This is my second book by Alexene/Olivie that I’ve read. In this book she tackles the divide between the popular kid, Jack who is a jock, and the not so popular, Vi who’s in all the AP classes and on the social committee. Vi is shy at school and lives under the radar of Jack until the popular kid becomes the head of the social committee and has an accident which means he can’t play any more. They begin hanging out at school but do not like each other but they become close friends when Jacks friend introduces him to Twelfth Knight, a game all things knights, mages and mythical objects. Vi knows she’s playing with Jack but Jack doesn’t know it’s Vi. Will Jack find out it’s Vi in the end?

4.5/5 - “The game isn’t the dice. It’s who’s with you at the table.”

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Normally, I’m not super keen on YA books, but Olivie Blake is an autobuy author and a Twelfth Night retelling involving RPGs sounded right up my alley - and I was not disappointed at all.

This is a book that 15 year old me would have devoured just like I did at 32. Being a woman in a fandom atmosphere my whole life, I understood the tough exterior that the main character Viola portrays. Not knowing how to navigate the space as yourself and feeling the need to mask to fit into the community rather than feeling accepted for who you are.

The story is not only about learning who are, but also ACCEPTING who you are and realizing that those around you who care about you will accept your quirks - despite how weird you may think you are.

This book resonates with me in a way I was not at all expecting and it touches on very real topics that invoked a deep discussion in my household and with other friends of mine.

I’ve said it before and I will forever say it: Olivie Blake NEVER misses.

"Twelfth Knight" by Alexene Farol Follmuth is a clever retelling of Shakespeare's play "Twelfth Night" which is actually my favorite of his plays. I would recommend this for people who like:
-MMOs
-Dungeons and Dragons
-Comic con
-early 2000s romantic comedy

Viola is a nerdy gamer who tends to rub people the wrong way. This includes the president of her school, Jack, whom she is vice president with. She has very few friends, but when she is online she isn't judged as an opinionated girl because she plays as a male, C354R10, on her favorite game "Twelfth Knight". She is free to speak her mind and put boys in their places as the game character.

Jack is a football player who is incredibly popular until an injury takes him out of the game. To help distract him from being unable to join his friends, one of his old teammates introduces him to "Twelfth Knight". He creates a username that easily identifies him as himself and happens to run into Viola in the game, having no idea who she is.

This book has a lot of call backs to the play, handles mistaken identity well, and had me smiling and laughing throughout. I highly recommend it for any fan of the play and any new reader as well.

I genuinely loved every minute of reading "Twelfth Knight!" I am typically a romantasy reader, but slowly becoming more of a YA rom com convert with books like this (though almost exclusively when the MCs are a little nerdy because 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦). I was delighted to be approved for this arc because last year I read "Master of Death" by the same author (under the pen name Olivie Blake) and LOVED it. Like it was one of my favorite reads of 2023... getting back to this beautiful book's review.... Firstly, this is a modern Shakespeare retelling of the play by the same name but in a high school setting with the most perfectly-scripted grumpy x sunshine pairing this side of the Messaline goal line (not sure if this statement works football terminology-wise as I'm only semi-fluent in sportzboi jargon much like Vi). The banter and the butting heads between Vi & Jack had me hooked as soon as we were introduced to them and their dynamic. Not to mention the growth in both characters that happens from the beginning to the end of their story on a personal-level was phenomenal. Both Vi & Jack are cool people to start, fighting their own metaphorical "knights," but they grow so much as people through the way they push and encourage each other in and outside the MMORPG game they play together online (also cleverly titled "Twelfth Knight"). So many important topics and themes are touched on in this book (loneliness, self-discovery, trust, purpose, identity... just to name a few). Also, I have to say the nerds are nerding in this read in ALL the best ways. Being a cosplayer who attends cons semi-regularly, I felt immeasurably validated by Vi's excitement and all the prep work she went through to go to MagiCon. Vi is 1000% who I want to be when I grow up (I'm 27). But seriously, she is such a strong, independent woman who has had to construct a lot of mental and emotional walls to protect herself from the outside world and can I just say I think many of us can relate to that? Loved that though she changed over the course of the book, she stayed true to herself and her ideals always (just a few of those self-constructed walls fell in the process). In summary – if you couldn't tell – I loved this book for so many reasons. Can't wait to pick up a beautiful, sprayed-edge copy in June when it releases!

I also plan to post a review to my Instagram in the next 2 weeks, as well as a TikTok singing my praises ☺️

I received this book as an E-Arc through Netgalley... This review is solely based on my opinion and taste .

Have you ever read a book and found yourself fan-casting the entire story as you progressed? This book honestly begs to be adapted to the big screen. As someone who was a 90s teen, I came up during the era of great teen movies, and this story could rival some of the best!

