Who among us would not love reading about superheroes? Well, that was rhetorical! I love superheroes and so does our protagonist Nick Bell. Let’s talk more about The Extraordinaries by T J Klune in my review below.
Have you read The Extraordinaries by T J Klune? What was the book that you recently read that blew your mind? Do you have any other book that has a protagonist with ADHD? Let us talk. Share on XAbout the book
Book Name: The Extraordinaries
Author: T J Klune
Genre: Fiction – Romance, Young Adult
Characters: Nicholas (Nick) and Aaron Bell, Seth Gray, Lola (Gabby) Gibson, Jasmine (Jazz), Oliver Burke, Shadow Star, Pyro Storm.
Setting: Nova City
Plot Summary
Nicholas Bell has the biggest crush on Shadowstar and his long running fanfiction is a proof of that. Shadowstar is one of The Extraordinaries from Nova City who keeps the city safe from his arch nemesis Pyro Storm.
Nick is just an ordinary high school student living with his father who is a cop. In order to gain the attention and respect from his crush, Nick decides that he should become an extraordinary himself, with the help of his reluctant but supportive friends.
Does this doomed plan ever take off? How long would it take for Nick to see the truth forms the rest of the story in The Extraordinaries by T J Klune.
Book review
I can’t think of a book that made me chuckle, roll my eyes and laugh as many times as The Extraordinaries by T J Klune did, in the recent past. Nick being “extra” was so endearing and I just wanted him to be an Extraordinary just for his sake (even though I am sure it would be a terrible terrible idea).
I am glad we have moved on forward from making it all his queerness just the main theme of the book. I strongly believe that books need not be written solely to educate people about LGBTQAI+ and The Extraordinaries passes this test colorfully.
Yet, I learned quite a bit about ADHD and Nick’s issues with dealing them. Disclaimer: All I know about it is from the mainstream – I am not the correct person to say if the portrayal was real.
It might be an awful timing like the author explained here, but Nick’s father (who is a cop) punching a guy and still being on the force didn’t sit well with me. We learn that he was just demoted because his buddies “from the force” stood by him and it is so not fair.
And the whole attitude of “good people sometimes do bad things, and that doesn’t make them bad” was off-putting to say the least, given what the police force has been doing in the USA and even India, (and now Chile).
I wish the author and the publishing team had paid a bit more attention to what is happening in the real world. #BlackLivesMatter
What worked for me
- I loved how well written and colorful the younger characters were. Undoubtedly, Nick is one of the most entertaining protagonists I have read in a while.
- The writing is witty and engaging. And a special mention to the author’s sense of humor. I would definitely be reading more of Klune’s books.
- I loved the portrayal of Nick’s ADHD and it helped me appreciate understanding it better. Additionally. Nick’s queerness is not the main focus of the book, which I loved!
What may have been better
- I sincerely wish the team should have handled the “cops punching people” situation better.
- While I love the way the younger characters were written, I felt all the adults sounded and behaved the same (Nick’s dad, the captain, his wife, the nurses and even Seth’s guardians). After a minute, I couldn’t stop seeing the pattern between these characters.
Bottom line
The Extraordinaries by T J Klune is one of the most entertaining books that I read recently. I loved reading it and loved the portrayal of characters with ADHD.
Despite all the positives, Klune’s choice to take the police’s side makes it harder for me to recommend the book to everyone. If you are okay with that, please read The Extraordinaries by T J Klune.
Similar books
- Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
- Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia
- Radio Silence by Alice Oseman
- Quiet Kind of Thunder, A by Sara Barnard
Pin me!
Let’s chat
Have you read The Extraordinaries by T J Klune? What was the book that you recently read that blew your mind? Do you have any other book that has a protagonist with ADHD? Let us talk.
YIKES on the cop punching a guy and keeping his job, that is some bad timing but also? Like that wasn’t okay before BLM sparked up again last Spring. I find it difficult to believe that no one picked up on that in editing.
Otherwise the book does sound like an enjoyable read. Great review!
I am totally on you with that. It should have been written better.
Gotta read this. Cerulean Sea was mind-blowing.
I need to read that!!
I’ve been putting this off because of the cop thing, despite the fact that Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea is one of my favorite books of the year.
For a character with ADHD I just read Heart of Stone by Johannes T. Evans, it’s our October Happy Ever After Book Club pick on fantasy.reddit.com. It’s a m/m historical fantasy romance between a vampire with ADHD and his secretary who seems to be on the autism spectrum, but neither are diagnosed as such on account of, well, historical.
I need to get to The House in the Cerulean Sea. Thanks for the recs, and I will check your Reddit club soon!
I’ve never heard about this book before, but I have a mighty need to read it!
I hope you like it as much as I did!
I felt just the same — the book was sweet and adorable in many ways, but it really didn’t question the narrative that cops are on the side of justice, even though one of the prominent side characters is a queer Black girl. Hopefully we’ll see some course-correction on that in the next book, given what the author has said about it.
I am glad we are on the same page about the book!