This is my first TJ Klune´s book and I LOVED IT!

The story was really cute and well driven. I felt invested in the characters from the beginning and appreciated all the representation we got.

Definitely would recommend this book for everyone looking for a fun read!

Thanks to netgalley and Tor Teen for providing me this digital ARC.

DNF at 50%

Since the beginning of the year, this book has been hyped up and I’ve seen a lot of bloggers and reviewers rate this book quite highly. I was very excited to start reading it but ultimately the book disappointed me and I could’t finish reading it.

I think one of the biggest problems I had with this book is the fact that it’s written in the third person. We see everything happening to Nick but we don’t get an intimate look at his experience from his point of view. It made me struggle to empathise with him as a character and it made it difficult for me to always grasp the extent of his ADHD.

I am not a believer in fan culture and I think this book portrays this type of toxic and obsessive fan culture that has become worse due to social media in the last 10 years. I felt very uncomfortable with the fact that Nick had such an obsession with a real life figure. I think it would have made me less uncomfortable if the hero he was idolising and fantasising about was fictional in his world. I also do not appreciate the fact that the fan culture also seeped into Nick’s friendships to such an extent that his friends could not express their own opinions which troubled me.

On the topic of his friends, I felt like Jazz, Gibby, Owen and to an extent Seth as well, were very one dimensional characters even though the book is written in the third person. There was a lot of opportunity for the author to flesh out these characters more but he solely relied on these characters to further Nick’s plan. The only character that had any sort of depth was Seth but because Nick is very involved with his own ideas, Seth’s personality is, most of the time, not given enough space to shine through because of Nick.

The plot is very predictable and I could see the big reveal quite early on in the book. I was hoping for more of a focus on the romance but I felt like that was pushed to the side to accommodate Nick’s plan to become an Extraordinary.

What ultimately made me decide to DNF this book was the scene where Nick is arrested for swimming in the river. Comments such as the ones below did not sit right with me:

“Are you holding me responsible for my own disability?”

“Yeah…That was low, even for me. There are people out there with worse disabilities, and also people who actually can’t read. I feel bad now. You know what? I’ve learned my lesson and humbly ask that we forget all about it. How about you let me out of these cuffs and I’ll promise to never do anything like this again?”

“Record this…Record this so I can use this in a lawsuit I’m going to file against my dad and the city for police brutality!”

These comments come off as joke-y and completely callous. If the author wanted to address visual impairments, other disabilities and police brutality, he could have addressed them in a more sensitive and appropriate way. These comments come off as insensitive and could have easily been left out of the dialogue. It is offensive and unnecessary.

The one positive aspect that really stood out to me is the way that Nick’s father and Seth support Nick with his ADHD. I absolutely loved how caring and attentive the father was towards his son’s neurodiversity and it was very heartwarming. I just wish that the author had not included the trope where the main character stops drinking their medication.

Overall, I just don’t see how this book could have ever lived up to the hype and I am very sorry that I had to DNF this book. I try to finish reading all my ARCs to give the book a fair chance but there were just too many aspects that did not sit right with me.

I discussed this book on my podcast of 24 June 2020 -- basically I liked it but felt uncomfortable with the depiction of the police force, especially in this political moment. The link is below!

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳: 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢. 𝘛𝘑 𝘒𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘦'𝘴 𝘠𝘈 𝘥𝘦𝘣𝘶𝘵, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨-𝘰𝘧-𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘈𝘋𝘏𝘋 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴.⁣
⁣
Based on the description above this is not a book I'd typically pick up. But oh.my.goodness- I'm so glad I did. It was fabulous!! Friendships & romance, superheroes & fanfiction, humor & warmth. ⁣
⁣
There were a few things that seemed obvious from the get go, but also some very pleasant surprises. ⁣

I read this book in tandem- audio and print. The audio took a beat to get into, but once I did I was hooked. I listened to 60% of it in a day while I built a puzzle.

I never thought I would fall in love with a superhero story, but thankfully Marissa Meyer came along with Renegades and blew me away! So, when I saw this one up show up I knew I had to read it! This is definitely a one-sitting read -- not because it’s super short, but because once you start you will not want to put it down! The Extraordinaries deals with heavy topics while still keeping the story somewhat lighthearted and fun. I cannot wait to read the sequel when it becomes available!

<i>A huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!</i>

If you know me even a little bit, you know I am absolutely awful with ebooks.

