridget learn a valuable lesson. She changed her ways and was able to go free without any regrets. I loved the ending. It is perfect.
Ms. Harbison wrote a fantastic book. It was filled with great life lessons and well as great entertainment. The book also made me realize why I love to read so much. Because with great characters, you get to walk in other persons shoes and see their life for a few pages. Reading has taught me to look at other POV's and not just my own. If you do that, if you give it a chance, you have one great reading adventure.
Bridget was seriously the MOST annoying, mean person I've ever read about. Of course, that was the point. As we relive her last few days leading up to the crash we get to see what a truly insecure, mean person she is. While I was enjoying the story, the fact that she had no redeeming qualities was very irritating to read.
When we get back to the time of the crash, and into limbo, we get to jump into the heads of Bridget's loved ones. There was a few times that reading the same dialogue got on my nerves, but you also get to read how being in the others heads really helped Bridget come to the realization that the things she has said and done has really affected those around her, and not in a good way.
Overall this was a story with a very meaningful message about how what you say and do can really affect the lives of the people around you. It was a quick read, and while it had it faults, I still enjoyed it.
So I'll forewarn you all, dear Readers, that you might want to brace yourself when you meet Bridget - she's not going to the nicest kid in town - in fact, you're about to meet her when she absolutely reaches the 9th circle of Hell and I wouldn't be surprised if she throws the Devil for a loop. How she managed to got away with her "spoiled princess" act for so long with both parents, classmates, friends, and teachers - I'll never understand!
What redeems Bridget when she is Evil Incarnate in the beginning - and why I bothered to keep on reading - is that she has her moments of regret and confusion as to why she does the things she does. As if she realizes that she is evil and self-centered, but can't help herself from antagonizing everyone for fear of being seen as weak. While it's nice to know that Bridget has a little goodness inside her, her thoughtless words and selfish actions speak more volumes than her inner turmoil. The consequences of her actions reflected in the devastation on the faces of her friends, stepmom, teachers, etc. simply cannot be erased easily.
Ms. Harbison has created such a conflicted character in Bridget and explored all the dynamic relationships in Bridget's life both before and after the car crash. here lies Bridget will definitely make you pause for thought on how your words and actions may affect other people and therefore tread carefully when you speak before thinking.
Bridget really reminds me of Regina George with a little Gretchen Weiner thrown in because she is the queen bee, but she is completely oblivious to how she treats other people, believing that her peers actually like and respect her. That’s pretty much where the Mean Girls similarities end though. There are no foot creams on the face or shirts with the boobs cut out; just a disgustingly horrible teenage girl who slips down the social ladder and crashes her car.
100 pages into the book and all the reader really knows is that Bridget is one mean girl. She treats her friends like crap, degrades her stepmom, and uses her power to hurt others. Once Bridget gets in the accident and wakes up in a boardroom full of her peers, things get much better.
When Bridget is in this limbo state, she must literally step into the shoes of some of the people she has wronged and see her actions from their perspective. In doing this, Bridget realizes who she is and how people see her. I even felt sympathy for her, which is surprising considering I loathed her before she nearly died.
Here Lies Bridget is a quick read with A Christmas Carol feel to it. Bridget starts off as such a horrible person, but gradually she grows and her attempt to atone for her mistakes doesn’t leave her with the happy ending she wanted. The story is wrapped up nicely and the character growth/transformation is handled well. While not my favorite book, Here Lies Bridget has a good message behind it.
Opening lines: I pressed down on the accelerator. It felt good to have power back in my life. ~ pg. 7
Favorite lines: Everything was done. I couldn’t take it back, couldn’t change it. It was way too late to say the two words that could have saved me if I’d just meant them sooner.
I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry… ~ pg. 9
*This is the e-ARC version and lines, pages, cover art may be subject to change before official publication
I liked how Paige started the story, perhaps that’s one of the reasons why I got hooked instantly. The writing was great. I did feel connected with the characters.
Honestly, I enjoyed Bridget as a lead character in the story. Did you ever have that feeling where you love and hate the character at the same time? Bridget is mean, insecure, bratty and ill-mannered. Her terrorizing antics is not limited to her friends or at her school, she’s even churlish to her step-mother, Meredith. She’s aware that what she’s doing is utterly wrong yet she would still act that way for her own reputation that she keeps on “protecting”. Despite all of this, despite the fact that she’s a nominee for Mean Girl of the Year, I love her. For me, she’s not the typical lead character. This is the very first book I’ve read that the lead character is not so nice.
