Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  CLUBBED TWO: Anxiety, Anger, Activism

SERIES:  Stories of Gay Love #2

AUTHOR:  Robert A. Karl

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  297 pages

RELEASE DATE:  January 31, 2022

BLURB:

CLUBBED TWO is historical fiction, set in Philadelphia from 1982 to 1992. Club Sanctuary can be seen as a metaphor for the greater LGBTQ community, but it is written as a real place, with characters who are fabulous, funny and flawed.

The author combines historical characters and events with fictional ones, creating a story that’s entertaining, informative and emotional. The love story between the two main characters, Joey and Henry, serves as a vehicle for connecting the stories of diverse, Queer characters.

This second book in the CLUBBED series continues the story as the LGBTQ community fights prejudice and ignorance in an effort to be recognized as people worthy of respect. Will the community be torn apart by fear, or will they come together to support PWAs (People With AIDS)?

Experience the drama, the beauty, and the excitement as well as the music, fashion and fads of the 80s with CLUBBED: Anxiety, Anger, Activism.

REVIEW:

“During most of the 1980s, there was a constant dull ache in my heart. Sometimes, the ache became sharp and acute, such as when a friend died. The grief never went away. We just had to learn ways to deal with it, finding ways to cope as the virus was unrelenting in its advance.” 

CLUBBED TWO: Anxiety, Anger, Activism is a profound book, an important book for its look at the devastating impact of AIDS on Joey, Henry, and all of the gay community from 1982 through 1992. They lose friends, employees, and customers, one after another; vibrant men, who at the end of their lives, are withered shells of their former selves. The heartbreak has severe consequences, and impacts Joey and other characters heavily. Author Robert A. Karl touches upon the paranoia, misconceptions, and phobia about AIDS in both the straight and gay populations. Any inroads made into the acceptance of homosexuality flew out the window with the arrival of the “gay virus”. 

“They thought that the virus was a gift from God to rid the United States of those hated homosexuals.” 

Characters dealt with the virus on one of three ways: avoiding socializing because of fear; getting involved in activism or helping people with AIDS (PWA); or ignoring the issue altogether. Plenty of men lived in denial. Joey and Henry have always been involved in the community but now they turn to activism. They hold fundraisers, participate in protests and demonstrations, and cook and deliver meals to PWAs. 

“The idea was to be disruptive. To not allow society to ignore us. To demand that the government and pharmaceutical companies stop ignoring the deaths of gay people and start to do something about us. To demand equal treatment.” 

Mr. Karl incorporates key moments and players in the fight into his fictional account: the AIDS Memorial Quilt, Ryan White, Elizabeth Glaser, the Pediatric AIDS Foundation among them. 

While the parts of the book dealing with AIDS are the most impacted, the focus isn’t all on AIDS. There are plenty of humorous moments in the stories about the many characters. Joey has a big moment as a drag performer. Sanctuary continues to thrive and marks its tenth anniversary in 1987, the same year Joey turns twenty-nine and Henry thirty-two. 

As I mentioned in my review for CLUBBED, this book was personal for me. I attended Temple University in 1987 and spent time in the dorms at the same time as a character named Mark who was bullied and ostracized. I blissfully and ignorantly went about my days never realizing others were the victims of gay discrimination. I’m embarrassed to say, I wasn’t even aware of the vile hate crimes being committed in my city. During the years these books were set, laws against hate crimes pertaining to sexual identity didn’t exist in Pennsylvania. They still don’t in Pennsylvania and eighteen other states! How is that even possible?? 

The narrative follows the same alternating first person/third person point of view formula as in the first book. I was distracted by some of the chapters not always being in chronological order.  

I thank Mr. Karl for this informative, enlightening, and yes, entertaining book. This story – even though it’s fiction – affected me for a long time and I wasn’t ready to write this review for a few days. The cliffhanger ending, in particular, tore my heart to pieces. This is an excellent book I highly recommend.

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

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