This was a great conclusion to the trilogy. I was definitely confused at first, given how the big reveal at the end of book 2 was handled, but it turned out great. The ending was a bit drawn out, but overall, this third book did not disappoint in terms of action.

TJ Klune once again delivers a cute and hilarious installment in his fun and unique YA series about teen superheroes. There are twisty mind games, laugh-out-loud "talks" with parental figures, and an adorable romance to keep readers on their toes.

At the end of book two, Flash Fire, Nick and co. were in a somewhat stable place. Yes, the bad guy was still out there doing bad guy things, and yeah, his traumatic past was still coming back to mess with him in more ways than one, but all four characters—Nick, Seth, Jazz, and Gibby—were working together to figure it out. Now, they're trying to figure it all out while also attempting to make the most of their last high school summer together.

And boy do those plans get derailed. There is a huge twist in the plot development from book two to book three that I did not see coming. I thought Klune had gone with a very familiar, overdone trope at the end of book two, and instead, he shook it up and made it something completely different. I give major kudos to that. I'm not going to go into any details for fear of spoilers, but just know that everything is not as it appears...

As for our main cast of characters, Nick is still an adorable and awkward disaster. Seth is a solid and reliable guy. And Gibby and Jazz are a great support system for their hero companion and Nick's antics in general. I will say that I'm a little sad we didn't get more Seth and Nick fluffy, domestic scenes. They are a very cute couple, and they only get a few on-page moments together. Though the ones they did get were awwwww-worthy. Also, the plot wrapped up really nicely with this final book. There weren't any open endings or confusing climaxes. Though, I do think some of the political elements, while not overbearing or wrong to include, did take me out of the moment sometimes. Nothing major, but it did happen once or twice.

Overall, The Extraordinaries trilogy is a perfect read for young readers—queer, straight, unsure, or questioning—to not only possibly see themselves in a superhero story, but to see a loving and caring family dynamic fight crime together versus one vigilante taking on the world. Everyone needs help now and then, and the parents in The Extraordinaries make sure their kids know they have their backs! I think every junior and high school library should have this series on their shelves.

3.5 stars

*Note: I received a NetGalley ARC of this book to review from the publisher. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

I will follow TJ Klune to the ends of the earth, and I LOVE this series, but HEAT WAVE was by far my least favorite of the three Extraordinaries books.

It felt slooooooow to get to any action and the plot felt stretched and a bit unbelievable (even in a series about superheroes). It wasn't really the fast-paced and explosive conclusion I was hoping for.

A thank you to Tor Teen and NetGalley for the early review copy in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

T J Klune writes cute/awkward, like nobody else. Moving and funny in equal measure. A young adult book that doesn’t forget the “adult” part and a wonderful finale to a trilogy that hopefully doesn’t end here . I adored this trilogy !

I loved reading this! A fitting conclusion to the trilogy and Nick’s mission to become an Extraordinary. I absolutely adored seeing Seth and Nick’s relationship develop, as well seeing how their friendship with Gibby and Jazz becomes even stronger.

I love reading T. J. Klune’s writing. It’s amazing how he can make you laugh in one paragraph and then bring you close to tears in the next… a rare gift!

I can’t wait for more people to read it! I am now going to continue to work my way through Klune’s previous books.

The finale of the fantastic series “The Extraordinaries” and Klune once again hits it out of the park. This series has been an absolute joy- the main character of Nick and his struggles with ADHD, the self awareness the story has with its police presence, as well as it’s incredibly diverse cast of characters makes this, in my opinion, one of the best YA trilogy’s out there. In this we get a pretty little bow tied on top of the series, with Nick and Seth taking big steps in their relationship while also handling the big bad Burkes who find a new (and low as hell) way to torture Nova City. Gabby and Jazz continue to be the amazing friends and support system to their extraordinary best friends as well as part of “Lighthouse”. The “Dad Squad” is adorkable and made such a warm fuzzy addition to this story that started out really heavy. Also, kudos to Klune and his writing cuz I was so confused by how casually the cliff hanger form “Flash Fire” was handled at first but it all tied together nicely. And that epilogue?!? It was perfection and just the way this story needed to end. By far my favorite YA trilogy in the market highly recommend to all readers if all ages.

Heat Wave is set a few months after the disastrous prom events of Flash Fire, and things in Nick’s life have changed drastically. Nick is training to assume his mother’s mantle as Guardian, using his telekinesis more regularly, and returning home to TK, a woman who seems to be Nick’s mom. It’s soon apparent that something is amiss with Nick’s mind though, as his memory seems to fight him and his panic fades too quickly when his “mother” says everything is fine. Also, Burke is running for mayor with a campaign against the extraordinaries and promoting his “cure.”

