Another great read from TJ Klune. And the first YA book from him, which was an experience.

Klune has his own sort of humor and while I didn't love all of it, it sure makes me laugh out loud a lot.

What I liked about this was Nick, of course. He's a bit all over the place, his ADHD making his brain work in overdrive. I'm not 100% sure about the representation, but I am sure ADHD shows different for everyone. I'd like to think that his over-eagerness and head-in-the-cloud-ness were a big part of his personality, as well. I also loved his relationship with his friends, even though I wasn't all that impressed with their lying. Nick is completely oblivious to some things which is both frustrating and entertaining. Especially his mutual attraction to his best friend Seth - who I loved the most! - that he's not even aware of made me pull my hair and laugh indulgently.

But mostly I liked how queer this book were and the talk about being extraordinary without superpowers. Nick is trying to be more than he is, showing his dad that he can do better, be better. My heart broke a bit every time he belittled himself like that. And every time his dad confirmed that, being on him to improve, stop being so all over the place, stop being him. Don't get me wrong, his dad were trying his best to keep him safe and all parents basically stumble around blindly. But he was way too controlling and unsympathetic for me to feel bad for him.

I'll not say much more, except this is a good beginning and the last part made me crave the next book like chocolate cake.

4 of 5 capes

/ Denise

OMG 😱 OMG 😱 OMG 😱!!!
This book! This book got better and better the more I read!! At first I liked it. Then, I really liked it. Having JUST finished it, I loved it!

So....a story about wanting to be more than you are and realizing that what you are is extraordinary.

Here ya go:

YA - What a kiss!
AU - Comic heroes do exist!
Urban Fantasy - Can I have a super-power, too?

Nick Bell is our MC. He’s neurodiverse with severe ADHD. He is in high school. He writes fanfic about his real-life crush, Shadow Star, and the hero’s arch nemesis, Pyro Storm.

Nick is absolutely hilarious! His brain goes 100 miles a minute and gets distracted by every bit of shine and sparkle that crosses his path. He has an amazing imagination and is obsessed with the Extraordinaries which live among mere mortals.

One of my favorite things about this story was Nick’s close group of friends. We have the adorable bow-tie-wearing Seth, the baby butch Gibby, and the cheerleader Jazz. These four were all so very different but worked so well together!!

Another strong plus of the story was the focus on the father-son relationship between Nick and his dad. Often, in YA books, parents are tertiary characters at best. Not so here, my friends! Officer Aaron Bell is a setting secondary character that drives the plot forward (and possibly the plot of the next book???).

Let’s talk about love...yessssssss!!! There is love. There is pinning. There is, “How the hell can you be so blind, Nicky?!” But it all works out in the end for Nick and his man!! ❤️❤️❤️

Will you like it? I truly hope so.

My rec? It’s extraordinary! 👏👏👏

***I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.***

I had a blast with this book. Which should come as no surprise to anyone because TJ Klune is hilarious and a fantastic writer. CW: death of a parent (happened before the book started)

This book is adorable, hilarious, and also achingly sweet. It was also somewhat painful for me to get through because Nick is a teenage boy and he got himself into such embarrassing situations sometimes that I was cringing with second hand embarrassment. But even despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Nick is a delight, from how he talks and thinks to how painfully oblivious he is to what is going on around him. From his deliberate humor when he's joking around to his endless antics and embarrassing moments, he's absolutely hilarious and has the best group of queer friends a person could ask for. I laughed embarrassingly loud multiple times while listening to this in public and had a huge grin on my face for the majority of it.

He has fantastic relationships with his friends who will be roasting him for something he said or did one minute, all while being ready at the drop of a hat to have his back in support. You have to have those friends who will boost you up while keeping you grounded. His bond with Seth is particularly strong, though he is oblivious to what is right in front of him for most of the novel. This is friends to lovers (well, almost, it is YA after all) done right!

