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A review by purplepenning
The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune
5.0
4.5 stars for this diverse, contemporary, extraordinary YA superhero fantasy that manages to be both hilarious and poignant.
Nick (announcing grandly): “I need my own origin story. I’m going to become an Extraordinary.”
Seth: “Nicky, no.”
Nick: “Nicky, yes!”
With ADHD, an obsessive crush on Shadow Star (his city's "Extraordinary" super hero), and a stream-of-consciousness brain and mouth that just can't stop, Nick Bell is "a bit much" for some people. That's fine. Nicky and his dad have come through a lot together and he always has his friends — his beyond precious, sweater-vest-wearing, best friend Seth Gray; Gibby the baby butch and her always surprising, head cheerleader girlfriend Jazz; and Owen, a hot jerky ex that won't stop messing with them. But where exactly are his dad and friends when the super hero skirmishes escalate and Nick undertakes a poorly planned quest to become an Extraordinary himself? Answer: They may be closer than he thinks.
A few extraordinary things about this book:
• diversity handled so well
• sexuality discussed frankly and normalized
• grief portrayed accurately but with great care
• a queer, teenage friend group with a smart, sarcastic, gently ribald sense of humor that seems tone perfect
• a father-son relationship that is #goals
• a community of caring that gives all the best #FoundFamily vibes
• the painfully pure, excruciatingly fumbling friends-to-more situation
• a spot-on capture of fanfiction culture and a unique perspective on a super hero world
• nerdtastically unbridled enthusiasm
• dialogue and narrative that runs from snappy hilarious to heartrendingly perceptive
Content: in addition to loss of a parent/grief issues, there's some cop humor that seems a little out of touch and cringey right now and a pretty sympathetic portrayal of an incidence of police violence that is more than just cringey [Edited to update: The author has addressed these concerns here: http://www.tjklunebooks.com/new-blog/2020/7/29/a-message-about-the-extraordinaries]
Thanks to #NetGalley and #TorTeen for the digital ARC!
Nick (announcing grandly): “I need my own origin story. I’m going to become an Extraordinary.”
Seth: “Nicky, no.”
Nick: “Nicky, yes!”
With ADHD, an obsessive crush on Shadow Star (his city's "Extraordinary" super hero), and a stream-of-consciousness brain and mouth that just can't stop, Nick Bell is "a bit much" for some people. That's fine. Nicky and his dad have come through a lot together and he always has his friends — his beyond precious, sweater-vest-wearing, best friend Seth Gray; Gibby the baby butch and her always surprising, head cheerleader girlfriend Jazz; and Owen, a hot jerky ex that won't stop messing with them. But where exactly are his dad and friends when the super hero skirmishes escalate and Nick undertakes a poorly planned quest to become an Extraordinary himself? Answer: They may be closer than he thinks.
A few extraordinary things about this book:
• diversity handled so well
• sexuality discussed frankly and normalized
• grief portrayed accurately but with great care
• a queer, teenage friend group with a smart, sarcastic, gently ribald sense of humor that seems tone perfect
• a father-son relationship that is #goals
• a community of caring that gives all the best #FoundFamily vibes
• the painfully pure, excruciatingly fumbling friends-to-more situation
• a spot-on capture of fanfiction culture and a unique perspective on a super hero world
• nerdtastically unbridled enthusiasm
• dialogue and narrative that runs from snappy hilarious to heartrendingly perceptive
Content: in addition to loss of a parent/grief issues, there's some cop humor that seems a little out of touch and cringey right now and a pretty sympathetic portrayal of an incidence of police violence that is more than just cringey [Edited to update: The author has addressed these concerns here: http://www.tjklunebooks.com/new-blog/2020/7/29/a-message-about-the-extraordinaries]
Thanks to #NetGalley and #TorTeen for the digital ARC!