I have such high expectations for this book. The cover is beautiful, the synopsis sounds promising, and having read Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea, I have nothing but excitement and faith for it. And after reading it, damn, I am so glad those expectations are met and more.

tl;dr: This funny, wholesome, and unapologetically queer book will make you laugh, break your heart, and lure you into the start of what seems to be a great trilogy. Superheroes and villains! Fan fictions! Best friends to lovers trope! You will love this!

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This book is just perfect. It’s hella funny, it’s poignant, it’s relatable, it’s heartbreaking, it’s shocking, it’s angsty (two boys pining, come on), it’s heartwarming, the plot twists are amazing, it’s wonderfully-written, it’s EVERYTHING.

But let’s start with the writing style. Klune knows how to tell a story. Yes, he does. The book opens up with a fanfic (a freaking FANFIC, formatted just like in AO3) and I knew this is going to be one hell of a ride. It was funny all throughout, but there were heartbreaking and heartstopping moments as well.

Being neurodiverse himself, I feel like Klune managed to encapsulate Nick’s ADHD onto the pages perfectly. There were times when I just wanted to give Nick a hug, and tell him it’s going to be okay. (This is obviously a clear sign that I got invested with the characters AGAIN) Speaking of characters, I loved that everyone in this book had a part. The minor characters weren’t just there for the sake of it. Instead, they added their own flair and stories, they helped Nick, they helped the plot, they made the story alive, and I loved that.

As for the romance, oh boy. Get ready for a lot of pining and cluelessness and angst. But also, get ready for the fluff and the wholesomeness. Best friends to lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes, and the author wrote that well.

When it comes to the plot of The Extraordinaries, it was definitely entertaining. Nick decides he wants to become an Extraordinary and starts all these crazy methods, and then some…other things happen (which I will not spoil, of course!). I liked that the author knows how to build up a plot twist or revelation. He does that really well all throughout the book using flashbacks, a number of foreshadowing, and more. And though, I already had a hunch early on about a specific big plot twist, it was still so exciting and thrilling to read the book.

The world-building, I feel like it can use a little more polishing. However, this is just the first book, and I have faith that we’ll get to know more about the origin of these Extraordinaries in the next installments.

Overall, The Extraordinaries is such an amazing journey of self-discovery, self-love, the beauty of friendship and family, and challenging the very trope that is “superhero versus villain”.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I simply DEVOURED this book!

I don't think I have ever loved a book as much as I loved The Extraordinaries! It's hands down one of my favourite reads of this year and probably even established its name in my list of favourite books of all time. It had everything I could possibly have wanted in a book: an amazing character voice, great dialogue/banter, well written awkwardness, cute dorky characters, ADHD representation, superheroes and fandoms! What wasn't there to love? I found myself laughing, crying and going beetroot red at some scenes. I just couldn't take my eyes off this ARC it was just beautiful and I truly have no words to express how I feel. I didn't think I would love this book as much as I did but I'm just so glad I picked it up.

I saw it being marketed a lot on Goodreads and I knew that this was a book to look out for. It had lots of positive reviews so I knew already it was enjoyed by a vast majority of readers. I think what really got me was the superhero and ADHD rep especially since I never read a book with a focus on it. Although I haven't personally been diagnosed with it, I believed that the representation was quite accurate and you could see it all the way through the novel in Nick's character. He was loud, upbeat, dorky, awkward and he had a lot of heart making him a character I instantly fell in love with. He had his flaws but he tried his hardest at school and had a real passion for the Shadow Star fandom.

The whole idea of this Shadow Star vs Pyro Storm plot line was just genius and I was entirely engrossed in it. I loved how the extraordinaries and being extraordinary became a major component of Nick's life. It was through this that we really got a sense of his personality and character. Nick was determined and although he had good intentions, a lot of his plans fell through. Nevertheless I was entirely enthralled and I found that those parts were the greatest components of the whole book. The scene with the mud and the drag queen ring would forever reign superior. It was safe to say, Nick was no less a hero of the story than Pyro Storm or Shadow Star.

Continuing on with Nick's characterisation, I absolutely loved he was oblivious to everything and a lot of the secrets his friends were keeping. I already worked out the big secret on page 68 to be exact but it took Nick almost 200 more pages to work it out. I was screaming at my screen for Nick to work it out and although I was slightly infuriated with him, I loved him nonetheless. He was so dorky and cute and I loved his relationship with Seth. It just made my heart swoon!

But it wasn't just characters, ADHD and superheroes that this book got right, there was a strong focus on friendships and family relationships. I loved the interactions with Nick's dad and Seth's family and thought they really gave the book a whole new dimension especially to Seth's character and the Shadow Star/Pyro Storm rivalry. There also were Nick's friends Gibby and Jazz, a badass lesbian couple whose sarcasm never wavered throughout the duration of the novel. That whole scene with Gibby, Shadow Star and Nick was the best thing I have ever read this whole year hands down. It was so awkward and Gibby's remarks really made it shine.

