Just like the first book in this series, The Extraordinaries, this novel has a good balance of what I look for in a book. It has memorable characters you want to root for. The relationships between those characters are more than just one note. And the story is allowed to be silly and serious at the same time without it feeling off. If there is one thing I have come to appreciate about Klune’s work is the humor he injects into the more serious aspects of a story.

And this book is funny, mostly because of Nick and his reactions to the things going on. But I don’t think anyone would be surprised there. If you were okay with the secondhand embarrassment we all called humor from the first book, you won’t be disappointed in this one. In fact, I think that was turned up a notch in Flash Fire. Nick’s Father takes great pride in educating his son on safe sex and we get enjoy the effects it has on Nick and Seth.

It was also nice to see how Nick and Seth’s relationship is progressing. They are finding their rhythm as a couple, which I enjoy reading about. And Nick and Jazz as a duo will always be one of my favorite aspects of this series. Though, thinking back, we really didn’t get much of Gibby outside of the next point I wanted to discuss.

While I really did love this book, there were a few things that took me out of the story. I understand the author wished to do some course corrections after he received criticism from the first book, but I feel it came off as a little unrealistic. Going from book one to book two was a complete 180 on how certain characters felt about other characters. Or just how they felt in general. It was jarring. So much was explained in one chapter that it felt like I was being lectured to instead of reading a book about superheroes. And it was a thread line that continued to pop up throughout the book, understandably as it’s not an issue that would have been handled in that one chapter, but it almost always felt out of place.

I know this isn’t the best review as I really didn’t discuss the plot outside of what I didn’t think worked, but I feel if I say more I’ll spoil something and I don’t want to do that. So I’ll just say that overall I found this to be a quick and enjoyable read. If you enjoyed the first book, I think you’ll enjoy this one too.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

T. J. Klune us a master at is craft. And Flash Fire is just another example of why he deserves all of the praise as an author. As a fabulously queer author.

I was hesitant going into Flash Fire. Extraordinaries was, for me, rather boring and drawn out for the first half of the books. I didn't find much of the twists and big reveals to be, well, hard to figure out very early on. The last half of Extraordinaries really kicked up the intensity and I quickly became obsessed.

However, Flash Fire never let me down. It was delight from the first "Nicky, yes!" to the very last page. Are the plot twists complicated? No. Are they easily called out? Yes. But, and if you really think about Flash Fire (and Extraordinaries) neither book is really that special in its idea. Super heroes with identities fighting bad guys and also juggling normal lives. But, they are also very queer. I say this not to knock either book, because this familiarity to a genre I love so much is why I adore these books.

And Klune does not disappoint with his signature style of creating wonderful found families, emotional moments riddled with intense character growth, and just being absolutely freaking funny. All wrapped up in a splendid queer super hero story like you've never seen before.

Nick Bell is, and I will die on this hill, one of the best (if not the best) character ever to be written. He's charming, funny, and just full of fluster and courage and love. There's an essence to Nick that Klune has captured that brings him to life. I laughed and rolled my eyes and yelled "Nicky, no!" along with all of his friends. He (Nicky) pulls you in and you feel like you are right there with Team Pyro Storm.

And (maybe very slight spoilers but not really) I want to talk about all of the funny, cringy, and awkward talks revolving sex in this book. Specifically, gay sex. Klune really did something special in trying to normalize talking about the awkwardness and realities of sex for the first time. What a teenager (especially a gay teen boy) might struggle with when deciding if it's time to have sex. How that sex would work. How to have that conversation with a potential partner. The funny and awkwardness of having a parent that is both supportive and protective of their kids possibly having sex. It's not anything I have really ever seen in a queer ya novel, and I am so happy that it was a part of this book.

Extraordinaries caused some concern when it released because of the way the story seemed to gloss over the harm Nick's dad did as a police officer. I won't speak much on this, other than that Klune took these concerns and addressed them in the story in an organic and thoughtful way.

