Holy sh!t balls . . . I knew this one would have a big ol’ cliff hanger and be just as adorable as the last one, but I. Was. Not. Prepared!

This book picks up right after where The Extraordinaries left off. We jump right back into the crazy world that is 16-year-old Nick’s brain. And what a joyous wonderful journey it is. There’s still a bit of fanfic, there’s a lot of awkwardness and internet searching/discovery and there’s the most adorable budding gayby/biby (is that a thing?) relationship that just made me go awwwww so many times.

FULL WARNING – DO NOT GO PAST THIS IF YOU DON’T WANT THE FIRST BOOK SPOILED and trust me you want to read these books!

I ADORED Nick’s trying to figure out where he belonged in the queer world. Like legit laughed out loud when I read the various conversations he had with himself and definitely remember looking up similar things and being just as confused!

And that didn’t even begin to cover the wide and terrifying world of being a modern queer man in the twenty-first century and all that came with it. Was he a twink? A twunk? A power top? A power bottom? A bear? An otter? (He didn’t have enough body hair for those last two, but he wasn’t ready to rule anything out yet.) Did the heter-oh-noes have to deal with this? If not, then it was homophobic in ways Nick couldn’t even begin to articulate. How dare straight people avoid these little boxes. (Chapter 1)

And that last line? Chef’s kiss perfection 😀

The romance between Nick and Seth is wonderfully refreshing and they grow a lot in this book. Not only as individuals but together because they balance each other out and learn to interact as boyfriends and not just as best friends. When Nick finally realizes he’s been steam-rolling Seth in his Extraordinary identity, he matures 100-fold in just a few pages, and it totally pulled at my heartstrings.

The big reveal at the end of book one, was definitely front and center through the first part of this book and was the primary crisis until Burke comes back on the scene. Nick discovers the big reveal, his mom was Guardian, and shit hits the fan with his dad and Burke, and it just ramps up from there. That being said, Klune never loses Nick’s adorkable uniqueness, and we get gems like this:

Patience, Nick knew, was a virtue and a sign of a good Etraordinary. If he had nay hope to become just that, then he needed to listen to the concerns of his friends and not make them feel lesser for sharing. ‘Because my powers seem to come out only when I’m super pissed or scared or some other heightened emotion yet to be discovered. And since I don’t want to be mad today, I figure it’s better to be scared by jumping off a building.’
‘This is why men don’t live as long as women,’ Jazz said. ‘It’s not your fault. It’s your penis that’s making you do this.’
‘Not all men have penises,’ Nick reminded her.
‘True, but you don’t seem the up here trying to jump off a building, do you?’ (Chapter 13)

I love love love how “woke” Nick is and that he defends everyone’s rights and has his own awakeneing when it comes to his dad as a cop and Gibby’s relationships to cops. Again, so much growth in this book!

Then, there was the entire scene when they’re trying on prom outfits and I’m legit dying laughing in the pool because it was so hilariously written, and I could just picture everything about the conversation and interaction happening. Legit had tears streaming down my face because I couldn’t stop laughing. Or even this one:

What? I’m sixteen; I have a lot going on. Just because we’re all probably going to end up fighting for our lives in some epic showdown at the end of all this Burke stuff doesn’t mean I can’t also worry about wanting to impress my hot boyfriend. My god, have you seen him in an ascot? The things I want to do to him should probably not be described here, since I’m a virgin and will stay that way for a long, long time. (Chapter 15)

Which really brought about how close Nick and his dad are even after Nick feels so betrayed and wronged, rightfully so.

The book does get pretty heavy with a lot of Nick’s time spent figuring out how to tell Seth he loves him and then with two new villains (Smoke and Ice), but there are also wonderful introductions like Miss Conduct, a drag queen Extraordinary who can become electricity (WHAT!) and the mysterious TK who comes back in the teaser to the next book and like I said at the beginning Holy Sh!t Balls. I mean when it happens I was expecting it at that point, but it didn’t have any less impact, like still reeling a few days later from it and now DESPERATE to know when the next book comes out. Between that reveal and the big escape oh boy, book three is going to be epic.

