ARC REVIEW
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Teen for the ARC of Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth!

Alexene Farol Follmuth is 2/2 for outstanding YA novels. I was already a fan of her first, My Mechanical Romance, so when I found out that there was an ARC for her sophomore YA novel, i was ECSTATIC to get the opportunity to read it before the release! It’s safe to say I was NOT disappointed, in fact, I think Twelfth Knight might be even better (and that’s not a light statement).

I genuinely believe no one has written strong female characters so well without giving them the “pick me” vibes, which can be so frustrating to read. Viola “Vi” Reyes is quite literally the opposite of a “pick me” girl, she is an unapologetic, smart, witty, creative badass who clearly never needed a love interest but she also never expected Jack “Duke” Orsino.

Jack is also not your typical MMC, in the best way possible. I’m not used to reading about male people pleasers but it’s honestly so refreshing and it makes sense for his character. I also love that unlike everyone else, Jack actually sees and understands Vi in a way that so many people don’t because they just assume she’s a bitch. I also can’t help but LOVE the jock turned nerd pipeline in this story.

But Twelfth Knight is not just a love story, it’s a story about truly finding who you are, finding friendship in unlikely places, and the unfortunate reality many women (including myself), constantly face, for basically anything we do, say, or enjoy.

I cannot recommend enough that you pick up Twelfth Knight on May 28th!

This was a fun premise! I think I'm not the biggest fan of olivie blake's writing, but this one's RPG vibes were really fun!!

This book was a doozy. It seemed like the perfect book! I love Shakespeare retellings, and Twelfth Night is a notoriously queer play, and the two main characters are BIPOC? Sign me up. But this? This was a Trainwreck. Vi was absolutely unlikeable. She bashes all her so called friends and then gets mad when they dare to oppose her on anything? She is mean, vindictive, and acts because she thinks she deserves to act the way she does because she's a woman and it's not fair how women get treated, especially women of color. She's right. To an extent. But there's only so much right you can be before you veer off into such wrongness that it makes it hard to care about your character. And Jack? Woof. And not in the good way. He needs to take no for an answer. If his girlfriend breaks up with him, that's that. Clearly she doesn't want to be together. Stop trying to win her back, dude! Both of them were seriously unlikeable and that made the entire plot go down the drain. Not to mention Vi using her brother's identity so Jack won't treat her shitty, and then letting it go as far as Jack trusting her brother with his thoughts and feelings on his moment with Vi and her replying "Well she's her own person" knowing DAMN well that she isn't her brother and she's basically catfishing Jack. My god. What a mess. I also don't like the nickname Bash for someone named Sebastian. Gross.

Alexene Farol Follmuth's YA writing is always such a delight and I would say that Twelfth Knight is just as good as her previous YA novel. The character development is fantastic, you come to understand why the characters are the way they are and you get to see them grow along the way. The writing is well done and keeps your attention the entire time. The writing is smart and doesn't dumb itself down for a YA audience and I think that's very beautiful. Overall, a fantastic YA read!

Twelfth Knight is cute and charming. I almost always enjoy a Shakespeare retelling and this one is a fun twist.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

The main character was so insufferable I couldn't get through it. While I appreciate that that was sort of the point -- young women don't have to be likable to be worthy of respect -- it still makes for quite an exhausting read.

I haven’t read Twelfth Night, but I’ve watched She’s the Man enough times to get the gist of the storyline and I think this retelling did a good job updating the story for a modern setting. It hits on all the main plot points and does so in a new, refreshing way that makes sense for the characters and storyline. It was clever to use a video game avatar to be the “male” disguise for Viola and I appreciate how the author adapted Olivia's character. I also love when characters from different “social” circles find a way to get along so Jack learning to love video games and Vi learning that popular jock doesn’t mean he’s an idiot was lovely for their character dynamics.

I love the nerd culture in this book. Reading this made me really want to play video games and create cosplay and attend a convention and just participate in all the fun nerdy things. It all felt super relatable and realistic and reminded me of Geekerella, which I adore. I also appreciate the way the author handled the treatment of women when it comes to nerd culture. This book has just the right balance of feminist themes without bashing all men.

The story does include the miscommunication/lying trope and while I can’t stand that, I know it was for the plot so it can be forgiven in this instance. I just really wanted to grab Vi and tell her to just talk to Jack already (much like Sebastian does in the book). But overall, this is a fun, diverse retelling for a new generation of readers.

Twelfth Knight is Alexene Farol Follmuth's sophomore YA novel. In the Shakespeare retelling, the author, who also writes for adults under the name of Olivie Blake, creates a story focusing on two characters, Violet and Jack, in a grumpy-sunshine dynamic, with an exploration of fandom culture. Follmuth thrives in a rival-rival setting and proves to have a fresh voice in the YA scene. They create a thoroughly engaging plot that sometimes gets lost in its own technicality. I believe this story serves better for those who are into sports like football and are engaged in fandom culture, especially those of video games.


