Heat Wave was an excellent end to the Extraordinaries trilogy. If you have liked the series so far, you'll like this conclusion. All of Nick's chaotic energy is back. Aaron Bell outdoes himself as the embarrassing/caring dad. All of the characters are just phenomenal. It's a comic book/fanfic in prose form. Because I am familiar with more of Klune's work, I know this vibe is a choice and so I forgive a lot, like some of the in-your-face-social commentary, the chaotic dialogue, and the outrageous plot. The beginning of this one does drag quite a bit, but once we get past the set-up, things move really quickly. I also love the cheesy epilogue. Finally, the Dad Squad is goals!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you're thinking of starting The Extraordinaries series here, the first thing I'd say is "Hey, come on. Don't to that. This is the finale to a trilogy, what do you think you're doing? Just start with book one, already." The next thing I'd say is that you can't go wrong with TJ Klune.

I'm sad it took me so long to come across his work. Under the Whispering Door is one of the best books I read in 2021; it made me laugh, cry, frequently cry-laugh, and I'll move on to House in the Cerulean Sea as soon as I can. The tone definitely differs between his YA Extraordinaries series and Under the Whispering Door, but in a way that I think most people would probably see coming. There's obviously going to be more focus on coming-of-age issues, and I think this book handles those topics well. It was refreshing to see the honest and open conversations about sex, consent, and understanding (complete with all the devastating Dad jokes from Nick's father taking every opportunity he can to be embarrassingly supportive).

While Heat Wave did not reach quite the same emotional highs as Under the Whispering Door, it is solid end to this trilogy. If you enjoyed any of his adult fiction, why not give The Extraordinaries a chance?

I am a puddle of emotion. I love Klune's writing, always. I love his characters and their tenderness. I love the growth they all go through. Nicky is just *chef's kiss* and I love the way this series ended. I will 100% buy copies of this series for my classroom library. So freaking good. Nicky, YES.

Heat Wave is the final book in TJ Klune’s Extraordinaries trilogy so not the best place to start to the story! All our previously established characters return to face a new challenge or two although the story proper does take a while to get moving this time. Once it does there are not a lot of surprises in terms of character and plot development however it’s good to see the team working together well toward a common goal.

This should appeal to readers who enjoyed the first two books and Nicky’s particular voice as this is very much still his story. Fans and completists will likely be pleased to see the tale finally conclude with most loose ends wrapped up and a positive glimpse of our heroes future.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC opportunity.

I think the conclusion to this trilogy was satisfactory. I do think the pacing dragged, and despite the sexual content the character read much younger than they were. Still, I think this series will appeal enormously to the younger queer teens, who I think will really connect with the humor and hijinks.

First and foremost: a HUGE thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for an advance egalley of this book! 🧡

That said, my personal experience reading ‘Heat Wave’? Hate to Love—with the former applying to the literal first HALF of the book. And I (once completing the entirety of the story) interpret this as an issue of pacing. It is not about the characters! I still love the disaster squad that is Lighthouse—the absolutely chaotic yet adorable and laugh-out-loud hilarious found/chosen family Nova City cannot survive without.

But even loving these characters and their world, it took a ridiculous number of false starts before I conquered my confusion and frustration with all that was seemingly not happening in that first half (and all the consequent questions reeling through my brain) and reached the second half of the story—at which point I felt kind of like an avalanche tumbling down a mountain devouring everything in its path. It was very much like stumbling around in the dark only to have someone finally turn the light on, realize what a mess you are standing in and frantically scrambling to clean it all. (Sorry for all the flowery metaphors! I am trying super hard not to be spoilery.)

That all said, and again, because I love these characters and their world, I quite enjoyed the second half of the book and all the crazy action-packed shenanigans. And I loved all the little twists and surprises TJ incorporated into the drama, adding that element of unpredictability that kept me on my toes and fully engaged through to the end.

And last, but not least, I adored the continued diversity and representation included throughout! Along with the ongoing and serious discussion regarding the (often corrupt) role of money in politics and policing and the growing divide in society born of not simply differing opinions, but fear of those who are different and a desperate desire for control.

All together I definitely still enjoyed and recommend ‘Heat Wave’—especially given its place as the conclusion of a fun and current, relevant YA trilogy. I just cannot give it all the stars as the pacing (for me) proved such a blatant and bothersome miss… 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Klune draws the epic Extraordinaries trilogy to a close with a bang as Nicky & Co. face threats from the present and the not so distant past.

Picking up immediately after the events of Flash Fire, Nicky finds himself in a new reality, But something is amiss, and he can’t quite remember why he feels this way.

One thing remains the same, however —Seth is super hot, Jazz is terrifying, Gibby is the brains of the operation, and there’s tons of “Nicky, no!” and “Nicky, YES!!!” moments to be had.

