Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

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.

Review:

I know I'm late to the party, but wow!  T.J. Klune  writes an entertaining novel.  I loved The House in the Cerulean Sea, but the Extraordinaries series is just amazing.  While the Extraordinaries introduced readers to a world where super-heroes are real, Flash Fire tackles real-life issues of police brutality, and the use of drugs to "cure" certain behaviors.  I loved both the teenage characters (mostly LGBTQ+ representation), and their parents.  And the relationship between Nick and Seth is really sweet and inspiring.  In the background, there is a nefarious scheme that we finally start to understand.  Given the tremendous cliffhanger at the end of Flash Fire, I can't wait to read the next book.

What I Liked:

Characters:

Nick is such a fun character.  Even though he has a very supportive father, he has many challenges.  Nick faces mixed messages regarding his ADHD.  At times, people seem to discount Nick's behavior as a product of his "condition".  Then, later, his friends are reassuring Nick that his ADHD is a wonderful, unique part of his personality.  This must have been really frustrating for him.  I rooted for Nick to be taken seriously, for him to put his heart on the line for Seth, and for him to be happy.

Nick's father is a policeman who has a flawed past.  Losing his temper years ago, he assaulted a suspect and was demoted from detective to street cop.  It was more of a slap of the wrist, considering his conduct.  And this story addresses this privilege.  I liked that Nick's dad faces Gibby (who is black) and her parents to start to take responsibility for his actions.  But Nick's dad has also done other questionable things that he has to confront. If I were Nick, I don't know if I could forgive him.

We already know that Seth is an Extraordinary, and he takes this as a serious responsibility, (and a burden).  Seth can's be there every time someone's in trouble.  But, how does one decide who will get your help?  This really haunts him.  He also starts to resent how he can' be just a regular teenager and have fun.  This was completely understandable.  What Seth is able to do is know how precious life is.  His heart is open, and he loves Nick unreservedly.   

Themes:

Besides addressing the role of police (a very timely topic), I really liked how the author examines ADHD.  He absolutely affirms that this is condition that makes Nick wonderful and unique.  But some of the characters often lose their patience with Nick, and don't appreciate how he has so many thoughts going on at once.  There are also characters that see ADHD as a burden, who want to "cure" people who have it.  It makes me so sad that people look at kids with ADHD, or Autism, and see something that needs to be fixed.  Is this because they see these conditions as an inconvenience or a burden?  Or do they truly believe that people with ADHD can't lead happy, productive lives?  I think the author (and I, myself) see ADHD, Autism, and other conditions, as just another variation of someone's personality.  Yes, there are challenges, but I hope that people can be accepted for who they are, at this moment, and not have someone try to "fix" them.

Okay, I'll stop preaching now.  

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  July 13, 2021

Author: T.J. Klune

Publisher:  Tor Teen

Genre:  YA Contemporary Fantasy

Page Length:  384 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  For humor, romance, and a mix of serious issue, this book can't be beat.  I loved it!