An Indie Bestseller!An Indie Next Pick!A Gold Nautilus Book Award Winner!Some people are extraordinary. Some are just extra. New York Times bestselling author 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 … 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.
At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
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TJ Klune has a way of writing that can only be described as a warm hug. This book is so much fun. I laughed and smiled so much. I also cried more than once because Klune doesnt shy away from tough topics either. The plot within isn’t the darkest or deepest on the planet. Teenage superheroes is nothing new right? But somehow Klune puts his own spin on it all and makes you invest in the characters and care about them. The main foursome of friends are all queer and nobody seems to care which is just… so… nice! It’s always great reading a book where the queer kids are supported and loved for who they are. There’s a lot heart in this book.
TJ Klune has written another great novel in The Extraordinaries. A fun read about four teens and their involvement with super-heroes, it’s great partly because all the teens are gay and NO ONE CARES! Supportive families and friends make this a great read.
I love this book with every fiber of my being. I laughed, I cried, I sobbed, I sighed, and I swooned over and with these oh so precious characters! The world is not worthy of Nick Bell.
Up until now, The House in the Cerulean Sea held the top spot of my favorite read of 2020, but The Extraordinaries has pretty much made it a tie. I may have to divide my top reads into Adult and Young Adult. Or I’ll just leave it a tie. I’m just so in love with this book I don’t know what I’m saying and I don’t know what to do with myself.
The Extraordinaries is so fun, but also extremely heartfelt. Nick is so wonderfully endearing and clueless and precious, I just adored him. I loved the relationship he had with his dad, it was so heartwarming and realistic. And the friendships in this book are ones we’d all be so lucky to have.
This story was just so delightful. Nick with his absolute obsession with a certain superhero, his wanting to be a superhero himself, his cluelessness over his feelings for Seth, his pure obliviousness at times, it was almost too much for my heart to handle. I enjoyed seeing his growth throughout the book, and how, as fun as this story was, it was also full of teachable and learnable moments. I liked the way the heavier issues were handled, and that things weren’t glossed over but dealt with in a realistic way.
For his first YA novel I think TJ Klune knocked it out of the universe with The Extraordinaries! After that epilogue I’m not sure how we’re expected to wait until 2021 for book two, but no matter how long I have to wait, I will be here for it. The world definitely needs more superheroes!
I have put off reviewing this. As you can see from the 5-star rating, I clearly loved the book. So why have I waited so long to review it?
This story touched me in a way I wasn’t prepared for. I ADORED IT. All the characters, the diverse representation, the truthful teenage-ness of it all. It’s like driving down a quiet, leafy street at night, windows down, music blasting. You just know everything will be alright.
Do yourself a favor and read this immediately. And then go read the sequel. They are some beautiful gems. Thank you, TJ!
I LOVE this book so much. Best audio narration EVER!
ℎ by T.J Klune is a brilliantly written tale of young love, acceptance and superheroes. It’s also a book that to me, is truly needed because there is a distinct lack of LGBTQ+ representation in books for children 12 and up. It’s happening, and there are certainly more than when I was that age and feeling underrepresented but there is still a way to go and authors like T.J. Klune are doing a truly fantastic job of ensuring children whose gender and sexuality falls under the LGBTQ+ umbrella can dream of their happy ever after.
ℎ is told from a third-person perspective focusing on the main protagonist, Nick’s point of view of life in Nova City. I found the insight into his ADHD fuelled thoughts very interesting and again, it’s great to see someone with ADHD being represented and as a Mum of a teenager with it, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself over just how familiar his outbursts of random thoughts were (to me, an old-school bingo machine firing out balls too quickly is how their thoughts go). I love how real Nick is, along with his best-friends Gibby, Jazz and Seth – the four of them are very relatable and I believe are characters that you could easily spend time with if able to immerse yourself in ℎ as T.J. Klune’s world-building is phenomenal even if we sadly don’t have superheroes in our world. (No fair.) The relationship between Gibby and Jazz was one that I really loved, their genuine happiness and confidence in their relationship mixed with the fears of what may be when they are parted when one goes onto college. Klune again creates a pairing who you can relate too and for those struggling with similar situations will relate to and sympathise with their predicament – I’m definitely fighting for them to stay together in the sequel!
