SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: Skyshade
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://www.asterverse.com/
CITY: New York
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 398
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born August 4, 1995.
EDUCATION:University of Pennsylvania, obtained degree, 2017.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author.
AWARDS:New York Times Bestseller, Wall Street Journal Bestseller, Publishers Weekly Bestseller, Indie Bestseller, and USA Today Bestseller.
WRITINGS
Lightlark is in the process of being adapted for film by Universal.
SIDELIGHTS
Colombian American writer Alex Aster is the author of the “Emblem Island” middle-grade fantasy series and the young-adult fantasy novel Lightlark. After Lightlark was rejected by numerous publishers, Aster took to TikTok in 2021 imploring people to read the book. Her video went viral, and Lightlark went to auction and was sold to a publisher within two weeks. In an interview on Refinery29, Aster stated: “I posted the video to TikTok because I wanted to know that someone other than me wanted to read a story like this. I think it was my last plea to the Internet: Would you read this?” Referring to this process in an interview in Huff Post, Aster confessed: “I was really sad for many years because I thought I was a failure. But, looking back, I see everything happened the way it was supposed to, I just needed to be a little more patient and a little kinder to myself.”
Aster’s debut novel, Curse of the Night Witch, features preteen Tor Luna who lives on Emblem Island. Set on New Year’s Eve, the middle-grade fantasy finds Tor wishing for a new emblem, or a mark on a person’s skin that depicts their future. Unhappy with his planned destiny, Tor desires an emblem that will give him the ability to become a water breather. His wish is not granted, but instead, his fortunes are reversed, and he is granted a shorter lifeline and the witch’s mark. In order to reverse the curse, Tor must travel with friends Engle and Melda to confront the Night Witch. Aster details Tor’s heroic journey across Emblem Island and infuses Latin American myths into the tale.
Critics praised Curse of the Night Witch for its endearing characters, thrilling action, and well-written villains. A Kirkus Reviews writer described the book as “tightly paced,” and appreciated Aster’s “exquisite use of real Latin American folktales.” “Worthy of every magical ounce,” concluded the same critic. Emily Walker, reviewing Curse of the Night Witch in School Library Journal, appreciated the “vibrant detail,” “rich scenery,” and “life lessons.” “A fast-paced island adventure with enough quirks to entice most young fantasy readers,” predicted Walker.
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The second book in the “Lightlark” series, Nightbane, finds Isla Crown having broken the ancient curses that plagued the six realms and struggling to control her newfound magical powers. Now she is confronted with two suitors: Lightlark’s king Oro, and Grim, the ruler of Nightshade, who stole Isla’s memories of their previous romance and who declares he will return in 30 days to destroy Lightlark. Despite Grim’s bluster, Isla begins recalling in flashbacks that they once loved each other. She uses those 30 days to negotiate alliances, tour her new lands, and protect her people against an uncertain future. Though at times rambling, “a dire prophecy regarding her hunky lovers, [and] a series of increasingly steamy scenes” keep the action going, according to a Kirkus Reviews contributor.
In an interview with Publishers Weekly, Aster discussed building the world for the “Lightlark” series: “I love celestial elements, so I wanted to create a magic system built from the stars, sun, moon, etc. Then came the characters. I wrote several different manuscripts, and the plot varied, but the title, character names, and magic system always stayed the same.” Referring to plot twists, Aster commented: “there have been plot twists in every book I’ve written, regardless of age group. … I put little pieces of storytelling I love into everything I write.”
Skyshade is the third book in the series, where Isla is back at Grim’s castle following a devastating battle. Promising to protect Lightlark and king Oro at any cost, her rekindled feelings for Grim and upcoming wedding test her loyalties. She also has to contend with her growing magical powers, a mysterious storm, an army of the dead, and a dragon steed she rides into battle. “The love triangle’s intense sparks give the wholesale slaughter a run for its money,” noted a Kirkus Reviews critic, who added: “Series fans will be pleased by the continuing saga.”
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BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2020, review of Curse of the Night Witch; May 15, 2021, review of Curse of the Forgotten City; June 15, 2022, review of Lightlark; October 1, 2023, review of Nightbane; November 1, 2024, review of Skyshade.