I was weighing whether the part where she was fixing her mistakes was too fast or was just fine. I thought, it was all good. Like I said, Bridget is aware that her actions are wrong; even for the briefest moment, she admitted that she's tired of keeping up with her reputation. All she needed to do was to have the guts to face the fact that she’s screwed and she needs to fix it…and she did. And that’s another reason why I like her.
I also find the little dash of Cinderella-ish in the story to be cute.
I'm giving this a 5 out of 5 stars. If you want to read a fun, fast-paced and worth-reading book, then grab Here Lies Bridget, it's so worth it.
Cover Thoughts: 5 out of 5. Definitely one of my favorite covers. It's also one of the many reasons why I loved the book.
Bridget is the daughter of a famous ESPN sports caster and as such is a popular girl in school. Bridget is also very self-centered and nasty to the people around her. Then one day a new girl named Anna comes to school, everyone likes Anna instantly. Bridget watches as her popularity fades and Anna slowly gains control of the school. Feeling a bit down by her loss of power Bridget decides to recklessly drive her car in an attempt to commit suicide (this is where the book starts) but at the last minute realizes she doesn't want to die. That's when things get weird.
The book starts with the scene where Bridget recklessly drives her car and looses control of it. Then it goes back to how she got to that point. The first half of this book is focused on how Bridget interacts with her family and friends. Bridget is a super mean and nasty girl, she disrespects everyone and is tearing apart the people around her in her apparent ignorance of her own meanness. That right there was my biggest problem with this book; Bridget is very mean and manipulative but she is shown as not realizing how mean she is. I had a lot of trouble believing that anyone could be that nasty to people and not realize what they were doing.
In the second half of the book Bridget has to relive scenes were she is mean to people but from the other person's point of view. This was a neat idea, but it has been done before. It reminds a lot of the Christmas Carol and Ebenezor Scrooge's Ghost of Christmas Past.
In the second half the author tries to get you to sympathize and maybe understand Bridget, but I had trouble doing that. I felt like the moral of this book was that you can be mean and nasty your whole life; then if you spend a day trying to fix everything that will be enough and you are forgiven. It wasn't a realistic way to end the book and was all neat and pretty to the point of being a bit contrived.
The writing style was easy to read and the dialogue sounded natural so that was nice. There really wasn't much paranormal element to this book; just a touch but it wasn't the focus.
Overall I thought the book was predictable and I really didn't enjoy Bridget as a character. I didn't really enjoy the plot (which focused mainly on high school angst) and thought things were a bit too neatly set up. Fans of books about the "mean girl" in a high school redeeming herself might enjoy this book. Fans of paranormal young adult books should look elsewhere. This book is definitely aimed at a female young adult audience and I don't think many outside of that subset will find much to enjoy here.
Cute story, with a redemption in the end definitely worth reading.
The first reason is because we begin the story with the car crash, then rewind a few weeks and get the rundown of what had happened before Bridget hits a tree. It isn't until at least half way through that we're back to the crash
Second, Bridget isn't a very likable character. She understands that she isn't as nice as she could be, but she's so wrapped up in herself she doesn't do anything about it. I didn't get why anyone would want to be her friend even if she was the most popular girl.
So put the two together and I'm reading a longer beginning than I expected about a character I didn't like for longer than I wanted...you get the idea.
However, I really enjoyed the second half of the book. Once we get to limbo and Bridget has to face what a creep she is, the pace picks up. And I bought into Bridget understanding what a jerk she was and that she would really change.
Here Lies Bridget reminded me a lot of Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, but even more so 7 Souls by Barnabas Miller and Jordan Orlando. Though Here Lies Bridget is much more lighthearted and humorous. And has a happier ending.
So overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a fast read with a memorable main character and a happy ending and even a kiss. And I really do like that cover.
When a new girl shows up at Bridget’s school, things seem to take a turn for the worse for Bridget. She feels her control over her friends slipping. When Bridget is tossed aside for the new girl, she doesn’t know how to cope and Bridget resorts to a drastic action that brings her face-to-face with her own behavior in a most unexpected way.
Review: This book really took me by surprise. I didn’t honestly know what it was about when I started reading it. Bridget Duke is a straight up bully. She doesn’t stuff kids into lockers, steal their lunch money, or do physical violence, but she is a bully nonetheless. Bridget’s bully weapon is popularity. Though she doesn’t truly realize it, people are her “friends” out of fear: Fear that she will ruin them socially.
