Super cute ya with dnd and gaming and accepting love and not putting so much pressure on the future

Really enjoyed the friendships that Vi built
throughout the story! The slow burn was so
well done like like the pacing of the dislike to friends to lovers was SO good

Really enjoyed the queer acceptance subplot and how well that was handled by all the characters

Honestly no major complaints! Just didn’t hit five stars but a really bingeable and enjoyable read. I am such a fan of Follmuth’s YA books!

I absolutely loved this book. This YA has character growth and friendship. I love the dislike to like relationship between Jack and Vi! I will definitely recommend this YA!

Twelfth Knight follows Vi, a computer and tabletop gamer, and Jack, a star football player as they navigate their senior year of high school. I loved the online role-playing game and the text conversations between Vi and Jack as they got to know each other virtually, and their in-person banter was top notch. I haven't read or seen Twelfth Night, but I have seen She's the Man and this felt like all the best parts of that retelling, plus some delightful nerdy twists.

I genuinely got emotional reading about Vi and Jack's emotional revelations throughout the book and their relationship was the perfect academic rivals to lovers arc. The side characters were also exceptionally well-written, particularly Bash and Olivia. I was so invested in their story lines and would love to see a spinoff for one or both of them.

I'd recommend this to anyone who has felt like an outsider, who has had to rethink their life plan, or who loves to nerd out over conventions or gaming or television. It was a perfect coming of age story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

This book was absolutely adorable!! I felt so connected to this FMC as a fellow nerdy feminist myself. Vi's struggle to find herself and navigate her relationships while also feeling duty bound to being wholly true to herself, is exactly how I feel almost every day. I want to fit in but at the same time, don't want to compromise who I am. I absolutely understand that struggle and it was gratifying to know that others struggle with this as well.

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy a sweet romance! This was an adorable modern day retelling of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. I was a little worried because I loved the movie She's the Man growing up and didn't want to be disappointed, but this book was wholly unique. I loved it!

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!!

Based on the blurb I really wanted to like this book but it unfortunately was not for me. I normally love YA books and even retellings but I could not get past the FMC. One reason I could not get past the FMC was because it felt like she always had to be right and everyone should fall in line, it honestly felt so off to me, I did not like it at all especially for a high schooler. It was really hard to get into and ended up dnf at 37%.

It wasn’t a terrible book but it just was not right for me. I think others could enjoy it.


Thank you so much to Alexene Farol Follmuth, Tor Publishing Group and Netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review!

Twelfth Knight is an adorable and amusing story of losing and finding yourself, and what it means to open yourself up to love.

Viola Reyes is not the most liked girl in her school - the opposite in fact. But she knows what she wants and what she doesn't, and insists on speaking her mind. When her ConQuest group refuses to follow her new quest, she retreats into the online world of Twelfth Knight, an MMORPG where she plays as a male character - where no one questions her abilities because of her gender, and she can excel on her own terms. Jack Orsino has it all - the football career taking off, the hot girlfriend, and the adoration of the school - until he suddenly doesn't after tearing his ACL and being forced to the sidelines. Out of sheer boredom, he takes up the game Twelfth Knight, befriending a player that he believes is the twin brother to his arch nemesis, Viola. When a series of events brings Jack and Vi closer together, they start to develop feelings for one another they can't explain. But can Vi find the courage to come clean about hiding her online identity, before Jack finds out on his own?

I loved this book. First off, I love how Alexene Farol Follmuth can so easily switch genres - writing under Olivie Blake she tackles dark academia, love and loss, and mental health issues - and now this charming YA retelling of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, I don't know how she does it, but her writing is fabulous no matter what. I really enjoyed this story so much, It is so full of feminine rage, and all the feelings I had growing up as a capable, smart, and accomplished female who struggled to be taken seriously. Viola is prickly, and with good reason - there's only so many times you can be told to smile more before you lash out, and Vi has had it. But she softens a bit with Jack, and realizes that she doesn't have to keep up that hard exterior all the time. Jack is also a complex character who needs to figure out who is is without football being a huge part of his life. And opening himself up to that, and learning to be who he is outside of everyone's expectations of him is a tough lesson. I thought the romance developed nicely, given that is a YA book set in a high school, and was age appropriate. There were many touching moments in this coming-of-age novel, and plenty of laugh out loud moments as well. Overall, I enjoyed this sweet story and I look forward to more YA books by this incredible author.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Teen for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was just ok for me. I loved the plot but never really felt any chemistry between the characters. I just didn't buy the romance at all. I also hoped for more from the banter and messaging back and forth. Those aspects were so strong in this author's other YA book, My Mechanical Romance, which I loved. I definitely liked elements of this, and think it's well worth having in a high school library, but it didn't wow me.

4.5 stars rounded up

I really enjoyed this book. I'm not a gamer, at all, but this book was so interesting and the way that Alexene explains the games doesn't feel like you're reading a textbook, but instead like one of your good friends is explaining one of their hobbies to you. I loved the banter between Vi and Jack, and I love that neither of them shrank themselves down for the other, but instead, together, realized that they didn't always have to be perfect or anything but themselves. I really loved this book. I think anyone who's looking for a cute YA rivals to lovers book, this is definitely for you.

