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The Extraordinaries #2
Flash Fire
Le cose si stanno scaldando per il più accanito fan di supereroi di Nova City... Grazie al suo coraggio, al suo fascino e a una preoccupante dose di entusiasmo, Nick si è fidanzato con il supereroe dei suoi sogni. Ora, invece di limitarsi a scrivere storie su di lui, può baciarlo. Sulla bocca. Un sacco di volte. Ma avere un fidanzato supereroe non è così semplice, e Nick sta ancora lottando per accettare la propria mancanza di superpoteri. All'improvviso, la città viene invasa da nuovi eroi con capacità due gemelli che riescono a manipolare ghiaccio e fumo, un eroe misterioso in grado di spostare gli oggetti con la forza del pensiero, una drag queen con il nome e il costume più pazzeschi che si siano mai visti. Tocca a Nick e ai suoi amici Seth, Gibby e Jazz distinguere i buoni dai cattivi. E i nuovi Straordinari non sono le uniche cose che vengono alla luce. Segreti a lungo sepolti e verità ignorate mettono alla prova le convinzioni di Nick su cosa sia giusto, sulla sua famiglia, su cosa significhi, davvero, "essere straordinari". Insomma, un sacco di carne al fuoco per Nick, che vorrebbe solo dedicarsi alla sua fanfiction. Le cose si risolveranno per il meglio o finirà tutto in fiamme?
365 pages, Paperback
First published July 13, 2021
522 people are currently reading
18789 people want to read
About the author
T.J. Klune
69 books61.6k followersTJ KLUNE is a Lambda Literary Award-winning author (Into This River I Drown) and an ex-claims examiner for an insurance company. His novels include The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Extraordinaries. Being queer himself, TJ believes it's important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive, queer representation in stories.
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July 13, 2021The sequel to The Extraordinaries, Flash Fire, has been released!
See what happens when Nick, Seth, Jazz and Gibby deal with new Extraordinaries, surviving high school, planning for the uncertain future, all while dealing with long-held secrets finally being exposed.
Flash Fire is now available in hardcover, ebook and audio, narrated by the amazing Michael Lesley.
Buy links below, or support your favorite local indie book store!
https://us.macmillan.com/books/978125...
See what happens when Nick, Seth, Jazz and Gibby deal with new Extraordinaries, surviving high school, planning for the uncertain future, all while dealing with long-held secrets finally being exposed.
Flash Fire is now available in hardcover, ebook and audio, narrated by the amazing Michael Lesley.
Buy links below, or support your favorite local indie book store!
https://us.macmillan.com/books/978125...
January 14, 2023
**4.5-stars **
Flash Fire is the second book in T.J. Klune's exciting-YA trilogy, The Extraordinaries. Set in the fictional town of Nova City where Superheroes are real.
They're called Extraordinaries. They have secret identities, wear costumes, frequently save the day and sometimes cause a lot of damage. They're worshiped, they're feared and they're a constant source of mystery and rumor.
Nick Bell is a Extraordinaries superfan and the author of their most popular fanfic. He also struggles with ADHD, the loss of his Mom and maintaining a open relationship with his Dad.
One major plus is that he now has the Superhero boyfriend of his dreams. However, with new Extraordinaries arriving in Nova City, including powerful villains, and hormones raging like never before, life is suddenly more complicated than ever.
Nick and his friends, Seth, Gibby and Jazz, must team up to protect Nova City from these evil forces, all while trying to figure out regular teenage life stuff and PROM!!
I had so much fun returning to Nova City and this incredibly lovable cast of characters. Klune writes with such intention and that can definitely be felt within these pages. This story filled my heart with so many emotions.
While set in a world with fantastical elements, there are also many relevant contemporary topics explored. I personally enjoy that mix of real-life with the fantastical. It's a novel you can sink your teeth into.
Even though I enjoyed this story, particularly Klune's continued witty-writing and Nick's character growth, I don't think I enjoyed it quite as much as the first book. It felt heavier and at times, the plot didn't seem to be going anywhere.
For me, this was a solid 4-star read for the majority of the book. I was enjoying it, but not in love with it.
Then, the ending. The freaking diabolical cliffhanger ending that left me with my jaw on the floor and my head screaming, I NEED THE NEXT BOOK!!!
Well played, Klune.
This is a fantastic series. It's funny, heart-warming, full of action and uncomfortable teenage moments. I am so excited to see what happens in the next book. I can't imagine how this series is going to end.
Obviously, I am hoping for a happily ever after...
Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Teen, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review.
I am in love with these books and am really looking forward to the final installment!
Flash Fire is the second book in T.J. Klune's exciting-YA trilogy, The Extraordinaries. Set in the fictional town of Nova City where Superheroes are real.
They're called Extraordinaries. They have secret identities, wear costumes, frequently save the day and sometimes cause a lot of damage. They're worshiped, they're feared and they're a constant source of mystery and rumor.
Nick Bell is a Extraordinaries superfan and the author of their most popular fanfic. He also struggles with ADHD, the loss of his Mom and maintaining a open relationship with his Dad.
One major plus is that he now has the Superhero boyfriend of his dreams. However, with new Extraordinaries arriving in Nova City, including powerful villains, and hormones raging like never before, life is suddenly more complicated than ever.
Nick and his friends, Seth, Gibby and Jazz, must team up to protect Nova City from these evil forces, all while trying to figure out regular teenage life stuff and PROM!!
I had so much fun returning to Nova City and this incredibly lovable cast of characters. Klune writes with such intention and that can definitely be felt within these pages. This story filled my heart with so many emotions.
While set in a world with fantastical elements, there are also many relevant contemporary topics explored. I personally enjoy that mix of real-life with the fantastical. It's a novel you can sink your teeth into.
Even though I enjoyed this story, particularly Klune's continued witty-writing and Nick's character growth, I don't think I enjoyed it quite as much as the first book. It felt heavier and at times, the plot didn't seem to be going anywhere.
For me, this was a solid 4-star read for the majority of the book. I was enjoying it, but not in love with it.
Then, the ending. The freaking diabolical cliffhanger ending that left me with my jaw on the floor and my head screaming, I NEED THE NEXT BOOK!!!
Well played, Klune.
This is a fantastic series. It's funny, heart-warming, full of action and uncomfortable teenage moments. I am so excited to see what happens in the next book. I can't imagine how this series is going to end.
Obviously, I am hoping for a happily ever after...
Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Teen, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review.
I am in love with these books and am really looking forward to the final installment!
Read
July 29, 2021As a general rule, superhero stories aren't my tippy-top favorite, but TJ's take on the genre has been fun and entertaining so far.
I must admit, though, that after reading and reading and reading, then only seeing that I was less than a third done, in spite of the significant number of pages, there weren't really a lot of "things" that had actually happened by that point.
The pacing and level of action improved significantly after The Attic scene, when the arc of the story finally began to experience some decent forward momentum.
The cast of characters was nearly identical as in the first book, with the absence of The Previous Bad Guy and the presence of two New Good Guys and two New Bad Guys, but the tone and level of humor felt about the same as well, so I enjoyed that.
I continued to loathe both Rebecca Firestone and Simon Burke, as they continued to fight it out for the Worst Human Ever title, but I adored Nick's reactions and snark when they attempted to ruffle his quirky little feathers.
My absolute favorite part of the story for me was the prom. For many, many very spoilery reasons, which I refuse to give away.
My absolute *least* favorite parts of the story for me were the insaaaaaaaaaaane amounts of politically correct wokeness that the story spoon-fed the reader, in small, continuous bites.
The vast, VAST majority of M/M readers are progressive, caring, issue-educated adults, like myself, so those parts of this book just felt both over-the-top and way too preachy for this particular audience.
I was totally fine with the emphasis on Aaron's past bad behavior as a police officer, BUT... it felt like every single social justice issue under the sun got on-page time in this story. While I welcome PC awareness, this was... a lot.
** Note: I'm not looking to start a huge, heated discussion thread on this topic, but needed to provide my *accurate* experience of the story, hence its inclusion. **
As for the ending, several reviews mention this being a cliffhanger, but it didn't really "feel" that way to me. Like most of the books in TJ's series', the book ends at an okay "plateau" point.
There was impending doom of another Extraordinary gunning for them from the shadows, along with a huuuuuge "Big Reveal" in literally the last 100 words of the story, but no one was in immediate danger.
I'd rate this book at around 3.75 stars and do look forward to the final installment, which I'll definitely be reading.
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My ARC copy of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased, honest review.
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July 21, 2021
I always enjoy T.J. Klune and his writing, so I took a chance in continuing with his The Extraordinaries series, even though I had mixed feelings about The Extraordinaries, the first book in the series. However, I now feel more certain than before that this series isn't for me.
Flash Fire had a lot of work to do, and T.J. Klune knew it. After The Extraordinaries came out, the author underwent a lot of scrutiny for how his police characters acted in the story, and I also felt like the book felt tone-deaf in the time where police brutality and privilege has come under national attention. Though the book centers around teenage superheroes, it's also critically about Nick's relationship with his father and the police/policing, and cops play a huge role in the books.
I think T.J. Klune worked hard to change the narrative to show that Nick's father was extremely out of line with a lot of his past behavior, and I think he tried to highlight how the Black characters would feel with someone like that in their lives. How successful T.J. Klune was with his pivot may be up for some debate, but the effort is certainly there. To me, it felt a little info-dumpy and a little stilted, but it was a definite improvement over the first book in that regard.
While I liked the story, it was mainly because I enjoy the author's witty writing style and banter. Yes, a lot of his characters remind me of characters from his other books, but I always like Klune's sense of humor, so it tends to work for me. Klune can write really, really well, and I liked the dialogue and how the cast of characters played off one another.
Where the story faltered with me a bit was in the actual plot. I found it to be unusually slow-moving for a superhero story, and I know there were some plot twists and revelations, but I got bored a lot, which isn't a great sign. The villain felt a little overdone and tired. I also found the narrative and story arc to be a bit scattered.
In the end, I don't think high school superhero stories are for me, even if they are queer.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
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Flash Fire had a lot of work to do, and T.J. Klune knew it. After The Extraordinaries came out, the author underwent a lot of scrutiny for how his police characters acted in the story, and I also felt like the book felt tone-deaf in the time where police brutality and privilege has come under national attention. Though the book centers around teenage superheroes, it's also critically about Nick's relationship with his father and the police/policing, and cops play a huge role in the books.
I think T.J. Klune worked hard to change the narrative to show that Nick's father was extremely out of line with a lot of his past behavior, and I think he tried to highlight how the Black characters would feel with someone like that in their lives. How successful T.J. Klune was with his pivot may be up for some debate, but the effort is certainly there. To me, it felt a little info-dumpy and a little stilted, but it was a definite improvement over the first book in that regard.
While I liked the story, it was mainly because I enjoy the author's witty writing style and banter. Yes, a lot of his characters remind me of characters from his other books, but I always like Klune's sense of humor, so it tends to work for me. Klune can write really, really well, and I liked the dialogue and how the cast of characters played off one another.
Where the story faltered with me a bit was in the actual plot. I found it to be unusually slow-moving for a superhero story, and I know there were some plot twists and revelations, but I got bored a lot, which isn't a great sign. The villain felt a little overdone and tired. I also found the narrative and story arc to be a bit scattered.
In the end, I don't think high school superhero stories are for me, even if they are queer.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
goodreads|instagram|twitter|tiktok
July 25, 2021
Star Rating: —> 5 Stars
🌟⭐️🌟⭐️🌟
OMFG OMFG OMFG OH MY F-ING GODDDD! 😱😱😱
CANT RIGHT NOW. THIS WAS FREAKING INCREDIBLE!!!!! I LOVE THIS DAMN SERIES SO DAMN MUCH.