Despite his strong and humorous friendships that color the book, his relationship with his dad is what really got me in the feels. Sure they butt heads and have their rough points but they both try so hard to be there for one another and ultimately make sure the other knows that they love them and that they will do anything for them. That, and drily messes with him is hilarious.

This book was utterly delightful and when I realized this was actually going to be a series, I was over the moon with joy. I'm so excited to see where this series takes us!

Another wonderful journey in fiction. TJ Klune is firmly in my “favorite author” lane. I am so looking forward to what comes next.

I love this book with every fiber of my being. I laughed, I cried, I sobbed, I sighed, and I swooned over and with these oh so precious characters! The world is not worthy of Nick Bell.
Up until now, The House in the Cerulean Sea held the top spot of my favorite read of 2020, but The Extraordinaries has pretty much made it a tie. I may have to divide my top reads into Adult and Young Adult. Or I'll just leave it a tie. I'm just so in love with this book I don't know what I'm saying and I don't know what to do with myself.

The Extraordinaries is so fun, but also extremely heartfelt. Nick is so wonderfully endearing and clueless and precious, I just adored him. I loved the relationship he had with his dad, it was so heartwarming and realistic. And the friendships in this book are ones we'd all be so lucky to have.

This story was just so delightful. Nick with his absolute obsession with a certain superhero, his wanting to be a superhero himself, his cluelessness over his feelings for Seth, his pure obliviousness at times, it was almost too much for my heart to handle. I enjoyed seeing his growth throughout the book, and how, as fun as this story was, it was also full of teachable and learnable moments. I liked the way the heavier issues were handled, and that things weren't glossed over but dealt with in a realistic way.

For his first YA novel I think TJ Klune knocked it out of the universe with The Extraordinaries! After that epilogue I'm not sure how we're expected to wait until 2021 for book two, but no matter how long I have to wait, I will be here for it. The world definitely needs more superheroes!

E-ARC provided by the publisher (Tor Teen) through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All quotes used are subject to change. Thank you so much!

"And on the off chance that your paths split, well. Maybe it doesn't have to be forever. Or if it does, it doesn't mean what you had mattered any less."

"Nick's eyes narrowed. "That sounds like something Bizzaro Seth would say."

Seth took a deep breath and let it out slow. "I promise. I'm.... your Seth.""

"Nick knew the power of words. He knew that sometimes when they landed, they exploded with the force of a carelessly tossed grenade."

4 stars. The Extraordinaries is signature T.J Klune in a way I just can’t help but absolutely love. When I got the notification that I was approved for this, I was beyond psyched. This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year; it completely met all of my expectations. I think if you've read any of T.J Klune's other books, you'll have a good idea of what to expect from this book: a protagonist with a strong character voice, a lovable cast full of LGBTQ+ people, and lots of fun dealt in equal measure with lots of heartbreak.

Prose. Absolutely hilarious and reads very tongue-in-cheek, but has an emotional weight to it at the right moments. I think what I love about Klune's prose is the way that it amplifies whatever emotion the characters are feeling at any given moment. His prose is not quite conversational, but it manages to strike the perfect balance between over-the-top and grounded. In many ways, Klune's prose (especially in this book) is a direct reflection of the protagonist of the book. Just like good prose should, it accentuates Nick Bell's voice rather than drowns it out.

Plot and pacing. If you're expecting a thrill-ride of a superhero story, this might not be the book for you. The plot takes a backseat to characters and their dynamics. Especially with how character-driven this novel is. While this is a novel about superheroes, it's more focused on the effects their existence has on the people around them and what their existence means for our characters. Klune primarily focuses on the interpersonal relationships between our cast of characters and how they our bolstered or strained by Extraordinaries. Bottom line: if you love the characters, then you won't get bored and will continue reading for them. That's of course not to say that the plot doesn't have a few surprises that will leave readers gasping...