Recommendation: READ THESE BOOKS! If anything, this one is even better than the first, which isn’t usually the case when it comes to second books in a series. I was pleasantly surprised at how well Klune not only kept up the pacing and the drama, but also kept true to the characters and kept them down to earth (or out in the clouds when it comes to Nick). This was definitely a faster read and the universe is definitely growing, and I CANNOT wait for book three, it is going to be epic!

This YA book about super heroes manage to tackle teenage love and hormones while also addressing current issues about policing in America. We return to the perspective of Nick, who grapples with his ADHD, hormones, and his boyfriend being an extraordinary. It is a lot, but I am impressed the author deals with contemporary concerns about the role of police.

The book gets more exciting in the second half, so stick it out if you are waiting for major drama.

I recommend reading the first book in the series before this one. It does not work as well as a stand alone, as it builds off plot and character development.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher and Net Galley in return for a fair review.

I really enjoyed this sequel. I thought TJ Klune did a very good job of reconstructing the books views on police in this one. I love Nicky and his found-family friend group. I enjoyed the new characters, the action and all the banter. This one was more mysterious and had some intense build up. The cliff hanger at the end was everything and left me needing more. I cannot wait for the next one! Five stars!

4 stars

Here's the most important question: HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE TO RELEASE?!

This is my third Klune book (and I'll be reading a fourth in the next couple of weeks), and I adore the way these characters come to life. These characters - most obviously but not exclusively Nick - are hilarious, and it is a pleasure to read their dialogue and follow their wacky and deeply entertaining actions at all times. Nick possesses a level of awkwardness that makes him extraordinary on its own, but I also find his ability to channel that awkwardness into deeper connections with his dad, his friends, and especially Seth to be his most endearing quality. I will read every word of this series just to spend more time with Nick.

Along with Nick and other engaging characters, the representation here - overtly and figuratively - is so powerful. Different styles of queerness are depicted through various characters, and I love that queerness is tied so closely to being extraordinary. In the same way that the extraordinary characters have cooler powers, more interesting lives, and literal life saving skills, the queer characters (these groups often overlap, of course) are depicted as having similar experiences (more fun, more excitement, more opportunity, etc.). It's so refreshing to read about characters who are succeeding along side of or even because of their queerness rather than being constantly terrorized for it (because we get enough of that depiction elsewhere). These characters all face challenges, but their supportive chosen and biological families speak volumes thematically. I am here for all of it.

For me, the pacing of this installment is a bit more frenetic than its predecessor. I'd have liked to see some tightening up in certain scenes. Overall, this is a minor complaint and did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the novel.

I am going to need an extraordinary intervention to wait for the next book. Folks who enjoyed the first installment will be pleased with the follow-up, and I strongly recommend that those who have not yet read the initial work in the series do so before jumping in here. The category is Extraordinary Icons, and the scores are legendary 10s all around.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Tor Teen for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review, but mostly, props to TJ Klune for the nonstop bangers.

4.5/5⭐️

Okay. OKAY. If you want a second book that doesn’t suffer from Second Book Syndrome, THIS IS IT. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me grin stupidly in public.

Why? Well. Because Nicholas Bell is a perfect boy with a beautiful brain who should be protected at all costs. He is such an INCREDIBLE character, and so well-written. As are his friends. Jazz and Gibby give me life, and don’t even get me STARTED on Seth.

This book was a perfect sequel. It hit all the right notes, recapped without info-dumping, and was so true to the characters. They each managed to have their own battles to fight, while being the most amazing team on the planet. I’m a sucker for found family, and this sweet little group of misfits had me clutching my heart more than once.

And oh boy, am I excited for the third book. That ending? Are you serious?! Pardon me while I scream for the next year.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Flash Fire is described as an "explosive" sequel in The Extraordinaries series by TJ Klune, and it is all that and more. It's a queer superhero book that didn't know you needed. If you haven't read the first book, The Extraordinaries, please rectify that immediately.

Nick is his wonderfully chaotic self and his relationship with Seth is utterly adorable. TJ Klune has a way of creating characters that pull at your heart and then crush it before putting it back together. Overall it's a hilariously cute read that will have you laughing out loud while swooning over its characters and eagerly awaiting book #3.

Thank you to NetGalley & Tor Teen for my copy!

