The Extraordinaries

ALL THE STARS! This was beyond perfect, full of angst, pining, puns, tmi about things, and just everything I imagined and so much more!!

Klune is a master storyteller. He can write fun books and sad books, and then he can write excellent books that are a mix. I laughed so much during a lot of scenes in this book because Nick is a hilarious teen with absolutely no clue about the obvious crush his best friend has towards him. There was so much pining and slow burn that I was willing to enter the book and shove them together into a room until they talked.
There's also mystery. Who are these superheroes? I had theories and all of them were wrong. Well, not all but most of them, and I guessed one mystery when it was practically told us. It doesn't count. I'm no Sherlock.

There were so many heart wrenching scenes as well. I was so sad for Nick, for what he was going through with his ADHD and his dad's wishes he was "a normal son". It was heartbreaking because we knew what was going through his mind. How hard he was trying to make everyone happy while he was miserable. I cared so much for him and wanted him to have everything he wanted, even if what he wanted was risking his life to get superpowers.

All the interactions between Nick and other characters was amazing. Fun, deep, sad. And this book has all the rep I could've wished for. Healthy queer relationships, happy kids being kids. It was perfect. I love Klune and his books.

Everything I want to write is spoilery. And that ending! I need book 2 right now! How can you leave me this way? I need more!

The Extraordinaries is TJ Klune first YA novel but if you, like me, have read some of his books you have already meet and loved some young queer characters. If this is your first book by this author I can garentee you that you will start reading his other books as soon as you finish this gem!
While reading the first page I was smiling, between then and the 15% I had already cried and laughed because that is the Klune effect!
This book is full of feelings, rambling, billowing, evil crackling and some posing. The characters are as always so well written and the univers so impossibly real that everything else fades. Reading this book surely is an extraordinary experice!! (and puns are not the lowest form of humor)

I loved this! And loved, loved all the characters. This was Tj Klune all the way through - the banter, the humour, the social awkwardness. And the emotion! It made me cry, several times, so much heart. One minute smiling, the next minute my eyes were leaking everywhere. Nick was absolutely adorable, half the time I wanted to cuddle him, the other half shove my hand over his mouth. A really typical Tj character that you couldn't stop yourself from loving. His dad was pretty adorable too, in his gruff, macho way. Well done. Loved it. Adored it. And hoping that all the hints lead to another book :)

If I could I would give this book like 10 stars.
TJ Klune's first YA book is just amazing. I have no words.
I loved the story - it was interesting, funny, and touching. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me feel better.
Nick is such a sweetheart, I absolutely adore him. I am so happy he has friends like Seth, Jazz and Gibby. And a father like Aaron. He deserves the world.
It was great to read Nick's fanfic. And the comments, oh my god the comments. It felt so real!
The teaser at the end of the book is just cruel, but it's such a TJ thing.
I can't wait to read more book in this series.
Or just more of TJ's books.

Friends. Today is the day where I give up trying to write coherent and structured reviews.
Because I CANNOT with this book.
This book is, simply put, a pining extravaganza featuring a fluff fest, some kick ass characters and... actually more fluff. Also awkwardness. A lot of it.

So listen, here is the thing. The main character, Nick? I want to wrap him up in a thick blanket and tell him that he's going to be okay forever. He is hilariously funny, he is relatable (what does it say about me that I actually don't have ADHD and still ramble like him?) and he is an absolute adorable FANBOY. He writes fanfiction, he makes a total arse of himself when he finally meets his "celeb-crush" and his tumblr page is dedicated to all kinds of SFW and NSFW fanart of said celeb-crush. Sound familar? If so, hello my friend, YOU are a nerd. And I don't know why you are still reading my review when you could already jump on the website of the indie-bookshop of your choice and pre-order this loveletter to fandom-ism? Fangirl/boy/by-ism? Anyway, that. You know who you are!

