Be Dazzled

by Ryan La Sala

Overview

An epic queer love story from the author of The Honeys and Reverie about finding yourself after losing love.

When I see him, I see us. How we came together, what we created, what we ruined. 

The only way to understand how we fell apart is to understand what we were made of in the first place.

Raffy can make anything. He can bedazzle, sew, stitch, drape, and turn the most ordinary objects into fabulous costumes. This year he is determined to win the biggest cosplay competition in Boston. There's only one small problem… Raffy's ex-boyfriend, Luca, is his main competition.

Last year Luca and Raffy made the perfect team after serendipitously meeting in the rhinestone aisle at the local craft store—or at least Raffy thought they did. But Luca's fear of coming out to his family and Raffy's insistence on perfection when it came to their art, caused their relationship to crash and burn. And Raffy has finally picked up the pieces and is determine to have the major comeback he knows he deserves. 

But when Raffy ends up partnering with Luca on his most ambitious build yet, he'll have to juggle unresolved feelings for the boy who broke his heart and his own self-doubt as he works to get everything he's ever wanted…and maybe the boy too.

Praise for Be Dazzled:

"A sequin-filled romance that's also a love letter to the craft and creativity of cosplay."—Publishers Weekly (STARRED REVIEW)

"A charming, geeky love story filled with all the con drama readers could wish for."—Kirkus Reviews

"A crafty queer romance about self-acceptance, and a delightful addition to YA collections."—School Library Journal

"Heartfelt and hilarious, Be Dazzled is an artfully crafted ode to teen ambition and first love. From the book's charming cast to Raffy's quick-witted voice, La Sala's contemporary debut simply dazzles."—Phil Stamper, bestselling author of The Gravity of Us

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728279633
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	02/06/2024
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	243,146
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Ryan La Sala grew up in Connecticut, but only physically. Mentally, he spent most of his childhood in the worlds of Sailor Moon and Xena: Warrior Princess, which perhaps explains all the twirling. He studied Anthropology and Neuroscience at Northeastern University before becoming a project manager specialized in digital tools. He technically lives in New York City, but has actually transcended material reality and only takes up a human shell for special occasions, like brunch, and to watch anime (which is banned on the astral plane). He is the author of Reverie and Be Dazzled. You can visit him at ryanlasala.com.

Editorial Reviews

★ 11/09/2020

Raphael “Raffy” Odom lives for cosplay and the elaborate anime-inspired costumes he creates. With best friend May, he’s entering the biggest competition of them all: Boston’s Controverse Champion- ship of Cosplay. They’re determined to win, but Raffy can’t stop thinking about his would-be partner, Luca Vitale, once his boyfriend, now his ex and rival. Alter-nating “Now” and “Then” between the competition and the history of Raffy and Luca—a soccer player who’s not out as either bi or a cosplayer—La Sala (Reverie) sets his story of romance, teamwork, and beat-the-clock competition in a world where crafting centers sponsor elaborate competitions with serious prize money. Raffy’s funny and self-aware—he’s both grateful and offended that his mother believes he and May are going camping, like “some plucky settlers of CATAN!” If Raffy’s art-world powerhouse mother and her hatred for cartoons, crafting, and pop culture feels over the top, it’s a small misstep in a sequin-filled romance that’s also a love letter to the craft and creativity of cosplay. Ages 14–up. Agent: Veronica Park, Fuse Literary. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"A charming, geeky love story filled with all the con drama readers could wish for" — Kirkus Reviews

"A crafty queer romance about self-acceptance, and a delightful addition to YA collections." — School Library Journal

"Heartfelt and hilarious, Be Dazzled is an artfully crafted ode to teen ambition and first love. From the book’s charming cast to Raffy’s quick-witted voice, La Sala’s contemporary debut simply dazzles." — -Phil Stamper, bestselling author of The Gravity of Us

"La Sala (Reverie, 2019) crafts a fabulously gay story of hope, friendship, and love worth fighting for. Queer nerds, rejoice!" — Booklist

"A sequin-filled romance that’s also a love letter to the craft and creativity of cosplay." — Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review

From the Publisher

10/01/2020

Gr 9 Up—Boston teen Raphael Odom is a master crafter and cosplayer. His livestream views are picking up, and he's willing to do whatever it takes to win first place, and an art school scholarship, at Trip-C (the Controverse Championship of Cosplay). However, Raphael is also the son of Evie Odom: Renowned artist, gallery owner, and vehement anti-crafter. He hides his passion from her, secretly buying supplies and sneaking out to cons with best friend May. His anxiety and perfectionism are only manageable through the meditative process of crafting—alone. When playful, closeted jock Luca Vitale takes an interest in him, he's a beautiful distraction who disrupts Raffy's routine and forces him to embrace spontaneity. The novel explores Raffy's shifting relationship with cosplay, and with Luca, in intersecting chronologies; one story line follows present-day Raffy dealing with their break-up and Trip-C, while the couple's courtship is told in flashback. La Sala deftly builds the mounting tension of the competition alongside the budding relationship and its inevitable end—though a happy ending shines through. The heavier elements of the novel are buoyed by abundant humor, heartwarming romance, and the overall message of embracing your deepest, geekiest self. Raffy's introversion, and the way he processes his anxiety through creating, will resonate with anyone who finds strength and security in their hobbies. Luca is Italian American and Rafael's ethnicity isn't named. VERDICT Teen readers active in the con and cosplay scene will love seeing themselves depicted with the gentle humor of an in-group character. A crafty queer romance about self-acceptance, and a delightful addition to YA collections.—Ashleigh Williams, School Library Journal

School Library Journal

Narrator Pete Cross brings an energetic and delightful personality to the characters and relationships in this story of a young gay teen who is on a quest to win the cosplay competition at his local comics convention. Told in alternating “then” and “now” chapters, the story involves the budding romance and eventual breakup of Raffy and his now-ex-boyfriend, Luca. The worst betrayal? Raffy is the one who introduced Luca to cosplay and taught him everything he knows—and now Luca is his most fierce competition. Raffy’s energy, passion, and determination are strongly voiced by Cross. Listeners will eagerly accompany him as he deals with competition, romance, and his need for family acceptance. H.C. 2022 Audies Winner © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2021 - AudioFile

2020-09-29
Raphael Odom is a nerd: a cosplaying, con-going, card-carrying nerd—and he is in love.

Raffy is so entrenched in pop culture that he even has his own cosplay streaming channel with almost 10,000 followers. Last year Striker9, one of his followers, became his secret admirer. When Striker9 turned out to be a soccer player at his school whom Raffy always thought was straight, he was taken by surprise—Luca was bisexual, and, even better, he was interested in Raffy. He even showed a willingness to try cosplay. When the boys broke up several months later, Raffy, heartbroken, thought he could avoid Luca at school forever. He certainly didn’t think he’d run into him in full cosplay at the biggest convention of the year. Told in alternating chapters labeled “Then” and “Now,” the story will absorb readers in Raffy and Luca’s epic love story. While he is not the warmest protagonist to root for, Raffy with his Type A personality will grow on readers as he navigates the ups and downs of relationships with his close friends, famous art gallery director mother, and even himself. The adorkable romance between Raffy and Luca keeps the occasionally dense narrative moving forward quickly, making this book an enjoyable read. Raffy and Luca are presumed White; there is diversity in the supporting cast.

A charming, geeky love story filled with all the con drama readers could wish for. (Romance. 13-17)

Kirkus Reviews