Flash Fire by TJ Klune
The follow-up to the Extraordinaires. Highly recommend. You must have read the first book {and if you haven't yet why not?) because this book jumps in where The Extraordinaires left us with Nick, his superhero boyfriend ... review to come

Flash Fire is the long awaited sequel to ‘The Extraordinaries which follows teenager, Nick Bell and the world of The Extraordinaries- real life superheroes who are more prevalent in Nick’s life than he ever knew.

Nick, Seth, Gibby, and Jazz are still very much a team of best friends and so much more. I love this friend group! I don’t want to spoil any of the book or the previous book, so I’ll leave the plot alone, but this found family is everything! And don’t even get me started with Nick and his dad. I love them so much!

I love the action, the family elements, the friendship, the angst, and the humor. Most of all, I love Seth and Nicky’s relationship. Sigh. They are the most adorable together. Not only are they in love, but they’re truly the best of friends.
“Just . . . thank you.” Seth arched an eyebrow. “For what?” “Existing,” Nick said honestly. “For being my best friend. For being my boyfriend. For being you.”

Nick is a lot, but Seth loves all his extra and I love it so much. This series is so endearing. The twists and turns in this one were some I didn’t see coming and I can’t wait to see what Klune does in the third book after this jaw dropping ending!

Hilarious with personality of its own. I had so much fun reading the book and the twist in the fan fiction was spectacular. An amazing sequel that had me glued to the pages as Nick is figuring out his relationship, secrets are revealed, and the danger that slowly surfaces. With so many developments in story and character, I now have so many curiosities and questions on how the next book will play out.

Thank you to Tor Teen and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Have you read the first book, The Extraordinaries? Yes? Good. No? Go read it, then come back.

Nick’s boyfriend is a superhero, which is super cool. But there’s also a lot going on in his town of Nova City, including more extraordinaries showing up, the evil Simon Burke messing around, and PROM! What’s a poor ADHDer to do? Well, work on his def-insert bakery AU fanfic of course.

Okay first things first. THAT. ENDING.

TJ YOU CANT JUST END THE BOOK THAT WAY. I NEED MORE IMMEDIATELY!!

I’m calm now, I swear.

Is Nick still A Lot sometimes? Yes. But honestly, I have ADHD too and I can relate to a lot of his stuff. Did I guess a few plot points? Yes, that too. But honestly, I didn’t mind. It’s such a good read. Nick and Seth are so stinking cute. And Klune offers a healthy, but I think appropriate, dose of sex positivity and safe sex talk and knowing his primary audience, I think that should be commended.

Some things that I am still unsure about… the subplot involving Nick’s dad. I love that Klune decided to take more of an activist approach and address defund the police and such movements, I just still felt kind of icky about it. I’m not 100% sure I can articulate why, but overall, I’m still glad it’s included.

It’s also awesome that Gibby and Jazz take a little more of a role in this one. I really enjoy their characters, especially Gibby. Overall, if you read the first one and liked it, I very much doubt you’ll be disappointed. Klune is an incredible author and this is a great sequel!

5/5 Stars

Thank you, NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't care much for the first book in this series, but I decided to give the sequel a shot when I found it on NetGalley. I did end up enjoying it a bit more than The Extraordinaries, but I still didn't really feel a connection to it.
I have a lot of conflicted feelings about the protagonist, Nick. He's funny and has some witty dialogue that I enjoyed, but it's really hard for me to root for him sometimes because of the stupid decisions he makes. Maybe I'm just heartless, but I find him kind of annoying. Also, the amount of secondhand embarrassment I got throughout this book was terrible.
This book did what it could to try to make up for the terrible plot point about the dad (view spoiler) in the first book, but it really just baffles me that it was something that they felt needed to be included in the first place. It just still feels weird to me.
Even so, this book didn't feel like a complete waste of time. I liked a lot of the side characters and it was funny. Still, I don't think I'll pick up the third book.
As always, check the content warnings before reading, especially since there is a CW for mentions of police brutality/misconduct.
Flash Fire: 2.5 stars

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3986529012

Nicky, YES!

4.5 rounded up! This series, and this book specifically, totally nails it with the dialogue and witty banter. I find myself not even caring what the plot line is doing (although there's lots of fun to be had in there), because the conversations and inner monologues are everything! I adore Nick and his spunkiness, and the warmth and sweetness he brings. The whole friend group is total #friendgoals, with their support and love and humor and style. Nick's dad also deserves an award for his role in this book, and his determination to be a solid single parent while also utterly humiliating Nick (his sex talks are epic)!

