Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune

18 reviews

thecandiegirl's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious 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

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Cursing, Death of parent, Blood, Grief, Sexual content, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Mental illness, Violence, and Vomit

starsnstitchin's review

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Outing, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Bullying, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, and Vomit

fkshg8465's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.25

This was a super cute book. I had to see it aside at first because I had trouble getting into it, but once I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it. That said, there wasn’t anything special enough to get this to four stars. The other odd good books I’ve read were much better, but I think this was his debut YA book, and it was a solid very good, and there were several moments I nearly spit up my drink while laughing.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Death, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, Outing, and Grief

keiwald's review

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-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

The book is written is such a delightful tone. The author did a great job of narrating in a way that makes you feel inside the main characters head and follow his scattered ADHD  fueled thoughts. 
Also the secondhand embarrassment is real. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Kidnapping

Minor: Death, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content

tea_at_mole_end's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Gun violence, Murder, and Violence

booksandmagic's review against another edition

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Death of parent

annorabrady's review

adventurous funny 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

4.0

I love TJ Klune's writing and dialogue style, and this book is no exception to that love.  

This book is a great palate cleanser without being meaningless fluff; there was still a solid story with character development of primary and secondary characters alike, realistic behaviors in unrealistic situations, and worthwhile conflicts.

I will say that Nick's stupidity is both endearing and absolutely obnoxious. Especially when it causes certain plot points to carry on too long for my liking. Though, it's done in a way that makes sense for the character, so it doesn't feel unnecessary. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Outing, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Violence, Medical trauma, Death, Kidnapping, Vomit, Drug use, Gaslighting, Murder, and Stalking

franklola's review

adventurous funny 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? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence

annoyedhumanoid's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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

Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Medical content, Abandonment, and Death of parent

Moderate: Homophobia, Murder, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Violence, and Blood

Minor: Ableism, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Excrement, Police brutality, Stalking, Vomit, Car accident, Classism, and Drug use

cluckieduck's review against another edition

funny lighthearted slow-paced

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

2.5

Look. I love me some TJ. The Green Creek series is perhaps one of the most beautiful series I’ve ever read so I was really looking forward to starting this newest series. I’m afraid to say, however, that this foray into YA was a bit of a miss.

TJ’s typical humorous, effervescent narration comes to us through the eyes of our lead, Nick, a teen with ADHD who’s life has been divided into the Before & After of his mother’s death. Nick’s had a tough go of things and wishes to be an Extraordinary, this universe’s version of a superhero. There was a lot of borrowing from other universes - a little bit Marvel, a little bit Kick-Ass, and some others sprinkled here & there, but in the end it was a very predictable story. That is unless you’re Nick, who has got to be one of the most clueless leads in existence, to his detriment, because he got rather annoying by the end. 

I appreciate the voice that TJ gives to queer and neurodivergent characters, but there is a fine line between representation and stereotyping. Here they’re borderline played for jokes (ex. the angry, Black baby-dyke who’ll kick everyone’s ass if they look at her wrongly & our lead’s ADHD is maxed-out to the point of him being dumb) and it’s a bit cringy. I’m apprehensive about how Nick’s ADHD will be handled

alongside his telekinesis. I hope his symptoms don’t get brushed aside as his latent powers because that would be a major disservice to including his diagnosis in the first place

. 

All in all, it was an ok read and I’ll continue the series, but probably my least favourite of TJ’s. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Blood, Bullying, Grief, and Cursing

Minor: Vomit, Death, and Death of parent