12 must-read new YA books to cool off with this July

The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune

Did somebody say two TJ Klune books in one year? Following the release of The House in the Cerulean Sea back in January, Klune is releasing The Extraordinaries, a queer YA novel that tackles fandom, mental health, and coming of age all in one go.

The Extraordinaries follows Nick Bell, a fan-fiction writer who might call himself extra, but certainly not extraordinary. Nick decided to change that, however, after meeting someone he admires — and would definitely consider extraordinary. According to the book’s synopsis:

"“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 the reluctant help of Seth Gray, Nick’s best friend (and maybe the love of his life).”"

Any book centered on fandom makes for a fun and quirky summer read, but Nick’s journey sounds like an inspirational mood-booster — with lots of superhero references included. (Or so we can hope.) Anyone looking to dive into Nick’s story can do so in print, ebook, and audiobook format on July 14.