Rating 2/5

Thank you to Tor Teen for providing me with an e-ARC although I’m not happy about the rating I have to give. As a girl gamer myself, I was so excited for this YA book about a girl gamer making her own space, but it was disappointing all around.

Viola “Vi” Reyes is a terrible MC. She’s rude, everyone’s her enemy, but somehow she’s the smartest girl ever? This isn’t even about her being “unlikeable”. I had to DNF the book at 15% because on top of Vi’s character making her chapters difficult to get through, the plot was slow and there was way too much info dumping. Both MCs, Vi, and Jack, had internal monologues that were so wordy to the point where (parentheses) were used several times in a single page! And, for lack of a better phrasing, I did not like the diversity in the book as it seemed insensitive to me (Ex: Danny Kim somehow is always referred to as Danny Kim and stupid according to Vi; why say his full name like that? This is a common racist call out to state a name like this. Even if that’s not his full name, “Kim” is still a Korean surname so this choice of naming is poor. Plus, Olivia Hadid has the stereotypical conservative Arab parents when she has a whole boyfriend?). The exaggeration of how male gamers were portrayed was hard to swallow too as a gamer myself. But it’s honestly the only way you could feel a little bit sorry for Vi. I skipped to 79% of the book, hoping to see character growth and hopefully re-read because I had misjudged, but nope! Jack says Vi is perfect and if everyone sees her as terrible they should be ignored and that HE needs to change. Jack was an okay character. A jock with family expectations on him. Why does HE have to change and not Vi? I had to put this book down, I'm sorry.

This was my first book written by Alexene Farol Follmuth (also known as Olivie Blake) and it won’t be my last. I loved this book and her writing!

Twelfth Knight is a young adult romantic comedy and coming of age story. It’s a story of friendship, self-awareness, personal growth, teenage angst, life, and love.

Viola and Jack, the two main characters, had major challenges and breakthroughs in this story. Their character development throughout the story was very well done. It was also really nostalgic reading about high school teenagers… remembering how it felt so important to know who you wanted to be and what you wanted to do with your life. Navigating friendships, sexuality, family drama, and school was so unique in that stage of life. All of these topics are addressed in this book.

After reading I reflected on how much I wish I read books like this when I was a teenager myself. I’m going to buy this book for my daughter and save it for when she is older.❤️

I highly recommend this book if you like:
🗡️YA romantic comedies
🗡️video games, table top games, cosplay
🗡️teenage angst and great banter
🗡️fun and lovable side characters
🗡️jock/nerd relationship
🗡️secret identity
🗡️navigating friendships
🗡️fun family dynamic

Thank you Netgalley and Tor Teen/ Tor Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this arc. This is my honest review.

I received an ARC from NetGalley, and I am providing a voluntary review.

For the record, I am a woman in my twenties, who has played D&D for the last ten years.

The only thing that kept me reading after I wanted to DNF at 10% was wanting to know if the author was making Vi unlikeable for an arc or if she genuinely thought her behavior was admirable. As it turns out, her antagonistic internal monologues are sincerely meant. Are there people who actually go around this stressed and angry all the time?? No wonder everybody is in therapy.

There is a dangerous combination of over-sensitivity and superciliousness going on here. On the one hand, being upset that teenaged boys are immature and reckless is fighting a losing battle. It's kinda what they're known for. It's not a systemically misogynistic excuse, it's a medical fact. You can either give them grace at the gaming table and take yourself a little less seriously when playing in groups, or you can play by yourself. I guarantee, as much as I get annoyed playing D&D with a 16 year old who doesn't write stuff down or ask pertinent questions, I would never play again with an adventurer who treated my tablemates with as little respect or grace as Vi does.

On the other hand, she's good at catching when men are taking liberties and putting a stop to it, but (here's where the overreaction comes in) she treats them ALL like knuckle-dragging inferiors. A good chunk of the girls—and teachers! also get this treatment. Duke gets badly injured playing football (oh, boo, we don't like football, it's...popular?) and Vi 1) offers not even the standard, BASIC POLITE TEXT “sorry you got hurt, get better soon” 2) repeatedly taunts him about his injury. This isn't being a strong female character, this is just meanness.