NICK & SETH & JAZZ & GIBBY OMFG THEY ARE MY CHILDREN! hahahah
Best QUEER REPS EVERRRR ! So happy with the representation in tj's books. And the values, as well as problematic things he makes sure to touch on... he's just a brilliant author!
Thank you so much to Darce for the EXTRAORDINARY BR ;))
RTC
(Also; If it wasn't clear—I f*cking LOVE TJ KLUNE. Just saying.)
________________
Um that cover? That title? PER-FEC-TION. Dying!!!!!!!!!
🌟⭐️🌟⭐️🌟
OMFG OMFG OMFG OH MY F-ING GODDDD! 😱😱😱
CANT RIGHT NOW. THIS WAS FREAKING INCREDIBLE!!!!! I LOVE THIS DAMN SERIES SO DAMN MUCH.
NICK & SETH & JAZZ & GIBBY OMFG THEY ARE MY CHILDREN! hahahah
Best QUEER REPS EVERRRR ! So happy with the representation in tj's books. And the values, as well as problematic things he makes sure to touch on... he's just a brilliant author!
Thank you so much to Darce for the EXTRAORDINARY BR ;))
RTC
(Also; If it wasn't clear—I f*cking LOVE TJ KLUNE. Just saying.)
________________
Um that cover? That title? PER-FEC-TION. Dying!!!!!!!!!
August 29, 2024
I’m on BookTube now! =)
”We can’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, but if we spend all our time focusing on what might happen, we could end up missing what does happen.”
I can’t believe I read this book over a year ago but still remember it so vividly. I’m about to start “Heat Wave” soon so I figured it was about time I finally gave you my review for the second book. Sometimes it might take me ages to write a review, but they always come. Eventually. ;-P I think I needed the time to digest the story and to let it work, because no matter how many funny scenes we got in “Flash Fire” it still had a more serious tone than “The Extraordinaries”. There were many topics that were touched in the first book, but never got a proper chance to be explored, so to me it felt like Klune made sure to give them enough room this time around.
And the themes that are addressed have it in them. We don’t just have the grief rep from the first book but we also get to understand it from Aaron Bell’s perspective. The power dynamics are shifting and there’s at least as much betrayal as there is xenophobia. I think I’d even go as far as to say that there’s a proper witch hunt going on and that the hatred of a few is starting to ignite the wrath of the many. Naturally, with this, there inevitably comes the question if being a superhero is worth all the trouble that comes along with it. If people don’t want to be saved, why even bother to save them? Who is watching out for the superheroes that risk their lives in order to safe others? Does having the ability to safe others automatically mean that you need to use your powers in order to do good?
I think you can already tell that this book raised a lot of questions and I’m still not sure if I found an answer to all of them. But then again, maybe that’s the thing. The discussion about superpowers and how to use them is as old as the original superhero story and sometimes it’s already enough to question the status quo. There will never be an overall solution, just an individual one for everyone who’s confronted with the choice. T.J. Klune didn’t invent something new, but he certainly managed to give an old story a new spin and I really appreciated this. “Heat Wave” was a fresh breath of life to the superhero stories we all know and have come to love and I can’t wait to read the last book! Before that, I���ll discuss this one in greater detail, though. So buckle up and come along for the freaky ride. This is going to be fun! ;-)
The characters:
Welcome back to Nova City! Where (some) superhero dreams come true and dangerous spoilers wait around every corner! The level of superheroes might have increased but so did the level of danger! If you don’t want to be spoiled leave the city as fast as you can! You never know which villain has set their eyes on you…
Nick:
Maybe he was going about this all wrong. “Bear Hug of Destruction!” he bellowed and hurled himself at the punching bag, wrapping his arms and legs around it.
Haha! OMG! I just love Nicky! He’s such a funny character but boy, did he suffer in here. My boy had so many things on his plate and prom was the least of his worries. Nick has a lot of character development in this book, but it came at a high cost and I still feel so sorry for everything he had to go through. In “The Extraordinaries” he’s up to a lot of mischief while he tries to become a superhero but in this book he finds out that he actually is one and that his father took away his abilities by drugging him for years. The betrayal and how he found out about it felt visceral and I hurt so much with him. But as if that wouldn’t have been enough he also had to figure out his superpowers and tried to be there for Seth who struggled with being a hero. Not to mention Simon Burke who definitely didn’t make their lives any easier and basically started a witch hunt for Extraordinaries. Boy, did it hurt to read about that moment when he found out about his father’s betrayal and when he tried to figure out if his father was lying to him. So painful. >_< Despite all that Nick didn’t give up, though and I loved him so much for that. He tried to do what felt right and I think sometimes that’s all you can do. You fight through the pain and hurt and you hope that your inner compass shows you the right path. I honestly didn’t think it would lead to that kind of ending, though and wow, I did not expect that! O_o Which is one of the many reasons I need to read book 3 asap!
”Those days were when his thoughts were a jumbled knot in his head, and no matter how much he tugged on individual strands, it only made the knot tighter. Those das were when he felt like he was vibrating out of his skin, unable to sit still for any length of time. He fidgeted. He tapped his foot. He rapped his fingers against his thighs and the top of his desk. He clicked his pen again and again.”
”Dad was good, but Nick had spent far too much time clicking through Wikipedia and knew what to look for. Dad’s eyes never darted away; he didn’t try to embellish by filling in the blanks. It struck, Nick, then, that he was trying to see if his father was lying to him.”
”Kid, what’s – what’s going on?”
Nick picked up his phone and took an answering step back, his mind viciously blank. He couldn’t form a single coherent thought, and the sound that fell from his open mouth was a high-pitched whine, broken and weak.
Seth:
”I made the decision to become Pyro Storm because someone I cared about needed a hero. He didn’t know that he was already my hero, and I wanted to do anything I could to make sure he never got hurt that way again. And it sort of steamrolled from there, because someone always needs saving, and if I could help them, then I had to. They were – are – my responsibility.”
Seth is so damn precious!! I can’t even! I love this boy so much and I think him and Nick deserve the world! <33 They both wanted to be Extraordinaries because they tried to protect the people they love and care about, but in “Flash Fire” they are forced to think about the consequences and what being a superhero truly means. In Seth’s case it raises the question of how long he’ll be able to be Pyro Storm and if a normal life is even in the cards for him. The atmosphere changed drastically and thanks to Burke superheroes aren’t welcome at Nova City anymore. Yet despite all that he can’t stop helping people, because being a superhero is a big part of him and he just can’t switch it off. Still, this kind of life comes with a lot of consequences, lies and sacrifice. Seth isn’t allowed to be a normal teenager and all the responsibilities that come along with being an Extraordinary begin to show their claws & teeth and start to influence his daily life. Not to mention the inner conflict that comes along with the idea of quitting to be Pyro Storm. If you have the power to save lives, isn’t it your responsibility to make use of it? I loved how Klune managed to confront his readers with those questions and I think there’ll never be a single correct answer. I’m curious in which kind of direction Seth’s character is going to develop in the last book and if he’s going to find some answers that feel right for him.
”Part of being an Extraordinary is facing things, even when you don’t want to. You have the power, Nick. Now you need to figure out what to do with it.”
“You’re allowed to want things.” Nick hesitated. “Being Pyro Storm isn’t all of you, but it’s a big part. Could you really let that go?”
“I don’t know,” Seth muttered. He sounded frustrated. “I won’t know unless I try. That terrifies me. Because if I did try, there’ll come a moment where someone will need Pyro Storm, and I’ll have to decide whether or not to do anything about it.” He rubbed his gloved hand over his face. “I don’t know if I can choose to ignore someone who needs help. What kind of a person would that make me?”
Simon Burke:
”I was driving by and I thought, o my, that looks just like my son’s former boyfriend. And I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by. We haven’t had a chance to talk, you and I, and that simply won’t do. We’re tied together in ways you can’t even begin to understand.”
Nick scoffed. “Yeah, okay. Go, to hell, you weirdo.”
I hate that man so much and I think he makes for a great villain. I mean Simon Burke is the embodiment of a rich man who thinks he can buy everything with money and is manipulative af! He doesn’t hesitate to use people for his own gain and not even his own son seems to be off limits. He’s a vile human being that has nothing better to do than to involve people in his cruel machinations and the way he hurt Nick’s and his father’s relationship was so intentional I felt sick to my stomach. Burke knew exactly what he was doing by driving a wedge between those two and I hate him even more for this. Not to mention the witch-hunt for Extraordinaries he started and that no doubt, will cause our poor heroes to suffer in the end. No matter how his story ends, I hope karma will bite him in his insensitive butt and that he won’t be able to harm anyone else. >_<
"See something, say something, because that is the only way we'll be able to understand our superpowered brethren."
Miss Conduct:
”First, she’s a drag queen. When she’s in costume, she uses she/her pronouns. When she’s not, she uses he/him.”
“A Puerto Rican drag queen,” the Extraordinary said, a seductive curl to her lips. “The best in Nova City.”
Okay, bear with me here but I just couldn’t NOT talk about Miss Conduct! Seriously, she’s the coolest new addition to the Extraordinaries in Nova City and I love her! <333 That girl is on fire and I’m extremely besotted with her. Doesn’t matter if she’s in costume or not, plus she has amazing lines and her heart is in the right place! I honestly hope that we’ll see more of this fierce drag queen in the last book because damn, I’m rooting for her big time! Considering the way this book ended, we might be in for a hard ride in the last instalment, though. XD
”You won’t help us?”
“I didn’t say that, twinkie,” Miss Conduct said sharply. “While I don’t like the idea of going up against someone like Burke, I refuse to live in fear forever. Life’s too short to worry about the simpleminded people who hate us for who we are. I went through that the first time I put on makeup. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let people make me feel bad because of who I am. Never again.
The relationships & ships:
Nicky & Seth:
Nick said, “I’m sorry.”
Seth shrugged. “You don’t need to be. You remember when I came out to you? You had my back then. I know you’ll have it now.”
“Please be my friend forever,” Nick said, because it was the only thing he could think of.
Seth laughed quietly. “Forever is a long time.”
“I know, but you’re worth it.” Seth brought Nick’s hand to his mouth, kissing the back of it sweetly.
Seth and Nick are one hell of an adorable couple and no one can persuade me otherwise. <3 I love that they are so comfortable around each other and the fact they are the from-friends-to-lovers trope come to life certainly doesn’t hurt! No, seriously! They are amazing together and whenever Nicky is losing his grip on reality Seth is there to ground him. They just complement each other so well. *sighs deeply* I honestly hope that we’ll get more of their sweet little moments in the next book because due to everything that was going on their relationship suffered a little bit. Still, they were always there for each other when it mattered the most and their communication is amazing! Give me more couples like Seth and Nick that actually talk about their feelings and support each other through their hard times. They are beautiful. <3
”Did you know there are furries who dress up like rabbits? That’s so rad, right? I wouldn’t be a rabbit if I was a furry, because little kids would think I was the Easter Bunny and I don’t want kids accosting me for my eggs –“
“Nicky.”
Nick deflated. “Thank you for stopping me. I have no idea where that was going.”
Seth chuckled quietly. “I figured.”
Nick & his father:
”Tell me, Mr. Bell. You knew him better than I ever could. Do you really think I could force him to do anything he didn’t want to do?”
“Yes,” Nick said. “Because I know I would do anything for my dad, even if it hurt me.”