So please realize the enormity of the following statement:
<b>I read this in one 6,5 hour sitting. On my phone. And I need the sequel now.</b>

My eyes now feel tiny, I have a starting headache, and it's almost 2am, but fuck it was worth it. I simply could not put this book down. I can't even remember the last time that happened. (I mean I know of a book that would have done the same if only I'd started reading it earlier in the day BUT STILL.)

THE EXTRAORDINARIES is funny, heartfelt, queer (none of these kids are straight and it's beautiful), full of amazing superhero references, predictable in the best way possible while still managing to surprise me at times, and frustrating in the way a good fanfiction is; because <i>why is he so clueless ohmygod</i>. Not the mention the fact that Nick, our main character, has ADHD. And it's not shied away from. It's there all the time, as it should be. If you think reading it is exhausting, try living with it. It's insane, but it is called a superpower in this book and I wholeheartedly agree.

NTs who look down on neurodivergent people can choke.

I'm just saying.

Some content warnings: <spoiler>having lost a parent, and dealing with living without them; having the other parent get hurt; quitting your meds on your own (do not ever do that!); hidden identities and the lying that comes with it</spoiler>

I'm- I'm all over the place. I don't even know what to say. I love our little band of characters, and would die for all of them. Nick, Seth, Jazz, and the most amazing Gibby. Also Seth's way of dress would have me short-circuiting just like Nick, just saying. Too adorable. Too precious for this world indeed.

*insert Supernatural gif here*

Nick's hyper-fixation is something I know all too well, and his fanfiction writing and reading and 'tumblring' was like reading about myself, haha! This book felt like reading fanfiction: easy, fast, and utterly feel good, with some angst thrown in because what would a story be without some angst??? It has also made me want to read fanfiction right now. Pray that I won't, I would like to sleep before 6am.

Man- I know a review should be more coherent, should tell you something about the story, but basically all my brain is coming up with is I LOVED IT SO MUCH OHMYGOD AND I NEED THE SEQUEL NOW AHSFKJDSHGKL so I guess that'll have to do *shrugs*

Now go read this book about idiot boys and badass girls. Oh, and Extraordinaries.

4.5 ⭐️

I have to start this saying go and read it! I know you will love it so much that you will need the sequel right now, just like me.

This is the story about Nick Bell a tennanger boy that love (and maybe is a little obsessed, well, too much obsessed with) extraordinaries, a group of people with superpowers that save the people of Nova City, and he write fanfics about them, or more specifically, he writes fanfics about Shadow Star, his biggest crush. As Nick would say, “when before became after” and other things happened, Nick set out to make himself extraordinary, with or without Seth Gray’s help, Nick’s best friend and maybe more than that.

I don’t know what to say of this book, I loved it completely. The up and down of emotions had me trapped, that I couldn’t stop reading it until I finished; I cried, I laughed, and I fell in love with every character of this story.

Nick is the most beautiful person in the world. I love his mind, the way he thinks and how he is full of happiness and joy. You have to run behind him because he is a tornado of emotions and thoughts and adventures that will have you saying “Nick, no!” and he will reply “Nick, yes”.
Seth is a precious boy that when you meet him, you will want to hug him and never leave him. I loved everyone, but Seth is my favorite.
Gibby and Jazz, they are perfect and I need to know more about them. I loved how TJ Klune plays with the stereotypes, how he uses them and breaks them through comments and actions that his characters do.
And Nick and his father were the most emotional experience ever, I loved their relationship, the way they love each other and how they support each other, and yes, I cried like a baby in some scenes.

This book has everything, the atmosphere is incredible and even though I already knew how some plots would turn, I really really loved it so much that I need the sequel right now!

Please if you have the chance to read it, do it! You will love it.

This book was... interesting. Kinda cheesy, super predictable, but cute all the same. Started out pretty cringey but I grew to love the oblivious characters. It does have a fanfic feel, beyond Nick's own fanfic turned reality, but I think it works? Very much a parody of itself. I was glad for the "post credit" scene, because otherwise, I was going to be very angry with the lack of closure on the obvious. Instead, we're set up for a sequel. I got "Hero" by Perry Moore vibes, which was pretty nice. I'll definitely the next one.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me an early copy to review!
I adored this book. I loved it so much. The chapters with the fanficiton were brilliant and i liked the interactions with Nick and his Dad.
The superhero subject/plot was so cool. I’ve never seen a YA book were the superhero’s are a “modern” part of the world today. Kind of felt like the subplot of a marvel movie.
I’m trying not to spoil it all. The first few chapters part of the “spoiler” is pretty obvious if you watch it. I loved the representation in this book.
It makes me excited to read more by this author. Super cute book and i really adored it.

plot: even though nick is not an 'extraordinary' like the superhero shadow star, who he keeps writing fanfiction about, there's still something extra about him. after all being a writer comes with superpowers, right? nick is a high school student, queer, has adhd and a group of (mostly) supportive friends, who want to help him reach his biggest goal yet: become an extraordinary himself. only seth, his best friend/maybe more, seems to be a bit reluctant about that part..