Flash Fire is defiantly another Klune masterpiece. Full of witty banter, queer characters who never back down, and super heroes that don't always have super powers. If you love Klunes work, you will love this book. If you've. read Klune before then brace yourself, because everything he writes is a whirlwind of green and blue and pack pack- sorry, wrong series. But it still stands. You will fall in love and be crying by the time you put the book down.

Flash Fire, the sequel to The Extraordinaries, was so good! Nick and Seth’s story picks up where we left o

Fire Flash was such a mix of laughter, adventure, inclusion, tears, and did they really just say that? As someone with a parent in the local police force TJ Klune did an amazing job expressing the turmoil of a kid who loves their dad but not so much what he does. I cannot wait for the 3rd book!

A highly entertaining sequel to Extraordinaries, we are taken back to the world of Nick and Seth and Gabby and Jazz!
All of them have to come to terms with what happened with Owen at the end of book 1. Simon Burke is still creating hell for them and there are many more Extraordinaries in Nova City apart from Pyro Storm!! How that changes the dynamics of Team Pyro Storm and how they go through their own personal struggles and life decisions is what Flash Fire is all about!!
I love how TJ Klune writes the cutest characters!! I loved the characters of Seth/ Gabby and Jazz. Nick is part adorable and part extremely annoying and his interactions with his dad provided some seriousness as well as comic relief at times.
I really loved it and can’t wait for the third book!

Flash Fire is the seventh book that I have read by TJ Klune, which also makes it the seventh TJ Klune book that has made me cry. An upper-level queer YA featuring superheroes with neurodivergent rep? Yes please always. Flash Fire was exciting to me because it addressed many of the issues I had with The Extraordinaries while providing very exciting set up for the next book!
I loved The Extraordinaries mainly because of the same reason I love all of TJ Klune's work - the beating heart that is at the centre of all of his characters. However, the positive portrayal of policing in that novel did not sit well with me and affected my overall opinion on the book.
In Flash Fire, TJ Klune addressed the very valid and necessary criticisms that were raised in The Extraordinaries. I thought that the way that he handled this was thoughtful and caring. At times, this came across a bit didactic, however I think this was necessary because of how much uncritical pro-policing sentiment was present in the first book and the amount of work that was required to dismantle and shift this perspective both in terms of the characters in the book and the overall plot of the novel.
TJ Klune is great at worldbuilding and at plot continuity. Both The Extraordinaries and Flash Fire do an excellent job of situating themselves both in the context of their setting and in terms of a narrative, and I am excited to see what happens in the next book in the series. The plot twists are really good (even if I felt like I saw the big post-credits reveal coming from way early on) and the action (when it finally happens) is exciting to read.
Where Flash Fire fell short to me was in pacing and plot development. In these categories, it very much felt like the middle volume between two more exciting bookends. I wanted more! The final fight scene was gripping, but it felt like there was so much exposition that needed to happen that I wanted there to be a better balance between explaining everything going on and stuff actually happening.
What makes this series so exciting is that it is a combination between classic queer YA coming-of-age and an epic superhero adventure, and even though I am not a big superhero fan, I will read pretty much anything written by TJ Klune because his characters are always so unique and fun to read, and the ways that he is able to craft communities of people who love each other deeply and fight for each other always tugs at my heartstrings.

Flash Fire is the sequal to the fantastic book The Extraordinaries and if you haven't read it I reccomend you do so ASAP.

This book catches up with Nick and the rest of Team Pyro Storm. The plot is predictable, but easy to overlook because you are drawn in by the fantastic characters, action scenes and humor.
There are new Extraordinaries who shake things up for the team and Rebecca Stone is once again the worst human EVER. Like Umbridge level bitch.

I absolutely love Nick and his fathers relationship and I laugh so hard every time his dad tries to talk about sex and how clueless Nick is about some things.

I absolutely love how the author has tackled ADHD, lgbtq+ issues, along with race and police issues.