In short, you either agree with Vi on everything, or you are her mortal enemy. She requires a level of affirmation that is nothing less than sycophantic. The crux of the arc with her brother happens because she isn't letting him support her ENOUGH. Get real. I am so tired of this.

I loved this book! I devoured it in only a few sittings and wish there was more to read. The story line was paced very well and the characters were easy to love!

I adored the feminist aspects of this books, as well as the casual queer discussions. The romance was fantastic, and the jock x nerd trope was done so well here. The plot was done well, with a very great and easy to follow pacing. The characters were distinct and interesting personalities. My favourite element of this novel was the detail put into the hobbies each character had. The cosplay elements and the D&D cameos were so well done and realistic, and I didn't find the football stuff confusing either. Compared to my mechanical romance, it was not as strong, but it was still a fantastic read.

"I was more myself with you than I've ever been with anyone."

Rating: 5/5

My Thoughts:
I absolutely LOVED this book by Alexene Farol Follmuth and officially going to read anything she writes.

The nerdy, gamer in me was squealing over Vi and Jack.

Vi and Jack both learned great life lessons in different ways because of each other. The pacing was perfect, the characters were SO likable, and the romance? So sweet. I wish this book existed when I was in high school. I found each character to be so important (even the side characters!) And I loved what they represented/lessons they taught. I didn't expect to cry reading this...but I totally did!

Thank you, AFF for writing this book with such relatable characters. I love Vi and Jack! (I also love Bash & Olivia and think they deserve books too...hehe.)

What I liked about the book:
-Vi and Jack's relationship (and their growth as individuals)
-Vi's relationship with her twin brother
-gamer and football player in student council together (CUTE!)
-DUAL pov
-text messages and instant messages formatting

Some of my favorite quotes:
-"There's a version of your life where you do other things. Infinite versions."
-"Don't you understand how good you are at just, like, existing?"
-"You are the bane of my existence, Jack Orsino." "As you are mine."
-"Infinite versions. Endless possibilities."

I recommend Twelfth Knight if you like the following:
-Shakespeare retelling
-Grumpy x sunshine (I really enjoyed their banter!)
-Secret identity
-Gaming conventions
-She's The Man

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and Tor Teen for the ARC of this title.

I loved this book! It gave so much more than I typically expect for a book with romance in it. The romance wasn’t the whole point, it was part of the story. The characters were the main point. Real characters with real emotions and real problems. There was so much growth in the characters and I loved reading it. It also didn’t revolve solely around the two main characters. There were other people and stories involved and I cared about all of them. This is probably my favorite YA romance book to date.

The book didn't quite hit the five-star mark for me, just because it didn't have much of a love story. For me, the romantic subplot or undertone often lends a nuanced touch to the narrative, providing an additional layer of emotion and complexity which I felt was somewhat lacking in this particular novel.

However, putting that minor detail aside, I must acknowledge that the book was an exceptional depiction of a coming-of-age story. The journey of self-discovery, the grappling with rapid changes, and the navigation through the trials and tribulations of growing up were all portrayed with such profound depth. It was as if the characters leapt off the pages and their experiences resonated on a deeply personal level. In spite of my longing for a richer romantic aspect, this book was still highly enjoyable and I would recommend it!

Am I too old to read YA? Yes, but I’m not going to stop, and books like this are why.

I’ll admit I’m a sucker for a Shakespeare retelling, and when you add something nerdy like D&D, it’s definitely got my vote.

Though I may not be the target audience for this, it was charming, and really fun to read.
——
Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was very cute! A little meandering BUT the author notes this in the acknowledgements because of the story she was telling. It’s a YA romance with D&D and gamer and football elements. I loved the main characters, and it’s a fun update to Twelfth Night. Also gave me fun flashbacks to She’s the Man. Very cute!!

Disappointed I didn’t get into the characters or the plot, but I’m not the target audience. This is an easy three stars for them, with four to five for the right readers. Follmuth/Blake is a fabulous writer, and I look forward to her next work. I stopped after chapter 1 (4%).

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC.

Twelfth Knight was charming and witty and contained a delightful level of angst. There is something this author does so well when writing characters; they are individual, and well-rounded, and have room to grow.
I could not put this book down.