Library Journal, January 1, 2025, Migdalia Jimenez, review of Summer in the City, p. 58.
Publishers Weekly, January 13, 2025, review of Summer in the City, p. 47.
ONLINE
Alex Aster website, https://www.asterverse.com (March 28, 2023).
Buzzfeed News, https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ (September 16, 2022), Kelsey Weekman, “A YA Author’s Success Story Has Been Causing Drama on TikTok.”
Distractify, https://www.distractify.com/ (August 18, 2022), Anna Garrison, “Alex Aster’s Book ‘Lightlark’ Is Generating Drama on BookTok—What We Know.”
Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/ (March 28, 2022), author profile.
Huff Post, https://www.huffpost.com/ (September 15, 2022), Marilyn La Jeunesse, “Meet Alex Aster, The TikToker Changing the Publishing Industry for The Better.”
Paste, https://www.pastemagazine.com/ (October 20, 2022), Lacy Baugher Milas, “Alex Aster Shares the Secrets of Lightlark.”
Publishers Weekly, https://www.publishersweekly.com/ (November 2, 2023), “In Conversation: Alex Aster and Ali Hazelwood.”
Refinery29, https://www.refinery29.com/ (September 6, 2022), Tess Garcia, “YA Author Alex Aster Scored a Book & Movie Deal Through TikTok—Here’s How.”
Today, https://www.today.com/ (August 23, 2022), Anna Kaplan, “How This Author Leveraged TikTok to Build Buzz around ‘Lightlark’.”*
Alex Aster
Alex Aster is the author of Emblem Island: Curse of the Night Witch, the first of a series inspired by the stories her Colombian grandmother used to tell her before bedtime. She recently graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied English and consumer psychology.
Genres: Young Adult Fantasy, Romance
New and upcoming books
March 2025
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The Lightlark Saga: The Ultimate Box Set
(Lightlark)March 2025
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Summer in the City
September 2025
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Grim and Oro
(Lightlark)
Series
Emblem Island
1. Curse of the Night Witch (2020)
2. Curse of the Forgotten City (2021)
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Lightlark
1. Lightlark (2022)
2. Nightbane (2023)
3. Skyshade (2024)
The Lightlark Saga: The Ultimate Box Set (2025)
Grim and Oro (2025)
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Novels
Summer in the City (2025)
Hi, I’m Alex.
I’m the #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, #1 Publishers Weekly Bestselling, #1 Indie Bestselling, and USA Today Bestselling author of Lightlark, which sold in 30+ territories and in a major movie deal with Universal and the producers of Twilight pre-publication. I am also one of the most-followed authors in the world, with over 1 million followers, and 150 million views on my videos. My middle grade Emblem Island series was published to critical acclaim. I’ve been featured on Good Morning America, Kelly Clarkson Show, Business Insider, Entertainment Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter, Refinery29, The Today Show, The Guardian, and am a 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30.
Alex Aster
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alex Aster
Aster at the 2023 Texas Book Festival
Aster at the 2023 Texas Book Festival
Born Alexandra Pierson
August 4, 1995 (age 29)
Occupation Novelist
Language English
Nationality Colombian-American
Alma mater University of Pennsylvania
Period 2020–present
Genre Fantasy, middle grade fiction, young adult fiction
Notable works Lightlark series
Website
www.asterverse.com
Alexandra Pierson (born August 4, 1995), known professionally by her pen name Alex Aster, is a Colombian-American young adult author. She is best known for the young adult fantasy series Lightlark, and the middle-grade fantasy series Emblem Island.[1]
Early life
Pierson was born on August 4, 1995,[2][1] to Keith and Claudy Pierson. Her parents are the co-owners of Keith Pierson Toyota in Jacksonville, Florida.[3] Alex and her twin sister, Daniella, were prominently featured in advertisements and billboards for their parents’ dealership growing up.[4] Her twin sister, Daniella, a co-founder of Wondermind with Selena Gomez and Mandy Teefey, has a net worth of $220 million according to Forbes.[5] Alex started writing books when she was thirteen, querying numerous publishers before landing a publishing deal shortly before her graduation from college.[6] She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2017.[1]
Career
Aster wrote six books before her first book deal.[7] She published her first book, Curse of the Night Witch, in 2020, followed by its sequel in 2021. That series was inspired by her Colombian heritage and the stories her grandmother would tell her, however the series did not receive the level of commercial success she had hoped for.[6][7]
