**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own**

First, let me say that I love the cover art. It involves this feeling of youthful innocence and really illustrates both Nick and Seth without spoiling the story.

Anywho, I LOVED this story. I honestly wish I would have read it sooner. 😍 Seriously! It gave me all types of feels from laughing to crying to a few years. What more could I want in a story? I know, a ton of loveable characters with the best dang personalities ever! I mean I legit wish they were real so I could hang out with them. Yes, this story features some memorable Queer characters and I'm sure there will be some people who aren't into stories featuring Queer characters, but man oh man are they missing out because Klune did an amazing job of making all of these characters relatable. It is a nerd-filled, humorous coming of age story that just blends everything together so well. I didn't want to stop reading it. I also love that it ended on a cliffhanger, and I'll definitely buy a sequel if there is one.

I quite enjoyed this book. It is not in the genre of YA I normally enjoy and at times it felt like I was reading fanfiction, not just reading about someone who writes fanfiction. For some, this may be a draw, not so much for me. I did find Nick endearing as a character if a little flat. I found the dialog to be a bit awkward, as everyone had the same tone and sense of humor, but it was still fun. The "big twist" wasn't really a twist at all as it was obvious basically the whole book, but I think this was on purpose to show Nick's obliviousness.

I really enjoyed this book! After briefly reading the synopsis, and knowing that TJ Klune is such a loved author, I thought I'd give this book a shot! I thought it would be a bit like The Fascinators, which I really liked, so I didn't try to find out much information about the book to begin with.

So, I was a bit taken aback by the concept when I read the first few chapters. Superheros, called Extraaordinaires, are a rare but not unheard of occurrence in this world. Nick, a gay teenager with ADHD, is obsessed with the main superhero in his city, Shadow Star. He writes fanfiction about him and dreams of being a superhero, too.

This concept alone had me a little worried in the beginning. Superhero stories can sometimes come off a bit childish and silly. But it seems like TJ Klune knew that. The story is silly and fun, but there are also many heartwarming moments. The dialogue was perfection and seemed to be taken right out of a movie. Everything played out in my head like a film, and I think it was a great ode to superhero films, the silliness of a teenage superhero, and it didn't take itself too seriously. There were times when I guessed something would happen that was a bit predictable, but there were also plot twists that I did not see coming, especially at the end. Whenever I thought the book was getting a bit simple or cliched, something happened that made me take it all back. It really pleasantly surprised me.

I think what made me the happiest was the ADHD representation. This is an #ownvoices story, as TJ Klune has ADHD himself, and I think this is the first novel I've read with the main character with ADHD besides Percy Jackson. It was really interesting and probably very close to TJ Klune's own experiences. Not only that, but the main love interest, Seth, and also Nick's best friend is bisexual and also a complete nerd. He wears sweater vests and bow ties and he's thoughtful and sweet and a big fucking nerd. It was refreshing to see a bisexual who wasn't stereotypically badass, fearless, or sexually-confident. He's just a nerd.

Anyways, I really enjoyed this book. I didn't realize this would be part of a series but I'm excited!

First of all I absolutely love Nicks relationship with his dad. A lot of YA mentions the parents and then you never see them again or they’re completely oblivious and Nick’s dad definitely broke the mold! I also loved the fan fiction of Nicks crush the Superhero of Nova City Shadow Star. I liked that Nick ADHD was present throughout the book always there which is what made Nick feel so real. Seth was the cutest I loved Nicks descriptions of his outfits everyday! Gibby and Jazz were so badass and I love both of them!The plot twists left me speechless! The only thing I disliked about this is I have to wait for a sequel!

I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. This was a fun adventure story set in a world where super heroes or extraordinaries really exist. In this world comic books and popular comic book heroes also exist was fun. At some points the story felt exaggerated but that kind of fits the comic book style of the story. The characters were likeable but definitely flawed and the narrator at times was hard to follow. The main character nick has a huge crush on his favorite extraordinary, shadow star. Nick is struggling with his ADHD and feels he is disappointing his father so he decides to become an extraordinary and chaos ensues. This is a fun story and I recommend it for a lighter distraction!