Speaking of characters, it's impossible not to talk about them. I loved the way Nick was depicted as a protagonist. A lot of his character is grounded in problems and issues that many readers can relate to: wanting to be more than he already is, being so passionately involved with a niche interest that you write fanfiction for it, and dealing with his ADHD. All of these things make for a very compelling and complex protagonist who, although frustrating at times (with some of the decisions he makes), is compulsively lovable. The rest of the cast is also incredibly lovable: quiet Seth, strong Gibby, and surprisingly observant Jazz.

Now of course, the romance. Y'all know I'm absolute garbage for childhood friends to lovers as a trope and even if it isn't done particularly well, I have a tendency to eat it up. T.J Klune absolutely blessed me in regards to this romance as it fell not only into that trope, but also did that thing where you can totally tell the love interest is pining away after the main character. Nick and Seth are adorable and so many times throughout this novel, I was just screaming at my screen for the former to stop being so dense and the latter to just be direct and honest about his feelings. It was just such a sweet, perfectly-paced m|m romance that gave me the warm fuzzies.

With all that being said, I did have one primary issue with this book that was prominent enough that I knocked my rating a half-star down: the glorification of the police force. Particularly in the current social climate, any piece of media that features the police force needs to critically examine the way the aforementioned institution as systemically harmed POC and particularly Black-Americans from the very beginning of its existence. While it isn't at the forefront of the plot, Nick's dad is a cop which sets the ground for a lot of police involvement within the lives of the characters.

The problem with this is that the portrayal of the police is always framed as them being the good guys, with little to no critique of the harm the system can do to vulnerable minorities. In particular there's a line that mentions the Black Lives Matter movement as well as a joke about police brutality (which hopefully will be edited out in the printed editions, as I was reading an E-ARC) that shows some awareness of the issue on the author's part... yet there isn't any discussion of either. I doubt that it was intentional, but it does read a bit like police propaganda at certain points. I would read this review for more specifics.

Conclusively, I really enjoyed this book and I'd definitely say buy a copy/borrow it from your local library when it comes out tomorrow! T.J Klune is slowly but surely making his way onto my all time favorites authors list one title at a time. This is a delightful, meta-romp with superheroes that has everything you could want: a well-drawn protagonist, a lovable and diverse cast, and an ownvoices m|m romance!

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

I can’t speak to the absolute truth of this quotation from the book (although observationally I believe it to be accurate 😉), but it certainly applies to the main character, Nick. He is utterly, completely clueless about many things that are perfectly obvious to the other characters and to the reader. It is PAINFUL.

Then add on top of that an epic level of awkward, and it just gets worse. Nick will blurt out what is in his head in situations where it should under no circumstances be shared. He regularly embarrasses himself. It is AGONIZING.

Nick has a very good heart, but he’s pretty much a mess in every other possible way. The secondhand mortification I experienced on Nick’s behalf was so strong it made me squirm at times. I had to take breaks from reading just to get some relief.

If that kind of humor is your jam, you will be in heaven reading this book. It really is very funny, with hilarious situations (for example, Nick’s plans for turning himself into an Extraordinary are bonkers) and tons of great lines. It is just also a LOT. Extra is right.

I did enjoy the novel, though, even if it sometimes made me twitchy. As with many superhero stories, in between the action scenes, lessons are learned, including lessons about the true nature of heroism and about the many forms love takes—friendship, family bonds, and romantic love. Speaking of which, Nick and Seth are absolutely adorable. It takes a while for that to go anywhere, however, what with Nick’s all-encompassing superhero crush. There is much pining (Seth) and obliviousness (Nick, of course).

Add to that the ADHD rep, which is seemed authentically handled to me, and there’s a lot to like about this book. After reading the teaser for the next volume in the series at the very end, I’m hooked. Hopefully, Nick will be a little less clueless and awkward in volume 2. (OK, it’s unlikely, since that’s pretty much Nick’s brand, but a girl can dream.)

