Queer as Books | Beholder
Log in or Sign up
Beholder
Ryan La Sala
Save to Your Books
100% of affiliate revenue supports Queer as Books
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.
Athanasius "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 savior 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.
Show more
Get the Bindery app
Posts about this title from Queer as Books
Queer as Books\ \ José\ \ • Sep 14 2025
👻🌈 Queer Books for the Spooky Season 🎃
Which ones are you adding to your fall TBR?
27 books
2
Queer as Books\ \ José\ \ • Nov 20 2024
"Beholder" by Ryan La Sala: Review
“Athan Bakirtzis, a charming young man, attends a high-society penthouse party in New York City, but a mysterious incident leaves him locked in a bathroom. While chaos erupts outside, Athan eventually emerges to find a gruesome scene of corpses arranged artistically, and he becomes the prime suspect as the sole survivor. As he races to clear his name, Athan discovers a supernatural mystery involving secret occult societies and eldritch horrors. He realizes he possesses a hereditary power connected to the emerging evil lurking within New York City, and it's now taking control of his life”.
What truly sets "Beholder" apart is its vividly visual and wildly imaginative descriptions. La Sala's prose dances with colors and shapes, creating a surreal atmosphere that feels like a hallucinogenic dream. The mystery of the mirrors and the malevolent force behind them unravels at a tantalizing pace, keeping me on the edge of my seat. While I might agree that the pacing could have been tightened, and the story slightly shorter, these minor quibbles do little to detract from the sheer uniqueness and creativity of this narrative. "Beholder" is a mesmerizing and thought-provoking read that lingers in your mind long after you've closed the book, and I highly recommend it to anyone who craves a literary journey into the weird and wonderful.
1 book
Posts about this book from across Bindery
The Skyy Life\ \ Erika\ \ • Oct 10 2025
Join for free
The creator adult book fair was a DREAM!
The creator adult book fair was a DREAM! I was able to yell & yap (yap & yell) about my favorite books, authors, series, my favorite graphic novel, meet book besties IRL+ make new ones, debut @charmmeetcute, be on the panel for the first time EVERRRR 🥹
Special thanks to @fullcirclebookstore for hosting and letting me be apart of such an impactful and magical day!
So grateful to be on the panel with genuine and inspirational creators — @seekingdystopia @thesmallestbookclub — and author Gwenna (momma cusses) with @the_boozy_baking_bibliophile as the perfect moderator/influencer as well.
So happy to have been able to do this with new found book besties and influencers who are definitely changing the game. I am glad we got to do this together — @thewindedbibliophile @jadedubya @_novelreadswithbree @overbooked_okc @bookishfangirlco @bubblegumbookshelf @reading.with.hotchocolate @preshreadsss
#bookfair #bookishcommunity #blackbookstagram #bookrecs #booktok #bookstagram #booktuber #arcreader #diversebooks #diversereads #kindlecharms #bookishlove #bookworm #bookevent #okcbookstagrammer #books
23 books
1
Queer as Books\ \ José\ \ • Sep 14 2025
👻🌈 Queer Books for the Spooky Season 🎃
Which ones are you adding to your fall TBR?
27 books
2
chronicallybookish\ \ Kaley\ \ • Sep 1 2025
Join for free
10/10 experience every time @The Book Rack #booktok #bookstore #indiebookstore #bookshopping #bookhaul
14 books
Queer as Books\ \ José\ \ • Nov 20 2024
"Beholder" by Ryan La Sala: Review
1 book