I have no idea why I made myself read this whole series. I love TJ Klune, I love his fantasy and his adult books. This trilogy I cannot stand. Its just so much of what I hate reading. Yet I read it all. If you like annoying main characters, way to many sexual innuendos, unbearable amounts of second hand embarrassment this is for you. But I really recommend you read TJ klunes other books.

I mean, can you ever go wrong with a TJ Klune book? This one has the same heart as the others in this series. From Page 1, you are laughing and in love. There's the fantastic/superhero element, but there's also just people fumbling along in their relationships, superheroes or not. Our main Etxraordinaries, Nick and Seth, continue to be as extra as always, and endearing. Nick is grappling with his newfound Extraordinariness, and he realizes that being a hero isn't what he thought it was going to be. I love this storyline that seems out of this world, but teenagers can relate to because of their changing bodies, and their grappling with their own "powers."It's a time of change, adolescence, and Klune always captures that beautifully.

Thank you NetGalley for the Digital ARC of this book.

I have adored this series from the beginning, but unfortunately this one fell a little short. The plot feels a little forced, and the beginning deception lasts WAY too long. It's interesting for a little while, but as a reader...knowing what's going on for half of the book while all the characters wade cluelessly through scenes unimportant to the plot is quite tiresome.

Once that part is (finally) over, the story improves tenfold. Klune still gives us laugh-out-loud dialogue, and Nick's constant embarrassment at the hands of his father and his innate awkwardness will always be my favorite part of these stories.

For some reason failed to see that this is the third one in a series, therefore went in not knowing anything. I still enjoyed the plot and action a lot, even tho I (obviously) had some trouble following. Looks like I need to get the first two books now.

WHAT A CONCLUSION.

This series is one of the few young adult books I’ve read and NOT felt like I was reading YA. Yes, it’s storyline were very much young reader content BUT the way Klune writes and executed his plots and character arcs is SO REFRESHING. It wasn’t just a fun silly superhero story (because it was definitely that) it was MORE. The depth and the ache and the rawness is what I crave from all stories. C. S. Lewis once said a children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest.

Klune writes adults and children in his story very well. Harmoniously. Realistically. His prose is ridiculous and breathtaking. I laugh WHILE I have tears in my eyes.

Once again he pulled off one of my favorite tropes, specifically one he’s done before. I LOVED IT. WHAT A SHOCK. You all aren’t ready. This series held my attention from page one in book one to the very last of book 3. Gliding on into Heat Wave right after Flash Fire was JARRING. What the hell is going on? Chills. Confusion. Excitement. Nick is in for the shock of his life but maybe not quite how we anticipated. The PLOT TWISTS and execution of the storyline, the spiraling panic and teamwork. So so good. I was glued to each page. THE ENDING. Incredible. So fun and silly and emotional. The rep and the sex education and consent was so encouraging to see.

Nick also is very much like Sam. The humor and phrasing is similar to the Tales From Verania and I am IN LOVE.
Sweet Nick coming into his powers and struggling with his ADHD has my whole heart. The friendships and family and even the adorable romance between Seth and Nick is overwhelming wholesome and fun. I’ve not enjoyed a series this much in a while. Reading this trio has been so calming and peaceful and I’ve felt so happy. That’s what reading is about. Enjoying. Aching. Peace and contentment.

If you haven't read the previous books, you should start there. Then, once you've read them, you'll appreciate this finale to the trilogy, which brings the story to a close nicely. There's nothing here you won't expect in terms of character development - they all stay very true to themselves, especially Nicky (embarrassingly true to himself!). The whole "save the world because/from ___" plot is, on the other hand, repetitive. To be honest, given Klune's other books (like the <i>House on the Cerulean Sea</i> which I loved), this is a bit of a let down.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

Readers, YES!!

The third and final installment of The Extraordinaries series lives up to its name. A genuine heat wave of teenage hormones, villains, and the battle for Nova City. If you enjoyed the first two this one will be the perfect ending you need. I will definitely be reading all of them again soon. Like now.

TJ Klune is one of my favourite authors. I will always read whatever he writes. The Extraordinaries was marvellous. For a first book in a series, it was everything that I could want. There were so many superheroes around at the time and having a queer and neurodiverse MC in a superhero book was really needed.

