I received a copy of this book for review from NetGalley. I loved every single part of this book. I laughed out loud several times, I almost cried once, and I would like to adopt Burrito Jerry. Nicky, his friends, and the Dad Squad were wonderful, and I am so happy that I got to spend three books with these people. Were there moments so awkward that I cringed on Nick's behalf? Yes, but that's part of the charm, because the sweetness and the love make up for the awkward. I wholeheartedly recommend this end to the series.

I never binge books. I usually lose focus after an hour but OMG this book was EVERYTHING! I could not put it down and I was laughing so hard. Klune just has an amazing voice to his writing and really captures the characters. I absolutely loved how this series ended, even though I’m sad it’s okay. I would definitely be down for adult Nick and Seth content!

I’m going to preface this with an I love TJ with all my heart and some of his books live in my soul. This probably isn’t going to be one of them though. The beginning left me confused for too long because wait what? And then the foreshadowing was so heavy multiple times that I was convinced important characters were about to die to the point where I dreaded reading further. I ❤️ the Dad Squad 4eva though!

I love T.J. Klune's writing and stories, and I'm thankful to Goodreads for letting me preview this title early. Heat Wave is a wonderful read that I'm sure will delight fans!

4.5 stars

Heatwave is the final book in the extra-ordinaries series from TJ Klune and has been an absolute joyful ride form start to finish. This series is cheesy and over the top but feels like watching your favourite superhero movie with all the nostalgia and fun that comes with it!

In this book we follow Nick and co amidst a hot summer heatwave where things feel almost unreal... Fighting against the bad guys, both from without and within, this finale feels like a great culmination of all the plot threads so far with an exciting and action packed climax.

I really liked Nick's growth and developing emotional maturity in this book as well as his relationships with his Dad and Seth. Nick and Seth are childhood best friends to lovers which is a favourite trope of mine and while in this book they are fairly established as a couple I still love them and all their interactions!! I also think they have fairly healthy communication for teenagers lol.

One thing I've always loved about this series is how sex-positive it is, which I think is especially important for queer teens! I also liked the discussions around safe sex etc and while I don't think anyone should be getting their sex education from fictional books it is still great to reinforce messages!! (and especially because schools are crap at teaching queer sex education).

Overall this was such a great round out to the series and I would highly recommend if you like superheroes, oblivious gays, an amazing queer friendship group, cheesy camp vibes and an overall message of hope and queer joy.

2.5 stars rounded up bc this is more a me-problem than a book-problem.

I think i am having a TJ Klune issue, where i just have grown to find his writing style so grating that i have a hard time looking past it to the actual book. It is just so affected, and i think that this book is very much in that exact style--so i think if you loved it in the first two Extraordinaries books, you will love it here, but i think i am just over it?

Anyway, the plot was fine, the characters stayed fine, the twists were a little interesting, and i didn't regret reading this, but i feel a little like i did when i read nine Jenny Han books in like a month and a half, or when i ate quinoa every day for like 90 days straight--turned off and over it in a way that is disproportionate to the general fine-ness or even good-ness of the burnout item.

This was a NetGalley ARC, and this is obviously not a review that has been bought off.

This book started out by giving me weird feelings. Like, I actually started I’m to think I forgot what happened in the previous book. And then I started to think I’d just totally misunderstood what had happened. And then…

OMFG.

and

OMG NO!

and

WHAT WHAT WHAT? I THINK I AM CONFUSED TOO NICKY!

and

AWWWW OMG I LOVE THEM SO MUCH AND I WANT TO BE THEM JUST NOT A TEENAGER BUT HAVE THESE FRIENDS FOR LIFE AND HAVE THESE AMAZING PARENTS WHO ARE SUPPORTIVE AND PRESENT AND EMBARRASSING IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE!

and then

and then

and then

Let’s just say it was EVERYTHING. I really loved every minute of this. Even the confusing parts. Because these kids, these families, they are everything I want for other people. I love them so much.

I had feelings. So many feelings. I was excited and sad, anxious and pissed, crushed and elated. This book has it all. There is no way I will spoil anything for anyone. Just know that this is a beautiful story and a beautiful ending to a journey amongst friends who love with all their hearts. I’m in love with these people on these pages. I’m in love with their messages of love and understanding. I hope you’ll fall in love, too.

RECOMMENDED

A great ending to the trilogy! The plot was unexpected, and I can't really say anything about it without spoiling the book other than the twist was amazing.