If one character to stan isn't enough for you, I have fantastic news! Because there is also Seth Gray. Who is the most adorable young man you will ever come across. Yes, I said young man like an aunt. But he wears bow ties y'all, BOW TIES. And he may or may not be a bisexual pathetically pining mess. Which we love. And which Nick may or may love, too, even though our main boy Nick is a bit thick about these things. So. Prepare for the most excruciating pining. Which i am capital H Here for, son!

But hold on, two guys being bros and also slightly queer don't make up a whole group of friends, right? That's why I would love to introduce you to Gibby and Jazz. Two girls who are in the most wholesome, loving and disgustingly sweet relationship that you may or may not have cavities by the time you have finished this book. I just highkey love them.

Now that I have introduced you to the main gang, let's talk about Owen. We don't love Owen because he gets in between Nick and Seth's pining. He also is Nick's sort-of-ex-boyfriend, which, as we know, Seth is not here for. Hence, neither am I.

As far as adults go, they are FAN TAS TIC. Nick's dad? An absolute Gem. Police officer, totally indulges his son's obsession with the vigilante who thinks it's his duty to "save Nova City". The Police Captain? FABULOUS. His wife? Perfection. Seth's aunt and uncle? GIMME. Honestly, the adults in this book are as fantastic as the teenagers are, which gives you a feeling of complete satisfaction. At least that's what happened to me.

And in between all of these fab characters? Prepare for romance. Prepare for pining. Prepare for AWKWARDNESS and lots of it. Prepare for cheesy superhero lines that are cryptic and make you shake your head at the page. Prepare for supernatural fighting. Prepare for action. Prepare for FEELINGS. Because they are coming for you. Good, bad, all of them. You will laugh, you will cry, your heart will beat faster and you will put this book down and feel like you've just come from the very best journey you could ever have gone on.

And if you're still reading this instead of hastily (pre-) ordering, I would like you to imagine my as Terry Crews and... *clears throat* WHY?!?!?!?!?!

This review will be extremely short because I'm on my way to Klune's house right now to get some answers for that straight-up evil ending because I cannot wait - I refuse to wait - for months on end to find out more about Nick Bell and the Extraordinaries. I refuse.
This book was about extraordinary people and normal people wanting to keep their loved ones safe. It was also about first love, mutual pining and the most slow burn romance to ever slow burn. Seriously. I could not stop reading this book because it just kept being the perfect mix of hilarious and heartwarming and breaking my emotions all over again and again. Klune definitely knows how to break his characters.
Nick is also my new favorite character of all time. He needs to be protected at all costs and I just want to wrap him up in blankets and tell him how precious he is fifty times a day.
Okay, this review is incomprehensible BUT it's Klune's fault. It's been a day since I've finished this masterpiece and my thoughts are jumbled but please, do yourselves a favor and pick up this book. It will be the best decision you've made this year, pinky promise!

Every superhero needs an origin story.
Every superhero needs a sidekick. Or in this case every sidekick needs a superhero.
This is simply put a wonderful reading experience finally a real kickass Unapologetic gay superhero origin story. Nobody writes “awkward”like T J Klune.
At times laugh out loud teen angst mixed with the authors uncanny ability for real pathos. You care about these characters because he does.
It’s a loving homage to the comic book.
We think know exactly where we are going, but it can suddenly wrong foot you.
Watch out Peter Parker theirs a new teen heartthrob or three in town.
The girls are great too, they may be “supporting characters,” but they certainly aren’t going to let that stop them. As usual with this author there really is no such thing as a supporting character, even people who you meet briefly have fully realised lives.
And refreshingly the LGBTQ element isn’t an issue for anyone , it’s just who they are. It also tackles ADHD in a sensitive way, and Gives people with the condition a hero they can root for.
The book is great from the first page through to the after credits epilogue. My only problem with it is we now have to wait for the next instalment.