3/5🌟: i'm a huge fan of shows like the flash, so i was super excited to read this one. obviously it was great to see representation in a queer main character with adhd. all of his friends are also part of the queer spectrum, which from my queer point of view was super realistic. on top of that, i was glad to see bipoc represented as well, e.g. in his best friend gibby. nevertheless, some scenes and characterizations were downright infuriating: of course the reporter, who is always there to inform about shadow star, had to be a 'nothing but a nosy jerk who loved to play the role of a professional damsel in distress'. it didn't help that his two female best friends' only characteristics were to be each others girlfriends. it was disappointing how flat all female characters were written. at last, i could tell how the mystery/love story was going to play out from the beginning on and at some point it got very annoying that nick was too oblivious to realize what was going on right in front of his eyes. still, this was an enjoyable read and everyone, who loves fandom/superhero culture, will probably have some fun reading this!

thanks to netgalley i received a digital early access copy in exchange for an honest opinion!

This is the first time I read T.J. Klune's books and I was so satisfied. I laughed and it kept me glued to its pages until the end.
Set in a contemporary world, superheroes are a thing and Nick Bell is a fanfiction writer with several of these superheroes as characters. It's basically a depiction of himself romantically involved with a hunk superhero.
I can't blame him, I would probably do the same thing.

Nick has lots of fans online, but in real life he only has a few friends: Seth Gray, his best friend since they were just childs; Gabby and her girlfriend who make such a lesbian power-couple. She is without a doubt my favorite character of the book, I laughed so much with her.

Nick's still trying to put his life back together after losing his mother in a bank robbery and his father, a cop, have been struggling a bit after the incident.
Furthermore, Nick deals with ADHD and it's wonderfully portrayed that leaves a positive message. Although Nick is my least favorite character due to his dumbness, not related to his ADHD though.

The Extraordinaries plays with the gray zone in good and bad situations with superheroes being the hero and villain, respectively, making it more complex; the other sidestory is about teenagers angst and feelings and all that complicated things young adults have to live with. How can you get to the point of accepting that maybe you and your best friend could be more than just friends?
This book is part mystery, part love story, part superheroes, and part comedy. It has moving and authentic relationships and a bunch of mistakes to deal with.

•ENGLISH/ESPAÑOL•

~ENGLISH~
The ARC for this novel was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dear God, how am I going to survive a year without the sequel? I NEED IT NOW, I JUST CAN'T!
You really need to read it, TJ Klune's style has evolved in the best possible way and the story is amazing and right now I can't stop thinking that I NEED everyone to read it and see how amazing it is!

And just for that let me explain how WONDERFUL Nick and Seth baby are and Gibby and Jazz too and AHHHHH! I JUST CAN'T! I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!
Believe me, these characters are going to make you fall in love with them, let alone Nick's Dad (AYY LOVEEEEE HIM), but first you must know what the story is about~.

This one focuses on Nick Bell, a teenager obsessed with the extraordinary who writes fanfics of the most handsome and incredible of them: Shadow Star. Nick LOVES Shadow Star, he loves him so much that he has written a HUGE and detailed fanfic of his romance- uh, of the romance of “Nate” * wink * and Shadow Star that has surprisingly become the most famous in the fandom!
Nick would give everything he could to talk to Shadow Star and make their romance finally come true, and it's not until Nick is mugged that he meets the hero himself! No matter what his friends (and voices of reason) tell him, after the meeting Nick is determined to become an extraordinary and be the partner of Shadow Star, and it doesn't matter if his best friend (and one of his favorite people in the world) help him or not, he's going to create a plan and embark on an incredibly adorable and fun adventure that will leave you speechless~.

You really need this book!
It is not just that it is extremely adorable or that there are tons of jokes and funny and adorable scenes along the way, it's that you JUST LOVE THE CHARACTERS!
Each one of them is special in their own way and together they make a dynamic team that will steal your heart, starting with Nick and his father.