In the months before the release of her next book, Lightlark, she posted a TikTok promoting the story’s concept, which soon went viral and lead to a publishing deal for the novel.[1] The book received a first print run of 200,000 copies and sold over 24,000 copies in its first week, making it a New York Times bestseller.[8] The novel’s success further led to a movie deal with Universal Pictures and Temple Hill, with Aster executive producing.[9]
Works
Emblem Island series
Curse of the Night Witch (June 9, 2020)
Curse of the Forgotten City (June 8, 2021)
The Lightlark Saga
Lightlark (August 23, 2022)
Nightbane (November 7, 2023)
Skyshade (November 12, 2024)
Alex Aster
Alex Aster is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lightlark, which was published by Abrams in August 2022 and sold into over a dozen foreign territories, and its sequel, Nightbane. She is also the author of the award-winning middle grade novels Curse of the Night Witch and Curse of the Forgotten City, inspired by Latinx myths from her childhood. Curse of the Night Witch was named one of the Best Books of 2020 by Kirkus and Amazon, was on Good Morning America, and received multiple starred reviews. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied English, and now lives in New York.
Agent
Katelyn Detweiler
In Conversation: Alex Aster and Ali Hazelwood
Nov 02, 2023
Tweet Comments Click Here
Alex Aster is the author of the YA BookTok sensation Lightlark, as well as the Emblem Island series for middle graders. Book two in her Lightlark Saga fantasy, Nightbane, hits shelves this month. Ali Hazelwood is the bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis and other adult romance novels. In her YA debut, Check & Mate, teen chess champion Mallory finds herself falling for the competition. We asked friends and fellow authors Aster and Hazelwood to interview each other about their new books, which are both due out on November 7, and the many ways their characters take them by surprise.
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Alex Aster: Hi, Ali! It’s so great to be speaking this way—I feel like we’re in an AIM chat or something. As you know, I’ve been a big fan of your books since The Love Hypothesis, and I was so excited when you sent me your YA debut. I remember reading it immediately, in one sitting, until 4 a.m., then sending you messages with a startling amount of exclamation points and all caps. That was back in January, and I don’t know how I have survived this long without someone else—other than you :D—to scream about it with.
I’ve seen you mention that this is the book of your heart, something you have been working on for a long time. How long have you been working on Check & Mate? Can you tell us about its inception?
Ali Hazelwood: OMG Alex!!! You were actually one of the first people to ever read the book (if not the first to read it aside from my publishing team) and getting your feedback was soooo validating. It meant so much to me that someone out there liked it—and a writer I love and respect to boot! I’d always wanted to write a story centered around chess, but my agent was a bit worried that a book about chess might be a little too “quiet,” so we temporarily shelved my idea. I was so happy The Queen’s Gambit came out, because it was proof that people were interested in chess as a sport, and in chess players as characters!
What about Lightlark? You’ve built such a complex and fascinating world. What came first to you: the characters, the setting, the idea of a competition that happens every 100 years, the curses? I’m so curious about this!
Aster: Wow, that’s incredible! It truly goes to show that timing can often be such an important piece of the publishing process. For Lightlark, I started writing the first version of the story right after graduating from college. The setting came to me first. I love celestial elements, so I wanted to create a magic system built from the stars, sun, moon, etc. Then came the characters. I wrote several different manuscripts, and the plot varied, but the title, character names, and magic system always stayed the same. It also was always a young adult fantasy novel.
Check & Mate is your YA debut. How did your writing or process differ when switching from adult to YA? Was it always meant to be YA?
Hazelwood: The truth is, when I started writing C&M, I just wanted to write a story about chess, and in particular about players who are at the top of their field and struggle with coming to terms with their talent. As I drafted, I realized that both Mallory and Nolan needed to be in their late teens and on the brink of very important life decisions, and that’s how the book ended up straddling the YA/NA categories!
