Lightlark by Alex Aster

If you’re an active social media user and an avid reader, chances are, you’ve heard of Lightlark. It’s the young adult fantasy novel written by Alex Aster, who has launched it through her famous BookToks. Her videos have garnered so much support that the cover for Lightlark was revealed in New York’s Time Square! I don’t use TikTok, but I do use Instagram, where the reels about the “BookTok Phenomenon” trickled down to my feed.

I usually don’t buy a book I haven’t read from the bookstore (I prefer going to the library first), let alone preorder something that hasn’t even been published yet. But the synopsis for Lightlark was so intriguing that I couldn’t resist preordering a copy from Barnes & Noble. I was so impatient to read the novel that I preordered it three months before its official release date (August 23rd, 2022) for the sneak peek. (For the review of the sneak peek, click HERE.)

And AT LAST! I received my copy of Lightlark last Wednesday, a day after the official release. (I’m still waiting for my 6 overlays that are being shipped separately.)

Different Reviews Online

After finishing the first five chapters given as a reward for the preorder, I was a little worried about Lightlark, to be honest. Because while its synopsis was as intriguing as advertised, with the six rulers and this island that appears every 100 years for the deadly games, the world building was confusing. But as I had only read the first five chapters, I refrained from judging and remained hopeful that it would only get better.

Meanwhile, influencers who’ve read the entire book before everyone else were raving about it. So I wasn’t too worried about Lightlark. Alas, negative reviews started to pop up on Goodreads. There probably were people who unfairly gave out 1 star reviews without actually having read the book. But as I tiptoed around spoilers, I noticed that there were also some people who actually read it and didn’t like it.

I couldn’t wait to finish the book myself and see who was telling the truth: the raving fans on Instagram or the disapproving reviewers on Goodreads.

My Predictions

Here were some predictions I made as I read:

• Terra, Poppy, and Celeste are a little sus. The way Terra and Poppy have her locked away is a bit too much. And Celeste – Isla Crown, our protagonist, only knew her for 3 years but they were practically best friends, no, “sisters” (page 62). I don’t think 3 year is enough time to become sisters with someone, let alone a competing ruler.
• Are Celeste and Cleo related? ‘Cause the moon and stars belong together, and their names are a bit similar, both starting with a “C.” Maybe they’re sisters? I’ve been seeing on the author’s IG stories how influencers and bloggers are blown away by “twists.” Plus the back of the book inside the jacket says “There are lies and liars all around you.” I have a strong feeling that Isla Crown is surrounded by liars, i.e. Terra, Poppy, and Celeste.

• I think Grimshaw had a crush on Isla way before the games began. I mean, he can become invisible and walk through walls. I feel like he definitely stalked Isla and liked her even before she knew him, which is really creepy. And I think he’s going to sacrifice himself or something for her.

Book Review ⚠ Warning: Spoilers Ahead! ⚠

I just finished Lightlark.

And… I did NOT see the stuff that happened coming! I now understand why the book bloggers were screaming in their Instagram stories, completely overwhelmed. Chapter 53 had me SHOOK. I really did get goosebumps. This was literally the face I was making: 😳

I could not keep the book down after the revelation! And with Oro and Grim both losing their powers, I expected it to end on a cliffhanger. The author could have, and I still would have raved about the ending, though upset and desperate for the sequel. Thankfully, she didn’t leave the readers hanging, discarding the impostor and bringing peace back on Lightlark.

With all the new surprising twists, from Celeste being Aurora, the bondbreaker being bondmaker, Isla having both Nigthshade and Wildling power, the final chapters were like a series of blows to my head. Neither unpleasant nor violent, but just so striking as to make my eyes widen as I flipped the pages.

Another thing I found great was how the first pages of the novel tied to the final chapters. How the omitted scenes before the very first paragraphs were Isla’s lost memories. The way the story began with Grim’s influence on Isla’s memories without the readers knowing until the very last pages. I loved it!

