Nick finally has a superhero boyfriend. However, there are complications with old enemies that don't make his life easy. Then he finds out a secret his dad has been hiding from him for his entire life.

The beginning was a little slow. Nick, the character, can be hard to deal with. However, he is surrounded by a wonderful, loving group of friends and families. TJ Klune writes characters that make me smile. Even side characters are fun.

The book devels with realistic themes. Honestly, who wants to be a hero their whole life? **Spoiler** I'm glad that Nick has ADHD and superpowers. When it was revealed that the pills he takes to control his ADHD muffle his powers, I was worried we would be going down the path of pill=bad. There is bad history with this path. Instead, TJ Klune deals with this unintentional message by Nick getting a prescription for pills that don't affect his power.**

There is a tease for the next book that makes me want to know when the next book is out. So when is the next book coming out?

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

Thank you to Tor Teen for the ARC of this book!

TJ Klune follows up his YA debut Extraordinairies with part two, a continuation of humor, heart, and a whole lot of queer!

After the battle at the bridge, Nick is falling into his role as boyfriend of extraordinary Pyro Storm. He's determined to help Seth on his mission to keep Nova City safe, along with best friends Gibby and Jazz. But when new heroes arrive in Nova City and Simon Burke constantly being a snake, they have to decide the right path to follow. With new revelations and old grief hounding him, Nick has a lot to deal with for a fanfic writer.

True to Klune style, this book follows the first in its humor. I love Nicky with all my heart, and nothing changes here. He's messy and loud and queer and he's okay with all of those things about himself. I really love the journey he takes in trying to find where he fits in with everything. He loves Seth, because of course he does, but will he always just be relegated to the back of the room when things get tough?

Klune writes it with witty banter but pulls us in emotionally as he always does. I love the relationship between Nick and his father and how close and affectionate they are. I love a queer kid with ADHD being validated and supported no matter what, even when Dad messes up sometimes, trying to protect Nick. The relationship between Seth and Nick is emotional as well, and we get to see them bloom in this book. Amid the sex jokes and Nicky's lack of filter, we get to see two boys who would protect each other, no matter the cost.

I know there was a lot of criticism from the first book for 1. the pro-police tone and 2. the lack of character development for Gibby and Jazz. It's obvious that Klune took careful measures to try and fix these issues. The police issues are challenged constantly throughout the book, not just a paragraph stuck in to appease the masses. It feeds into Nick's storyline of realizing how he hero-worshipped his dad and the police, assuming they would always be there to protect, and completely missing the point of privilege he has. I am not the one to say whether the job Klune did with this was adequate, just sharing my observations on how he tried to correct it.

Gibby and her parents make the issues incredibly clear. We did get to see a bit more of Gibby and Jazz and their personalities, and their relationship which I really loved. They're so lovely together, and seeing on the page how much they care for each other and how close they are was nice. We saw a bit more of Gibby's drive and strength as well.

Overall, a thoroughly funny and charming book. The cliffhanger is absolutely epic, so I can't wait for book 3!

E-ARC PROVIDED THROUGH NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR HONEST FEEDBACK!!

This book was so much fun! It took everything good about it's predecessor and made it better, and the things that fell flat in The Extrodinaries were fixed in this sequel. This series is very fun and lighthearted. What I love so much is that it is told from the perspective of a love interest. Like yes, Nick is our protagonist, but in any other superhero film Nick would be the love interest. I love the way the lens sits on him.

In the first book, I struggled with the way that police officers were shown (especially given the last year), but TJ Klune really reconciled that in this sequel. He addressed the harms that cops do, and the gray area that Nick feels with his bias and his love toward his dad. It was really well handled, I appreciated that shift in perspective a lot.

What I loved so much about the first book was both the connection between the friends and the connection between Nick and his dad. This sequel just heightened all of those relationships and made me care so much more about their connections and relationships.

The central relationship was very sweet. I love their interactions, and I felt like they truly loved each other. They did argue at times, but it always seemed in character and the way they would resolve and talk worked really well. I love Nick and Seth's relationship, it's very sweet and they clearly love each other so much.

I loved the overall plot of this book. It felt super cinematic, and some of the plot twists shocked me. It was also darker than the first book which I loved. The journey Nick goes on this book is very fun to watch and his development is clear without him losing any of his core traits that I love so much.

This book is an excellent sequel that excited and satisfied me. I can't wait to find out what happens in Book 3!!

