really cute romance. i loved every character, like every last one. and the whole concept is great. i really wanna read more by blake. thanks for the arc

<thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc. it in no way affected my review or rating of the book.

did i know nothing about american football going into this? yes
did i have to watch a youtube summary of twelfth night to remind myself of the original plot because i last read it when i was fifteen? yes
and did i still absolutely love this book? YES

alexene farol follmuth (also known as olivie blake) presents a beautiful retelling of shakespeare’s twelfth night

this ya romcom follows Jack “Duke” Orsino, the football star and pride of messaline, who takes a major hit during the big championship game and ends up unable to play. enter Viola Reyes - Jack’s classmate, who has never quite forgiven him for being voted student body president over her. Vi has a love for online games, particularly Twelfth Knight in which she plays as Cesario, her masculine alter ego. with newfound free time after his injury, Jack joins the world of Twelfth Knight as Duke Orsino and after hours of gameplay-turned-late night conversations, finds that he might have more in common with Vi than either of them ever thought. the twist? Jack thinks he’s talking to Viola’s brother, Bash.

this was AMAZING. i love when i find a romcom that has the perfect balance; the giggling, kicking my feet romance & well-handed topics that are on the more serious side. alexene does this flawlessly. jack and vi are so real - i found them unlikeable one second and relatable the next, and it was just such a true depiction of two teenagers struggling with individual issues and finding comfort in someone they hadn’t expected to.

the way the original was woven into this was so heartwarming. i loved twelfth night when i first read it and this was an adorable retelling! i think retellings can be tricky - it’s common that the book either ends up being so different that you wonder how it was marketed as a retelling, or it lacks originality to the point that you check to make sure you didn’t pick up the original. this book avoided both of those & did a great job at balancing modernity with the traditional narrative

the narration style felt very percy jackson-esque. it was sarcastic and funny, and it played a big factor in both my overall enjoyment of the book and my understanding of the characters. although it read a bit like a diary at times, it felt very reminiscent of high school and i give alexene props for somehow managing to get into the brains of teenagers and write their thoughts onto these pages so accurately. because of that, some parts of the dialogue do seem almost childish. it wasn’t a major nitpick for me but i do see it as something that would bother some people.

the development of the romance between jack and vi genuinely had me putting down my kindle to just giggle and scream into my pillow. their chemistry is amazing and the banter was one of my favourite things about the book.

one of the easiest 5 stars i’ve ever given a ya romcom ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I felt so seen by Viola, I was her, I am her, I’m angry and isolated in fandom, I’m passionate about a few chosen things that will only ever hurt me. Playing nice with boys? Trying to pretend to be a boy to fit in? So deeply real, achingly so.

Jack felt like a character who could’ve been more but had an interesting arc nonetheless, supported Viola at every turn, and grew as a person outside of the relationship and within it. Sometimes he felt a little cringey (trying to flirt with Vi after offering her space, felt counterproductive to the point) but was kind and caring.

Bash and Olivia were fantastic side characters, I would read a whole book about the spring musical, I s2g…

I loved this. It resonated with me as a gamer, a DnD player, and a woman in fandom.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Teen for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was a RIDE. I majored in Theatre Arts in college, so seeing all of the Shakespeare references was so much fun (we even did Twelfth Night as one of our shows). While Shakespeare is not one of my favorites, maybe it’s the class trauma talking, I still heavily enjoyed all the references.

This was made for us fandom lovers, reminiscent of my middle school years of being chronically addicted to online games (lol) and being afraid of losing friendships. I will be honest, I did not like Viola in the beginning, but she just needed her outer layer peeled back to reveal her complex personality, beliefs, and fears and I loved her by the end. Viola’s character development really sold this book for me as it wasn’t an immediate change, it was gradual and combated her fears of being alone.

While Viola’s character development was a bit more stark for me, Jack also provided such relatable development as well. While I didn’t do football growing up (I was a dancer), I related hardcore to his injury senior year and having so much taken away because of that. But, weirdly through that experience I, like Jack, found my real friends through that and who I was without this thing that has been my lifeline for my whole life. Seeing his struggles would’ve helped me so much if I read this when I was also a senior in high school. He’s also just a lovable golden retriever dork, so his perspectives were some of my favorites to read.

I will say, I fell in LOVE with the side characters and a major complaint I have is that there isn’t more from them!! I desperately loved Bash and desperately wished there was more of him. He was so hilarious and I would read an entire spinoff on him. I NEED a spin-off of his. I also adored Olivia, I think she also would be another character that would thrive in a spin-off. She was going through so much and she was such a sweetheart.

Overall, this book made my Theatre major heart happy and was a fun, quick read.

This book was such a fun and cute YA love story. Jack being forced off the football field after an injury to play video games with Viola. Jack thinks he’s playing with Violet twin brother.