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

My fanboying over TJ Klune continues with The Extraordinaries. Ever since he mentioned that he was doing a young adult book I’ve been eagerly anticipating its release. The wait is over now and the world now has a gay superhero YA story, with a neurodiverse main character that is filled with everything I expect from a master storyteller like TJ.

Yup, I loved this book. I hated that it was over as fast as it was (even though you can’t exactly call a 13 hour audiobook short).

Nick Bell is obsessed with the Extraordinaries, the superheroes and villains in his town. There’s Shadow Star, the one Nick writes wildly long fanfic about, and Shadow Star’s nemesis Pyro Storm. Nicks’ friends aren’t quite sure what to make of his fixation on these supers but they accept. Nick’s got amazing friends with Seth, who he’s got a major crush on, Owen, who he used to go out with, as well as Jazz and Gibby who are already in a relationship. These friends are tight and it’s exactly the friend group you’d want to have in high school. They’re silly and they watch out for each other and they call you on your shit.

Nick lives with his dad, a police officer with the Nova City PD. Dad isn’t a fan of the Extraordinaries as they tend to cause havoc, even more so lately as their battles get more intense. What exactly the Extraordinaries are doing blew my mind in the best way–and that’s all I’ll say about that.

Meanwhile, Nick and his dad have been figuring out how to live, just the two of them, since Nick’s mom died in a car accident. They do well most days, but some days everything piles up and things get said. It’s an amazing, realistic portrait of a family that’s been upended. They love each other, but some days are simply bad.

Nick really pushes the boundaries too as he starts a new school year and his dad wants better grades, wants Nick to be responsible and on time and do what he’s supposed to do. Which is easy when Nick’s brain races because of ADHD. All of it’s complicated even more when Nick gets it into his head that he wants to become an Extraordinary. To say that his plan to microwave a cricket so it becomes radioactive and he can have a Spider-man like origin story is the least crazy thing he does in this regard should give you some idea of what’s to come.

The Extraordinaries takes many twists and turns. Every time I thought I had a handle on what was going to happen, that would get upended–and I love that. TJ wrote a super intelligent, super aware young adult tale. The teenagers are equal part observant and on point and just plain clueless. There are times I’d cheer for what they were doing and other times wish they’d reconsider what they were doing.

Nick goes into the lexicon of my favorite TJ characters, including Joe and Ox, Gus, Linus and Mike. Characters that get me right in the feels. TJ gets deep inside Nick’s head as he tries to figure out what’s going on with the Shadow Star and Pyro Storm, how he can be the person his dad wants him to be, what’s going on with Seth and how badly he wants to kiss him. Nick’s brain won’t stop and that works to his advantage, at least some of the time. How TJ’s captured Nick on the page is, I think, going to really speak to many teens and what they go through–whether they’re neurodiverse or not.

The side characters are all fantastic here too. I particularly liked Nick’s dad who is really doing his best and clearly loves his son. Seth’s guardians are excellent too–and their peanut butter cookies sounded way yummy! Best of all, as TJ has talked about in interviews on this show, there’s no homophobia anywhere. These characters are unabashedly queer and that’s never a thing–which is exactly how it should be.

If audio’s your thing, check out the amazing audiobook voiced by Michael Lesley. His entire performance is exceptional, but I have to call out his portrayal of Nick and everything that goes through that kid’s brain and then spills out of his mouth. Michael added extra punch to the words TJ provided.

I give my highest recommendation to TJ Klune’s The Extraordinaires.

3.5/5 Stars

To be honest, the main reason I read this book was for the LGBTQ+ characters in the story. I don't like reading the synopsis of books before diving in and I'm glad I didn't read what the story was about or else I probably would not have read it. I am not a huge fan of anything related to superheros. I typically do not find them interesting. However, the characters were really great. I felt as if I had a connection with them. The superhero element to the story was different and I enjoyed reading about it. I do feel as if some things lagged at moments and I wanted things to hurry along. Overall, I enjoyed this story and will probably check out the sequel.

