▁at ▁the ▁Seattle ▁Times ▁said ▁it ▁was ▁" a ▁met icul ously ▁craft ed , ▁imm ens ely ▁satisfying ▁piece ▁of ▁work ." ▁ ▁Ryan ▁followed ▁up ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁with ▁the ▁young ▁adult ▁novel ▁Sain ts ▁of ▁August ine . ▁Two ▁best ▁te en age ▁friends , ▁one ▁gay ▁and ▁one ▁not , ▁struggle ▁with ▁family ▁issues , ▁drug ▁ab use , ▁divor ce , ▁d ating , ▁and ▁a ▁ru pt ure ▁in ▁their ▁friendship . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁he ▁published ▁a ▁second ▁young ▁adult ▁novel , ▁In ▁Mike ▁We ▁Trust , ▁which ▁exam ines ▁a ▁young ▁man ' s ▁relationship ▁with ▁his ▁hip , ▁cool , ▁con - art ist ▁uncle ▁as ▁the ▁older ▁man ▁attempts ▁to ▁l ure ▁him ▁into ▁a ▁life ▁of ▁char ity ▁sc ams . ▁His ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁novel , ▁Gem ini ▁B ites , ▁expl ores ▁the ▁world ▁of ▁a ▁boy ▁and ▁girl ▁who ▁are ▁frat ernal ▁tw ins , ▁and ▁their ▁competition ▁for ▁the ▁aff e ctions ▁of ▁a ▁g oth ▁boy ▁who ▁comes ▁to ▁live ▁for ▁a ▁short ▁period ▁of ▁time ▁with ▁their ▁family . ▁ ▁The ▁Dream ▁Life ▁of ▁A str onaut s ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁It ▁is ▁a ▁collection ▁of ▁nine ▁short ▁stories ▁set ▁against ▁the ▁back drop ▁of ▁Florida ' s ▁space ▁program ▁from ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁to ▁the ▁present . ▁ ▁For ▁four ▁years , ▁Ryan ▁worked