Okay I requested this earc kind of on a whim and it ended up being so good!! It's a YA romance but honestly I'd still recommend it to adult readers. If you like the like 00s rom coms like 10 Things I Hate About You or She's the Man you'll like this one. I think she nailed the vibes of those kinds of movie rom coms and it really hits the same spot for me as those movies. I also thought she blended jock and nerd culture and characters really well in this one without talking down about either side. I really liked the main couple together and the progression of the relationship both the virtual one and the in person one was done so well.

*Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for approving me for an ARC!*

This was my introduction to this particular author and I have to say I understand the hype completely!

I loved the character dynamic between Vi and Jack. Vi is a nerdy feminist badass and Jack is a genuine sporty good guy.

Both of their character developments were sooo special to see and honestly this book ended perfectly for me.

One of the things I loved most about this book was how true it is to being a female presenting person in fandom spaces. Often women/non-binary people are questioned and sneered out in spaces that should be safe and the book captures that so honestly.

I really would love another book from Olivia’s POV. I absolutely loved her character and was so glad to see the friendship form between her and Vi.

5/5 ⭐️

This book currently holds the place of my favorite read of the year, and honestly it is going to be tough to beat. I was so swept away by this story, finding the concept and the story and the characters to be so interesting and relatable (to me anyway–I love geeky protagonists).

First off…this is a Shakespeare reimagining. If you haven’t read “Twelfth Night,” you’ll still be able to follow, but it does follow the general story line of the play. If you haven’t read the Shakespeare, then if you’ve seen the movie “She’s The Man,” then you’ll still know the basic story overview.

Where this adaptation really gets me is all the inclusion of tabletop gaming and online gaming. So TTRPGs similar to D&D play a part in this story, but the main gaming inclusion is MMORPGs (the online game included in this story is based on Arthurian legend, which is also very cool).

Viola is such a relatable character for me. Seriously, I understood her viewpoint when it came to opinions on TTRPG gameplay and character decisions and…it actually hurt because it so resembled actual scenarios I have been through in previous gaming parties.

Jack and Viola and Olivia and Sebastian and…well, all of the characters felt so real and distinct, and I DID NOT want to stop reading about them, even with all their complicated teen drama as they go through so many staples of the end of high school and planning for what comes after.

I’ll also be completely honest: I have not been in as much of a YA mood lately. While there are still some YA releases that still sound rather intriguing to me, and that I really do want to read, for the most part, I’m migrating more to just adult fantasy reads. But, when I do still pick up YA, I never lower books for the supposed immaturity of characters…because the characters are teens; they aren’t meant to be mature, reasonable, rational, whatever adults. I expect them to be balls of emotion and hormones and drama.

I also realize that I am not the target audience. I am a 35 year old woman, so these books are meant for someone half my age…but since YA was still a newer section in bookstores and libraries when I was that age, I can still remember wanting books targeted for that audience, and I can allow my inner teen out to indulge in these stories that I wish I had back then.

I could seriously gush about this book for such a long time. I absolutely LOVED it, and I absolutely cannot wait to have a finished copy on my shelves. Honestly, I might actually end up reading it again when my hardcover arrives.

I can’t believe this is my first Alexene Farol Follmuth/Olivie Blake book. I own several Olivie Blake books but I haven’t read them yet. I need to move them up on my TBR, for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Teen for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book? That comes out on Tuesday? ROMCOM PERFECTION. CHEF’S KISS. Obsessed is an understatement, and no, I will not back down from these sentiments!! If you love 2000s Shakespeare retelling romcoms like me, this book was made for us, bestie!!!! Follmuth truly delivered and gave us this wonderful book to start out the summer.

The banter? Hilarious, charming, and made me laugh out loud throughout the book. The romance? A slow burn of two complete opposite people—Vi being a grumpy gamer, and Jack being a sunshine football star. When Jack gets a knee injury that takes him out for the football season, he begins to play Twelfth Knight and befriends a peer who he is told is Bash, Vi’s extroverted theater brother, but in reality, it’s Vi who plays as a male character. While Jack begins to take his role more seriously as president of the student body with more responsibility, Vi agrees to help him figure out what’s going on with his girlfriend who keeps dodging his questions. He is the bane of her existence, people!!!!! NEED I SAY MORE?

As they spend more time together, they begin to realize, much to Vi’s dismay, that they make a good team that can maybe lead to something more?… They both slowly reveal to each other who they are and begin to have real, genuine feelings for each other. I love how they handled the “third act breakup,” and what Jack says 😭😭😭 I don’t have it in my quotes on this post, because you really need to experience that moment for yourselves. Everything that came out of their mouths??? I was in 100000%.