The lead characters in this book were written so well and honestly that I could easily see people, myself included, relating to who they are. The girl who carries too much responsibility, keeps truths and vulnerabilities about herself locked inside, and is viewed as difficult by others who take zero time to actually get to know her. The guy who is viewed as only good at one thing by everyone, including himself, who has never had the chance to explore what exists outside of his well honed talent and really doesn't even know himself or what he wants out if his life.

The character arc that both of the leads go through felt natural and honest without hitting the "cheesy" factor that some teen novels end up reaching. The story that developed between the leads was sweet and endearing without feeling rushed or forced. The relationships and friendships that developed throughout the story felt plausible and realistic.

This book is a definite must read and must recommend to others!

Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this book at all, even though I adored the last book ‘My Mechanical Romance’ by this author. It could just be because I don’t know much or care about video games, but this didn’t interest me at all. I couldn’t find it in myself to care about the characters or plot. I couldn’t get invested in the story, it’s like some critical piece was missing. I’m so disappointed by this, as it was one of my most anticipated books of the year. That being said, I still will read the next book this author publishes.

Okay, so right off the bat, this heavily reminded me on 10 Things I Hate About You, which is arguably one of the best teen movies of all time. If not, THE best teen movie of all time.
While I don’t think that this book is THE best teen book of all time, I’d say it has a fair chance of making someone’s top 10. It probably would have made mine if I’d read this as a teen. The MC’s character development is something that would have really helped me to read at aged 14. Seeing an angry, prickly teen girl be angry and prickly, and remain so throughout the book while figuring out how to navigate her friends and evolving familial relations would have spoken to me in a way that quite possibly would have changed my outlook on myself. Even at the ripe old age of 24, I feel seen in a way that’s hard to come by. Some days it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed by anger, and it’s even harder to feel as if I’m a person capable or deserving of love when I constantly feel as if by being assertive and caring little about others opinions on me makes me come across as mean or spiteful.
I felt seen in this book, in the FMC Vi, as I felt seen in Kat of 10 Things. Prickly, angry, assertive girls getting to be prickly, angry, and assertive. Girls who get seen for themselves, and loved nonetheless. Girls who don’t have to change to fit the narrative, who don’t stop being prickly, angry, or assertive because they fall in love. Rather, girls who get to explore a new facet of themselves as they come to trust and love their MMC’s.
In this book, there is Jack, who at the beginning, unfortunately falls a bit under the careless-teenaged boy/weaponizer of incompetence area. I didn’t like that he only did his job to get Vi to do something else for him, though is understand it was necessary within the plot—both in terms of character development and to get the story rolling within the premise. Which is great! You’re not supposed to like it. If I didn’t sympathize with Jack because of the circumstances that initiate his part of the story, I don’t know if I would have been as invested in his story. As someone who had to drop out of their competitive sport in their final year of high school, there is something hopeful in Jack’s story, though his recovery and re-entry to his sport is left as a forgone conclusion (and mine wasn’t :(:(:( ), the development in his outlook on life was admirable as he tried to figure out what to do. The terror of entering adulthood while banking on one outcome, and having the certainty of it taken from you is something so terrifying it’s hard to read about. I don’t think it was fully explored in this book, for how intimate and character driven it was, but its effects were ever present.
Overall, had a blast, and hope this marks the return of the heyday of teen romcomedies, in literature and in film. Adaptions of classic literatures, updated and remade over to better exemplify modern and diverse experiences.

I absolutely loved this retelling of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night! The banter between Vi and Jack was perfect and I found all of the characters loveable, except Antonia but I understand her case lol. This is the type of book my 16-year-old self needed to read. To know it was okay to want to take up space in areas dominated by men. My Kindle is now filled with highlights because I agree with all of the rage Vi was feeling.

First, thank you to Netgalley and tor teen publishing group for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"𝘐'𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘻𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘶𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶"

Twelfth Knight is a YA romantic comedy reimagining of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night." The grumpy-sunshine, geek-jock pairing you need in these trying times.

Viola Reyes, class VP and imaginative fantasy gamer, is tired of how inadequate everyone around her is. Jack Orsino, star quarterback and class president, is lost after an ACL tear renders him unable to play for his final season. As Jack starts playing the MMORPG Twelfth Knight to fill his time, Viola -who unbeknownst to Jack is playing as his partner, Cesario- realizes that they may have more in common than she initially thought. As much as she likes to keep everyone else at arm's length, Viola will have to ask herself how far she will take the ruse, and if she's capable of letting others in.

This book is a beautiful coming-of-age novel that, in my opinion, felt very relatable - almost too relatable! Viola is so closed off to the world and viciously unconcerned with other people's opinions, or so she claims. I felt very seen by her character- she's very close to what I imagine I was like in high school (shoutout to teenage girls. God's toughest soldiers). Ultimately, her story is so compelling because, as the reader, you understand how much she's fucking it up, and her self-sabotage is a train wreck you can't look away from.