This book took me by surprise by being way more awesome than expected! I found this and thought it sounded different and I always love a mix of contemporary and Sci-Fi! There was so many things to love about this book and reading it was a delight! The author has captured what it is like to be a teenager so well! I liked that the main character had ADHD and this was represented really well, it showed what its really like. I loved the characters and their relationships, they were all interesting in their own way. The extraordinaries were interesting and pretty cool I can see why Nick was obssessed! I liked that Nick wrote fanfiction which is a total throwback for me. This was a story about family and friends and accepting who you are. I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it!

The book is quite slow to start and I did nearly give up around 20% BUT I carried on and I LOVED this book. You need the build up and back parts in first 20%. I love TJs characters they are always quirky and awkward and this was no difference. I'm hoping this is only the beginning of what is a fantastic superhero series !!

This book was AMAZING!! I was so into this book and it made me so happy and excited to read and honestly, when it comes to novels, not many have this effect on me. This is why this is an instant 5 star read. I adored this book. I loved every second of it. The twists and turns, the excitement, the characters, THE EFFING END! like what the hell? I can't wait to get the next book in this series. Whenever that will come out. What I can tell for sure is that I will buy this book as a physical copy and reread it again. I just really really really loved this. I loved Seth. He's my precious boy. He's amazing and I love him and I can't wait to see more of him in the next book. Nick, the main guy, was such a cutie and such a loud boy and I love him and I wanna protect him. The two girls in his friends circle are just THE. BEST. They're girlfriends and they're awesome and I'm here for this. They are hilarious and fun and cute and I love them. The funniest character in this book tho was Nick's father. His conversations with Nick were absolutely hilarious and I was laughing so much at everything. He's such a great father and so supportive and I just love him so much.

If you love Superheros, queer people (aka two boys in love and two girls in love) you will love this. Also, Nick writes fanfiction and has ADHD and everything is just fantastic and I would recommend this to everyone!

Thank you for giving me a chance to read this prior to its release and I can't wait to own this as a hardcover and read it again. Definitely have to check out some more work by the author and I am more than definitely excited and here for the next book. I can not wait!

Full review available here: www.litlifelondon.wordpress.com

The Extraordinaries will stick with me as one of my favourite books of all time. It is a book that this gay nerd would have loved as a teenager, and I think many geeky teenagers across the world need to read. It is The Incredibles meets Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, it is Marvel meets Ness’ The Rest of Us Just Live Here, it is GAY SUPERHEROES… WHAT MORE COULD YOU POSSIBLY WANT?!?

Make sure you read to the very end as there is a post acknowledgements scene that will blow your mind and leaving you asking… WHEN IS THE SECOND BOOK OUT?!?

I happily give this book 5/5 and would like to thank Hodderscape and Kate Keehan for the review copy.

Easily one of the best superhero books I've ever read. Nick is very likeable but utterly clueless - particularly where his best friend is concerned. There's a very sweet, healthy queer romance here and lots of laugh out loud moments. Highly recommend.

Plot:
This book follows Nick who writes fanfiction about his city’s superheros, called ‘Extraordinaries’. These heroes have recently begun appearing all over the world and each have different powers (think Xmen). Nick has a big ol’ crush on the hero Shadow Star and a chance encounter with him leads Nick on a quest to become an Extraordinary. However, things are more than they seem and Nova City’s two heroes start fighting each other while Nick begins learning more about them. All of this is mixed in with Nick’s family, friends, some romance and lots of queerness.

My thoughts:
This book was a fun, lighthearted read that I really loved. There was so much positivity in this book and it really made it a delight to read, especially in such uncertain and stressful times. I’ve previously read one TJ Klune book, Wolfsong, and since they’ve both been wonderful, I’ll definitely be picking up more of this author’s books.

I really loved the characters in this book, they were all so vivid and real. I especially loved how different relationships were depicted, such as the relationship between Nick and his dad, Gibby and Jazz’s relationship and Nick’s friend group. Nick and his friends had me actually laughing out loud which is rare for me but was a delight to read.