With every book of T.j klunes that I read the more I love his work. He has such a skill with writing and developing characters you immediatly love and would do anything for.

I cannot wait for the next installment!

4.5 stars.

Well, shit.

I was expecting a lot of things to happen (some of which did) but I was not expecting that!!!

I need the next book

I enjoyed this story even if I wanted to duct tape the MC's mouth shut MULTIPLE TIMES. How are his friends okay with this? Fun gay superhero story regardless. I like that police presence and actions were addressed but it kinda felt like too much weight were put on the BIPOC characters to do it. Very glad to see that mistakes were owned by adults (when/where mistakes were made).

This book was an amazing sequel! I loved the characters and the story! This amped up the level of awesomeness and the ending was definitely hinting at a 3rd book! Highly recommend this book when it comes out July 13th!!

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

4.5 Stars

Flash Fire, the sequel that my heart wanted and needed. I needed something that made me laugh, and Klune did not disappoint.

If you have not read the first book, The Extraordinaries, then go read that first. Then come back and check out this review. Now let’s get to the actual review and my constant fangirling.

The characters are still endearing as ever, especially Nick. His chaotic self was just as amazing as I remember. His relationship with Seth (ABOUT TIME) is by far my favorite part of this entire series. They are just utterly adorable. The rest of the gang got more page time, and I loved that. It’s about time we get more Gibby and Jazz.

I appreciate that Klune included a lot of sex positivity and safe sex talks. While the sex talk scenes were a bit embarrassing, and by a bit, I mean a lot. I still loved that they were included. Leave it to TJ Klune to give me some second-hand embarrassment within the first 15 pages. I swear my cheeks are still red.

Now let’s talk about that big issue from book one. I was really nervous about how Klune would address the police plotline. For reference, Aaron (Nick’s dad) assaulted a man in custody. While I can’t say that I am 100% happy with how it turned out. I am happy that there were several discussions on why it was wrong. Both from Aaron and Nick. The biggest reason why I was unhappy about it, it felt like most of the responsibility fell onto Gibby and her parents to explain things. But I did appreciate the many conversations that the characters had. I do hope going forward this continues to be a topic in the book.

Thank you to Netgalley & Tor Teen for letting me read one of my most anticipated reads!

In this sequel to The Extraordinaries the whole world is changing. Nick has finally landed himself the boyfriend of his dreams. Nova City has new heroes arriving (to help or to harm?). There are shake ups and conflict in the police department. And prom is coming up and Nick doesn’t know how to dance!

I’ll try to avoid as many spoilers as I can for this second book in the series, so this will be a vague review. First of all, this book is nowhere near as fun and campy as the first book was, but given the events of this book that makes sense. Don’t get me wrong, there are still certainly awkward and funny bits throughout the book (and an especially cringey one within the first few pages that had me drop my Kindle, I was laughing so hard). The attitude towards the police has taken a total 180, so if that was a problem for you in the first book it has been remedied. I did find the change in attitude very abrupt considering this book takes place only a few months after the first book, but I understand why the author did it. I love these kids even more than I did in the first book. Oh, and Rebecca Firestone and Simon Burke are pure evil, and they better get their comeuppance in the sequel or I’m going to riot 😁

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan-Tor/Forge for this advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

loved this even more than the first one I was so happy to see these characters the story was great and engrossign

This sequel to The Extraordinaries is laugh-out-loud funny. I always love how Klune writes dialogue and banter. The narration is spot-on for teenage awkwardness and it's often as endearing as it is cringe-worthy. The plot was easy to predict, but filled with action and humour, making it a rapid, compulsive read. The author also attempts to address serious issues raised following the first book, including police brutality. I thought the conversations and content surrounding consent and sex were handled well. A fast-paced and intense ending sets things up nicely for book three - I can't wait to see where this story goes.