A sweet, hilarious young adult debut by TJ Klune about a boy who just wants to be extraordinary. Nicholas Bell struggles with ADHD and

Klune's writing is, as always, engaging, easy to read, and sprinkled with humor. The characters are all incredibly vivid, from our main character Nick and his constant stream of questions and thoughts, to his friends, and his dad. While I found myself exasperated by some of Nick's antics, he was always endearing and adorably awkward, especially when trying to feel out his relationship and growing feelings for his best friend Seth.

One of the things that Klune excels at is writing grief, and this is part of the reason this review took me so long to write. Nick's struggles with the loss of his mother, and the fear of losing his dad, is incredibly close to me, and the way Klune writes it mirrors so many of my own thoughts and fears. Their relationship and love for each other, their arguments and disagreements, was so wonderfully painful and real.

Overall, this was a very fun, sweet read that I'd definitely recommend to other YA fans looking for something to make them smile. There's great representation in the characters, lots of humor, tooth achingly sweet relationships, and superheroes.

Such an exciting read! This is my first time reading about superheroes in a novel and not just watching MCU movies. It’s real different.

A big part of this novel is also it’s queer and neurodiverse rep, which is pretty cool.

This book is mushy and exciting and soft and annoying and lovable and frustrating and adorable.

The main character Nick knows absolutely nothing. Poor boy. He has ADHD and his mind is constantly on overdrive, causing him to say exactly the wrong thing always. But he’s super nerdy and super loyal and caring. And he just make for a great MC, okay?

Seth is also adorable. We must protect him. We must also protect our fabulous, badass lesbian couple Gibby and Jazz. The friendship dynamics in this story are really superb. Too often in this type of book (not like superheroes, but.. you know.. books), the friends are just kind of there? To prove a point or give the MC motivation or whatever. But these friends were really there and they were the best. Super supportive of Nick even when he was being a supreme idiot (which was often). Really, the friendships were my favorite part, I think. Oh, and dad. Dad was great. And Cap. And Officer Rookie. And Martha. Man, guys, the side characters were just really on point in this book.

The plot for the most part was pretty easy to follow and get on board with. More on the plot later, though. But I did enjoy the uniqueness of the idea of Extraordinaries. Now, I haven’t read a lot of hero stuff, like I said, but I least to me, it was kind of a newer spin on an old idea.

Anyway, on to some stuff that took away from my enjoyment of this story. Unfortunately.

So, while the plot was great a lot of the time, it was also suuuuper predictable. I figured out pretty much everything before it was reveled. There is a lot of play on superhero tropes, too, which is funny? In a way. Since it makes it kind of a parody at times. But it was also kind of a bummer that not every idea was something new. Although, one interesting thing there is that often Nick points these cliches out. So like. Obviously it was done on purpose?

The other thing is the ADHD. I’m so glad to see this rep in a book. It’s been a long time coming and it’s well deserved. However, it was really hard to read sometimes. Nick’s brain tangents had a tendency to slow down the pacing of the plot, which detracted a bit from the story for me. Also, his ADHD is of the very wild variety. (Note: I do not have ADHD. I’m very close to several people that do, but I can’t speak for their experiences or anyone else’s. The following are remarks from outside perspective.)

Maybe having his disorder be so extreme was used to make a point, but it did seem that his ADHD was a part of everything (which, yes, good. Obviously it’s not something that goes away at random points in the day). But there were times when it kind of seemed like he was using it as an excuse or an apology. The times it was an apology, I was frustrated because like, no, don’t apologize for being yourself. And the times it was an excuse felt off to me mainly because I’ve seen how frustrated when my fiancé talks about his kids (he’s a teacher) trying to (wrongly) use their ADHD as an excuse for misbehaving in class and he’s just like that’s not how this works, I would know. Anyway, that’s just an unfounded opinion that I thought I would throw out there.

Overall, a really fun read. Plus, after the “post credit scene” I’m intrigued to see what happens next!

Interesting book and very different from anything I've ever read before! That is enough for me to recommend it. That and cute boy/boy romance.