4.5 Stars!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Are Shakespearian retellings the most unpredictable plots? No. But gd darn it, they're classics for a reason! Alexene Farol Follmuth did an excellent job taking the classic tale of hidden identity and mistaken love and translating it to high school in the modern day. All of our main characters were well developed, the perspectives of Vi and Jack were distinct yet equally entertaining, the depiction of the femme fandom experience was so accurate I felt flashbacks to my own early tumblr days, and the drama was delicious. Please, imagine I was lying on my bed kicking my feet in the air like I was at a sleepover whenever the drama got good.

Overall, I will be recommending this to my teens if they ask me for a cute rom-com!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book! This book is an adorable YA spin on Twelfth Night, which just happens to be my favorite Shakespeare play. The “opposites attract” romance is done well, and we’ve got a well developed cast of characters. More than anything, this book really touches on and captures the feelings of loneliness and aimlessness we all felt as teenagers (and to be honest, as adults), and shows how it’s okay to go outside your comfort zone and rely on others. There were a lot of familiar tropes and situations that are common with romantic novels, but it didn’t feel tired. This was a cute coming of age story that I really enjoyed, and I will definitely read anything similar that Follmouth puts out.

thanks to netgalley and tor for the earc in exchange for an honest review.

okay fine, i was charmed! deeply charmed! it was fun and silly and the exact kind of cotton candy read i wanted. olivia was especially dear to me. i think it worked well as an adaptation, and the premise was very cute. that being said.... wish the side cast got more interiority, especially antonia and bash, since they're so vital to the plot, but the things going on with them seem slightly handwaved over. also, the fandom in it felt very much like... 2011-ish nerd culture with a fresh coat of 2023 trappings thrown over it! it was jarring, ngl! like i was charmed by the weirdness of it, but i don't think it was intentional. maybe i'm just too online.

anyway, i generally really enjoyed this! some emotional beats and pacing in it needed more room to breathe, but hey! a good fluff read all the same.

sad to say this one was not for me. big fan of the author’s adult works but may have to skip on her young adult books. i may pick it up again closer to the pub date but for now dnf at 20%

This book was everything!! The romance was just perfect! I’m a sucker for enemies to lovers and this was just it! Violas character development was also SO GOOD! Tbh, in the beginning I found her to be a bit annoying, but once she and Jack started to get along SHE JUST GOT SO MUCH BETTER! Alexene did it again! Definitely will recommend!

Thank you Tor Publishing Group, Tor Teen and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I could not put this book down! It is everything I want in a teen romcom/coming of age story! The contrast of fandom vs football, the banter, the depth of the characters! Amazing. While there was lots of more light-hearted moments and banter, the book does address the sexism that women face in many fandoms, particularly in video games and role playing games. I thought this was addressed in a way that was very well done, showing what Vi has gone through and what she deals with to enjoy the things she loves. She is angry and honest and has a lot of opinions and she is not ashamed of it. I also loved that Vi stayed herself and didn't change just because she started dating the "popular guy." She grows and learns that love doesn't have to take away from who you are or make you small, but she still stays her honest and angry self. Jack's growth as he finds himself outside of football was fantastic as well.

I loved reading Twelfth Knight and would recommend to anyone who loves teen romcoms, coming of age stories, fandom deep dives, and opposites attract stories.

LOVED this book! I was curious to read Olivie Blake's YA work but this blew my expectations. Such a fun, unique, YA romance. The enemies to lovers was chefs kiss<3

From any other other author I would have thought this undertaking too big, but I love the way Alexene (Olivie) writes complex, layered stories with equal thoughtfulness to the heart and the action. And she did not disappoint - I could not put this book down. It is embaressing how lard it had me smiling and laughing in public - it was so good. The characters, the story beats, the overture to a modernized Shakepere without letting the concept weigh the story down... everything as was perfect. I loved that Vi was not softened. She was angry and honest and herself - even when people were trying to get her to change; I love a messy heroine. And I love a golden retriever boy, which Jack totally qualifies as. Olivia, Bash, her mother and Pastor Ike were all fantastic, too. The cast was reallly flawless. (Antionia was fine, too, I am just still mad at her.) I also really appreciated the glimpse into what the world of fandom and gaming can be like for girls. Over the years, I've had a lot of similar experiences and conversations that Vi has in the novel and it was refreshing to not have it glossed over or immediately fixed by the hero/heroine's moxie. Truly one of my favorite books of the year.