Search results for ""author ryan la sala""

Mars 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. Mars'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. What 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 the Honeys, 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. But 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.

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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 storeor 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 d

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A twisted and tantalizing horror novel set amidst the splendour of a secluded summer retreat. 'Gripping... the narrative's lush prose crafts both deliciously creepy horror scenes and a nuanced, self-assured protagonist consumed by grief and longing for acceptance.' Publishers Weekly When Mars Matthias loses his sister Caroline under horrific circumstances, it propels him to learn all he can about the once-inseparable sibling who'd grown tragically distant. Mars's gender-fluidity means he's often excluded from the traditions - and expectations - of his politically-connected family, including attendance at the prestigious Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy where his sister devoted so much of her time. But with his grief still fresh, he insists on attending in her place. The setting may be pristine and sun-drenched, but there's an undercurrent of tension buzzing ominously. Mars seeks out his sister's old friends: a group of girls dubbed the Honeys, 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. But 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... Heathers meets Midsommar, exploring the corruption that lies just under the surface of the perfect lives of the uber-rich Perfect for fans of Kathryn Foxfield and Ace of Spades Highly original, brilliantly written, queer YA horror

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Project Runway goes to Comic Con in an epic queer love story from the author of Reverie about creativity, passion, and finding the courage to be your most authentic self.Raffy has a passion for bedazzling. Not just bedazzling, but sewing, stitching, draping, 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.Raffy 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.But 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.Praise for Reverie:B&N's YA Book Club Pick * Walmart Buzz Pick * Indie Next Pick * Book of the Month Club YA Box"This outstanding debut novel will light readers' imaginations on fire...Imaginative, bold, and full of queer representation, this is a must-purchase for YA collections."—School Library Journal *STARRED REVIEW*"This fantasy offers readers something wonderfully new and engaging...a gem of a novel that is as affirming as it is entertaining."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"The story's many LGBTQ characters are prominently represented and powerfully nuanced."—Publishers Weekly"A darkly imagined, riveting fantasy… thrilling."—Shelf Awareness"Joyously, riotously queer... The themes of creating one's own reality and fighting against the rules imposed by the world you're born into will ring powerfully true for many young readers."—Kirkus Reviews

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From Ryan La Sala, author of the tantalizingly twisted The Honeys and riotously imaginative Reverie, comes a chilling new contemporary fable about art, aesthetic obsession, and the gaze that peers back at us from behind our reflections. No one survived the party at the penthouse. Except Athan. Athanasios '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. Outside 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. Athan the only known survivor 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. Something 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. A chilling thriller full of twists and turns that keep you on your toes The much anticipated next book from award-winning author of The Honeys "Beholder is a stunning, strange, sinister story that forces you to face your inner demons like never before." - Adam Silvera

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An Amazon Best Book of the Month * B&N's YA Book Club Pick * Walmart Buzz Pick * Indie Next Pick * Book of the Month Club YA Box A "joyously, riotously queer" (Kirkus) young adult fantasy from debut author Ryan La Sala, Reverie is a wildly imaginative story about the subconscious becoming reality, perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Laini Taylor.A few weeks ago, Kane Montgomery was in an accident that robbed him of his memory. The only thing he knows for certain is that the police found him half-dead in the river. The world as he knows it feels different-reality seems different. And when strange things start happening around him, Kane isn't sure where to turn. And then three of his classmates show up, claiming to be his friends and the only people who can tell him what's truly going on. Kane doesn't know what to believe or who he can trust. But as he and the others are dragged into increasingly fantastical dream worlds drawn from imagination, it becomes clear that there is dark magic at work. Nothing in Kane's life is an accident, and only he can keep the world itself from unraveling. Reverie is an intricate and compelling LGBT young adult book about the secret worlds we hide within ourselves and what happens when they become real. Praise for Reverie:"This outstanding debut novel will light readers' imaginations on fire...Imaginative, bold, and full of queer representation, this is a must-purchase for YA collections."-School Library Journal *STARRED REVIEW*"This fantasy offers readers something wonderfully new and engaging...a gem of a novel that is as affirming as it is entertaining."-The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"The story's many LGBTQ characters are prominently represented and powerfully nuanced."-Publishers Weekly"A darkly imagined, riveting fantasy... thrilling."-Shelf Awareness"Joyously, riotously queer... The themes of creating one's own reality and fighting against the rules imposed by the world you're born into will ring powerfully true for many young readers."-Kirkus Reviews

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A B&N’s YA Book Club Pick * Walmart Buzz Pick * Indie Next Pick * Book of the Month Club YA Box A “joyously, riotously queer” (Kirkus) young adult fantasy from debut author Ryan La Sala, Reverie is a wildly imaginative story about dreams becoming reality, perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Laini Taylor.A few weeks ago, Kane Montgomery was in an accident that robbed him of his memory. The only thing he knows for certain is that the police found him half-dead in the river. The world as he knows it feels different—reality seems different. And when strange things start happening around him, Kane isn’t sure where to turn. And then three of his classmates show up, claiming to be his friends and the only people who can tell him what’s truly going on. Kane doesn’t know what to believe or who he can trust. But as he and the others are dragged into increasingly fantastical dream worlds drawn from imagination, it becomes clear that there is dark magic at work. Nothing in Kane’s life is an accident, and only he can keep the world itself from unraveling. Reverie is an intricate and compelling LGBT young adult book about the secret worlds we hide within ourselves and what happens when they become real. Praise for Reverie:"This outstanding debut novel will light readers' imaginations on fire...Imaginative, bold, and full of queer representation, this is a must-purchase for YA collections."—School Library Journal *STARRED REVIEW*“This fantasy offers readers something wonderfully new and engaging...a gem of a novel that is as affirming as it is entertaining."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books“The story's many LGBTQ characters are prominently represented and powerfully nuanced."—Publishers Weekly"A darkly imagined, riveting fantasy… thrilling."—Shelf Awareness"Joyously, riotously queer... The themes of creating one's own reality and fighting against the rules imposed by the world you're born into will ring powerfully true for many young readers."—Kirkus Reviews

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