The characters were extremely likable. The sweetest romance ever. Even the side characters were so developed, and each one played an important part in this book.

I had all the emotions reading this one. I laughed. I cried. I squealed even kicked my feet a few times.

The new YA romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth follows in the strong female protagonist footsteps of My Mechanical Romance. Viola is a girl who knows what she wants, and it's not romance. Her sometimes grating personality can be off-putting to some, but also offers an opportunity for her to grow. Jack Orsino is her popular foil, and an unlikely person for her to start liking. Although the book follows the overused trope of enemies to lovers, the gaming theme can add some interest to the book and appeal to some readers.

AHHHHH!!! I'M SO EXCITED - thank you NetGalley and Tor for sending me this eARC and granting me the opportunity to read even more from one of my favorite authors of all time - Alexene Farol Follmuth (otherwise known as Olivie Blake)~ ✨🌟💫 I was absolutely with My Mechanical Romance when I first read the eARC back in 2022, so I'm super excited to continue alongside Alexene's foray into the YA genre. I just love her style of writing, it's absolutely beautiful every time. Her characters are all very layered and distinct in their individual personalities, the emotional beats always hit, and I feel like she does a great job of *showing* as opposed to simply *telling* in her works. Can't wait for the official release date for this one and would definitely recommend it out to others, no question!

Not sure if I can fit all my love for this book in one review but I CAN TRY!! Our two main characters: Vi- angry at her tabletop group (based off of Dungeons and Dragons!) of incels along with her bestie who won't listen to her ideas, and Jack- football star who's cocky attitude led him to a season-ending injury. They end up being a team on the MMORPG Twelfth Knight, but Vi doesn't want anyone to know her well-known and successful male character is actually her, so she pretends to be her twin brother. When Jack starts bringing real life into their chat, Vi's lies become a bigger burden than she ever expected..!!!

Vi- or Viola- is a girl in fandom, constantly being harassed and belittled by the men and boys who think women have no place there. This causes her to make her online persona on the MMORPG Twelfth Knight a man. (I have had to do this too!! This is common!! It sucks!!). I can't stress enough how refreshing it was to read a book where the main character went through the same thing that so many non-men go through on online fandom spaces. Vi is always angry at the world because of the treatment she faces online, and her anger plays a huge role in the story. The way her anger was portrayed was incredibly done.

One of my favorite parts of this book was finding a way to tie together football and gaming. The two seem very different, but as the book progresses, we see the similarities. I'm into gaming and care very little for sports, so seeing them compared was very interesting.

This is grumpy x sunshine, but the girl is the grumpy which I LOVE and haven't read before!! Also, if you know me you know that the miscommunication trope is one of my least favorite tropes on the planet! But the way that the author does it in this is so beautiful and I wish it was done this way more often. No spoilers! But I loved it.

I don't want to spoil anything in this review, but the representation, the female rage, the nerdiness, the references, all made this book so special to me. Thank you thank you thank you NetGalley for this e-ARC! 5/5 stars.

"I don't want to be considered beautiful without being seen as capable, too."

YA romcom Shakespeare retelling? grumpy x sunshine? mistaken identity? endless nerd content? I was so excited to read this book and I was NOT disappointed.

It did take me a little bit to get into the story. On the surface, both of our main characters can come off straight-up... unlikeable. Viola is abrasive and Jack is a little too 'Mr. Popular.' But that only made their growth and getting to know them that much more impactful. This book is full of characters who leap off the page with distinct voices and depth, side characters included. (Bash and Olivia, my beloveds<333) This is one of those YA books that I think will appeal to readers of all ages. The characters authentically feel like teenagers - they are flawed and messy and just trying to figure things out - but also deal with issues that are universal and relatable.

I also loved just how much was packed into this book. Twelfth Knight is so much more than just a romcom, it's also a coming-of-age, with social commentary and a love of nerd culture smoothly weaved in. This novel explores everything, from video game and fandom culture, social and parental pressures, misogyny, sexuality, family dynamics, and so much more, all without losing its humor and heart. The romance isn't the sole focus, which may not be for everyone, but I thought worked well for this story.

As for the romance itself, the slow burn was, in my humble opinion, perfection. It felt so real and unrushed and believable, which isn't always easy in a contemporary 'enemies to lovers' setting. I loved every second of Vi & Jack's interactions.

I fully expect this book to take the internet by storm because it's just so darn QUOTABLE! There were so many lines that just hit perfectly that I wrote a LOT of them down, and the banter was laugh-out-loud-worthy. I hadn't read any Olivia Blake/Alexene Farol Follmuth before, but the writing was so excellent that I will absolutely be picking up everything else she's written.

My actual rating is 4.5 stars, but rounding up because I had so much fun reading this. Literally read this book in one sitting and could not put it down.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and tor teen for the arc in exchange for an honest review. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy for myself!

