Lightlark by Alex Aster is a young adult fantasy novel. It follows the story of the magical island Lightlark, in which all the inhabitants are cursed based on which part of the island they live on. Isla Crown, especially young leader of Wildling, has been training her whole life for the Centennial, the competition that occurs every 100 years between the six leaders of the Lightlark. Isla must battle her enemies, her powerlessness, and her heart.
I gave this book two stars only because the cover is interesting, and I can kind of understand why some people might like this book. However, for me, it was way overhyped. I saw so many TikToks promoting this book, especially from the author herself, and I was disappointed, to say the least. The writing felt repetitive and underdeveloped. The word “thing” was used a lot, which didn’t really help set up the story. There were constant loopholes and missed opportunities in the plotlines, and it almost felt as if everything was just scrambled together for the sake of it. The main character was also frustrating to read about. She always went on and on about how “powerless” she is and how she doesn’t feel like she has a chance at anything. I really wish that she had stopped whining and actually had more of a development arc. Overall, there some popular cliches and one-liners that I think might draw people in, but I will personally never touch this book again.