I felt this was just average, probably on the lower side of enjoyment for me and I most likely won't continue the series.

This was lacking world building, there was some stuff there but it wasn't well set out from the beginning so it was difficult to fully grasp the world.

The characters felt very much the same-same to me and I didn't feel a connection to them.

I felt like the story could have ended a lot sooner, there were a few "battle" scenes towards the end - ok about three - and after the first two I felt the story would have ended a lot better. There was the potential for a good cliff hanger but instead it was a story that ended and no real continuation onto the next one in the series.

Perhaps this wasn't for me, but it really should've been based on the synopsis and genre

As an avid reader of fanfiction, it’s nice to see its appearance in mainstream fiction. We follow a boy named Nick, who deals with ADHD and being not extraordinary. He writes fanfiction about his favorite superhero, Shadow Star. I loved this concept of superheroes and villains being reversed roles. We see that here, the lines of what we deem good and bad are blurred. I also loved Nick’s best friend, Seth. The pining and overall tension is amazing. The characters deal with realistic problems which make them more relatable. I loved this book! Superheroes, pining, angst, fluff, lgbtq, and more!

This book was everything I needed. A mix of humor, coming of age and superheroes. These characters had me laughing and I thoroughly enjoyed the relationship between father and son here. I found myself excited for their conversations and really appreciated that bond building. As someone who used to read a lot of fan fiction- I loved reading the fanfic scenes throughout the book and how the writing style changed to match a teenager and how they would write, it made everything so much more real. 10/10 would recommend.

What an amazing story. The whole idea that the novel centers around characters who AREN'T superheroes?! What a great concept. The characters are dynamic and relatable. All the plot points were great to read. I recommend this book to everyone who loves an underdog.

Full disclosure: I have been a loyal fan of TJ Klune for a good number of years and have rarely been disappointed by his adult novels, so this review might be a bit biased as a fan.

This book was a hilarious yet tender-hearted adventure that, I felt, explored what it means to be neuro-diverse within a landscape that has Extraordinaries, aka superheroes and supervillains. Our main character Nick has ADHD and is also dealing with the grief and mourning that comes from losing a parent unexpectedly, so there is an emotional thread of Nick feeling like his disorder makes him a screwup and puts him into deep trouble despite his good intentions (which is bananas, but it's a spiraling way of thinking many people especially teens can fall into). This is why he decides to become an Extraordinary himself and prove himself a hero, the opposite of a screwup (... how exactly, Nick has not figured out, but that's where the hilarity ensues).

I don't think there was anything too surprising in the plot, honestly, but TJ Klune's writing style felt fresh and different from what I've read in YA recently. I didn't care much for the plot itself but was compelled to follow Nick in his superhero quest and discover more about him and the colorful and lovely people who fill his life, support him, and even call him out when he is wrong. And there are enough loose ends left unresolved that we can expect a sequel.

The humor is quite over the top and there are many moments of paragraphs of text dedicated to introspection which I was mostly fine with, but I wish both of the humor and introspection was cut back just a little, especially when the humor did distract from the tension of an action scene or the introspection, especially towards the end, made me want to jump those paragraphs to get to more action-oriented scenes. But those are my main points of criticism.

Another point I found hilarious was a couple of chapters of Nick's Extraordinary fanfic with his self-inserted character! Those chapters read so authentically as self-fulfillment fanfic written by a 16-year-old, it gave me flashbacks to my own fanfic writing attempts at that age and made me smile. The best part is the fanfic was not such a big device used in this novel, the fanfic snipped that we did read was few and struck me as the right amount.

I can't wait to see how teens react to this novel. Good luck, Mr. Klune. I can't wait to see how this series continues.

“The Extraordinaries” is the second book by TJ Klune to be released this year under Tor Books, specifically Tor Teen. Because of the COVID19 pandemic however, release has been moved back from May to 14 July 2020. Many thanks to Net Galley for the eARC. I will post my full review in July, but I will say that I enjoyed this YA book about a teen with ADHD who wants to be a superhero, and how his father and his friends support him. I laughed, and I cried, and I learned something new.

