while i didn't like this one as much as i liked "the honeys," la sala's previous novel, i thought that this was a rich, gorgeously descriptive novel with leanings of folk horror and the gothic. athan was such a compelling protagonist and the structure of this novel was so interesting and unique. the use of art and sensory elements to push this narrative forward coupled with generational terror makes for a perfect blend of accessible horror for fans of all speculative genres.

I will never look at wallpaper the same....or mirrors. What an interesting take on beauty and art and all that mirrors see in their lifetimes. I can't wait to see what is next from Ryan La Sala.

Wow! This book was wild. The premise was out there and the details got stranger and stranger, but it never left me in the dust or had me too confused to keep reading. I was compelled and engaged and frequently moved. I love the incorporation of a complicated LGBTQIA+ romance, I loved the morally gray sides of some of the characters, and I really dug the incorporation of a Greek character and some Greek folklore within the premise of the story. Athan was easy to root for and likeable, though flawed.

I keep thinking about this book since I finished it, and it doesn't remind me of anything else that I have read. Those are two hallmarks of a great book!

Took some time to grab me but once it finally did I enjoyed it a lot. I really enjoyed the use of scrying powers. Very cute romance

What a wild spin on a concept that I didn’t think could be terrifying. I thoroughly enjoy how La Sala starts his horror books with a bang. Instant engagement and investment in whatever is going to happen. While the setting of New York City was lost on me (probably one of my least favorite book settings) I thought this was a wild ride. I loved the entire concept, the ending, everything. It’s a great YA horror.

sooo...I'm not exactly sure what I just read, because there were a lot of moving pieces, but I enjoyed it.

Beholder was written in La Sala's usual beautiful style and combined mystery and horror elements to keep readers engaged while telling a story about art-obsessed Patrons, ancient evil magic, and a boy who can look into mirrors and see anything they have previously seen.

Definitely quite strange and unique. I highly appreciate that in today's world of homogeneous fiction. I highly recommend this book.

Don’t look into mirrors when you don’t know what’s looking back—it’s a rule Athanasios Bakirtzis has followed for as long as he can remember. Because as much as he tells himself it’s just a silly Greek superstition his grandmother foolishly believed, deep down Athan knows it’s true because he’s seen it. But just because he isn’t looking doesn’t mean someone—or something else—isn’t looking at him.
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Ryan La Sala totally knocks it out of the park once again with another surrealistically beautiful horror story. Instead of bees, we get a cult that worships art and one heretic who worships mirrors. And our hero Athan, is at the heart of it all because of his ability to manipulate what mirrors show him—making him a target for the Patrons. The literal nightmares he endured were bone chilling, and at times I really questioned his sanity. But La Sala kept me hooked and did an amazing job revealing it all at the end. Harrowing but captivating, an incredible daytrip I’d happily take again.

🖤loved:
- the party’s aftermath
- “evil eye” superstition
- rewinding mirrors
- Athan & Dom 🫶🏼
- monster’s POV
- secrets of the Patrons
- Athan’s mysterious past
- all the macabre art
- the Beholder

This was amazing! I loved the concept, and I really think Ryan La Sala hit this one out of the park. Athan's story was so compelling and frightening. The combination of mirrors, monsters, interior design, and family powers was perfect. And the ending was so sweet. It had me tearing up for Athan!

This book had a really interesting idea. I did enjoy it, but it did feel a little rushed towards the end. I also wasn’t crazy about the ending.

La Sala has a beautiful writing style and that is on full display in Beholder. I loved the world building and variety of the characters. The thrill of it all kept me eager to keep reading.

I really enjoy Ryan La Sala’s books. Beholder isn’t my favorite of theirs but it was still really good. The vibes were excellent and creepy. Definitely would recommend it and their backlist.

Thank you to Netgalley and Scholastic for the eArc of this book! (And sorry I've been a slow reader. How embarrassing for me, am I right?)

This is among one of the stranger books I've read. I figured it would be, given how I felt about Reverie, but this book had many times where it straight up just didn't make sense. I liked it at times, and I liked how the ending took place. It actually kept me reading, unlike the rest of this novel. (I actually forgot to add it to my Goodreads when I first started, but this took me a month and a half. Yes, part of the reason for that is because I needed to finish other books for my classes, but still. That's embarrassing.)

I also felt like motives were a little unclear. They all were there, but I didn't understand why. The villain wanted the Eye of God. But why??? I don't know.

I think this had the potential to be great, and for the right reader, it might be. But due to the confusion I had, and the lack of attachment I formed for the characters, it just did not land. Wished it was more like Reverie.

Thanks for the free ebook and including me on the book tour! @ireadya  @theryanlasala @coloredpagesbt

Rating 4/5☆
E-book
352 pages
Pub day October 3, 2023 - upcoming release
Push / Scholastic
Gr avg. 4.30/5⭐

Something about YA thrillers just hit different. I find them scarier and more enjoyable then adult thrillers or suspense books. I binged both this book and his prior book Honeys and loved both of them and realized he has more backlist to dove into.

Suggest picking it up

Really enjoyed this one despite not being a habitual reader of the horror genre at any level. There was a nice balance of character, plot, and the growing creepiness and dread as Athan and Dom slowly uncover more of the central mystery.

