Book Review: Flash Fire (The Extraordinaries, #2)

Once again, TJ Klune has written a book that just speaks to my heart on every level. I laughed, I l cried, I had a great time. What more could you ask for?

*Happy Publication Day! And a big thank you to Tor Teen for gifting me a copy of this book for review.*

Nick landed himself the superhero boyfriend of his dreams, but with new heroes arriving in Nova City it’s up to Nick and his friends to determine who is virtuous and who is villainous. Which is a lot to handle for a guy who just wants to finish his self-insert bakery AU fanfic.

If you aren’t familiar with TJ Klune’s work, then let try and explain it to you. The way I think of it is like that moment when you’re sitting around with friends and family just laughing and talking, and then you take a moment and look around at everyone and just feel this sense or warmth and happiness.. That is what reading a book by Klune feels like. It’s sunshine and laughter in written form. Basically, it makes for perfect summer reading! Have I convinced you yet? Okay, good.

For this sequel to The Extraordinaries, I was really excited to see where Nick and Seth were going to take us. I was expecting more hijinks and humorous situations for our little ragtag group of friends. However, I was not expecting the far more serious tone of this book compared to its predecessor. The theme went deep into addressing police brutality/reform and social justice. While I really appreciate Klune taking the time to address these important issues, it did seem to take over the entire story a bit. The humor and quirkiness that was so predominant in the first book (my favorite thing about it), took a major step back in this sequel. The tone just didn’t feel well-balanced and in doing so, kind of threw me for a loop. Nicky’s well-timed quips and humor were few and far between which made me a little sad. I live for the moments when I laugh aloud at his antics. With that being said, the overall book was still light-hearted, just not near to the levels of book one.

Nick, Gibby and Jazz continue to be absolute delights. I love every second of their banter and friendship. It’s so great to see such a supportive friend group in a YA novel. Sometimes it feels like they aren’t as prevalent as they should be but maybe I just read too much fantasy, which we all know is all about that solo journey. But here it’s very fun to see how well they get along and how much they understand one another. They love Nick for who he is and are always there for him, even when he’s getting himself into trouble (which is often). I just wish Seth had a bit more personality. He still continues to be overshadowed by everyone else and that’s a little disappointing. I guess it plays well against Nick’s outogoing and bubbly persona but I think he tends to come across very flat sometimes, especially in group settings. I did really enjoy the new characters introduced, especially Miss Conduct. Seriously, I would love to read a story following just her. She is amazing and the superhero I never knew I needed! There’s also another newbie to the scene but the mystery of them is good, even if a little too easy.

If you’re looking for a series that’s super fast-paced or are needing something to pull you out of a reading slump, this is the one for you. Just like book one, I was never bored and kept wanting to read even when it was way past my bedtime. Yes, I’m now 30 years old and officially must get at least 8 hours of sleep or I’m useless. I loved the action in this one and really appreciated some of the twists that Klune gave. A few I had already guessed and a few that I didn’t see coming. And oh boy, if you’re a fan of cliffhangers like I am.. this book delivers. I need book three ASAP. Do you hear me, TJ?! I mean it!!!

Final Verdict: 4/5 Stars

Have you read Flash Fire yet? If so, what did you think? Are you a TJ Klune fan as well?