First of all, thank you so much to Tor Teen for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have actually never read a TJ Klune book, but when I read the synopsis of this, I knew I needed to read it. This was a fun, very specifically humorous book. As someone who is often looking for a light read (because let's be honest, right now is not the best time for dark reads) this was exactly what I needed!

When Nick, a superhero fan fiction writer, has a chance encounter with Shadow Star, kind of just the coolest superhero from Nova City, Nick is on the hunt to become extraordinary (hey, the title!). Nick's best friend (and love interest) Seth Gray beta reads all of his fan fic (hey, actual publishing terms, yay!). With his mother recently killed in a back robbery and a struggling relationship between he and his cop father, Nick' story starts out a bit rough.

This story kind of has everything. We have a lesbian couple, we have superheroes, great representation with Nick also having ADHD, grief, and just generally well-rounded, non-stereotypical characters. I personally haven't read Fangirl, but I have read the Renegades trilogy (twice) and basically anything comped to it I am IN LOVE WITH.

And now I'm off to read more of Klune's work, because YES! I also plan on listening to the audiobook, because I think this book would be an awesome audiobook and movie!

My only criticism is that this book ended too soon. The ending was beyond spectacular, by the way. The epilogue was super intriguing. 

I have read a lot of books where the protagonist has a disability, such as ADHD. Often times, the way the character thinks and acts does not reflect the aforementioned disability. I am relieved to tell you this book not only accurately portrays being a queer teen with a disability (I have some experience there), but it portrays it so so so well. I absolutely adore Nick. His quirkiness is endearing.

And the romance is absolutely precious. It wasn't weird or gross or teenager-y in a negative way. It was utterly perfect and so so sweet, my heart is crying tears of joy. I can already see a huge fanbase of shippers for this book (not going to spoil the names of who is in the ship!).

I honestly laughed a lot during this book. It's so sweet and fun that I couldn't help it. While this book isn't a comedy or anything, it's written so lightheartedly that I never stopped smiling. Except during that plot twist of betrayal. No spoilers though!

The creativity is beyond words. Every three pages I was like WAIT WHAT OMG YES QUEEN because the plot never got stale. The book is brilliantly crafted and I can already tell the next two books will be best sellers. They don't release for a couple of years, TJ Klune please leak your own books early. Thank you in advance.

I can't find the words to say enough good things about this book. It's simply brilliant. I just love it so freaking much. If you don't read this the second you can, you are officially a fool.

T.J Klune is one of the only writers that succeeds in making me laugh out loud. This book was amusing and heartfelt and important. It was like slipping on a pair of comfortable shoes not having read a T.J book in a while (a couple months max) This is an all star YA debut.

I've been a fan of TJ Klune for awhile now and was really excited to see that he was writing a YA book. He is great at writing interesting LGBTQ books that are equally funny and emotional - which is shown in this book. I loved the twist on a superhero story that focuses on a fanboy. The relationships in this book are great and realistic, especially between Nick and his father. This is one I'll definitely purchase for my library and recommend to readers.

This book sent me on an emotional rollercoaster. I connected deeply enough with the character that I could feel exactly what he was feeling most of the time. He seemed so real and true that I anticipated his feelings and felt them along with him. This book was so heartfelt, wholesome and well-written. It was much more than just a romance. It was a superhero film as a book with a little bit of teenage drama thrown in for good measure. I would recommend it to everyone who enjoys superheroes and has felt different from other people. Because in this book, being neurodiverse makes you a superhero. Looking forward to the second book.

Alright. Let me start this review with admitting that I am 100% in love with this cover. It's absolutely gorgeous and whoever made it deserves a raise.

Now on to the book itself. Holy shit, I loved it to pieces. Hilarious, outlandish, entertaining, and everything I wanted it to be. Ever want a crossover with Marvel and Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl? Well, your dreams have come true. We got it. And to make it even better, it was hella queer. With ADHD rep. Easily one of my favorite reads this year.

I'm already fighting off a reread.

If you take the plot of The Amazing Spider-man films, the tone of Spider-Man Homecoming, the irony of Miraculous Ladybug, and then make it all gay, you will have a pretty good idea of what to expect from The Extraordinaries by T.J. Klune!