As much of a rom-com as this book is, it's equally a love letter to fandom and geek feminists everywhere. I won't spoil anything from the book, but I will say that one of the greatest moments of my life as a young gamer was the moment I realized that Samus Aran takes her helmet off and her face was revealed- and I realized that my brother and I had been fighting each other for a chance to play as her (her!!) for years. I've been chasing that high ever since and so, yeah, this was a very cool read for me!

I know I waxed poetic about Viola, but there's so much to love about all the characters and their growth over time as well. And the banter! It wouldn't be an AFF/OB book without incredibly witty banter. Plus, for the romance lovers out there you get some really classic rom-com moments that are the cherry on top.

I hope you pre-order or check this book out when it comes out later this year, and I hope you love it as much as I do!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a light-hearted, cute and cozy YA romance. Grumpy/sunshine l, enemies to lovers. The nerdy feminist gamer girl and they popular football star. It was a really cute read I definitely recommend.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The age of Vi and Jack is such a vital age in development. I think this will hit home for anyone who reads it. I have a feeling we were all at least one of the characters in this novel that we relate to. We all made mistakes and we continue to learn and grow from them. I enjoyed the game aspect of it because I think down everyone has some nerd traits in them and it's ok to accept that, it's not bad or something to be ashamed of. I would recommend this book to all ages, because sometimes we forget we were also that age once.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for allowing me the ARC for an honest review. Truly thankful.

Twelfth Knight
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Release Date: June 18

“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. It’s the thing that happen to you while you’re wide awake and dreaming.”

• first, thank you to @netgalley @afarolfollmuth @torteen for the chance to review this arc 🤗 i wasn’t sure what i was going into but this was so, so good! this is a YA modern retelling of twelfth night by shakespeare- viola is a grumpy (somewhat nerdy) girl trying to make it through high school but butts heads with quite literally everyone - especially the infamous & popular jack “duke” orsino. in a whirlwind of events + an unfortunate injury, viola and jack are pushed to working together more often and even striking a deal that leads to a complicated web of lies involving a computer game, ex girlfriend, and school dance. (and so on) i loved so many of these characters and they were all very unique - the banter was hilarious and i couldn’t get enough.

• if you loved she’s the man, pick this up - obviously a different retelling with different variations of characters and storyline but i couldn’t help but smile seeing duke orsino’s name again 🥰

• i will DEFINITELY be picking up a physical copy of this in june and i can hardly wait - it also includes beautiful sprayed edges 🤭

🏷️: #twelfthknight #olivieblake #yaromance #yaromancebooks #netgalley

A love letter to all perpetually angry teenage nerds who really just want to be loved. As someone who spent many of her formative years escaping into fantasy worlds and completely immersed in fandoms as a means of shutting myself out from the real world, I completely understand Vi's jaded attitude towards everyone around her (even those she loved). Olivie Blake (aka Alexene Farol Follmuth) has an innate talent for constructing beautifully fleshed out characters that tug at your heart strings. Vi and Jack feel like real teenagers, in all their messy and chaotic glory. They say things they don't mean. They fumble and they mess up. And somehow all of these surface level flaws make their love story all the more raw and beautiful.

I LOVE Alexene's fanfiction written under the name olivieblake, though I have not read any of her adult novels. I was really excited to see this book and was delighted to get to read this. And it was great! Highly recommended!

I loved this adaptation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night! Viola is a hard-working high school senior, determined to be accepted for who she is. Jack (“Duke”) is the youngest son in a football family, sidelined by an injury in his final high school season. But most importantly, this is a book about opening yourself to being seen, with all its risks & rewards. Jack & Vi have excellent chemistry and the focus on their character development makes the end all the more rewarding.

Being familiar with the Shakespeare play made this so fun, but the book stands brilliantly on its own.

3.5 Stars! Thank you, to the publisher, for this eARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion!

The story touches on young love, sexism, responsibility, and more all under the theme of fantasy/gaming. The novel is structured with alternating perspectives, between Viola and Jack the main characters. I really enjoy dual point of views because it gives the reader a nuanced understanding of the characters and adds some complexity. Not only did I enjoy the main characters, but I also grew fond of the supporting characters as well. I also appreciated the uniqueness of the storyline. The novel was also well-written.

My only critique is that the sheer number of characters introduced especially towards the beginning became a bit difficult to follow. I also did not like how some of the supporting characters treated the main characters but that’s just my own quirky opinion haha and I’m sure that might have been intentional.

I would definitely recommend it to those who enjoy rivals to lovers/grumpy-sunshine romance, teen romance, romance comedies, and fantasy.