Nick has ADHD which is own voices rep and from what I can tell it was handled well. It’s rare to see a book with a character with something like ADHD and for that to be well-portrayed so this was nice to see. There was also, of course, a lot of queer rep and I loved how effortless and positive it was. There was no homophobia, the word queer was used (I’m not sure I’ve actually seen that?), there were supportive parents and I loved the queer friendship. TJ Klune writes families and grief so well from what I’ve read of his and this book was no different.

This is normally where I’d write about any negatives for the book and I have to admit that I’m struggling here. There was heavy foreshadowing so I guessed the ending, though from the way it’s written I think that’s intentional? So not really a complaint, I’m just struggling to think of anything. Despite this, I was kept on the edge of my seat and still really enjoyed the book.

Overall, I loved this book and can’t wait to read more installments in the series! Also, remember to read the end chapter after the acknowledgements!!! It’s so good and I nearly missed it!!

The Extraordinaries is a near perfect novel.
Full of romance, angst, superheroes and suspense. It's well paced and draws the reader in, T J Klune deals with bringing in subjects such as ADHD and LQBTQ relationships wonderfully, some writers bring in subjects likes this because it's the in thing, Klune brings them in because it's necessary for the story and it all fits together so well.

This is an exceptionally good YA debut.

I SWEAR I DEVOUR EVERYTHING T J KLUNE WRITES. The writing style just pulls me in everytime! It’s just brilliant!
Nick is so damn loveable and relatable I love his brain and some of the crazy ideas he comes up with. And then his friendship with Seth just makes you squee and go all mushy because you want to put them both in your pocket.
All the characters in this story are SO GOOD!
There were so many quotable and funny lines too
I JUST WANT TO RAMBLE AND SAY HOW AMAZING IT IS BUT I AM LOST FOR WORDS!!

This book got better and better the more I read it. The characters were very funny and the book had me chuckling out loud several times. It appeared, at face value, to be a predictable storyline but I was very wrong and gladly surprised at the twists and turns the book takes. The more touching moments even brought a couple of tears to my eye, which I was also not expecting. The message is wonderful in the book; it breaks so many stereotypes and societal binaries and I am so happy I read this.

An thoroughly enjoyable read. The perspective if Nick and his ADHD added a real naivety and innocence to the P.O.V and made for an interesting game of cat and mouse.
Witty and funny. Had me laughing out loud-especially when Gibby was involved. What a hoot she is!
The characters are well developed and relatable. Seth's secret love for Nick was adorable to watch play out. The superhero secrets, while obvious to the reader, were kept well hidden because of Nick's inability to read a room.
I can't wait to read the future installments and see where this goes.

This is the feel good superhero book everyone needs to read! The queer rep is great, the ADHD rep is amazing, and the story blew my mind. I adore Nick Bell, even though he is oblivious to literally everything. Seth Gray is the kind of beautiful and complicated character I would absolutely be friends with if he were real. Gibby and Jazz are wonderful and it made me so happy to read such a good sapphic couple! There were some unexpected twists throughout the story and I enjoyed seeing everything unfold. The ending was shocking and I need more of this story please. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to escape and just enjoy a great story for a few hours.

I’m coming to you live from Nova City for Action News, filling in for Rebecca Firestone, who is currently indisposed. (Don’t ask!)

As you can see, in the sky above me, a battle is raging. Shadow Star and Pyro Storm are at it again! No one knows who’s behind the masks of these Extraordinaries or how Extraordinaries even become so extraordinary in the first place. Did some awful tragedy befall them in their childhood? Were they born with their powers?

While we wait to learn what this latest skirmish is all about (and I dare say it will be something extraordinary), I’ll be talking to local boy, Nick Bell. Nick is widely known for his Extraordinary fan fiction, where he goes by the screen name ShadowStar744. With over 250,000 words already written about this superhero/supervillain dynamic, I’m sure he has a lot to say. Welcome, Nick.

