This book was slow for me to get into but I really enjoyed the pacing, the depth of the characters and how the author wove the story together!

"Twelfth Knight" is a delightful, modern interpretation of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Knight," that explores the highs and lows of fandom, gaming, cosplay, and conventions. The friendship and romance between the main characters will make it impossible for readers to put the book down.

This was really cute. Jack was adorable and he loved Viola so much. I love that they didn't have a separation at the end, he was upset but he just had a conversation about it with her. Viola just needed someone who wasn't going to let her push them away and Jack was that person. I wish there was an actual epilogue though.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading the author's previous book "My Mechanical Romance" and this one was another absolute treat!

While this had some of the usual tropes: enemies to friends to something more, secret identity, online relationship, misunderstood characters...the setting and situations felt fresh. The author did a great job of character development of both our main couple, Viola and Jack (and even the side characters!)

This was a fun book that still had a lot of depth. I'm definitely a fan of the YA author!!

4 stars

The start of this was just not it. Apparently im not a big fan of football because the play by play through me so off. It was such an info dumpy beginning I just did not end up liking the rest after such a lackluster beginning. Its weird because I loved the Atlas Six but this was almost like she was just throwing out the whole setup right then and there instead of walking us through it throughout the book.

This has all of my favorite tropes: grumpy x sunshine, slow burn, and of course enemies to lovers. This book is well written and nuanced.

This book was so damn close to a one star for me. I was so incredibly frustrated with this book for many times. Honestly, I did consider DNF'ing this book quite a few times as well. I just thought that almost every single character was just absolutely insufferable. At one point or another I despised every character besides Viola and Charlotte. Charlotte is an actual angel, but also has some great depth to her. Viola is considered a bitch by everyone in this book, but she's so unapologetically herself, and she just doesn't bullshit. I thought she was such an engaging main character, especially because we see her inner monologue and know she's so full of hurt as well. She felt so human and real. The scenes with Charlotte and Vi were easily my favourites of the book. They form such a great connection, and I love how for each of them they are the first person to see the other for who they are in a while. Gods, I actually wished for this to be their romance instead in this book because I just loved their connection so much. To be fair, I do love their friendship, and I totally understand why they aren't together. Don't worry, that's not a thing against this book.
But besides those two I hate everyone. Yes, I even hated Jack. He's such an ass. He definitely isn't the worst person in the book, but he is so incredibly condesending. It's so annoying to read. Even by the end when he and Vi are really close, and he claims to really understand and respect her, he still said so many things that were so condescending about the things she loves. Anything that could have been considered slightly "geeky", he acted like it was the devil, and it would have been fine if most of his issues with Vi are how she doesn't take his sports seriously. Even when Vi is WAY less condescending about it than he is. I also felt like throughout the book there were several instances of him just being so casually misogynistic, and considering miogyny is a thing that is so heavily discussed in this book it felt jarring that his misogyny was never adressed. Like I said he's nowhere near being the worst character in the book. By the end of it I didn't even mind him too much. He does go through some growth.
Every single side character in this is absolutely awful. Especially the side characters on Vi's side. They are literal BULLIES and the author tries to paint them off as Vi's friends who just got hurt by Vi's no bullshit exterior. I SMELL LIES. Truly, they all want her to be a completely different person and arguably are WAY hasher to her than she has ever been. Even at Vi's meanest she wasn't as mean as some of these people are. Like one of her so called "friends" literally told her she should smile away sexual harassement instead of fighting back. How can Vi be in the wrong there? I truly don't get it. I felt gaslit by the end of this book where these people got an apology from Vi, and they barely acknowledged what they did to her. Ugh! It was so incredibly frustrating.
I've been so very ranty about everything I hated about this book but I didn't hate it. Like mentioned before I loved Vi as a character, I loved Charlotte, and I loved their friendship. The Twelfth Knight game was also such an incredible part of this book. They caused for some really good scenes as well. The romance between Jack and Vi is also really cute, and I totally get the 90's/00's contemporary teen adaptations of Shakespeare vibes (think "She's The Man", "10 Things I Hate About You") from this book that this author said she was inspired by in the acknowledgements. So yeah, it wasn't an awful read, but I also really didn't like it.