Heat Wave starts with another one of Nick’s truly cringe-worthy fanfics. With this book, it can be appreciated though, because it sets a nice contrast to his memoir-style piece of writing at the end of the book (which he calls his “manifesto”), and that contrast really shows how he’s grown as a writer and matured as a person.

Klune shows Nick maturing with more than just his writing, but it comes at a cost. For anyone who doesn’t believe that second-hand book embarrassment is real, please refer to the scene where Nick’s father walks him through the types and application of enemas. (“Dad, no.”) It ends with Nick thanking his father for loving him so much and a conversation with Seth where Nick refuses to be embarrassed about the demonstration he just walked in on. It’s good to see Nick and Seth’s emotional readiness (and lack thereof) when it comes to sex and how they talk it out.

There’s actually a lot of communication in this book, and finally everyone is on the same page. There are no more secrets and everything that is faced is done so by the entirety of Lighthouse (and shout out to Dad Squad). They work together to shine a light on Burke, and they succeed brilliantly. No lone gunmen, no “protecting” each other, just the truth, communication, and the win. Bravo.

Overall, this book was really cute. TJ Klune showed a lot of Nick’s growth and a great deal of teamwork between all the characters. I wouldn’t have changed a thing, and I’ll be recommending Heat Wave and the entire trilogy to everyone it seems right for.

Thank you Tor Teen and NetGalley for an E-ARC of Heat Wave in exchange for an honest review.

This book was absolutely five bright burning stars (fueled by Pyrostorm of course).

This is one of my most anticipated books of the year. As someone with ADHD, Nicholas Bell means so much to me and it did not disappoint.

The portrayal of ADHD in Heat Wave is ,unsurprisingly, extremely accurate. So many times I just felt myself going, “yep, yep, oh my gosh yep that too” while I was reading.

Especially the cups. Oh my god—the cups. All the damn cups. I’m pretty sure this rings true for every person with ADHD whose true walk of shame is walking all those cups to the sink.

The plot twists were exceptional and being able to see more of Seth’s personality shine was a delight. I loved hanging out with the whole gang: Nick, Seth, Jazz and Gibby. And, as always, there’s lots of being extraordinary and saving Nova City.

As always, TJ’s sense of humor transcends the pages and makes you laugh out loud but the story still has real heart.

There’s well woven in social awareness and commentary on police brutality, Black Lives Matter and capitalism. There are also important discussions on grief and safe (queer) sex.

This book also shows the importance of friendship and chosen family.

And the Easter Eggs to TJ’s earlier work are so delightful!

I would’ve loved to have had this book as a teenager and am so happy it exists as an adult.

This book is funny, delightfully queer, charming and chock full of action and aww-inducing moments.

As much as I didn’t want to see the end of this series, it was a good end. Heat Wave continues to follow Nick Bell as he comes into his abilities. Little does he and his friends know not everything is as it seems.

I can't say enough about this series. It really is extraordinary! And Heat Wave is the perfect conclusion to this amazing trilogy. It will make you laugh and cry. When you finally close the book, you will be sad that it is over but so happy you got to be part of it all.

What a fantastic conclusion to this series! I wasn't sure if this trilogy would end in a satisfying way that wrapped up all the different questions that I had, but it definitely did.

Once again, I loved the snark and sarcasm of all of the characters, especially Nick. TJ Klune has a way of making my laugh out loud while reading that not many others authors can achieve. The relationships between the characters are so well developed and expressed, especially the relationship between Nick and his dad. All of the adults made me smile in this one, which I didn't expect after not being as interested in them in the previous book.

I loved how I as a reader got to be confused along with the characters with the storyline about a character introduced in the last book's epilogue. I had to read through that ending to make sure I hadn't missed some crucial information, but as the story progressed, I was so impressed by how it was handled. I'm always a fan of a good twist.

All of the epilogues in the series are some of my favorite parts of each book, and this was no different. I felt like there was a sense of closure to the story without everything being overexploited and wrapped up in a nice bow. The fan fiction element to the epilogue just tied the whole series together. This is definitely a series I'll be returning to when I need a comfort reread.

Much of the same themes are present in the last book of the trilogy. Friendship and power, lust and love, family and loyalty. Gibby graduated at the end of the last book and so Nick and the others are faced with the inevitability of the future and whether or not they’ll always be friends. In the moment, everything seems possible. But it seems equally possible that everything will fall apart. As the movement against extraordinaries grows, Seth questions whether or not he even wants his powers and Nick devotes himself to training to become the superhero he always wanted to be. His progress is predictable, driven by his love for his family and sense of justice.