Thank you NetGalley and TorTeen for sharing this ARC with me!

Y'all, I really love this series. It's just ridiculous and fun in the best ways.

The criticism the first book got regarding the way police were depicted was definitely warranted, and I appreciate the effort in this one to rectify that, even if at times it came across as a little awkward. There's a lot of needed dialogue here, and it can feel a bit clunky, but again, I appreciate the discussion. This is not me saying he
"fixed" anything, as that is absolutely not my place, but rather acknowledging there was an attempt made.

Also- drag queen superheroes? Hell yes. I literally yelled when this character appeared and Seth had to talk Nicky through learning their name.

TJ has this way of making me cringe with secondhand embarrassment (in the best way) but still not be able to stop reading. Nick is still a mess, I still adore Seth, Gibby and Jazz are still the brains of this entire operation and the others would be lost without them... This was just a super fun, action-packed continuation.

Can we talk about TJ and his ability to cliffhanger?? Hello?

I'm so excited for book three!

Thank you Netgalley SO MUCH for the advanced copy of Flash Fire (and literally any future TJ Klune work please).

I loved this. I don't think I loved it quite as much as the first installment, but it's still a five star read. And I need the next book to come out right now as well, because those CLIFFHANGERS goddamn.

Klune got a lot of flack for his depiction of police in his release of The Extraordinaries, which he addressed last summer. And he came back HARD with a LOT of dialogue regarding police and how they are viewed. And don't get me wrong, I agree with the changes he made with it. But if I had to have one criticism against this book, it would be that it was too over the top and got a bit beating-a-dead-horse trying to make up with mistakes from the first book. But even then, five stars. It's great. Go read it.

TJ Klune does it again, this man cannot write a bad book. Im really happy he confronted the issues from the first book with how it treated the police, but its not my place to say if that change was enough to fix them. I do struggle a bit with suspending my disbelief, I understand the whole point is to lean into stereotypes from typical superhero movies, but it is alot sometime. I will say this is my least fave of tj klunes works, but ill def be sticking around to read the next book

TJ Klune really knows how to write character development for characters. This was a very fun read, and I enjoyed the magic throughout. Also who doesn't like fanfic incorporated into a story? I ended up reading The Extraordinaries in a day, then followed up with this sequel and it was satisfying not being left on the cliffhanger from the first book!

Thank you Tor and Netgalley for the e-arc.

Another fantastic Klune book. Laughing, crying, and more laughing.

This was a good follow-up to The Extraordinaries. TJ Klune did make an effort to address the rose-coloured glasses view of police that was an issue in the first book, however, it did feel like it was added in after the fact it wasn't smoothly written in. I appreciate the change, it's not for me to say if it's enough.

I love the relationship between Nick and Seth but I am still waiting for Nick to stop being the clueless sidekick that he was in the first book. I love the friendships between The Lighthouse crew. I'm not sure quite how to explain my issue with Jazz and Gibby because having strong women is important but this almost feels like it's their only personality trait? they're a little flat to me.

I love the overall discussions around safe sex, consent, and communication with your partner

As with The Extraordinaries, the twists were predictable but it was still a fun read!

Ok first as a Klunatic I LOVED all the Easter eggs and callbacks to other Klune works. They’re fun to look for and spot.

Following The Extraordinaries, Flash Fire follows Nick Bells and his story continues.

First we get a peek at how his relationship with Seth, formerly just his best friend, and now his boyfriend and resident Extraordinary of Nova City. They’re sweet and and but hesitant to advance things in some ways but their seriousness is major.

Nick stumbles upon some videos of his mom that his dad stashed away and receives the shock of a lifetime. This discovery changes everything.

In addition to these revelations, Nick learns Seth isn’t the only Extraordinary in the city. These new characters are both fantastic and mysterious.

Simon Burke is lurking. Owen Burker is hovering in the background, unseen in the book but still a threat. And dang Rebecca Firestone is out acting a hot mess.

The epilogue contains a HUGE gasp inducing reveal.

It’s a great follow up to the first and will have you snort laughing, gasping, squeeing, and cheering for the heros. Do yourself a favor and read this ASAP.