“Uh. Er. Glugh. Blargh.”

It’s lovely to talk to you as well. So, Nick, what’s so extraordinary about Extraordinaries?

“They can manipulate shadows and fire and pose on tops of buildings while the sun sets behind them!”

Do you have a favourite Nova City Extraordinary?

“One is a jerk who burns things because he’s a pyromaniac or something. The other is a paragon of virtue who saves people and controls shadows and climbs walls.”

Right. So Team Shadow Star then.

“You have to get me the security tapes! So I can watch them over and over again for my own personal reasons that don’t involve anything weird.”

Um, I’m not sure that would be appro-

“What did I ever do to you? Aside from all those things I did?”

I’ll see what I can do. In the meantime, is there anything you want our viewers to know, Nick?

“I need my own origin story”

Anything else?

“Operation Turn Nick into an Extraordinary and Live Happily Ever After with Shadow Star in a Villa Off the Coast of Italy Where We Feed Each Other Grapes by Hand is underway!”

That sound intriguing, Nick, but unfortunately that’s all we have time for today. Until next time, “Always remember to keep to the shadows!” This is me, signing -

THUD!

Steve from the Action News desk [whispers]: Guys, did that chunk of building just flatten our reporter? I sure hope Rebecca Firestone is available to take over the commentary …

So, I am absolutely obsessed with this book! If it’s not already on your TBR list, please remedy that immediately! Nick’s story is a binge worthy combination of awkward, heartwarming and funny. I spent so much time smiling as I read that I probably resemble the Joker at this point.

Nick is so endearing and his ADHD, combined with his extraordinarily high adorability/cluelessness quotient, made me want to listen to every single thing that was on his mind, no matter how off topic he wandered.

“Nick’s attention had a deficit, and he was hyperactively disordered.”

The banter between Nick and anyone who manages to stumble into a conversation with him was one of my favourite things about this book. There wasn’t a dud character in the bunch. I need to find a way to infiltrate Nick’s group of friends because I need people like them in my life; their support of one another is matched by their ability to lovingly detonate truth bombs when required. The best way to introduce them has already been taken by the author:

“Seth was too smart. Nick was too loud. Gibby was too butch, and Jazz had once been like everyone else before Gibby had put her lesbian magic all over her and taken her to the dark side.”

Alongside the superpowers, the queerness and the almost incomprehensible relatability of every character, you also get the bonus messages, which include but are not limited to:
* Having a disorder doesn’t make you disordered
* Your embarrassing moments don’t have to define you
* Trauma changes you
* Forgetting to human happens to the best of us, and
* Old people are inherently weird. (Hold on! By this book’s standards I’m an old person. I won’t claim that but I will happily claim the weird.)

I personally learned that I can overcome my romantiphobia when the occasion calls for it, like when my heart needs to melt over watermelon flavoured Skwinkles Salsagheti, being able to fly is the first superpower I will achieve, and I may need to take steps to become a supervillain if I don’t get to find out what happens next really, really soon.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to fall head over heels in love with this book.

I don't remember the last time I laughed this much, and this often, while reading a book. <I>The Extraordinaries</I> is hilarious — mainly because of Nick, whom I absolutely adored. He's this awkward, sweet and nerdy teenager that you can't help but love with all your heart (despite the cringeeeeee and the eye-rolling that always comes with teenage angst)! Same for Seth, Gibby and Jazz actually; they're all SO precious and must be protected at all costs!!!
TJ Klune succeeds in writing characters that are endearing, realistic, and multi-dimensional. To me, they are the pillars that hold the whole book together, and make it more than just a funny superhero parody : despite the humour, <I>The Extraordinaries</I> isn't all laughs and fluff — there are some pretty heartbreaking moments. The characters all react with disarming honesty when serious subjects come to the table (grief, acceptance, tolerance…), and that's why it worked - for me. All in all, I found it incredibly well balanced, and I can't wait to read the second book.