Though this is the last book in the series and the stakes have never been higher, the other two books were much more exciting and engrossing. One of the main secrets takes over half the book to be revealed in its entirety and it felt like it took too long to be revealed and then everything came together super fast afterwards. The epic battle at the end was, indeed, epic and the epilogue wrapped everything else up nicely. But the lead up, which took about 60% of the book, just didn’t work for me. Sure, there was the classic Nick and his dad, being awkward about his gay sexual awakening. And cute moments between Seth and Nick and wholesome encounters with Jazz and Gibby. I found the story to be a little repetitive, resting on jokes made in previous books, wringing every last bit of humor out of them.

Teens and adults alike who enjoy superheroes will love this series and will find this last book to be a satisfying conclusion. I loved how supportive Nick’s dad was, and how the other adults were approachable and supportive as well. They were wonderful. There is great queer rep and talk of safe sex from Nick’s dad, as well as Nick realizing how great his dad is, even if the man is a little overbearing with his advice and tips. I highly recommend this series because it is overall hilarious with excellent messages of support.

3.5 stars out of 5.

I was so excited when Netgalley gave me this e-arc for a review. Naturally, all opinions are my own.

I really liked Extraordinaries part one, I was super enthusiastic about Flash Fire, but Heat Wave is by far the most wonderful part of this trilogy.
Just when I thought I'd just read too many books to ever be pleasantly surprised again, TJ Klune surprised me with this book.
Firstly: the humour. Nick and his ADHD are hilarious, I love the way his brain and lack of filter works.
Secondly: the romance. It's fluffy, it's realistic, it's definitely something I want for Nick. Plus this book had the most original sex scene (and aftermath) ever.
Thirdly: the superhero stuff. What can I say, it was done perfectly. It had me on the edge of my seat, I bit my nails, it was just so well written.
I also loooooved the open-mindedness of the main characters, and what I could learn from them. The relationships between the friends, between the adults and the children etc etc, they were all important, well rounded and there was so much warmth (apart from the obvious heat wave)
All in all, this is going to be one of my favourite reads ever and I warmly recommend this to anyone.

It feel so trendy to love Klune's writing, but everyone loves it for a very good reason - it's EXCELLENT.

Wonderful conclusion to the series, hilarious, charming, and the storytelling? Perfection. Such a great series, strong writing, charming characters, and 10/10 would recommend this to so many folks.

I loved this book so much! It was a fabulous conclusion to the Extraordinaries series, and wrapped up all of the questions I had after book 2. Like the rest of the books in the series, it was laugh-out-loud funny, and I had to share some of the best quips out loud while I was reading. I can't recommend these books enough.

This book was perfect to me. This was the ending I most desired but it gave me so much more than I actually expected. It exceeded my expectations so much that it now lives rent free in my brain and heart.
TJ Klune knows how to walk the thin line between being too much for YA and being the perfect kind of YA, because teen nowadays do think and do these things. They do, and the way Klune wrote certain scenes, was extremely hilarious and I wouldn't wish this to any teenager alive; but in writing, these scenes were exactly the perfect way to portray, for example, a boy and his dad who bought him a very embarrassing thing. I spend most of the book giggling, then of course I also worried, because this is Klune, he is a master of pain when there needs to be some. And he does it so well! The book had to perfect mix of happiness, sadness, deep conversations, twists, angst, comedy, all wrapped in one of the queerest books in existence.
I think Klune is a fantastic storyteller and the things he has in his mind need to live on pages because they're masterpieces.
I adored the friendships, the family, the romance, the over the top situations, and the most random side characters. The dad squad stole the scene and you all need a dad squad in your life! Trust me, you do!
Perfect ending of a perfect trilogy! All hail the superqueeros!

Biggest thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of ‘Heat Wave’! This review is my full, honest opinion.

‘Heat Wave’ is the final installment in the Extraordinaries trilogy and there is no less of hilariousness and drama with Nicholas Bell and the gang. Nick is trying to get the hang of being an Extraordinary while trying to uncover shady business happening in Nova City. With the help of his friends and The Dad Squad, some things are not what they seem to be. The book had me crying-laughing several times through the book and gasping aloud at the plot twists and its developments. The plot gets you involved straightaway in the most unexpected way.

