{"title":"Ryan La Sala","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRyan La Sala\u003c\/strong\u003e crafts compelling stories that blend the magical with the everyday, inviting readers into richly imagined worlds filled with mystery and wonder. His young adult and children’s books weave themes of identity, belonging, and transformation through captivating narratives and vibrant characters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the enchanting twists of \u003cem\u003eBe Dazzled\u003c\/em\u003e to the haunting allure of \u003cem\u003eThe Dead of Summer\u003c\/em\u003e, La Sala’s works are perfect for readers seeking imaginative tales that explore both the light and shadow of adolescence with lyrical, immersive storytelling.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"be-dazzled","title":"Be Dazzled","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom bestselling author Ryan La Sala, there's nothing like a little dazzling competition to heal a broken heart.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRaffy 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLast 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. Raffy has finally picked up the pieces and is determined to have the major comeback he knows he deserves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePraise for Be Dazzled:\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\"A sequin-filled romance that's also a love letter to the craft and creativity of cosplay.\" - \u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e (STARRED REVIEW)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\"A charming, geeky love story filled with all the con drama readers could wish for.\" - \u003cem\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\"A crafty queer romance about self-acceptance, and a delightful addition to YA collections.\" - \u003cem\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\"Heartfelt and hilarious, \u003cem\u003eBe Dazzled\u003c\/em\u003e 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 \u003cem\u003eThe Gravity of Us\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45695263277292,"sku":"9781728279633","price":24.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781728279633.jpg?v=1725622805"},{"product_id":"reverie-by-ryan-la-sala-9781728210063","title":"Reverie","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Kane tries to piece together his memories, his definition of reality starts to come undone...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAll Kane Montgomery knows is that the police found him half-dead in the river. The only witness—his little sister Sophia—claims he was dragged there by something not of this world. If Kane can't come up with a better explanation, he'll be shipped off to award.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs Kane pieces together clues, he's confronted by reality rapidly coming undone. The local community college warps into a subterranean temple, a historical estate nearby blooms into a Victorian romance, and people come out of the woodwork, claiming to be his secret friends. Increasingly tangible and terrifying realities materialize around Kane...and then his memories begin to return.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46502703726828,"sku":"9781728210063","price":22.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/8431263482803.jpg?v=1748620791"},{"product_id":"be-dazzled-by-ryan-la-sala-9781492682691","title":"Be Dazzled","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eProject Runway\u003c\/em\u003e goes to Comic Con in an epic, queer love story about creativity, creation, and finding the courage to be your most authentic self.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eProject Runway\u003c\/em\u003e goes to Comic Con in an epic queer love story from the author of \u003cem\u003eReverie\u003c\/em\u003e about creativity, passion, and finding the courage to be your most authentic self.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRaffy has a passion for bedazzling. Not just bedazzling, but sewing, stitching, draping, and pattern making—for creation. He's always chosen his art over everything—and everyone—else and is determined to make his mark at this year's biggest cosplay competition. If he can wow there, it could lead to sponsorship, then art school, and finally earning real respect for his work. There's only one small problem... Raffy's ex-boyfriend, Luca, is his main competition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRaffy tried to make it work with Luca. They almost made the perfect team last year after serendipitously meeting in the rhinestone aisle at the local craft store—or at least Raffy thought they did. But Luca's insecurities and Raffy's insistence on crafting perfection caused their relationship to crash and burn. Now, Raffy is after the perfect comeback, one that Luca can't ruin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut when Raffy is forced to partner 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 intense self-doubt, to get everything he's ever wanted—choosing his art, his way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46529632829676,"sku":"9781492682691","price":35.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/12363903482719.jpg?v=1749225289"},{"product_id":"the-dead-of-summer-book-1-by-ryan-la-sala-9781546125877","title":"The Dead of Summer (Book 1)","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA heart-pounding thriller told in a mix of narrative voices and found documents from the bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Honeys\u003c\/i\u003e, perfect for fans of Tiffany D. Jackson, E. Lockhart, Karen McManus, and Rory Powers!