Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala

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.