Heat wave is a little slow at the beginning, but it is worth sticking with. I loved seeing the growth of the characters from the first book to this one. The main characters are still lovable and hilarious in this book, and they are what makes this series original and so much fun to read, along with TJ Klune's amazing writing of course.

An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastic conclusion to the Extraordinaries trilogy. Nick is still one of my favorite fictional characters. I love the way his brain works and that he unabashedly says whatever is on his mind.

This book made me laugh and cry multiple times and I highly recommend this trilogy to anyone that enjoys a great read.

I am looking forward to reading In The Lives of Puppets (a stand alone novel written by TJ Klune) when it releases in March 2023.

Once again, I find myself asking, "How does TJ Klune keep doing this to me? How does he keep writing books that make my heart was want to explode from emotions?"I LOVED The House on the Cerulean Sea, and Under the Whispering Door, but I'm also in love with this series. This is the 3rd book in Klune's young adult M/M romance and action series, The Extraordinaries. The series follows a 15-year-old named Nick who falls in love with his superhero crush and then discovers that HE also has extraordinary powers.

This book is the finale, and wow, what an adventure! The superhero aspects of the book are absolutely adorable, but my favorite part--hands down--is the relationship between the four main characters. What a beautiful representation of not only a diverse, LGBTQ group of friends, but also representative of neurodivergence, in the form of Nick's ADHD. The characters are so cool (yet awkward) and relatable (yet extraordinary). The banter in this book is top-notch, and I have laughed out loud throughout all 3 books. It is a wonderfully-satisfying ending to such a special story. If you liked the first two books in this series, you'll love this wonderful ending.

**A huge thank-you to Tor Teen Books and NetGalley for this ARC to read and review**

Heat Wave starts off about a month after the ending events of Flash Fire, and after reading the plot twist Klune decided to throw in right at the end, after the acknowledgements, I know readers are going to be eager to see how this plays out. It started out pretty typically for an Extraordinaries novel - with Nicky and his friends just trying their best with the situation and circumstances they've been dealt - but then at the end of chapter 2 things started to feel off. Really off. And as a reader I knew something was wrong, but I couldn't explain what. And even the characters couldn't explain what, because they were all acting as if nothing was wrong and that made me even more suspicious. I can say I was genuinely confused for the first 40-50% of the novel, and I know I'm supposed to be, given what we discover later, but it still hindered my enjoyment on a first read-through. I can tell readers are going to have some opinions about this twist. There were still embarassing moments between Nick and his dad (especially one conversation in particular), some really sweet and tender moments between Nick and Seth, and honestly I love that Jazz has become a true force to be reckoned with throughout this series, because she and Gibby are wonderful additions to this cast. There are also plenty of dad jokes that will either make you laugh or cringe - your mileage may vary. This book also made me hate Simon Burke even more - the things he was willing to do to gain power and control, and the lengths he was willing to go in order to hurt Nick and his dad were truly remarkable. As with every superhero book there was a big moment of climatic action, a face-off between the heroes and the villains, and there were moments I wasn't sure of the outcome so it kept me engaged and reading forward. Some choices towards the end were a bit much for my taste, but I will say I found the "epilogue" to be a very nice ending to wrap up this story.

Since this is the third book in a trilogy, I figured I'd include some general thoughts about the series as a whole. Overall, I think where this series shines is in the character work. While Nicky as a main character makes mistakes and is misguided at times, whether through ignorance, ADHD, or simply being a teenager, you want to root for him and you don't want him and his friends & family to continue to suffer at the hands of the villain. And speaking of the villain? I don't know if I've hated a character as much as him in a long time. The themes of family and friendship are incredibly solid, and discussions about the importance of communication (and the consequences of keeping secrets) among various relationships were good to see. And while I think it can be important to discuss social justice issues as they pertain to both the book's characters and events occuring in the real world, I think Klune's baseline inclusion of these issues, and his handling of them, is where the strength of the series begins to falter. There are reviewers who have covered these missteps through a lens far better than I ever could (especially as a white reader), particularly around the release of The Extraordinaries so please go check out their thoughts. So while I don't think this series is Klune's strongest work to date, I'm glad that it has positively reached some readers, especially those with attention deficit disorders, and has allowed them to feel seen.

