Viola and Jack might be the leaders of their student body government but they certainly don't see eye-to-eye. Viola is no-nonsense and uncompromising about who she is and what she likes (which happens to be DND and Game of Thrones-esque things like video games, Ren Faire, cosplay, etc.). Jack, on the other hand, is the golden boy, star running back, and homecoming king-apparent. His life is gloriously uncomplicated with a beautiful girlfriend at his side and a college football scholarship lined up as a stepping stone on his way to a pro-career. But when a catastrophic injury sidelines Jack for the season, he drowns his sorrows in a nerdy online game and meets "Cesario", a fellow player who is surprisingly easy to talk to. Little does he know that "Cesario" is actually Vi, who is shocked to learn that there is more to Jack than meets the eye. As the two begin to grow their friendship online and IRL, Vi increasingly is faced with a choice: to continue to hide behind the screen or to be as uncompromising about her real feelings for Jack as she has always been about everything else.

I love a grumpy-sunshine trope but this was the first one I'd read with the FMC not being the sunshine which was refreshing for me. That said, I feel like Viola was little too "not-like-other-girls" for me to really love her. Jack on the other hand was precious and I loved his growth throughout the story.

The plot was a bit predictable in places, which was fine with me, but I definitely felt like this story could have been 50 pages shorter without losing much. I'm usually a fan of a slow-burn but this was just a tad too slow for my liking. Some of that I attribute to the side plots which really didn't do much for me personally. However, they were definitely on theme with the story's message of the importance of being "true to yourself" so at least they didn't come out of left field.

Overall it was a nice, low-stakes and wholesome read to kick off the month of March. I'd like to give it a 3.5 but I'll round up for the sake of Goodreads.

Thank you to Tor Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC. .

Thank you to netgalley and Tor publishing group for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review
⚔️slow-burn, dislike-to-lovers, grumpy x sunshine, witty banter, and shakespearean retellings, what more could you possibly ask for?

For one, Vi Reyes might just be one of the best characters i have ever seen in a book marketed as a ya romance. She isn't likeable in the generic way, and she is ok with that. She is such a complex character who is learning how to be herself, and express her feelings, and let people in all while being a teenager. Even people who aren't into video games might find her relatable.

Jack Orsino is another character who proves to be more than meets the eye. Dealing with a crisis about what his future will look like after tearing his acl and not being sure he will ever play again. He is stubborn and witty, and doesn’t give up on things important to him.

Jack and Vi’s romance story was SO cute! They started off as complete opposites who didn’t even like each other, and were forced to spend time together, slowly helped each other and developed feelings along the way.

Easy and interesting read, and isn’t confusing at all, even if you know nothing about football or video games. A very unique take on Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”


“Twelfth Knight” is an adorable romance story that has a complex and diverse cast with a plot that will pull you in and keep you reading till the late hours of the night⚔️

4.5/5⭐️

The first thing I have to say is, where was this book when I was a teenager????

I immediately knew I had to read this when I heard it was a Shakespeare retelling. Yes, I’m a huge Olivie Blake fan, but a Twelfth Night retelling was most important in the want for this book. And it hit every beat that I was ready for, but the author was able to bring in more depth to these characters in a modern and relatable way.

I was the teenager who went to conventions, cosplayed, read comics and manga, played online games with friends, participated in fandom, etc. I loved it all. But even with a supportive group of friends and family who uplifted me in my likes, I still experienced the harassment that comes with being a woman in a predominantly male space. I, like Vi in Twelfth Knight, definitely put up a harder exterior when it came to how I involved myself because it was the only way to successfully exist in spaces I desperately wanted to be in. While not to the extent of Vi, I had my own persona online that I kept sacred because it was the only way I could be taken seriously.

Alexene crafted a story and characters with such depth they felt like my friends of years past. Vi was complex. She had this tough exterior shell she thought was the only self she could be, but underneath that she was a teenager with huge thoughts and feelings who just wanted to be seen an accepted for who she was. Jack embodied all of us who thought we had everything figured out at that age, to only have that come crumbling down. He had to take a step back and realize there is so much more out there without having to give up the things you love. You’re allowed to be more than the one thing you’ve been defined by. And all the side characters really elevated the story. They were grounded in the plot, not just there as a way to move it along.

I can’t wait for everyone to read this book. Young or old, you’ll be rooting for our main characters and finding someone to relate to.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and Tor Teen for this eARC of Twelfth Knight in exchange for a honest review.

And thank you to Alexene Farol Follmouth for yet another amazing book. Always eagerly awaiting what you’ll bring us next.

