Be Dazzled

Project Runway meets Comic Con in this young adult novel about Raffy, a teen cosplayer with dreams of winning the biggest cosplay competition of the year. His ex-boyfriend Luca is also competing, forcing Raffy to confront their messy past while racing to complete his ambitious costume design. Raffy comes from a family of artists - his mother runs an upscale fashion boutique and has specific ideas about what constitutes "real art." The narrative alternates between present day and flashbacks to Raffy and Luca's relationship the previous year, revealing how their shared passion for cosplay brought them together and drove them apart. The story examines the intersection of art, identity, and self-expression through the lens of geek culture and costume design. Through Raffy's journey, the novel explores themes of family expectations, creative authenticity, and finding the courage to be yourself even when it doesn't match others' definitions of success.

Readers highlight the authentic portrayal of cosplay culture and the competitive craft scene. Many appreciate the LGBTQ+ romance elements and found the characters relatable, particularly main character Raffy's passion for design and crafting. Readers liked: - Detailed descriptions of costume creation and crafting processes - The exploration of parent-child relationships - Dual timeline storytelling structure - Representation of anxiety and creative pressure Readers disliked: - Some found the pacing slow in the middle sections - Several mentioned predictable plot developments - A few noted the teenage drama felt exaggerated Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (6,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (240+ ratings) BookBrowse: 4/5 Common reader comment themes include "perfect for Project Runway fans" and "captures the intensity of convention culture." Multiple reviews noted the book works well for both YA and adult readers interested in crafting communities. One frequent criticism cited by readers was that secondary characters could have been more developed.

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🎭 Author Ryan La Sala worked in the cosplay community before writing this novel, bringing authentic experience to the competitive cosplay scenes depicted in the book. ✨ The book's main character, Raffy, creates costumes using unusual materials like bathroom caulk and hardware store supplies, techniques actually used by real cosplayers. 🏳️‍🌈 "Be Dazzled" was named a Rainbow Book List Selection, recognizing it as one of the year's best LGBTQ+ books for young readers. 🧵 The story alternates between past and present timelines, weaving together the competitive world of cosplay conventions with the intimate story of first love. 🎨 The novel explores the tension between "high art" and "geek culture," challenging assumptions about what constitutes legitimate artistic expression through Raffy's struggle with his gallery-owner mother.