There are only two superheroes in ℎ but both jump out from the page and Nick’s fanfiction about Shadow Star makes an appearance as he envisions a great love affair with the mysterious superhero who protects Nova City from harm. I like that there is just the two, one good and one bad so you’re not distracted trying to remember who is who which sadly can happen in books featuring superheroes and characters an distract from the story and whilst these larger than life adversaries are Extraordinaries they don’t dominate the book and weave wonderfully with Nick’s desire to protect his father from harm, or the patience Nick’s oldest friends, Seth must have as chief editor of the fanfiction or Gibby and Jazz’s sweet relationship.
ℎ is incredible, gradually going darker as the tale unfolds and you will feel a plethora of emotions as you read it. I completely agree you cannot place it into one particular category other than this… ‘Must read’.
Warning: do not read this book when you are not supposed to be reading. You will giggle and get weird looks from everyone with you!
This was so sweet and hilarious. It was definitely in danger of being too cheesy, but Nick’s constant monologue and random side tracks kept it moving and amusing instead of cringe worthy! I don’t know much about living with ADHD, so I don’t know if this was accurate, but it was a new viewpoint for me to read and I enjoyed it 100%!
This is such a great take on the Super-Hero genre. I really enjoy the way this author approaches subject matter and character development.
TJ Klune writes fun, hilarious YA stories and The Extraordinaries is a book in this vein. I’m not a huge fan of superhero novels, only because I feel like our media has been saturated with them, but this is an adorable entry featuring Klune’s excellent, writing. It’s hard not to love it.
Nick Bell is an ordinary teenager with ADHD who lives with his dad. He’s the author of popular fanfic about The Extraordinaries based on his favorite superhero, Shadow Star. Nick has a thing for Shadow Star, and when he meets him in real life, I felt it so hard. I would have been the extra idiot in this scenario and Klune pulls it off beautifully.
I love recommending this story to older teen readers because it handles the romance, Nick’s exceptionality, his relationship with his father, and his support/friendship group with such grace and humor, I want everyone to be wrapped in that kind of warmth and understanding.
A book that earns its title.
I absolutely LOVED this book! I’ve always been a Huge fan of superheroes, and this story was one of the best superhero ones I’ve yet to read. Don’t even get me started on how often I had to stop reading to actually laugh out loud. Not only is the main character instantly lovable, full of flaws and hilarious, but the writing is extremely well done. I can not wait to grab the next book, and am recommending this to everyone everywhere.
“Gibby lay on the bed, tears streaming down her face as she rocked back and forth.” Well that was me, doubled over laughing, reading this book.
The Extraordinaries’ main character is Nick, a gay teenager with ADHD who has a huge crush on Shadow Star, one of the local super heroes ( which they call Extraordinaries). This book is set in Nova City, rather reminiscent of NYC. Nick has a great group of friends who have each others’ backs and a supportive, although often frustrated, dad. Nick’s fantasies about Shadow Star make him clueless about what is right in front of him and does a lot of growing up during this book. It is a both a love story and a superhero action story. Although this book is very funny, big themes of love, loss, grief, friendship, and acceptance run throughout. And the end. Bring on the sequel like, now!
A lovely YA book
The Extraordinaries is phenomenal. Fast-paced and dramatic as a 16yo can be, this book takes the standard superhero trope and sets it alight with an M/M flair. Nick and his motley crew are so well written you will immediately feel like one of the team. Nick’s journey as he chases feeling extraordinary will leave you in a constant fit of giggles.
This book is billed as YA and is suitable for a young audience; however, I really enjoyed it as an adult as well. TJ writes teenagers beautifully and the tension between Nick and his dad is touching for anyone with kids in their lives.
I absolutely cannot wait for more Extraordinaries!!
This is a delightful Young Adult novel! I’m so happy I got to read the ARC!
There will be a lot of !!! because the romance is hilariously sweet, and I adored all the characters. The emotional hits are well-calibrated, and he action scenes are intense!