I love Aaron Bell and I adore Nicky, but as much as I had fun with that “Rough-and-Tumble” scene – I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes – those two had an extremely rocky relationship in “Flash Fire”. Which is to be expected when your father tells you lies, secretly drugs you for years and is in league with the enemy. I wanted to give Aaron the benefit of the doubt but those were all facts I just couldn’t ignore. No matter how much you love your children and always want the best for them, the things he did to his own son were so wrong. The level of betrayal was too extreme and I could feel Nick’s struggle and inner conflict because I felt the same way. When he told his father that he loves him but doesn’t like him very much right now I felt that statement in my bones. It was such a great scene and it portrayed Nick’s confused feelings so well. T_T I’m still in pain thinking about this moment in the book, and this even after an entire year has passed in between. It just hurt so much. Still, if you truly love your parents you just can’t hate them forever and Nick’s feelings being all over the place for a while was extremely realistic. I honestly hope the Bell men will find a way back to each other, but I’m sure it will take a while. Especially with the return of Nick’s mom! I didn’t see that one coming and even though I knew something about the new Extraordinary was going to be revealed this wasn’t exactly what I envisioned. XD Just another reason to read the last book! I need answers!!
”You went to Simon fucking Burke – and why the hell don’t I remember that? – and found a way to take something from me that you had no right to.”
“We wanted to keep you –“
“Safe? By crushing me? By shoving this thing so far down behind a wave of pills that I wouldn’t be able to find it? Do you have any idea the kind of violation that is? What if you'd been a homophobic dick, on top of everything else? Would you have tried to find a way to kill that too?"
”Did I make mistakes? Yeah, Nicky. Many, many mistakes. But I couldn’t have the same thing happen to you. Hate me all you want, but I did what I did because I love you more than anything on this earth. I would do anything for you, even if that meant squashing the part of you that you think makes you extraordinary. You were already extraordinary. Every single piece of you. Every single part.”
Nicky, the Gray’s & their friend group:
”Welcome, welcome! It’s so lovely to see you all again. Please, come in. Have a cookie. Have several cookies. I’ve often found that when your mouth is full, you’re unable to ask questions.”
Bless Martha and Bob Gray because those two are angels!!! It was so funny how they handled the “coming out” as superheroes and tried to provide a safe environment for our MCs and their friends. This scene might have been hilarious but it was also necessary because our beloved friend group reached a point where they needed to come clean in order to be able to move on. Still, the way Martha and Bob took care of Nicky when he couldn’t even trust his own father. I had tears in my eyes; you need good people like that in your life and friends like Jazz and Gibby! Those two are made of awesome sauce as well and I was so thankful they took care of Nicky and helped him to get through the betrayal of his father. And because I need to say it here: Bob Gray is a legend! *lol* I think he outed himself as bi-sexual or at least queer with that statement of remembering the time he was sixteen and his one-liners are one of the best things about this series! XD Give me more of Bob Gray any day! Haha! I seriously hope there’s more to come in the last book!
”You’re safe here, I promise. Whatever’s happening, whatever you’re becoming, you’re safe here.”
Nick sniffed, hanging his head. “I could really use a hug right now.”
She hugged him without hesitation, cupping the back of his head, pressing him against her chest. His shoulder shook, his eyes burned, and he hung on for dear life.
”They were almost eye-level, and Nick was hit square in the chest by how much he cared for these ridiculous people. They were his, and no one could take that away from him. Maybe things would change in the future, but here, now, they were together.”
”Easier said than done," Bob said, folding his hands over his stomach. "I remember being sixteen. I wanted to put myself in pretty much anything that would have me - men, women, didn't matter to me."
Conclusion:
“Flash Fire” was everything I hoped for and even though the overall tone of the story was definitely more on the serious side we still got a lot of hilarious moments that were able to lighten up the mood. To say this book was an emotional roller coaster would be putting it mildly, but for me this is part of this series charm. When you read “The Extraordinaries” you want to laugh and cry in equal measure and Klune delivers on that front like no other author I know. I honestly can’t wait to see how it all ends and I’m ready to find out. Are you too? ;-)
_________________________________
I didn’t know this was possible but I loved this even more than the first book?!
The relationships and friendships in this series are everything and the humour is chef’s kiss!
Honestly, I love them all! They are too adorable and haha Bob and Aaron will always hold a special place in my heart. Those two men! <333
But once again: THAT ENDING!!!! AHHH! *insert Edvard Munch's "The Scream"*
Full RTC soon! This might become a long review. *lol*
__________________________________
GAH! I’m so excited to finally start this!
I wanted to read “Flash Fire” ever since I finished “The Extraordinaries” last summer so here I am looking at my awesome boys on the cover and itching to open this book and to read the first page!
I can’t wait to find out what is going to happen next!! New superheroes in town?
Well, I’m all in! =)
Let’s do this! XD
Find me on:
My Blog
Instagram
”We can’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, but if we spend all our time focusing on what might happen, we could end up missing what does happen.”
I can’t believe I read this book over a year ago but still remember it so vividly. I’m about to start “Heat Wave” soon so I figured it was about time I finally gave you my review for the second book. Sometimes it might take me ages to write a review, but they always come. Eventually. ;-P I think I needed the time to digest the story and to let it work, because no matter how many funny scenes we got in “Flash Fire” it still had a more serious tone than “The Extraordinaries”. There were many topics that were touched in the first book, but never got a proper chance to be explored, so to me it felt like Klune made sure to give them enough room this time around.
And the themes that are addressed have it in them. We don’t just have the grief rep from the first book but we also get to understand it from Aaron Bell’s perspective. The power dynamics are shifting and there’s at least as much betrayal as there is xenophobia. I think I’d even go as far as to say that there’s a proper witch hunt going on and that the hatred of a few is starting to ignite the wrath of the many. Naturally, with this, there inevitably comes the question if being a superhero is worth all the trouble that comes along with it. If people don’t want to be saved, why even bother to save them? Who is watching out for the superheroes that risk their lives in order to safe others? Does having the ability to safe others automatically mean that you need to use your powers in order to do good?
I think you can already tell that this book raised a lot of questions and I’m still not sure if I found an answer to all of them. But then again, maybe that’s the thing. The discussion about superpowers and how to use them is as old as the original superhero story and sometimes it’s already enough to question the status quo. There will never be an overall solution, just an individual one for everyone who’s confronted with the choice. T.J. Klune didn’t invent something new, but he certainly managed to give an old story a new spin and I really appreciated this. “Heat Wave” was a fresh breath of life to the superhero stories we all know and have come to love and I can’t wait to read the last book! Before that, I���ll discuss this one in greater detail, though. So buckle up and come along for the freaky ride. This is going to be fun! ;-)
The characters:
Welcome back to Nova City! Where (some) superhero dreams come true and dangerous spoilers wait around every corner! The level of superheroes might have increased but so did the level of danger! If you don’t want to be spoiled leave the city as fast as you can! You never know which villain has set their eyes on you…
Nick:
Maybe he was going about this all wrong. “Bear Hug of Destruction!” he bellowed and hurled himself at the punching bag, wrapping his arms and legs around it.
Haha! OMG! I just love Nicky! He’s such a funny character but boy, did he suffer in here. My boy had so many things on his plate and prom was the least of his worries. Nick has a lot of character development in this book, but it came at a high cost and I still feel so sorry for everything he had to go through. In “The Extraordinaries” he’s up to a lot of mischief while he tries to become a superhero but in this book he finds out that he actually is one and that his father took away his abilities by drugging him for years. The betrayal and how he found out about it felt visceral and I hurt so much with him. But as if that wouldn’t have been enough he also had to figure out his superpowers and tried to be there for Seth who struggled with being a hero. Not to mention Simon Burke who definitely didn’t make their lives any easier and basically started a witch hunt for Extraordinaries. Boy, did it hurt to read about that moment when he found out about his father’s betrayal and when he tried to figure out if his father was lying to him. So painful. >_< Despite all that Nick didn’t give up, though and I loved him so much for that. He tried to do what felt right and I think sometimes that’s all you can do. You fight through the pain and hurt and you hope that your inner compass shows you the right path. I honestly didn’t think it would lead to that kind of ending, though and wow, I did not expect that! O_o Which is one of the many reasons I need to read book 3 asap!
”Those days were when his thoughts were a jumbled knot in his head, and no matter how much he tugged on individual strands, it only made the knot tighter. Those das were when he felt like he was vibrating out of his skin, unable to sit still for any length of time. He fidgeted. He tapped his foot. He rapped his fingers against his thighs and the top of his desk. He clicked his pen again and again.”
”Dad was good, but Nick had spent far too much time clicking through Wikipedia and knew what to look for. Dad’s eyes never darted away; he didn’t try to embellish by filling in the blanks. It struck, Nick, then, that he was trying to see if his father was lying to him.”
”Kid, what’s – what’s going on?”
Nick picked up his phone and took an answering step back, his mind viciously blank. He couldn’t form a single coherent thought, and the sound that fell from his open mouth was a high-pitched whine, broken and weak.
Seth:
”I made the decision to become Pyro Storm because someone I cared about needed a hero. He didn’t know that he was already my hero, and I wanted to do anything I could to make sure he never got hurt that way again. And it sort of steamrolled from there, because someone always needs saving, and if I could help them, then I had to. They were – are – my responsibility.”
Seth is so damn precious!! I can’t even! I love this boy so much and I think him and Nick deserve the world! <33 They both wanted to be Extraordinaries because they tried to protect the people they love and care about, but in “Flash Fire” they are forced to think about the consequences and what being a superhero truly means. In Seth’s case it raises the question of how long he’ll be able to be Pyro Storm and if a normal life is even in the cards for him. The atmosphere changed drastically and thanks to Burke superheroes aren’t welcome at Nova City anymore. Yet despite all that he can’t stop helping people, because being a superhero is a big part of him and he just can’t switch it off. Still, this kind of life comes with a lot of consequences, lies and sacrifice. Seth isn’t allowed to be a normal teenager and all the responsibilities that come along with being an Extraordinary begin to show their claws & teeth and start to influence his daily life. Not to mention the inner conflict that comes along with the idea of quitting to be Pyro Storm. If you have the power to save lives, isn’t it your responsibility to make use of it? I loved how Klune managed to confront his readers with those questions and I think there’ll never be a single correct answer. I’m curious in which kind of direction Seth’s character is going to develop in the last book and if he’s going to find some answers that feel right for him.
”Part of being an Extraordinary is facing things, even when you don’t want to. You have the power, Nick. Now you need to figure out what to do with it.”
“You’re allowed to want things.” Nick hesitated. “Being Pyro Storm isn’t all of you, but it’s a big part. Could you really let that go?”
“I don’t know,” Seth muttered. He sounded frustrated. “I won’t know unless I try. That terrifies me. Because if I did try, there’ll come a moment where someone will need Pyro Storm, and I’ll have to decide whether or not to do anything about it.” He rubbed his gloved hand over his face. “I don’t know if I can choose to ignore someone who needs help. What kind of a person would that make me?”
Simon Burke:
”I was driving by and I thought, o my, that looks just like my son’s former boyfriend. And I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by. We haven’t had a chance to talk, you and I, and that simply won’t do. We’re tied together in ways you can’t even begin to understand.”
Nick scoffed. “Yeah, okay. Go, to hell, you weirdo.”
