Author: TJ Klune
Genre/s and tags: YA, superheroes, science fiction, humor, queer, romance
Rep: Gay, Bisexual, Lesbian, ADHD, Grief
Publication date: July 14, 2020
Content Warnings: violence, death of a parent, kidnapping, problematic police depiction
Synopsis
Some people are extraordinary. Some are just extra. TJ Klune’s YA debut, The Extraordinaries, is a queer coming-of-age story about a fanboy with ADHD and the heroes he loves.
Nick Bell? Not extraordinary. But being the most popular fanfiction writer in the Extraordinaries fandom is a superpower, right?
After a chance encounter with Shadow Star, Nova City’s mightiest hero (and Nick’s biggest crush), Nick sets out to make himself extraordinary. And he’ll do it with or without the reluctant help of Seth Gray, Nick’s best friend (and maybe the love of his life).
Review
About 20% of the way into this book I made a note that said “I didn’t think it was possible to die from secondhand embarrassment. But I have perished.”
I didn’t think I’d survive Nick’s first encounter with his favorite hero – literally, I was sitting on the bathroom floor at 11pm trying not to scream, tears streaming down my face, with a massive stomach ache from laughing so hard. But I did survive and here we are.
THE EXTRAORDINARIES follows Nick Bell, fan-fiction writer in the Extraordinaries fandom, who is nursing a serious crush on his city’s resident hero, Shadow Star. For Nick, Shadow Star is everything a hero should be: righteous, brave, powerful, dreamy… Okay, so he might be a little obsessed. But at least his friends understand. His best friend Seth even beta reads his fanfic! If that isn’t best friendship then I don’t know what is! Ah Seth, who has been Nick’s best friend forever, who doesn’t mind when Nick gushes about Extraordinaires, who wears bow ties and ascots and is just too good for this world.
When an almost mugging leads to Nick meeting Shadow Star in person (see: first paragraph for my thoughts) he decides that the best way to get his hero’s attention is to become Extraordinary himself! A wonderful idea that totally won’t end in hilarity. Yep! Anyway, things start changing as the fighting between Shadow Star and his nemesis, Pyro Storm, heat up (ha! get it? because pyro, fire… yeah I’ll shut up), and Nick is ultimately pulled into something he never expected.
It has honestly been a long time since I’ve had so much fun reading a book. Nothing like the laugh-out-loud, screaming, muttering “Oh my god please just open your eyes you beautiful idiot!” moments that occurred while reading this. The plot was set up perfectly, and I loved that the reader is able to put the pieces together pretty early on (which is part of the experience as Nick is painfully oblivious) and still get surprised by some of the twists that come along.
Nick is my favorite character (followed by Seth because he is too good for this world). Like I want to adopt him and take him home. Nick has ADHD. He’s impulsive, goes on tangents, and makes impressive leaps in logic. Despite how oblivious he can be (and boy, did I want to scream at him sometimes) Nick is incredibly intelligent. I could never get mad at this innocent little cinnamon roll even when he seemed completely blind to what was in front of him.
“For the most part, he’d accepted that some people were born to be Extraordinaries, and some people were born to be medicated so they didn’t spin out of control. Fair? Not really, but 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.”
I don’t know if I ever shared this, but THE EXTRAORDINARIES is the book that led me realize I have ADHD. 100% do not think I would have figured it out if not for the chaos that is Nicky. One of the reasons it has such a strong hold over my heart is due to how much I related to Nick.
During my first read through I wrote, “For the first time ever I saw myself on the page, of a superhero story no less! The way Nick’s mind works is the way my own works, even if I’ve gotten in the habit of hiding that from others. I was seen! And it feels so dang good.” There were tears, there were laughs, and, eventually, a diagnosis!
This book is heartwarming, wholesome, so damn funny, and queer in all the right ways. I didn’t even hit on Nick and Seth’s lesbian BFF’s or the interesting relationship dynamics between Nick and his dad and how Nick and his father’s traumas complicate that, especially in regards to his father’s job. There is so much to say that I think I may do a follow-up or at least go more in depth during my review of book 2.
There is action, fan-fiction, drama, romance. There is so much heart here and I cannot recommend it enough. My final verdict? It’s EXTRAORDINARY!
Spoiler for my favorite part: AARON BELL TALKING ABOUT HIS SON BEING A BOTTOM!!! I CAN’T! 😂😂
Cover: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Writing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Humor: 😂😂😂😂😂
*Disclaimer: I am aware of the controversy surrounding this book in regards to BLM and police propaganda. I am in the process of writing a follow-up addressing this specifically which will include notable criticism, the author’s response, community response, and personal thoughts. This specific review highlights my personal connection with the main character and the positive effect he had on me. I will briefly mention here that these are fair criticisms, and I would like the opportunity to share my perspective before engaging in further discussion. Thank you for your understanding.
Fictional Wanderings 