And that ending! !!!
I am absolutely on board! I eagerly await #2!
Can anyone be more oblivious than Nick??? This book was hilarious from start to finish!!
I loved the characters, especially Seth. He is so in love with Nick and everyone knows this BUT Nick. Nick takes obliviousness to another level. And I absolutely adored Gibby and Jazz!!
Bestfriends to lovers
Laugh-out-loud humour
Fanfics
Secret Identities/Superheroes
Epic friendship squad
I had so much fun listening to this. The audiobook narration is PERFECT!! Nick talks non stop and has the most ridiculous ideas. His relationship with his dad was one of the highlights for me.
It’s chaotic and ridiculous and I absolutely recommend it! Read it NOW!
Thank you McMillan Tor-Forge for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Extraordinaries
By: T.J. Klune
REVIEW
The Extraordinaries is much more than it seems. With a queer main character, Nick, and other great representation of the LGBTQ community, the story is on the cutting edge. Beyond this, Nick also has ADHD, and not many stories have shown leading characters with ADHD, at least, not yet. From the start, Nick shows himself to be such an awkward nerd who doesn’t think before he speaks with immensely loveable qualities. He writes fan fiction for a superhero who he has a crush on because, in this world, some people have powers. Nick wants to be the superhero type. Several things happen that I won’t get into because no spoilers. This story is about relationships, self acceptance, the complexity of mental illness and hope. Relevant issues are addressed, and I am glad to see it. Although it might appear fluffy, this book is actually serious, but the seriousness is hidden under the humor and ridiculous shenanigans appropriate to this age group. You learn but don’t realize it. If you want a laugh or something that speaks to the present, The Extraordinaries has all of that just waiting for you.
The Extraordinaries is TJ Klune’s debut YA book that contains the same heart, passion, found family and humor that is Klune’s signature brand. The Extraordinaries is the first book in the series that follows the lives of The Extraordinaries, the superheros of Nova City, and the fans who love (obsess over) them.
Nick Bell is a neurodiverse teen with a flair for the dramatics. He has a great dad that loves him very much, a tremendous friend group that includes Seth, the adorable bow tie wearing best friend; Gibby, the incredible baby butch; and Jazz, the quietly brilliant cheerleader. These teens juggle high school, friendships, relationships, the unknown of the future, ADHD, all while their city is protected by superheros dubbed The Extraordinaries.
This book follows Nick as he navigates through his emotions and obsession with Shadow Star (The most amazing Extraordinary) and his oblivious crush on his best friend. All while figuring out how to accept his ADHD as something that is part of him instead of something that defines him. Nick, Seth, Gibby and Jazz are the extraordinary role models we need in the world today. I wish this book existed when I was 16 and figuring out how I fit into the world. This book is for any age group and I recommend that everyone read it because it will provide some light into a place that can contain a lot of shadows.
TJ has woven another tremendous tale of heart, passion, loyalty, and finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. There is also a really epic fanfic that is equally as great as the story itself. I’m anxiously awaiting the second book in the series because I know it’s going to be exceptional. 5 stars from me which equates to about 10 extraordinary stars!
This book was everything I needed to read right now. It was often laugh out loud hysterical and our hero, Nick Bell, is so incredibly endearing. A little misguided and impulsive, but his heart is in the right place. The book is told entirely in third person from his POV, but it never got old or tiring because he’s just so damn likeable.
The cast of secondary characters was equally great, from Nick’s dad to his best friend, Seth, to their small group of friends, Every one of them was unique and true and jumped off the page just as vividly as Nick.
And the storyline was just…fun! It didn’t take itself too seriously while at the same time it addressing relevant topics in a humourous way that kept me reading and not wanting to put this down.
This is the book everyone needs in their lives. While the writing was more simplistic than I’ve come to expect from TJ Klune, owing most likely to the fact this is a young adult novel, it didn’t detract at all from the overall plot and character development, or from my enjoyment. It’s an un-put-downable book, that’s for sure. Highly recommend if you like funny, queer heroes getting into shenanigans supported by a great cast!