While I appreciate that Klune set out to tackle the criticisms that were leveled at the first book in this series head on, it seems that at least part of it was through extensive re-writes. There is a lot of discussion around police brutality and defunding the police, but it feels a little clunky, not particularly well integrated, and done mostly by Gibby and her family. Nick is really struggling with these revelations, which feels realistic, but it is also a bit of a complete 180. I still love the fact that Nick is neurodivergent, which I think we need more of in literature, but he had a little too much frenetic energy this time for me. People are either going to love or hate some of the plot twists that go down, but overall, this book felt like it was suffering from the second book plot slump. There is a lot of action, but action doesn't directly translate to plot.

So, did I want to enjoy this more? Yes. Am I happy that Klune took some steps to address criticism that has been leveled at him? Yes. Is it enough? Not my place to say as a white woman, please seek out some BIPOC reviewers opinions. Do I think readers who enjoyed the first book will enjoy this one? Probably. It depends a little on what aspects you enjoyed from the first one. Do I recommend you skipping the first one and going straight into this one? Heck no. Overall, I think readers looking for book with queer superheroes with a side dish of teenage problems and angst, will be quite happy. Don't take this book too seriously (outside of the police commentary), because if you try to place too many real world expectations on it, it will collapse like a souffle.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Teen for providing me with an eARC of this book. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have to preface this review by saying that I think TJ Klune is a genius and one of my favorite writers. This book was solidly written, just as I expected, and I'm positive it will be a hit with a younger audience.

Just as with The Extraordinaries, Flash Fire left me wanting just a little more. I found Team Lighthouse to be a cute found family, typical of Klune's writing. However, it didn't resonate with me like Green Creek or The House in the Cerulean Sea. I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt that it's because of the YA branding.

The characters, as always, were my favorite part. The banter was corny, even occasionally cringey, but entertaining. I felt a lot of secondhand embarrassment, but also found myself laughing out loud at times.

The backpeddling on the social issues from book one was a little awkward, but props for the effort.

In conclusion, while it was not my favorite of Klune's series, I think Flash Fire makes a good YA addition to his collection of work and I'll be sticking around to see how it concludes.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Teen for a copy of this ARC, in exchange for my honest review.

Ahhhhhh! I’m obsessed. This had me laughing I’m the beginning, though it definitely took a turn into the serious.

I loved the relationships, especially the friendships. Their teaming up to support Seth, despite their lack of powers, was heart warming. The diversity made me so happy. The safe sex, consent and all around positivity around being sure you’re ready gave me life.

The commentary on the police, especially Aaron, was important and timely.

I saw some twists coming, but I loved them anyway. This series is just ridiculously fun, and I hope there’s more. A queer kid with ADHD is the hero I need.

I loved this sequel so much. It kept the same light and funny tone, featuring all the characters I love combined with a great storyline. I like that we’re dealing with the repercussions of being a superhero, especially as teenagers. I did feel like some of the plot points were a bit unrealistic and unbelievable, but it didn’t really bother me. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. While "The Extraordinaries" was a fun superhero romance romp, "Flash Fire" fell well short of the mark set by the first book. The addition of both a drag queen and an assumed non-binary extraordinary on top of the bisexual and gay extraordinaries just felt like they were checking boxes. The cop agenda story line felt just like that, an agenda being pushed. Gibby and Jazz were fantastic secondary characters in the first book, that felt like token plot movers in this book. Choices were made that didn't seem realistic and dialog spiraling that were fun in the first book became overwrought and slowed down what little plot there was in this book.

Oh, Flash Fire, how does one describe the sheer hilarity, epicness, and unputdownability of you? No mere human is ready for that challenge. Alas, I will try my best to coherently talk about Nick and his gang of troublemakers.

No one writes second-hand embarrassment scenes like TJ Klune, that’s just the truth. I’ve never read a book that had me in stitches quite this often—well, except for the first installment in this series—but there’s just something about laughing so hard you’re actually wheezing and crying at the same time when you’re not even twenty pages into the book that makes for a great reading experience. And while that certainly isn’t the only moment in the story where I nearly died while thinking “Nicky, no!”, a discussion of dental dams between Nicky, Nicky’s police officer dad, Nick’s boyfriend Seth, and his guardians certainly set the tone for this book.

And with that being said, here’s your fair warning: there is absolutely no moment of rest in this book. My initial reaction while reading this was literally: “if this were a TV show, the content of Flash Fire alone would be enough for ten seasons”. Every chapter introduces some new conflict, new characters, or fills in the missing pieces from those cliffhangers you’ve been dying over from book one. Not to mention that Nick’s penchant for chaos and fanfic-y messes adds another layer of upheaval. But somehow, Klune makes it work? Granted, while reading Flash Fire, you’re probably as overwhelmed as Nicky is when he accidentally connects his Extraordinaries porn to the Bluetooth of his father’s car (yes, that is also one of the wheezing moments), but it is just an absolutely wild ride that you cannot help but devour. If you thought book one was outstanding, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Since I can’t really talk much about details since this is a sequel, let me point out some highlights that will probably make you desperate to get your hands on this.