Book two, Flash Fire, was a great continuation of the series. I loved the way that the story unfurled and the way that Nick and Seth were getting to know one another. This brings us to the newest book in the series: Heat Wave.

Heat Wave is a great conclusion to the series. It wraps up a lot of the loose ends that were remaining. There are some grand twists, a few zig zags and Nick and Seth finally get their HEA.

I found that the first half of this book dragged a little. It felt a little too familiar. The jokes, I felt, had been written before and some of the things I had most loved – like Nick’s wit and racing mind – felt a little repetitive.

The story more than made up for the drawbacks and I would recommend this to anyone – as a conclusion to the series. It is definitely not a stand-alone as there’s too much built into the lead up for the finale.

A great conclusion to a phenomenal trilogy. The humor and love and banter are back and it’s perfect as ever. I would die for Burrito Jerry. The gaslighting and manipulation of the villains in this book are more evil than straightforward physical attacks could ever be. I loved it. I did think the way they wrapped things up with Burke was pretty cliché but the wrap up with Owen was awesome and everything else, too. Should you read this series? Reader, yes.

Thank you to the publisher for approving my request for this book.

I’m afraid the author’s books are just no longer for me when you take in his continued silence on the concerns about the content in the House in the Cerulean Sea. He is usually so direct to address issues (like the cop thing in the Extraordinaries, and even setting aside a book he had written and later shelved for content reasons). But his silence on his most popular book that continues to receive praise and accolades without addressing the very real hurt from Indigenous communities and what his book was inspired from prevents me from continuing on with his books.

Heat Wave by TJ Klune

This series has been the best adventure and Heat Wave is a satisfying conclusion. These characters are the quirkiest cast. Everything is so well described and the personalities are so large and real. I feel like I’ve watched an entire movie in my head at the end of each book.

Heat Wave follows Nick Bell and Seth Gray once again as they juggle being teenagers and heroes AKA Extraordinaries. Team Lighthouse does a lot of introspection on this one as they are tasked with protecting people they don’t agree with, while the community is rallying against them.

Read these books! Thank you to Net Galley and TOR teen for letting me finish this journey before its official release. All of the thanks to TJ Klune for the smiles and laughter this series has brought me.

Side-note, I had listened to audiobook versions of the first two and Michael Lesley’s amazing portrayals of these characters, stuck with me. Even when reading this E-ARC, I still had his voices of the individual characters going through my mind while reading Terrific narration.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for an early e-book of this most anticipated read!

This was everything I could have hoped for in our queer-superhero, young-adult read. TJ Klune has yet to disappoint, so I am not sure why I expected anything less than. What I really cherish about these books is the fact that Klune touches on the aspects that we thought about as teenagers in a way that isn't too much, but it doesn't shy away from it. Also the fact that I can be blushing from second-hand embarrassment in public for something that happened to a fictional character... I rarely do that, but for Nicky? My poor boy, lol

There are some topics in here that I question the presentation for, but I don't feel like it is really my place to dive into those. Overall though, I absolutely adored this trilogy.

I cannot believe that this series is over. I still feel it would make a great YA TV show and that kids would love it, so hopefully someone can see the potential in it as much as I do that can actually make it happen!

I adore the first two books in this series so much, and this finale did a great job of wrapping everything up in a satisfying way. I'm a little disappointed that Nick's journey is over, but it has been one hell of a ride. So, I guess I can't complain too much. As with the first two, this book made me laugh A LOT, cry, and cringe hard. The writing exuded Klune's wit and charm, as always, and I never wanted to put the book down.

One of the main things I love about this series is the absolute extra-ness and cringe associated with the comedy. Klune is an absolute master at writing crass humor and scenes that make me so embarrassed for the characters. If you liked the humor and mortifying sex-ed components from the previous books, you will continue to find a lot of enjoyment here, as well. There was a scene between Nick and his dad that included prolonged instruction on enemas, which had me almost rolling on the floor laughing because it was so awkward. I lost count of the number of times the term 'fecal penis' was used in this book, and I'm still chuckling and cringing thinking about it now.