The book starts off on such a shocking and gory scene that it did take me a minute to really get into the story itself (again, not a horror reader by nature), but much like Athan was able to agree to work with Dom after the shock had lessened, I was also eventually able to follow.

I will need to contemplate more if I felt truly satisfied with the ending (and also to process the imagery involved) but one thing remains true about Ryan La Sala books: he's going to make the words pretty to read.

There is one quote from the beginning that has stuck with me since I started reading:
I wish someone would peer into the chaos of my interior and pull me into peaceful composition.
Sometimes the things in the mirror look back at you.

This story is so unique and interesting. The writing is gorgeous and lyrical.

This book takes you on a journey of family, love and discovering one's self. All the while reflecting these images back at you. What do you see in your own reflection?

It is quite difficult to describe this book without spoiling it, so just go read it. I was left pondering this story for quite some time after I finished it.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

This story is told in first person by Athan and each chapter is preceded by a small section from Beauty that refer to Athan in second person. If you’ve read my reviews before, you know that second person is one of my peeves, but I persevered from the beginning since I thought the premise was fascinating. It pulled me in immediately with the initial shock of the events of the party and Athan’s mesmerizing ability to see the past through mirrors while a shadowy possible monster darts in the periphery. Great imagery, but what followed was somewhat vague and didn’t always hold my attention.

I enjoyed the characters in this story. The relationships within Athan’s Greek family and their views of superstition and caring for one another in times of trouble were heartwarming and complicated by the past trauma of losing his parents. I enjoyed the budding relationship between Athan and Dom though I felt like they were often hiding too much from each other, which caused them to work at cross purposes.

While I enjoyed the occult storyline and what the investigation revealed, I wish I had been given more background on Beauty whether history or myth, anything really. Beauty felt like this ambiguous terror that I should be concerned about, but I didn’t understand why. I loved the resolution to the story until the epilogue backed it out into a situation that I felt was unsustainable. I enjoyed the story, but I was hoping for more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic for a copy provided for an honest review.

For all that Ryan La Sala is a well-known name in the queer and horror genres, this was actually my first foray into his books. Beholder was absolutely a fun spooky season read that specific audiences will devour will relish, while I'm afraid for me it just sadly missed the mark.

Athan is a teenage boy who, after the tragic deaths of his parents, lives with his grandmother in a cramped New York City apartment, working under-the-table jobs for a family friend in the upscale art world and avoiding mirrors due to a longstanding family curse. After he is barely spared from a massacre that kills every other attendee at a party thanks to a boy in a monarch butterfly scarf, Athan is drawn into a mystery involving his ability to rewind the reflections in the mirrors, the deaths that have been rocking the art world, and his own parents' death over a decade before - and what it all has to do with his employer and his mysterious rescuer... And whatever is hiding behind the reflections in the mirrors.

This book had a lot of strong points to it. The real life mythology and folklore was tied in well to Athan's backstory with his family and his powers. The existential dread is played up in a delightfully creepy way as more and more of the mystery is revealed. And Athan's relationships, with his yiayia and then with Dom in particular, are frustrating and lovely in equal measure. Where La Sala really shines, though, is in his descriptions - especially of the surroundings and the artwork, which play such a huge role in the story.
On the other hand, the overall reveal of the Big Bad just fell flat for me. While it was a lovely ending, it just didn't come together like I had hoped it would and it all seemed to be wrapped so easily. And the story was certainly interesting and creepy, but never quite gripped me to the point where I couldn't put it down.

Still, this is a fun read for the autumn season and I will be venturing into La Sala's back catalogue of books for more!

Imgur link goes to Instagram graphic scheduled for Oct 19th
Blog Post scheduled for Oct 20
Youtube Review should be featured in 2-3 weeks

TL;DR: If you like Spiders or Existential Dread in your horrors this could be for you, but overall pretty bland for me.

Beholder by Ryan La Sala is an interesting horror read for me. I’ve been exploring the genre more and more in the past few years and this might be the first time I’ve found a book that seems to target two specific phobias that simply completely miss me. Spiders and a sense of existential dread.

This follows Athan, who is the bearer of a family curse that means he’s unable to really look in the mirror. After surviving a party turned massacre he gets caught up on the run from those who seem to be hunting his family and him. He ends up in the company of Dom, a young man of considerable artistic talent and an equal amounts of secrets.

The biggest part of this I enjoyed was the nod to The Yellow Wallpaper which is one of my favorite classical horror works. There are hints at a great exploration of art and horror and what art can do to the masses. The book was fast paced and the plot drove this forward, if you want a fast YA Horror this would definitely fit that bill.

Outside of that the story was actually a little bland for me. The characters didn’t hold much personality outside of what we’re told. Additionally the biggest horror elements, a large spider and the dread of something catching you or the end of things, both completely slid past me. I am not scared of spiders in the least, in fact I love them. And I don’t particularly struggle with any kind of dread of this style. And the story seemed to really hinge on those. If that’s something you’re into (or in this case scared of) you’ll probably enjoy getting the pants scared off of you.

Overall this wasn’t a bad read, there were some strengths I genuinely enjoyed. However it’s reliance on some (in my opinion) generic horror motifs caused it to fall flat. If you enjoy YA Horror or like those two elements in horror, this is probably going to be for you.

3 out of 5 creepy, crawling wallpapers.