I adored The Extraordinaries, and I was honestly a little nervous to see how this book would measure up. My fears were unfounded because this book was absolutely incredible. There is humor, heart-warming romance, action, and brilliant character-building all bundled into one. In addition to all of this, TJ Klune actually addresses concerns that were brought up regarding police brutality in the first book, and the book touches on safe sex, consent, emotional maturity, and the struggle of finding your identity. Klune's ability to handle heavy topics so well is outstanding.
One of my favorite aspects of this book is the GROWTH we see from so many of the characters. I relate to Nick pretty hard as a human with ADHD, and I loved watching Nick learn that ADHD does not make him broken. (A sidebar where I say that the support Nick receives from those around him is so heartwarming and I want that support for every single person who thinks their brain is broken.) We see growth in almost every single character and I just adore it.
Next up on this review that is just me losing my absolute marbles over how good this book is: the communication (or miscommunication in some circumstances). I love the importance that Klune puts on communication in his characters' relationships. This is a book you can point to and say "look at the way these characters are working with and for each other." That is so valuable and there need to be more books like this with this kind of dynamic.
Also I wheeze-laughed more times than I can count. Pls give me the next book soon. Pls.
Huge thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!

Flash Fire is the sequel to The Extraordinaries. The story centres around Nick and his superhero boyfriend, Pyrostorm. When new Extraordinaries begin to arrive in Nova City, it’s up to Nick, Pyrostorm and friends to determine who they can trust and who will turn out villainous. It’s a lot for Nick to handle, especially as he’s trying to get through school, finish his AU fanfic and also work on the next steps of his new relationships with his boyfriend.

This was such a brilliant read! It was hilarious and heart-warming but also intense and certainly one of my most unique reads this year. I adored the four main characters, Nick, Seth, Gibby and Jazz. I loved reading about their friendship, particularly in times of sadness or difficulty and how they overcome their struggles together. As if being a teenager isn’t challenging enough – now there’s villains to cope with!

Of course, I am going to mention the importance of the representation in this book. Just like the first book, the queer relationship of Nick and his boyfriend was brill. The shameless conversations about sex was so refreshing to read. I also loved the continuation of the relationship between Nick and his Dad; father son dynamics are not written about enough. We also have the representation of ADHD, a subject which I never hear about literature either.

The miscommunication and drama in the book had me laughing out loud. I binge read this over a couple of days it was that great! Highly recommend – I cannot wait for the next book.

this was a fun follow-up to the extraordinaries that further fleshed out the characters and relationships that we met in the first novel.

i like the easy humour in this novel but it doesn't take away from discussing some more serious issues - safe sex and consent is such a big theme in this book and i was pleasantly surprised at how it was handled and firmly believe more YA books should tackle it like this. i also think tj klune did well to address the pro-police propaganda angle from the first book that i know he took a lot of criticism on, and i was surprised (in a good way) at the level of discussion on racism and police brutality contained in here. whilst some parts of it felt a bit clunky, i appreciated the message and effort, and it showcased well people can open their eyes on such issues. i am intrigued to see where nick's dad and cap will take the story in the final book given how this one ended for them.

that aside, i loved nick and seth's developing relationship as well as the continued affection between the four of them. the supplementary characters in here were fun and diverse, and i especially enjoyed miss conduct! i did guess at the twist at the end but was still shocked when it came true. i think you have to suspend your disbelief a lot with this book outside of the ordinary 'superheroes are real' suspension - most of the plot seems fairly obvious and it is a little frustrating that the main characters seem to be in the dark so much. but they're 16 and focused on school and each other, so i can give them the benefit of the doubt.

i enjoyed this one more than the first, and look forward to seeing how this series will end.

This was a fantastic follow up to The Extraordinaries!

I loved that we see Nick grow and become more mature in his relationships with the other characters, and the blossoming romance between him and Seth is just the absolute cutest!

The cringe-worthy second-hand embarrassment inflicted upon our Team Pyro Storm members, courtesy of their various parents, had me clapping my hand over my mouth squealing in horror as I read some parts, especially the Bluetooth incident in the beginning!

