Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth (penname for Olivie Blake) (YA Romance)

"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."

My nostalgic little heart!

Read this for:
🗡️ romcom perfection meets coming-of-age story
🏈 a brilliant YA Shakespeare retelling a la She’s The Man, 10 Things I Hate About Your or Clueless
🩼 Slow burn, “enemies” to lovers, grumpy x sunshine, electric dialogue, nerdy cuteness
🎮 vulnerable, real, nuanced characters navigating journeys of self-discovery and growth

Look, I will devour anything resembling romantic comedies' golden era. And this one is a gem, simply enchanting! If you’re a Shakespeare fan (or enjoy retellings), Twelfth Knight makes brilliant use of the source material! If you like heartwarming and relatable characters discovering how to open their hearts and stay true to who they are, you’ll love this one. If you enjoy gaming culture or fandom to any degree, you’ll be delighted by the story. If you, like me, were raised on late ’00s and early ’90s romcoms, this will have you kicking your feet. Moreover, it’s further proof that YA doesn’t mean simple- these characters are complex and universally relatable. (YA Romance reader for life 🙋‍♀️)

Go read this new release for a delightful, sweet, fun summertime read ✨

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Viola is not the easiest person to get along with. She is intelligent. She doesn’t back down. And she’s a woman. None of these things, especially gender, is reason enough to call her a bitch. But it happens. A lot. Because she’s unwilling to back down when she knows that she’s right. She won’t dumb herself down for anyone. And there’s no reason she should fall at your feet for asking her out, no matter your lofty opinions of yourself.

Margo, the most awesome and unapologetic character from The Magicians (the show), said it best in an episode aptly titled ‘All That Hard Glossy Armor.’ while talking to Eliot.
Eliot: “You can be one of the smart ones or one of the pretty ones or even a strong one, but…”
Margo: “Try to be all three, you better smile and shut up. Cause the second you’re you. The second… I’m loud, pissed off. It’s what a bitch. What a slut. Who the fuck does she think she is?”

It’s no wonder that when Viola wants a little peace, she goes online to play Twelfth Knight with a male character. Suddenly she finds she doesn’t have to explain herself or defend herself. Her merits are based on her actions alone.

When high school football god Jack Orsino gets injured by a spiteful opponent, he suddenly finds himself a little on the outside looking in, and with a lot of time on his hands. He’s still got the clout, but he no longer has the game. He can come back with the proper rest and therapy, but he’s going to miss the rest of his senior season–and possibly lose his college recruitment to Illyria. For someone who’s always moving and looking ahead (something that serves him well in running plays) the downtime is excruciating. On a recommendation from a friend, he starts playing Twelfth Knight as Duke Orsino. That’s when Vi - as Cesario - runs into him in-game and knows who he is from his completely unoriginal gamer tag.

Of course there’s a love story, but more than that, it’s a coming of age story. The more they play the game and bond together, the more they wind up interacting with each other in real life. But Jack doesn’t know that Cesario and Vi are the same person (he thinks it’s her twin brother Sebastian). Jack, who always keeps himself back from getting angry, always being that likable nice guy that everyone loves, is finding that he has no second plan, no life not shaped around football. Vi teaches him that there can be other things, that life is a million paths that you can wind up taking and who knows which ones you'll actually go down? Football isn’t everything, and he doesn’t have to always be that likable perfect guy. In fact, the more he bickers with Vi, he realizes that beneath all that hard glossy armor is a person who cares about other people. She just puts on the persona to keep herself from getting hurt. But that doesn;t mean she’s not being herself, just that she doesn't let people see when they hurt her. But she can be herself with Jack, he doesn’t mind the word play and banter–He likes her for who she is.

It’s okay to have feelings of anger or disappointment, to be hurt by what people say. That doesn’t make you feminine or a woman or weak, it makes you human. Realizing that football or whatever your aspiration is, isn’t the only path, isn't giving up, it’s accepting that some things are out of your control. You have to be true to yourself and take care of yourself if you ever expect to grow.

#netgalley #2024reads #booksbooksbooks #bookdragon #arc #torpublishing #afarolfollmuth #olivieblake

Most of my knowledge of Twelfth Night comes from the movie She’s the Man but I’ve heard the general gist of the story. And well the cover of this book caught my attention so I figured why not? Since it was available on NetGalley I ended up with the ebook and audiobook. Lack of proper Shakespearean reference aside I really enjoyed this story. It was very much a grumpy sunshine tale but I understand Vi’s grumpiness I was on her side the whole time. Vi and Jack were so adorable though I loved them together. I just really loved this book.

Finally, a grumpy x sunshine dynamic where the grumpy character is actually grumpy instead of just quiet and stoic. I feel like the inner geek in me feels so recognized and appreciated. If you love tabletop RPGs, online MMORPGS, and geeky cosplay conventions, this might be the book for you.

Viola Reyes, your prickliness only makes me like you more. If you are looking for a likable female lead, I’m sorry but you will be very disappointed. She is the complex female character and she will have quirks that you either like or dislike, but it is refreshing to see a main character who says what you sometimes want to say to other people.

Jack Orsino, everybody’s best friend and the most open-minded person in this book. His kindness radiates in every single interaction he has with other characters. He never thinks badly of anyone, except maybe the guy who tackled him. Just a ray of sunshine and a great male lead.

I would like to take some time to show my appreciation to the side characters, who were honestly some of my favorite characters to read about. Olivia, who I only want to give the biggest hug to. Bash, who is so unapologetically himself and so confidently a theater kid and whose moral compass is just in the right place.