I hate that man so much and I think he makes for a great villain. I mean Simon Burke is the embodiment of a rich man who thinks he can buy everything with money and is manipulative af! He doesn’t hesitate to use people for his own gain and not even his own son seems to be off limits. He’s a vile human being that has nothing better to do than to involve people in his cruel machinations and the way he hurt Nick’s and his father’s relationship was so intentional I felt sick to my stomach. Burke knew exactly what he was doing by driving a wedge between those two and I hate him even more for this. Not to mention the witch-hunt for Extraordinaries he started and that no doubt, will cause our poor heroes to suffer in the end. No matter how his story ends, I hope karma will bite him in his insensitive butt and that he won’t be able to harm anyone else. >_<
"See something, say something, because that is the only way we'll be able to understand our superpowered brethren."
Miss Conduct:
”First, she’s a drag queen. When she’s in costume, she uses she/her pronouns. When she’s not, she uses he/him.”
“A Puerto Rican drag queen,” the Extraordinary said, a seductive curl to her lips. “The best in Nova City.”
Okay, bear with me here but I just couldn’t NOT talk about Miss Conduct! Seriously, she’s the coolest new addition to the Extraordinaries in Nova City and I love her! <333 That girl is on fire and I’m extremely besotted with her. Doesn’t matter if she’s in costume or not, plus she has amazing lines and her heart is in the right place! I honestly hope that we’ll see more of this fierce drag queen in the last book because damn, I’m rooting for her big time! Considering the way this book ended, we might be in for a hard ride in the last instalment, though. XD
”You won’t help us?”
“I didn’t say that, twinkie,” Miss Conduct said sharply. “While I don’t like the idea of going up against someone like Burke, I refuse to live in fear forever. Life’s too short to worry about the simpleminded people who hate us for who we are. I went through that the first time I put on makeup. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let people make me feel bad because of who I am. Never again.
The relationships & ships:
Nicky & Seth:
Nick said, “I’m sorry.”
Seth shrugged. “You don’t need to be. You remember when I came out to you? You had my back then. I know you’ll have it now.”
“Please be my friend forever,” Nick said, because it was the only thing he could think of.
Seth laughed quietly. “Forever is a long time.”
“I know, but you’re worth it.” Seth brought Nick’s hand to his mouth, kissing the back of it sweetly.
Seth and Nick are one hell of an adorable couple and no one can persuade me otherwise. <3 I love that they are so comfortable around each other and the fact they are the from-friends-to-lovers trope come to life certainly doesn’t hurt! No, seriously! They are amazing together and whenever Nicky is losing his grip on reality Seth is there to ground him. They just complement each other so well. *sighs deeply* I honestly hope that we’ll get more of their sweet little moments in the next book because due to everything that was going on their relationship suffered a little bit. Still, they were always there for each other when it mattered the most and their communication is amazing! Give me more couples like Seth and Nick that actually talk about their feelings and support each other through their hard times. They are beautiful. <3
”Did you know there are furries who dress up like rabbits? That’s so rad, right? I wouldn’t be a rabbit if I was a furry, because little kids would think I was the Easter Bunny and I don’t want kids accosting me for my eggs –“
“Nicky.”
Nick deflated. “Thank you for stopping me. I have no idea where that was going.”
Seth chuckled quietly. “I figured.”
Nick & his father:
”Tell me, Mr. Bell. You knew him better than I ever could. Do you really think I could force him to do anything he didn’t want to do?”
“Yes,” Nick said. “Because I know I would do anything for my dad, even if it hurt me.”
I love Aaron Bell and I adore Nicky, but as much as I had fun with that “Rough-and-Tumble” scene – I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes – those two had an extremely rocky relationship in “Flash Fire”. Which is to be expected when your father tells you lies, secretly drugs you for years and is in league with the enemy. I wanted to give Aaron the benefit of the doubt but those were all facts I just couldn’t ignore. No matter how much you love your children and always want the best for them, the things he did to his own son were so wrong. The level of betrayal was too extreme and I could feel Nick’s struggle and inner conflict because I felt the same way. When he told his father that he loves him but doesn’t like him very much right now I felt that statement in my bones. It was such a great scene and it portrayed Nick’s confused feelings so well. T_T I’m still in pain thinking about this moment in the book, and this even after an entire year has passed in between. It just hurt so much. Still, if you truly love your parents you just can’t hate them forever and Nick’s feelings being all over the place for a while was extremely realistic. I honestly hope the Bell men will find a way back to each other, but I’m sure it will take a while. Especially with the return of Nick’s mom! I didn’t see that one coming and even though I knew something about the new Extraordinary was going to be revealed this wasn’t exactly what I envisioned. XD Just another reason to read the last book! I need answers!!
”You went to Simon fucking Burke – and why the hell don’t I remember that? – and found a way to take something from me that you had no right to.”
“We wanted to keep you –“
“Safe? By crushing me? By shoving this thing so far down behind a wave of pills that I wouldn’t be able to find it? Do you have any idea the kind of violation that is? What if you'd been a homophobic dick, on top of everything else? Would you have tried to find a way to kill that too?"
”Did I make mistakes? Yeah, Nicky. Many, many mistakes. But I couldn’t have the same thing happen to you. Hate me all you want, but I did what I did because I love you more than anything on this earth. I would do anything for you, even if that meant squashing the part of you that you think makes you extraordinary. You were already extraordinary. Every single piece of you. Every single part.”
Nicky, the Gray’s & their friend group:
”Welcome, welcome! It’s so lovely to see you all again. Please, come in. Have a cookie. Have several cookies. I’ve often found that when your mouth is full, you’re unable to ask questions.”
Bless Martha and Bob Gray because those two are angels!!! It was so funny how they handled the “coming out” as superheroes and tried to provide a safe environment for our MCs and their friends. This scene might have been hilarious but it was also necessary because our beloved friend group reached a point where they needed to come clean in order to be able to move on. Still, the way Martha and Bob took care of Nicky when he couldn’t even trust his own father. I had tears in my eyes; you need good people like that in your life and friends like Jazz and Gibby! Those two are made of awesome sauce as well and I was so thankful they took care of Nicky and helped him to get through the betrayal of his father. And because I need to say it here: Bob Gray is a legend! *lol* I think he outed himself as bi-sexual or at least queer with that statement of remembering the time he was sixteen and his one-liners are one of the best things about this series! XD Give me more of Bob Gray any day! Haha! I seriously hope there’s more to come in the last book!
”You’re safe here, I promise. Whatever’s happening, whatever you’re becoming, you’re safe here.”
Nick sniffed, hanging his head. “I could really use a hug right now.”
She hugged him without hesitation, cupping the back of his head, pressing him against her chest. His shoulder shook, his eyes burned, and he hung on for dear life.
”They were almost eye-level, and Nick was hit square in the chest by how much he cared for these ridiculous people. They were his, and no one could take that away from him. Maybe things would change in the future, but here, now, they were together.”
”Easier said than done," Bob said, folding his hands over his stomach. "I remember being sixteen. I wanted to put myself in pretty much anything that would have me - men, women, didn't matter to me."
Conclusion:
“Flash Fire” was everything I hoped for and even though the overall tone of the story was definitely more on the serious side we still got a lot of hilarious moments that were able to lighten up the mood. To say this book was an emotional roller coaster would be putting it mildly, but for me this is part of this series charm. When you read “The Extraordinaries” you want to laugh and cry in equal measure and Klune delivers on that front like no other author I know. I honestly can’t wait to see how it all ends and I’m ready to find out. Are you too? ;-)
_________________________________
I didn’t know this was possible but I loved this even more than the first book?!
The relationships and friendships in this series are everything and the humour is chef’s kiss!
Honestly, I love them all! They are too adorable and haha Bob and Aaron will always hold a special place in my heart. Those two men! <333
But once again: THAT ENDING!!!! AHHH! *insert Edvard Munch's "The Scream"*
Full RTC soon! This might become a long review. *lol*
__________________________________
GAH! I’m so excited to finally start this!
I wanted to read “Flash Fire” ever since I finished “The Extraordinaries” last summer so here I am looking at my awesome boys on the cover and itching to open this book and to read the first page!
I can’t wait to find out what is going to happen next!! New superheroes in town?
Well, I’m all in! =)
Let’s do this! XD
Find me on:
My Blog
September 17, 2021
Sure, T.J. Klune's
Flash Fire
is a gay superhero novel but it’s so much more, too!
It’s funny, two years ago I hadn’t heard of Klune at all, but having just read and loved his fourth book, he’s become one of my favorite authors. And even though his books may be considered “fantasy,” they have contained some of the realest, most powerful, memorable emotions I’ve seen.
Flash Fire is the sequel to last year’s The Extraordinaries . You really need to read the first book so I won’t spoil anything, but the book is about Nick, a teenager with ADHD, who has a bit of an obsession with the superheroes who protect (and sometimes traumatize) his town. He imagines what it would be like to be an Extraordinary.
But while the book does focus a bit on the Extraordinaries (and one particular one quite often), at its heart this book is about relationships. Nick and Seth are adorable; their best friends, Gibby and Jazz, are seriously kick-ass (and an adorable couple as well); and his relationship with his dad provides some of the book’s most tender and most hysterical moments. (Imagine watching porn on your phone only to discover it’s on Bluetooth—in your dad’s car.)
The book is also an important look at the relationship between police and the society they are supposed to be protecting. It touches on racial inequity and the way police officers often get a pass on their brutality and mistreatment, particularly toward and of racial minorities.
Maybe you’re thinking you don’t like superheroes, so these books might not be for you, and maybe they’re not. But if they intrigue you in the slightest, give them a try. Klune’s books tend to leave me in tears—sometimes from laughter, sometimes from the profound emotions he provokes—and to me, that’s some of the best stuff to find in books.
NetGalley and Tor Teen provided me with a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
It’s funny, two years ago I hadn’t heard of Klune at all, but having just read and loved his fourth book, he’s become one of my favorite authors. And even though his books may be considered “fantasy,” they have contained some of the realest, most powerful, memorable emotions I’ve seen.
Flash Fire is the sequel to last year’s The Extraordinaries . You really need to read the first book so I won’t spoil anything, but the book is about Nick, a teenager with ADHD, who has a bit of an obsession with the superheroes who protect (and sometimes traumatize) his town. He imagines what it would be like to be an Extraordinary.
But while the book does focus a bit on the Extraordinaries (and one particular one quite often), at its heart this book is about relationships. Nick and Seth are adorable; their best friends, Gibby and Jazz, are seriously kick-ass (and an adorable couple as well); and his relationship with his dad provides some of the book’s most tender and most hysterical moments. (Imagine watching porn on your phone only to discover it’s on Bluetooth—in your dad’s car.)
The book is also an important look at the relationship between police and the society they are supposed to be protecting. It touches on racial inequity and the way police officers often get a pass on their brutality and mistreatment, particularly toward and of racial minorities.
Maybe you’re thinking you don’t like superheroes, so these books might not be for you, and maybe they’re not. But if they intrigue you in the slightest, give them a try. Klune’s books tend to leave me in tears—sometimes from laughter, sometimes from the profound emotions he provokes—and to me, that’s some of the best stuff to find in books.
NetGalley and Tor Teen provided me with a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
August 17, 2024
Yeah, so it felt like this book was written by committee. Like someone going on an apology tour, like how every one of Neil Patrick Harris' roles post How I Met Your Mother has felt like reparations for playing Barney Stinson for a decade. We've got some real factory made content right here. Checklist prose, sterile and mute. Any attempt to start a conversation about police reform comes across more like a desperately patronizing course correction rather than anything resembling a well-researched, sensitive work of understanding. The "landlord special" paint job in literary form. All the characters who waved away and cheered on Nick’s Dad’s (whatever his name is) police brutality in the previous book all of a sudden understand the severity of his actions in this book. Yeah, sure. I don't buy it. Might as well have a disclaimer saying “please still like me people of color. I'm a good guy! I'm an ally, I promise!” I wish I didn't buy this book because every time I see it sitting there on my bookshelf I take -2 poison damage. Maybe I'll put it in one of those "Little Free Libraries" around my area. If any of this seems harsh... good. I'm this book's biggest hater. All I know is that the author opened this up to discussion by having a few opening paragraphs about the mistakes he believed he'd made in the first book, so this is just me discussing. It's fair game. And I still read T.J. Klune books anyway, so it's not like I think he's problematic or anything. Final thoughts? I didn't like this. At. All. The whole thing felt artificial to me.