I like that the author incorporated aspects of current events surrounding racism and police brutality/corruption, which added a more serious facet to the teen angst and extraordinary heroics.

This book felt like it had a quicker pace and lot more action than the first, and the fight scenes are so well-written I could totally picture it all happening.

I did see the cliffhanger coming, but it is still so not cool, and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book!

What’s better than a superhero comedy I ask you? A 𝙜𝙖𝙮 superhero comedy.

Nick has dealt with a lot of chaos in the past few months. But as more Extraordinaries arrive in Nova City, life just continues to get more chaotic. Will he and the gang be able to balance it all? Or will it all come crashing down in smoke.

Nick is, yet again, his clueless-fun-ADHD brained self, whose harebrained plans hardly succeed at the rate that he wants them to. But that doesn’t stop him, and his level of persistence is admirable.
Throw in Jazz, who’s always there to encourage him, and Gibby, who’s constantly ragging on him- he has a pretty good friend group. Especially counting Seth, the one he would do anything for.

The chaos doesn’t stop in book two, and the gang is constantly having to deal with the next big trouble. Like: is Nick’s fanfic going to include a baker, or a detective….why not both? Or toss in the fact that they can never seem to catch a break with the new villain in town.
But as more and more secrets start to unfold, the friends realize that sometimes: “you’re stronger together than you are apart.”

While offering some great comedic relief, Klune also included a bunch about important matters in today’s society. Matters like racial injustices in the police department, safe sex, racism, and the power of money.
Though delicate topics, they’re talked about in such a way that you may feel more informed on them after reading this book. It’s a tough subject, but Klune handles them really well by introducing them as important matters in the book that the characters must also work through.

I LOVED this so much. It’s a fast read, it’s hilarious and entertaining, and Klune’s writing never fails to keep you interested.
If you’re wanting a funny queer book to keep you laughing for ages, then you should definitely read this!

{Huge thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!

Flash Fire is the sequel to one of my very favorite books from last year, The Extraordinaries. I loved The Extraordinaries so much I listened to it twice back to back, then read it again in the hardback in January. I am simply enamored with TJ Klune's hilarious, quirky, queer characters. I was a little worried that there was no way Flash Fire could live up to its predecessor, being the second book in a trilogy.

As soon as I started reading Flash Fire, though, I was taken right back into the world of Nick, Seth, and Nova City. Now that they're boyfriends, this book is a little less chaste than The Extraordinaries ... and that's OK. They're teenage boys, figuring out a relationship as it goes along ... with the help of Nick's police officer dad, Aaron Bell, who is hilariously overprotective and a little too into explaining sexual precautions to Nick, Seth, and anyone who will listen.

Klune tackles a big current issue: police and their relation to BIPOC. Some of the main characters in this book (Gibby, Cap and his wife) are Black, and in Flash Fire, Klune really leans into the relationships between the police and people of color. Gibby's parents find themselves with a reason not to trust Aaron Bell, and there is a lot of discussion of the police force and how it can go bad.

I won't say I am a huge fan of political issues in my books, but I think it was tastefully and respectfully done and true to real life. I know Klune reworked this book to add these conversations; I really respect that he wants to bring hard topics into his books.

So, back to the story! I read about 75% of this book with a huge, goofy grin on my face. The dialogue is perfect, Nick is just the right blend of ADD, passion, and high school boy. The boys are learning to navigate their relationship while also

[SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE EXTRAORDINARIES]



letting Seth make decisions about his life as an extraordinary and discovering he might not be the only natural-born one in Nova City. Jazz and Gibby provide support as great friends and unique characters, also dealing with their own decisions and issues. I think every character Klune writes is well fleshed-out, vivid and interesting, and that's not something you get in every book.

I can't wait to see how this series ends! (Except then it will end, and I will be sad and forced to just read them 17 more times.)