Heat Wave
Publication Date: July 19, 2022
Nick, Seth, Gibby, and Jazz are back in action bringing justice, protection, and disaster energy to the people of Nova City.
An unexpected hero returns to Nova City and crash lands into Nick's home, upturning his life, his family, and his understanding of what it means to be a hero in the explosive finale of the thrilling and hilarious Extraordinaries trilogy by New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune..
My Review
TJ Klune once again delivers a cute and hilarious installment in his fun and unique YA series about teen superheroes. There are twisty mind games, laugh-out-loud "talks" with parental figures, and an adorable romance to keep readers on their toes.
At the end of book two, Flash Fire, Nick and co. were in a somewhat stable place. Yes, the bad guy was still out there doing bad guy things, and yeah, his traumatic past was still coming back to mess with him in more ways than one, but all four characters—Nick, Seth, Jazz, and Gibby—were working together to figure it out. Now, they're trying to figure it all out while also attempting to make the most of their last high school summer together.
And boy do those plans get derailed. There is a huge twist in the plot development from book two to book three that I did not see coming. I thought Klune had gone with a very familiar, overdone trope at the end of book two, and instead, he shook it up and made it something completely different. I give major kudos to that. I'm not going to go into any details for fear of spoilers, but just know that everything is not as it appears...
As for our main cast of characters, Nick is still an adorable and awkward disaster. Seth is a solid and reliable guy. And Gibby and Jazz are a great support system for their hero companion and Nick's antics in general. I will say that I'm a little sad we didn't get more Seth and Nick fluffy, domestic scenes. They are a very cute couple, and they only get a few on-page moments together. Though the ones they did get were awwwww-worthy. Also, the plot wrapped up really nicely with this final book. There weren't any open endings or confusing climaxes. Though, I do think some of the political elements, while not overbearing or wrong to include, did take me out of the moment sometimes. Nothing major, but it did happen once or twice.
Overall, The Extraordinaries trilogy is a perfect read for young readers—queer, straight, unsure, or questioning—to not only possibly see themselves in a superhero story, but to see a loving and caring family dynamic fight crime together versus one vigilante taking on the world. Everyone needs help now and then, and the parents in The Extraordinaries make sure their kids know they have their backs! I think every junior and high school library should have this series on their shelves.
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