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Merissa (14198 KP) rated Hilarina and the Ogre (Hilarina Ever After, #1) in Books

Sep 21, 2026  
Hilarina and the Ogre (Hilarina Ever After, #1)
Hilarina and the Ogre (Hilarina Ever After, #1)
October Arden | 2026 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
HILARINA AND THE OGRE is the main story of Hilary and Trenton. Both of them are outcasts in their own way, even if Trenton's is a bit more 'in your face' than Hilary's to begin with. You see, Trenton is content to be on the outside; he has his own coping mechanisms and refuses to let others see if he's upset or hurt. Hilary, meanwhile, is Varda's boyfriend, even if they don't like each other, and hides behind many masks in an attempt to fit in.

This story is told in two parts - the first from Hilary's POV, and the second from Trenton's. It is young love, obsession, co-dependency that both acknowledge, and horrible, horrifying situations. It does come with trigger warnings, so please take note! The addition of Hilary's mum and dad was genius, plus the banter between everyone. It really helped lighten dark situations, although not all of them.

When I started reading, it was leaning towards a 4 out of 5, as the repetition of 'the boy' was annoying me. However, as the story enveloped me, I got wrapped up in it and forgot (or glossed over) those mentions. I would say the last quarter of the book is particularly heartbreaking, and I can't wait to read the epilogue as I seriously NEED these two to have a complete HEA.

So so good, even while being horrible, and absolutely recommended by me.

** The same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
 
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
 
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian
Sep 15, 2026
  
40x40

tapestry100 (306 KP) rated The Girl with the Ghost Machine in Books

Aug 2, 2017  
The Girl with the Ghost Machine
The Girl with the Ghost Machine
Lauren DeStefano | 2017 | Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Originally reviewed on http://www.frommybookshelf.com

Emmaline Beaumont's mother has passed away. Unfortunately, Emmaline's father has become fixated with building a machine that will bring Emmaline's mother's ghost back, and in doing so, he himself has forgotten about the living in his obsession with the dead, so in many ways Emmaline has lost both of her parents. The only people she can confide in are twins Gully and Oliver, her best friends in school. Yet for of their understanding and patience, Gully and Oliver are unable to fully understand Emmaline's loss as they have never lost someone so close to them as Emmaline's mother was to her. Her father's machine, however, may actually work, and it is then that Emmaline must decide whether the cost of operating the machine is worth the price paid, and will the twins help her in her decision, regardless of what that decision is?

Lauren DeStefano has created a beautiful and poignant story that I feel would be an important book for anyone to read who has recently (or not so recently) lost someone very close to them. DeStefano has a keen ability to cut to the quick of the emotions of loss and what that can feel like, especially for someone too young to have have lost a loved one. Her characters are not cliché and their feelings are quite real, and the story she has created feels honest and important. That's the best way I can describe it. A fan of her YA series The Chemical Garden Trilogy and The Interment Chronicles, I have not yet read her other two middle grade books, The Curious Tale of the In-Between and The Peculiar Night of the Blue Heart, and I think I'll be needing to rectify that soon.