Hello! Welcome to one of my first ARC reviews of 2021! I know I’ve been slacking lately, but I’ve taken the time off to better prepare myself so hopefully I can get right back on track (though with the way 2020 took a turn, I’m just hoping for no surprises, honestly). **And as always, the work to support the Black community is not done, whether there is media coverage for it or not, so here is the link to click in order to support the Black Lives Matter movement in any way you can, and thank you to StarlahReads for compiling these resources. You can also visit the description of this video by booktuber Jess Owens, which has links to several additional resources about global events.**
Towards the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, Reverie, Ryan La Sala’s debut novel, was all over the YA internet sphere. It was pitched as Inception meets The Magicians, and while that’s all fine and good, and I’m sure there’s an audience for that, it didn’t particularly draw me in. But flash forward to when the premise for Be Dazzled was announced, and Project Runway goes to Comic Con was pitched I lunged for that request button on NetGalley. I wasn’t expecting much, as I was still new to the site and trying to build my blog presence up, but a few months later an email popped into my inbox saying I was approved. I dived in right away and my goodness was I not disappointed. This book is pure joy, filled with competition hijinks, friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, and cosplay. So much wonderful cosplay.
Raffy’s dream is to win the Controverse Cosplay Competition and prove to everyone, including his art director mother, Evie, that he is capable of achieving greatness. He walks into the convention center beaming, knowing his work will earn him and his teammate, May, top scores. That is, until Raffy spots some of his competition – Luca (his ex-boyfriend) and Inaya (his former friend). It’s been five months since their breakup, but Raffy is still bent up about their failed relationship. They tried to make it work, but their insecurities and his inability to accept anything but perfection left them scrambling apart. But Trip-C has some big twists and turns in store for its competitors, and maybe, just maybe, it could help both boys realize how good it feels to work together side by side again.
This was such a cute YA contemporary that is immersed in the cosplay and convention scene. The detail and thought that went into descriptions of their outfits and the aspects of the competition made me imagine myself as an audience member watching everything unfold onstage. I appreciated how even in the last hour, Raffy didn’t go back on his promise to May, because even though she offered to lend a hand, both would have been miserable knowing what was sacrificed in the process. The split timeline did surprise me, though it was interesting to see both how Luca and Raffy’s relationship started, fell apart, and came back together all simultaneously. Raffy and Luca both had their own obstacles to overcome, and even though their relationship hit a bit of a tumultuous end, in their time apart (even if Raffy didn’t realize it) they both came to understand why they didn’t work as a couple before, and how their mindset can be adapted to allow themselves to work in the present. I feel like this book is a love letter to nerd culture, to people who may not be accepted elsewhere but find what they do best and the people they want to share it with and make the most of it. It was great to read.
If there was anything I would have changed, I’d say I would have liked to see the growth that Luca’s and Raffy’s parents undergo. In the timeline detailing the past, we are shown how unsupportive Evie is of Raffy’s passion for cosplay. There is even a moment when she screams and humiliates him in front of a Craft Club, where she calls his pursuits “childish” and cuts off access to his workspace, proclaiming its only for “real artists” to use. From Luca’s actions and choices, we are able to surmise that his parents are opposed to him pursuing any future in cosplay, especially if that future involves Raffy (as they are also seemingly unsupportive of their son’s sexuality). Towards the end of the novel, their attitudes have changed, and both Luca and Raffy are delighted by the support, as they very well should be – it isn’t easy knowing that those who are supposed to love you unconditionally are displeased with who you are and what you do. I just wish we could have seen more of that growth (though I will acknowledge there is a gap of five months between the past and present timelines, which is certainly enough time for someone to change their perspective, especially if they have been educated).
All in all, I am rooting for Luca and Raffy every step of the way. 2020 was a rough year, so to start off the new year with a queer novel full of hope, acceptance, and nerd culture is really all I could ever want. Hopefully we can all go back to conventions soon (when it’s safe, of course), as I would love to see some real-life cosplay in action. I can’t wait to see what people think of La Sala’s second novel. Be Dazzled is set to release on January 5th, 2021 (which is the day this post goes live, if things go right), so please join me in wishing it a happy book birthday, and pick up a copy if you’re in the mood for a geeky con story, and crafty queer romance. **Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, for the e-copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Places to find Be Dazzled:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Ryan La Sala’s site
Thoughts About Things 