This book took me by surprise! It took me a bit to get into this book. There was a lot of game niche specific terms that I didn’t understand and I thought Jack was unappealing. So to anyone that feels like that in the first 10% of this book, KEEP GOING.

By the end of this story, I want to get some friends together and sign up for a tabletop style game. 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠. I felt myself not wanting to put this down. I was itching to find out what would happen to these characters and how the story would shape out.

There was 𝙖 𝙩𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙣𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙨 in this story. As a fellow angry girl, I loved Vi. I felt so understood and seen by her character. Although this is about a romance, it was also about so much more. A coming of age, trying to find yourself and what life is really about story. Seeing Jack’s world fall apart post-injury and then open up to all that life has to offer while going through all his feelings was so incredibly authentic. There are so many great developed supporting characters in this book. We got a glimpse into everyone's world and it just made me like this story even more.

There was 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙏𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙛𝙩𝙝 𝙆𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙑𝙞 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙅𝙖𝙘𝙠’𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 which was interesting to watch unfold. I felt like it brought more dimension to each of their individual characters. Vi was learning how to let people in and Jack was gaining perspective.

This is this first story where I really want their to be rating percentages between 4 and 5. I want to give this book 5 stars based on how much I loved it, but because the beginning was slower and I wasn’t as hooked immediately, I’m giving it 4 stars (true rating is 4.5).

“No, I think we’re lonely. Like, as a species.” “So what does that mean” “That we can like who we are and like being alone and still want to feel connected”

“When she loves something, she loves deeply, thoughtfully, and generously, and she gives back what she gets, tenfold.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the arc!

This was a solid, fun YA romcom. A nice palette cleanser from the most stressful book club book I’ve ever read.

For a little while I thought Vi was absolutely insufferable, but then I remember I was probably the exact same way as an ambitious, high-achieving teenager. Which, to me, just makes her a well-written character.

I really enjoyed the evolution of Vi and Duke’s dynamic over the course of the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for the eARC of Twelfth Knight in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely adored this book. I binged the whole thing in less than 24 hours and was unabashedly smiling at my kindle the whole time. Twelfth Knight ticked a lot of boxes for me. I love a good Shakespeare retelling, making it high school rom com style? *chef’s kiss* The characters were extremely likable and relatable to me as an ex-student athlete and current fantasy loving nerd. Lovers of grumpy-sunshine, fun banter, and heartwarming tales…look no further.

Content warnings: sports injury

Jack "Duke" Orsino's whole life is football, so when an injury takes him off the field during his senior year he struggles with who he is without the game. A friend tells him to play a game called Twelfth Knight to take his mind off of his injury. Jack's sucked into the game and stays up late at night playing.

Viola Reyes has a fight with her best friend and is feeling lonely. She turns to her favorite MMORPG Twelfth Knight for comfort and is shocked to see her school's injured star quarterback in-game. But she's playing as Cesario, her favorite male character from the TV show War of Thorns. She lets Jack Orsino believe that she's a guy, but when asked for her name she panics and says she's her twin brother Sebastian.

Viola and Jack are the warring heads of the school's activities board, but Viola's been doing most of the work since Jack was a popularity vote and doesn't actually help. But Viola begins to warm to him when he pours out his soul to her in their in-game chat. Only Duke doesn't know he's talking to Vi. Will he find out before she tells him?

Both Duke and Vi are well-developed characters, which was unexpected in a geeky teen romance. Recommended for YA readers who are into gaming or fantasy.

Representation: Latina main character, African-American main character

Very peak wholesome in the form of --
💫 very soft enemies to lovers
💫 besties online in an RPG (they go on quests together while having heart to hearts!!!!) and enemies irl (the president and vice president of the student council)
💫 she learns to let people in / he explores his passion and identity
💫 friendships, old and new!! <3

TWs - misogyny and mild sexual harassment by classmates and peers, sports injury

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

If gaming be the food of love, play on.

What a great adaptation of Twelfth Night! Twelfth Knight modernizes the original Shakespearean plot and brings in BIPOC and queer representation. In my opinion, this greatly enhances the story and made the plot twists a lot more believable (especially compared to other pop culture representations of the same story). The idea of using an RPG as the basis for the identity swap is very interesting, and allowed for a truthful exploration into the world of toxic fandoms.

I could viscerally feel Vi's anger - the feeling of being so frustrated, but unable to communicate or understand your own feelings was exactly correct. She was written in such an honest way that I could say I knew this person growing up. Twelfth Knight is the first book by Alexene Farol Follmuth (also writes under Olivie Blake) that I have read, and her character building and writing style was so easy to consume and drew me in so quickly that I look forward to diving further into her author catalogue.

Overall, an excellent young adult read and I would highly recommend!