There were some flaws, like the confusing world building, much repetition of certain vocabulary like “grinned,” “frowned,” and etc. And while it was marketed as something similar to The Hunger Games and A Court of Thorns and Roses, I found some parts of the novel similar to the Harry Potter series instead. Celeste’s demonstration where the rulers face their fears in the magical mirror was like a combination of the Mirror of Erised and Boggart from the Harry Potter series. Even the part where a mermaid/night creature pulls Isla further below the water reminded me of the merpeople in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Regardless, I’m happy to have read it! Just in time for…

The Lightlark Event in the SF Ferry Building!

So, as mentioned before in my previous Lightlark post, there was going to be a national book tour of Lightlark. Today is actually the last day of the tour, with the final stop being the bookstore called, “The Ripped Bodice” in Los Angeles, CA. Each stop or independent bookstore was themed after one of the six realms of Lightlark with…

• Brookline Booksmith in Boston, MA as Starling 🌟
• The Georgia Center for the Book in Atlanta, GA as Sunling ☀
• Anderson’s Bookshop in Chicago, IL as Skyling ☁
• BookPeople in Austin, TX as Nightshade 🌃
• Book Passage in San Francisco, CA as Moonling 🌙
• The Ripped Bodice in Los Angeles, CA as Wildling 🥀

And I got to attend the Moonling-themed event at San Francisco’s iconic Ferry Building yesterday!

The Book Passage at the Ferry Building was literally the perfect Moonling, since it’s right by the water, and water is an element of the Moonlings. 🌊❄🌕

The people at the Book Passage even decorated the store with sparkly fringe curtain and balloons in the realm’s color:

Before the Event

This being my first book event ever, I arrived like an hour early just in case. And because I was SO excited to meet the inspiring Alex Aster and Selene Velez, the BookToker who was invited to talk with her.

The event was going to start at 2PM with the check-in starting at 1:30, but people were already lined up outside waiting at around 1PM.

When it was time for us to enter the bookstore, each person was given a free, pre-signed copy of Lightlark along with a special tour gift:

When we went inside one by one (with masks, of course), Alex Aster was already there! She was finishing up signing all the copies being given out at the event.

After she signed all the copies, Alex went outside for some minutes while the front area was reorganized. Seating near the front row facing the glistening decorations and with the water right outside the store, it truly felt like I was at a Moonling event.

The Lightlark Event

The event officially began with an associate of Book Passage welcoming Alex and Selene into the bookstore. Once they were seated at the front, Alex and Selene were introduced, after which Selene interviewed Alex with some questions she prepared beforehand. She asked questions about Lightlark (i.e. which character Alex would be friends with in real life, which she wouldn’t be, what she liked about the Moon realm and its ruler, Cleo, and more) and about Alex’s literary journey as well as her writing process. Alex also asked Selene questions about her literary journey, the BookTok that changed her life, and more.

It was really inspiring to listen to them talk.

Towards the end of the event, the audience were allowed to ask questions, too. They asked really great questions, like how far Alex had gotten into writing the sequel (Lightlark Book 2) and what advice she would give to aspiring authors. After the event, each attendee was given a chance to meet Alex, get their pre-signed Lightlark personalized, and take photos with her. We were also allowed to talk to and take photos with Selene, too.

There were cupcakes provided by Alex’s publisher that we got to grab on our way out:

Conclusion

The Lightlark event in San Francisco was such a wonderful experience where everyone got to celebrate the novel’s launch, listen to inspiring women in the book industry, and meet fellow bibliophiles. Alex and Selene were friendly and sweet in real life, too, and it was a joy to get to talk to them. They’re both truly inspiring, with Alex bringing her novel (of stunning twists!) into life via BookTok after countless rejections and with Selene, who’s still in college, already making an impact in the book community.

Here’s a video of my first book event!

P.S. To learn more about Book Passage, click HERE. For more on San Francisco’s historic Ferry Building, click HERE.

P.P.S. Oh, and Lightlark is going to be made into a movie by Universal in partnership with Temple Hill! Visit The Hollywood Reporter or Alex Aster’s IG post for all the deets!