"I feel a little shell-shocked by it all," she admitted.
The graduate of both Hinsdale Central and Harvard University appeared on Good Morning America four years ago after signing one of the biggest book deals in history for a young adult author. Adeyemi said she was "feeling sick" from excitement about an hour after that appearance.
Her fantasy series, "Children of Blood and Bone," is now being made into a movie by Lucas Films. The series, which Adeyemi calls "Black Panther mixed with Harry Potter," celebrates her Nigerian heritage in a fictional setting. Adeyemi added that the story is an "epic adventure" but "inspired by [her] heritage."
"It's not just you want to shoot lightning out of your hand race through the sky," Adeyemi said. "You also want to be yourself, have natural hair and see a character with dark brown skin."
Adeyemi said she is looking forward to her next chapter.
"I'm seeing it like, 'Okay, this is what you've done. You can take a breath appreciate that, use that to keep blazing forward in new ways," Adeyemi said.