Viola knows what everyone thinks of her. But backing down on her beliefs and shoving down who she is just to be more “likable” is something she can’t do. She loves being her nerdy self. She loves her d&d games, cosplay, her online games, and so much more. And the truth of the matter is, she cares so much and when those around her let her down and don’t accept her, she’ll hide behind her mask and armor all in the hope of protecting herself. But things are about to change with Viola and that starts with Jack Orsino. Jack who always gotten on her nerves with his good looks, friendly personality, and being the football king at their school. That is util he get hurt on the football field that takes him out of the game for a long time. What Viola never expects is for Jack in his new free time to pick up Twelfth Knight. An online game where not only does he come across Viola, well he doesn’t know it’s her. Especially when she plays as a male character and ends up telling him she is her brother Bash so she doesn’t have to tell him. Online, they become friends who play the game together. Offline, well their social lives are starting to mix when Jack asks Viola for help with his on-a-break-girlfriend. But the more time they spend together and actually get to know another, and leave that enemy territory to actual possible friends? Well things get complicated for sure for Viola. And it is only a matter of time until the truth comes out. I really loved this story! I couldn’t put it down. It took me by surprise in a lot of places which I loved. And I loved the character development with Viola and Jack. Not only as they evolved from enemies to friends to more than, but just them individually. They were both going through a lot of difficult things but together they were teaching one another to open up and view everything differently. They were changing for the better. A really fun and quirky story! I definitely recommend.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 32%

So I loved My Mechanical Romance so I was super excited about this book but this was the disappointment of the century.

/rant incoming. Spoilers for first 32%

I see so many reviews complaining about the FMC, Vi, being a bitch. And can I just say…. Reading this book? I know why she’s a bitch. Because everyone else in this book is an antagonistic asshole!!!

The gaming guys are terrible. They never listened to her, never treated her with any respect. She also didn’t treat them nicely either. Two way street of being terrible to one another. Then the one guy who was a little nice was only doing it to get into her pants and then gets angry at her when she (quite nicely!) tells him she’s busy. He just goes off on her and she’s like “I don’t owe you a thing dude” And she does not. Thanks.

Then her supposed best friend decides to not take her side for ANYTHING that we see. She tells Vi that it’s her fault the guys hate her. Oh and when a guy makes Vi uncomfortable at the Ren Faire, her friend apologizes to HIM for her rude attitude?!?! What kind of best friend is this?!?!??

Okay, and other characters? There are some underlings of Vi’s at school (in the student council) who just act like she’s not doing her job and they’re not following rules - like they want money but won’t provide receipts. MMC’s girlfriend, although we are told is a nice person, won’t confront him about them taking a break??? She legit just avoids him completely. 😢 So much that he doesn’t even get that they’re broken up.

Then to try to understand, he uses Vi … because Vi is working on a project with the girlfriend and so Vi is the closest one to her and is a perfect scapegoat to try to get info from her??? Does this cheerleader gf not have friends you can just ask? Anyway, MMC makes a deal with FMC to do his job properly and she will ask Olivia (gf) why shes avoiding him.

Oh, and Vi’s brother? Seemingly a good guy but the second he hears that Olivia and MMC (Jack right) broke up - from his NON-GOSSIP sister, he spreads it around the school. Like he believed his sister has gossip info??? The girl who doesn’t give two craps about anyone??? Why would you spread that around???

So everyone in this book is antagonistic and mean. I cannot stand it. Everyone else in the reviews is saying how lighthearted and sweet this book is and I’m here to say it is NOT. It is dramatic and mean. This was not my high school experience and I highly doubt it’s anyone’s because who has to deal with mean and rude people all the time in high school??

Seriously.

You want a light and sweet D+D book?? Go read Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce. Good day.