TJ Klune was right when he said we were going to love their relationship, it's completely adorable, I love it! Their scenes together were my favorites, they are a duo without equal, they take you through the ups and downs of emotions and you can't stop loving them even when they hurt you because a love like theirs is completely and totally adorable, my heart could not resist love them so much~.

And Nick, God, he is a small tornado full of happiness and joy, of so many different ideas that will enchant you. He is impulsive, adorable, absent-minded, funny, I swear to you I never stopped wanting to hug and fill Nick with pure love because that boy deserves everything in life.
And then there is Seth that MY GOD IS ADORABLE! You are not going to find a more adorable and cute character like him, you'll want to protect them, especially when they are together, they are adorable and incredible, I really loved them too much ❤️.

And about the story, I really liked it! I feel like TJ Klune has changed a lot (and for the better) over the years. I read almost all of the author's books and I must say that The Extraordinaries and The house in the cerulean sea are the most adorable books of the author, with a fresher and more cheerful style, I really love how his writing has evolved, his characters, the atmosphere of his books is wonderful!

The story was very funny and very entertaining, and although I could guess some of the plot twist, the truth is that I loved Nick's story, his adventures, his friends, especially I loved the scenes of him with his father and I really want to read more scenes with them in the following books, because I am NOT going to forget what Klune did in that last extra chap. KLUNE, HOW DARE YOU?! How am I going to survive a year without the sequel? HOW?! Dear God, I'm gonna die, I need it NOW 😭 And you need this book immediately!

4.5 ⭐️

~ESPAÑOL~
El ARC de esta novela fue proporcionado por la editorial a través de NetGalley a cambio de una reseña honesta.

Dear God, ¿cómo voy a sobrevivir un año sin la secuela de The extraordinaries? LO NECESITO YA, I JUST CAN'T!
En serio necesitan leerlo, el estilo de TJ Klune ha evolucionado de la mejor forma posible y la historia es increíble y justo ahora no puedo dejar de pensar en que NECESITO que todos lo lean y vean lo increíble que es!

Y sólo por eso déjenme explicarles lo MARAVILLOSO que es Nick y Seth bebé y Gibby y Jazz y AHHHHH! I JUST CAN'T! I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!
Créanme que estos personajes los van a enamorar por completo, ya ni se diga el papá (AYY AMOOOOO), pero primero deben saber de qué se trata la historia~.

Esta se centra en Nick Bell, un adolescente obsesionado con los extraordinarios que escribe fanfics del más guapo e increíble de ellos: Shadow Star. Nick ADORA a Shadow Star, lo ama tanto que ha escrito un fanfic ENORME y detallado de su romance- eh, del romance de “Nate” *wink* y Shadow Star que sorprendentemente se ha vuelto el más famoso del fandom!
Nick daría todo lo que pudiera por hablar con Shadow Star y hacer que su romance finalmente se hiciera realidad, y no es hasta que Nick es asaltado que conoce en persona al mismísimo héroe! No importa lo que sus amigos (y voces de la razón) le digan, tras el encuentro Nick está decidido a convertirse en un extraordinario y ser el compañero de Shadow Star, y no importa si su mejor amigo (y una de sus personas favoritas en el mundo) lo ayuda o no, él va a crear un plan y se embarcará en una aventura increíblemente adorable y divertida que lo dejará sin palabras~.

En serio necesitan este libro!
No es sólo que es sumamente adorable o que hay muchísimos chistes y escenas graciosas y adorables a lo largo del camino, es que SIMPLEMENTE AMAS A LOS PERSONAJES!
Cada uno de ellos es especial a su manera y juntos hacen un equipo dinámico que se robará tu corazón, iniciando con Nick y su padre.

TJ Klune tenía razón cuando dijo que íbamos a adorar su relación, es completamente adorable, me encanta! Sus escenas juntos fueron de mis favoritas, son un duo sin igual, te llevan por un sube y baja de emociones y no puedes parar de amarlos incluso cuando te lastiman porque un amor como el suyo es completa y totalmente adorable, mi corazón no pudo resistir quererlos tanto~.