In the end, would I recommend The Extraordinaries as a series to start? Well, that all depends on your reading tastes. If you're a fan of superhero stories with lots of actions, commentary, and quirky characters, then I think it would be a great series for you. Fans of T.J. Klune will certainly appreciate the humor and some callbacks to other books he's written, as well as the pain he typically puts his characters through. It won't be for everyone, though, and that's ok - reading is subjective after all. I'm sure fans of the series will appreciate the conclusion Heat Wave gives them, and I'm excited to see everyone's thoughts on that twist. *Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Tor Teen, for the e-copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Raimskie Read: Heat Wave by T.J. Klune (@tjklunebooks)
Digital Advance Reader’s Copy (ARC),
To be released on July 19, 2022
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Have I told everyone here that you shouldn’t be sleeping on this series? If I did, let me repeat it again: DO 👏🏽 NOT 👏🏽 SLEEP 👏🏽 ON 👏🏽 THIS 👏🏽 SE-👏🏽RIES 👏🏽 !
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This is by far one of the best book series finale ever! I cannot begin to tell you guys how much fun and endearing this book is.
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[FULL BOOK REVIEW on my Instagram ( @raimskiereads ) and on my #BookTube with the same name.]

I love love love Klune. But for some reason this finale just wasn't it for me. I mean it was still good. I enjoyed most of it. Kept me turning pages, but just didn't feel the umph I usually do with this authors books. Kinda a let down. Probably just me but oh well.

Heat Wave
By T.J.Klune
The Extraordinaries #3
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Might as well go out with a bang! If you like The Boys and wish it was YA, Queer and has Less Graphic Violence, then this series is for you. Nick, Seth, Gibby and Jazz, are back and back to the unusual hijinks. The Dad Squad are there to start the fun with team T-shirts. Later, Nick’s dad gets an award for the most supportive/cringe dad. Burrito Jerry gets in on the action. It’s not all high jinks. Spoiler alert: There are some low points as well, involving the death of a parent. But didn’t we cover that in book 1? Spoiler alert: Consent was given and queer sex was had. All that fanfic paid off!!! Team Lighthouse comes together at the end to stop Team Burke. I’d love to say it’s all wrapped up with fireworks on the Fourth of July in Nova City…but…really that part is up to you. Read the book or listen to the audiobook for the conclusion of the Extraordinaries. Catchphrase.
Thanks to Tor Teen, Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for the ARC. #HeatWave #NetGalley #TJKlune #TorTeen #Macmillan-Tor/Forge

A solid conclusion to T.J. Klune's Extraordinaries triology. Full of the author's trademark wit and sarcasm, I loved see the evolution of Nick and Seth's relationship, the unexpected return of a character from the past, the ADHD rep and the family secrets that were unveiled. Great on audio and definitely recommended for fans of the Amazon Prime show The boys or a darker Pixar's The Incredibles. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I want to start this review by thanking TOR Teen for their generosity and trust. I dont take ARC's for granted and I absolutely appreciate the opportunity.

That said, I also want to mention, that I dont believe I can give this book more than 2 stars and therefore, I will not be posting this in any platform other than Goodreads.

I love Tj Klune. Please, PLEASE believe me, I drove more than 250 miles to see him at a book signing back in 2015. I have read every single book he's written in the past 10 + years. I am as fan as anybody else can be and I was the first to cheer for him when The Extraordinaries came out (no pun intended), a few years ago. I also rated both The Extraordinaries AND Flash Fire with the highest stars I considred, but I am sadly dissapointed with Heat Wave to the point I can't even think of proper words to explain, as to not make it too much of a rant. And here's the thing: I did not like this book, even tho it had expected moments, funny moments, family moments, and of course first love (queer love) moments.

It made me literally halt to a stop (cue the screech noise), the minute that Mom appers with everybody at a party and there is no previous explanation or scene or ANYTHING resembling a flashback as to how, when and where did Nick see his Mom and learned she hadn't died when the last scene of Flash Fire is literally Dad finding this out. Wait. What? Even if placed somewhere randomly in the middle, I was even more confused about that scene where Gibby talks to Nick on their way to the rally and asks about his Mom's job? I was so devastatingly confused it was not even funny.

That helluva confusion, and the added extention of the police brutality drama (which IMO is absolutely unnecessary and overkill), made this a lukewarm read at best.

Tj is a MASTERMIND and genious when it comes to family ties and family values. I have never read any other author who can match every single puzzle piece of a makeshift and elected family the way he can. His gift with words and situations is bar none the best I have encountered in a book and that will never be denied. But sadly, SADLY, this book though having these elements, also carried unnecesary mini plots and scenes that steered completely from the original story, and made this weird and confusing and honestly sad. The end was meh, but could have had way more to offer based on his gifted penmanship.