TJ Klune is now solidly one of my favorite authors - the contrast of gooey sweetness and laugh-out-loud snark are perfectly blended. His continued positive representation of the LGBTQ+ community is so needed these days! I can't get enough, and now I'll be anxiously awaiting book 3 in this series...because that final post-epilogue hidden scene was WHOA!

Thanks a million to Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the advanced copy of this book!

I had to DNF at 56%. I tried but I just couldn’t get into this book, which surprised me because I love queer superhero stories. As problematic as the first book in this series was regarding pro-police stances (there is definite distancing here and some info dumping about police brutality being a bad thing), the plot flowed better than book two.

I found the storyline disjointed and foggy regarding the potential villain.

I also couldn’t handle all the second-hand embarrassment especially regarding Nick and his ADHD. There are a lot of awkward conversations with dialogue that doesn’t feel genuinely how teenagers talk to each other or to their parents. The two side characters Jazz and Gibby don’t read as distinct people either.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Teen for the eARC. This one didn’t work for me, but I recommend it to readers who enjoy YA MLM stories with Queer rep.

A good follow up. I love the characters and certain twist. Definitely interested with the ending and what we may see next.

In this book, Nicholas Bell has a lot of emotional upheaval to wade through. It is balanced with humor and heart. The way these core characters love and support one another is truly beautiful. The fruition of foreshadowing of secrets from the first book packed a punch. The banter continued to be fun to read and made me snort with laughter. The bad guys left you feeling like you needed a shower to wash off the grime....or I don't know, a need ro "take out the trash." 😉

This book handles sensitive, real life issues without weighing the reader down. It is a book that I am happy to share with my bisexual son who has ADHD.

I love these characters and this story so much. I can’t wait for the third book. I like where the story is going overall.

My biggest complaint that knocked this down a star is that it has lost some of the fun tone from the first. The lessons felt far more serious here (police misconduct) and the foreshadowing is more obvious (“that’s what he would remember when it all changed”). All in all, it lost some of the campy fun of the first, and I missed that.

I don’t think I have identified with a character so thoroughly as I did with Nick. He is queer and quirky and he has ADHD and anxiety and an unhealthy interest in superheroes and fanfiction. We have all these things in common so it’s not so strange for me to love him so much. His supportive friend group and dad are very well done, especially the dialogue and obvious comfort the characters share.

The little hints as to what is happening are easy to follow but still the conclusions threw me for a loop at times. This is basically what fanfic readers would call crackfic taken seriously. Very real emotions and heavy topics are taken seriously but the crackfic aspects shine through all the same, making this an extremely enjoyable, relatable read. Part of the crackfic aspects come from the references to Marvel superheroes, particularly Spiderman. I can think of various different ways this book could have started with a Spiderman fanfic. Maybe it’s because I’m always reading Spiderman fanfics and was looking for those similarities but then there is a particular line when one of the characters is referred to as a knockoff Harry Osborn and...well, I’m sunk for this book, let me tell you.

The dynamic between Nick and his friends is straight up enviable. They’re all very different. Seth and Nick have been best friends since they were kids. Nick is very extra and intense and Seth is more subdued, wearing cravats, sure, but he’s more quiet and contained. Gibby is smart and rational, happy to support Nick with his crazy ideas and keep secrets when necessary. Jazz is a cheerleader, pretty and popular. She’s actually really smart and observant, but is bubbly and upbeat, which can make her seem like an airhead sometimes. Gibby and Jazz are dating and Nick has been nursing a crush on Seth for years, though he’s so oblivious that he has no idea. Talk about a slow burn.

There are mature conversations all around, particularly between Nick and his dad, both of whom are human and make mistakes. We all say things we don’t mean, especially when we’re worried about someone we love. These two male characters are somewhat emotionally constipated in that they find it difficult to talk about their emotions. They certainly don’t mind having them, though. Nick cries several times, over various different things, good and bad; he’s very open.

Nick has ADHD, as well as massive anxiety and trauma, after his mom died two years previously in what seemed to be a bank robbery. There are a couple panic attacks that are somewhat described in detail, as well as spiraling thoughts and manic activities. The way ADHD and anxiety are described is next level. Other books tackle these subjects and do it well, but Nick’s particular brand of neuroses just vibes with my own and made it so easy to fall into this book and understand his reasoning. I probably understand him better than I should for all that his thoughts are described as disordered.