Thank you to the publishers for an arc and the chance to review the book.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Viola (Vi) doesn't need any more hassle in her life but everyone seems to be out to annoy her.

Her friends have completely ignored her ideas for their (definitely not DND) tabletop game. Even her best friend won't side with her.

At school she has to put up with Jack, star American Football player, and his complete lack of effort as Student Body President. She's fed up with his lazy charm and having to do his work for him.

Her only escape is the online game Twelfth Knight but, knowing what she does about how girls can be treated in these games, she has chosen to make her life easier by creating a masculine character. At least here she can escape Jack...

... until a football injury leads him to the world of online games and their characters soon come across each other. The many hours of gaming together turn into deeper conversation and they realise that they've become more important to each other than they anticipated.

In the "real world" they are getting to know each other too but Vi has been keeping the truth from him and now real feelings are involved. How can she tell him the truth without losing him?

A cute enemies-to-lovers storyline written as a modern-day version of a Shakespeare play. A bit tropey in parts but a decent read.

3.5

I'm starting to think I'm aging out of YA fiction. While the premise of this book was something I normally adored - there was something about the characters I just didn't love. The FMC felt like she was above the world and always right, and I love a headstrong woman, it just rubbed me the wrong way. There were definitely cute moments in this book - I loved the nerdiness of it all - but it wasn't enough to bump a higher rating.

I think my rating is more a this is on me, not the book - but I simply didn't love this.


Thank you Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review,.

“The game isn’t the dice. It’s who’s with you at the table.”

Twelfth Knight was absolute YA perfection. As someone who came of age in the early 2000s, this felt so incredibly reminiscent of that time. It brought me back twenty years to my own high school days and trying to navigate what felt like complex social structures why also figuring out who I was.

This is why Vi made such a beautiful and wonderful main character. She felt so familiar and relatable. From figuring out teenage interpersonal relationships to not wanting people to know everything she was into for fear of not being taken seriously felt so familiar.

Jack Orsino, the popular football player, made such a great juxtaposition to VI’s leading part. He showed the other side of the coin, while also learning that he was more than just a sport that he played. He had to learn that he had layers, and depth, and that plans can change.

Twelfth Knight was full of self-discovery, growth, and so much nerdiness in terms of an online game that brought two completely different people and their orbits together. The pages spent detailing the quests of the game were so fun and addictive that this one was hard to put down.

This book was an absolute delight. I know that if I loved it, someone far removed from their high school years, that this one should be loved by the target demographic. I hope that they can see themselves in these pages and know that they are wonderful just the way that they are.

Just like My Mechanical Romance this was a sweet coming of age romance about being true to yourself, embracing what you love, and opening up to others. If you like YA romance you must add this to your list!

Our FMC Vi refuses to fit into anyone’s mold of who she should be as a woman, nerd, or minority. Our MMC is the jock football star, handsome and well loved with the cheerleader girlfriend, until a bad play has him on the couch all season after an ACL tear. What ensues is a clashing of two teens who couldn’t seem more different, but maybe there is more than meets the eye if they only take the time to see it.

This one was just so fun for me as a gamer and nerdy girl, I wish I had this as a teen. I related to Vi a lot and the things she experiences in that space (I too chose neutral gamer tags and kept myself off voice chats). Jack, while likable, but I wasn’t as invested in him as Vi but he still had a great arc. The romance doesn’t really hit until 50% + and it did feel a bit slow at times, but it paid off for a wonderful ending with HEALTHY communication through misunderstandings. Bonus points for dealing with some deeper topics of toxic masculinity, especially in the fandom/gaming space!

Overall, I think I liked My Mechanical Romance more but still thoroughly enjoyed this one. Highly recommend for the YA romance lovers and my fellow nerds!

5 stars for the shade this book throws at the Game of Thrones finale.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Teen for the eARC of this absolute gem!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Teen for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts

Honestly, I'm so embarrassed that I own multiple Alexene Farol Follmuth (Olivie Blake) books and the first one I decided to pick up was this ARC, because if this is any indication for how much I'm going to love the other books... there's a big storm coming!!!

Twelfth Knight is all the best parts of 90s and 00s high school romcoms in one hilariously, witty book-sized package. Vi and Jack are such great characters to write as quasi-academic rivals to lovers/hate to love because they are so set in their ways in the beginning that you can't possibly imagine it working out in the end. But AFF did the thing.