This cast of characters was really just perfect. One of my favorite additions from the second book, the drag queen superhero Miss Conduct, was back with a bigger role, and I enjoyed every second of it. Jazz and Gibby were their usual awesome selves and kicked a lot of ass in this book, which was awesome. Seth continued to be the super reliable boyfriend and the rock for Nick to lean on. Their relationship deepened considerably in this book, and it was nice to see them grow as a couple. Of course, there was also Nick, precious Nick. He was still a damn disaster, but I wouldn't want him any other way. His character arc was probably my favorite in this book because he matured quite a bit without losing any of his flair for the dramatic. He struggled to accept his new reality of the things he found out about himself in the second book and really learned what it means to be a hero. He faced a lot of obstacles, internal and external, but ultimately he prevailed by rejecting the need for vengeance and relying on those around him who loved him.

I'm not going to say much about the plot because of spoilers, but the second half of this book really kicked things into high gear. There were some epic fights and showdowns that had me reading frantically to see what was going to happen. The first half of the book, though, was a bit weaker. There were still plenty of great moments, but it all felt a bit aimless. There was something happening that the reader was aware of but the characters weren't, and it took way too long for the characters to find out. It felt like a drag on the entire first half of the story, and once they found out it seemed kind of pointless. It didn't ruin the book for me; I just think that aspect of the story could have been tightened up considerably.

I also really loved all of the social and political commentary in the book. It got a bit heavy handed and preachy a couple of times, but even then it didn't feel out of place for the characters to say or think those things. A bunch of topics were tackled, including police brutality, body image issues, and the role of prejudice and fear in the rise of fascism, among others. While the delivery wasn't always perfect, I appreciated Klune's willingness to confront such important topics and his ability to make them fun to read about while showcasing important lessons.

The main heart of this novel was the parent-child relationship. The relationship between Nick and his Dad has been front and center throughout this series, and this book was no different. I have enjoyed seeing their frank, open relationship because that isn't something I often see in YA books. In a lot of YA lit, parents are usually absent, dead, or neglectful to some degree. So, it has been refreshing to to see Nick's dad be there for the ups and downs, even though he has been far from perfect over the course of the series. This book took it even further and made the parents of the other kids a huge part too. The dads even came together to form the Dad Squad, which was one of the most hilarious things ever.

Overall, if you are looking for a hilarious, heartfelt story about teen superheroes who are queer AF, then this is the series for you. Despite being a bit rocky in the first half, this book pulled off a fantastic finale that brought the story full circle and allowed the characters to learn some important lessons about themselves, the people they care about, and the world around them. I cannot recommend this series enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of "Heat Wave" by TJ Klune.

This is the third in the series of books following Nick Bell and his friends Seth, Gibby, and Jazz. This time the friends are trying to solve the problem of Burke and his takeover of Nova City. There is a lot going on for Nick as he learns to be Guardian and things are going to become even more complicated before they get better.

Overall I have loved this series, after getting used to how Klune has written Nick, and really understanding and agreeing with how he has been written, I have enjoyed the characters. One of the best things about this series is the character growth that has happened since The Extraordinaries. After reading the first novel and then reading comments on the book I was hesitant to pick up the next one but I did and I couldn't have been happier at how Klune has written the growth for Nick and his father and how much better they become over the course of the series. These two characters, especially Nick, show so much growth that I don't even remember much of the Nick from the first book and that is probably for the better.

I was a bit confused by the beginning of this book, as I think most readers will be especially if there is any gap between this book and the reading of Flash Fire. I was tempted to go back and reread the end of Flash Fire to make sure I hadn't missed anything but I persevered and things finally were explained. Though it was a lot farther into the book than I would have thought before the weirdness finally wore off. As we got closer to the reveal, however, the reader became more and more aware that there was something wrong happening. I thought this was a great addition to the book and really brought you back to what could have been a fairly boring beginning before we got into the real meat and action of the ending. Bringing back old characters and adding the twist near the end with a character who we didn't expect also added intrigue, but those character's personalities didn't change (*cough* Firestone *cough*) which could have happened but without making them change kept the levity and banter going even through what could have been a very tense action scene.

I think this was a great ending to this trilogy and really wrapped up the whole series. We have good endings for characters that we root for and giving Nick a chance to breath now that things are settling was a great way to see that everything has gone okay. As with the other books in this series I gave Heat Wave 5 stars.

Klune is a wonderful writer, and I loved how this trilogy ended! The writing was more serious, but so was the book. I love how well Klune writes queer stories and I absolutely loved this trilogy. His writing makes you think, it makes you long to be a part of the story, and it makes you feel at home with the characters. This book continued with this and did all that.