July 8, 2021
4 stars
Flash Fire is the long awaited sequel to ‘The Extraordinaries which follows teenager, Nick Bell and the world of The Extraordinaries- real life superheroes who are more prevalent in Nick’s life than he ever knew.
Nick, Seth, Gibby, and Jazz are still very much a team of best friends and so much more. I love this friend group! I don’t want to spoil any of the book or the previous book, so I’ll leave the plot alone, but this found family is everything! And don’t even get me started with Nick and his dad. I love them so much!
I love the action, the family elements, the friendship, the angst, and the humor. Most of all, I love Seth and Nicky’s relationship. Sigh. They are the most adorable together. Not only are they in love, but they’re truly the best of friends.
Nick is a lot, but Seth loves all his extra and I love it so much. This series is so endearing. The twists and turns in this one were some I didn’t see coming and I can’t wait to see what Klune does in the third book after this jaw dropping ending!
Flash Fire is the long awaited sequel to ‘The Extraordinaries which follows teenager, Nick Bell and the world of The Extraordinaries- real life superheroes who are more prevalent in Nick’s life than he ever knew.
Nick, Seth, Gibby, and Jazz are still very much a team of best friends and so much more. I love this friend group! I don’t want to spoil any of the book or the previous book, so I’ll leave the plot alone, but this found family is everything! And don’t even get me started with Nick and his dad. I love them so much!
I love the action, the family elements, the friendship, the angst, and the humor. Most of all, I love Seth and Nicky’s relationship. Sigh. They are the most adorable together. Not only are they in love, but they’re truly the best of friends.
“Just . . . thank you.” Seth arched an eyebrow. “For what?” “Existing,” Nick said honestly. “For being my best friend. For being my boyfriend. For being you.”
Nick is a lot, but Seth loves all his extra and I love it so much. This series is so endearing. The twists and turns in this one were some I didn’t see coming and I can’t wait to see what Klune does in the third book after this jaw dropping ending!
September 3, 2024
I will start by saying, I LOVED IT. The gang of characters in this book have buried absurdly deep inside my lil heart, and I love that through every situation they find themselves in, the team stay so connected to each other and the depth of their friendship is completely endless.
HOWEVER, I read to escape the real world, not to experience it in the books I enjoy.... so the obvious political undertone of this whole book made me feel icky down to my core.
Just give me superheroes, the rag tag gang, Nicky's ADHD brain shenanigans, awful dad jokes, cringey sex talks, and let Seth and Nicky kiss....
I do not need or require a 5 minute monologue about police brutality or police corruption and real world issues disguised as an upset parent yelling at another parent for being a cop.
It felt weird and unimportant to the story.
Police corruption alone would have worked, but it just took it too far to a point it was strange.
I STILL LOVED IT THOUGH, THE BOOK WOULD HAVE BEEN 5 STAR IF THE POLITICS COULD HAVE TAKEN A CHILL PILL, BUT THAT ENDING WAS FUCKING EPIC.
HOWEVER, I read to escape the real world, not to experience it in the books I enjoy.... so the obvious political undertone of this whole book made me feel icky down to my core.
Just give me superheroes, the rag tag gang, Nicky's ADHD brain shenanigans, awful dad jokes, cringey sex talks, and let Seth and Nicky kiss....
I do not need or require a 5 minute monologue about police brutality or police corruption and real world issues disguised as an upset parent yelling at another parent for being a cop.
It felt weird and unimportant to the story.
Police corruption alone would have worked, but it just took it too far to a point it was strange.
I STILL LOVED IT THOUGH, THE BOOK WOULD HAVE BEEN 5 STAR IF THE POLITICS COULD HAVE TAKEN A CHILL PILL, BUT THAT ENDING WAS FUCKING EPIC.
September 11, 2024
Reread 2024: I knew what was coming, but nonetheless WHAT DID I JUST READ!? EXCUSE ME!? So ready to finally jump into Heat Wave!
WHAT DID I JUST READ!? EXCUSE ME!?
WHAT DID I JUST READ!? EXCUSE ME!?
July 13, 2021
E-ARC provided by the publisher (Tor Teen) through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All quotes used are subject to change. Thank you so much!
4.5 stars rounded up. Flash Fire not only reminded me just how much I love Nick, Seth, Jazz, Gibby, and all the inhabitants of Nova City, but also served as a compelling sequel that contained all the same elements from The Extraordinaries that I loved—witty, irreverent writing, found family, a gay best friends to lovers romance and more. Additionally, this sequel also addressed the main issue I had with it: the absence of any critique of the police system.
As I discussed in my pre-review, the primary problem I had with the first book was how it was completely washed in police propaganda; However, I did note that I was still interested in reading the sequel as a result of T.J Klune acknowledging this issue and promising to do better in Flash Fire. I am very happy to say that this book definitely takes the time to acknowledge the many problems with the police and the carceral system that first book turned a blind eye to.
Klune directly tackles one of the plot points many readers, including I, had significant issue with using grace and tact: Not only that, but also only receiving a slap of the wrist in punishment and still obtaining a promotion afterwards. Black characters call him out for this in this book and the novel makes it a point to ensure that Nick as the protagonist has to look past his hero worship of his dad and the years of viewing the police as just and good for the safety of the people around him. What’s even more important is that the conversation did not end there, and actual actionable steps are taken for characters to do better.
As for the actual content of the book, let’s start with prose. As someone who has read several of Klune’s books before, one of the aspects of his writing that I really appreciate is his mastery and understanding of tone and how it is integral to match the tone of his writing to the story he is telling. Each of book I’ve read of his vary widely in tonally; from bluntly poetic and raw in Wolfsong to heartwarming and gentle in The House in the Cerulean Sea, Klune’s prose is amazingly adaptable to whatever narrative he creates.
Flash Fire is no different. The best way I can describe this novel’s writing is downright hilarious. There’s just so much heart and wit woven into the prose of this novel that the comedy reads as natural, no matter how absurd the one-liners and jokes get. It just works and that is what I love about the writing in this book. I think it also helps that the writing is married perfectly to Nick’s voice as a protagonist, perfectly capturing his character voice and preserving despite being written in third person perspective.
Plot and pacing. In the interest of being fully honest, I’m just going to say that this book could have been about the everyday lives of Nick and Team Pyro Storm and I would have been perfectly okay with that. I’m a character reader first and foremost and this book is heavily character oriented, but that’s not to say that the plot and pacing are lacking in anyway. Flash Fire starts off a bit slow, allowing the reader to reacclimate to the world of Nova City and where the characters are at post-the ending of the first book: But like most sequel books, this book develops upon plot threads from the first books, provides nuances to them, introduces new characters and conflicts, and as such, the pace picks up. The last third of this novel in particularly was a rollercoaster of electrifying action, heartrending revelations, and climactic moments down to the very last page.
I’d be remiss not to discuss the found family trope that is very much present in this novel. It’s kind of impossible for me not to absolutely fall in love with a bunch of queer teenagers who are all interesting and complex in of themselves but form a found family with a group dynamic that is as entertaining as it is heartwarming—the quartet of Nick, Seth, Jazz, and Gibby exemplify everything I love about found family in that they are forever there for one another, bonded by bonds forged out of choice and not blood, and how they are determined to stick together despite them each acknowledging that paths do diverge but what matters is that they will be there for each other in the here and the now. As someone who very much values my friendships and found family, I saw a lot of my friends and I reflected in the four of them.
Finally, one of my absolute favorite parts of this book—to no one’s surprise, I’m sure—is the gay best friends to lover romance between Nick and Seth. I’m of the supremely unpopular opinion that friends to lovers is the premier romance trope, even more so than enemies-to-lovers, and in particular, childhood friends to lovers scratches my brain and tugs at my heartstrings in a way that is unmatched. Particularly if it’s gay. I go absolutely feral especially when it’s gay childhood friends to lovers. It’s rare for me to find a recent YA book that has this trope and Nick and Seth’s relationship provides me with unmatched serotonin. They kind of exemplify everything I love about this trope: the long-shared history, the mutual pining, the self-insert fanfiction, the fact that Seth is so openly in love with Nick and Nick is the same but dense as a rock about it? Iconic, show-stopping, never been done before.
What I particularly love about them together is the fact that Klune masterfully writes their relationship in a way that shows that their relationship isn’t perfect but also prevents them from falling into the traps of miscommunication and drawn-out arguments. Their relationship is just so soft while not being too good to be true; one of my favorite parts of this book is the frank (and oftentimes hilarious) discussion around gay sex and how to be safe during it. As this is a YA book, I think that exposing young gay teens to this discussion is incredibly important. Ultimately in many ways, Nick and Seth’s relationship is the ever-bright spot in a book that is primarily about a group of kids just trying to grow up while dealing with extraordinary circumstances and the darkness that comes along with it.
Conclusively, please go read this book when it comes out tomorrow and support T.J Klune as a m|m author writing m|m stories and romances in speculative fiction! Buy it, get it from your local library, etc because I assure you this story is 1000% worth your time! This book—and series—deserves as much love as his other books!
4.5 stars rounded up. Flash Fire not only reminded me just how much I love Nick, Seth, Jazz, Gibby, and all the inhabitants of Nova City, but also served as a compelling sequel that contained all the same elements from The Extraordinaries that I loved—witty, irreverent writing, found family, a gay best friends to lovers romance and more. Additionally, this sequel also addressed the main issue I had with it: the absence of any critique of the police system.
As I discussed in my pre-review, the primary problem I had with the first book was how it was completely washed in police propaganda; However, I did note that I was still interested in reading the sequel as a result of T.J Klune acknowledging this issue and promising to do better in Flash Fire. I am very happy to say that this book definitely takes the time to acknowledge the many problems with the police and the carceral system that first book turned a blind eye to.
Klune directly tackles one of the plot points many readers, including I, had significant issue with using grace and tact: Not only that, but also only receiving a slap of the wrist in punishment and still obtaining a promotion afterwards. Black characters call him out for this in this book and the novel makes it a point to ensure that Nick as the protagonist has to look past his hero worship of his dad and the years of viewing the police as just and good for the safety of the people around him. What’s even more important is that the conversation did not end there, and actual actionable steps are taken for characters to do better.
As for the actual content of the book, let’s start with prose. As someone who has read several of Klune’s books before, one of the aspects of his writing that I really appreciate is his mastery and understanding of tone and how it is integral to match the tone of his writing to the story he is telling. Each of book I’ve read of his vary widely in tonally; from bluntly poetic and raw in Wolfsong to heartwarming and gentle in The House in the Cerulean Sea, Klune’s prose is amazingly adaptable to whatever narrative he creates.
Flash Fire is no different. The best way I can describe this novel’s writing is downright hilarious. There’s just so much heart and wit woven into the prose of this novel that the comedy reads as natural, no matter how absurd the one-liners and jokes get. It just works and that is what I love about the writing in this book. I think it also helps that the writing is married perfectly to Nick’s voice as a protagonist, perfectly capturing his character voice and preserving despite being written in third person perspective.