Oh my this book was just too hilarious. I've always loved Klune's sense of humor, and this one made me laugh out loud! It was fantastic. And I can't with the teenage awkwardness and all the heartfelt moments. I can't wait for more in this world!

First of all thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was a very fun read. I love the superhero trope and I love diverse fiction and this book had both in spades. We have a lovely side f/f relationship and a very sweet best friends to lovers type main relationship which from the start is the definition of cute backed up by a dash of the miscommunication trope and a heaping pile of the pining trope. There's also a hearty helping of second hand embarrassment which you tend to find a lot in these types of awkward teen main character books, but it wasn't enough to frustrate me or put me off, which can sometimes be the case.

The plot itself was pretty simple, as superhero type stories tend to be, and I guessed the vast majority of the twists before they happened, but I didn't really mind that. There was one occasion where I was like 'ok just get to the reveal already!' but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. I liked what Klune did with these twists, even if I saw them coming, it felt a lot more unique than what I originally thought was going to be the case (Vague review is vague hahaha).

In terms of character relationships there were several good, healthy ones that shone through, and one which wasn't really healthy OR unhealthy but was very interesting (I'm trying to do a spoiler free review here haha, sorry if that's super vague). Nick's friend group is great. I liked them all, although I will say I kind of felt like a lot of the interaction between them all was very reminiscent of the interaction between the friend group in The Lightning Struck Heart and that did kind of pull me out of the story a bit. I'm not sure if it's just me, I've read the Wolfsong series and The House in the Cerulean Sea and never got that vibe before so maybe it's because these characters are so young? I'm not sure.

The relationship between Nick and his dad, however, played a huge part in why I liked The Extraordinaries. Klune is very good at writing good parents who are accepting and loving, and who like to embarrass their kids almost as much as they like to protect them, and I can't get enough of this in YA books. It's refreshing and it feels good to read.

Overall I recommend this book to anyone who loves superheroes, especially the kind with cheesy lines and banter. It's fun and it doesn't take itself too seriously, but there are moments of emotion in the book that made me tear up a little. It felt very wholesome, if that makes sense. I am kind of side eyeing if a sequel is planned though, because with the way it ended, (which isn't a cliffhanger precisely but definitely has elements of it), it could definitely benefit from one, and I think it would be even better than the first book because all the groundwork has been laid.

This is not the kind of book I'm in the mood to read right now, but since I've got an ARC and it comes out Tuesday, I wanted to offer my observations of the first 14%:
- The dialogue and writing are full of humor and genuinely fun, between the kids and also Nick and his dad. I'll be checking out Klune's other work (I do have The House on the Cerulean Sea on my Kindle!)
- The characters also felt like a real group of TEENS, too. They're strong-willed, figuring themselves out, and incredibly nerdy.
- The main character's ADHD is represented well.
- It also felt like a very real depiction of fandom culture and its intersection with queerness, including fanfiction and Tumblr. The catch is that the Extraordinaries are also real...which is something I wasn't as interested in, but I'm sure more genre readers would be.
- I would like to see a Black queer woman's take on Gibby...I didn't quite get through her whole backstory, but she's introduced as a Black butch lesbian and her primary trait is being intimidating and threatening violence, which feels like a stereotype?

I'm not opposed to returning to this at a later date or anything. I think it started off strong and has great writing and banter between its characters.

The Extraordinaries is T.J. Klune’s first venture into the YA world and what an (ad)venture it was! I’ve been following this author for a while now and not one of his many books I have read have ever not exceeded my expectations. In case you’re wondering, The Extraordinaries was no exception.

I think that I can honestly say that no one writes “awkward” better than this particular author. And what’s more awkward than a teenage boy? (or girl? – to be fair.) How about a gay, ADHD, totally clueless teenage boy who is obsessed with a local super hero to the point of distraction? He is Shadow Star’s #1 fan and fan fiction writer. Nick is the epitome of awkward, but he’s not alone. He has a loving, well-meaning dad, a crew of friends who are loyal to a fault and support him through all of his super awkward moments.