This book was a bit of a roller-coaster ride for me! It took me a while to get into it, and I wasn't sure (and maybe am still not sure) that I entirely understand or believe in the main characters (i.e., are they realistic or borderline caricatures?). I loved the feminism embedded in the frustration Vi feels and the choices she makes. I loved her strength and toughness based on past experiences of mistreatment. Jack was a bit of a mystery to me, in that I'm not sure I could really believe in his character arc of pure jock to gaming geek. I really appreciated the interactions between all the characters and the overall sense that - especially as teens - there are hidden depths in each person and that it takes effort and courage to allow each person to open up and be who they really are.
Although I appreciated the homage to Shakespeare in this story and its characters, I'm not sure many teens would get it or care about that much. Twelfth Night is not in the average high school curriculum these days (a former English teacher here).
Overall, I enjoyed this and would recommend it to readers of YA fiction.

Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

Twelfth Knight is just as charming as My Mechanical Romance. It feels like a modern She’s The Man to sink your teeth into as well as a love letter to the highs and lows of geek culture. I always love a book that includes a character list at the beginning. It’s just so fun to see modern Shakespeare reimagining coming back, especially ones as heartfelt as this one.

Lovers of She’s The Man, Twelfth Knight, dungeons and dragons, and Baldur’s Gate, boy do I have a book for you! This book is fun and heartfelt, with lovable fun characters to root for.

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC of this book. Over all enjoyed a lot of aspects of this story. I liked that both main characters had defining moments and leaned into being true to themselves and not what the world would define them as being. Alexene does a great job of bringing together multi cultural characters that are funny while working through tough life situations.

tbh such a pitch perfect and FUN ya novel!!!!!!!!!! loved the characters a lot, it is very fresh and fun, easy to read and enjoyable, loved how they handled the retelling aspects

Book: “Twelfth Knight” by Alexene Farol Follmuth (aka Olieve Blake)
Rating: 5/5 🌟

Mini summary: Viola is the nerdy, top of her class, perfect daughter with her geeky group of friends. The only thing she does not have is being the student body president position, and that’s because it was stolen from her by one and only star quarterback, Jack Orsino. In fact, she’s sure he got voted over her because of his popularity.
Jack’s life is perfect, popular cheerleader gf, perfect sports team, supportive family. The only thing that annoys him on daily basis is his VP, Viola Reyes.
Life would be e a lot easier if Viola and Jack did not need each other’s help, but they do …

Review: overall, this is a romantic, coming-of-age story, but it’s a lot more than that. We see family rescuing each other, friends trusting each other and coming out, young athletes making very important decisions for their wellbeing, and most importantly, female empowerment. This is a YA book, but I enjoyed it very much an adult.

I went into this book knowing the general storyline having previously watched the Twelfth Night adaptation, She's the Man. I expected Viola Reyes to be the narrator but there's alternating viewpoints so we get to know Jack Orsino as well as her. From the beginning Viola made it very clear she didn't want people to like her which made it hard for me to sympathize with her and for most of Jack's inner football monologues, I found myself bored and skimming ahead. All of that is necessary to the plot of course but it just made it difficult for me since I was expecting a lighter romantic comedy and I'm not a football fan. That being said, the characters definitely have a love for and strong opinions when it comes to online roleplay and fantasy media so if you wanted someone to commiserate about gender and the intricacies of that in those mediums, this book is definitely for you.

Fun and inspiring like all of this author's book are. The story was entertaining and engaging, the characters were delightful.
Overall an enjoyable read!

Viola is known for being rough around the edges with people. Jack is the star football player with the hot cheerleader girlfriend. The two couldn’t be any more different. However, when Jack gets injured and can’t play football, he is introduced to an online role playing game, Twelfth Knight, to help occupy his time. The same game that Viola plays and is very good at. When Viola realizes Jack is playing the game, she claims to be her twin brother, Bash, and they form a friendship while playing the game. Will Viola ever come clean to Jack? Can their friendship transfer into the real world? Could they possibly be something more?

Twelfth Night is my favorite comedic play by Shakespeare. (I’ve seen all the adaptions and have several copies of the play in book format). When I read the blurb about this retelling, I got super excited. It felt like She’s the Man (the movie with Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum) married San Diego Comic Con (it’s the biggest and OG of the cons) and they produced this gem.

There is a good underlying message about feelings wrapped up in a good coming of age story. There are also odes to some of the things women and girls deal with that our male counterparts don’t seem to have to struggle with.

If the thought of a Shakespearean retelling doesn’t sound like your thing, I still recommend trying this. It’s funny and geeky with romance and sports thrown in and it’s all mixed up with teenage angst. Try it. You’ll like it. (I’m buying this when it comes out because I NEED it).

* Special thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Overall I liked the book, but it was very YA for me and hard to get into at first. It was a lot more coming of age and focused on character development. The romance came as a slow burn for me and toward the end. I did enjoy seeing the main characters grow and not let one thing define them.