Every single beat of this story worked. I couldn't stop turning pages. I finished this book and immediately wanted to start my own D&D adventure. It was a fun, funky, and fresh YA romance that is perfect for anyone looking for a book with 90s romcom vibes.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of this book!

4.5/5 Stars

General Description: Jack Orsino was set to play college ball, until a knee injury took him out of his senior year. His friend recommended the only game Twelfth Knight. On there, he meets a play who he thinks is Viola Reyes' twin brother. However, it's actually Viola. And Viola does not like Jack Orsino. As VP to his President, Viola believes Jack is lazy, uninterested in anything, and only cares about football. When Viola gets to learn more about Jack through the game and through his actions at school, Viola isn't sure she's always known the real Jack Orsino, but does Viola actually want Jack to know her? As their relationship blossoms in real life, can Viola continue to keep their online relationship a secret?

The good:
- The lore of Twelfth Knight the game is something I'd read on it's own. I love that we essentially get two worlds in this book, one fantasy and one contemporary.
- Jack Orsino's character development after an injury felt extremely real, especially as someone who had knee surgery, and it added a depth to Jack I wasn't expecting.
- Viola's snarky character was consistent throughout and while that may make people not like her, I appreciated her candor and her own reflection throughout the book.
- I love a good catfish trope (not sure if that's what it's called, but it feels right to me)

The loss of a half star:
- There is conflict resolution in this book, but knowing both Jack and Vi, I was surprised how the resolution happened. It threw me off enough that I put the book down and wasn't necessarily inclined to finish it (but I did).

Overall: If you're looking for a YA romance that centers around a video game, you should already have pre-ordered this.

“You,” I inform him, “are the bane of my existence, Jack Orsino.” “As you are mine,” he assures me, and shuts my door for me.

Twelfth Knight is a Shakespeare retelling that sparks the perfect balance of high school awkwardness, sports culture, and all things RPG/video games/D&D/cosplay. No one is too cool to be a nerd in this story!

I absolutely loved Viola and Jack—and thought that this modern spin on Twelfth Night was timely, well done, and relatable.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

There is something about her writing that will get me every single time. Alexene has a way of writing characters and plots that sit in my brain for days and days and days. I have quotes written in various journals and imprinted into my mind and this book was no different. I absolutely adored the modern Shakespearean take on Twelfth Night. Please please go read this book! It is the perfect little Spring read!!

DNF-ing at 20%. I can't read any more of Vi's holier than thou attitude without wanting to throw myself off a cliff.

Really well written and fantastic concept! That being said I did not read the entirety of the book - I felt like I was in a reading slump and this book was not something that I was being drawn towards continuing.

I really liked the story of "nerds" finding their place in an online space, it felt incredibly relatable! Also thank you for addressing that women are sometimes forced to pretend to be men online because if it's revealed that they're women they'll be treated differently. It's such a real- life thing and it was nice to see that represented in a book.

When out of the reading slump I will definitely be picking this up again because it was genuinely interesting and well developed.

I love this book! The romance was so good and I really liked the story overall about letting people in. It was entertaining and fun to read. I also thought the ending was really sweet.
I first picked up this book because I liked the synopsis. I have also read good things about the author. When I started reading it I was unsure about the main characters, Viola Reyes and Jack Orsino, but the more I read, the more I liked them. I ended up loving them. They had good character development. I enjoyed watching them grow as characters. I also liked the side characters, especially Bash, Vi’s twin brother.
The romance was so cute!!! The characters had so much chemistry and banter. I enjoyed all of their interactions and found myself smiling at them sometimes. It is slow burn, which I really loved. You got to see them change their opinions of each other.
The story started very descriptive and I really liked how it set the scene and introduced me to the characters through what they like and are passionate about. It also made me envision the scene and feel like I was there. I really like that this book is dual POV because I enjoyed seeing this story played out through both of their perspectives. The writing was really nice too. I found the book easy to read.
Overall my favorite thing about this book is the relationship because their banter together was great and had me smiling to myself. The story was good and entertaining, I found there were times where I couldn’t put down the book. I recommend this book to anyone searching for a good YA rom com that is fun and cute and also looking for a good coming of age story.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an E-arc of this title!

While this book had a lot of potential to do an interesting retelling of one of Shakespeare's most interesting plays, it fell into so many stereotypes, particularly with Viola, and was so frustrating it was hard to make my way through it. Viola was a stereotypical feminist teenager who was harsh to everyone around her, and I just could not feel sympathy for her since she was so unlikeable. I often like an unlikeable woman character, but Viola just made me angry because she was so rude to everyone around her, even her friends.

The romance itself was good, and I liked the video game aspect of the retelling. This was a fairly clear retelling that will probably be compelling to those who love Twelfth Night and are teenagers.