Oh, how I could gush and ramble over this book, but I don’t want to give anything away. There are some twists and turns in The Extraordinaries that I thought I saw coming… turns out, I didn’t have a clue. I’d hate to spoil that for anyone else. Just know that nothing is what it seems on the surface – except for the obvious, which everyone got, except for Nick. 😉 And of course, there were the trademark tear-inducing moments of laughter and heartbreak that readers have come to expect from this author.

The story is far from over by the end of The Extraordinaries and I can’t wait for it to continue. You may or may not want to read the little tease at the end that follows the epilogue. It gives readers a glimpse into the next book and it actually raised more questions than it answered… #EvilAuthor

Klune’s first foray into YA fiction is a bold exuberant celebration of all things queer and geeky. There is a big nod to lots of fun pop cultural elements: fan fiction and superheroes; but as well there is an intense emotional arc that, while swerving a little too close to sentimental, also reflects a strong sense of questioning identity for young people—am I good enough the way I am?

Nick is on a bunch of spectrums. He’s ADHD, a total geek boy, a totally gay geek boy, and the grief from his mother’s death hangs over him like a heavy cloud. His very supportive father is an adorable inclusion into the narrative as a person who tries hard to protect Nick, while giving him freedom, but also demanding more. Because Nick’s inability to filter himself, his reckless, impulsive side is sometimes a bit scary. It’s not that he’s thoughtless. His brain is just wired to ignore consequences and sometimes makes dangerous decisions that should scare most people.

Luckily, Nick is surrounded by loyal and straight-talking friends. Couple Jazz and Gibby tell him when he is taking things too far and follow him down erratic pathways. His best friend Seth has been missing in action over the summer, and now back at school, Nick is struggling to reconnect with this boy who has long been his secret crush (not helped by Nick writing a lot of slightly smutty fan fic about an Extraordinary called Shadow Star). Klune throws us straight into the middle of this complex relationship without giving all the backstory. He also includes Nick’s ex-boyfriend Owen, who is full of himself and incredibly hostile towards Seth. This dynamic is clearly more than what’s happening on page, and unfortunately for us, Nick’s oblivious narrative voice means we are constantly seeking out clues (which admittedly are dropped often), while he remains ignorant of what’s really going on with this pair of frenemies.

Nick puts himself at the centre of everything. This becomes tiresome, but since he is also very self-aware, he is able to keep readers on side, and our sympathy for him usually comes out ahead of our irritation at his antics and selfishness. But this is Klune very cleverly manipulating us and teasing us by incorporating the superhero elements of the story.

Look, I know I am a bit confusing. But that actually is the structure of the book. We are initially baffled by Nick’s obsession with Shadow Star. We can see Seth is right in front of Nick, and yet Nick lives in the clouds looking through a lens that is idealized and somewhat tainted. We keep reading because basically Klune is a very funny, geeky dude who constantly surprises with the jokes and the humanity and the affection he has for his characters.

And then everything starts to click, and the tension ramps up, and suddenly we are in the middle of a very suspenseful scenario and people could die people! So, we read on, worried for everyone, but especially our earnest, impulsive ordinary guy who without powers, takes on a hero’s journey because he must save those he loves, and he does it all with wit and intelligence, and a tiny spark of what the #$*? It’s extraordinary (gah, she had to go there). The resolution is nicely wrapped up, most mysteries are explained, and of course there's a HEA...

Then, because this is book one, Klune shoves one more twisty dark secret at us, and leaves us with our mouths open, eyes twitching, hearts racing, and our minds ticking. *Shakes fist at the sky* Damn you Klune and your cliff-hangers. But this might just be me. Ha.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Teen for advancing this to me oh so long ago before #coronavirus, and through a delay of publication. I hope it all goes well for this book. Recommended for teens who love their protagonists awkward and flawed, but who is all heart. The intense moments are powerful and authentic, and the story dances around a number of genres. It’s a celebration of life and love, and it looks like there will be more. The Extraordinaries finally comes out tomorrow.