Firstly, Nick and Seth’s relationship. Friends to lovers is one of my favourite tropes but friends to lovers with a superhero twist on things? I don’t have words for it. We really get to see their relationship blossom in this second installment and there’s all kinds of important discussions around the big L, first times, and other fun topics that will either scar you for life or give you hope that there are people in this world who do make the perfect partner, superpowers or not.

Secondly, the friendships in this book absolutely destroy me every single time. Nick and Seth are one thing but Gibby and Jazz? I just love them so much, they honestly have my whole heart. From the sex-positive discussions and the general banter to moments of grief and sadness, these people are always in each other’s corner, ready to fight the world for their friends and it is as awesome as it sounds. We all deserve a friend group like that and I aspire to be as good of a human as any of these individuals are.

Thirdly, Flash Fire picks up on strands discussed in the first book which I really enjoyed. Oftentimes in trilogies, the second installment can drag which was not the case at all here. Instead, we get a lot of new input and more background info on certain things, but plot strings like Nick’s dad relationship with the police and especially his own actions that he needs to be held accountable for are taken up in Flash Fire. Both Nick’s best friends’ parents as well as Nick himself finally get to say their piece when it comes to the concept of defunding the police because police officers have too much power and abuse it all too often and that discussion holds no punches. This adds another layer of depth to an already incredibly fleshed-out story.

Lastly, all the new characters we get are amazing!! There are some new faces that are so electric (hint hint), funny, sarcastic, fierce and overall add so much to this already fantastic group of characters. Watching these new people come join the fight against all evil just makes this book even more extraordinary than the first installment.

On top of all these amazing aspects, you also have Klune’s killer writing style that makes the narrative flow exceptionally well paired with his trademark humour that is just unparalleled. Nick and his dad’s relationship definitely take center stage in Flash Fire and the amount of tears and laughs it induced would baffle you. And Nick is his chaotic, messy, ADHD-ridden, adorable, cannot-will-not-give up self and as always, I was here for it. Nick is and remains one of my favourite YA characters of all time and this book only cemented that fact for me.

Also, the cliffhanger. If you thought The Extraordinaries had a bad cliffhanger, you are not ready for what happens in the last chapter of Flash Fire. Believe me. No one is ever ready for that. I’m still screaming silently in my head and will continue to do so until book three lands in my lap. Damn you, Klune. That was not fair.

With Klune’s trademark humour, new Extraordinary characters and the ultimate squad goals personified in Nick’s gang of queer besties, Flash Fire is an explosive, non-stop, plot-twisty extravaganza—the sequel that’s not to be missed this summer!

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

A sequel in the Extraordinaires series following Nick's point of view as he chaotically navigates a super-boyfriend and school life, while discovering more about the other Extraordinaires in his world. (It's highly recommended you read the first one before jumping into this one, Nick's world is chaotic!)

Personally, I really enjoyed the snarky rom-com elements of the first one and sadly there's not as much in its sequel. It's still very sweet and enjoyable like the first one, despite it. There's more of a heavy superhero lean-in which is fine, but I personally wanted more of Nick and Seth together rather than the dramatic political machinations of supervillains, ha.

I enjoyed seeing more of Nick's relationship with his father, it was nicely fleshed out here. The fact that the officer angle was pushed more here compared to the first one made it even better in that regard rather than brushing it off. I appreciated how the author handled these complex issues while not "dumbing" it down for younger audiences. It was handled beautifully.

Sadly, Seth is...oddly not as present as he could have been. I wish we had more Seth and Nick dates or something. Their dialogue is always entertaining, not to mention their sweet scenes.

The last 20% of the book was really intense and I enjoyed it a lot compared to the rest of the book! Which is cool but also kind of sad for some reason. It's not a bad book by any means, but I feel like I enjoyed the first one more. Everyone's going to have their preferences, however. I am definitely going to read the third one though because it leaves me wanting more...

This one was a fun read, though not quite as charming or engaging as the first book in the series, and not quite as enjoyable as Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea. But I would still give this a solid 3.5 stars.