The Extraordinaries is HILARIOUS. I honestly don't remember laughing at a book this much for such a long time. I don't know what I expected from the book, but I truly didn't expect to find it this funny. Whilst it isn't all fun and games and there are plenty of sad moments, I just loved every second of it.

Nick was such a fun protagonist, he was quirky, nerdy and so awkward, I just adored spending time with him. His enthusiasm and energy was contagious, I loved the way he viewed Seth and his bowties, it was so sweet. I don't really recall reading a book with the lead character having ADHD before, but really liked that it was included here and seemed to give a good insight into living life with ADHD. Nick was just precious, and I wanted so badly to protect his little heart.

I could literally talk for hours about the side characters, there were just so many of them, all special in their own way. I loved Nick's dad, although he didn't always say the right thing, their relationship was so lovely, and it was clear that he truly loved his son. Jazz, Gibby and Seth, the kind of friends everyone needs in their life. Cap, his wife and all the wonderful adults that were looking out for Nick throughout. Such a great set of characters here.

The book basically takes a classic superhero novel, and plunges an awkward fanboy teen into the middle of it, and I truly didn't expect to love it anywhere near as much as I did. The ending though, THE ENDING, I didn't realise there would be another book but I need it and I need it asap!

This book was a joy to read. It is fantastic!
You have action, passion, friendship, love and superheroes and villians. It is everything you ever wanted packed in one book and the best thing is, it doesn't feel too much. You won't get enough of the characters. You won't like the book to end.
I kept thinking that I'm in a movie and not reading a book because the story sucked me in in no time.
This one is great until the end and oh my, the end. I need the next volume now!

Wow

There is a lot going on in this book, and I loved it.

The story is fast-paced and action-filled
.
I really enjoyed the character's relationships with one another. We see the strain between Nick and his father as they try to learn to trust one another and rebuild their relationship. We see the relationship with Nick and his friends and how that develops over time. As well the relationship between Nick and his ex who is slowly trying to wade his way into the friendship group.

I am a sucker for well-written friendship groups and I really loved the character Gabby, who is one of Nick's best friend. I think she might be my favourite.

This is a very gripping story with incredible characters.

Well I'm extraordinarily in love with this book. It was everything I wanted it to be and more, because of course it was because T.J Klune is an absolute genius and I will read everything he writes from now till ever. This had me laughing out loud on one page, and sobbing the next. It is a brilliantly fun take on the superhero genre, has wonderfully open and honest portrayals of grief, discusses ADHD so personally it reverberates on every page, has an absolutelyfuckingadorable romance, a killer friendship group, lots of funny fandom anecdotes that brought back so much nostalgia, and a tender and warm message about being extraordinary when you're ordinary.

The Extraordinaries is set in a world where superheros exist called Extraordinaries. In Nova City, Shadow Star protects the city from the evil villain PyroStorm. In this city is Nick, Shadow Star's greatest fan and fanfic author of the most popular fanfic about the Extraordinaries. When he runs into Shadow Star in an alley, Nick decides he wants to become an Extraordinary himself and so begins his plan to turn himself into a superhero, much to the consternation of his friends.

I don't quite no where to start with reviewing this book because I loved everything so much. It was warm and cosy and so funny, I can't remember the last time I laughed this much at a book. Nick is just a brilliant and adorable character. He's open and honest about his ADHD in such a relatable and funny way (and I just want to shout out that this is own voices ADHD rep too!) Nick is just an absolute precious gem, his complete blindness when it comes to his feelings for Seth is just adorable, his realisation journey is so cute. Seth is quite possibly even more adorable than Nick, with his bowties (bowties are cool), cravats and a big secret he can't possibly tell Nick. Alongside Gibby, Jazz and Owen, this is a friendship group that sounds like it must be some of the most fun. They're all so hilarious in their own ways, so brilliantly, openly queer and pretty much everything I want in a rag tag team of misfits. Gibby is a butch lesbian who won't take shit from anyone and has the most deadpan ringers; Jazz is sweet and kind and then she turns around and knocks you out of the park with a revelation. Owen is flirty and arrogant and popular (and his dad's the richest man in the city), but he can be so vulnerable at times when Nick gets through his walls.