Plot and pacing. In the interest of being fully honest, I’m just going to say that this book could have been about the everyday lives of Nick and Team Pyro Storm and I would have been perfectly okay with that. I’m a character reader first and foremost and this book is heavily character oriented, but that’s not to say that the plot and pacing are lacking in anyway. Flash Fire starts off a bit slow, allowing the reader to reacclimate to the world of Nova City and where the characters are at post-the ending of the first book: But like most sequel books, this book develops upon plot threads from the first books, provides nuances to them, introduces new characters and conflicts, and as such, the pace picks up. The last third of this novel in particularly was a rollercoaster of electrifying action, heartrending revelations, and climactic moments down to the very last page.
I’d be remiss not to discuss the found family trope that is very much present in this novel. It’s kind of impossible for me not to absolutely fall in love with a bunch of queer teenagers who are all interesting and complex in of themselves but form a found family with a group dynamic that is as entertaining as it is heartwarming—the quartet of Nick, Seth, Jazz, and Gibby exemplify everything I love about found family in that they are forever there for one another, bonded by bonds forged out of choice and not blood, and how they are determined to stick together despite them each acknowledging that paths do diverge but what matters is that they will be there for each other in the here and the now. As someone who very much values my friendships and found family, I saw a lot of my friends and I reflected in the four of them.
Finally, one of my absolute favorite parts of this book—to no one’s surprise, I’m sure—is the gay best friends to lover romance between Nick and Seth. I’m of the supremely unpopular opinion that friends to lovers is the premier romance trope, even more so than enemies-to-lovers, and in particular, childhood friends to lovers scratches my brain and tugs at my heartstrings in a way that is unmatched. Particularly if it’s gay. I go absolutely feral especially when it’s gay childhood friends to lovers. It’s rare for me to find a recent YA book that has this trope and Nick and Seth’s relationship provides me with unmatched serotonin. They kind of exemplify everything I love about this trope: the long-shared history, the mutual pining, the self-insert fanfiction, the fact that Seth is so openly in love with Nick and Nick is the same but dense as a rock about it? Iconic, show-stopping, never been done before.
What I particularly love about them together is the fact that Klune masterfully writes their relationship in a way that shows that their relationship isn’t perfect but also prevents them from falling into the traps of miscommunication and drawn-out arguments. Their relationship is just so soft while not being too good to be true; one of my favorite parts of this book is the frank (and oftentimes hilarious) discussion around gay sex and how to be safe during it. As this is a YA book, I think that exposing young gay teens to this discussion is incredibly important. Ultimately in many ways, Nick and Seth’s relationship is the ever-bright spot in a book that is primarily about a group of kids just trying to grow up while dealing with extraordinary circumstances and the darkness that comes along with it.
Conclusively, please go read this book when it comes out tomorrow and support T.J Klune as a m|m author writing m|m stories and romances in speculative fiction! Buy it, get it from your local library, etc because I assure you this story is 1000% worth your time! This book—and series—deserves as much love as his other books!
July 19, 2021
3.7 ⭐
Me at the beginning of the book: I'm ready to have a GREAT time and laugh until it hurts.
Bob from the future:
I liked it, but I couldn't enjoy it like the first one. 😭
This is the second book so I'll only mention the plot of the story; We follow the story of Nick, a sixteen year old guy who has a crush on Shadow star, an Extraordinary (super hero type). Nick tries to survive high school and also he is completely naive that Seth (his best friend) is in love with him. oh, and he's on a mission. Trying to become an Extraordinary.
Tj's humor and writing is not for everyone. If you are going to read this, you have to know that there are jokes and unrealistic, dramatic and exaggerated situations, but also beautiful relationships of friendship, family and an AMAZING love that you can end up having for the characters.
The things I liked:
The friendship of Seth, Gibby, Jazz and Nick is so cute.
“I love you guys,” he said quietly. “More than you know.”
“Ditto,” Seth said.
“Ditto twice,” Gibby said.
“Ditto three times,” Jazz said, and Nick laughed until he could barely breathe."
The moments between Nick and Seth as a couple are ridiculously adorable. I love them very much. yeah, this is a best friends-to-lovers trope, and I loved it.
Seth nodded, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slow. “You and me.” He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Nick’s.
“You and me,” Nick whispered to him. "Always."
The relationship between Nick and his father is crazy. There's no way one like that exists in real life, but a lot of my laughs were because of that, so I'm here for it.
-Before Nick could ask Dad dropped whatever he’d pulled from his pocket into Nick’s hand. For a second, Nick thought it was a wet wipe wrapped in plastic. Or candy. A mint to keep Nick’s breath fresh? It certainly didn’t feel like a mint. And there were… three of them? All squishy, almost wet, like it was… like it… No. No, no, no.
"Just in case,” Dad said as if he hadn’t blown Nick’s mind, and not in a good way. “I don’t know what you and Seth are going to get up to, but it’s better to be prepared. Always wrap it. They’re also lubricated. You’re welcome.”
Nick is a teenager, he is going through many things and one is the insecurity that he has about sex. I think Tj manages to handle it well.
The cliffhanger. I NEED ANSWERS!!!
The beginning. It made me laugh really hard. And I think some jokes are good...
The things i didn´t like:
But. But. not all the jokes and the situations are good. They can be a bit repetitive. And some forced. And with many circles around it.
While the subject of sex is handled, there is a LOT more going on. The secrecy of the Extraordinaries, the revelations, the villains who are puppets of a bigger villain, Gibby and Seth's personal problems, the police, Nick. 😩
I'm not going to lie, they overwhelmed me and at times it seemed messy.
Even though the book was not what I expected, I really like the characters. So I will continue with the last book.
I'm having bad luck with books. Many loved it, ignore me. *goes to hide in the corner and cries* 😔🏃♀️
Me at the beginning of the book: I'm ready to have a GREAT time and laugh until it hurts.
Bob from the future:
I liked it, but I couldn't enjoy it like the first one. 😭
This is the second book so I'll only mention the plot of the story; We follow the story of Nick, a sixteen year old guy who has a crush on Shadow star, an Extraordinary (super hero type). Nick tries to survive high school and also he is completely naive that Seth (his best friend) is in love with him. oh, and he's on a mission. Trying to become an Extraordinary.
Tj's humor and writing is not for everyone. If you are going to read this, you have to know that there are jokes and unrealistic, dramatic and exaggerated situations, but also beautiful relationships of friendship, family and an AMAZING love that you can end up having for the characters.
The things I liked:
The friendship of Seth, Gibby, Jazz and Nick is so cute.
“I love you guys,” he said quietly. “More than you know.”
“Ditto,” Seth said.
“Ditto twice,” Gibby said.
“Ditto three times,” Jazz said, and Nick laughed until he could barely breathe."
The moments between Nick and Seth as a couple are ridiculously adorable. I love them very much. yeah, this is a best friends-to-lovers trope, and I loved it.
Seth nodded, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slow. “You and me.” He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Nick’s.
“You and me,” Nick whispered to him. "Always."
The relationship between Nick and his father is crazy. There's no way one like that exists in real life, but a lot of my laughs were because of that, so I'm here for it.
-Before Nick could ask Dad dropped whatever he’d pulled from his pocket into Nick’s hand. For a second, Nick thought it was a wet wipe wrapped in plastic. Or candy. A mint to keep Nick’s breath fresh? It certainly didn’t feel like a mint. And there were… three of them? All squishy, almost wet, like it was… like it… No. No, no, no.
"Just in case,” Dad said as if he hadn’t blown Nick’s mind, and not in a good way. “I don’t know what you and Seth are going to get up to, but it’s better to be prepared. Always wrap it. They’re also lubricated. You’re welcome.”
Nick is a teenager, he is going through many things and one is the insecurity that he has about sex. I think Tj manages to handle it well.
The cliffhanger. I NEED ANSWERS!!!
The beginning. It made me laugh really hard. And I think some jokes are good...
The things i didn´t like:
But. But. not all the jokes and the situations are good. They can be a bit repetitive. And some forced. And with many circles around it.
While the subject of sex is handled, there is a LOT more going on. The secrecy of the Extraordinaries, the revelations, the villains who are puppets of a bigger villain, Gibby and Seth's personal problems, the police, Nick. 😩
I'm not going to lie, they overwhelmed me and at times it seemed messy.
Even though the book was not what I expected, I really like the characters. So I will continue with the last book.
I'm having bad luck with books. Many loved it, ignore me. *goes to hide in the corner and cries* 😔🏃♀️
December 18, 2021
4 stars
The second book in The Extraordinaries series (you must read the first book before reading this one). Nick has a superhero boyfriend and spends most of his time with his friends at school. More extraordinaries are coming out into the public eye, and public perception of them is wary.
I really enjoyed this book because of the characters and Klune’s signature funny banter between them. But after finishing and reflecting on what actually happened in the book, the plot was a little bit weak. It’s tough with a second book because it can mostly be filler for the third and I can see where everything is set up for the next one. Also Klune attempted to change the narrative regarding police brutality and the current climate, and he did a good job. An improvement over the last book for sure.
I just want to say I’m glad this author is with a publisher who finally treats him right and that after years in the industry I’m glad Klune is seeing success with traditional publishing. Yay!
The second book in The Extraordinaries series (you must read the first book before reading this one). Nick has a superhero boyfriend and spends most of his time with his friends at school. More extraordinaries are coming out into the public eye, and public perception of them is wary.
I really enjoyed this book because of the characters and Klune’s signature funny banter between them. But after finishing and reflecting on what actually happened in the book, the plot was a little bit weak. It’s tough with a second book because it can mostly be filler for the third and I can see where everything is set up for the next one. Also Klune attempted to change the narrative regarding police brutality and the current climate, and he did a good job. An improvement over the last book for sure.
I just want to say I’m glad this author is with a publisher who finally treats him right and that after years in the industry I’m glad Klune is seeing success with traditional publishing. Yay!
August 2, 2021
Audiobook: All the stars!!!
Story: 4.5
Once again, I absolutely adored another TJ Klune story. I don’t know how many times I received strange looks from my family because I was laughing like an idiot. Seriously, Nicky is the best kid. I loved him and his friends, their love for one another and their determination to make the world a better place. Of course, the bad guys were at work starting trouble and I really wanted to throat punch Rebecca Firestone. There are a few new interesting characters that are introduced.
My only minor complaint is that the story did drag a little in places, even though it was a big part of the story line. I am sure it’s a “me” thing though. There is a huge reveal at the end, not exactly a cliffy, but makes you want to read the next book, if that makes sense.
If you can grab the audiobook, it’s a special treat. Michael Lesley is phenomenal bringing each character to life with his very distinctive voices for each.
Now we wait……
Story: 4.5
Once again, I absolutely adored another TJ Klune story. I don’t know how many times I received strange looks from my family because I was laughing like an idiot. Seriously, Nicky is the best kid. I loved him and his friends, their love for one another and their determination to make the world a better place. Of course, the bad guys were at work starting trouble and I really wanted to throat punch Rebecca Firestone. There are a few new interesting characters that are introduced.
My only minor complaint is that the story did drag a little in places, even though it was a big part of the story line. I am sure it’s a “me” thing though. There is a huge reveal at the end, not exactly a cliffy, but makes you want to read the next book, if that makes sense.
If you can grab the audiobook, it’s a special treat. Michael Lesley is phenomenal bringing each character to life with his very distinctive voices for each.
Now we wait……
May 15, 2021
Brutal cliffhanger. BRUTAL
October 30, 2022
tj klune the man that you are - rtc
August 1, 2021
I also finished this one a loooong time ago.