In all, I will continue being that loyal Tj fan until the last book he writes, but with the upmost pain in my heart, I can say this book fell thru the deepest of hell cracks for me...

4 stars

Fans of the first two books in this trilogy will be extremely pleased with this final book. Nick and company are back, filled with extraordinary powers and raging hormones, and ready to take on any kind of injustice, even when it comes from unexpected places.

While the pacing was a bit slower than I'd have liked at times, readers do get more witty banter in exchange, and this is usually a worthy trade. Nick is hilarious, and I am always amazed by what a layered and intriguing character he is. The usual crew also features prominently here and are also joyful inclusions. I enjoyed the read overall, but the ending? Chef's kiss. Klune does not do us dirty.

For maximum enjoyment, read the trilogy in order. Some knowledge of character growth and long-term emotional impact is required to really feel the profundity of both surprises and final outcomes.

I expect most readers will find this conclusion to an already enjoyable series to be, well, *extraordinary* in more ways than one.

After listening to the first two books in this series (the narrator is perfect for these characters), I jumped with joy when I received an ARC of the final book in the trilogy. The cliffhanger book two ended on? It was a whopper.

It’s always hard to review sequels without giving away spoilers, especially the final book in a series, so this may be brief. If I could join a fictional family/found family this one would absolutely make the short list. Nick, Seth, Gibby, and Jazz have each other’s backs no matter what, and their bond is incredibly strong. Yes, their parents may be kind of embarrassing at times (Dad Squad!) and a little intrusive (dental dams), but they’d do anything for their kids and offer unconditional love and support. It’s unusual to come across a YA book where the parents play fairly large roles, but this group are integral to the plot and bring so much to the story. Aaron and Nick have one of the best father/son relationships I’ve come across in this genre. Everyone deserves parents and friends like these.

Like the previous books in this series, Heat Wave is filled with wicked action scenes, a little romance, plenty of humor, and tense, nail-biting moments. The ending is bittersweet, but absolutely perfect and I’m so glad the author gave a glimpse into the future of these characters. Superheroes and villains, found family, awkward teenage moments, first love, ride or die friendships, fanfics, and laugh out loud dialogue – this series is filled with all of this and more. It’s my fifth Klune book, and he’s easily made my list of favorite authors.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I've been putting off reading my arc of Heat Wave because once I finished it, that would be it- no more Nicky, no more Seth, no Jazz, no Gibby, no Aaron, no Cap, no Officer Rookie, no more Extraordinaries. And my heart just wasn't ready to let go. I mean, sure, there's always rereads and listening to the audiobooks, which I will definitely be doing, because hello Michael Lesley!
But there'd never be those firsts again- that first/second/third time you cringe with second hand embarassment because Nick's dad knows no boundaries, who, even though he completely mortifies him, would do anything for his kid. No more anticipation of that first kiss between Nick and Seth. No more wondering about what Nick/Seth/Jazz/Gibby are going to do with the rest of their lives. No more worrying about how Nick is going to save Nova City.
But, I figured it was time, considering the book releases on Tuesday, so I finally broke down this weekend and read it.

Heat Wave was everything that I could have wanted, and more than I could have imagined, for the conclusion to Nicholas Bell's story. I have absolutely adored this series and Tj did not let me down with this final installment. It was twisted and confusing, wacky and wonderful, funny and silly, and so bittersweet. And oh the tears I cried! Who am I kidding, I'm still crying.
Seeing Nick really come into his own over the course of this series, and in particular this book, was wonderful to see. He's so darling, so precious and clueless, but so determined and unwavering in his convictions. Nick is one of my all-time favorite characters and I'm so sad to say good-bye.

The mind of Tj Klune is an extraordinary thing and I'm so thankful he shares it with us.

"What are we gonna do about it?" "Kick names and take ass," he growled dangerously. Then, "Wait, shit. I screwed that up. Let me-"

This was a fitting ending to this fun and campy series. I appreciate when YA books have parents that are not only around, but present and supportive. Aaron Bell may not be perfect but he's pretty dang close as far as his relationship with Nicky goes. The Dad/DILF squad was a great addition to the series.

I liked that Nicky and crew had things to do but were still teenagers when it came down to it. Seth and Nicky's relationship is so loving and I am delighted by the epilogue.

Thank you to Netgalley, TJ Klune, and Tor for a copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.