I’m actually really excited to ask the same question because a little birdie (i.e., you) told me that the first book you wrote was an adult thriller! First, I have to say that I can totally see you as a thriller author, because I did not see the twists in Lightlark coming. Second, I want to read that thriller so bad now! Third, this means that you have written for three age groups: middle grade, young adult, and adult! Is it hard to switch between them?
Aster: You have no idea how happy it makes me that you didn’t see the twists in Lightlark coming! I wonder if you’ll anticipate the twists in Nightbane…! I’ve never really noticed before, but there have been plot twists in every book I’ve written, regardless of age group. I think I put little pieces of storytelling I love into everything I write, because for so long, I was the only one reading my work. If I had to switch between writing middle grade, young adult, and adult at the same time, I think that would be difficult. For the moment, though, I usually have a few months where I’m completely focused on one project, so I will usually read a lot of books from that age group to help me get back into that voice. I’m always looking for new books to read, so I usually turn to TikTok for recommendations. The first time I heard about your debut, actually, was on TikTok. When did you learn your book was going viral? Did it immediately go viral from release day, or was it something that happened weeks/months afterwards?
Hazelwood: So I have to be honest: at the time I had no idea what TikTok was, and I still find it very intimidating—please, teach me your ways! How did you get so good at it? Help, HALP!
But to answer your question, my first book actually went viral in the couple of weeks before it came out, because it was a Book of the Month pick and a lot of influencers had it mailed to them. A lot of it was luck, but I feel like I owe sooo much to that community for supporting my work!
Aster: That’s incredible! The reading community on TikTok is so amazing—they truly advocate for the books they love. One of my first bookish videos that went viral was the one pitching Lightlark, actually! After that, I felt such gratitude to the community for believing in me and my story, that I tried to show behind-the-scenes of how the book was getting published. I also just try to post videos that I would want to see! It definitely does take a lot of time, though, to post consistently on social media. I’ve had to work to ensure I still save a lot of time for writing, especially when I’m on deadline.
Check & Mate is your fourth published novel, and you release one (or more!) books a year. You also happen to be a professor. What is your writing process like? Has it changed at all in the last few years?
Hazelwood: I had to quit my academic job, because I just wasn’t able to keep up with both things—actually, I still cannot keep up with deadlines and emails, because I have no time management skills and my frontal lobes are made of, I believe, soup. I have to say, writing on deadline and on contract has definitely changed the way I approach writing. I started in fanfiction, and that was truly just a hobby—I wrote if I felt like it, and didn’t for long periods of time when I was busy or just not inspired. Now I just have to power though, so that’s definitely been an adjustment.
Please, tell me that I’m not alone and you struggle with deadlines, too!
Aster: “Deadline” is actually going to be the villain’s name in my next book! Yeah, I definitely struggle with deadlines. I had been warned by other authors that writing a series with books released every year can be difficult, because you have to almost have the next book done by the time the previous book releases. I also completely agree, writing as a job vs. for fun has changed my process too. For one, I now write outlines, which, it turns out, actually do make writing books easier! I also try to chart character growth, so I can track progress between books.
Speaking of characters… your books all feature extremely intelligent and skilled protagonists. In Check & Mate, Mallory is an incredible chess player. How does research play a role in your books? Are all of your characters’ specialties typically fields you are already knowledgeable in?
Hazelwood: More than areas I’m knowledgeable in, I choose areas I’m highly interested in, so that the research process is going to be fun for me! And I’m so glad my characters seem competent—that’s actually something I loved about Isla in the Lightlark series. She is so badass and skilled, but has lots of vulnerabilities, too. Was that always part of the plan?
Aster: It was. I wanted Isla’s experience going through the Centennial to be somewhat relatable to the reader discovering this world for the first time. She’s never been to a place like this. She’s trying things for the first time. She’s confused. She’s scared. She makes mistakes. Still, though, she’s capable in her own way. Creating characters probably takes me the longest time out of anything in the writing process.
I love Mallory and Nolan so much. Do your characters usually come to you fully formed, or do they develop while you’re writing the first draft?