There was also so much diversity in this book it made me so happy. Almost every character was either gay, lesbian or bisexual and there was racial diversity too: always a positive.

In terms of storyline, plot and pacing I thought it really worked with this book. I was never bored and thought the pacing was just right: neither too fast nor too slow and I was constantly excited to read on. I thought that the contemporary style writing gave the book an edge and helped to intertwine the action/superhero plot arc with the fandom/friendships and personal life of Nick to make a dynamic and interesting read.

All in all, I absolutely loved The Extraordinaries to bits. This book definitely is going on my favourites list.

ACTUAL RATING: 4.9 STARS

Usually, I stay FAR away from YA books because I prefer reading about more mature characters but when I realised one of my favourite authors was doing YA, I hopped right to it. T.J. Klune is one of those authors whose books I know I'll enjoy even without reading a page of it. This was no different. I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience.

This book was set in a world where super heroes(Extraordinaries) exist just like the fictional comic book heroes from the likes of MarvelComics and DC Comics. It is in this world where we are introduced to the Nicholas Bell and his group of friends who were pretty fun to read about. They were all queer, smart and unapologetic of who they were. I adored them all.

Nick was endearingly awkward with zero brain to mouth filter 😂😂. Half of the things he said made me go "huh?". And the other half made me laugh out loud in disbelief. He definitely reminded me of Sam of Wilds from T.J Klune's "Tales From Verania" Series although, Sam was a 1000 times more over-the-top than Nick if you can believe it( grab that series in audio if you can. I assure you won't regret it).

But I digress, moving right back to my point, Nick Bell was a joy to read about. Often times as I said, he baffled me but he was still a joy to read about although he was probably the most oblivious person in the history of mankind. He just could not see what was RIGHT in front him partly because of his beautiful brain and partly because even though his heart was in the right place, he could be quite self-absorbed. The great thing is, he recognised his faults and worked them out in the most "Nick Bell" ways.

As I said, I certainly enjoyed my reading experience. The writing and story telling were as great as is expected from this author and he managed to balance humour, with a story about healing, and recognising one's self worth, no matter how "ordinary" we think may be.

This was Book #1 of what I hear is to be a trilogy and the ending certainly set up the next book quite nicely(with a lot of truth bombs I had began to suspect dropped on us readers). I wouldn't miss it for the world and you shouldn't as well if this book was anything to go by.

Nick Bell has been writing his epic fanfiction for a long time, and he’s a tad infatuated with its subject, Shadow Star. He’s obsessed with exploits of the hero and his arch nemesis, Pyro Storm. Junior year is about to start, and this may be Nick’s hardest year yet. He’ll have to deal with his kind of ex, Owen, and changes in his relationship with his best friend, Seth. Plus, Nick has decided he’ll do whatever it takes to become an Extrodinary to help the people of his city. Being a teenager is hard. It’s even harder when you live in a world with real-life superheroes.

TJ Klune is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors for great style and uplifting stories. I am not usually big on stories about teenage boys, but I was completely won over by Nick and his friends. The naturally diverse cast of characters felt like the people I’d like to have been friends with in high school. Nick and his dad reminded me a lot of the dude version of Gilmore Girls, heartwarming bond, sometimes a little weird, and full of witty banter.

I’m not usually one for love triangles, but Klune gave this one an interesting enough spin with a lot of friendship thrown in, so I didn’t immediately roll my eyes as usual. Still not my favorite thing, but it really works here. Nick’s gal friends are my favorite, and I’d really like another book in this universe just about them. So, yeah, if someone could make that happen, hit me up.

I love that the book begins and ends with fanfiction. As a longtime fangirl myself, I was reading X-Files Fan Fiction on dial up. That’s right. I’m ancient. The fic parts were super cute, and I think they will appeal to nerds both young and old. It’s nice to know some parts of nerd culture never change.

This book is just what I needed this month, and if you can get through June and need a smile in July, this one will be out next month. Don’t sleep on it. Be sure to add it to your YA Must Reads.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint!

Nick loves Extraordinaries. Nick wants to be an Extraordinary. So imagine his horror when he realizes he is the comic relief/love interest in his own story. But does he let that stop him from trying?! Never! His heart is in the right place, but the rest of him is crushing hard on the hero of Nova City, Shadow Star.

This book has superheroes, two adorkable best friends who may or may not have feelings for each other (so much awkward blushing), a really awesome dad, fanfiction, and it is #ownvoices queer and neurodiverse rep! Nick is a gay disaster with ADHD, and his friends and family love him exactly as he is. Even when his plans to turn himself into an Extraordinary go awry. Chaos ensues. It’s great fun.

