Reviews with content warning for Violence - Heat Wave

I was so nervous going into Heat Wave. For starters, Nick Bell has the ability to infuce secondhand embarrassment like you wouldn't believe. But also, I knew this was the final book in TJ Klune's Extraordinary series. How would it end? What would it say? Would I survive the cringe long enough to find out?

This book was amazing.

It really delves deep into family, community, love, and the absolute desire to make the world a better place in the face of misinformation and hate. And yes, there are quintessentially Nick Bell scenes, but as with the previous books they worked so well because Klune has a master's degree in hormonal ADHD teen boy that made even the most cringey hilarious scenes so genuine. I adore the friendship between Nick, Seth, Gibby, and Jazz. I adore the Dad Squad. Even Burrito Jerry was a fun addition to this book.

And really, this book has everything - outlandish plots with nuanced characters, discussions of grief, responsibility, misuse of power, abuse, misinformation, and Black justice. It has families both blood and found. It has doubts, insecurities, and mistakes, but also bravery, apologies, and forgiveness.

It also does some clever things. This book takes advantage of the time between the publication of the second book and this one - memories of events are fuzzy for the reader, and likewise Nick is struggling to sort out events and see through the fog to the truth. Or, should I say, The Truth 😉

And yes, there are some clichéd things, some jokes that were a bit too on the nose, and some manor instances of oversharing, but on the whole this book is a wild and enjoyable superhero story that manages to be touching, serious, nuanced, and surprising.

And then! And then there's the adorable post-credit scene (don't go missing the post-credit scenes in these books because they are great!). Really, these books are a queer love letter to superhero media.

Phew.

So, obviously, five stars.

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20sidedbi's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

4.0

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i_readsandbujos's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful 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

4.5

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cluckieduck's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted slow-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

Two words - Burrito. Jerry.

Overall, a satisfying conclusion to the series and my favourite book of the three.

It started quite confusingly and I thought I had missed something important linked to what was revealed in the epilogue of book two, but once that got sorted out things flowed a bit better with the narrative.

Nick showed a lot of growth and I appreciated how his arc was handled, especially with his ADHD (though I guess not all that surprising considering TJ’s own experiences). I loved how his relationship with Seth was further solidified and you can really grasp their love for one another.

A bit of a deus ex machina ending, but it was cute so I won’t complain too much 😉

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asipofcozy's review

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adventurous emotional funny 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? Yes

4.0

It's been a hot minute since I finished a book. An entire month of July without reading *sigh*. Adulting is not fun.

However, I can always count on Klune to get me out of a rut with his books. There is just something about his narration, his characters, and the worlds that he creates that draws me in. And out of all his characters, Jazz, Gibby, Simon, and Nick are by far my favorite. Every time I went into this trilogy I was filled with anticipation of reading about this group of friends, a group that I felt myself become a part of with each book.

So coming to the end of this wonderful trilogy was bittersweet for me.

Usually, I write a long-ass review but today just is not that day (I stayed up late finishing this). However, I do want to say...don't be me. I didn't realize there was a WHOLE chapter after the acknowledgments in Flash Fire, and let me tell you, I was hella confused at the beginning of Heat Wave until I finally decided I must be missing something and went back to the last book. I felt so silly!

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