Blog Tour: Here Lies Bridget - Paige Harbison

Here Lies Bridget – Paige Harbison

Pages: 315
Publisher: Mira INK
Release Date: 17th June 2011

They say that before you die your life flashes before your eyes.

You think it’s going to be the good stuff – every kiss, every party.

Don't count on it.
I was Bridget Duke – the uncontested ruler of the school. If keeping wannabes in their place meant being a mean girl, then so be it!
I never thought there’d be a price to pay.

Until the accident.

Now, being trapped between life and death, I’m seeing my world in a new light: through the eyes of five people whose existence I’ve made hell.

And I’ve got one chance to make things right.
If I don't, I may never wake up again...

I have to admit that I was slightly wary of Here Lies Bridget due to its similarities to Before I Fall and The Five People You Meet in Heaven which I loved, but once I got used to Bridget I really enjoyed it.

And Bridget is definitely a character that you have to get used to. She is spoilt, nasty and hypocritical in all the worst possible ways. She’s the kind of girl that would have made my life hell, if she knew I even existed that is. And it’s because of this that I found it hard to feel anything for her. But without seeing Bridget in all her glory before diving into her limbo-esque day, it wouldn’t have packed the punch it did.

The turn from the girl she was in the beginning of the book to how we left her was startling. And yet Paige Harbison created this transition beautifully. There wasn’t an instantaneous ‘Oh my God, I’m a bitch!’ moment from her, it was a gradual realisation and build up of guilt for how Bridget acted that culminated in her trying to put right what she’d done. However, as much as I respected what she did in the end, I still really didn't like her and I applaud Paige Harbison for keeping me glued to a book whose heroine I felt nothing for. That really doesn’t happen very often for me as I’m a very character orientated reader.

I think a lot of my involvement in the story was seeing how far she was willing to go to keep her place as Queen Bee and then what she’d have to do to save her life. I was very impressed with how Bridget was put in the shoes of those she’d hurt. It was original and very clever.

I really enjoyed Here Lies Bridget and I look forward to reading more from Paige Harbison in the future.

For my 2011 Debut Author Challenge

Look out for an interview with Paige coming up soon!

Sophie