Thank you Tor Teen for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

What a fun YA book! An urban fantasy dealing with a couple of superheroes (extraordinaries) called Shadow Star and Pyro Storm. The main character, 16-year-old Nick, is ADHD, queer, and is an obsessed superfan of the extraordinaries - to the length that he writes fan fiction about them. He has a major crush on Shadow Star. Nick's mother has died and he lives with his father, a cop, and has three close friends (Seth, Jazz and Gibby). The banter between these friends is hilarious. Nick's adventures in trying to become a better, stronger person are hilarious too.

This is not an academic read - you need to suspend belief and just go with it. It's funny and lighthearted (mostly) and just a fun read. Can't wait for the next installment in this series. I love T.J. Klune's writing. I read and enjoyed another of his books not too long ago called 'The House in the Cerulean Sea' which was also filled with magic and humor.

Thanks to Tor Teen and Netgalley for an advance copy!

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!!!!!!

This book blew my mind. I was amazed by the gorgeous writing, the diverse and exciting characters, the totally inventive plot. An easy 5 stars!

I love this new to me author. His books are real, easy to read and very enjoyable. I’ll be recommending this book as well.

This is the kind of book I wish I had had as a young teen. The queer representation is fantastic and the story is compelling — I’m confident this will fly off the shelves with superhuman zeal after publication day.

TJ Klune’s writing hovers between earnest and amusingly absurd, rather just like our dramatic and painfully honest hero, Nick Bell. Klune deftly steers the reader from emotion to emotion, taking us along for the ride on Nick‘s (sometimes extra) highs and lows. Reading this, I was amazed that I could go from laughing aloud to near tears, sometimes within the same chapter, caught up as I was in Nick’s story and his emotions. In Extraordinaries, Klune gives us the familiar: teenage angst in a high school setting, the contrasting pressures to both stand out from the crowd and to conform to societal standards, and the confusing and all encompassing experience of first love(s). He also gives us the strange and unfamiliar in an alternate reality where things are stranger than fiction: superheroes are real... and they’re people you can fall in love with, maybe without even knowing who is behind the mask. And maybe they’re something you could become yourself — if you take the leap. I enjoyed this one immensely and I can’t wait to fly off into Nick Bell’s next chapter in the sequel. Superqueeroes for the win!

I looooove TJ Klune, and, what can I say? I have a total soft-spot for gay superhero stories. This was an absolute delight to read! It's insightful and hilarious, and the fanfiction element was so much fun. Loved it.

This book is so funny but so deep at the same time.
Nick is oblivious and self - centered as most teenagers are but so lovable . The cast is diverse and engaging !
Would highly recommend !

"It’s well known that regardless of what else they are, teenage boys are inherently stupid."

I’ll be honest, I was not expecting to love this book the way I did. I was excited for an ARC ebook galley (Thanks Netgalley and MacMillan/Tor for this copy!!) but this wasn’t my favorite one I had requested. I am PLEASED to announce that this book surpassed ALL my expectations and was one of the most hilarious, enjoyable reads I’ve picked up lately.

This story centers around Nicholas Bell, fanboy with ADHD and a heart of gold, as he attempts to become and Extraordinary (a superhero) so he can hook up with his crush, Shadow Star. Also, he’s definitely in love with his best friend Seth, but he’s the only one who doesn’t know it. And he writes absolutely terrible Shadow Star fanfiction. So, you know, the standard teen superhero fanboy.

I was wary of this story mainly because I feel like fandom is so hard to get right. For every Fangirl, there’s a Ship It (sorry if you liked this one). The Extraordinaries got it right. The fanfiction wasn’t spectacular, because that’s not what fanfiction is for. Any time fanfiction was present it showed more about Nick’s mental state than anything else, which I absolutely adored.

I’ve seen some reviews saying they thought that everyone acted too childishly, which was part of the appeal for me. These kids felt like teenagers. They made stupid decisions and fell in love with the wrong people and got obsessed with all sorts of stupid things and were way more clever than anyone gave the credit for. Nick was a kid with ADHD, one I felt I could’ve met and been friends with back in my own superhero fanfiction writing days.

If you need a silly, sweet, and downright-good-time of a novel, I’d suggest picking this one up on July 14. I hope it gets all the hype and love it deserves, and I can’t wait to see what T.J. Klune does in the next book.

I didn't really know what to expect with this book (apart from the description, of course) and I must say, this has made the list of one of my favourite books now. I have already ordered it to add to my library.

One of its strongest points is that as a reader you think you know everything but there's still so much left to discover and piece together that you're as much in the dark as Nick is, just in different ways.
Nick is a wonderful lead character, he's oblivious to the point that it puts his life in danger but he's written so well that I instantly fell in love with him. His relationship with his group of friend, his father and the police officers was just wonderful.

