This one was a miss for me. Olivia Blake’s books and fics are always hit or miss, mostly hits I can flu through. This one just wasn’t it.

A delightfully entertaining and sweet banterfilled rom-com that I will be recommending to all my friends!

I love Olivie Blake and was so intrigued to see how she would do at a YA romance but unfortunately I've tried to get into this one multiple times over the past 8ish months and just haven't been able to get invested! I think it might just be the fact that I know she's capable of writing spectacular adult books that's creating the mental block for me because to me this just feels like a typical YA book. Which isn't a bad thing, but when I know that she's more than capable of standing out from the crowd it makes it a little tricky for me to lose myself in this one. Overall I think I'm just not the target audience for this and that's okay!

Twelfth Knight is a smart and engaging modern reimagining of Shakespeare’s classic play. Set in a contemporary high school, the novel brings themes of love, identity, and self-discovery to life through its relatable characters. Follmuth’s sharp dialogue and witty writing capture the humor and heart of the original play while making it feel fresh and relevant. The book’s exploration of gender and relationships adds a unique twist, making it both thought-provoking and fun. Overall, it’s a charming and insightful read that offers a new take on a beloved story.

I had super high expectations for this book due to both loving the adult books by this author and how Twelfth Night is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. I even love She's The Man as an adaptation. My expectations could not be higher!
I think this book did exactly what it set out to do: it's a super cute YA romcom with compelling fun characters and chock full of silliness and cleverness. I liked the Shakespeare references, I also liked the look into the world of gaming and all the modern issues that came with it. It's super relatable to teens, and honestly also for older teens/ young adults who have experienced the struggle of trying to be female in. a mole dominated space.
Really a delight to read, and a good balance of sassy banter, romantic growth, and real world issues.

⭐️: 4.25/5
🌶️: 🚪 YA
Format: 📖

Okay this was CUUUUUUUTE. I absolutely love an unexpected frenemies to lovers. I love nerdy shit. I love sports-boy-loves-nerdy-shit. This was adorable. I really liked that the FMC was not like, always perfect. In fact, she had some times when I went "girl, stop being kind of a B." But she GREW. She LEARNED. It was really relatable as an autistic girly, even though I'm not sure that was the intent behind the FMC's personality.

It was very fluffy imo. I could have used a little more oomph in terms of gravity, because it was a little fluffy, but it's also YA. And it's great for YA. I did really like learning more about how other folks play DnD because different groups play it so differently! The detail was awesome, and you can tell this author knows whereof she speaks! It really showed depth and breadth of writing when compared to Blake/Fallmuth's other books.

Overall, I really enjoyed it, would definitely recommend to others.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth!

the best part about a good YA book is how it can really make you reflect and give empathy towards your younger self. these two characters, jack and vi, both felt super relatable in how they approached the world and each other. there is so much youthful fun when it comes to their tabletop games, cosplay, video games, etc., but their internal reflections have so much heart too! the way the secret identity trope played out felt super seamless with a story set in this world of gaming and gave a lightheartedness and humor to their story, and i loved reading about the new found family that was developing amongst these characters!

* thank you netgalley and tor teen for the eARC!

Delightful frothy fun! Loved this smartly written and witty romance, and I would love to see more from this author!

Alexene Farol Follmuth continues to write the YA books that I wish I had as a teenager. Twelfth Knight blends the best of teen angst, nerd culture, football, overachievers, figuring out your won identity, high school crushes, friendship fights, and all those overwhelming, too big feelings that come with being a teen. There's something in it that's relatable for everyone. I can't wait to see what story she'll come up with next.

Thanks to Tor and Netgalley for my copy to review.

While I feel as though the pacing for the second and third act was a little bit too slow for my liking, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I loved the characters. I love strong and independent female main characters who learn that they can still be all of those things, even if they let someone into their life. I also thought that the growth of both main characters was very realistic. I can actually see how they were impacted by the things that were done to them/what they did.

