I enjoyed this way more than I thought I was going to, and ended up inhaling it in a matter of hours. The characters are well-rounded and delightful and I liked the way the author uses the play - it's not a beat-for-beat of Twelfth Night, but something unique and delightful. Really loved how Vi and Jack's relationship developed, too. Definitely felt like a callback to all the Shakespearean inspired movies from the 90's and 2000's.

Heat Factor: It’s YA, so kisses with the heel up type of heat

Character Chemistry: The masks they wear allow them to be their true selves with each other

Plot: Twelfth Night but make it a contemporary YA with Jock x Nerd energy

Overall: Very solidly YA, but one I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to the high school crowd

In the first place, this book is a Shakespeare retelling, and in the second, it’s a YA story, so there’s really nothing surprising here. The strength of this book is in the story itself, the setting that speaks to the present moment, and the commitment to the character identities (actually mostly Vi’s identity).

Jack Orsino is the hot man on campus. He’s the football star with a pro future in his sights, and everybody loves him. Viola Reyes is the extremely unlikeable, extremely competent scholar with a love of role playing games.

The Twelfth Night retelling exists in the MMORPG that Vi and Jack play together. Vi inadvertently reveals that she knows who Jack is, and when he calls her on the reveal, she panics and says that she’s her twin brother, Sebastian. Because Bash and Jack have absolutely no crossover at school, and because admitting he plays a MMORPG would be utterly embarrassing to Jack, school and the Twelfth Knight MMORPG become two completely separate worlds, but because both kids know they go to the same school/are the same age, they are also able to open up to each other in the chat.

At the same time, Vi is student body VP to Jack’s president, and the two are constantly thrown together in those roles. Initially, Jack doesn’t understand why Vi isn’t just nicer. He knows from experience that it’s easier to get what he wants if he’s nice to people. But as he watches Vi deal with all her hurdles, he not only sees how she, as a young woman, is expected to perform in society, but he also realizes that his own amiability is largely a mask to protect himself from racism (and, let’s be honest, unpleasant things he doesn’t want to deal with).

Both kids are on their own growth journeys. In the beginning, Jack is injured on the football field, and he has to navigate what his life might look like without football if he loses his scholarship to play in college. Vi’s growth arc feels more significant, but that’s probably just because she’s an unlikeable heroine. Jack and Vi both feel isolated and unseen—Jack because of the weight of expectations and the uncertainty he’s experiencing from the possibility of the loss of his identity, Vi because her abrasiveness makes it difficult for her friends to see why she’s being standoffish, making her ever more standoffish. There’s not a lot of meat to Jack’s journey, honestly, and he spends a lot of time realizing that maybe Vi has a few solid points in all her argumentativeness and irritability.

Vi, though. She’s just difficult. Pure teenager. There’s a great mix of sympathy and irritation for her, because early on she has a run in with a Nice Guy™ and her best friend apologizes for her behavior and tells her that she should just give the guy a date because he’s nice (blech). Then she has a run in with a charismatic douchenozzle who won’t take no for an answer, and when he says Vi can’t take a joke, her best friend again apologizes for her. So. There are some legit reasons for Vi to be salty. At the same time, given the simplest opportunity to express her feelings about what has been happening with her bestie, she…doesn’t. She gets mad and snappy, thinks the friend should maybe have read her mind? And isolates herself more and more. When she makes friends with Jack’s on-a-break-but-why-tho girlfriend, she has plenty of advice about why that girl should be honest and do the right thing, but when faced with her own lies to Jack, she has all the excuses about why that’s a bad idea.

I could continue, but what for? The bottom line is that the teenager is strong in this book, all the way through, making it a really solid book for a brain that’s developing in a similar way. Normally I’d be frustrated by that, but either I’m becoming more chill in my old age, or the dimensions of the narrative and consistency of the characters just worked. The game, real life, the mistakes, the apologies, the growth were all so engaging. And, in the end, Jack and Vi didn’t change who they were, they just grew up a little bit. Good stuff.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

This was delightful!! A contemporary YA rom-com that is riffing on Shakespeares Twelfth Night, but making it very geeky.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

This book follows Viola and Jack as they navigate the gaming world and fall for each other. Okay, I know I am late with this review, however, I am DNFing this book. I picked up the audiobook, and I am stopping at 4%. For now, I will leave this book alone. I want to return to it, but I do not think anytime soon. I know this book will work well for the targeted age group. I did enjoy Alexene's previous book.

Twelfth Knight was such a fun surprise—sharp, romantic, and packed with witty banter that had me smiling more than once. The Shakespearean inspiration is clear, but it never feels forced; instead, it adds a clever layer to what is, at its core, a heartfelt and entertaining contemporary romance.

The chemistry between the leads is electric, with just the right balance of tension, miscommunication, and slow-burn payoff. I especially loved the modern twist on mistaken identities and how the characters were given space to grow—not just in their relationships, but individually too. The emotional beats hit harder than I expected, and the dialogue sparkled throughout.

It’s not a perfect read—some of the plot twists felt a little predictable, and one or two side characters could’ve used more development—but honestly, those are small quibbles in an otherwise delightful story.

If you’re in the mood for something smart, romantic, and just a little dramatic (in the best Shakespearean way), Twelfth Knight delivers. A strong 4 stars from me!

(4.5 Stars)

This was SO much fun and such a pleasant surprise! I know the author of this book also writes adult books under the pen name "Olivie Blake," and readers tend to find her books fairly polarizing overall. But much to my surprise, at least when it comes to her YA contemporary fanfiction, I found this story to be an absolutely knockout. It's such an entertaining and refreshingly modern spin on Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" that pays loving homage to the source material while at the same time being unfraid to branch out on its own and explore questions and themes that will really resonate with modern-day teens and address their modern-day concerns.

