Review: The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune

The Extraordinaries

TJ Klune

(The Extraordinaries #1)

Publication Date: July 14, 2020

Hardcover, 405 pages, Tor Teen

Genres: YA, Sci-Fi, LGBTQ+

Goodreads

Some people are extraordinary. Some are just extra. TJ Klune's YA debut, The Extraordinaries, is a queer coming-of-age story about a fanboy with ADHD and the heroes he loves.

Nick Bell? Not extraordinary. But being the most popular fanfiction writer in the Extraordinaries fandom is a superpower, right?

After a chance encounter with Shadow Star, Nova City’s mightiest hero (and Nick’s biggest crush), Nick sets out to make himself extraordinary. And he’ll do it with or without the reluctant help of Seth Gray, Nick's best friend (and maybe the love of his life).

Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl meets Marissa Meyer's Renegades in TJ Klune's YA debut.

My Review

The Extraordinaries is being lauded as a mix between Fangirl and Marissa Meyer’s superhero series, Renegades. I think that’s a fair description. This book is basically a love letter to every kid who, after watching animated X-Men cartoons, Spider-Man movies, or just the general bada$$ery of Wonder Woman, wanted to be a superhero at some point in their lives. Plus, it’s terrifically gay.

Nick, our protagonist, is a clueless cinnamon roll with ADHD who is obsessed with his favorite superhero, Shadow Star. Nick’s just an adorable mess. He makes terrible decisions and tends to not pay attention to important hints. At times, his obliviousness could be a little heavy-handed, but I’ll forgive him. He’s still cute. Seth, Nick’s best friend, is another mess, but for completely different reasons. I truly hope we get more interactions between Seth and Nick in book two. Because, while they had their moments, I just wanted more of their dorky adorableness.

The other side characters include Owen, the suave, good-looking jock type, as well as Gibby and Jazz. Gibby and Jazz are awesome friends. I kind of wish I’d had friends like them in high school. Also, I’m glad LGBTQ+ kids can have this book. It’s important, not only because of the representation in young adult fantasy/sci-fi literature, but also because of the lack of representation in a lot of superhero franchises. I think this is a good way to help bridge the gap.

HOWEVER, there is a major content warning for police representation. The police take a role in this story that’s similar to what you’d see in comic book storylines. Nick’s dad actually seems a lot like Miles Morales’s dad in the Into the Spiderverse film. Nick’s dad was sweet, but he did do something wrong (nothing on-page, it’s just mentioned). I could understand with everything going on if the police element would be something you want to avoid in your fiction reading, but keep in mind, this book was written BEFORE June 2020, and while police violence has been going on long before then, the awareness wasn’t at the level it is today. Also, the author has mentioned how current events will shape the sequels. He’s aware of the book’s issues, and he plans to do what he can to take the series to a better place. Check out his post here.

While I did find it difficult to read about some of the police bits, this story is primarily about Nick and vigilante superheroes. It’s a quick read that I managed to fly through in a single day. The twist that I thought was super easy to figure out turned out completely different. I was shocked. In a good way. I couldn’t put this book down, even when I had family members visiting. I also LOL-ed during some particularly embarrassing scenes. (Aww, Nick. I’m so sorry for laughing at your pain.) I do wish, though, that some of the reveal aftermath would’ve been drawn out a little longer, purely to contribute to the angst factor.

All in all, this book is perfect for DC, Marvel, and all kinds of superhero fans. Heck, I think even Percy Jackson readers will love it. It’s a great time, full of gut-busting laughs, gay love, and power-ful secrets. ;)

*Note: I purchased a copy of this book myself. This in no way affected my opinion/review.