As much as I adore Klune’s books, this was incredibly weak in my opinion. I enjoyed the first book, thought the second was okay, but the third book felt like the series had stretched out longer than it should’ve.

The characters were fun at times, but not enough to keep me infested in their personal arcs anymore.

I’m always up to reading more Klune. He’s a fantastic author, and one I always eagerly await to hear news from

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Teen for providing me an advance copy of this book!

I absolutely fell in love with Nick, Seth, and the Extraordinaries series when I first read it in fall 2020. Since then, I've waited with bated breath for the second and third book in the series. I don't know how TJ Klune manages to make such magic with multiple books at a time, but he does.

SPOILERS AHEAD if you haven't read the previous books in the series.

In Heat Wave, Nick is trying to learn how to use his Extraordinary powers while building his relationship with Seth. No longer just a fanfiction writer, Nick's now a part of the story.

And his mom and dad are right by his side.

Yeah. His mom.

And unlike the reader, he doesn't know she was ever gone, although the words Before and After keep nagging at his brain.

As Nick and friends battle against anti-Extraordinary mayoral candidate Simon Burke and deal with the reemergence of their enemy (?) Owen Burke, Nick also makes memories, learns more about himself, and intensifies his relationship.

Nick and Seth do have an intimate scene and I think it was a little open-door for a YA book, personally.

Overall, I was happy to be back in this world and felt like it was a satisfying end to the series.

4.5 stars

You guys, this was exactly the finale that we wanted and needed! Now I am not going to lie, the beginning of the book (maybe the first 20%) there was <something> going on that pissed me off so much I went on a five minute rant to my husband. It involved a lot of gesticulating and yelling and “what the f*ck is he doing?!?! You can’t f*cking do that!!” And then things were…slowly…revealed. And I take back every hateful thing I said about Klune’s ancestors 😁

The tone of this book is a bit more serious than the previous ones, but that makes sense since the stakes are so high. There are a lot of fight scenes, but we still get plenty of the cringy adolescent drama and plenty of hilarity (we also get sexy times 😉). I will admit that one thing that bothered me was the increasing involvement of all of the parents and how supportive and on board they all were. It just rang a bit false. But this could certainly just be because of my own not-great relationships with parental units, so take this with a grain of salt. Oh, and Burrito Jerry is my new favorite character by far, the dude is awesome, and we really need a spinoff book just following him, like pronto!

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

I looooove these characters and thoroughly enjoyed this book! Seth & Nick are adorable. The dad squad is fabulous. Mateo is mercurial and fierce. Jazz & Gibby are amazing and I have been invested in their story.
TJ Klune has finished a series that is as funny as it is sweet, that centers marginalized folks, and that champions honesty and justice-- all the love.

Thank you to Tor Teen and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review!

"Heat Wave" was the best possible ending for this trilogy. It wonderfully emphasized the importance of owning yourself and who you are while embracing both your strengths and weaknesses.

Nick really comes into his own in multiple ways in this book, learning what it truly means to be a hero. That not all heroes wear capes and being neurodivergent is its own kind of superpower. I also loved how his relationship with his dad and Seth progressed

It was somewhat difficult to get into the story in the beginning. Ironically, I felt just as confused as the characters because I couldn’t remember past established facts.

I loved the many incredible, adorable, funny, and heartwarming moments between the characters. Literally, family goals, squad goals, friendship goals, relationship goals. Also, Dad Squad is the best and Burrito Jerry is a down-to-earth national treasure, the hero we didn’t know we needed but are forever thankful to have. And everyone deserves a special someone to share their Swinkles Salsagheti with. Simon Burke proves once more how wicked and devious a villain he is. I thought his (and those associated with him) storyline came to satisfying, logical conclusions.

A few breaks in scenes when characters would start having a side conversation in the middle of something went on for too long in a “do we really have time for this?” kind of way. A mix of short attention span irritation and eager reader needing to know what’s about to happen next.

Looking back, I don’t know if the tensions between police and the black community ever saw a “resolution” of sorts. Are things going to stay the same or is change for the better going to happen? Also, what happened to Rebecca Firestone? Her character elevated in this book in a way I didn’t see coming. Even though she’s Nick’s sworn enemy, there was no mention of her in the conclusion.

"Heat Wave" was an entertaining read in which love, family, and friendship conquered all.