My main issue with this series is that the more minor side characters don't really feel unique or like they are different people. The two female best friends feel like the same person, and I have a difficult time telling them apart and remembering who is who. The two main characters are well fleshed out, but I want more character development for the rest of the cast of this tale.

I'm all for Klune's ability to create a world that just feels wholesome and where differences in sexuality and gender are just accepted, but this one just doesn't come across as strongly as the world in THitCS, and almost feels overly saccharine here.

The plot in these books can be a little predictable, but if you are looking for a fun superhero story where you can just go along for the ride then I recommend this series.

Flash Fire deliver's another hilarious, action-packed queer superhero YA romance.

Nicky, YES! Nick and Seth are queer couple GOALS, and their parents/guardians win all the awards for supportive parenting. In fact, all the parents in this book, minus the villain of course, are articulate, supportive, and just wonderful additions to the story.

Nicky's relationship with his father continues to make me laugh and cry. Their love for each other is such an important part to the story, and their acceptance of each other, faults and all, is really moving. I loved how this book addressed sex education, consent, safety, and support in a hilarious manner, while making important points. This book also addresses the BLM movement and police corruption, in an engaging way that makes sense for the story and doesn't seem preachy. The author also gives us important links to learn more at the end of the book.

The action was amazing, but the relationships, and Nicky's inner voice, are what gave this book five stars for me.

Thank you Netgalley for this ebook arc.

This book was fantastic! It was laugh-out-loud funny while also tackling some very heavy material. I could not put it down and ended up staying awake until 3 AM just so I could see how it ended. Now I feel like I need the next book right this minute, and this book hasn’t even come out yet.

The story picked up several months after the end of The Extraordinaries. Nick was adjusting to having a superhero boyfriend, and much of the book explored the development of the boys’ relationship. The author candidly explored the impacts a new relationship can have on the emotional, physical, and social domains of a teenager’s (or a person of any age really) life. The book illustrated the struggle of figuring out what it means to be in love and how to understand and convey those feelings to a partner. The sex talks between Nick and his dad were once again hilarious, but it was also really nice to see Nick and Seth deal openly with their thoughts and hangups about sex. Their relationship was one of the biggest highlights of the book.

I’m not going to talk much about the plot of the book because I don’t want to spoil it. However, I will say the story delivers on the teases from the first book in many big ways. The betrayals that happen were heartbreaking and several scenes where secrets were revealed left me with literal chills. This story adds to a much bigger plot that seems like it will come to an explosive ending, which I’m very excited to read.

In my review of the first book, I critiqued the story’s lack of balance in its approach to the police. The author did a fairly good job of correcting that with this book, but some of it was a bit clunky. Toward the beginning of the book, an entire chapter seemed as if it had been thrown in out of nowhere specifically to have the conversation about the police. The content of the chapter was fine. It just felt like an addition rather than something organic to the story. The rest of the book, however, did a good job of keeping a balance between acknowledging not all police are bad people with the understanding that the system is broken. I also liked that we got to see Nick's thoughts about the topic and view his growth based on what he learns in the book. It was a good example of what a person should do when confronted with information counter to their viewpoint: process it and learn from it.

I still loved all the characters. Nick was as extra as he has always been, possibly even more so. Seth was adorable, and I enjoyed him being less aloof in this book now that his friends all know his secret. The teamwork aspect of this story added more fun interactions, and Jazz and Gibby were just as delightful to read here as in the first book. Several new additions were made, and all I will say about them is I never knew I needed to read about a drag queen superhero. Until now.

This story tackled a variety of heavy themes and issues while still managing to keep the humor I loved from the first one. As mentioned previously, corruption of the police system and the struggles of a budding relationship are two major focuses. Additionally, the book explores corruption in the media, grief, coping with major breaches of trust, dealing with figuring out one’s future while adapting to major life changes, and the concept of registration for “othered” individuals to protect public safety. It also made me think about the ethics of biomedical experimentation and whether understanding something (like why some people are gay, for instance) could ultimately lead to destroying entire populations of people because the knowledge could lead to a “cure.” All in all, the tone of this story was darker than the first, but it had even more depth to it, as well.

Overall, I love this book and highly recommend it to lovers of superheroes, LGBT romance, and coming of age stories. I also recommend it to everyone else, as well. Therefore, I rate it 5 out of 5 stars and will be impatiently waiting another year for the next book.