A review by betweentheshelves
Heat Wave by TJ Klune

adventurous emotional funny slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

 Thanks to Tor Teen and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review! TJ Klune has become one of my favorite authors, and I was so excited to get a copy of this early! Yes, I have a lot of other spring books to review, but I was just in the mood for some of my favorite superheroes.

It was a bit difficult to summarize this without spoiling it, but I did my best! It picks up almost immediately after Flash Fire leaves off, dropping you right into the middle of the action. However, you know there's something that's not quite right. I thoroughly enjoyed how Klune teased this for the first half of the novel. It came in bits and pieces, just adding to the mystery.

If you're familiar with superhero stories, a lot of the plot points won't be a surprise to you. But that didn't matter much to me, as I just love these characters. One of the best things about this book is the way Nick's dad is so supportive of him. There are some frank conversations in this book about sex, and for gay teens to see that played out in a safe way on page is so important. And also absolutely leads to some hilarious scenes with Nick, his dad, and Seth. Like, laugh out loud funny.

The way ADHD is represented also feels authentic and real. I've though this in each of the books in this trilogy, and part of it is a journey of Nick accepting himself with it. Nick is such a great narrator, and for teens getting to see ADHD represented like this on the page is great. Nick is also thoroughly supported by his friends and their little found family. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Klune is the king of writing found families.

I would love for this series to get turned into a grpahic novel becuase I think it would be fantastic. This was a great ending to this trilogy, and I can't wait for everyone else to read it! 
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Not going to lie, I'm going to miss these characters! Stay tuned for a full review to come on Tuesday!

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