*rounded up from 3.5 ⭐️s*

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and The publisher & after being in a bit of a reading slump I was excited to finish the book. :)

First, the premise- we’ve got a retelling of Twelfth Night w/ a You’ve Got Mail-like premise featuring YA characters thrown into a gamer setting. Seriously, this was enough to grab my attention & request the book. The MCs (Vi and Duke/Jack) have a grumpy/sunshine relationship at school where they are both on the student council and gamer and all around geek Vi is chilly at best to Jack (the star of the football team) but outside of school they find themselves teaming up in the gaming world of The Twelfth Knight. The big problem? Jack thinks Vi is her brother Bash.

Now onto what I loved:
♥️ the gaming elements & the con and cosplay subplots
♥️ the banter & dialogue of the characters
♥️ the chemistry (once the romance started) was fantastic
♥️ fun side characters
♥️ stakes that fit w/ the characters’ age and life stages
♥️ the discourse surrounding toxicity and misogyny in the gaming world

What I didn’t love:
❌ We had A LOT of conflict. With almost every single side character and the MCs. Too much & there wasn’t enough time to do them all justice
❌ the misogyny in the gaming world plot became so insignificant it wasn’t even a subplot anymore when it should’ve been a main point
❌ the characters’ race & physical appearance was not described well & left ambiguous or left up to be determined by the reader based on very small details for both of the MCs
❌ The religious commentary in one point took me out of the story & seemed odd. I ended up skimming it and moving on.

*SPOILER AHEAD*
❌ The dismissal of the FMC’s perspective & experiences by the MMC in the resolution of the story without any clarification from the author. IE: You’re an angry girl & you need to be nicer to people, it doesn’t matter that you’ve been harassed and bullied online b/c you’re a girl. You lied and you owe me an apology but I don’t owe you any empathy. The MMC even acknowledges all that she experienced in his internal dialogue when the final conflict happens and yet gets mad anyway and never once lets her know that he understands or that her problems were valid.


It was a fun read all in all but I really feel like it could’ve been a much stronger story if it had been changed a bit to focus on one or two conflicts instead of four or five.

This book is a winner! I've never read a character that so accurately describes my high school experiences. Follmuth accurately portrays the challenges faced by girls like Viola in male-dominated spaces and high school, and how people handle those situations in different ways. The pain and anger Viola experiences are so real and well-written, highlighting the struggle of being smart but disregarded and ignored because of her gender. Viola grapples with expressing her emotions, especially anger. The book explores how societal expectations often limit girls’ emotional range especially rage. The novel also emphasizes the importance of pursuing one’s passions and interests, and finding joy in them. It also deals with overcoming challenges and adversities, and how they can sometimes lead to new opportunities. Follmuth's book is an adorable romance that is a definite winner!

Shakespeare meets YA meets role-playing games (RPGs) in the latest book from Alexene Farol Follmuth.

Jack Orsino is at the top of his game. He’s killing it at football; he’s dating a cheerleader; he has a scholarship to his top choice for college; and everyone adores him—everyone except Viola Reyes, that is. Jack is on top-of-the-world.

And then he suffers a knee injury. And his girlfriend wants to take a break.

What is he supposed to do now that his life isn’t football, football, football with some time with Olivia mixed in.

It seems like Viola Reyes picks up the slack for everyone. Things need to get done; someone needs to do them; and Viola has systems and methods in place for everything. She comes off as prickly, but really, she’s “‘just a marshmallow with spikes.’”

When Jack, president of the Associate Student Body, strikes a deal with Viola to actually work on the events hosted by the student government in exchange for her helping him with Olivia, she agrees. He should be doing those things anyway, and Viola is partnering with Olivia for a class project. Jack and Viola begin to spend time together.

And when Jack starts playing an online RPG, called "Twelfth Knight," he doesn’t know that the other player he partners with on the quests, C354R10, is really Viola. He assumes he’s playing with another guy, and Viola leads him to believe his game partner is her twin, Sebastian. The two open up to each other even more from behind their screens.

