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.

Viola never tried to be anyone but herself. Unless you count ConQuest characters and Twelfth Knight avatars. She knows not everyone will like her, so she doesn’t try to keep anyone around. Jack is the likable star of the football team. His family legacy put a lot of pressure on him. When an injury stops his senior football season, he finds himself confronted by what his life has become. When logging on to Twelfth Knight, Jack and Viola’s online lives collide. Will this unlikely duo come together despite their differences? Or because of them?

I really enjoyed this book! I related to Viola’s attitude and prickliness. It’s not easy being a woman in male dominated spaces. There’s an unfair expectation of how you should act and perform. I was cheering her on in all her “take no sh*t” scenes. I loved all the characters in this book. Olivia, Bash, and Antonia need their own books! The romance was swoonworthy. I liked that it wasn’t a huge focus in the book. Viola and Jack were getting to know each other more than there were mushy scenes. I also liked that the conflict points weren’t huge devastating blow ups. Sometimes romance books go crazy on third act breakups, but this was not one of them. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cute romances that also include personal growth.

Firstly, what a fun coming-of-age read! It is definitely unlike the writing I’m used to from this author’s other pen name. And I mean that in the best way!

I don’t always gravitate to YA novel although this one will hold a special place in my heart. Vi just wants to be seen and to see others. Her unlikely friendship with Jack is one of my favorite elements of the story.

Definitely a good book to read if you like 90’s nostalgia movies, you’re a fandom lover, and you like when mom’s in books have the “I’m not a regular mom. I’m a cool mom!” Vibe! Except Bash and Vi’s mom is pretty cool.

Alexene Farol Follmuth’s Twelfth Night was such a fun YA read! Although I’m not totally familiar with the Shakespeare play of the same name, I think this was a clever take on the story.

Jack Orsino is the high school star football player, president of the student council, and all-around Mr. Popular. Vi Reyes is the high achieving, AP-class taking VP to student council, who is actually running the show.

When Jack’sinjured in a game, a friend encourages him to play the Twelfth Night, a multi-player online role-playing game, where Vihappens to be a top player. She realizes who the new player is and takes him under her wing.

Meanwhile in school, their friendship is also growing as they work together on a school project.

I am a big fan of Vi- she’s often called a bitch - but she’s unapologetic, smart, creative and strong. Her story reminds me of Taylor Jenkins Reed’s Carrie Soto - she’s criticized for things that male characters totally get away with, just because she’s a woman.

Love the misunderstandings, the dialogue, and playfulness of this book. It’s a very PG read if you’re looking for YA that’s not spicy.

If I’m understanding the authors note rifht then this is the first book Alexene wrote and honestly I’m impressed. I loved her other young adult novel and have an equal adoration for this one.

This book centers around nerdy Viola Reyes who has a hard exterior and a whole lot of (honestly, rightful) anger and Jack Orsiono who is a star on their high school football team and has been injured and simultaneously asked for a break from his girlfriend, Olivia and he is also dealing with a more melancholy anger/frustration.

I really adored this book, the characters and their growth within the story and so if this one sounds like it might be up your alley I’d definitely recommend you check it out!

Five stars
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor-teen for the E-ARC (and physical ARC; thanks!) in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was okay. A cute premise and twist on one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, I enjoyed a lot of parts of this, but others I really was not a fan of.

The third act conflict could be seen a mile away and it was still frustrating to see it all actually play out, especially when with all that buildup it didn't last very long - even though the book itself was probably longer than it should have been. There were other, smaller conflicts that had resolutions that were completely unearned, and gone about in ways that made me feel a little sad for Vi.

I really enjoyed Vi's character. Showing her to be a girl who is passionate about what she loves regardless of whether or not she's welcome in the space and being uncompromising about what she wants was wonderful to see. This characterization fell off by a lot as the book went on, however, which was upsetting.

Overall, I wish there had been a bit more consistency. 3/5.