A review by stitchnlich
The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book is so achingly charming it almost makes my teeth hurt.  It’s a little predictable and even a little cringe-worthy in the most delightful way.  TJ Klune managed to capture the enormity of teenage emotions.  The main characters are so sweetly sincere and Nick especially is a kaleidoscope lens back upon my own neurodivergent-queer-fandom-teenagerhood that gives me space to look at the Weird Girl that was me fondly and with more grace than I usually afford her.  The superhero aspect of the story may be fantastical (and fantastic), but the heart of the book is the heart of the othered teenage experience.  More than a decade out from my own weird 16 year old self, my heart aches for the characters in this story, and rejoices with them, in a way that feels deeply cathartic.  I enjoyed almost every moment of this book.  What holds me back from as exuberant a rating as I want to give it is that it did at points, gloss over and downplay the effects and severity police brutality while glorifying the police force which was more than a smidge tone-deaf.  I can see how Klune used the police characters to drive the plot, but it was uncomfortable all the same, bringing my rating down from 5 stars to 4.
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