This is my second book by Alexene/Olivie that I’ve read. In this book she tackles the divide between the popular kid, Jack who is a jock, and the not so popular, Vi who’s in all the AP classes and on the social committee. Vi is shy at school and lives under the radar of Jack until the popular kid becomes the head of the social committee and has an accident which means he can’t play any more. They begin hanging out at school but do not like each other but they become close friends when Jacks friend introduces him to Twelfth Knight, a game all things knights, mages and mythical objects. Vi knows she’s playing with Jack but Jack doesn’t know it’s Vi. Will Jack find out it’s Vi in the end?

"Twelfth Knight" by Alexene Farol Follmuth is a clever retelling of Shakespeare's play "Twelfth Night" which is actually my favorite of his plays. I would recommend this for people who like:
-MMOs
-Dungeons and Dragons
-Comic con
-early 2000s romantic comedy

Viola is a nerdy gamer who tends to rub people the wrong way. This includes the president of her school, Jack, whom she is vice president with. She has very few friends, but when she is online she isn't judged as an opinionated girl because she plays as a male, C354R10, on her favorite game "Twelfth Knight". She is free to speak her mind and put boys in their places as the game character.

Jack is a football player who is incredibly popular until an injury takes him out of the game. To help distract him from being unable to join his friends, one of his old teammates introduces him to "Twelfth Knight". He creates a username that easily identifies him as himself and happens to run into Viola in the game, having no idea who she is.

This book has a lot of call backs to the play, handles mistaken identity well, and had me smiling and laughing throughout. I highly recommend it for any fan of the play and any new reader as well.

I genuinely loved every minute of reading "Twelfth Knight!" I am typically a romantasy reader, but slowly becoming more of a YA rom com convert with books like this (though almost exclusively when the MCs are a little nerdy because 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦). I was delighted to be approved for this arc because last year I read "Master of Death" by the same author (under the pen name Olivie Blake) and LOVED it. Like it was one of my favorite reads of 2023... getting back to this beautiful book's review.... Firstly, this is a modern Shakespeare retelling of the play by the same name but in a high school setting with the most perfectly-scripted grumpy x sunshine pairing this side of the Messaline goal line (not sure if this statement works football terminology-wise as I'm only semi-fluent in sportzboi jargon much like Vi). The banter and the butting heads between Vi & Jack had me hooked as soon as we were introduced to them and their dynamic. Not to mention the growth in both characters that happens from the beginning to the end of their story on a personal-level was phenomenal. Both Vi & Jack are cool people to start, fighting their own metaphorical "knights," but they grow so much as people through the way they push and encourage each other in and outside the MMORPG game they play together online (also cleverly titled "Twelfth Knight"). So many important topics and themes are touched on in this book (loneliness, self-discovery, trust, purpose, identity... just to name a few). Also, I have to say the nerds are nerding in this read in ALL the best ways. Being a cosplayer who attends cons semi-regularly, I felt immeasurably validated by Vi's excitement and all the prep work she went through to go to MagiCon. Vi is 1000% who I want to be when I grow up (I'm 27). But seriously, she is such a strong, independent woman who has had to construct a lot of mental and emotional walls to protect herself from the outside world and can I just say I think many of us can relate to that? Loved that though she changed over the course of the book, she stayed true to herself and her ideals always (just a few of those self-constructed walls fell in the process). In summary – if you couldn't tell – I loved this book for so many reasons. Can't wait to pick up a beautiful, sprayed-edge copy in June when it releases!

I also plan to post a review to my Instagram in the next 2 weeks, as well as a TikTok singing my praises ☺️

I received this book as an E-Arc through Netgalley... This review is solely based on my opinion and taste .

Have you ever read a book and found yourself fan-casting the entire story as you progressed? This book honestly begs to be adapted to the big screen. As someone who was a 90s teen, I came up during the era of great teen movies, and this story could rival some of the best!

The lead characters in this book were written so well and honestly that I could easily see people, myself included, relating to who they are. The girl who carries too much responsibility, keeps truths and vulnerabilities about herself locked inside, and is viewed as difficult by others who take zero time to actually get to know her. The guy who is viewed as only good at one thing by everyone, including himself, who has never had the chance to explore what exists outside of his well honed talent and really doesn't even know himself or what he wants out if his life.

The character arc that both of the leads go through felt natural and honest without hitting the "cheesy" factor that some teen novels end up reaching. The story that developed between the leads was sweet and endearing without feeling rushed or forced. The relationships and friendships that developed throughout the story felt plausible and realistic.

This book is a definite must read and must recommend to others!

Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this book at all, even though I adored the last book ‘My Mechanical Romance’ by this author. It could just be because I don’t know much or care about video games, but this didn’t interest me at all. I couldn’t find it in myself to care about the characters or plot. I couldn’t get invested in the story, it’s like some critical piece was missing. I’m so disappointed by this, as it was one of my most anticipated books of the year. That being said, I still will read the next book this author publishes.