Most high school students are focused on tests, sports or college applications. But Lexi Cocores was also working toward another milestone: publishing her first novel.

The Bonita High School rising senior released “I Accept the Role of Villainess” on Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing June 19, 2025, under the pen name Allie Kris. The young adult fantasy novel follows Cressida Marie Marcus, whose painful breakup sparks a journey of revenge, heartbreak and personal transformation.

“When your whole world shatters, you have two choices: fall apart - or set fire to what broke you.”
— From the book synopsis for "I Accept the Role of Villainess"

Cocores balanced writing the novel with her school responsibilities, working on revisions and drafting chapters over several years before completing the final manuscript for publication.

She plans to complete a trilogy by the time she graduates high school, with her second book expected to be released soon.

Cocores said she loves the isekai anime genre, a style of Japanese storytelling in which characters are transported to alternate worlds, and was inspired to write her book based on it after noticing audiences often imagine alternative story outcomes in those narratives. 

Audrey Madrid, an English teacher at Ramona Middle School, helped cultivate a creative environment for Cocores. When they began creative writing assignments, Madrid noticed her natural talent.

“Lexi is a natural,” Madrid said. “She wrote with ease and flow that most middle grade students do not possess.”

Later, when Madrid discovered Cocores was writing a novel while working as a teacher’s aide, she said she believed Cocores would eventually publish a book.

“She worked tirelessly on her writing, and with her perseverance, she was never going to give up on that goal,” Madrid said.

Cocores began writing in fifth grade and started a YouTube channel where she shared stories. During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, she spent much of her time writing for the channel.

Her parents, Lisa and Chris Cocores, noticed her channel eventually reached more than 100,000 followers. Lisa said she was impressed by her daughter’s ability to build an audience on her own and helped her monetize her work.

“She did it, like it wasn’t a joke, she did it.” Lisa said.

An indie bookstore, Judging By The Cover in San Dimas, held a book signing for Cocores on Aug. 16, 2025. The book signing marked Cocores first in-person event as a published author.

She admitted she was nervous at first but was encouraged by the turnout.

“I’ve never done anything like it before,” she said. “But seeing all the support and hearing all the support from people who read my book and enjoyed it was really great.”

She hopes others her age will pursue their goals despite challenges.

“They can succeed if they really put in the effort,” Cocores said. “Even though it’s hard and there will be times when things don’t go their way, if they keep trying, they will be able to make it.”

After initially receiving silence when attempting to publish traditionally, Cocores, with help from her parents, chose to self-publish through Amazon’s Direct Publishing. She uses social media to promote her work, where she shares updates related to her work.

After completing the trilogy, Cocores plans to continue writing, with hopes of writing a murder mystery next.