And the relationships in this book — with Bash, Olivia, Vi’s mom, Antonia, etc — I loved it all so much. There is such an important theme of realizing that it’s okay to have moments of joy and find people who make you believe in yourself and love you for you.

I could not look away. If this became a movie I would EAT IT UP. I would have a movie ticket preordered SO FAST.

It was an HONOR to read this ARC, and I highly recommend it!!

CW: misogyny, sexism

Vi is the single most insufferable FMC I’ve ever had the disservice of reading. I couldn’t even make it five chapters without hating everything about her and DNFing. Thanks for the free copy, NetGalley, but SHE was NOT for me. The writing was solid though, if only the lead female was different.

♡𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 &| 𝐞𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰♡
4.5 🌟
-
O.M.G, this was a super cute quick read! I don't really have a lot to say about this book, but to just read it. I literally started and finished in one day.
A book with chapter name is a major plus in my eyes! Love, love, love a book with chapter names, and guess what? This book has chapter names.
The narrators did a great job bringing this story to life.
-
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 :
•ya romance
•football vs. PC player
•coming of age
♡𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 May.28
-
Thank you, Netgalley, Tor Publishing Group for the (eArc)-eBook, and MacmillanAudio for the (ALC)-audiobook for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I haven’t read any of Alexene’s books under her pen name or her real name so I was interested to see how her writing was. This book was cute and I’ve been reading a lot of adaptions lately I’ve noticed. The writing was a little juvenile at times but that isn’t bad for YA books at all. It was very fast paced as well. One of the things I didn’t really like was how everyone reacted to Vi. I’m glad that in the end it shows that she’s just being herself and not really a bitch, I still felt at the end a little like Antonia was treating her like she was in the wrong for how she acts around people. Don’t know if I’m the only one who felt that. All in all, this is a cute book that’s pretty much a shot for shot Twelfth Night retelling. I enjoyed the story and will read more from the author in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.

I love Olivie as an adult author and while I have yet to read her first YA novel, THIS ONE WAS INCREDIBLE. First off, I love anything that is a rendition of a Shakespeare play so this was right up my alley, secondly the banter was phenomenal. Viola and her twin Sebastian were hilarious. I always hate when siblings don't sound like actual siblings but with these two it was so believable. They were hilarious together and I loved how they complimented each other and loved one another. I could tell how loyal they were to one another, even when they were angry and it was really cute.

I also, obviously, really loved Jack and Viola together. They came together in a very unexpected way by meeting through a video game. I liked how they talked to each other in person too though. Vi always had the best comebacks and Jack was so kind, almost to a fault. I could really see how they were falling for one another too without meaning to.

Another unexpected pairing I loved was Olivia and Vi! Their budding friendship felt so real and genuine. They were really able to show up for one another and be honest together even though they barely knew each other. I think both of them needed a friend like the other and they came together at the perfect time! I was so glad when their friendship was solidified by their honesty and not thrown away because of it. I was honestly scared that it might be.

Overall this book was hilarious and fun and an all around amazing read. I'm definitely planning on buying a physical copy of it!

I’m not gonna lie, this wasn’t my cup of tea. I’m not really into fantasy games or worlds. So, it’s not really personal. I still enjoyed it. I really wanted to read Alexene’s next YA bcs the first one (My Mechanical Romance) had a Filipina heroine and I loved it. I love any Filipino rep in romance books when done right. So I was excited to read this one as well because it also had a Filipina heroine. I wished it had more though. We only really got a glimpes of Viola’s home/family life. But at least it wasn’t overdone. Jack and Vi’s character development was well done. It was frustrating at times but I understand. Being a teenager and all, it’s a lot. Enemies to lovers? Yah this one was good as well. It was endearing and exciting to watch Vi and Jack fall for each other.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I loved this book! I loved the characters and how this author fleshed out her characters. I loved how stubborn the MC was and how the MMC wasn’t the usual dumb jock but a sweet guy on a very admirable mission. The connection between the two was sweet and done well. I was just a fan of this book and would tell every one to check it out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

This book has huge rom-com vibes and was an unexpected delight! The banter and pacing were great, and I never felt bored. There is so much character growth and I'm very excited for the teens who get to read this book. Will definitely be recommending to other readers!

Wow! First thank you so much to TorTeen and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy ebook of Twelfth Knight. I thought I would like it and I was wrong. I LOVED it. If you like (or for love/obsess over) 10 Things I Hate About You than you will love this book too.

I of course loved Vi and Jack and the overall romance, but it was so much more than that. As a woman I often felt what Vi was feeling on a visceral level. It is true that many of us do hide under a tough shell to protect ourselves in this world. I love relating to another female gamer and nerd who dresses up for cons. For the first two chapters I liked it but by the time I hit 3 I was hooked. I read it in my phone or on my tablet every second I got.

Other reasons you should read this book:
I also am a huge nerd but never got into DnD - and I still loved everything about the book and ConQuest. So do not let that deter you!
I think this book was way better than the Atlas series, if that were to deter you.
I don’t really read YA romance and I loved this book.