(I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!)

As someone who has never read a T.J. Klune book before, I honestly went into this book with no expectations. As a fanfiction lover myself and a fan of dramatic irony and superheroes, I knew this could be the kind of book I would love. And, although for half of the book I honestly wasn't sure how to feel about what I was reading, I'm pleased to say that I was ultimately won over by this fun, enthusiastic, and cute story. I've gone back and forth on the rating since finishing this book yesterday. While I enjoyed myself reading it, I think there were also a number of weaknesses that almost made this book feel like a fanfiction written by its protagonist at times. I settled on 4 stars because I think that ultimately, it comes together in a satisfying way, and there are great twists and turns that made me boost my rating, but I did have a few more problems with this book that I normally have with my 4 star reads.

I'm going to start with those issues before I get into the stuff I really liked. Despite Klune being the author of a great number of books, I found a lot of issues in this book that I would expect from less experienced writers. For instance, the characters all fit into "types" so clearly that I started being able to predict all of their words and actions (especially Nick, Jazz, and Owen). A lot of the dialogue in this book is completely unrealistic as well. It felt kind of like Klune wrote a dialogue draft of what he generally wanted the character's dialogue to accomplish, but he forgot to go back in and replace the drafted dialogue with things that don't feel like the script for a TV sitcom. For evidence of this, look no further than the melodramatic cafeteria scene on the first day of school. Also, Nick is kind of unbelievable as a character. And by that, I mean UNBELIEVABLY oblivious. I love a "cute idiot" protagonist as much as the next girl, but I have to draw the line at some point, and Nick far crosses the line of believable obliviousness. No boy who writes self-insert fanfiction would miss THAT many context clues that his best friend has feelings for him, it's simply not realistic. Especially when every. single. character. in the book drops hints to him repeatedly. I also think it undermines Nick's character a little bit--since he spends a lot of the book trying to convince people that he is smart and deserves to be taken seriously.

Lastly, it made me a little uncomfortable that Gibby is called "dyke" twice in this book by an author who is not a lesbian woman. I know that this is a term that some people are trying to reclaim, but I just don't know if we're there yet, and the scene where Owen casually calls Gibby that in conversation and no one raises an eyebrow at it doesn't sit right with me. I know Klune's heart is in the right place and it's awesome to see the mlm/wlw solidarity in this book, but I just think the book could do without questionable language like this.

As for things I liked: this book is HILARIOUS. I laughed out loud a number of times and screamed from secondhand embarrassment for Nick. The fanfiction parts are especially funny because, as a fic writer, I know that T.J. Klune KNOWS fanfiction. The author's notes, the ridiculous fic lengths, the apologies for late updates and the quality of the fic itself were all perfect. I think the sweet romance between Seth and Nick is one of the absolute highlights of the novel, but the relationship between Nick and his dad was also really special. The supporting characters are mostly cliché, but in a fun and readable way at least. I especially love how this book distracts you so much with the obvious foreshadowing that it's able to sneak some subtle foreshadowing past you without you paying it any mind. I audibly gasped in surprise while reading this book, which is saying something.

All in all, I can tell that I liked a lot because I am still thinking about it over 24 hours later, wishing I could pick it back up and keep reading more. SEQUEL WHEN?!

This was such a fun read! Nick's ADHD makes it hard for him to stay focused, which makes it hard for him to see what's right in front of him sometimes. He's so busy pining after the Extraordinary (real-life local superhero) of his fan-fic dreams that he can't see the nefarious plot that is putting the people he loves in danger. There were times when his cluelessness is almost too hard to believe, and there's a little bit of repetitious language that probably won't make it to the final round of edits, but overall this is an enjoyable start to what is sure to be a really fun series or duology.

This is the nostalgic and wholesome LGBTQ+ book of DREAMS! The callout to fanfiction and fandoms nestled so deeply in my soul right from the start. The two main characters?? Their begrudging friendship?? THEIR LOVE. This book is a warm hug wrapped up in forehead kiss. I laughed out loud a few times and hugged the book to my chest near the end.

I really wish I had read something this heartfelt and genuine when I was younger, but I'm so glad I have stumbled onto it now.