Readers will figure them out almost immediately and then spend the rest of the book both laughing at and being frustrated with Nick for somehow not seeing what’s right in front of him. The plot has several intentionally predictable twists. Nick’s attempts to give himself superpowers (so that he can be with Shadow Star… and also protect his loved ones) get increasingly ridiculous, and the fallout from them had me chuckling while also facepalming in embarrassment. What follows is a romantic comedy that veers from melodrama to absurd humor and back again. Nick’s friends tolerate this obsession because they genuinely love him, even if they’re annoyed that Nick remains oblivious to his best friend Seth’s equally powerful crush on him. Much like stereotypical fanfiction, it’s full of corny dialogue and shallow wish fulfillment. Nick is a gay teen with ADHD whose crush on local superhero Shadow Star is so strong that he writes fanfiction about it. This book gleefully embraces every tired cliché in the genre and milks them for as much awkward humor and drama as possible. And by “walks the line,” I mean it steps right up to the line, scoops it into a giant hug, and asks it to go dancing. The Extraordinaries carefully walks the line between cliché-filled cringefest and awkwardly adorable teen romance. New York Times and USA Today bestselling author TJ Klune’s YA debut, The Extraordinaries, is a queer coming-of-age story about a fanboy with ADHD and the heroes he loves. From the publisher: Some people are extraordinary.
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