Alex Aster
Alex Aster | |
|---|---|
 Aster at the 2023 Texas Book Festival | |
| Born | Alexandra Pierson August 4, 1995 |
| 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 | |
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 romance series Lightlark and the middle grade fantasy series Emblem Island.[1]
Early life
[edit]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 started writing books when she was thirteen, querying numerous publishers before landing a publishing deal shortly before her graduation from college.[4] She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2017.[1]
Career
[edit]Aster wrote six books before her first book deal.[5] She published her first book, Curse of the Night Witch, in 2020, followed by its sequel in 2021. The 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.[4][5]
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 best seller.[6] The novel’s success further led to a movie deal with Universal Pictures and Temple Hill, with Aster executive producing.[7]
Aster was named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2023.[8]
Aster's adult debut, Summer in the City, released in March 2025.[9][8] In its first week of release, the novel hit the New York Times Best Seller lists for print and ebook fiction[10] and hardcover fiction.[11]
Works
[edit]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)
Standalones
- Summer in the City (March 25, 2025)
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d La Jeunesse, Marilyn. "Meet Alex Aster, The TikToker Changing The Publishing Industry For The Better". huffpost.com. BuzzFeed, Inc. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
- ^ Aster, Alex. "Alex Aster - Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ Sharkey, Mike (2010-04-08). "From detailer to owner". Jax Daily Record. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ a b Gomez, Shirley (2019-10-31). "Meet Alex Aster: The 24-Year-Old Author Writing About Latinx Legends". BELatina. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ a b Garcia, Tess. "YA Author Alex Aster Scored a Book & Movie Deal Through TikTok — Here's How". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ Flood, Alison (2022-08-16). "'More zeros than I've seen in my life': the author who got a six-figure deal via 'BookTok'". The Guardian. Retrieved 2023-07-13.[failed verification]
- ^ Galuppo, Mia (July 19, 2022). "Fantasy Novel 'Lightlark' Lands at Universal, Temple Hill (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ a b "Read This Steamy Excerpt from Alex Aster's 'Summer in the City'". Oprah Daily. 2025-03-25. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- ^ Smith, Anaja I. (2025-03-29). "Alex Aster Went Viral on BookTok With a Fantasy Novel. Now She's Venturing Into Romance: "It's a Very Hopeful Genre"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- ^ "Combined Print & E-Book Fiction - Best Sellers - Books - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
- ^ "Hardcover Fiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-04-03.