I loved this book! What a glimpse into a female high schoolers life. Viola "Vi" Reyes appears to be a no-nonsense, go-getter, who doesn't care what the general high school population thinks of her. She is an independent woman that knows what she likes and how "boys" tend to think they are owed something for being nice and acting human to a girl. I wanted to hug Vi and be her friend. She reminds me a lot of myself as a high schooler in the "I am my own person" sort of way. I was never as gifted in gaming as she is. I love her "alter-ego" in the game Twelfth Knight. The bane of her existence, Jack Orsino, is the Senior Class President, (she's the VP) and a hugely popular star running back for the high school football team. He gets introduced to Twelfth Knight by a friend and he "meets" Vi's alter ego in the game and they start a quest together. There is so much to a high schoolers life regarding grades, college admissions, scholarships, clubs, sports, etc. so for these to polar opposites, for lack of a better term, become gaming buddies. I liked the interactions with all the other secondary characters too; it added so much more depth to the it. The story flows so well and touches on many different types of relationships. The writing is do good that it played out in my mind like I was there in all the scenes or watching a very well thought out sitcom or dramedy on TV.
What more can I say,: excellent storyline, exceptional characters, fantastic writing: this has it all.

Twelfth Knight is a charming and genuine coming of age story. Our narrators Vi and Jack, a lone-wolf geek and popular athlete respectively, explore the borders of their own personalities and - yes - fall in love. That said, I wouldn’t classify Twelfth Knight as a romance — author Alexene Farol Follmuth captures it perfectly in her acknowledgments: this is a story “about anger and who is allowed to feel it, so ultimately the romance is the cherry on top of two characters’ coming of age.” That coming of age unfolds beautifully, such that I think even strictly romance readers will find Twelfth Knight worthwhile. It even manages to depict geek culture without being completely cringe, which is no easy feat! 5*.

Thank you to Tor Teen and NetGalley for providing this e-arc.

I wouldn’t consider Jack and Vi to be “enemies”, but they definitely don’t get along. However, their paths begin to cross and they’re able to connect and find common ground in this cute YA rom-com. Jack tears his ACL playing football and his friend Nick recommends playing a video game (Twelfth Knight) to pass the time. In the game, he runs into Vi and they begin a quest together. Throughout the quest they’re able to work together and develop a friendship that seeps into “real-life”. The conflict was predictable, but I liked that it made sense and was not forced. I also loved the feminism and found family. Overall, this was really cute I would recommend this book!

4/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐️

I just love this author so much. She knows how to write loveable characters with good tension and banter.

So we have Viola Reyes who is this prickly and no nonsense female gamer who is into RPGs and this computer game called Twelfth Knight.

Then we have Jack Orsino who is your typical jock, but there is more underneath his exterior and what he shows the world.

These two already know each and I would def say so not like one another at all. Their interactions in the beginning had me cracking up.

Viola also has a very masculine username on the computer game which many assume the player is male.

Jack gets injured and his friend introduces him to the computer game, Twelfth Knight.

This is where the laughter and cuteness starts.

We also have many side characters and we also have an interesting storyline with Jack’s ex, Olivia. I actually really liked her as a character.

This story is so cute just like the romance. I found myself smiling and giggling when Jack and Vi interacted.

I loved that Jack like Vi for who she really was and I loved that Vi didn’t change who she was but let more people in.

If you were a fan of her debut, My Mechnical Romance, read this!

You will not regret it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced reader’s copy in advance for an honest review!

Jack and Vi’s senior years are off to a rocky start to say the least. Jack suffers an injury that puts his future plans in jeopardy, not to mention his girlfriend is acting weird and pulling away. Viola’s starting fights and burning bridges, cutting herself off from all the hobbies she usually uses to escape. The two of them become grudging partners both in real life and in Twelfth Knight, an MMORPG Viola loves.

If you know Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, it’s clear what shenanigans are about to ensue.

Twelfth Knight takes Shakespeare’s story and characters and not only modernizes them with football and video games, but also through focusing on the kinds of things young adults might be struggling with today. Like what it’s like to question your sexuality in a situation where it may not be safe to or being a young black man in an upper middle class neighborhood and school system. As much as this book reads like an early 2000’s teen romcom, it’s truly an updated version.

Speaking of 2000’s teen romcoms (and more specifically Shakespeare retellings), Viola feels very Kat Stratford shrew-like and I could not get enough of her. These characters were just all so charming, if I’m being honest. I adore Jack and Viola and their slow understandings of each other. They’re both so unflinchingly kind that it kind of kills me a little bit just to think about. The long list of side characters are also so endearing, particularly Olivia and Bash (though surprisingly Nick Valentine and Pastor Ike really made me love them, though their roles were so tiny). Just a phenomenal cast of characters. They’ve burrowed their way into my heat.

