Went into this book because I'm a sucker for a Shakespeare retelling, especially of Twelfth Night (the movie She's The Man was watched at least 15 times with my friends).

We have the classic outline of the story from Shakespeare, but with a refreshingly different take by Alexene Farol Follmuth. I found myself initially frustrated by all the times that Vi was labeled a "bitch" and even agreeing with her fellow students in a few moments...only to later feel [rightfully] abashed to have jumped on that bandwagon.

Vi hides behind that label, Jack is forced to redefine himself outside the boundaries and expectations of football and legacy, and they both have significant growth throughout the book.

I could see this book resonating well with teens, even in a classroom setting. It's an interesting take on the Twelfth Night story and would provoke meaningful discussion.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley and Tor Publishing group in exchange for an honest review.

So I rarely rate a romcom at 5 stars. But I think this one would be right around there because it really checks a lot of boxes for me. This is pretty much what I want from a YA romance. It’s cute, it’s fun, but more importantly, it encourages questioning life. I think that a lot of people get really focused on the romantic aspect of a story, and it’s easy to forget that many teenagers need the misunderstandings, the confusion, and the mistakes that the characters make so that they can learn and connect and understand themselves better. It’s great when a story is fun and cute, but if it can help someone dig through their own feelings it’s even better.

Vi is a tabletop and PC gamer and hides her gender to be treated equal. She’s bitter and angry at the unfair treatment women face in life. ITs becoming increasingly obvious that the boys in her gaming group treat each other with more respect. The more she speaks up for herself, the more she's labeled a b$%)^. And she hears it so often, she kind of hides behind the label and stops letting people in. She accidentally befriends the school jock (who she hates because he’s treated special for being a jock boy) in a game and learns that all types of people can connect and that its worth learning how to let people in.

I love how this book has a dual POV and you have the story of a young woman struggling to deal with unfair sexism, and a young man who was at the top of the world and everything has fallen apart for him and he has to discover who he is and what he likes all over again. This book was so light and fun, you almost don't realize how very deep and thoughtful it is too.

Note: The author is POC and so the two MC are people of color and make a few mentions on how that affects their lives. A queer character comes out, and there is some thought and discussion on sexuality. Lots of discussion on gender equality. As a teen who struggled with some of these issues myself, I would have loved this book.

This was so cute! A fun YA modern retelling of Twelfth Night. I loved My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth, and as a She's the Man girlie (a Twelfth Night movie retelling, highly recommend) I had a feeling I'd enjoy this one!

I LOVED all of the gaming and fandom elements! Definitely my favorite part! Especially Viola pretending to be her brother while gaming online. She was a unique FMC, and her high school experience gave me some flashbacks. Duke grew on me as an MMC, and by the end they were so cute!!!!!

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC!

As a gamer girl and total geek myself, I was looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, I couldn't bring myself to finish it after 33%.

There were a few characters and some of the setting that I really liked, but I couldn't get past how unlikeable Viola was to me. She took the grumpy side of grumpyxsunshine to the extreme, and it was hard to relate to or feel sympathy for her. The story also felt very heavy-handed with the sexism. I was expecting more of a light-hearted romance with more humor, and I didn't get that from it.

Jack was great, based on what I read. He was sweet and charming, and he had depth as well. And the cover! I'm still in love with the cover.

I just think this book wasn't for me, but I walked into it with my own expectations. I very much encourage others to give it a chance and read the book. You might enjoy it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

this one is for the gamers.

i can tell through her writing in twelfth knight that follmuth has a very deep understanding of the human condition. the character arcs for vi, jack, olivia, antonia, and bash are all so compelling and felt realistic in a way that i think is hard to find in young adult novels. i was neutral on the atlas six, so i worried that i wouldn’t like her other books, but this was a very nice read.

the football i could have done without (lol what is a first down) but the fandom and gaming stuff made me feel seen. so delightful.

Cute YA reimagining of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Viola is a grumpy, tough cookie (think of Julia Style's Kat in 10 Things I Hate About You minus the humor), so she is likeable, but it's easy to see why she rubs people the wrong way. Jack (or Duke to his football fans) is quintessential high school royalty--football star, president of student activities club, future prom-king.

Following Duke's injury, he winds up playing a lot of video games (a teenage boy? video games? what?!) where he unknowingly teams up with an accomplished ANONYMOUS player---yep. Viola. The story follows the trends you'd expect. He works to break down her walls. She works realize he works for things, doesn't just get handed them. There are cute moments. There is humor. There is believability. And there's the ending that you expect--and want.