This book definitely left me wanting so much more, and I hope i don't have to wait long for a sequel to this story. I definitely recommend this story to anyone who ... Honestly, basically anyone.

I love TJ Klune, and this book was a delight. I'm excited that it will be a series! Though it is a YA title, there is a lot of crossover appeal for adults who want something lighter and funnier to read.

WOOOW this book was so good ! I was so into the story with nick and that made me laugh so badly. I love his relation with his dad. I feel like it was so cute and I wish to have the same with mine. Also love this band of friend and Seth ♡.

Everything was cute, fun and also entertaining ! Can’t wait to discover more from this author

I received an e-ARC of this book from TJ Klune and Tom Doherty Associates – Macmillan Publishers through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I absolutely loved this book! It made me laugh and it made me cry. I love Nick Bell, he is hilarious; his fanfic is laced with sexual innuendo, his ADHD keeps his mind and his mouth going a mile a minute, and he is so angsty.
Even though you know the secret identities of the Extraordinaries quite early in the book it does not stop you from wanting to read the rest of the book. I cannot wait to find out what happens in book #2 as this book was left with a lovely little cliff hanger.

This was so much fun! It was exactly what I would look for in a summer read - light, funny, sweet, exciting. A bit formulaic and predictable, but if you're not reading too closely you could easily get so caught up in the story you don't see what's coming.
The characters are richly crafted and it was so easy to get invested in Nick and his high school drama, delightfully enhanced by a world where Extraordinaries (superheroes) are real. Good vs. evil, romantic drama, neurodiverse, action hero escapades...sincerely great fun and super queer. I can't wait for the next in this series!

This book is laugh out loud hilarious and awkward, and I love it! Who can’t love a book with superheroes, fanfic writers, queer characters, and a fantastic friend group (Seth, Ginny, and Jazz are wonderful).

Nick, our main character, has ADHD (own voices) and a tendency to speak before he thinks about what he’s going to say, which leads to some hilarious dialogue. He writes fanfic about real super beings, the extraordinaries, that protect and attack Nova City where he lives. Nick has a huge crush on Shadow Star it’s so bad that when Shadow Star saves Nick and Gibby from being mugged Nick tries to kiss Shadow Star and tells him about the pillow with the hero’s face on it. After the encounter with Shadow Star things start to get real interesting (no spoilers!)

The standouts of this story are the father-son relationship, the ADHD rep, and the humor. It’s great having a present parent figure that is accepting of their child, open in their support and gets in some great awkward dad comments along the way. The ADHD rep is great and I appreciate that it is normalized and just another thing that makes Nick, Nick. The humor may be polarizing for some as it is awkward but it is very authentically teenager and I honestly loved it.

I would recommend this to anyone! It was so much fun to read even when we touched on some deeper issues. The character growth and relationships are great and this book is definitely worth a read. I can’t wait to read the next book because I have theories that I need answered!

5 SUPER EXTRAORDINARY STARS ☆☆☆☆☆

I have never read a TJ Klune book that has not amazed me and this story was incredible to say the least.
Nick Bell is a gay teen that is a major fanboy of Shadow Star. This super hero is the protector of Nova City and boy does Nick have a major crush on the man his dad calls a douchebag wearing cheap tights. Battling high school, a well meaning but overprotective father and ADHD leaves Nick with a full plate. Add Nick's latest goal which is to make himself an Extraordinary and this book just soars!
Nick tries so hard but between his utter fascination of Shadow Star and his medical condition it can become a lot to handle. His dad really loves him and is super protective but his reasons are just. My favorite in this book is Seth, the best friend and young man you wish Nick would see more clearly.
T J creates new worlds that feel so real. Nova City could be Main Street USA. The residents both young and old are representative of a bustling community. There is one giant difference. This city hosts two Exraodinares that possess super human strength. Shadow Star the synthesis of good battles his arch enemy who is hell bent on destruction the evil Pyro Storm.
Nick is drawn to Shadow Star and up until recently his whole world was based around him. Along with his BFF Seth and his favorite besties Gibby and Jazz, he tries to get them on board for his over the top plan. He wants to devise a way to develop his own superhuman powers. His goal is adorably and ironically to protect his police officer father. I don't want to give away any spoilers but this dad and son duo are the best. They really care for each other even when they are butting heads.
Nick's reasons are sincere. Betrayal, confusion and ultimately everthing he believes in will be greatly tested. But hey, what would a stellar Klune novel be without these core elements?
The twists are perfect in this book. Even when you believe you know the truth you find out there is so much more to this story. There is a heart pounding finale with a promise for more to come. I can't recommend this phenomenal story filled with shocking moments and plenty of laughter. It may be a Y A story but for someone decades out of that range group I enjoyed every second of it. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this copy for my reading pleasure.