⭐2 Stars ⭐

Predictable bordering on infuriating, Klune’s YA debut is lacking in many areas. I am unsure if his characters were immature for their age or just poorly characterised despite how much we learn about their backstories. I feel that this book encompassed 2012 Tumblr culture very well (which is not a sentence I thought I would ever have to write), and I think it would do very well back then but in 2020 I found a lot of the dialogue and the internal monologue cringe-worthy.

Although I can endlessly praise the diversity in this novel, for me it doesn't make up for the repetitive narration, flashbacks and dialogue. There is an audience for this novel, but I am afraid I am not part of it.

What dropped this rating from three stars to two was the ending of the novel as it seemed to invalidate the message of the story. This is a spoiler-free review so I won't be detailing it here, but I felt like it was only written in that way to create the need for a sequel in an otherwise complete story.

You Should Read This Book if you Like:
+ Diverse reads
+ Interesting Superhero Concepts
+ Fight Scenes

Trigger Warnings: Anxiety, Greif, References to Drug Addiction.

I received an advance review copy for free via NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily 📚.

I was really excited to read this because I thought the story was interesting. I found up until the big reveal, it's rather boring and dull. There's too much and not enough going on. Nick tries to become an Extraordinary aka superhero but has terrible plans on how to do it.

The only good part comes at the end. There's a little after the epilogue scene that is in the same vain as Marvel end credits scene. It sets up book 2 every well. (If there will be one)

I loved this take on a classic superhero story. It kept me intrigued, and the characters were so likable and endearing. TJ Klune does such a great job of referencing classic superhero culture, but updating it to make it more inclusive. This book will delight YA and adult readers alike!

First of all, I have to warn you that I suck at reviewing books without giving spoilers so bear with me. Secondly, thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Publishers for giving me the opportunity of reviewing this book. I went into the book knowing that it was going to exceed all my expectations as it's by one of my favorite authors. TJ Klune has a way of telling stories that are both unique and relatable and this book was no different. I loved the plot of the book. I loved how it was different than other LGBTQ books because it does not make a big deal about coming-out. The whole book is about a queer teenager who is totally lovable. If you like humorous, queer and relatable YA novels that you're going to fall in love with instantly then this is the book for you. But I have to say, the ending? I so did not see it coming! The author successfully shocked me once again. I can't wait for the second book in the series.

The Extraordinaries is the YA queer superhero novel that I've been waiting for and to say it was a gem would be an understatement. I've been a fan of TJ Klune for years now and to get the chance to read his YA debut has been such an honour. I was in stitches from laughter and pages later I would be on the verge of tears. It's safe to say that TJ Klune has done it again!

Nick lives in a city with superheroes and he is obsessed with them. Having ADHD means he spends a lot of his time on his special interest by writing fanfiction of himself and his crush, Shadow Star, which is one of the more popular Extraordinary fics. Aside from his fanfic, Nick spends his days dealing with the challenges of junior year, trying to get his father to trust him again, and trying not to crush on his best friend, Seth, cinnamon roll personified. But then, Nick has a fateful encounter with Shadow Star that has Nick realising his true potential: he is going to become an Extraordinary.

Nick is the sweetest main character I've read in a long time. The boy is basically a hug in human form. His ADHD is spot on, I could relate to him so much, from his scattered thoughts, to his inability to concentrate (until it comes to his latest obsession), to his ability to speak before his brain catches up. When I say Nick had me laughing so much, I had to take a five minute break from reading, I'm not exaggerating. Nick's sense of humour, his actions and reactions, are so damn hilarious. Nick is definitely one of the greatest YA protagonists out there and I can't wait to read more about him in the sequel. 

My other favourite character was Seth. Oh my gosh, this boy! He has a very obvious crush on Nick, but of course Nick is super oblivious. This is something Klune has always done incredibly well: the oblivious romantic interests. Nick is also in love with Seth, he's just unable to see that, but he does wax poetically about Seth's many virtues, especially how much Seth is just an adorable cinnamon roll. 

Among the fantastic side characters are Gibby and Jazz, two of Nick and Seth's best friends who are also in a relationship together. These two sapphic girls are adorable together and I shipped them from the first time they showed up on page. Gibby is a badass, who cuts first and asks questions later. She's highly protective of her friends, especially Jazz, but is also secretly a romantic. Jazz used to be part of the popular crowd until she met and fell in love with Gibby, so now she spends her days with the weirdos. Jazz is so adorable and comes across as a little oblivious, but she's actually the one who pays the most attention. And finally, there's Owen, Nick's sort-of-not-really ex-boyfriend who forces his presence on the group even though nobody really likes him because he's a rich, stuck-up. But Nick can't help but still care for him ...