Bridget has progressed so far down the path of being a bully that she isn’t aware of how her actions, verbal or physical, affect the people around her. Her boyfriend breaks up with her because he cannot handle her destructive behavior, one of her closest friends is struggling with a weight issue that Bridget exacerbates, and Bridget’s step-mother wants only to be the best mother she can to Bridget, but Bridget refuses to allow her to be anything other than Bridget’s verbal punching bag.
Bridget finally gets to really see what she has done to the people in her life, though. I thought the way Harbison handles this aspect of the novel was brilliant in an Dickensian sort of way. Experience is generally the best teacher, and Bridget gets to experience exactly what she has inflicted on others.
My only problem with this novel was that I thought the ending of the novel wrapped everything up a little too neatly. I felt that there should have been more repercussions for Bridget. Bridget wreaked havoc on those around her, so for her story to be all tidy at the end of the book just didn’t work for me.
Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely. I was touched by the story. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and voice. I would definitely recommend this novel.
This is a difficult book to actually enjoy in the beginning. This is because the main
In the end, my feelings for this book is mixed. Despite liking the middle-end portion of the book (in which Bridget realizes that she’s wronged people after being oblivious) I didn’t fully believe that Bridget’s amends could come that quickly. Not to mention Bridget’s transformation from being a mean girl to a girl who was remorseful was not entirely believable.
Here Lies Bridget is short so it will probably be a quick read for you. Your opinions might be different from mine so I think you should read it. Plus, I’d like to see your opinion on the little twist at the end. It’s slightly confusing but interesting nevertheless.
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.
I started reading this book with no idea what it's about but I wasn't disappointed. Bridget is a character that you should hate but I found myself liking her, because you can understand why she is like she is. Although she displays a her bitchiest side to the World, you can see the girl she used to be more and more as the story progresses. There was a lot of moments where I wanted to step in and say something nice to her friends!
The story of how she got to the point of crashing her car drags a bit, so you have to be patient and wait for the good stuff! When she finally arrives in Limbo and shown what she has done to people, it is well plotted and really keeps you reading until the end. The idea that Bridget has to literally walk in other people's shoes, for me, was hilarious.
This is a perfect Christmas read, A Christmas Carol meets Mean Girls for Teens.
Things begin to change for her when a new girl comes to the school. Everyone loves Anna and she pulls the attention away from
I admit to loving to hate Bridget. I am glad that I never had a friend like her. This book is a reminder to me to take a look around me and see what I am doing in my relationships to others. Bridget realizes that she isn't nice, but doesn't understand how her actions are affecting her friends and acquaintances.
I had a few concerns about a couple of the words used in describing her, she finds them on the bathroom wall. They really made me cringe. I guess that was used to describe what kind a person she is in the book.
Good message on changing yourself and forgiveness.
I received a copy to review from Netgalley with the permission of Harlequin Teen.
This was a quick teen read and mostly enjoyable. However, I found it a bit too pedantic and too much of a super obvious, modern morality play. I get that it's bad to be mean to your loved ones and I don't need to be hit over the head with the message. The ending was a little too conveniently wrapped up, making it a little unbelievable to me. The characters were this novels' saving grace. Each person's individual story was fleshed out and interesting. They were the reason why I kept reading to the end. I wasn't wowed by this book, but I wasn't completely bored either. If you want a more nuanced and funny version of this tale, I would recommend the film Mean Girls.
To conclude, I found the book to be interesting and easy to read but uncomfortable in several places, which I am sure it should be. Even though Bridget had some things happen in her past that were were supposed to feel sorry for her about, I personally didn't think they were severe enough to even begin to explain why Bridget was a nasty beast. I think this book would best be used as I mentioned before, by middle schoolers. There is a lot of discussion about casual drinking at parties but there was no sex or sexual situations and the language was pretty mild.
Our MC, Bridget, was merciless with her peers and her family. An
My only problem was when Bridget relived her past actions through her peers who were judging her. Some of the scenes were repetitive from previous chapters. But on the flip side, it was interesting getting into the other person's head and feeling how much Bridget's words and actions hurt him/her.
Overall, this was a pretty good book. For me it was a quick read and Harbison kept me interested until the very end.
I understand why it took place and the significance behind it but for a book being under 250 pages it was WAY overdone! I lost interest and felt bored because for a good portion of the book you were reading the same thing over again, and i completly lost interest in it.