Overall: 3 stars (I liked it)

I'll tell my students about: language

**Thank you to NetGalley & Tor Publishing Group, Tor Teen for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

When I first saw this cover I thought, “wow, how cute!”. It took me all of two seconds after that to exclaim TWELFTH KNIGHT?! WOW, HOW CUTE! I love Twelfth Night. I’ve read it. I’ve seen the play. I’ve watched She’s The Man countless times. Love it. And come on, Amanda Bynes knocks it out of the park. So I was beyond ready and thrilled to try this book to see another retelling/take.

“You’ll get ’em next time.”
“In, like, a hit-man way?” I ask optimistically.
“If you want. I believe in you.” He grins.

In this story we have Jack Orsino, aka Duke Orsino. Football player, shoo in for homecoming king, all around popular guy v. Viola Reyes, aka Cesario (online persona). Gamer, cosplayer, hostile teenager. Certainly the grumpy in grumpy/sunshine that you would expect. Viola takes out her frustrations while playing a game called Twelfth Knight. Jack while hurt from football, starts playing at a friend’s recommendation, then these two team up and take the game by storm. Though problem is, Viola knows Jack is Duke. Jack does not know Viola is his partner, Cesario. She tells him that she is Bash (Sebastian, her twin). Let’s just say this was some drama I was salivating for.

I will admit I had a hard time getting into this book. I was not able to connect with Viola, frankly I didn’t like her character at all. But it just felt to be so slow with so many details. I kept thinking okay now this is explained, we’ll get on to the good stuff, but not really. There were different video games or role play games being described and taught, a television series, events, etc. I found the information (being that I have no experience in that world) to be rather overwhelming and frankly too expansive. I think this is what really slowed down the first half of the book for me. One of the games that was talked about over and over they were not even playing, it was not a focus, but yet we learned tons (and I do mean tons) of details for it.

However, beyond 50% it started looking up! I was liking where things were going, starting to enjoy some of the characters, I felt promise. I looked at my kindle at one point (62%) and finally thought yes, okay I’m enjoying myself now. I think the issue is you want that to be happening from the beginning.

“Why are feelings so brutal?” she wails. “Everyone makes friendship seem like garden parties and sleepovers when really it’s Jurassic Park for emotions.”

I’ll be frank, for more than half of this book I didn’t like Viola, and I felt increasing neutral towards Jack. At one point, one of the characters called Viola “unnecessarily hostile” and I could not think of a better way to describe her. Every single scene and to every single person she was abrasive, standoffish, and she really got on my nerves. And with that being said yes this story focuses on being true to yourself, learning to be brave and how to trust yourself, but it was a rocky journey. I understand that’s not an easy message to portray, but I think the hostility could have been toned down a notch to maybe make it a bit more impactful, or clear for readers to see themselves in Viola too.

In the romance department I think there was some room to grow. For this being labeled as a YA romance it felt like that part of the story was on the back burner for a majority of the book. Because the focus was spent so much on the games and worlds being created, it felt then like there wasn’t room for romance at the same time. This didn’t even come out until maybe the last 30ish%, and it went from “bane of my existence” to “she/he isn’t so awful” to “I’m falling for you” incredibly fast. One of my favourite aspects with YA is seeing this development, which I just hoped a little more for; especially because at that point I was on board and rooting for them. Don’t get me wrong, still some aww moments!

“I don’t need you to say you’re sorry. I know you are. What I want to know is if you can ask me to stay instead of letting me leave.”

One thing I did enjoy was the chat room while playing Twelfth Knight and how Jack started to open up. He was growing and becoming vulnerable, and in a way this allowed Viola to start doing the same and letting him in.

A real gem in this one for me was the side characters. Bash was often making me chuckle, especially when he and Viola would bicker (all those who have a brother, hear hear). But Olivia I think really stole a bunch of the spotlight in this one, she was great. I wouldn’t at all be disappointed if she got her own story one day!

“Are you even listening to me? I said use your sword and don’t—Oh my god Bash, do not do that—”
“STOP TELLING ME WHAT TO DO!” he bellows.
“Okay, but if I don’t tell you what to do, you don’t know what you’re doing—”
“YOU CAN STOP REMINDING ME,” he says, “I AM AWARE.”
“Hey kids?” says my mom, poking her head in. “You’re not actively killing each other, are you?”
“Not yet,” we shout in unison.
“Delightful,” she replies. “Snacks downstairs when you’re ready!”

So sure this may not have been exactly as I had hoped, but I tried something new, I got back into YA (which I love and haven’t read in a while), and discovered a new to me author! I always suggest everyone try to branch out and try new authors and books as well, never know when you may find one that clicks for you.

*ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun YA story! I loved Viola so much. We love a gamer girl! I flew through this one. I highly recommend!