I had so much fun reading The Extraordinaries. The book is super tropey, just imagine yourself watching a superhero movie -- but it's aware of those tropes and even makes fun of them. And I'm not saying it's tropey in a bad way, either. It's something I expected and looked forward to, what with the superhero element. But even though the novel features tropes, the book still manages to surprise me by flipping those tropes on their heads. I'm not going to say anymore than that, because I don't want to spoil anyone! But I can so perfectly see this book as a movie and I sincerely hope it has the chance to become one some day!

If you've always been interested in reading one of TJ Klune's books, then I highly recommend starting with The Extraordinaries. You're in for a fun romp of a time. And if you're a long-time fan of Klune's books, you're going to find a new favourite here too.

The Extraordinaries is TJ Klune's first YA novel but if you, like me, have read some of his books you have already met and loved some young queer characters. If this is your first book by this author I can guarantee you that you will start reading his other books as soon as you finish this gem!
While reading the first page I was smiling, between then and the 15% I had already cried and laughed because that is the Klune effect!
This book is full of feelings, rambling, billowing, evil crackling and some posing. The characters are as always so well written and the universe so impossibly real that everything else fades. Reading this book surely is an extraordinary experience!! (and puns are not the lowest form of humor

This was a delight to read! The whole thing felt like a comic book, and I loved every minute. It was funny, absurd, silly, and romantic. Hijinks ensued on every page, and I was reminded yet again that boys really are a bit slow on the uptake sometimes.
Overall an excellent read, and I look forward to more from this author!

I really enjoyed this book. It’s not perfect and there are a few things I hope get corrected in proofs but those are pretty small. I liked the twist on your average superhero story and the addition of an lgbt romance. When I first read the description of this book I saw fangirl meets renegades comparison and I was hooked. I admit, one of my faves ever is Hero by Perry Moore. I was so excited to read this and tho, again, it’s not perfect, I really enjoyed the wit the author adds in. I think we have a similar sense of humor.
Overall I would give this a 4/5

I love TJ Klune books. One of the reasons is that he has such a wide range of topics and settings that there is something for everyone. I like his more serious material a bit better. That's important to know if you want to understand why I gave 4 stars to a perfectly wonderful book. I really enjoyed it, the second part somewhat more than the first part. My reason for not giving it 5 stars is connected to the fact that I don't enjoy the silliness as much as others do. It just felt too much to me.
I did love the tightly knit group of friends around Nick and the way they were there for each other. There is so much in this book that I loved, so I can absolutely recommend The Extraordinaries despite my own personal hangups!

I loved this book! It was cute, fun, and quirky. I loved Nick!!! Lovers of Fan Girl will go ga ga for this book!

The Extraordinaries is about 16 year old Nick, who has ADHD. He is trying to cope with his ADHD and the recent death of his mother. He has three friends that are always at his side, one of which is his BEST friend, Seth. The setting in this book is a fictional city called Nova City. Nova City is your regular city that has regular crime. A couple of vigilantes known as the Extraordinaries are often seen fighting crime in this city. (there is a good guy and a bad guy) So this story is somewhat of a fantasy. Nick is obsessed with Shadow Star, the good guy Extraordinary and writes fan fiction about him on his webpage. Nick wants to be an Extraordinary and he will do what it takes to become one.

This was a coming of age story about a boy who learns that you don't have to have super powers to be extraordinary. You have to look inside yourself and find what makes you extraordinary! I loved this book, so I am giving it 4 stars.

I wouldn't be ashamed to say that The Extraordinaries is my first TK Klune book -- IT WAS AWESOME! I was so excited when I found out that I was approved for an ARC.

I love this story so much. There's something amazing when you can relate to a story on so many different levels. This a book about superheroes and queer characters. That's already a perfect combination! It's a story of friendship, trust and choices. Apart from that, I'M SO OBSESSED WITH THE FATHER-SON DYNAMICS! I love how it was written.

Though I would've wanted it to be lesst predictable at some points, I would say that this is still a good read and I can't believe that I'm already excited for the sequel even before this book comes out! Please grab a copy when you do!

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own**

First, let me say that I love the cover art. It involves this feeling of youthful innocence and really illustrates both Nick and Seth without spoiling the story.

Anywho, I LOVED this story. I honestly wish I would have read it sooner. 😍 Seriously! It gave me all types of feels from laughing to crying to a few years. What more could I want in a story? I know, a ton of loveable characters with the best dang personalities ever! I mean I legit wish they were real so I could hang out with them. Yes, this story features some memorable Queer characters and I'm sure there will be some people who aren't into stories featuring Queer characters, but man oh man are they missing out because Klune did an amazing job of making all of these characters relatable. It is a nerd-filled, humorous coming of age story that just blends everything together so well. I didn't want to stop reading it. I also love that it ended on a cliffhanger, and I'll definitely buy a sequel if there is one.