The narrative style of Twelfth Knight feels, fittingly, like a soliloquy. Everything is told, almost offhandedly, to the reader. The character stands at the edge of the stage and just bares it all. There is definitely a lot of telling involved, a fair bit of stream of consciousness, and it’s definitely not a style that I usually prefer. I’ll be honest, there were times when it grated on me, but those moments were far outweighed by some of the most beautiful lines in the book that wouldn’t have worked as well if framed by a different style of narration.

Another thing worth noting, I think, is that Twelfth Knight does that thing where it’s set in a world that is basically our own modern America but most of the pop culture references are made up. Bash and Olivia run lines from Shakespeare, but instead of Game of Thrones or ComicCon or any of a multitude of TTRPGs there’s War of Thorns and MagiCon and ConQuest. Viola explains to the reader that Twelfth Knight is like World of Warcraft, but better. There’s comments about ‘Empire Lost’ and it’s white plot lines that makes me think it’s mean to be Star Wars. Cheeky moments where the football team plays Padua and Verona. When my mind wasn’t fully immersed in the storyline, little things like that set me on tangents wondering how it all works, what exists in their world and what doesn’t. In the end, it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the book over all, but it was frustrating in the beginning.

Outside of that, this book felt exactly like the old Shakespeare retelling romcoms feel. It’s that same fun but heartfelt storytelling that I grew up loving. I laughed, I cried, I grinned madly at all the dramatics and banter. It’s an easy recommendation to anyone who wants to recapture that old magic with a few new twists.

Honestly, I kind of want to turn around and read it all over again.

Huge thank you to Netgalley and Tor Teen for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.

As a D&D/TTRPG nerd, I was intrigued by the book's premise, and it didn't disappoint! Vi as the protagonist can come across as annoying, but I think her character is very well crafted. She is a young woman discovering who she is and going through the "I'm not like other girls" phase -- one of the rare characters who can justifiably get away with the otherwise annoying trope. Jack is the perfect angel -- 10/10 no notes.

Some fun discoveries:
- Didn't know Twelfth Knight was a Shakespeare play! Gotta learn more about it.
- Didn't know this author wrote The Atlas Six! Haven't read the series, but would absolutely read more by this author.
- So happy I understood the football references -- benefits of being a Swiftie 😄

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think the book would be a great read for someone that enjoys YA reads.
I found myself not totally interested in the events that occur in the book but I can see how others will be captivated. The characters were likeable and well thought out but I thought that their chapters were perhaps too long? Like I liked reading from their point of views and thought processes but it went on too long for me. For example, Viola's chapters were a joy to read because she has a 'will not take the bs' attitude but at some points her thoughts and actions when she's in a prickly mood were over the top to me. The writing style of the book is very detailed and well thought out. I thought that the life lessons and real life struggles of the characters eye opening. I liked how they were portrayed, elaborated, and discussed.
Overall I did enjoy reading it when I was not skimming through the parts that couldn't hold my attention.

✩˚.4.75⋆⁺✧

Viola could be described as a shrew and many people tell her so because she definitely has a lot of feminine rage. However, her anger was totally called for even if she could be rude about it, they usually asked for it and I’m glad she never changed that aspect to her but was able to open up and lower her defenses for some people. There are also so many valid points made and relatable thoughts which makes Viola a very realistic teenage girl to me. She’s very skilled and a badass which honestly just makes me admire her and I’m jealous that I’m not as cool as her. “do we need a plan? I have interests and hobbies and passions. Isn’t that enough?” FELT and also inspired.

I really like the pacing of it. I prefer these medium paced books because I get to know the characters better beyond their surface level basic traits and feel like I am in the world for a longer time even when I binged it. Very diverse cast of characters that I loved, especially her brother Bash. He’s a real one. I was excited to pick up the book each time and had a hard time putting it down. The fictional tv show in this was very intriguing and I’m jealous that I can’t be apart of the fandom.

.“You can’t convince me you’re heartless, Viola.” “You don’t actually know me.” “No, but I could.”

As for the romance, the banter made me giggle and I was evilly cackling everytime they had to spend time together. They really were so cute. I love that neither of them really had to change themselves. Jack was just discovering more of who he was and what he liked, and she was helping him while being more herself too. She encourages him to make decisions for himself that aren’t based on one possible life track. And they bonded over things they both liked. I think that’s a really lasting relationship.
“I hope you never change. In fact, I hope you change me. I like to think you already have.”

.𖥔 ˖“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.”


Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this ✮