Buddy read and gift from @Nik Nak.
So... let me start with the fact that I am a total Klunatic. I believe that TJ Klune is one of the best writers in MM romance out there right now. The way he weaves his stories, angst and humor and romance, is not easily done snd ge always wows me.
Except here.
Here he didn't wow me. Even with the one and only Michael Lesley narrating, I struggled to finish. I put it down and picked it up so many times. This in itself was a sign if things to come.
Mostly, the things that didn't work for me here was the fact that I felt like this book was all filler. Too much info and nothing really happening....
This and the POLITICS.
Now I understand the backlash of what happend whrn TJ published The Extraordinaries, because of Nick's dad and police brutality. Here, TJ is trying to compensate for his faux pas, which wasn't intentional btw, but he ended up overdoing it.
To the point that most of the book felt...preachy. sometimes, I felt as if i was reading a TED Talk.
I mean, I get the conflict and the past reviews and the hate they threw his way because of TE, but I think all of that made him write in a way that really isn't him...he was being too politically correct, too preachy, too careful...to the point where it felt like this wasn't a TJ book. The humor that was in book 1, and most of his books, was missing, save for a few moments here and there.
The plot develeopment which he certainly excels at was too weak, again because of him being too careful. Too many things going on and mostbof them aren't really important imho.
I did love the Nicky and Seth moments. They were sweet and fun.
I loved the side characters too, and how they all banded together.
I loved the fight sequence in the school as well.
As for the cliffy.... I kind of saw it a mile away. I wasn't really surprised.
I will be reading the last book in the series nonetheless, because it's TJ and I'm still intrigued to see what would happen.
PS... Micheal Lesley was still phenomenal in his performance, even if I didn't really love the book itself.
Buddy read and gift from @Nik Nak.
So... let me start with the fact that I am a total Klunatic. I believe that TJ Klune is one of the best writers in MM romance out there right now. The way he weaves his stories, angst and humor and romance, is not easily done snd ge always wows me.
Except here.
Here he didn't wow me. Even with the one and only Michael Lesley narrating, I struggled to finish. I put it down and picked it up so many times. This in itself was a sign if things to come.
Mostly, the things that didn't work for me here was the fact that I felt like this book was all filler. Too much info and nothing really happening....
This and the POLITICS.
Now I understand the backlash of what happend whrn TJ published The Extraordinaries, because of Nick's dad and police brutality. Here, TJ is trying to compensate for his faux pas, which wasn't intentional btw, but he ended up overdoing it.
To the point that most of the book felt...preachy. sometimes, I felt as if i was reading a TED Talk.
I mean, I get the conflict and the past reviews and the hate they threw his way because of TE, but I think all of that made him write in a way that really isn't him...he was being too politically correct, too preachy, too careful...to the point where it felt like this wasn't a TJ book. The humor that was in book 1, and most of his books, was missing, save for a few moments here and there.
The plot develeopment which he certainly excels at was too weak, again because of him being too careful. Too many things going on and mostbof them aren't really important imho.
I did love the Nicky and Seth moments. They were sweet and fun.
I loved the side characters too, and how they all banded together.
I loved the fight sequence in the school as well.
As for the cliffy.... I kind of saw it a mile away. I wasn't really surprised.
I will be reading the last book in the series nonetheless, because it's TJ and I'm still intrigued to see what would happen.
PS... Micheal Lesley was still phenomenal in his performance, even if I didn't really love the book itself.
September 11, 2022
3.5 Stars
As all superhero stories seem to go, especially teen ones a’la Spider-Man, the weight of responsibility is a heavy burden and often, these youngins must juggle their blooming maturity with what they’re lacking in life experience. However, blatant neverending optimism and a belief that they’re invincible, still lends a guileless sheen that we don’t get too often.
Admittedly, I struggle with YA. In my old age, the difference between myself and these fictitious characters is a very large gaping hole to cross in order to relate to the underage set, and at times it’s vexing as I shake my head in consternation or throw my hands up in disbelief at their starry eyed ideals. Like the first book, in Klune’s very capable hands, this is generously applied with humor and exaggeration that lessens the harsh blow of reality. Beware though, this second foray in the fantastical alternate universe of Nova City, often had too many lessons and political views and side commentary veiled as plot, delving too close to home and while admirable, it was a downer as I read for entertainment and escape.
Regardless, there’s fun here, lots of funny, a shit ton of heart with always earnest emotions that surround found family - all of which evoked a few tears and warm fuzzies. Don’t worry as there’s high stakes action, plenty of bad guys, and dire potential consequences. This ends on quite the shocking cliffhanger, and I won’t make the same mistake again in waiting over a year to get to the conclusion.
As all superhero stories seem to go, especially teen ones a’la Spider-Man, the weight of responsibility is a heavy burden and often, these youngins must juggle their blooming maturity with what they’re lacking in life experience. However, blatant neverending optimism and a belief that they’re invincible, still lends a guileless sheen that we don’t get too often.
Admittedly, I struggle with YA. In my old age, the difference between myself and these fictitious characters is a very large gaping hole to cross in order to relate to the underage set, and at times it’s vexing as I shake my head in consternation or throw my hands up in disbelief at their starry eyed ideals. Like the first book, in Klune’s very capable hands, this is generously applied with humor and exaggeration that lessens the harsh blow of reality. Beware though, this second foray in the fantastical alternate universe of Nova City, often had too many lessons and political views and side commentary veiled as plot, delving too close to home and while admirable, it was a downer as I read for entertainment and escape.
Regardless, there’s fun here, lots of funny, a shit ton of heart with always earnest emotions that surround found family - all of which evoked a few tears and warm fuzzies. Don’t worry as there’s high stakes action, plenty of bad guys, and dire potential consequences. This ends on quite the shocking cliffhanger, and I won’t make the same mistake again in waiting over a year to get to the conclusion.
June 13, 2022
4.5 Stars
As with most Klune-penned books, I never cease to be captivated by the storytelling or the sheer brilliance of the writing quality he dishes out. This may be on the lighter side of Klune’s recent repertoire, sure, but it’s no less impressive, blending joy, hilarity and pure entertainment with themes that engage and representation that matters.
This particular series is aimed more at younger readers, with its queer-positive teen leads, but it crosses generational lines and shouldn’t be narrowed down to a YA demographic. I’m twenty years past my teens and this still entertained me fully and read as keenly relevant to the times we live in, even with the fantastical superhero trope within.
In this sequel, newly coupled Nick and Seth, along with their slew of dedicated friends and family, are continuing to fight the good fight, secret powers and identities included, to help make Nova City a better, safer place. Making change is at the forefront of their fight against power-hungry individuals, unaccountable government officials, corrupt police and disgusting journalistic bias, which, although extreme and fantastical in its implications here, are still very much things we in RL see and deal with all the damn time in recent years.
Beyond the politics and the literal fight for their lives, Nick and Seth remain one of the cutest pairings I’ve read in the YA genre this decade. Nick is still as unfiltered as ever and hilarious for it, and Seth is perhaps even more geek-sexy than before, both finding their way as boyfriends, and dealing with a hell of a lot more in their day to day lives than most teenagers could even comprehend. But they do so well, even if there is some fumbling and awkwardness in the execution, it's the good intentions that count.
Like with book one, I loved the humour present—think of Klune’s earlier brilliant and hilarious series, like Bear, Otter, and the Kid or At First Sight, only slightly less outrageous and slightly more suitable for a younger audience (shame that, LOL). Nick is nothing if not a classic Klune archetype, following hilariously in Sam, Paul and Bear’s footsteps, as he deals with the trials and tribulations of life and love, all while being a bit “extra” and all the more wonderful for it.
At the end of the day, I enjoyed Flash Fire a great deal. If the aim of any sequel is to surpass its predecessor on all counts, this one did just that. With more action, bigger reveals, more romance, greater character development and increased emotional engagement, Flash Fire is the stronger, more satisfying of the first two books in The Extraordinaries series.
I have no doubt book three (Heat Wave) will take this series to even newer and grander heights, and I can’t wait to see how it's done!
As with most Klune-penned books, I never cease to be captivated by the storytelling or the sheer brilliance of the writing quality he dishes out. This may be on the lighter side of Klune’s recent repertoire, sure, but it’s no less impressive, blending joy, hilarity and pure entertainment with themes that engage and representation that matters.
This particular series is aimed more at younger readers, with its queer-positive teen leads, but it crosses generational lines and shouldn’t be narrowed down to a YA demographic. I’m twenty years past my teens and this still entertained me fully and read as keenly relevant to the times we live in, even with the fantastical superhero trope within.
In this sequel, newly coupled Nick and Seth, along with their slew of dedicated friends and family, are continuing to fight the good fight, secret powers and identities included, to help make Nova City a better, safer place. Making change is at the forefront of their fight against power-hungry individuals, unaccountable government officials, corrupt police and disgusting journalistic bias, which, although extreme and fantastical in its implications here, are still very much things we in RL see and deal with all the damn time in recent years.
Beyond the politics and the literal fight for their lives, Nick and Seth remain one of the cutest pairings I’ve read in the YA genre this decade. Nick is still as unfiltered as ever and hilarious for it, and Seth is perhaps even more geek-sexy than before, both finding their way as boyfriends, and dealing with a hell of a lot more in their day to day lives than most teenagers could even comprehend. But they do so well, even if there is some fumbling and awkwardness in the execution, it's the good intentions that count.
Like with book one, I loved the humour present—think of Klune’s earlier brilliant and hilarious series, like Bear, Otter, and the Kid or At First Sight, only slightly less outrageous and slightly more suitable for a younger audience (shame that, LOL). Nick is nothing if not a classic Klune archetype, following hilariously in Sam, Paul and Bear’s footsteps, as he deals with the trials and tribulations of life and love, all while being a bit “extra” and all the more wonderful for it.
At the end of the day, I enjoyed Flash Fire a great deal. If the aim of any sequel is to surpass its predecessor on all counts, this one did just that. With more action, bigger reveals, more romance, greater character development and increased emotional engagement, Flash Fire is the stronger, more satisfying of the first two books in The Extraordinaries series.