Alongside the hilarity of these characters, there are several moments that had me almost sobbing. The book deals openly with grief, Nick having lost his mum fairly recently and Seth having lost both his parents when young. With his Dad's job as a policeman, Nick is filled with anxiety about losing his Dad as well, and there are scenes so raw and gutrenching I thought it would tear me apart.

I loved the sass towards the superhero genre as well. It flowed throughout the book, from the ridiculous villain speeches, to the need for capes. I also very much appreciated the fandom and fanfic references and excerpts throughout, this felt so nostalgic!!! I was brought back completely to my teenage days sneaking around writing fanfic, right down to the tags they used on Nick's fanfic excerpts, it was all so reminiscent.

Everything about this book was just brilliant. T.J Klune astounds me with every book I read, I don't think there's another author out there who can quite make me laugh and cry as much as he does. It's a fun, fresh, fandom enthusiastic take on the superhero genre with the most adorable romance. I read the majority of this book (the last 70%) in one sitting because I just couldn't put it down. I sincerely hope we get more books in this series as soon as possible because I will follow these characters for years!!

This book follows the story of Nick, a loveable teenager with ADHD as he tries to navigate his life and make himself an Extraordinary. I finished this book within the space of a day and…I can’t stop thinking about it. I don’t want to give away too much of the story because spoilers (its out July 14th!!!) but this book had me cackling in one sentence, and crying with another. I cannot even begin to put into words how much I loved this book.

The story of Nick is one that will have you trying to guess what’s going to happen throughout, and if you guess it, you spend the time eagerly waiting for Nick to figure it out and it is fantastic, especially as Nick is a little oblivious to what is happening around him. And you will spend majority of the book absolutely convinced you know where this is headed, only to realise you had been so close yet so far from what was going to happen. (Also, that ending I cannot wait for another book in this world.)

And Seth – Oh I love Seth so much. I want to hug him. He is the best friend to Nick and he is such a caring person, and you can see how much he cares for his friends and family and I loved seeing the way his relationship with Nick evolved, and the way he also grew as a person. He was such an interesting character to have alongside Nick and I absolutely adored every second of their relationship and their story in this book.

Nick has a really interesting relationship with his dad. They have difficulties and they have problems, and they need to work some things out, but at the heart of all of the that is the fact they both deeply care for and love each other, even if they don’t always get things right. And I love the fact that we see them have trouble and screw up, but we also see the way they care for each other and fix those things. I love that the family relationships in this book are rooted in so much care and love for each other, it is really really nice to see families that genuinely care about each other, even if they don’t always get it right.

TJ has this absolutely phenomenal way with words and with writing, and every time I read one of his books, I am always completely in awe of the way he is able to write so beautifully and in such a way that you feel everything he is trying to get across. (TJ’s is one of the only writers to ever make me cry while reading some of his books, so props to him for that!) He has such a fantastic writing style that every time I pick up one of his books, I know I am going to be experiencing something wonderful. He makes such amazing worlds and truly fleshed out characters, that you are just so sucked into these worlds in an instant, and you are dying to get back into them because he has made them feel so real.

Also, I want to say thank you to TJ for writing a book with an ADHD character. I can count on one hand how many ADHD characters I have come across in media. And I am especially grateful that the ADHD is not presented as something bad. He has portrayed the experience of being ADHD so well, and it makes me so happy. There were so many times in this book that I was recognising the way I think in the way Nick thinks, and it was so pleasing to see. I am also very grateful that Nick had a group of friends that loved him and accepted him because I know for a lot of people with ADHD, it’s hard to get those friends.

