Review: Here Lies Bridget

Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison

Feb 1st 2011

Interesting Facts: We may be seeing Here Lies Bridget at the big screen in 2014 as the screen rights have been acquired by the same team working on the Halle Berry starring film Shoe Addicts Anonymous, a novel originally written by Beth Harbison - Paige's mother.

Review: Here Lies Bridget could actually be described as a teen modernization of the old Scrooge tale that we're all so familiar with in one form or another. Bridget is not only the mean girl at her school but creates a living hell for her step-mother at home. She has managed to keep things on her side of the court for years now but this all changes when a new student enrols at her school and the fellow students start facing up to Bridget's mistreatment of them.

This sends Bridget into a tailspin of the worst kind resulting in a car accident and a living state of limbo where she meets the key members of her life for the difficult decision on whether she should live or die.

Bridget realises she has been sent here to ultimately resolve her attitude problems or be rid of her altogether. With a step into the shoes of people she has wronged, Bridget gains the ability to hear the thoughts and feelings of those directly involved. 

I could put my disinterest of this novel down to the adjustment of reading my first novel on an e-reader but it didn't really go over as well as I'd hoped. The first half of the novel seemed to move at a snails pace and the ending was wrapped up so neatly that it seemed totally unrealistic.

If I were to recommend a novel in place of this book, I would suggest Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver as it's a much better attempt at a mean girl revisiting her wrongs.

THREE OUT OF FIVE STARS