I absolutely adored this read! It had all of the smarts that I’d expect from Olivie Blake and most importantly it has heart. I questioned Vi in the beginning but was ultimately happy with how her character grew- in more ways than one. I highly recommend!!

This is a book for every person who has ever been told "you should smile more!" or "oh, he was only being nice. No need to make a big deal about it" or "he's only doing that because he likes you." It is also for every person who doesn't yet realize how effed it is to tell another human "you should smile more."– Take notes.

Twelfth Knight is Shakespeare meets female rage.

I love how complex these characters were, and how deep each of their lives were explored throughout the book without it being overwhelming! Both Vi and Jack have seemingly hit hgihschool rock bottom. Vi's safe place isn't so safe anymore, and Jack is trying to learn if he is more than just how fast he can carry a ball. Little do they know that everyone around them is not as one-sided as they seem either.

I absolutely loved that there is no third act breakup in this book, but that Jack and Vi actually talk things out when he discovers her online persona (the play was written centuries ago, so I don't think spoiler apply to Shakespeare retellings). This book was so cozy and so fast paced! I coul dnot put it down once I started and was so sad when it was over!

If you appreciate works of literature, this book is for you!! This is a Shakespeare retelling.. Haven’t seen anything like this one. Take my word for it

I was skeptical at first when I started reading it but the more I got into the chapters I just didn’t want to stop. I’ve never read anything by Olivia Blake but I sure will after this one. Her writing style is very easy on the eyes and funny and not a single boring moment

This book teaches you to keep the people who show that they love and care about you and support you unconditionally close to you.. And to let go of those who don’t appreciate you as they should

The characters are very swoony-worthy and the friendships and the bonds built is just very heart warming because it’s built on integrity and virtues and I think that’s beautiful. There’s so much honesty and clarity and I loved it because I’m that blunt too and it helped me grow and “filter” the people in my life and there’s nothing more satisfying

It was a very fun and amusing read. It made me laugh more times than I can count

I like that there’s gaming and the breaking of norms and sexism and secret identities and internet friendships and unexpected greetings.. it’s just a very unique plot, nothing like I’ve read before

I also really liked the Easter eggs between chapters showing that Olivia has a somewhat Arab background - might be biased because I’m an Arab too; but I loved that

If you’re a girl, best believe this book will make you feel seen. Like if I could talk to my younger self and give myself some advice, I’d wrap up this book in a few words (if possible) and make sure I understand that the world is cruel ONLY if I let it

It definitely gives nostalgic rom com movie vibes. I would so recommend this book as one of the books you should read before you die. It’s high up on my list of comfort books

I have only good things to say about Twelfth Knight and I don't even know where to start because there are so many things I adored about this book!!! It gave me everything that I want in a YA contemporary romance, and in such a fresh way!

This book was so unapologetically nerdy, yet also super accessible if you're not familiar with video games or fandom in general. Any terms were defined and contextualized so well, and in a way that felt natural to the story and writing. I loved Jack's progression into video games and fandom and think that Alexene Farol Follmuth really nails the excitement when you are REALLY into a game or show.

I loved the characters in this book and all the different kinds of relationships we see. I loved the family dynamics between Viola, Sebastian, and their mother. You can feel the affection under the casual insults that are thrown within this family, and I got the sense that they all knew eachother so deeply. The platonic friendships in this book also felt really authentic, including dramatic falling outs with close friends and the growth of new friendships.

The romance!!! This book had so much banter and tension and I loved it. The slow growth from dislike to friendship to like was so good and there are some lines in here that gave me chills. Truly Alexene builds such a solid foundation for this relationship that the growth feels super believable.