I’m always impressed by how this author captures the teenage experience—the frustrations and the hurts, the friendships, being on the precipice of finishing high school and heading off to college, young love, growth, and new horizons. I enjoyed the mashup of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night with the RPG that pulls the Arthurian legend into play, too.

It’s a coming-of-age love story, with an unlikely pairing of teens that help each other to grow. It shows that people don’t fit neatly into boxes or under specific labels. The jocks can also be gamers. The cheerleaders can be in AP classes. The driven, Type A student has other sides.

Read it for the diverse cast, the queer representation, and the feminist perspective.

4.5⭐️

I had an advance copy of the ebook from Tor Teen and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

[book:Twelfth Knight: A Reese's Book Club Pick|198536668] by [author:Alexene Farol Follmuth|21814879]is a fun, quick, and get summer read. Viola Reyes is misunderstood by many and doesn’t seem to care. She is independent, strong, determined, and often chooses to do life on her terms. After being shot down by her peers on a game campaign, she is over the misogyny. Viola’s best friend feels the key to being “likable” is to just be nice, allow others to win, and say yes more often to things. Viola turns to her favorite MMORG, Twelfth Knight, where she has created a masculine character that is a badass, to escape. She uses this space as a safe space where she can just be herself—even though she isn’t presenting herself as herself.
Jack Orsino is a star running back who is injured and out for the season. Football has defined him for his entire life as a legacy member of the Orsino family. He is having relationship problems with his—maybe girlfriend. He is learning how to deal with the what-ifs about his career, his life, and his dreams. He is pointed in the direction of also playing Twelfth Knight. He finds the escape into this fantasy world that leads him to see how even video games can be like football.
What I love about this young adult book is that it provides you with depth and perspective as an adult. You see the struggles and the conflicts; you root for the characters to break out of some of those societal stereotypes. You get to see the positive sides of being strong, and smart, and the use of influence in a positive manner. You see growth, forgiveness, and opportunities. At times the decisions that were made did feel a little mature for kids who typically don’t have that type of forward thinking. Overall, I truly enjoyed the book and strongly recommend it!

"There's nothing else you get to keep or take with you except the relationships you have. The way you love, the love you give, that matter".

Thank you Netgallery and Tor Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this ARC.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy. This book is out now!

I really enjoyed this one! After reading the acknowledgments the author does discuss how this is more of a coming of age story and a story of anger and who’s allowed to be angry with romance as a cherry on top! This makes sense with the pacing of the novel which was a bit slow at the start. The character development is strong because of it though.

This book gives so much nostalgia of movies like Cinderella Story (online communication, football, hidden identity) and She’s the Man (which this one is a DUH because they are both based on the same Shakespearean work).

I love the way the author establishes and then subverts classic stereotypes of characters(jock, geek, feminist, etc) and does so in a way that makes sense. I appreciated the thoughts on women in typically male dominated spaces and what we often go through because of it. I highly recommend this dual POV, coming of age romance!

Vibes:
The Man by Taylor Swift
Female Rage ™️
Cinderella Story/She’s the Man vibes
Football
Video games
Table top RPG
Slow burn & tension
Great side characters

Only Olivie Blake can write a YA novel about role-playing gamers and football stars and still fill it with top-notch banter, betrayal, shakespearean quips and a relatable, romantic underdog to root for.

I was hesitant when I got this ARC because it is seniors in high school, and I am 34 so I thought hmm not much for me to relate to, but boy was I surprised. (Then I thought to myself, why am I surprised? Olivie Blake’s writing is phenomenal, regardless of the subject matter.) I laughed so much and genuinely just had a great time throughout this whole read.

Blake weaves topics of toxic masculinity—especially in the online gaming world—as well as other important themes into this romantic comedy seamlessly. Her talent truly knows no bounds and I would recommend this book to any and everyone who is looking for a fun read with stellar writing.