Hazelwood: It depends on the story, but for C&M I had a very clear vision of the kind of people I wanted Mal and Nolan to be—to the point that I was very resistant to change parts of their personalities in edits, and I pushed back more than I usually do. I tell everyone that C&M is my favorite baby, and that’s because I had a strong mental image of what the characters would be like, with their flaws and strengths and problems and desires, and they somehow… obeyed and did what I told them to do? Which is kind of unheard of for me!
Have you ever had to deal with characters not doing what you’d like and developing their own ideas on how the story should go? (I feel like Grim is totally the type to go rogue!)
Aster: Yes!! It sounds so strange, but the characters often take the story into their own hands and surprise me. Grim definitely went rogue. Originally, he wasn’t supposed to be such a prominent part of Lightlark. He just couldn’t stay away from Isla, though! And who am I to stop a villain from getting the girl…?
Nightbane by Alex Aster. Amulet, $19.99 Nov. 7 ISBN 978-1-4197-6090-7
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood. Putnam, $14 paper Nov. 7 ISBN 978-0-593-61991-9
Aster, Alex CURSE OF THE FORGOTTEN CITY Sourcebooks Young Readers (Children's None) $16.99 6, 8 ISBN: 978-1-4926-9723-7
Tor, Melda, and Engle embark on an adventure miraculous and precarious to save Estrelle from the dreaded Calavera.
Following the Night Witch’s demise, which led to her cursing (and perhaps blessing) Tor with her prodigious powers, her wide-reaching curses and spells have been broken. The Calavera, a band of fearsome, malicious pirates, now seek the Pirate’s Pearl, a powerful orb that grants its possessor the power to control the mighty seas. To halt the Calavera’s looming assault on Estrelle, Tor, Melda, and Engle set sail on the Night Witch’s ship before the gruesome pirates can reach their beloved village. Aided by newcomer Vesper, a feisty silver-haired waterbreather with her share of secrets, as well as the Book of Seas, Tor and friends gain new friendships, face fearsome creatures and foes, and traverse the ferocious seas in their quest for the Pearl. Aster’s brisk, lyrical prose weaves rich, intriguing worldbuilding details and wrinkles into this engrossing series that encompasses tales indebted to Latin American myths. A few slower middle chapters introduce new characters that expand the world’s scope; this entry showcases the author’s profound strides in maturing her characters, the series’ true strength. As Tor grapples with his newfound power and role as the Night Witch’s successor, the trio also slowly explores the still-fresh wounds and traumas from their previous adventure. A cliffhanger ending thankfully promises even more adventures. Characters have a range of skin tones.
A mightily marvelous sequel. (Fantasy. 8-12)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
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"Aster, Alex: CURSE OF THE FORGOTTEN CITY." Kirkus Reviews, 15 May 2021. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A661545778/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=520ee37a. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
Aster, Alex NIGHTBANE Amulet/Abrams (Teen None) $19.99 11, 7 ISBN: 9781419760907
Having broken several ancient curses in the opener, Lightlark (2022), Isla has to make a high-stakes choice between her virtuous Sunling lover and her hot Nightshade one.
Supplying a punchy title but playing no significant role in the actual story, the eponymous flower makes a good emblem for a rambling follow-up that includes lots of angst and stabbing but neither substance nor a coherent storyline. Having stolen Isla's memories of their forbidden love, the centuries-old, "filthy, deadly--surprisingly attractive--Nightshade" Grim announces that he'll return in 30 days to destroy the island of Lightlark: "You can choose to flee to your newlands or join me in a new future." Complicating matters, Isla's current beau, the aptly named, equally ancient Oro, is Lightlark's king. This advance warning of impending doom allows time for Isla to recall in backtracking flashbacks, bit by strung-out, tantalizing bit, how her supposed nemesis is nothing of the sort (which readers of the first volume will already well know). She also fills in the time by struggling to control her newly won magical powers, while setting off to marshal alliances and tour her new lands. Despite a dire prophecy regarding her hunky lovers, a series of increasingly steamy scenes culminate in a spectacularly anticlimactic face-off that exposes one of their motives. Characters are diverse in skin tone.
