Reviews with content warning for Violence - Flash Fire

Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Flash Fire by TJ Klune

21 reviews

elliott_the_clementine's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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gemstonejasper's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I was so excited to get back to the world of Nickie and Seth. They are so sweet and precious and must be protected at all costs. I love the underlying theme this series seems to have of comparing and contrasting Nick's ADHD with the powers of the Extraordinaries. In this book, I think it was even more prominent. Showing Nick's ADHD struggles side by side with Seth's Extraordinary struggles, as well as the strengths of both was very nice. I said this in my review of the first book and I'll say it again. I have ADHD and Nick is one of the best representations of ADHD, at least in the way I experience it, that I've read. So much of his struggles I can relate to, not just with his ADHD, but in many ways.

I loved how this book also tackled a lot of different themes very well. There are multiple times throughout the book where Nick's dad or another adult comments on how the main characters are still children. This is understandable considering that they are still minors. But it also works in the idea that adults aren't always right. Nick's dad, especially, is a flawed character. Nick is faced with this reality. How can this sweet, loving father whom he loves more than anything be the same person who did these other horrible things? I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to start the next one.

I also just want to give some credit to Michael Lesley, the man who read the audiobooks for this series. He is a master narrator. I can't imagine the story being read any other way and I truly believe that he adds something to the story that isn't there in the plain text. I don't have the words to describe how well he does in these books.

I literally had to stop the audiobook in the first chapter because oh my goodness. I burst out laughing when Nick's porn was connected to the Bluetooth of his dad's car. I had to take several minutes to recover before I could continue.

There is one content warning that isn't listed:

There is no suicide attempt, but at one point a character does jump off the roof of a building for a different reason. Do with that as you will.

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evelynyle_88's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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sealbrecht's review

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emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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cj13's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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tea_at_mole_end's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious reflective fast-paced

5.0

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unsighted_reader's review

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

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modernmatilda's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

*SCREAMS FOREVERRRRRRR*

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victoriousbookworm's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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asipofcozy's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

You know when you find that author? Then one that the moment they release a new book, you have already had it pre-ordered...months...years in advance? Yeah, T.J. Klune is that author for me. It's not only about being a brilliant author, but his books are so much more. They have queer and mental health representation; they pick apart issues we face in reality; his books are just so much more.

"We can't know what's going to happen tomorrow, but if we spend all our time focusing on what might happen, we could end up missing what does happen."

Going into Flash Fire, I had nothing but the highest expectations, and I was not disappointed. Klune pulled out all the stops on this one constant funny dialogue, excellent character development, more heroes and villains, and a romance that makes you swoon and cringe at the same time. I swear I was laughing so hard at some points - cackling like a hyena - that my partner honestly thought I had gone insane. Maybe I did.

"We stand together," Nick reminded him, "so we don't have to struggle apart."

What impressed me most with Flash Fire was Nicky's character development. I thought he made exceptional character growth in The Extraordinaries. I was wrong; I believe Nicky made his most significant development moves in this book. Nicky has a lot he needs to learn, and the one lesson Nicky learned most in Flash Fire is he can not make life-changing decisions about someone else and not even talk to them. There were so many moments where Nicky does this at the beginning of Flash Fire, and all you want to do is knock some sense into the kid. Throughout the book, Nicky continues to face this issue of wanting to be a part of something extraordinary yet having to come to terms with not everyone wanting his dream. I was very impressed by the end of the book to see how far Nick indeed has come. What makes this great is he still has a lot to learn, and I can see that character growth genuinely taking off in the last book.

"You want some of the Nick Experience?"
Seth gaped at him.
Nick winced. "That sounded a lot better in my head."
"Did it?" Seth asked. "Did it really?"

Then Klune brings in social justice issues that hit close to home for many - the police force, police brutality, and the unjustness of those in power. It's not only Nicky who has to go through hurdles to learn from his mistakes. Aaron (Nicks's dad) - a police officer himself - has made choices in his career that show a white man with a badge can get away with a lot. These choices come back and strike him—choices that hurt those around him, which any other person would never have gotten away with.

Another theme that Klune brings in, and I think people, especially parents, need to understand, is that respect needs to be earned both ways from parent to child. So many times, we hear, "you are the parent. Your child has to respect you, has to trust you". I do not believe this. A child is a separate entity from the parent, and the parent, like any other person, needs to gain that trust and respect. If a parent hurts a child, they have to earn that respect and confidence back. Klune does a beautiful job showing this when Nicky's dad keeps secrets that end up hurting him and understands that he has to gain that trust back from Nicky. He has to work for it and can't demand Nicky trust him because he is the parent.

I can not wait for Heat Wave. It will be an epic conclusion to such a wonderful trilogy thus far. I already have high expectations, and I don't think I will be disappointed with the conclusion. I already have a lot of theories for the final book in this series.

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