“From my vantage point, he looks infuriating. And perfect.
‘You are the bane of my existence, Jack Orsino.’
‘As you are mine,’ he assures me, and shuts my door for me.” - Alexene Farol Follmuth
⚔️
Knights, quests, RPGs? This book was so fun! Based on Twelfth Night by Shakespeare, this was such a fantastic adaptation! A true enemies to lovers, with BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ rep! Fun fact, I was in a production of Twelfth Night in 2020 right before the shutdown, and played Valentine, the manservant. It was so fun to get to see him again in this new, modern context!
🐉
Jack “Duke” Orsino is the star football player, dating head cheerleader, Olivia, President of the student body, and all around golden boy. Viola Reyes is a brash, nerdy gal who loves her favorite fantasy show, comic cons, and RPG game “Twelfth Knight.” She uses a male avatar so she isn’t harassed in the online gaming community that she uses as escapism from the “nice guys” who have kicked her out of their DnD group. When Jack gets injured and his football career and relationship with Olivia is in limbo, my boy Valentine introduces him to “Twelfth Knight.” Soon, he and Viola’s alter ego Cesario become a dream team. Viola doesn’t know how to reveal her true identity, and quickly says she is her brother, Sebastian when Jack asks. Soon, the Shakespearean level hijinks ensue with a fun, modern, nerdy twist that is great for fans of Baldurs Gate, Game of Thrones, and all thing nerdom.
🏈
This was such a fun romp. While of course I loved the romance, I loved the journey of Viola opening up to those around her, all the while combating the toxic masculinity and pitfalls that a woman in nerd culture faces. I felt very seen. I loved her friendship with Olivia, and I loved seeing how she grew. And Jack was so fun, the ever present golden retriever go Viola’s stark black cat energy. I can’t wait to get a special edition of this when it comes out! 4.5/5⭐️!
🧙‍♂️

5/5 stars

I really enjoyed this book... It was giving A Cinderella Story vibes :D

I was in a bit of a reading slump after reading a lot of fantasy books, and Twelfth Knight definitely got me out of it. I couldn't put this book down once I started. It was a nice and easy read with likeable main characters, and it's one of those books you can easily digest and is pretty fast paced. I have Alexene's other books on my TBR list and I am excited to read more from her. I'll be preordering this book so I have a physical copy :)

Thank you for the ARC!

There is nothing I love more than a Shakespearean retelling, so I was so thrilled to be given this arc. It has everything I could ever want in a YA novel. Romance, nerdy stuff, shakespeare? Count me in.

Big, big fan of the grumpy sunshine trope and this hit the nail on the head.

I’m a total sucker for a good Shakespeare adaptation, especially when it comes to Twelfth Night, so when I saw the title and who the author was I immediately went “sign me up!” I’m glad I did, because this was a fun and fast read, filled with Easter eggs that left me wanting to play video games, DnD, and even give a certain show a second chance despite the finale that shouldn’t exist. The romance for the main character was obvious for anyone who knows the original play, or has seen the “She’s the Man” movie adaptation with Amanda Bynes, but as with everything, the getting there was the best part.
Our main character is accomplished, acerbic, and leaves me wanting to know how much sleep she actually gets with everything she does. The love interest comes off as a typical teenage jock in the beginning, before turning it around and proving they are more than their stereotypes. By the end of the book, I had side characters I was really rooting for who I’d love to see again, a main pairing that seemed they could last, supportive parent figures we could all use in our lives, and a renewed love for fan culture.
A couple minor details I wish had been better fleshed out were the relationships with the side characters and Viola’s Muay Thai interest, but not enough to detract from my giving it five stars, because this was a fun adaptation that had me laughing, crying, and nodding along at several monologue moments.

★ 4.75 stars

This book is a love letter to fandom culture, and speaks to me on levels I never thought a book would. Not only do I see myself in Viola Reyes (cosplaying her own original character from this world’s version of Dungeons & Dragons, not taking slack from toxic players, sticking to her guns even if it makes others resent her), but I see myself in her struggles to combat loneliness while not letting anyone in.

She was sort of a “not like other girls” girl at first, but she definitely developed throughout the story. And her experiences spoke so true to me: I could write an essay about how accurately this book nailed being a woman in nerd culture, especially at conventions or a TTRPG table.

And Jack! Love of my life. Sweetheart football player turned gamer. His character development was beautiful. Watching him find his true passions while learning to not be ashamed for what he likes and who he loves was adorable.

Twelfth Knight is rife with charming side characters (Olivia needs a whole book), witty banter, necessary conversations about misogyny in fandom culture, subtle Shakespearian references that made me kick my feet and remember this is a retelling and then kick my feet some more because it’s all so well-written--- just such a fun read.

I could write an essay about how accurately this book nailed being a woman in nerd culture, especially at conventions or a TTRPG table.

I loved the framing device of each character’s respective “big games” opening and closing the book. It showed how far they’ve come, and how happier they are now that they don’t confine themselves to the boxes they assumed they belonged in.