This sequel to the Extraordinaries, Flash FIre, tackles the complicated topic of police brutality and how problematic Nick’s own father is, for being a part of the police force and benefitting from the privilege of that position. Nick has to confront his own position and privilege, especially with regard to Gibby and her parents, all of whom are Black. It’s just another example of the mature discussions Nick has with his friends and father as well as being a real world topic discussed seriously in what is, a lot of the time, a parody of the superhero genre.

Flash Fire does, at times, take too many cues from Spiderman. The main villain is Simon Burke, father of Owen, aka Shadow Storm, and mega billionaire who has a lot of power. You know who he mirrors in the Marvel verse? Norman Osborn. Even his son follows much the same path, turning evil by use of medical advances that grant extraordinary powers. Don’t get me wrong: these characters are individual and unique on their own. But sometimes the story feels a bit like inserting your own characters into a different fandom. Like, what would these plain characters do in the Marvel universe kind of thing.

This book also deliberately foreshadows things. By which I mean things like: Nick would remember this moment later, when everything hit the fan (not Klune’s wording but you get the gist). This method was used at least three times, if not more often. It felt cheap, like telling me to pay attention to these moments because they were important. Of course I would have already paid attention to these moments, without being told to do so. Also, it was kind of like when someone tells you to do a chore when you were about to do it: you don’t want to do it anymore.

Nick remains my favorite character! Followed closely by Gibby, Jazz, and Seth. Gibby is most definitely my second favorite most of the time. She’s so badass: intelligent and well spoken, willing to stand up for herself and her friends at the drop of a hat, even if it means putting herself in danger to do so. I recommend this series for anyone with ADHD, anyone who loves superheroes, and anyone who wants a realistic portrayal of queer identity and love. It does go over the top, and often, but don’t we do that as people? Aren’t we all a little extra sometimes?

Flash Fire, book two in The Extraordinaries, continues to follow our protagonist Nick and his now-boyfriend Seth, who just happens to be a misunderstood superhero. Klune does an amazing job of building on what worked so well from the first book, and his knack for strong character development remains. Nick and Seth, as well their friends Gibby and Jazz, are given their time to shine and their relationships feel genuine. Klune always does an amazing job of incorporating sex and sexuality in a really positive way, something that is missing from many queer YA romances. This book also explores police brutality in a way that the first novel didn't, and while it may not land on somewhere completely satisfying with that plot element, the conversations that characters had on the topics were good.

If you enjoyed the first novel, you will love the follow-up as well!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing me with an ARC.

Okay so, wow. I really really enjoyed The Extraordinaries, but this sequel truly blew me away. I didn’t expect it to hit me so hard. I found myself trying to guess what was going to happen as I was reading, which is one of my favorite reading experiences. It was so exciting, and heartwarming, and beautiful. I loved that TJ Klune took some of the criticisms from the first book of the series (police idolization) and really dismantled that from our main character’s point of view. Won’t share spoilers, but I definitely recommend picking this up. It was everything I could have hoped for, and I can’t wait for the next one!!

I am happy to say that I loved Flash Fire. After reading The Extraordinaries last year I was super hyped for the next book. Overall I loved the plot. It did a good job of tying in the events in the previous book to events happening in the second book. I’ve read sequels where it’s almost like the events in the first book are just forgotten but in this book they are mentioned and reflected on when appropriate. The plot didn’t have a consistent pace. Towards the beginning of the book it went pretty slow but more towards the end it definitely sped up.
A lot of problems that occurred in the first book that were not resolved or were overlooked were addressed in this book. It wasn’t just brushed under the rug and it was faced head on and was a big part in this sequel. On that same note in this book more than the last I felt there was a lot of character development in our main group of characters. They have definitely come a long way since the beginning of the series and not in a bad way at all.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. One big reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of five was that there were parts that made me uncomfortable. Then again I know that is more of a personal thing and for a lot of other people it won’t be that way. If you liked the first one I definitely think you’ll like this one. Although if you weren’t a fan of the first one and you want to try and go into the second book still to give it a shot I’d suggest doing so! There’s a lot of elements that just weren’t present in the first book that I liked more than what was given in the first book.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!