I have no doubt book three (Heat Wave) will take this series to even newer and grander heights, and I can’t wait to see how it's done!
zzzz
November 10, 2022...with new heroes arriving in Nova City it’s up to Nick and his friends to determine who is virtuous and who is villainous. Which is a lot to handle for a guy who just wants to finish his self-insert bakery AU fanfic.
i'm so ready
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August 23, 2021
Repito o que disse no primeiro livro : Queria ter lido um livro desses na minha adolescência!. É histórias assim que Netflix e outros streaming precisam em sua programação. Um nível de representatividade que deixa qualquer jovem queer feliz, não sou mais adolescente e me sinto super feliz por ler histórias assim! Me sinto feliz pela juventude de hoje em dia que têm escritores como tj klune para escrever livros maravilhosos assim. Extraordinários e flashfire foi minha leitura do fim de semana, declaro que foram horas muito bem gastas lendo esses livros de jovens queer, heróis queer. Pensei que o livro 2 não seria tão engraçado como o 1, não devo subestimar Nicholas bell 😂 Nick é um dos personagens mais engraçados que conheci, suas falas são perfeitas para um show de comédia, ri tanto como no primeiro. Cada personagem desse livro é especial.. Nick, Seth, Gibby, Jazz, Aaron, Martha, Bob, Clap. Claro, tem personagens que deu vontade de assassinar, nem preciso dizer quem. Vc ama personagens e vc odeia personagens, faz parte da leitura de um bom livro onde comédia, drama, vilões e heróis são bem balanceados. O romance de Seth e Nick é a coisa mais fofa, vontade de guardá-los num potinho e livrá-los de todo mal. Gibby e jazz tbm são maravilhosas, temos representatividade para todos os lados. Colocar um extraordinario drag queen foi muito inteligente, Miss conduct arrasou e chegou chegando! O segundo livro foi tão bom como o primeiro... Sinto que faço parte do esquadrão Pyrostorm! AVANTE MEUS HERÓIS!!! Só preciso de explicações para entender como que TK é na verdade quem ninguém imaginou que seria. Já tinha achado estranho uma pessoa com poder de telecinese não conseguir se desviar de um tiro, queria explicações para isso, por que ela fingiu à própria morte? Vamos descobrir no próximo livro. Foi ótimo acompanhar mais um livro maravilhoso de Tj klune 😘
July 26, 2021
Buddy read with my dear Ashley!
ahhh this was just as good as book #1, if not better! it spoke more about the topic of police brutality and corrupt cops, and action was taken, which was really good to see. it was also just as hilarious, uplifting and crazy as the previous book in the series, which sends the entertainment value sky-high! don't even get me started on the second-hand embarrassment... i laughed out loud multiple times, while also openly cringing. that's the power of TJ Klune!
and, of course, it was super gay, which was freaking wonderful. Seth and Nick are the cutest babies ever, and i love every single character with all my heart and soul.
brilliant! i can't wait for book 3, because dang, what the hell was that cliffhanger. honestly, from here on out i might have to stop myself from reading the post-acknowledgements scene in any TJ Klune book until the next book in the series is out, because they always cause such pain!
ahhh this was just as good as book #1, if not better! it spoke more about the topic of police brutality and corrupt cops, and action was taken, which was really good to see. it was also just as hilarious, uplifting and crazy as the previous book in the series, which sends the entertainment value sky-high! don't even get me started on the second-hand embarrassment... i laughed out loud multiple times, while also openly cringing. that's the power of TJ Klune!
and, of course, it was super gay, which was freaking wonderful. Seth and Nick are the cutest babies ever, and i love every single character with all my heart and soul.
brilliant! i can't wait for book 3, because dang, what the hell was that cliffhanger. honestly, from here on out i might have to stop myself from reading the post-acknowledgements scene in any TJ Klune book until the next book in the series is out, because they always cause such pain!
September 23, 2023
4.75 stars ...
It's a shame people can't enjoy a book strictly for it's entertainment value. 😒 Not everything has to be turned into a social commentary pushing your personal agenda. 🤨 Just one reason I pretty much no longer read reviews. 🙄 Please ... just read this trilogy for it's completely balls-to-the-wall, FICTIONAL, delicious entertainment!
#KlassicKlune! 😉
That is all.
*mic 🎤 drop*
It's a shame people can't enjoy a book strictly for it's entertainment value. 😒 Not everything has to be turned into a social commentary pushing your personal agenda. 🤨 Just one reason I pretty much no longer read reviews. 🙄 Please ... just read this trilogy for it's completely balls-to-the-wall, FICTIONAL, delicious entertainment!
#KlassicKlune! 😉
That is all.
*mic 🎤 drop*
July 24, 2021
!!!THE 1 STAR IS FOR THE PUBLISHING HOUSE AND NOT FOR TJ KLUNE!!!
Possible spoilers...!
No just no...! This is a paranormal YA book! Not a political platform for you to play the politically correct card! Aaron Bell was/is a good man! Just because his grief get a hold on him for like 10 seconds (and who wouldn't do the same if he/she would be in the same position) that doesn't make him the bad guy! And suddenly Gabby's parents are what...?! Woke up and realized that their daughter friend's, of years and years, father is cop and that must make him the bad guy?!
And making Nicky doubt the only adult person in his life, who he love unconditionally, who makes anything to protect his kid...just for some readers who is to coward to act in real life and must ruin a good book...! Get over yourself! Fantasy book are fantasy … so we should cancel it now?! What about enemies to lovers genre, or romance with police MC's in an interracial relationship?! What the actual hell!!! Outrageous!!!
I'm so disappointed! Aaron is a good man! Yes police brutality in U.S. is real, and my heart goes out for the injustice! This wasn't the platform to make a statement.
And also who ever been a parent will know, with no question asked, that their would do anything, ANYTHING, to protect their child, laws be damned!
Shame on you readers who did this! Shame on you! Get off your chairs and do something instead to go after someone who brings couple of hours of joy in our already stressed lives!
Message to the publishing house: Klune has a big big fan base, don't let it go to waste and let the bullies win! It's a fiction, not a story based on real life! Do better next time!
Possible spoilers...!
No just no...! This is a paranormal YA book! Not a political platform for you to play the politically correct card! Aaron Bell was/is a good man! Just because his grief get a hold on him for like 10 seconds (and who wouldn't do the same if he/she would be in the same position) that doesn't make him the bad guy! And suddenly Gabby's parents are what...?! Woke up and realized that their daughter friend's, of years and years, father is cop and that must make him the bad guy?!
And making Nicky doubt the only adult person in his life, who he love unconditionally, who makes anything to protect his kid...just for some readers who is to coward to act in real life and must ruin a good book...! Get over yourself! Fantasy book are fantasy … so we should cancel it now?! What about enemies to lovers genre, or romance with police MC's in an interracial relationship?! What the actual hell!!! Outrageous!!!
I'm so disappointed! Aaron is a good man! Yes police brutality in U.S. is real, and my heart goes out for the injustice! This wasn't the platform to make a statement.
And also who ever been a parent will know, with no question asked, that their would do anything, ANYTHING, to protect their child, laws be damned!
Shame on you readers who did this! Shame on you! Get off your chairs and do something instead to go after someone who brings couple of hours of joy in our already stressed lives!
Message to the publishing house: Klune has a big big fan base, don't let it go to waste and let the bullies win! It's a fiction, not a story based on real life! Do better next time!
July 13, 2021
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
4.5 It doesn't get much tougher to follow than "The Extraordinaries"' - an uproariously funny, unique and captivating story about a queer neurodiverse kid finding ordinary ways to be extraordinary.
"Flash Fire" delivers the expected laughs, cuteness overload, best friends-to-lovers excellence, scream worthy second hand embarrassment for the absolute treasure that is one Nicky Bell that makes me read from behind my fingers.
Heavy on family feels, both the kind you're born into and the kind you make for yourself, I will alwas be a sucker for a pack of queer kids trying to find their place in the world and make it just a little bit better along the way.
I also really liked the fact this book didn't shy away from important conversations. In fact, we ended up diving deeper into Nick's dad's job as a police officer, and the issues that often go ignored. I've been having an icreasingly harder time lately reading books that blatantly ignore the problems inherent to the Police and go on as if things don't need to be addressed or called attention to. This book did a great job of having some of those conversations in ways that still fit perfectly with the story.
In this sequel we encounter forces that want to push back against Extraordinaries, from wanting to control them for their own nefarious purposes to wanting to 'cure' them. A narrative queer people have been fighting against for far too long, and I can't put it much better than Gibby:
"We’re here, we're queer, and you better get used to it."
4.5 It doesn't get much tougher to follow than "The Extraordinaries"' - an uproariously funny, unique and captivating story about a queer neurodiverse kid finding ordinary ways to be extraordinary.
"Flash Fire" delivers the expected laughs, cuteness overload, best friends-to-lovers excellence, scream worthy second hand embarrassment for the absolute treasure that is one Nicky Bell that makes me read from behind my fingers.
Heavy on family feels, both the kind you're born into and the kind you make for yourself, I will alwas be a sucker for a pack of queer kids trying to find their place in the world and make it just a little bit better along the way.
I also really liked the fact this book didn't shy away from important conversations. In fact, we ended up diving deeper into Nick's dad's job as a police officer, and the issues that often go ignored. I've been having an icreasingly harder time lately reading books that blatantly ignore the problems inherent to the Police and go on as if things don't need to be addressed or called attention to. This book did a great job of having some of those conversations in ways that still fit perfectly with the story.
In this sequel we encounter forces that want to push back against Extraordinaries, from wanting to control them for their own nefarious purposes to wanting to 'cure' them. A narrative queer people have been fighting against for far too long, and I can't put it much better than Gibby:
"We’re here, we're queer, and you better get used to it."
May 12, 2021
4.5 Stars
Flash Fire, the sequel that my heart wanted and needed. I needed something that made me laugh, and Klune did not disappoint.
If you have not read the first book, The Extraordinaries, then go read that first. Then come back and check out this review. Now let’s get to the actual review and my constant fangirling.
The characters are still endearing as ever, especially Nick. His chaotic self was just as amazing as I remember. His relationship with Seth (ABOUT TIME) is by far my favorite part of this entire series. They are just utterly adorable. The rest of the gang got more page time, and I loved that. It’s about time we get more Gibby and Jazz.
I appreciate that Klune included a lot of sex positivity and safe sex talks. While the sex talk scenes were a bit embarrassing, and by a bit, I mean a lot. I still loved that they were included. Leave it to TJ Klune to give me some second-hand embarrassment within the first 15 pages. I swear my cheeks are still red.
Now let’s talk about that big issue from book one. I was really nervous about how Klune would address the police plotline. For reference, Aaron (Nick’s dad) assaulted a man in custody. While I can’t say that I am 100% happy with how it turned out. I am happy that there were several discussions on why it was wrong. Both from Aaron and Nick. The biggest reason why I was unhappy about it, it felt like most of the responsibility fell onto Gibby and her parents to explain things. But I did appreciate the many conversations that the characters had. I do hope going forward this continues to be a topic in the book.
Thank you to Netgalley & Tor Teen for letting me read one of my most anticipated reads!
Flash Fire, the sequel that my heart wanted and needed. I needed something that made me laugh, and Klune did not disappoint.
If you have not read the first book, The Extraordinaries, then go read that first. Then come back and check out this review. Now let’s get to the actual review and my constant fangirling.
The characters are still endearing as ever, especially Nick. His chaotic self was just as amazing as I remember. His relationship with Seth (ABOUT TIME) is by far my favorite part of this entire series. They are just utterly adorable. The rest of the gang got more page time, and I loved that. It’s about time we get more Gibby and Jazz.
I appreciate that Klune included a lot of sex positivity and safe sex talks. While the sex talk scenes were a bit embarrassing, and by a bit, I mean a lot. I still loved that they were included. Leave it to TJ Klune to give me some second-hand embarrassment within the first 15 pages. I swear my cheeks are still red.
Now let’s talk about that big issue from book one. I was really nervous about how Klune would address the police plotline. For reference, Aaron (Nick’s dad) assaulted a man in custody. While I can’t say that I am 100% happy with how it turned out. I am happy that there were several discussions on why it was wrong. Both from Aaron and Nick. The biggest reason why I was unhappy about it, it felt like most of the responsibility fell onto Gibby and her parents to explain things. But I did appreciate the many conversations that the characters had. I do hope going forward this continues to be a topic in the book.
Thank you to Netgalley & Tor Teen for letting me read one of my most anticipated reads!
May 12, 2021
4.5 stars.
Well, shit.
I was expecting a lot of things to happen (some of which did) but I was not expecting that!!!
I need the next book 😭
Well, shit.
I was expecting a lot of things to happen (some of which did) but I was not expecting that!!!
I need the next book 😭
July 23, 2023
Look. I have a good father already, but can I just have another dad like nick's??!
Plus, The amount of time I laughed/cringed at his sex jokes is out of my counts😂😂
Plus, The amount of time I laughed/cringed at his sex jokes is out of my counts😂😂
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