Slapdash. (Fantasy. 13-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Aster, Alex: NIGHTBANE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Oct. 2023. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A766904150/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=6fd28895. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
Aster, Alex SKYSHADE Amulet/Abrams (Teen None) $22.99 11, 12 ISBN: 9781419773785
Isla Crown's world trembles on the brink of destruction even as she struggles to find a way to save it without killing either of the men she loves--Oro, the king of Lightlark, and Grim, the ruler of Nightshade--as a prophecy predicts.
Threatened on the one hand by wildly destructive storms of mysterious origin and on the other by an unkillable Wildling who's commanding armies of the dead, Isla and her shadow-wielding lover, Grim, nonetheless find time for both a second wedding and plenty of steamy scenes in this follow-up to 2023'sNightbane. Catering to fans who like their fantasies literally awash in gore, Aster has Isla at one point falling into a deep pool of blood--as well as carving power-enhancing sigils into her own body, decapitating an assassin, and personally cutting the hearts out of multiple rapists and other bad actors in order to pay an augur for glimpses of her seemingly inevitable doom. Though Isla's other heartthrob, Oro, just gets a supporting role this time through, Isla does acquire a dragon to ride into battle, along with even mightier magic that she's ready to unleash. The love triangle's intense sparks give the wholesale slaughter a run for its money on the way to a game- and locale-changing climactic twist. Isla and Grim have pale skin and dark hair; Oro has amber eyes and golden hair.
Series fans will be pleased by the continuing saga of conflicted love amid devastation.(Fantasy. 14-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Aster, Alex: SKYSHADE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Nov. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A813883536/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ee0860e1. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
Aster, Alex. Summer in the City (Deluxe Limited Edition). Morrow. Mar. 2025.304p. ISBN 9780063411661. $28. CONTEMPORARY
ROMANCE
Elle is spending the summer in New York City, a place she despises. Hired to write a movie script set in the city, she decides to immerse herself fully in the experience but finds herself grappling with writer's block at the worst possible moment. Things only get worse when she runs into her neighbor Parker, a tech billionaire she has hated since they shared a passionate encounter that quickly went bad. Parker thinks he can buy anything he wants--and he wants her--but fiercely independent Elle can't be bought. When she realizes that her intense dislike of him is fueling her writing, she agrees to be his pretend girlfriend so he can divert attention away from his very public and precarious business merger. What starts off as a reluctant and temporary agreement becomes a magical summer, leading to an ardent connection. As summer draws to a close, Ell and Parker begin to question whether they have to say goodbye. VERDICT Aster's ("Lightlark" series) excellent adult debut, full of angst, steamy scenes, laugh-out-loud banter, absorbing storylines, and relatable characters, will be devoured by fans of Emily Henry.--Migdalia Jimenez
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
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Jimenez, Migdalia. "Aster, Alex. Summer in the City (Deluxe Limited Edition)." Library Journal, vol. 150, no. 1, Jan. 2025, p. 58. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A824165321/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=4633ab54. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
Summer in the City
Alex Aster. Morrow, $28 (304p)
ISBN 978-0-06-341166-1
Bestselling YA author Aster's adult debut (after the Lightlark Saga series) demonstrates that she's as talented at handling contemporary settings as building fantasy worlds. Screenwriter Elle Leon reluctantly returns to New York City seeking inspiration for her next hit screenplay. Despite all the city has to offer, however, she's more than content to stay inside her sister's luxury apartment, only venturing out for coffee. She's wracked with writer's block--until she realizes that her neighbor is hunky tech CEO Parker Warren, a man the tabloids dub the "Billionaire Bachelor" and whom Elle almost hooked up with two years prior before he insulted her by assuming she was a gold digger. Parker represents everything Elle despises, and her ire toward him finally gets her writing. So when he asks her to play his fake girlfriend in front of the press, she agrees, hoping for even more inspiration. Elle's disdain for Parker lasts a bit too long given how much time they inevitably spend together, but Aster builds their backstories and chemistry well, making this enemies-to-lovers arc believable. Meanwhile, their pretend dates take them on a whirlwind tour of famous New York sites, which will please armchair travelers. Aster should win a whole new group of fans with this. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (Mar.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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"Summer in the City." Publishers Weekly, vol. 272, no. 2, 13 Jan. 2025, p. 47. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A828299899/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=59b747c0. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.