However, I did find this a little hard to get into, as Violet’s character can be irritating at first, and much of her fandom talk and Jack’s football sequences can feel overwhelming. But I finished this book in one sitting, which I RARELY do, so take my word for it that this book gets GOOD. If Follmuth wrote another Shakespeare retelling with some of the side characters in this book like Olivia and Bash, I’d be so giddy I’d probably kick my feet some more.

🎮TWELFTH KNIGHT🎮

Welcome to Twelfth Knight, where we play to win, both on the field and online. But is anything a game when hearts are on the line?

Jack Orsino needs help. With a torn ACL and a football scholarship up in the air, he’s floundering. As his girlfriend asks for ‘space,’ he’s THROWN.

Enter Vi, our RPG-playing student body council member who will get everything done yesterday. When Jack offers her a trade, she takes it and is thrown into an unlikely friendship where her loneliness begins to ebb.

As Jack and Vi work to reunite hearts and beat the impossible game Camelot Quest, it becomes clear that beating unwinnable games may be easier than mending these hearts.

Witty, endearing and sharp as a sword— Twelfth Knight is a retelling not to miss! This layered tale will have you cheering for the underdog all the way to her winning play.

✨Read if you like:
-Grumpy (her) / Sunshine (him)
-Role-playing games, online gaming & Comic-Con
-Shakespeare retellings
-Banter for DAYZ
-teens in high school (student body, popular kids, football)
-secret identities.. I mean, it IS Twelfth Night (or what you will… )

💕Thanks to the Tor Teen folks for sending this my way!

As a Shakespeare fan and a high school English teacher, I really loved this book! Follmuth captured the angst of teens struggling to find themselves as we as figure out how to exist in a social circle, as well as the joy of things like ren fair, comic conventions, great video games, and competing at sports. Her characters are rich and well-rounded, and the story took the best parts of Shakespeare and pulled them into the modern era while doing what The Bard does best: put into words the struggle of how to be human. Five stars and looking forward to buying this for my classroom!

I really enjoyed this clever Shakespearean retelling. I like how the characters learn and grow over the course of the book - a story that shows how we all are more than what we may at first seem. Highly recommended for high school readers who are into gaming, digital online spaces, sports, or Shakespeare.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

Incredible! I absolutely loved this one. Such a great book to curl up with. It was hard to pull myself away to do things, but I always looked forward to diving back in. Highly recommend!

2/5 ⭐️
1/5 🌶️

I wanted to DNF this book so many times..at 10%..at 30%…60%..but I pushed through and finished this book. The first 40% of the book was just her being mean to people with no growth between FMC and MMC. It was boring and the FMC is just not a nice person..which she admits herself on numerous occasions - which self awareness is great but it makes for a not so fun read. She’s even mean to her mom for no reason other than the fact that she’s a date blogger and has found someone that makes her geniuinely happy. I ended up skimming most of the end where it did get a little better. However, still not what I was hoping for.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Teen for this e-ARC!

Opinions are my own.

Viola is always frustrated with the world, trying to navigate the challenges of dealing with people. And then there's Jack, adored by everyone (except Vi), with a promising athletic future. But everything changes when he breaks his leg, and they end up playing video games together every night for months. The twist? He has no idea it's her.

I did love the fact that we have a female video game player but Shakespeare is not my cuppa and this was a retelling.

This was actually super cute. I almost DNF as it felt very slow, but I'm go glad I kept going. This is very much a slow-burn high school romance, mixed with a little grump x sunshine. Definitely gonna keep an eye out for her YA Romance now.

I am a huge fan of Alexene Farol Follmuth/ Olivie Blake, and I was so excited to see her branch into a new realm of fiction with this Shakespeare adaptation! I thought this story was really well done and it breathed life into the original in a fresh and exiting way, I would definitely recommend this.