Y Nick, Dios, es un pequeño tornado lleno de felicidad y alegría, de tantas ideas distintas que te va a hechizar. Es impulsivo, adorable, distraído, gracioso, les juro que no paraba de desear abrazar y llenar de puro amor a Nick porque ese niño lo merece todo en la vida.
Y luego está Seth que DIOS MÍO, ES ADORABLE! No van a encontrar un personaje más adorable y lindo como él, dan ganas de protegerlos, y más cuando están juntos, son adorables e increíbles, en serio los amé demasiado ❤️.

Y por la historia, me gustó muchísimo! Siento que TJ Klune ha cambiado muchísimo (y para mejor) a lo largo de los años. Leí casi todos los libros del autor y debo decir que The Extraordinaries y The house in the cerulean sea son los libros más adorables del autor, con un estilo más fresco y alegre, en serio amo cómo ha evolucionado su forma de escribir, sus personajes, el ambiente de sus libros, es maravilloso!

La historia fue muy graciosa y muy entretenida, y aunque pude adivinar algunos de los plot twist del libro, la verdad es que amé la historia de Nick, sus aventuras, sus amigos, especialmente adoré las escenas de él con su padre y en serio quiero ver más de ellos en los siguientes libros, porque NO voy a olvidar lo que Klune hizo en ese último cap extra. KLUNE, HOW DARE YOU?! ¿Cómo voy a sobrevivir un año sin la secuela? ¡¿CÓMO?! Dear God, I'm gonna die, lo necesito YA 😭 Y ustedes necesitan este libro inmediatamente!

4.5 ⭐️

Well damn, It's finished...
This is a cute story about a queer ADHD named nick, who is obsessed with superheroes.
And my boy nick is a disaster (but I love him all the same).
I really enjoyed everything about this book.
I loved the relationships in this from the friends, to the parents, And watching Nick accept his ADHD.
Such a joy to read (I need more!). Here's to another favourite series ahead.

Ever since I first heard of TJ Klune's YA debut, "The Extraordinaries" it has been on my Most Anticipated Releases of 2020 list, and I was both incredibly excited and absolutely honoured to receive an e-ARC copy of the book from Macmilan-Tor/Forge via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"The Extraordinaries" is a YA contemporary, with sci-fi/fantasy elements and LGBTQ+ themes. The story follows our main character, Nick Bell, a 16-year-old who is a popular fanfiction author for "The Extraordinaries" fandom. He has a small, but true group of friends, a supportive father (who happens to be a cop), and a massive crush on the caped crusader known as Shadow Star.

After he and his friend are saved from being mugged by Shadow Star, Nick plans to become an Extraordinary himself, in part because of his crush, but also to help the people around him. Nothing is as it seems, however, and soon Nick discovers that perhaps being ordinary is the most Extraordinary thing of all.

I absolutely LOVED this book, and I COULD NOT put it down! I loved the fandom-related aspects of the novel, I loved the sci-fi/fantasy aspects, I loved both the mental health and LGBTQ+ representation. Nick as the main character was awkward and relatable, and his "will they-won't they" relationship with his childhood best friend, Seth, was both maddeningly frustrating (in the best way) and so adorably sweet. It's also a very well-written book generally, with easy, approachable prose.

This is an incredible YA debut, and I look forward to reading more of TJ Klune's work in the future. If you're a fan of "Eliza and Her Monsters" by Francesca Zappia, "The Fascinators" by Andrew Eliopulos, or "Infinity Son" by Adam Silvera, this is a book that you do NOT want to miss

"The Extraordinaries" is scheduled for release on July 14, 2020. I've already pre-ordered my copy, and I hope you will too! Special thanks to Macmilan-Tor/Forge for allowing me the opportunity to read it early!

So I really love this. This book made me actually laugh out lour and almost made me cry at one point. I've been having some bad luck with books lately, with a lot of things I have been reading being just okay and I've felt very slumpy, but this really was a beacon in darkness.

In "The Extraordinaires", we follow Extraordinary obsessed boy named Nick. He spends his days hanging out with Gibby, Jazz and Seth, his best friend and maybe crush, and trying to avoid his ex, Owen. He wants desperately to be an Extraordinary himself, and is willing to do whatever it takes to become one. And if he succeeds, he can help save the city from Pyro Storm, protect his father from reaching the same unfortunate end as his mother, and maybe meet his hero and crush Shadow Star.

