Hello! I’m here to review the epic conclusion to a trilogy by T.J. Klune! **And every day we are reminded that discrimination against marginalized communities is still a serious problem, so click here to find a compilation of resources where you can donate your time, money, or whatever you can to support these communities. I still encourage you to research these causes on your own to educate yourself and find the best way to lend your support.**
The Extraordinaries series will always have a special place in my heart. The Extraordinaries was one of the first books I requested when joining NetGalley in February of 2020, and Tor Teen decided to take a chance on me and approve my request to read the first book in a new series by one of my favorite authors (you can read my review of it here). A year later I was approved to read its sequel Flash Fire early (you can read my review of it here) and now here we are, in 2022, where I get to share my thoughts about the third and final book in this trilogy, Heat Wave. Reading this series has certainly been an experience, and while I cannot say the series is without its faults, many of which Klune has owned up to and worked to correct in later books, there is something very charming about these characters and this town that makes me sad that it’s over, but glad to have read it.
Heat Wave starts off about a month after the ending events of Flash Fire, and after reading the plot twist Klune decided to throw in right at the end, after the acknowledgements, I know readers are going to be eager to see how this plays out. It started out pretty typically for an Extraordinaries novel – with Nicky and his friends just trying their best with the situation and circumstances they’ve been dealt – but then at the end of chapter 2 things started to feel off. Really off. And as a reader I knew something was wrong, but I couldn’t explain what. And even the characters couldn’t explain what, because they were all acting as if nothing was wrong and that made me even more suspicious. I can say I was genuinely confused for the first 40-50% of the novel, and I know I’m supposed to be, given what we discover later, but it still hindered my enjoyment on a first read-through. I can tell readers are going to have some opinions about this twist. There were still embarrassing moments between Nick and his dad (especially one conversation in particular), some really sweet and tender moments between Nick and Seth, and honestly I love that Jazz has become a true force to be reckoned with throughout this series, because she and Gibby are wonderful additions to this cast. There are also plenty of dad jokes that will either make you laugh or cringe – your mileage may vary. This book also made me hate Simon Burke even more – the things he was willing to do to gain power and control, and the lengths he was willing to go in order to hurt Nick and his dad were truly remarkable. As with every superhero book there was a big moment of climatic action, a face-off between the heroes and the villains, and there were moments I wasn’t sure of the outcome so it kept me engaged and reading forward. Some choices towards the end were a bit much for my taste, but I will say I found the “epilogue” to be a very nice ending to wrap up this story.
I think I want to speak specifically about Owen and his role throughout the series (*this paragraph will contain spoilers, so please read at your own risk*). At the end of the first book we learn that Owen, who is the son of Simon Burke of Burke pharmaceuticals, was not born with his extraordinary powers that allowed him to become Shadow Star, but in fact had them because his father was performing experiments with pills that would give normal civilians superhuman abilities. He chose to become the villain to Seth’s Pyro Storm, and cause damage to the city, including the death of several innocent people. After his apprehension, he is sent by his father to a safe-guarded facility where he was forced in a room with the lights always on, to deny him access to his shadows. When he escaped, he approached Nick and his friends at the park, informed them of Simon Burke’s deception, and then comes to their assistance twice (once at Nick’s house and once during the final battle sequence). In my eyes, Owen only helped Nick because “the enemy of my enemy is my ally,” and Owen’s sole purpose was to enact revenge on his parents for everything they had put him through. But after the villain of the story is finally exposed and apprehended, Owen does not stop. He chooses to further harm the city, becoming even stronger by taking more of his father’s pills, and refusing any of the help offered. In the end, his powers become his downfall. I’m not sure this plot-line will sit well with every reader, because they would prefer seeing Owen seek help after all the abuse he’s suffered. When offered the help, he does not take it, and while I would have liked to see the inner workings of Owen’s character explored more throughout the series, I personally understand and can learn to respect the way this plays out.
Since this is the third book in a trilogy, I figured I’d include some general thoughts about the series as a whole. Overall, I think where this series shines is in the character work. While Nicky as a main character makes mistakes and is misguided at times, whether through ignorance, ADHD, or simply being a teenager, you want to root for him and you don’t want him and his friends & family to continue to suffer at the hands of the villain. And speaking of the villain? I don’t know if I’ve hated a character as much as him in a long time. The themes of family and friendship are incredibly solid, and discussions about the importance of communication (and the consequences of keeping secrets) among various relationships were good to see. And while I think it can be important to discuss social justice issues as they pertain to both the book’s characters and events occurring in the real world, I think Klune’s baseline inclusion of these issues, and his handling of them, is where the strength of the series begins to falter. There are reviewers who have covered these missteps through a lens far better than I ever could (especially as a white reader), particularly around the release of The Extraordinaries so please go check out their thoughts. So while I don’t think this series is Klune’s strongest work to date, I’m glad that it has positively reached some readers, especially those with attention deficit disorders, and has allowed them to feel seen.
In the end, would I recommend The Extraordinaries as a series to start? Well, that all depends on your reading tastes. If you’re a fan of superhero stories with lots of actions, commentary, and quirky characters, then I think it would be a great series for you. Fans of T.J. Klune will certainly appreciate the humor and some callbacks to other books he’s written, as well as the pain he typically puts his characters through. It won’t be for everyone, though, and that’s ok – reading is subjective after all. I’m sure fans of the series will appreciate the conclusion Heat Wave gives them, and I’m excited to see everyone’s thoughts on that twist. Heat Wave is set to be released on July 19th, 2022, which is the day this post goes live, so please join me in wishing it a happy book birthday and consider picking up a copy for yourself if you’re interested. *Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Tor Teen, for the e-copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*
Where to find Heat Wave:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Storygraph
Macmillan
T.J. Klune’s site
Thoughts About Things 