Finally, we have Alexene Farol Follmuth’s wonderful TWELFTH KNIGHT (Tor Teen, 320 pp., $19.99), where a multiplayer online game provides an opportunity for unexpected romance and self-understanding.

Viola Reyes, 17, is sick of the sexism that haunts her daily life, so in her favorite Arthurian quest game she plays as a young man named Cesario. But when the local high school football hero Jack “Duke” Orsino joins in while he heals from a brutal knee injury, she panics and tells him she’s not Viola, but her twin brother, Sebastian. Late nights and quest teamwork soon break down the walls between them, but the more time passes, the more insidious that first little untruth becomes. Or, as the real Sebastian puts it, “YOUR HOUSE OF LIES IS GOING TO CRUMBLE, VIOLA!”

Teen Shakespeare retellings are often fun, but they’re not often this Shakespearean. The feelings here are baroque in scope, and every interaction feels fraught with significance. It’s delicious: Viola is furious, stubborn and self-righteous, the antithesis of Jack’s breezy but deliberate charm. It’s to Follmuth’s credit that the book is less interested in fixing their flaws than in putting them in tune with themselves and each other. Because identity is not just about who you are, but also about the choices you make — whether you raise your sword for a just cause or choose to take refuge in the shadows.

Thank you for the opportunity to read Twelfth Knight. I really appreciated how the mc still had things to learn and grow and embraced that. It captured how tough being a teen is, especially in spaces that aren't welcoming but one is determined to stay in that space and make it safe for themselves and others to feel like they belonged somewhere. There's a lot of heart in Twelfth Knight and I'll be adding it to my library for my kid to read someday.

I loved this book it was so fantastic to read and I got sucked into it from the very start. Plus sports? Yea pleaseee

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for gifting me this advanced reader copy.

Honestly I don’t know why I requested this book. I am absolutely not the target audience, because of that I didn’t enjoy this book very much. I think there’s a lot of people who are going to eat this book up and love everything about it. The writing was nice and the storyline was really fun! I’m not exactly in the YA category of reading anymore nor do I like Shakespeare.

The FMC was really annoying at times, I had a hard time rooting for her when she acted the way she did. I think the romance was really sweet and there were some parts that made me giggle but I really had a hard time finishing this one.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This whole book can be summed up in one word: cute! The romance was cute, the characters were cute, the banter was cute. I loved the way the story showed a strong female main characters learning that being vulnerable and letting down her walls doesn't mean she has to sacrifice her strength or morals in the process. Great insight to a lot of the pressures that high schoolers feel across all different interest levels.

I love anything Olivie writes and this will be no exception even if it's a different voice than her usual Atlas Six and fantasy works. It was fun to see her branch into a new world and i think she did YA modern really well. A good retelling of shakespear - and i loved all the little references to modern worlds.

Thank you to Tor Teen for the eARC.

I really resonated with Viola.

In my real life career, I am very good at my job—and sometimes that means people perceive me as bitchy, when no one would ever say that if I was a man. So the things Viola goes through (men telling her to smile, boys expecting her to be desperate for a date) are unfortunately things that still happen in today’s society. So I was glad she stood her ground and didn’t give in, even when her so-called BFF acted like Viola was the problem.

But despite how heavy some of the themes are, Twelfth Knight still felt like a cute and lighthearted YA read. The banter between Viola and Jack, their friendship evolution online, the well-written side characters of Olivia and Sebastian; it all felt put together beautifully into a cohesive and enjoyable read.

I did want a bit more romance between the two, but hey, they are also busy high school students—they barely had time together at all. Side note: I don’t remember being this busy during high school…but we also had dial-up internet sooooooooooo take that as you will.

Overall, Twelfth Knight was a cute and fun read that I couldn’t put down.

DNF 40%

Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth is a a YA romance and coming of age story. I was not thrown off by the gamer culture, but I was sad to see the FMC being so unlikeable. Olivie Blake is a good and versatile writer, but maybe contemporary stories are not her thing. Her other fantasies are much more entertaining. I was supremely disinterested in this and just slowly stopped reading it.

Until Next Time,
MC

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for access to this ARC.