![]() ![]() His best friend Seth has been missing in action over the summer, and now back at school, Nick is struggling to reconnect with this boy who has long been his secret crush (not helped by Nick writing a lot of slightly smutty fan fic about an Extraordinary called Shadow Star). Couple Jazz and Gibby tell him when he is taking things too far and follow him down erratic pathways. Luckily, Nick is surrounded by loyal and straight-talking friends. His brain is just wired to ignore consequences and sometimes makes dangerous decisions that should scare most people. Because Nick’s inability to filter himself, his reckless, impulsive side is sometimes a bit scary. His very supportive father is an adorable inclusion into the narrative as a person who tries hard to protect Nick, while giving him freedom, but also demanding more. ![]() He’s ADHD, a total geek boy, a totally gay geek boy, and the grief from his mother’s death hangs over him like a heavy cloud. There is a big nod to lots of fun pop cultural elements: fan fiction and superheroes but as well there is an intense emotional arc that, while swerving a little too close to sentimental, also reflects a strong sense of questioning identity for young people-am I good enough the way I am? Klune’s first foray into YA fiction is a bold exuberant celebration of all things queer and geeky. ![]()
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