TJ has done a beautiful job with this book and I remain in awe of his writing. So if you want a book that is heart-warming at times, while breaking your heart at others, and will have you absolutely cackling at parts while making you want to scream two seconds later, and one that will shatter your heart and put it back together, then please pick up this book.
P.S. read till the end of the acknowledgements.

Rating
5/5 stars

Favourite quotes
“Some people were born to be an Extraordinary. Nick was born to have a million thoughts in the space of a minute that often led to splitting headaches.”

“Nick was learning that his brain could do things that others couldn’t. In a way, he had his own superpower, even if it was called a disorder.”

“But that doesn’t mean you still can’t be a good person, right? Just because you did something wrong doesn’t mean that’s who you are. And even if you keep doing the wrong thing, you can still be saved. Maybe they just need someone to listen to them, to hear the storm in their heads.”

Some people are extraordinary. Some are just extra. 



Shadow Star protects the people of Nova City. Pyro Storm is determined to destroy it. Then, there's Nick.


I love Nick Bell, oblivious, gay, ADHD having, fanfiction writing Nick Bell, so much.

Determined that the only way he can get Shadow Star to like him back and protect his cop dad is to become an Extraordinary himself, Nick sets up phases of a plan.


Unfortunately for Nick, the plan looks more like this:


Phase one: Find out how to become Extraordinary

Phase two: ???

Phase three: Profit. (Kiss Shadow Star)


This book is so much fun to read, there are moments early on that made me actually laugh out loud. Nick stumbling through high school life, oblivious to the fact that he's in love with his best friend, is just what I needed to read about right now. (Who am I kidding, I always need to read this). Nick's friends through these misadventures are his best friend Seth, outspoken lesbian Gibby and her cheerleader girlfriend Jazz, because queer people really do travel in packs! You love to see it.


Nick's dad gets his own paragraph because he's great. He's a hard-working police officer whose wife recently died and he's trying to work out the best way to raise Nick by himself. He makes dad jokes, he uses branded cereal as an apology and he just wants what's best for Nick. Also, shoutout to the complete lack of homophobia from Nick's dad or anyone else! So refreshing.


The Extraordinaries is the super (ha) queer superhero book of dreams. Klune uses superhero and fic tropes in such a fond way, I love it when am author's really "in on the joke" and gets it right. It's funny! It's clever! It's really very gay! I can't recommend this book enough.

I have literally just finished this and it was incredible. It was everything I love. Superheroes, swoon-worthy gay superheroes. Secrets, conspiracies, and the most delicious love story mixed in with just the right amount of crude humour. Such a fabulous book. And the way it ended, made me think there would definitely be a sequel. If not, I will have to have some serious words with the author. This book was amazing.

Funny, lovable, unexpected, unique, magical .... just, INCREDIBLE. I'm left giddy after finishing as TJ brings yet another classic to life. There's nothing he can't write and his first turn at YA is a shining light.... but THAT ending! I just can't handle it, a stroke of genius and I can't stop myself from smiling from thinking about EVERYTHING in this book. I can't recommended it enough.

Just to be clear, I absolutely did not just sob my way through a YA queer romance novel with superheroes. Not even a little bit.

Nick Bell is starting the new school year, trying to be better. He’s taking his tablets for ADHD and staying out of trouble, as agreed with his dad. But he is writing fanfic about the superhero Extraordinaries currently active around the city. Particularly ShadowStar 😍. Also his best friend Seth has been MIA all summer - does he have a secret boyfriend/girlfriend?

I’d been wanting to read TJ Klune for ages, but hadn’t realised this was his first YA novel. I was very unsure to begin with - it’s cute and funny and painfully awkward, and his Nick’s friendship group is adorable, as is his relationship with his dad (don’t tell any of them). But it did read as very young YA, and romance and superheroes really aren’t my thing. By a third of the way through, I was absolutely can’t-put-it-down, gripped. The story was fun, funny and sweet, but above all, I fell for the characters and just how much they cared.