I absolutely loved the writing in this story. It was so personable, delightfully voice-y, and distinctive. Each character had a strong personality that was perfectly captured in their respective voices. It took me back to my own adolescence and reminded me of what it felt like to read a "Princess Diaries" novel from Meg Cabot — which is to say a book with a cheeky, 100-miles-a-minute, deeply personal and confessional narrative voice that feels like reading a note from a close friend.

I also love what the story has to say about being unapologetically yourself, not being afraid to show up for yourself when other people can't or won't, while at the same time realizing that you can absolutely let people in without sacrificing your sense of indepedence. This story is a humorous, zany, entertaining comedy of errors, but it's also deeply vulnerable and emotional, and gives the characters space to grow without sacrificing the truth of who they are, which can be a very hard line to walk.

By the end of this book, I was absolutely blown away by what this story was able to accomplish, and I find myself eager to read more from this author — as either Alexene and Olivie!

This book brings gamer goodness nostalgia to my inner teen nerd. A modern YA retelling of Shakespeares Twelfth Night with a gender bending twist. I adored the chemistry between Viola and Jack. This is a sweet coming-of-age love story between a gamer girl and a football player. Loved it!

this was so so cute! i very much love a grumpy x sunshine moment and this really hit the spot for me! i love nerd love

It was a moving and delightful story that I was so happy be able to review sadly I missed the time to review it when it first came out, truly a great and heartwarming love story between to characters that deserved the world and found their happy ending with each other

Long overdue feedback! A fun, fast-paced YA rom-com with great banter and a smart twist on Twelfth Night. The rivals-to-lovers dynamic was super satisfying, and the secret identity angle added just the right amount of drama. A solid, charming read—perfect if you’re in the mood for something light and clever.

Twelfth Knight is a fun contemporary romance with Shakespearean flair. I loved how the author mimicked Shakespeare in her writing style. Fans of Shakespearean retellings like 10 Things I Hate About You and other contemporary romance will definitely enjoy this book.

Thank you to the author, Alexene Farol Follmuth, and Tor Publishing Group for an advanced copy of Twelfth Night!

Alexene Farol Follmuth's TWELFTH KNIGHT was a very creative take on the Shakespearean classic. While the retelling felt original, there was a spark in the story that was missing for me. That being said, Follmuth makes the story current and relatable. There will be plenty of readers who will enjoy this.

"Twelfth Knight" by Alexene Farol Follmuth is an absolute gem! This modern twist on Shakespeare’s classic Twelfth Night is full of humor, heart, and a touch of drama that’ll keep you hooked. The characters are relatable and quirky, and the story hits just the right balance of fun and depth. Big thanks to the publisher for the ARC! I’ve already added a copy to my library system. If you’re a fan of contemporary retellings or just enjoy a good romantic comedy with a Shakespearean twist, this one’s a must-read! Highly recommend it!

This was a fresh take on Twelfth Night and for that, I commend it. It was interesting and well done, especially as modern retellings go.

But boy did this one fall flat for me. It was hard to get invested in the characters aside from knowing how things were going to shake out because, you know, Twelfth Night. I did keep having to remind myself which Shakespeare this was based on because there was a lot of Taming of the Shrew in here, which…. not the best. Based on other reviews, a lot of people found Vi’s character unbearable. I have a hard time saying that FMCs are unbearable because I think that’s a pitfall. But here, I thought it seemed more to be aligning with Shrew than Night, and that’s not a good thing.

I do love when Shakespeare is modernized for teens though. More of that always.

This was a cute story about two "rivals" (really a one-sided rivalry) coming to find they get along through playing a World of Warcraft/Runescape type game online together. Great for teen fans of videogames, fantasy, DND, and romance stories.

I'm truly sorry I was able to read this in time. But the little I did read, I absolutely was hooked! I can't wait to go out and buy this book and review it. Thank you for the chance to be able to read this lovely book.

This was a quick book to read, but I just couldn’t for the life of me connect to any of the characters. I love other works similar to this and was so hyped to see how it would go, it just didn’t live up to my standards, but it was still nice. It could be due to the fact that I’m not super into gaming and so it just seemed very . . . flat? to me. Also, Jack just doesn’t seem all that romantic for being someone that proclaims to be a romantic or whatnot. More specifically, the romance aspect of the book just wasn’t there and could’ve been developed much better.

Viola is kind of a bitch, and that's the way she likes it. It keeps her safe, especially in the gaming world. Jack had his life turned upside down due to an on the field tackle that completely destroyed his knee (multiple tears), They have nothing in common, until Jack begs for help in playing a popular online video game from someone that he thinks is a guy, but is Viola in reality.

This is a cute adaptation of Twelfth Night play, with an homage to the She's The Man movie, and features some really cute moments between Viola and Jack, as well as some heated moments that you got to see Viola's softer sides, and Jack's non-jock dude bro moments.

If you are looking for a fun read, that does touch on some of the sexism that is found in fandoms, but also is a good adaptation of a very fun play, then I recommend this one.

Absolutely excellent retelling of the classic play that breathes new life into the tale. Both fans of Shakespeare and those who have no clue about the original will easily enjoy this punchy, feminist, nerdy YA contemporary romance that explores being a girl/women within gaming and firmly places two protagonists of color at the center of gaming and nerd culture. There were several moments that had me laughing out loud, and I loved the depth of relationships between characters that we get to gradually see build as the story progresses. Beautifully done.

A very easy to read Twelfth night retelling with some of my favourite tropes. A slow burn, enemies to lovers Shakespearean retelling - what more could I ask for!