This was a very fun read! I thought it was a great modernization of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, and entertaining in it's own right. It took me a little bit to get pulled into the story, but once it got going, I was hooked.

Viola comes off very strong at the start of the story (as I suspect is the intention), but it's tempered well by Jack's perspective. There's absolutely frustrating moments of "just tell him!!" but Vi's reasons for secrecy are believable enough for high school. Their romance blossoms in a cute way and the stakes are consistent throughout. The secondary plot(s) of Vi's favorite video game and tv show are very entertaining; I loved the fantasy flavoring it added. Vi's dealings with sexism in fan spaces were really relatable, and as Twelfth Knight progressed I found myself understanding her rage.

All in all it's an easy read that I think fans of YA romcoms will enjoy. There's great character development, fun banter, and a story with a lot heart!

Super great read! When searching for a romance, I look for a book with not only a cute love story, but an interesting plot that leaves me thinking afterward. This book was exactly that. It deals with realistic problems and decisions that teens face as they struggle to find their path in life, without making anything too heavy. And the characters are lovable and show great development. I especially loved seeing Filipina representation through our FMC Viola. Another thing I loved was how nerdy it all was! the contrast between football and the gaming world was so much fun to read, all to create an amazing retelling of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night! This is a fantastic YA romance novel!

I lovely Twelfth Knight retelling and a great YA/modern take on it. Thought the romance was cute too.

i think i may have to place this as 𖥻 01 on my list of favorite twelfth night (shakespeare) retellings. between you and me, i didn’t even know i had this list till i decided to read the actual play to help me make comparisons. [strongest and only contender is the movie she’s the man (2006)]

⁺◟world building.ꜜ

twelfth knight is a modern YA retelling of twelfth night by shakespeare (so reminiscent of early 2000’s retellings). i thought this was a fun and brilliant use of source material (i am not a shakespeare expert so take that as you will).

the game, twelfth knight, the forefront of which our main characters jack orisino and violia reyes (under the guise of her male avatar cesario) meet is based on the legend of arthur. (i’m pretty sure this was written for me because how did they know i’m a diehard bbc merlin fan?)

⁺◟characters.ꜜ

i could recite soliloquies and sonnets about them (and i have, my siblings can attest to this).

⊹ viola reyes. viola is … je ne sais quoi, … perfect? my new fave YA fmc? viola and I are both from similar circles, AP kids and self-proclaimed (and unashamed) geeks. however, where my HS AP friend group was mostly girls, viola deals with being constantly looked down on from self proclaimed “nice guys”, feels the pressure of sexism in both in real life and on her favorite video game, and so to protect herself from the throngs of mansplaining misogynist video gamers, she takes on the guise of cesario (the main character of her favorite show War of Thrones).

she’s headstrong, hyper independent, and is fine with telling people where to stick it, even if it means her reputation is equivalent to a dumpster fire.

i loved viola. i love how she doesn’t change herself or her opinions in order to be better accepted by her peers. i love how she learns to accept the love in her life and that she eventually finds herself a circle of friends who love her for who she is.

"I just think maybe happiness isn't crossing a finish line, or finally meeting the right person or getting the right job or finding the right life. It's the little things.”


⊹ jack orsino. like his shakespearean namesake, orisino is in love with a facet of his identity, obsessed with continuing a legacy that he feels is his only defining characteristic trait.

the pressure to carry on his fathers and brothers football legacy and be seen as the likable guy weighs heavy on his shoulders. jack’s injury sidelines him in more than just the game and a chance at the championship, it completely steers him of his clearcut path towards the future, leaving him angry and lost.

jack letting love guide him and learning to move beyond just following the character of “super nice football player” was so amazing to read. him discovering there is more to himself than what he offers to the world? <3

“there wasn't a specific moment, i guess. more like a series of moments that only made sense to me once i realized there were a lot of different ways that love could look, and some that sounded like the way i felt.”


⊹ olivia hadid. i love her <3. i want nothing but for her to be happy always. this is the american brown girl (middle eastern specifically here) rep. we needed.

⊹ sebastian reyes. possibly the funniest little theatre nerd ever. i love how he cares for vi and how he references shakespeare every chance he gets. need more bash content please.

⁺◟ themes.ꜜ

the themes are strong in this one. sexism, misogyny, racism, even some commentary on sexuality (which is very on theme for this specific play)… however, i appreciated that the novel still managed to keep it fun, lighthearted, while still have nuanced discussions about these topics.

and thats a big part of what i love about having diverse characters who have a plethora of issues that stem from being a certain race, gender, or sexuality. sometimes it not all big things. its the small things that add up and you’re just left unable to get out what it was that got on your nerves into words.

