Immortal: The House of Ganymede by Robert A. KarlMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Robert A. Karl, author of the Clubbed series of books and The Goldies: 50th High School Reunion, returns with Immortal: The House of Ganymede, a tale that mixes gay teen drama with timely topics, social media, and Greek mythology.
Inspired by a role model who comes out, Jason wants to reveal his true self to his best friend and secret crush. To put it mildly, Jason’s plan goes awry.
While searching for acceptance and befriending a new student, Jason finds himself involved with her twin brother, Youngsoo, an out and proud gay teen. He also becomes involved with the ZEUS Universal Group and the face of their male skin-care line, IMMORTAL.
The Greek mythology enters slowly into a story that at first reads like a typical coming out story. That blending allows Robert A. Karl to create something unusual from familiar but disparate story elements. More importantly, the emotions drive the story, with Jason wanting comfort, love, acceptance, and even adulation.
The modern allure of social media acclaim blinds Jason to the misogyny and elitism of his new companions, though we still get flashes of his insights within his thoughts and observations. He seems to have risen above the homophobia he faced but still finds himself surrounded by people who look down on others.
Another person with condescending attitudes might be planning something much worse than Jason ever predicted. Despite the complicated tensions and ambitions within the story, Karl keeps the narrative moving at a brisk pace that never gets bogged down by its mixed elements. Some of the reviews I read of this book give too much away, so I’ll just say to read it for yourself and be ready for some strong emotions.
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