“From the time I was in first grade or so, my dad collected 'Star Wars' toy figures from the 1970s and '80s, and we'd take weekend family trips to antique shops and to toy stores. My father collected a crazy amount of 'Star Wars' stuff over the years, and he and I traveled to many conventions.”

American author

Alexandra Bracken is an American author known for her young adult fiction, especially the Darkest Minds series and the Passenger series. Her work is closely associated with imaginative, high-stakes stories for teen readers. She is best known for the two series named above, which have brought her a wide readership and made her a familiar voice in contemporary young adult writing.