The way that complicated situations were handled in this book was really cool, and often went in realistic ways vs being milked for maximum dramatics like I've come to expect when reading a book. The way the third act conflict was handled felt so fresh and realistic and perfect. I just generally thought this book did so many smart things and the storytelling was so clever.

Lastly, I really related to Vi's experience with being a woman in video games and having to alter your behavior due to past experiences and harassment that women routinely face if you dare to talk in voice chat of a competitive online game.

Overall I loved this book and highly recommend it! The friendships! The banter! The lore! It was definitely 10/10 for me!

"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."

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Teen for this eArc!! Alexene Farol Follmuth does it once again!!
This story follows Viola Reyes, a female gamer who is annoyed with the way she's been treated in the gaming community, as well as her daily life. From being told to be "more likeable" and being constantly looked down on, she's fed up. She escapes from these issues into an online MMORPG Twelfth Knight. But since the community isn't the friendliest to girls like her, she plays as a male character. When an injury leads the star football player, and student body president, to partake in the world of Twelfth Knight, him and Viola intersect in ways they never would have imagined. Their characters are well-matched, but off the screen, they have a kindling chemistry of their own.

"No matter what forms she and I take, I know her. I know her because of what she makes me know about myself."

Truly, once again such a great book by this author. I read My Mechanical Romance last year (and also gave it 5 stars) but this was so so good! I need to pick up some of her adult stuff, but these feminist YA stories really hit me hard. I hope she has a lot more to come!

“The game isn’t the dice. It’s who’s with you at the table.”⁣
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Twelfth Knight was absolute YA perfection. As someone who came of age in the early 2000s, this felt so incredibly reminiscent of that time. It brought me back twenty years to my own high school days of trying to navigate what felt like complex social structures while also figuring out who I was.⁣
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This is why Vi made such a beautiful and wonderful main character. She felt so familiar and relatable. From figuring out teenage interpersonal relationships to not wanting people to know everything she was into for fear of not being taken seriously — it felt so familiar. ⁣
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Jack Orsino, the popular football player, made such a great juxtaposition to Vi’s leading part. He showed the other side of the coin, while also learning that he was more than just a sport that he played. He had to learn that he had layers, and depth, and that plans can change.⁣
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Twelfth Knight was full of self-discovery, growth, and so much nerdiness in terms of an online game that brought two completely different people and their orbits together. The pages spent detailing the quests of the game were so fun and addictive that this one was hard to put down.⁣
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This book was an absolute delight. I know that if I loved it, someone far removed from their high school years, that this one should be loved by the target demographic. I hope that they can see themselves in these pages and know that they are wonderful just the way that they are.⁣
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Hands down one of my favorite reads of the year and a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

This is so fantastic and fun. It’s very youthful and full of heart, SO different from the author’s works under her other penname.

I think this is great for anyone who loves Shakespeare, DND, cosplay, LARPing, or anything nerdy.

This Shakespeare retelling follows Viola Reyes and Jack Orsino, they are in two different circles in their school; she is a gamer and a lover of fantasy in all mediums, and Jack is a running back prodigy and the popular captain of the football team. At the beginning of the book something happens to Jack and he has to take a step back from football and with his extra free time, finds himself in an RPG video game called Twelfth Knight. In this game he betriends another player named Cesario, who is a guy and is killing it, he's a really good player but little does Jack know that Cesario is also Viola.
Vi is a strong personality, and it's really a shell that she puts on to protect herself. Jack has a lot of pressure on him to get well, and expectations of success in football because he comes from a football family. I enjoyed seeing Vi be unapologetically herself, and see how that affects Jack, and how it opens his horizons. Seeing how both of they both broke out of their shells getting to know each other was so heartwarming. As well as seeing the inner workings of these two characters. Its easy to say "Oh Viola wanted to be Cesario because he's strong", but there so much more to her reasonings. As women and girls, there ARE so many additional hurdles to deal with when it comes to certain hobbies, and it was easier and safer to play as Cesario.
This is a coming of age story, for both characters which is the main focus of the story, but there are some beautiful romantic moments as well. I loved their banter, I wouldn't consider this enemies to lovers because they are in high school, and the stakes aren't the high, but this is definitely rivals/unlikeable classemates for sure. Even outside of the Vi and Jack, the cast of characters around them were so rich and offered very much needed outside perspectives that are important to not only young adults, but people of all ages. I feel that we need these reminders throughout our lives as well.
While this book is not fantasy, this is for fantasy lovers because Vi definitely is one. This story is about being true to yourself, and holding yourself accountable. Olivie Blake is one of my favorite authors for this reason; the way that she can bring characters to life, rip your heart out and make you care so much. It's a beautiful gift that she has, and it's never in the traditional way. It's always a very different take.
Clearly, I recommend Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth.

**Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (4.5-5)**
This was my first YA book by Olivie Blake as Alexene Farol Follmuth, and it was definitely a worthwhile read! A fun and modern retelling of *Twelfth Night* set in a high school—complete with football and gamer culture, plus some student government drama—*Twelfth Knight* provides an exciting enemies-to-lovers contemporary romance that both Young Adult and Adult audiences will enjoy.

>> **What I loved**: Two main characters you wanted to root for, realistic-feeling plot and character development for the YA genre, and the fun, clever writing style we know and love from Blake/Follmuth. There was also a great cast of side-characters, and it felt like a nice balance of romance with character growth. I tandem read the book and audiobook, and thought the narration in the audiobook was excellent as well!
>> **What I didn’t love:** Very little not to love here for me, but there’s some great commentary about societal expectations of women’s behavior that our FMC Violet ends up fighting with her good friend about, and I think there was an opportunity to do a little more with that conversation.

**Acknowledgments & Disclaimers**
✨ Thank you to NetGalley, Alexene Farol Follmuth, and Tor Publishing, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.

✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

I LOVE a Shakespeare adaptation, so this book knocked it out of the park for me. It was the perfect balance of funny, snarky, and sweet, and I felt like the coming of age story mixed with the nerdy vibes was really tailored for the fangirls out there who grew up in fandom spaces.

Thank you Tor Teen and NetGalley for the eARC of Twelfth Knight! All opinions in this review are my own.

I love Twelfth Night so when I heard Twelfth Knight was a modern retelling of it, I knew I had to read it!

Unsurprisingly, I absolutely loved Twelfth Knight! Despite knowing the story already, I liked this modern retelling that included many references to a Dungeons & Dragons-like game and RPG video games. Follmuth includes new twists on the storyline too in order to make it fresh. Even if you don't know the original play, Twelfth Knight is a fantastic YA romance that I highly recommend!

Rating: 4.5

I flew through this book & absolutely loved it. It was such a fun way to reimagine Shakespeare's Twelfth Night in a modern setting and had me hooked to the very end.

The way all the characters were adapted into their new circumstances was really well done and they were all very fleshed out. The focus on "nerd culture" was really interesting and all the discussion around it made me want to join in (oh to one day go to a renaissance fair....). I will say the opening scene being an American Football game really threw me in a loop, since I know nothing about the sport and wasn't expecting it at all.

Would recommend 100% (and already have)!

Thank you Tor Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Just love that this was based around who gets to be angry. Who is allowed to feel those emotions and who gets called crazy or a b.
Bash and Vi are twins and this is based off of Twelfth Knight but in high school and that is the name of a popular quest video game. The relationship between the qb/student pres is perfect. She's the VP and is the only one who does her job. Love their slow appreciation of eachother because of how different they are. And each of the friends and ex's went through their own growth of self discovery as well. So much happening like it does in high school but the romance between Vi and Jack. Loved how diverse the cast is and how many topics of being that age it addressed.