I love Twelfth Night retellings, so I knew this book would be for me. In this book I think my favorite part was actually the friendship that grew between Viola and Olivia.

The MPRPG was so fun, I really liked the hidden identity piece done in this way. Highly recommend this book for ya romance lovers, or Shakespeare retelling lovers.

I love that I could feel the frustration of having to deal with someone like Vi Reyes because I wanted to slap her most of the time but when she and Jack get closer in the video game they're playing, I enjoyed their interactions more and it was fun to have a sunshine guy and grumpy girl because we don't see it often! Overall, an interesting read!

After reading My Mechanical Romance and loving it, I had high hopes for Twelfth Knight - and I was not disappointed!! Alexene does it again!

While I understand most people's annoyance with Vi's character, I also saw the angry and hurt side of her that led to her character's decisions. My emotionally avoidant ass understood her immediately, and I'm so happy to see characters that are more complex appear in YA novels. As was a familiar theme in Mechanical Romance, Vi also faces sexism in her field of MMORPG. So much so that she takes on a male persona to play in peace. What happens when she befriends Jack online while bickering with him IRL? Well, that's half the fun of this book - watching how that all unfolds!

Twelfth Knight is about letting down your walls, letting people see the real you, and trusting that they will still accept and love you for who you are. I loved the gaming aspects, and while not a MMORPG player myself, it makes me want to get back into cozy gaming haha! Jack and Viola are joined by a wonderful cast of characters who are as endearing, flawed, and unique as they are. All in all, I will for sure be keeping an eye on all of Alexene's YA books as I believe I've found a new favorite!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. Twelfth Knight is perfect for those who enjoy a classic retelling. The main character Viola was very much high school me to the point of me questioning if the author found my high school diary!

Twelfth Knight is a perfect coming-of-age story that combines romance and "real life". You'll follow along whether you're a seasoned gamer or new to the gaming world.

Lastly, one of the best lines:
"I just think that maybe happiness isn’t crossing a finish line, or finally meeting the right person or getting the right job or finding the right life. It’s the little things."

“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.

Viola Reyes is going through it — between her lackadaisical tabletop campaign, creeps at the RenFaire telling her to "smile more", and picking up the slack of the oblivious Student Body President. Her only solace comes in the form of her favorite online video game, a community who hasn't been girl-friendly. Jack Orsino has had his entire world flipped upside — a major knee injury has ended his football season early, his girlfriend wants a break, and he's struggling to hang out with all of his friends, who tiptoe around him and his injury. The only thing getting him through his recovery is an online role-playing game, where a mysterious player helps him through the quests.

𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧. 𝙄𝙣 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚, 𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙤, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙩, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙞𝙢. 𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙞𝙢, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪.

This book was so incredibly cute. Both Viola and Jack had so much growing up and learning to do and the romance doesn't happen until they've had a chance to figure out themselves first, which is so refreshing, and vital for a YA rom-com. The Shakespearean-retelling means this story has a timeless feel while bringing in the really cool modern components, like RenFaires and MMORPGs. The mistaken-identity trope had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, wondering when when when the truth would come out.

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙄 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧? 𝙉𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚, 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙚 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛. 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Alexene Follmuth, and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Jack "Duke" is the king of the school. He is the star football player about to go play college football. Jack is also the president of the student body and does absolutely nothing.

Violet loves to game! She's annoyed though when her friends shut down her game idea. Violet is also the vice president of the student body and is annoyed that Jack does nothing.

When Jack tears his ACL, he's at a lost on what to do, so he picks up gaming. He happens to play the same game as Violet. When they begin talking on the game (Jack thinks its Violet's twin brother), they realize they have more in common than they think.

A fun gaming YA read! I loved the combination of a "gamer" and a popular kid in high school. It shows that all social groups can interact and have relationships.