The first two books were interesting to say the least and I knew that I had to read the third one to finish out the trilogy. This is my first adventure into the world of TJ Klune and I hope that his adult books are better. I had a similar fear when Phil Stamper moved to middle-grade fiction after writing a couple young adult books (Phil killed it btw). I just think that some people should stick to a genre and rock it.

Nick is kinda annoying and even though he got what he wanted he didn't really change over the three book arc. This book had a lot more noticeable sexual innuendos (more than I remember from the first two) and I continually was feeling second hand embarrassment.

Wow! I loved this book so much! It is the perfect blend of romance and fantasy! I loved how the book finished with a fanfic post. I thought there was continued character development, as well as remaining true to who these characters are.

Overall, such a great story! This book had a great amount of spice and it felt more like the new adult style. I thought Nick’s horny-ness was completely accurate for a teenage boy, especially when exploring sex for the first time.

I thought the author continued to do a good job addressing readers’ concerns about the police. I felt that this storyline was important to the plot and I thought he did a good job illustrating our ability to learn and grow as humans. I hope this book inspired more discussions with the Black community too.

First, I would like to address two things: this review is different from the one I am posting on Goodreads/Instagram because I do not want to spoil this incredible series for anyone; I wanted this space to be for the publisher. Secondly, I am a white reviewer. I know TJ Klune took the criticism of the pro-police depictions in his book to heart and that was reflected within the pages and was a good illustration of how we can listen, learn, and demonstrate compassion for other people. However, I would like to know what TOR Teen is doing to highlight Black voices on this matter.


THIS SERIES IS EVERYTHING.

Nick is, hands down, one of my favorite YA protagonists to ever be written. His awkwardness and dorkiness and authentic messiness are so endearing. His is the perfect definition of "second-hand-embarrassment" and it is so wonderful to see a queer protagonist with ADHD as a superhero.

This series is FUN. Seeing it wonderfully wrapped up with a cinematic masterpiece of an ending that involved DAD SUPERHEROS brought me so much joy. I could have done without the "credit scene" epilogue, but I wasn't bothered by it. It is a heartfelt series with brilliant fight scenes, fantastic father-son relationships with open conversations about sex, and friendship goals.

I would also read an entire mini series about Burrito Jerry.

I will be unabashedly recommending this to every library patron I come in contact with and raving about it on bookstagram until the cows come home.

Thank you Netgalley and Tor Teen for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kitschy fan service? Yes please. This is the perfect finale to the superpowered series, with the stakes being higher than ever. And with that, we also get to see some of the most humorous scenes of the series. A how-to on an Enema gone wrong? The absolute KING that is Burrito Jerry? I was dying. I feel like TJ Klune finally hit his stride in this book - we get dynamic action scenes, wish fulfillment in the Nick/Seth romance, and some real TWISTS!

This one pushes the YA label a bit with some graphic romance scenes, but I'd still recommend it for YA fans who need something *extraordinary* in their life.

*Thank you to Tor Teen and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This is the third, and final, book in the Extraordinaries series and it was all over the place.

I think this book suffered from the Toby McGuire Spider-Man 3 movie problem of too many villains. Also this book has SO many characters. I could not keep track of all of these people, I needed a chart.

When I read the first book in this series I loved the humor and the superhero premise. I LOVED SETH omg Seth is a treasure. And Nick is a hilarious lovable mess. But seriously Seth is my fave through this whole series.

But the second and third books were rough. I didn’t feel like the writing was as well done (I read an ARC so hopefully there was some more editing that happened after.) There was a lot of repetition, more so than needed in a third book in a series. A short recap of facts at the beginning is fine but the constant repetition of stuff was a bit much.

There weren’t as many laugh out loud moments, and I felt like this book just wasn’t always sure where it was going or what it wanted to do.

I did love the ending battle, it was VERY superhero comic bookish, and fun, and I was nervous reading it being like how is this going to end? But then even that I felt like went too long.

And then we got the epilogue that tied everything up into a little bow with a funny moment I was hoping for that DID happen and it was all silly and then it was done.

Overall, this series ended up being okay. It’s funny, but it has its issues. The four main characters of Nick, Seth, Gibby, and Jazz and their friendship/relationships and dynamic is really what holds this series together and keeps you reading all three books.

The third in the installment from TJ Klune's YA series did not disappoint. Definitely for an older teen audience as there is quite a bit of realistic sex talk, but I'm so happy to see the representation for queer couples in fiction like this. As always, Klune has a magic of writing families and narration. A great end to the series

Trigger Warnings: Sex, body issues, meds, robbery, guns, fighting, cursing, violence, unsolicited nudes, politics, masturbation, police, therapy, police misconduct/brutality, mentions of racism, past murder, porn, death of a parent, knife violence, oral sex, nudity, gun violence, vomit, drinking

Representation: ADHD, Drag queens, Gay, Superheroes, Fanfic, Social Media, Black, Butch/dyke, Queer, Lesbian, Bisexual, Therapy, Polyamory

Heat Wave is the third and final installment in The Extraordinaries series. The gang from Nova City is back, when an unexpected guest crashes at Nick’s house. Working together to once and for all put a stop to Simon Burke and restore some peace in their hometown..