This book was such a pleasure to read. The plot moved quickly, but still was able to flesh out the world and characters in a natural way. I really enjoyed reading from Nick's perspective. Because he has ADHD, the narration of the story would at times jump around, just as Nick's train of thought was. It could have been jarring to read, but I found that it really added to not only Nick's character and voice, but also really helped in fleshing out the plot. Although I predicted where the plot was going from pretty early on, I still really enjoyed it, as the writing was so fun and the characters were so great. There was also a lot of good discussion around Nick's ADHD and how it affects his daily life and self esteem. I would have loved to see a little more background on this world, but that could come in the next book.

The characters really made this book for me. I felt that we got to know them all pretty organically and I loved the friendship dynamics between our main 4 characters. Seth was adorable, and his crush was so awkward and realistic. Gibby and Jazz were so supportive of Nick, but at the same time were not afraid to tell him like it is. I really appreciated Nick's dad as well. Often in YA, I find the parents are missing from the books, but that was not the case here. Nick's dad was present throughout the book, and really added to Nick's growth as a character.

Overall, this was a really fun book that was full of humour and heart and I highly recommend it!

Oh my god. Oh my god. OH MY GOD.

This was my first TJ Klune book and I can wholeheartedly 1000% say he is my new favourite author and will be buying all of his books.

This one in particular was just WOW. I mean it literally had everything. Romance, action, HUMOR, soft moments and real moments that tackled so many important issues like depression and grief and dealing with panic attacks and adhd. I laughed out loud I gasped I felt with Nick and Seth and GIBBY OH MY GOD I LOVED GIBBY AND JAZZ SO MUCH. AND NICK’S DAD AND CAP PLEASE. Nick and Seth’s journeys were so good and so well written I felt like I was INSIDE. Listen, the friendships the romances THE FOUND FAMILY BUT ALSO THE REAL FAMILY everything was just so... GOOD. My heart is so full and this is going to stick with me for a long long time.

I fell in love with the way TJ Klune writes his stories and his characters and I’m so ready to tackle everything that he has ever written ever.

I’m so so so excited to buy my physical copy so I can read again and again and again.

Included as a top pick in bimonthly July New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached).

RTC.

What is that in the sky? Its a bird, it's a plane, its... NIck? Nick has always wanted to be extraordinary but unfortunately, he was not blasted with gamma rays or bite by a mutant spider. The closest he has come to an extraordinary is the fan fiction he writes about Shadow Storm . Nick wants to be better than his ADHD and constant anxiety from his mother passing and worrying about his police father. What Nick does not realize is he is closer to the superhero action than he thinks. The Extraordinaries is a hilarious revision of the superhero trope. Klune gives the protagonist, Nick, depth, flaws, and courage through originality. Nick is unsympathetic in who he is and is a teenager trying to figure out who he is in the world. The supporting characters are full and complex that helps creates diversity in the plot. The banter between characters is hilarious, authentic, and charismatic, leaving the reader rolling with laughter. The father-son relationship between Nick and his dad is realistically depicted and heartwarming. Klune does not shy away from the hard interactions between family members.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

4.5 stars.

TJ Klune is quickly becoming a must read author for me. It seems as though everything he touches is magic. This is definitely true with this quick teen read.

The Extraordinaries is something like Fangirl/Carry On with a superhero spin. Humorous and flippant while tackling difficult topics and those awkward teenage moments and (let's face it) years. The writing is fresh and funny and everything moves so easily. The book zoomed along and it could easily be a single-sitting read.

Klune's characters are lovable, unapologetically themselves, and believable. There is a lot of encouragement for individuality and being true to yourself, which I found just so adorable. The characters, both adults and teens, feel inclusive and the writing perpetuates a great atmosphere of acceptance.

The plot is sometimes a bit overly transparent, but I didn't mind that since I was having so much fun with the read. I really enjoyed this first installment in what looks to be an upcoming trilogy and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book and...let's be honest here...anything else TJ Klune happens to write.

I have many feelings, the first one being: TJ Klune is an absolute gift for this world. I'm honestly so happy he's coming to the dark side of the force (YA) because it means more people will be able to discover his books and see how talented he is, and we stan:) my second feeling is: I'd give my life for Nick and Seth (and can I please kick Rebecca Firestone in the face?)

okay, let's be serious. this book was the funniest thing I've read in a very long time (I'm talking about full belly laugh) while still talking about serious matters, such as death of a parent, grief, living with a disorder and, you know, saving the world:) I fell in love with it right from the start. Nick is such a lovable character even when he's being annoying, and his entire group of friends made my heart melt. I'm so so very excited for the rest of the trilogy!!!!!!