“Better a witty fool than a foolish wit.” - Feste (Act 1, Scene 5) Twelfth Night

I’m a sucker for a Shakespeare retelling. I’m also a sucker for an Alexene Farol Follmouth (Olivie Blake) book, so I couldn’t pass this one up.
Twelfth Knight is a love letter to nerd culture of all kinds and the Bard himself. Follmouth gives us a Twelfth Night retelling set in a modern day high school with its own hierarchy and royalty. And what could be more Shakespearean than a fall from grace? Jack Orsino’s own fall from Duke to peasant, along with Viola Reyes’s struggle to be seen and heard, make for the perfect tale to intertwine this retelling into. It’s a love story in the most tender way. The romance transcends realms and social standings and hardships. You want to root for it, which is exactly what you should get out of a romance.
The most interesting part of transitioning from an Olivie Blake book to an Alexene Farol Follmouth book is the differences. Follmouth stories seem to be less grandiose and more geared toward YA audiences. They also lean more into that nerd culture rather than the dark academia side of academics.
While there are a multitude of differences, we’re talking about books by the same author, so there are bound to be similarities. One thing that’s the same across the board is the amazing cast of characters. Jack and Vi carry the story, but the support from characters like Bash and Olivia really drive it home.
This is a story about relationships, both romantic and platonic, and how necessary they are to our lives. These relationships can and will change and grow. They may even be outgrown, but the point still stands: We all need someone. Even people as resilient as Vi need someone. We sustain ourselves on human connection and none of these characters are an exception. People can be difficult and frustrating, but we will never stop needing them. It’s about finding people who will choose you WITH all of your flaws rather than in spite of them. Choose people and let yourself be chosen.
Thank you to Netgalley for early access to this one! And thank you to Alexene Farol Follmouth for another great story. Check it out on May 28, 2024!

4.5 stars
I love olivie Blake’s YA books. They are a perfect mix of romance, commentary, and a solid plot. I really liked our main characters Vi and Jake. I felt attached to them and so excited for the story to continue on every page.
Thank you so much to net galley and the publisher for this ARC!!!!!!

I have forever been a sucker for books that parallel/reference Shakespeare... and this book was no exception!! I loved seeing the names come to life on the page in a way that was really interesting and exciting. I've never seen Twelfth Night taken into the video game/online roleplay realm, and it matches SO well with the "mistaken identity" themes of the story! My only gripe is that I felt as if the book had a bit of a slow start to it, but I loved how it evolved from there. Seeing all the characters, not just Vi and Orsino, get their moments, made me really happy, and I enjoyed how the book wrapped up. While it wasn't totally true to the original, that wasn't what I was asking from this retelling, and it really filled this little spot in my heart that loves Shakespeare retellings!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

So far I have only read Alexene's fantasy books and I have loved them. So this was a first for me with her romance. However, it did not disappoint.
Viola is the independent, loner-by-choice girl who has few friends and fewer nice things to say to people. Viola finds herself frustrated with everyone and everything. Her best friend tells her to be nicer, the guys don't take her being a gamer seriously and Jack is not making being VP any easier. Jack has it all, the popular football player everyone adores until he gets injured and finds himself lost outside of football. They both think they couldn't be more different than each other but when they begin to play Twelfth Knight night after night and strike a mutually beneficial deal they find that they aren't that different after all. Viola as a character is very relatable: "𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬". And Jack is very easily likable. This is a great retelling of Shakespeare's Twelfth Knight. I think the gaming aspects of the book are very easy to follow and I for one loved that it was heavily plot driven. Themes of
sexism, racism, and sexuality are very well embedded into the plot, I like that it has diverse characters (shoutout to miss Olivia for always delivering with that).

tropes: reverse grumpy x sunshine, gamer/athlete, rivals to lovers, secretly identity

This was such a fun time! I love seeing topics like gaming take center stage in romance novels, and combining a gamer girl with a football player was just a recipe for some rom-com goodness! This book was a fantastic blend of lighthearted fun and more relatable struggles that a lot of high schoolers and young adults undergo.

Viola was definitely a character that I needed to warm up to, but as you get more into the story I think she becomes someone you can really understand and for some, relate to, although I still did think that some of her anger was a bit much at times. And Jack was lovely, I really enjoyed his character arc and seeing how he complimented Viola’s character as well. But the side characters!! Wow! I loved Olivia and seeing the friendship form between her and Viola, I think their friendship was a fantastic catalyst in Viola’s own character arc and I also loved seeing Olivia come into her own as well.

I do wish we had more romance though, Jack spends over half of the novel trying to win his (kind of ex) girlfriend, Olivia, back, and even with that we don’t see a ton of romance between Jack and Viola until the last 25% of the book. However, I do think the relationship progression between them was very genuine and felt real. I will also say that I was so excited to find out that Viola was filipino, I don’t think I’ve read a book with a filipino main character yet so when I realized that I felt really giddy and wish we got to delve into Viola’s background just a little bit more.

Overall, such a fun and cute read, I felt like I learned a lot about gaming and RPG’s too and every page I read of Viola and Jack playing Twelfth Knight made me want to immerse myself in a game too! I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a good rom-com, coming of age YA book!

Thank you to net galley and tor teen publishing group for the arc in exchange for an honest review