Wow! I loved this book so much! It is the perfect blend of romance and fantasy! And I’m such a sucker for a happy ending! I loved heading back to Nova City and I am so happy with the resolution for these characters. I loved how the book was wrapped with a nice bow in the form of a fanfic post. While this story had only a few, far less than books 1&2, I thought they were used so appropriately that I actually didn’t mind their absence. I felt their was continued character development, as well as remaining true to who these characters are. Overall, such a great story!

Oh the teenage hormones! This book had a great amount of spice and while the characters are young adults, the book leans more towards new adult style. I think sex in a book is appropriate for young adults because it happens so often with hetero couples, why should queers be censored? I thought Nick’s horny-ness was completely accurate for a teenage boy, especially when exploring sex for the first time.

Once again, I’d like to commend the author for addressing readers’ concerns about the police. I felt that this storyline was important to the plot and I felt like he did a good job illustrating our ability to learn and grow as humans. As a white reader, I never felt like the story was white savior but I am not an appropriate judge for that. I hope this book inspired more discussions with the Black community to make sure it was culturally sensitive and appropriate.

I have no idea why I made myself read this whole series. I love TJ Klune, I love his fantasy and his adult books. This trilogy I cannot stand. Its just so much of what I hate reading. Yet I read it all. If you like annoying main characters, way to many sexual innuendos, unbearable amounts of second hand embarrassment this is for you. But I really recommend you read TJ klunes other books.

I mean, can you ever go wrong with a TJ Klune book? This one has the same heart as the others in this series. From Page 1, you are laughing and in love. There's the fantastic/superhero element, but there's also just people fumbling along in their relationships, superheroes or not. Our main Etxraordinaries, Nick and Seth, continue to be as extra as always, and endearing. Nick is grappling with his newfound Extraordinariness, and he realizes that being a hero isn't what he thought it was going to be. I love this storyline that seems out of this world, but teenagers can relate to because of their changing bodies, and their grappling with their own "powers."It's a time of change, adolescence, and Klune always captures that beautifully.

Thank you NetGalley for the Digital ARC of this book.

I have adored this series from the beginning, but unfortunately this one fell a little short. The plot feels a little forced, and the beginning deception lasts WAY too long. It's interesting for a little while, but as a reader...knowing what's going on for half of the book while all the characters wade cluelessly through scenes unimportant to the plot is quite tiresome.

Once that part is (finally) over, the story improves tenfold. Klune still gives us laugh-out-loud dialogue, and Nick's constant embarrassment at the hands of his father and his innate awkwardness will always be my favorite part of these stories.

For some reason failed to see that this is the third one in a series, therefore went in not knowing anything. I still enjoyed the plot and action a lot, even tho I (obviously) had some trouble following. Looks like I need to get the first two books now.

WHAT A CONCLUSION.

This series is one of the few young adult books I’ve read and NOT felt like I was reading YA. Yes, it’s storyline were very much young reader content BUT the way Klune writes and executed his plots and character arcs is SO REFRESHING. It wasn’t just a fun silly superhero story (because it was definitely that) it was MORE. The depth and the ache and the rawness is what I crave from all stories. C. S. Lewis once said a children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest.

Klune writes adults and children in his story very well. Harmoniously. Realistically. His prose is ridiculous and breathtaking. I laugh WHILE I have tears in my eyes.

Once again he pulled off one of my favorite tropes, specifically one he’s done before. I LOVED IT. WHAT A SHOCK. You all aren’t ready. This series held my attention from page one in book one to the very last of book 3. Gliding on into Heat Wave right after Flash Fire was JARRING. What the hell is going on? Chills. Confusion. Excitement. Nick is in for the shock of his life but maybe not quite how we anticipated. The PLOT TWISTS and execution of the storyline, the spiraling panic and teamwork. So so good. I was glued to each page. THE ENDING. Incredible. So fun and silly and emotional. The rep and the sex education and consent was so encouraging to see.

Nick also is very much like Sam. The humor and phrasing is similar to the Tales From Verania and I am IN LOVE.
Sweet Nick coming into his powers and struggling with his ADHD has my whole heart. The friendships and family and even the adorable romance between Seth and Nick is overwhelming wholesome and fun. I’ve not enjoyed a series this much in a while. Reading this trio has been so calming and peaceful and I’ve felt so happy. That’s what reading is about. Enjoying. Aching. Peace and contentment.

If you haven't read the previous books, you should start there. Then, once you've read them, you'll appreciate this finale to the trilogy, which brings the story to a close nicely. There's nothing here you won't expect in terms of character development - they all stay very true to themselves, especially Nicky (embarrassingly true to himself!). The whole "save the world because/from ___" plot is, on the other hand, repetitive. To be honest, given Klune's other books (like the <i>House on the Cerulean Sea</i> which I loved), this is a bit of a let down.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.