Reviews with content warning for Police brutality - The Extraordinaries

there's something about men in the TJ Kluniverse (yes, i am proud of myself for that, thank you) that's a lot better than irl (in my experience of course), especially dads… consider it part of the apologetic parents canon: https://www.vox.com/culture/23025832/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-parental-apology-fantasy-turning-red. however, this romanticizing of characters also extends to cops, making for some strong copaganda—especially awkward given the book's release in summer 2020. one of its major themes is the myth of good vs. evil and of black & white thinking, yet this only applies to our fictional superheroes and not the institution of policing we actually live with—no no, the police are always unquestionably "the good guys" 🙃. there's even a moment where we're made to sympathize with a cop in a literal act of police brutality, punching a witness (a witness, not even a suspected perpetrator) for not cooperating. we see how much he was going through at the time; maybe we should extend that understanding to other cops who abuse their power? or, maybe a different superhero story got it right: "with great power comes great responsibility," and as such it's reasonable to expect protection from those whose job it is (supposedly) to "protect and serve". another of Klune's books, The House in the Cerulean Sea, used fantastical metaphor to make a political statement; i can't help but see as a glaring omission how The Extraordinaries falls short in that regard.
big thought out of the way, here are some scattered ones:

there was a lot of build up and the climax seemed to drag on, but insufficient payoff. (though, at least there was any payoff at all, unlike Fence: Striking Distance. that's not relevant here, i just hold a grudge.)
for the amount of times the narration described what teenage boys are like, i started to think maybe it was the author trying to convince us that he knew, like "how do you do fellow kids"
it was genuinely funny
audiobook reader was top tier 👌
"I'm young and queer and in a fragile place right now." me

Content Warnings

romiress's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

This book. Whew. For one thing: 100% uncritical copaganda with jokes about police brutality. For another, it has the stupidest protagonist I have ever read in a book. Not just oblivious to romance stuff, but to basic facts of reality. Just, next level oblivious and uncritically accepting absurd explanations while every other character in the entire book figures stuff out without issue.

Content Warnings

modernmatilda's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted tense 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

•The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune•
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Friends to lovers is better than enemies to lovers, there I said it!!
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The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune is a JOY and I enjoyed every minute of Nick and his larger-than-life (aka closer-to-home) fanfic about his local superheros/villains. Like House in the Cerulean Sea, the characters are wonderfully loveable and the plot will make you smile until bursting.
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Also, I'm quickly realizing that my favorite romance troupe is adorable, oblivious, dorky, slightly-curmudgeony main characters 😅
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This book is for anyone who has ever dreamed about being a superhero, has wanted to fall in love with a superhero, or needs a reminder that they are extraordinary enough already.
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Content warnings: homophobia, death of parent, police brutality

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