ARC releasing 6/6. Retelling of Twelfth Night by Shakespeare. I've never read that play or know anything about it, outside of She's the Man which I used as my reference point. Although I did enjoy this quite a bit, most of the book was centered around a video game and a D&D type game. This lost me a smidge, but overall, the book was a quick, fun read.

This was such a cute grumpy/sunshine, slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers YA retelling of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night! Complex characters with great character development and so much fun and witty banter!

The story is told in dual POVs from Viola Reyes (“Vi”), the smart and geeky girl who is tired of not being taken seriously and comes across as a little… bitchy, and Jack Orsino (“Duke Orsino”), the star football player who has it all figured out and who has never had any problems with people not liking him. Except Vi, that is. But when an injury makes his football career uncertain and his girlfriend doesn’t seem to be interested in being his girlfriend anymore, he might not have a clue about life or himself after all.

It took a while for me to root for either of the MCs. Initially, Jack was just too selfish, cocky and immature, and Violet too bitter and mean. But once they started to play the Twelfth Knight game together (what a clever way to make the title part of the story btw!) and unknowingly share their thoughts and doubts with each other, they both found their way to my heart. Seeing Jack’s struggle and how he’s gradually getting feelings for Vi was so sweet and heartwarming. I also really appreciated how he did the right thing with Olivia and didn’t act on his feelings for Vi until that mess was sorted out. The way Vi interacted with others was truly frustrating at times, especially the way she treated her twin brother Bash, but when seeing things from her POV I nevertheless always understood her thoughts and how she wasn’t mean, just frank and afraid of getting hurt.

The miscommunication was a bit annoying at times, but it’s hard to complain about that aspect as it comes with the original Shakespearean story that the retelling is based on. Overall, the Shakespearean references to the original plot were really well carried out and the story was updated to modern times and gaming culture without losing its uniqueness.

All in all, this was a charming and heartwarming retelling, with a strong female lead, great side characters and a cute enemies-to-lovers romance!

3.75 ✩

First off, thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Twelfth Knight is YA romantic comedy and coming of age story about taking up space in the world and learning what it means to let others in.

Summary: Viola is more than just annoyed; she's a force to be reckoned with. Her crafted tabletop game campaign was dismissed by her majority male group and her best friend believes she should try being more “likable.” And on top of that, she is VP to the school’s football star and the most lackadaisical student body president, Jack Orsino. To escape reality, Vi enters the fantasy world of the MMORPG Twelfth Knight. As the video gaming realm is not kind to girls like her, Vi creates a masculine alter ego, choosing to play as a knight.

Jack and Viola seem to be complete opposites, he is the golden retriever to Viola’s black cat energy. But when a football injury leads Jack Orsino to the gaming world of Twelfth Knight, long nights of game-play turn into an unlikely friendship between Jack & Vi. But, Vi has been hiding her true identity from Jack, and Jack might be falling for her offline.

This was such a fun read!!! Throughout the book, you feel as though you are in Twelfth Knight standing next to Vi and Jack playing the game with them. I am a huge fan of Olivie Blake, this was my first time reading a YA book by her and it definitely won’t be my last.

My thoughts:
At the beginning of the book, we are introduced to a lot of characters very quickly. I found this to be confusing, toward the middle of the book I kept forgetting which character was who. Although I am not a huge gamer, the story was easy to understand and follow along.

Viola is a complex character as she does not let anyone in. She is angry at the world and because she hides her emotions, others see her as being ‘the worst person ever.’ Her guarded exterior makes it difficult to connect with her character. Some of her actions are questionable, however, by the end of the book, we see a huge growth development in Viola as she starts to realize it is ok to let others in.

I adored Jack and Vi’s relationship. I thought they complimented each other well; Jack helped Vi understand it is ok to let your guard down and show your emotions while Vi taught Jack that there is more to life besides football.

“Don’t you understand how good you are at just, like, existing?”

What I loved:
- The topic of women in the gaming industry: It is heartbreaking how females are treated in the gaming industry and the author does a great job of breaking the stigma that gaming can only be a male sport.
- The dual perspectives; both characters are going through difficult times and it was nice to see how they handle their situations. It was also fun to watch Jack talk to Vi in the game while not realizing who she was.
- Olivia: as a side character, Olivia goes through a lot in the story. I found her character enjoyable and I think others will be able to relate her to almost more than Vi.
- The unique concept: the star football jock with the strong female gamer
- The diverse characters & Shakespearean references

Overall, if you are a gamer yourself, enjoy Shakespeare, or are just looking for a heartwarming and relatable read with some romance, add Twelfth Knight to your reading list!

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book!*

I'm a sucker for Shakespeare and this romcom style YA Shakespeare retelling was just sweet and funny. I loved all the references and overall I just enjoyed myself reading it.

4 stars because it was just fun and I love Shakespeare