This was cute and a good intro to Follmuth/Blake’s character driven story telling. I enjoyed the modern twists in the classic story, the reverse grumpy sunshine, and the gamer culture and focus on fandoms. High school me would have loved this!

It is YA and therefore some of the characters focus seems silly but weren’t we all worried about who liked who and what would happen after graduation? Also Vi black cat persona got a little old but I was glad when she decided to finally open up about her feelings.

There’s enemies to lovers, forced proximity, secret identity, lots of nerdiness, dual POV.

I unfortunately didn’t love this as much as other books by the same author. I love a good Shakespeare re-telling, but I felt no connection with the main character - just annoyance. It did get 3 stars still because you do see growth within the main characters by the end of the book which really did redeem Vi for me, but the fact it took almost the entire book to felt ok with her character was not enjoyable.

Besides that - the romance was nice. A perfect amount for a YA novel.

4.25 stars

Well written and character driven, I enjoyed this author's writing style and the setting. (Geek girl at heart here.) The romance was nice as well.
I am glad that the main characters grew by the end of the story because they started off a bit one dimensional. (A very strong, in your face, stereotype of a dimension.)

Recommended.

DNF @ 14%

I wanted to love this book so badly, especially since I loved the author's YA debut, but unfortunately that just wasn't the case. And it mostly boils down to Vi's character. She was absolutely insufferable. She was annoying, she was rude. In 50 pages I could not find one nice thing about her. I love a powerful female character, but she wasn't powerful, she was just cruel. She wasn't likable enough for me to care about what was going on with her.

I also took huge issue with the way the TTRPG was portrayed. I'm a seasoned D&D player of 11 years and those parts of the book were just not done well. Vi would be the worst player in the world to play with and it seems like a group of kids that all can't get along well enough to be a cohesive party.

The parts with Jack were great ;and he's such an interesting character, if not a little too cocky at times, but Vi's character has more page time and it wasn't something I was enjoying.

I didn't love this as much as I did My Mechanical Romance but I still think this one was a pretty cute read. It was fun seeing Vi and Jack interact in the game and in real life.

3.5 stars

I loved Twelfth Knight. It was a fast ya read. I couldn’t put down. I think I would ready anything by this author. For sure will be recommending.

This was so delightful! I will read anything this lady writes, including scribbles on the back of receipts. I love a retelling, and this one was so much fun.

I love a good Shakespeare retelling and the cover looked cute and nerdy, so I figured this book would be right up my alley. I'm glad I went for it because this was exactly what I could have hoped for.

Twelfth Knight is based on Shakespeare's, you guessed it, Twelfth Night, all revolving around the world of role playing/MMORPGs.
Fans of the play or of the movie She's All That will enjoy this book.

Vi (Viola) is tired of being pushed aside because she's a female in a male dominated world, so she creates a male character in the online game, Twelfth Knight, so she won't be antagonized for her love of the game. Jack (Duke) just got injured pretty badly in a high school football game, and has to rehab before he can play again, so his friend introduces him to Twelfth Knight.

With a case of mistaken identity, these two school rivals develop a friendship online that ends up bleeding into their real lives.
Both characters really aren't allowed to be themselves. Viola is unabashedly herself, but is ostracized for it because she doesn't take crap from anyone. and has struggled to find people who accept her for who she is. Jack is living in his family's football legacy an has to do and say things that others want him to say, which makes him popular, but kind of a pushover. They both have a reputation, but when they're forced to be around each other, they can finally see that their reputations are quite what they seem.

I was immersed in this gaming world when I was younger, so it was great to see that representation that is needed and very identifiable as a female gamer.

I loved this book! It was perfect for my nerdy heart. It’s my first by the author and makes me want to dive into her adult series (under Olivie Blake). I'm always impressed when someone can take a work by authors like Shakespeare and Jane Austen and make it their own, while also keeping the theme of the original. I'm hoping we'll see more of this from the author.

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and Net Galley. I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.