I'll be honest, I pre-ordered this before I even requested the ARC. TJ Klune is one of my favorite authors. Despite all that, this is one of my favorite reads of the year, and it's moving to the top of my recommendations for other people. Queer superhero fiction is so so fun, and I'm glad that it's starting to become more common, although we still need more! I love TJ's writing voice, and this had be cracking up laughing so many times.

ShadowStar is Nova City’s superhero, PyroStorm’s archnemesis, and Nick Bell’s crush (and object of desire). We know this because of the vast fanfiction collection Nick has authored, in which ShadowStar always comes to rescue Nate Belen (Nick’s alter ego) and where they also fall for each other.

Nick’s dream comes to life when one afternoon after school, ShdowStar saves Nick and his friend Gibby from three muggers. Once the superhero is done with the bad guys, he agrees to take a picture with them, and he also gives Nick his autograph along with a personalized and very intriguing note that includes Nick’s surname. But the thing is, Nick didn’t gave ShadowStar his surname at all. So, how does he know it?

Once more T. J Klune makes us fall in love with another story, and with the characters portrayed in it. Most of the time you will feel that you are reading a fanfic, clichés and all. And that is exactly the point. Klune has written this book in such a way that even though some things are predictable, you don’t feel upset or annoyed or disappointed; on the contrary, you just cannot help fall in love with all of this craziness and sweetness. I cannot find any more words to describe what it was for me to read this book, so let me tell you how I felt. Joyful, happy, desperate, amazed, surprised. One moment I was sadly crying, the next one I was laughing out loud (sometimes while also crying).

why, oh why has it taken me this long to read a TJ Klune book?

I have spent 16 years of my life without knowing the pure joy his books can bring, and suddenly within one week I have read two of his books and cannot wait to pick up everything else he has.

The Extraordinaries somehow made me love a book about superheroes- which in itself is a masterful achievement. I typically find superhero books take themselves too seriously and become eye roll inducing, but this one was really self aware and instead leaned into the melodramatic and cheesiness, making it a really fun time.

This book was so funny, and Nick Bell was the perfect narrator for the story. Nick is a gay teen with ADHD, and a propensity for saying whatever is on his mind. Once I was acclimatised with the writing style and campiness of the story, I couldn't take the smile off my face. All the characters were so loveable and endearing to me (although I can appreciate not everyone will connect with them, as they are, inevitably, flawed). I loved the diversity in this story, representing everything from neurodiversities to sexualities (many of which are own voices as well!)

The plot was definitely the weaker element for me. Don't go in to this book expecting a fast paced, high action superhero book because you will be disappointed. The Extraordinaries is told from the perspective of an ordinary teen with an obsession with an Extraordinary named Shadow Star. Therefore, we only hear about most of the action from news reports rather than right in the thick of it. Also, I found this book quite predictable. I guessed a good portion of what was going to happen pretty early on, but it didn't detract from my experience too much, since getting there was so enjoyable.

It was all slightly ridiculous and over the top, so I would recommend going into it with those expectations otherwise you will probably be annoyed at the characters for their absolute cluelessness. You also may or may not feel some second hand embarrassment for these characters, but again, it was very self aware.

Something I think would be remiss to not mention is the very prevalent focus on the police. I don't believe it was intended to be harmful, but wasn't addressed with the amount of care that it ought to have been particularly in today's climate. I read an ARC, so there is a possibility that these things may be changed in the final copy, but I just wanted to mention it.
Finally, THAT EPILOGUE. I admit, I kind of called it but it still managed to shock me. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series ahhhhhhh!


<i>Thank you to Tor Teen for this ARC</i>

<b>Release Date:</b> 5 March 2020 (Pushed back to 14 July 2020)