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTwo Days Before\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOllie Veltman is finally coming home to the quaint island of Anchor's Mercy after a year away while his mum battled cancer. It should be a celebration—his mum is cancer-free, and she's determined to have \u003ci\u003ethe best summer ever\u003c\/i\u003e—but Ollie's (now ex) best friends think he abandoned them, and he's returning with a lot of questions. For a place that's perfect on the surface, a secret rots below the waves. A secret that could explain his mum's illness, and the illness of many other locals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOllie's desperate search for the truth turns life-or-death when a storm descends upon the island. In its wake, a long-sunken horror rises...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThree Weeks After\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOllie is being held in isolation aboard a military hospital ship in the harbour. They say he's a survivor, but they only know half the story. The truth is more monstrous than Ollie ever believed, and he suspects his saviours aren't here to save anyone. Only Ollie can stop what's coming, but that means getting back to Anchor's Mercy before it vanishes, taking with it everyone he has ever loved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Ingram Book Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46972284076268,"sku":"9781546125877","price":44.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/b25d68fc42d438782abc5eea93869a4d.jpg?v=1762941466"},{"product_id":"beholder-by-ryan-la-sala-9781338745344","title":"Beholder","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo one survived the party at the penthouse. Except for Athan.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAthanasios \"Athan\" Bakirtzis has made it far in life relying on his charm and good looks, even securing an invitation to a mysterious penthouse soiree for New York City's artsy elite. But when he sneaks off to the bathroom, he hears a slam, followed by a scream. Athan peers outside, only to be pushed back in by a boy his age. The boy gravely tells him not to open the door, then closes Athan in.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOutside the door, the party descends into chaos. Through hours of howls, laughter, and sobs, Athan stays hidden. When he finally emerges, he discovers a massacre where the corpses appear to have arranged themselves into a disturbingly elegant sculpture and Athan's mysterious saviour is nowhere to be found.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAthan is the only known survivor and is now the primary suspect. In a race to prove his innocence, Athan is swept up in a supernatural mystery, one of secret occult societies and deadly eldritch horrors with rather distinctive taste.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSomething evil is waking up in the walls of New York City, and it's compelling victims toward violence, chaos, and self-destruction. Bound to him by a mysterious hereditary power, Athan has felt this evil hiding behind his reflection his entire life, watching him. Waiting. Now, it's taking over.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47371043504364,"sku":"9781338745344","price":29.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/17708883482664.jpg?v=1773206275"},{"product_id":"the-honeys-by-ryan-la-sala-9781338745313","title":"The Honeys","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMars has always been the lesser twin, the shadow to his sister Caroline's radiance. But when Caroline dies under horrific circumstances, Mars is propelled to learn all he can about his once-inseparable sister who'd grown tragically distant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMars's gender fluidity means he's often excluded from the traditions—and expectations—of his politically-connected family. This includes attendance at the prestigious Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy where his sister poured so much of her time. But with his grief still fresh, he insists on attending in her place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhat Mars finds is a bucolic fairytale not meant for him. Folksy charm and sun-drenched festivities camouflage old-fashioned gender roles and a toxic preparatory rigour. Mars seeks out his sister's old friends: a group of girls dubbed \u003cem\u003ethe Honeys\u003c\/em\u003e, named for the beehives they maintain behind their cabin. They are beautiful and terrifying—and Mars is certain they're connected to Caroline's death.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut the longer he stays at Aspen, the more the sweet mountain breezes give way to hints of decay. Mars’s memories begin to falter, bleached beneath the relentless summer sun. Something is hunting him in broad daylight, toying with his mind. If Mars can't find it soon, it will eat him alive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Scholastic New Zealand Limited","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47371524210924,"sku":"9781338745313","price":29.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/17708573482664.jpg?v=1773227831"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/ryan-la-sala.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}