I didn't hate the book, and its worth checking out, but i wasn't thrilled with it, and thinks the idea behind the book just fell flat for me.
One day in a fit of rage, Bridget races away from school in her car. Becoming reckless, she begins telling herself that people would be so sorry for the way they treated her if she died. Karma can be a pain, though. When Bridget crashes, she wakes up surrounded by five people it appears she has had some influence on, and it seems for the worse. Liam - her ex-boyfriend, Michelle - her best friend, Meredith - her step-mother, Mr. Ezhno - her teacher and Brett - a classmate. It appears she is in front of some sort of panel, and she must now be judged for her actions. Each of these people has a reason to dislike Bridget... more like 1,000 reasons to hate and dislike her. Sort of like A Christmas Carol, Bridget must now walk in each of these character's shoes, go back in time and witness how her actions affected each and every one.
A quote that I really like: "I could suddenly see the grenade effect of my own actions." (from page 180 of eARC, quote subject to change).
While I liked the underlying story that brought these characters together, I just couldn't get passed how much I disliked Bridget. I mean, it's been nearly a week since I read this book and I still have a sour taste in my mouth because of her actions and behavior. There are times where I felt sorry for Bridget because of her history with her parents, but that is no excuse for the way she treated the entire world.
I felt like the ending wrapped up a little too nicely for someone like Bridget, but I'm glad that she eventually came to terms with her behavior. Not a terrible book, but Bridget can cause a dark cloud to loom over your head while you read.
Everything is peachy keen in her life.. that is, until Anna Judge comes to school. In an instant everything starts to unravel. Her friends would much rather hang out with Anna. Her ex boyfriend Liam thinks Anna is pretty great too. Bridget is not used to having her popularity contended, and she’s not happy.
In an act of desperation tries to kill herself in a car accident, rather than dying, she finds herself in limbo. And she finds herself surrounded by none other than Anna Judge. And her friends and family – the people she has hurt most in her life.
She must step inside each of their shoes and go through what it feels like to be friends with herself. How her cutting remarks make them feel, how her taunts and accusations have ruined their lives. Now she knows what she has done to everyone around her, is it too late for her to make amends?
I particularly liked how the first half of the book was from Bridget’s perspective. We see how mean she treats everyone around her and how ruthless she is. The second half of the book, when she has to re-visit these mem0ries and she what she has done to these people is from the perspective of those she has hurt. It really told a complete story from both angles which I thought was very creative.
Overall a very enjoyable and easy book to get through, what a great debut novel from Paige Harbison!
The meanest of the mean girls, Bridget is the ruler of her school, but things start changing when the new girl Anna Judge arrives. With everything falling apart around her (through a series of events that are revealed throughout the book), we're introduced to Bridget as she's about to crash her speeding car. on, what seems to be, purpose. The reader is then taken back in time (just a little bit!) to meet Bridget and see how she got to the point of wanting to crash her car. Eventually, we meet up with accident and it's then that Bridget is in a sort of limbo and finds out that the five people she meets there, aren't exactly wishing her well.
Like the book summary/website says: "What do you do when the five people you meet in limbo all want you to go to hell?"
With the chance to walk in each of those five person's shoes and see just how she affected them, Bridget might not save her life, but she might just be able to set some things right.
Here Lies Bridget had a really interesting premise that definitely drew me to the book, but it never all really came together for me. I loved the idea of a book with such an unlikeable main character that admits you're not going to like that character and revolves around that. Only, I never really found Bridget to be sympathetic so I continued disliking her even when I don't think I was supposed to.
Maybe if Bridget's meeting everyone in limbo and seeing their perspectives' had been a larger part of the book, I would have liked things better. As it was, the beginning, with Bridget being the mean girl that led up to the car crash and her in limbo took up more of the book than I would have liked.
Bridget was also a lot more self aware than I thought made sense. She made observations about things in her past and how they made her act one way or another that I wasn't sure someone with either her age or her demeanor would be able to make. At least not without a lot of therapy. And then, if she could see all of that, I can't see her acting like she did.
Overall, the book just didn't connect for me, but because the plot really was a creative one, I will check out the plot of Paige Harbison's next book.
(read thanks to the NetGalley & the publisher)
But it wasn't always that way. Bridget hasn't always been been the mean girl. And it isn't until a life or death experience has her
Here Lies Bridget kept me engaged and interested in both what was going to happen in the future and what had happened in the past. I had a few hang ups with the premise, but that was mostly due to my own personal preferences rather than the book.
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