⁺◟ outro.ꜜ

“how could i not have recognized her? no matter what forms she and i take, i know her.”


could i have done with say, 50 more pages of violajack? yeah. i love them. thank u for coming to my tedtalk.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing access to this ARC! I’m a sucker for Shakespeare retellings, and this book did not disappoint. I flew through this story about an angry gamer girl and a sensitive “sportsboi.” I love the dual narrators, both distinct in voice and motivation. The authentic diversity of diversity — race, sexual orientation, age, relationship status, hobbies, etc. — is refreshingly not forced or cliche. As frequenter of fan conventions, I really appreciate VI’s “woman in a man’s world” perspective, although my experience hasn’t been as negative or one sided as hers. The author did a great job of building the mythology of the games and fandoms within the novel. This was a fun, fast read!

Thank you netgalley for the ARC

🏰 D&D
🏰Football legacy
🏰Enemies to Loverd
🏰Hidden Identity
🏰Grumpy x sunshine

Jack is the high school football super star. He has everything going for him. During his senior year he suffers a major injury and has to sit out for the season.

Vi is a complete nerd. She's extremely smart right down to living D&D. Vi is quite aggressive and is hard to get along with. She truly only has one friend and even that friendship is questionable.

Both Jack and Vi find themselves playing Twelfth Knight, however Vi is playing under a male character.

This one was just not for me. Just way to predictable.

This book helped me both understand more of the online community which is good for the people I hang out with because then I can understand their conversations more.

The romance was cute for a YA romance.

Reading this felt like watching She’s the Man but through a nerdier filter. The early 2000’s Shakespeare retelling movie vibes are strong. Overall it was a little predictable but I like that about the book. There was also enough originality in the FMC that I really enjoyed. I think Viola is someone I would have wanted to be friends with in high school but I would have been to scared to actually approach her. In a way it was reminiscent of being back in high school, where is everyone is just trying to be someone they’re not. I also like the exploration of gender roles in the gaming/RPG world, it’s not something I’ve experienced myself in my little experience with DnD but it was a good intro. I really felt for her when when those situations came up. Overall, It’s a light fun read that I think most people would enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alexene Farol Follmuth and Tor Publishing group for this eARC

First, thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

The way I devoured this book! It only took me two days to read it and I enjoyed it so much. I loved how complex the characters were, the relationships between each other, and the way they grow through the story. Even the side characters are amazing I would have loved to see more of all of them! It's a genuine and comforting story, with an amazing message, and everyone should read it.

The only "con" I found it it's that I don't usually like the miscommunication/telling you're someone that you're not trope because I suffer with the characters, but that's just a me thing

I was thoroughly entertained and captivated by the story!
The story follows Vi, a high school student who finds solace in the online gaming world of Twelfth Knight, where she can escape from the challenges of her real life. Vi is a strong girl, but she struggles with being appreciated by her peers. The connection between Vi and Jack, both online and offline, is undeniable and their interactions are filled with witty banter and genuine moments.
I particularly enjoyed how the story explored the idea of finding acceptance and love for who you truly are. The author does a fantastic job of balancing the fun and lighthearted moments with the deeper and more emotional moments between Vi and Jack. It was a joy to see their relationship evolve.
I highly recommend this book and can't wait to read more from this author.

Tropes: grumpy x sunshine, slow burn, secret identities, enemies to lovers, gamer x football player

Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth (Olivie Blake) is truly a beautiful and powerful read. Twelfth Knight provides comfort for readers who struggle to open up and let others in. The author managed to write a book with both a cute romance and truly powerful story about women in male dominated spaces. If you’re looking for a cute romance that provides an exploration of feministic themes that leaves you feeling powerful, then this is the perfect book for you. Alexene Farol Follmuth (Olivie Blake) continues to dominate any genre she chooses to write in.

Enjoy some of my favorite quotes from the book:
“𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬.“
“𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐛𝐢𝐠?“

Thank you to Netgalley and tor Tor publishing group for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

”I just think that maybe happiness isn’t crossing a finish line, or finally meeting the right person or getting the right job or finding the right life. It’s the little things.”

i reallyyyy enjoyed this. i absolutely loved vi, jack, olivia, bash, and everyone else. not matt das though. the door is that way, and he can leave <3 i was super interested in this book because i love the author, and i also had high expectations. though i didn’t give this 5 stars, 4 stars is still a very good rating for me.

the plot was good, and it was pretty unique. i haven’t really read any books about gaming, so i was excited to give this a try. the mix of gaming and football was odd to me at first, but the author was able to successfully mix the two and not make the book super weird, and it was so fun. the book was a little predictable, as ya romances often are, but this was still 100% worth the read.