The characters are so great! I do love some Nick Bell shenanigans, and his relationship with Seth is as swoon-worthy as ever. We saw more of Seth in this book and I love that for us, and I also enjoyed everything there is about the character I hate to love, Mr. Owen Burke. I swear if this was a movie, he would have stolen the show because wow. Aaron Bell was also a surprisingly stand-out character for me. The father-son relationship between him and Nick is so sweet and so real, I really tried to pay attention to their moments together the most.

The only gripe I have with the book is the pacing. There are scenes that feel repetitive or include a group of 16 or so people, and with discussions between them, all of the people need to have a say or a point in the conversation. This makes for the scenes to drag on for longer than I would have liked them, but they introduce great character enhancements.

The humor throughout the entire series is top-notch. I’ve never laughed more in anything than this trilogy, which makes it so memorable, enjoyable, and entertaining. In my readings, every book in this series has at least one outrageously humorous scene that kills me with laughter. Ugh, I’m going to miss this series and these characters so much. It’d definitely developed to be an outstanding trilogy to love and read.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/39170289-alanis">View all my reviews</a>

Thanks to Tor Teen and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review! TJ Klune has become one of my favorite authors, and I was so excited to get a copy of this early! Yes, I have a lot of other spring books to review, but I was just in the mood for some of my favorite superheroes.

It was a bit difficult to summarize this without spoiling it, but I did my best! It picks up almost immediately after Flash Fire leaves off, dropping you right into the middle of the action. However, you know there's something that's not quite right. I thoroughly enjoyed how Klune teased this for the first half of the novel. It came in bits and pieces, just adding to the mystery.

If you're familiar with superhero stories, a lot of the plot points won't be a surprise to you. But that didn't matter much to me, as I just love these characters. One of the best things about this book is the way Nick's dad is so supportive of him. There are some frank conversations in this book about sex, and for gay teens to see that played out in a safe way on page is so important. And also absolutely leads to some hilarious scenes with Nick, his dad, and Seth. Like, laugh out loud funny.

The way ADHD is represented also feels authentic and real. I've though this in each of the books in this trilogy, and part of it is a journey of Nick accepting himself with it. Nick is such a great narrator, and for teens getting to see ADHD represented like this on the page is great. Nick is also thoroughly supported by his friends and their little found family. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Klune is the king of writing found families.

I would love for this series to get turned into a grpahic novel becuase I think it would be fantastic. This was a great ending to this trilogy, and I can't wait for everyone else to read it!

I honestly wasn’t sure what to rate the conclusion of this trilogy… I really enjoyed the Extraordinary’s, but thought Flash Fire was vastly more dull. Heat Wave was… in between.

Klune can, quite frankly, create an immersive experience with some characters and a cardboard box, and that’s what continues to drive the story for me. The characters themselves have individual personalities, they’re well fleshed out, and GOD they are so damn funny.

The same issue that I had with the previous two novels was in this one: I wasn’t drawn into the progression of the story in the slightest. I was more interested in the dialogue between the sarcastic smartass protagonist and his band of awesome misfits than I was the superhero explosion sequences happening in the back.

Honestly? That could just be me and my reading styles/preferences. Based on what I’ve seen, I think that’s a personal take on this book, and not the majority. I’m still going to hype this book up as much as possible, because TJ Klune’s writing deserves to be in the hands of everyone.

Overall, I’d say this book (and the series) is a 3.5/5. I would recommend it for sure, but not one that someone MUST read today.

Big thanks to NetGalley and TorTeen for this ARC!

Sigh… I love these books. And I’m sad this is the last one. I could read about Nick and Seth (and Jazz and Gibby) for many more books.
That being said, I think TJ did a great job with this book, nicely wrapping things up. Certainly, more books could be written, but they don’t need to be. There are no loose ends and I’m absolutely happy with the ending.
I really liked the storyline, I thought it was great, though definitely gave me vibes from a different TJ book, where something similar happens. And because of that similar vibe I couldn’t wait to find out how it was going to play out and if it was the same or slightly different. Good stuff. We are introduced to a new Extraordinary, an old Extraordinary is dealt with (and it is absolutely perfect, like, I didn’t know how that was going to go, but it was perfect), and Nick learns more about his own abilities.
Also, there is an AMAZING Easter egg in here for folks who have read TJ’s back catalogue. I don’t know that what I mentioned earlier would really be considered an Easter egg (but maybe?), but this one absolutely is and it is THE BEST. I was cackling the entire time I was reading that part, it was just so good. Plus, the fact that it’s from one of my favourite of his books made it even better. OMG, y’all are not ready!
I really loved this book, I can’t wait for it to be out in the world for everyone to read.
#NickAndSeth5Eva