The Extraordinaries

By: TJ Klune

Narrated by: Michael Lesley

Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's Summary

In Nova City, there are extraordinary people, capable of feats that defy the imagination. Shadow Star protects the city and manipulates darkness, and Pyro Storm is determined to bring the city to its knees using his power over fire.

And then there's Nick, who...well, being the most popular fan-fiction writer in the Extraordinaries fandom is a superpower, right?

Instead of fighting crime, Nick contends with a new year at school, a father who doesn't trust him and a best friend named Seth, who may or may not be the love of Nick's short, uneventful life.

It should be enough. But after a chance encounter with Shadow Star, Nova City's mightiest hero (and Nick's biggest crush), Nick sets out to make himself extraordinary. And he'll do it with or without Seth's reluctant help....

Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl meets Brandon Sanderson's Steelheart in TJ Klune's YA debut: a queer coming-of-age story about a fanboy with ADHD and the heroes he loves.

©2020 T J Klune (P)2020 Macmillan Audio

Simply sublime

I want Michael Lesley to narrate my life.
After finishing the Tales or Verania series I came straight on to this. This isn't as enthralling, but as a 44 year old woman I am hardly the target audience. But like all of TJ Klune books this one is so full of heart, warmth and humour that it is adorable. I only found TJ recently and have devoured his books, rarely have I been so touched by an author. Finishing his stories is always an awful wrench; so deeply do they pull you in. House in the Cerulean Sea left me gobsmacked for days, sublime literature.

Michael Lesley's performance is just perfect. And it is a 'performance', he's not simply reading the story to you - he's the first narrator that has ever made me bawl like baby.

Pure copanganda, glorifying the oppressive police

I don't understand how tj klune could mention black lives matter at the start of the book then go on to write a story that paints the police through rose tinted glasses. The police kill people, target Poc, criminalise the poor and are the tool of the state to suppress dissent.

I can't read this author anymore when he shows such glaring gaps in their understanding of oppression.

I want more please!

I want continuation! second book pls. this book is so funny, well written, and the way it was narrated only made it better!

The Extraoridinaries review by Albert Anness

A breathtaking and absolutely captivating story and I just strained for more until it was finished. Being a kid I f my era I didn't see that many LGBT characters in stories so to read one where the main character is gay is quite refreshing and cool to see and we need more these days. I do like the classic superhero tropes in this and how good guys being seen as bad guys and bad guys as good guys. I also like the plot twist across the story and how it hints everything as the story progresses. I also find the main character interesting as he is a good protagonist in the sense is is so imperfect- immature, a bit self centred and trapped in his own world which makes him rather insufferable but is still a good guy and I also find it interesting seeing an ADHD character and the struggles he faces from his personal life to trauma if the past. It also dives deep into what makes a hero and heroes don't always where capes, some where badges or are still in high school. Overall I would highly recommend this book and have no complaints.

Great fun, but missing an end chapter

Once again Michael Lesley narrates this brilliantly; the story is lively and the characters are fun, but it's heartfelt as well as making you laugh. My only minor niggle is that it misses the short chapter that's after the ackonwledgements in the ebook; it's probably the equivalent of the scene in a film that comes right at the end of the credits, it's short but pretty significant in terms of what it reveals about what might be coming in the next book (although it's not exactly a surprise revelation), and it's annoying that you wouldn't know about it if you don't also had the ebook, as I normally only have one or the other. I can't see any particular reason not to include it? It's a shame as the rest of the narration is great, and I really enjoyed the book overall and have the second one lined up to listen to - but as I don't have the ebook for that one, I'll be wondering what I might have missed come the end.

Everything about this is great

loved this book, fab story, funny, smart and so amazingly well narrated, on to part Two

Brilliantly funny play on fan-fiction and cliche

Funny, teen angsty, LGBT+, superhero relationship story; accompanied by an enjoyable performance. You get what you get and you don't get upset.

Great story, but missing epilogue

I loved this YA. It alternates between being heartbreaking and hilarious. Also, whoever thought to market it as a 'superqueero' needs a raise.
Only downside is that the audio book misses out the epilogue that appears in the hard copy, and that includes a pretty major bombshell.

Really entertaining!

I really enjoyed the story, and the cherry on top was the narrator, who was just fantastic.

Hilariously Brilliant!

T.J. Klune is up there in my top three authors, this book is so funny, laugh out loud, giggling funny, so much so I had to pause the book so I wouldn’t miss any of it whilst laughing. I’m not going to lie, the young adult theme made me slightly hesitant of starting this listen but I needn’t of worried, this is definitely worth a listen. I guarantee laughs!