I quite enjoyed this book. It is not in the genre of YA I normally enjoy and at times it felt like I was reading fanfiction, not just reading about someone who writes fanfiction. For some, this may be a draw, not so much for me. I did find Nick endearing as a character if a little flat. I found the dialog to be a bit awkward, as everyone had the same tone and sense of humor, but it was still fun. The "big twist" wasn't really a twist at all as it was obvious basically the whole book, but I think this was on purpose to show Nick's obliviousness.

I really enjoyed this book! After briefly reading the synopsis, and knowing that TJ Klune is such a loved author, I thought I'd give this book a shot! I thought it would be a bit like The Fascinators, which I really liked, so I didn't try to find out much information about the book to begin with.

So, I was a bit taken aback by the concept when I read the first few chapters. Superheros, called Extraaordinaires, are a rare but not unheard of occurrence in this world. Nick, a gay teenager with ADHD, is obsessed with the main superhero in his city, Shadow Star. He writes fanfiction about him and dreams of being a superhero, too.

This concept alone had me a little worried in the beginning. Superhero stories can sometimes come off a bit childish and silly. But it seems like TJ Klune knew that. The story is silly and fun, but there are also many heartwarming moments. The dialogue was perfection and seemed to be taken right out of a movie. Everything played out in my head like a film, and I think it was a great ode to superhero films, the silliness of a teenage superhero, and it didn't take itself too seriously. There were times when I guessed something would happen that was a bit predictable, but there were also plot twists that I did not see coming, especially at the end. Whenever I thought the book was getting a bit simple or cliched, something happened that made me take it all back. It really pleasantly surprised me.

I think what made me the happiest was the ADHD representation. This is an #ownvoices story, as TJ Klune has ADHD himself, and I think this is the first novel I've read with the main character with ADHD besides Percy Jackson. It was really interesting and probably very close to TJ Klune's own experiences. Not only that, but the main love interest, Seth, and also Nick's best friend is bisexual and also a complete nerd. He wears sweater vests and bow ties and he's thoughtful and sweet and a big fucking nerd. It was refreshing to see a bisexual who wasn't stereotypically badass, fearless, or sexually-confident. He's just a nerd.

Anyways, I really enjoyed this book. I didn't realize this would be part of a series but I'm excited!

First of all I absolutely love Nicks relationship with his dad. A lot of YA mentions the parents and then you never see them again or they’re completely oblivious and Nick’s dad definitely broke the mold! I also loved the fan fiction of Nicks crush the Superhero of Nova City Shadow Star. I liked that Nick ADHD was present throughout the book always there which is what made Nick feel so real. Seth was the cutest I loved Nicks descriptions of his outfits everyday! Gibby and Jazz were so badass and I love both of them!The plot twists left me speechless! The only thing I disliked about this is I have to wait for a sequel!

I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. This was a fun adventure story set in a world where super heroes or extraordinaries really exist. In this world comic books and popular comic book heroes also exist was fun. At some points the story felt exaggerated but that kind of fits the comic book style of the story. The characters were likeable but definitely flawed and the narrator at times was hard to follow. The main character nick has a huge crush on his favorite extraordinary, shadow star. Nick is struggling with his ADHD and feels he is disappointing his father so he decides to become an extraordinary and chaos ensues. This is a fun story and I recommend it for a lighter distraction!

I felt this was just average, probably on the lower side of enjoyment for me and I most likely won't continue the series.

This was lacking world building, there was some stuff there but it wasn't well set out from the beginning so it was difficult to fully grasp the world.

The characters felt very much the same-same to me and I didn't feel a connection to them.

I felt like the story could have ended a lot sooner, there were a few "battle" scenes towards the end - ok about three - and after the first two I felt the story would have ended a lot better. There was the potential for a good cliff hanger but instead it was a story that ended and no real continuation onto the next one in the series.

Perhaps this wasn't for me, but it really should've been based on the synopsis and genre

As an avid reader of fanfiction, it’s nice to see its appearance in mainstream fiction. We follow a boy named Nick, who deals with ADHD and being not extraordinary. He writes fanfiction about his favorite superhero, Shadow Star. I loved this concept of superheroes and villains being reversed roles. We see that here, the lines of what we deem good and bad are blurred. I also loved Nick’s best friend, Seth. The pining and overall tension is amazing. The characters deal with realistic problems which make them more relatable. I loved this book! Superheroes, pining, angst, fluff, lgbtq, and more!

This book was everything I needed. A mix of humor, coming of age and superheroes. These characters had me laughing and I thoroughly enjoyed the relationship between father and son here. I found myself excited for their conversations and really appreciated that bond building. As someone who used to read a lot of fan fiction- I loved reading the fanfic scenes throughout the book and how the writing style changed to match a teenager and how they would write, it made everything so much more real. 10/10 would recommend.

What an amazing story. The whole idea that the novel centers around characters who AREN'T superheroes?! What a great concept. The characters are dynamic and relatable. All the plot points were great to read. I recommend this book to everyone who loves an underdog.