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cats33's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, and Dysphoria
Minor: Emotional abuse, Transphobia, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, and War
thecandiegirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent
cj13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual content, Violence, and Death of parent
tea_at_mole_end's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Gun violence, Police brutality, and Murder
bibliomania_express's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book was amazing.
It really delves deep into family, community, love, and the absolute desire to make the world a better place in the face of misinformation and hate. And yes, there are quintessentially Nick Bell scenes, but as with the previous books they worked so well because Klune has a master's degree in hormonal ADHD teen boy that made even the most cringey hilarious scenes so genuine. I adore the friendship between Nick, Seth, Gibby, and Jazz. I adore the Dad Squad. Even Burrito Jerry was a fun addition to this book.
And really, this book has everything - outlandish plots with nuanced characters, discussions of grief, responsibility, misuse of power, abuse, misinformation, and Black justice. It has families both blood and found. It has doubts, insecurities, and mistakes, but also bravery, apologies, and forgiveness.
It also does some clever things. This book takes advantage of the time between the publication of the second book and this one - memories of events are fuzzy for the reader, and likewise Nick is struggling to sort out events and see through the fog to the truth. Or, should I say, The Truth 😉
And yes, there are some clichéd things, some jokes that were a bit too on the nose, and some manor instances of oversharing, but on the whole this book is a wild and enjoyable superhero story that manages to be touching, serious, nuanced, and surprising.
And then! And then there's the adorable post-credit scene (don't go missing the post-credit scenes in these books because they are great!). Really, these books are a queer love letter to superhero media.
Phew.
So, obviously, five stars.
Moderate: Sexual content and Violence
Minor: Child abuse, Excrement, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
20sidedbi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Cursing, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, and Classism
Minor: Child abuse, Racism, and Police brutality
i_readsandbujos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
cluckieduck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Overall, a satisfying conclusion to the series and my favourite book of the three.
It started quite confusingly and I thought I had missed something important linked to what was revealed in the epilogue of book two, but once that got sorted out things flowed a bit better with the narrative.
Nick showed a lot of growth and I appreciated how his arc was handled, especially with his ADHD (though I guess not all that surprising considering TJ’s own experiences). I loved how his relationship with Seth was further solidified and you can really grasp their love for one another.
A bit of a deus ex machina ending, but it was cute so I won’t complain too much 😉
Graphic: Gun violence, Torture, Violence, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Xenophobia, Vomit, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content
asipofcozy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
However, I can always count on Klune to get me out of a rut with his books. There is just something about his narration, his characters, and the worlds that he creates that draws me in. And out of all his characters, Jazz, Gibby, Simon, and Nick are by far my favorite. Every time I went into this trilogy I was filled with anticipation of reading about this group of friends, a group that I felt myself become a part of with each book.
So coming to the end of this wonderful trilogy was bittersweet for me.
Usually, I write a long-ass review but today just is not that day (I stayed up late finishing this). However, I do want to say...don't be me. I didn't realize there was a WHOLE chapter after the acknowledgments in Flash Fire, and let me tell you, I was hella confused at the beginning of Heat Wave until I finally decided I must be missing something and went back to the last book. I felt so silly!
Graphic: Mental illness and Violence
Moderate: Death and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Child abuse, Racism, and Police brutality
rachelfayreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Violence, and Grief