9 YouTube creators to follow just in time for the holidays

YouTube Channel: Alley Box

Name: Alexandra “Alley” Bokstrom

Location: Jupiter, FL (USA)

Age: 22

Alley is probably the youngest YouTube creator on this list. At just 22, she’s already amassed a loyal following on her YouTube channel and Patreon platform. She began reacting in 2016, starting with The CW series Supernatural, but later fell in love with another spooky series –Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its subsequent spin-off, Angel.

“I always loved editing (I was a fan editor since 2013/14) and I loved talking about Supernatural, but I had no friends that watched the show. So being a lonely high schooler obsessed with a tv show, I decided to make videos on them! I also had a fan blog on Instagram for many years, since about 2012, when I got into Hunger Games, Percy Jackson, Doctor Who, and then Supernatural. I had over 3k followers and it was my main form of socializing as a teen. Then I started making videos, since each week I would post a bunch of 15-second videos on Instagram (back when that was the longest you could make them lol), and then I decided since I love talking to a camera about it, I might as well start posting on Youtube. I only ever got to about 2.8k subs over 4 years (before I started Buffy, then my subs increased A LOT). I mainly did them because I seriously enjoyed filming and editing,” she says.

When looking for television series and films to react to, Alley lets her love for the horror genre guide her. Although she has only reacted to three series and a handful of movies so far, her passion for all things spooky and a willingness to explore shows that pre-date her, keep her motivated.

"“For Supernatural, it was my passion for the show that drove me to react to it, then for Buffy, so many people recommended the show, and I never watched it. So mainly, I look for things I am interested in and have never seen before. I also really love horror, that’s my favorite genre, so horror elements always pique my interest. And I also love when there is humor in it, which is a big part of both shows, since I get to also have fun with the show. Like for Supernatural, I was a die-hard fan, so my reactions were from that perspective. Now for Buffy, I am a 22 year-old grad student that gets to watch a show from the 90s, that started before I was even born. I get so many comments saying a viewer watched Buffy live at my age, so they get to relieve the experience again, or see a different perspective, and I LOVE that!”"

Outside of reacting for her channel, Alley is looking forward to seeing the next entry of one of the most iconic horror franchises in history, Halloween, as well as the next season of the hit Netflix show, Stranger Things.

“I am very excited for the new Halloween {Kills}, it looks so good. I am obsessed with older slasher franchises. And for TV, all that I am super hype for is the next season of Stranger Things, but I am pretty sure that’s next year, not this one,” she explained.

One of the most remarkable things about Alley’s reactions is that she is incredibly mature for her age, so you sometimes forget that she is just 22 years old. Many of the later seasons of Buffy deal with some rather mature themes, and it is amazing to watch her not only recognize the seriousness of the show but also acknowledge what the characters must be going through. Her ability to empathize with any given character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (yes, even Dawn), makes her videos worth the watch. Her above reaction to the season two finale, Becoming Part Two, in particular shows her going through the roller coaster of emotions right along with the rest of the cast.

You can check out the rest of Alley’s channel, including all of her Buffy the Vampire Slayer reactions, here.