I enjoyed this book way more than I ever expected. I don’t usually enjoy young adult contemporary, but if it is an Olivie Blake book, I will read it. Surprise, surprise, I had such a great time. It gave me the warm fuzzies and I know you will enjoy it too.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars.

Look, one, I'm a sucker for Shakespeare-inspired retellings. Two, I'm a sucker for video game inspired books. Three, I'm a sucker for a YA romcom. This hit all of them. I was a bit hesitant at first because of Vi and Jack's characters and their POVs, but binge reading this basically all in one morning after not being able to go back to sleep...I was kind of hooked.

Vi is angry at the world and sexism and expectations, and she gets called bitch...a lot in the book. She owns it though...but it does weigh heavily on the reader who also has experienced that before. Jack is the football star-no-more after an ACL injury...so then he turns to online gaming...with Vi...who tells him she's her twin (look, if you know 12th night, you know this plot).

There's a lot I really enjoyed in this.

I'm not usually a big YA reader but I am a HUGE Olivie Blake (adult pen name of Alexene Farol Follmuth) and so I felt compelled to read this, and I'm so, SO glad that I did. Another thing I love about OB/AFF is that she got her start writing fan fiction, in fact I've read some of her Harry Potter fan fiction and, as all her work, it's so well-written I have to force myself to stop reading and tend to my responsibilities. This novel is no different and in the story itself Follmuth pays homage to her beginnings and creates such a rewarding story about an unlikeable FMC who is big into gaming and "nerd" culture. I adored Viola and Jack. All of the side characters are also fleshed out and lovable and going through normal, but still tough, high school problems while learning who they are. It just felt so authentic from every character to every scenario these characters found themselves in. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Plus, the dialogue is next-level good. There are so many good zings between Viola and Jack, I ate it right up.

As a lover of Shakespeare and Shakespeare retelling, this was such a treat. I love this new take on a classic. It has the charm of the classic, with the oomph of a modern retelling. I loved this. I hope this author follows through and makes more retelling in this world. They have such a talent for modernizing Shakespeare in a way that I hope makes teenagers want to pick up the originals they are based on.

This book was provided by NetGalley, but all reviews a d comments are my own.

A cute romcom set in the modern day, following the theme of modern romcoms we take to the video game sphere, which I personally enjoyed. The characters were fun and well developed and I am excited to see what Follmuth will do next with her YA space.

The perfect YA rom-com!! Grumpy x sunshine, rivals to lovers and slow burn was the perfect combination, one of the best authors out there at the moment and the theme and execution of this book was so fun and perfect

Twelfth Knight is everything a YA book should be. It carves out a space of belonging for young nerdy, fandom girls. It tells them it's ok to like what you like even if the boys and society are awful about it. Also no you are not crazy to think that misogyny is real and rampant but you're going to be ok if you find the right people to support you for who you really are. It is a love letter to living authentically, expanding your horizons, and opening up. All of these messages play flawlessly under the thematic elements and plot points of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night"....AND there is a whole entire video game world like....are you kidding me Alexene/Olivie? Could this be any more perfect? Oh yeah it could because the writing is BEAUTIFUL and FUNNY - I was laughing out loud so much! 

I really appreciated the diversity of the character cast. It wasn't trying too hard, like some stories that inject a random background Black character or something. While we didn't get an explicit discussion of Viola and Sebastian's background (at least that I noticed), the mom referred to Viola as "hija" and the grandmother cooked lumpias, so I think they are implied to be Filipino. Jack is biracial and in some scenes talks about the anti-Black microaggressions he has faced his whole life. Olivia is implied to be Middle Eastern or Southwest Asian....and all of this is just normal and natural, which is how it should be!!! It is normal for people to look and be different, and I loved that these diverse perspectives were incorporated into this story so organically. 

Big big love to this book. Thank you so much to Tor Teens and NetGalley for a digital ARC!

First off, I really enjoy a good Twelfth Night retelling. This one was pretty good.. had some uses of the story elements that I didn’t love, but that’s okay. I love that this author writes stories about niche, unique characters. She really dives into the nitty-gritty details of her characters’ interests (video games, renfaire, cosplay, football). It took me a while to get into this one, but about halfway in I really started enjoying the story and the characters and their chemistry.

Twelfth Knight is the story is Viola and Jack, high school enemies who unwittingly become teammates in the online game Twelfth Knight.

As soon as ai read the summary of this book I knew I would love it. I loved all the inclusions of role playing game, conventions, and renaissance fairs. I also thought it did I good job of still true to Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night but in a way you could still enjoy it with no prior knowledge of the play.

I really enjoyed all the characters and wish we saw more of Bash and Olivia. I think Viola’s was really well done, in a way where you can definitely understand her flaws but still root for her.

This is the first book I’ve read by Alexene Farol Follmuth/Olivie Blake, but it definitely will not be the last

*rounded up from 3.5 ⭐️s*

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and The publisher & after being in a bit of a reading slump I was excited to finish the book. :)

First, the premise- we’ve got a retelling of Twelfth Night w/ a You’ve Got Mail-like premise featuring YA characters thrown into a gamer setting. Seriously, this was enough to grab my attention & request the book. The MCs (Vi and Duke/Jack) have a grumpy/sunshine relationship at school where they are both on the student council and gamer and all around geek Vi is chilly at best to Jack (the star of the football team) but outside of school they find themselves teaming up in the gaming world of The Twelfth Knight. The big problem? Jack thinks Vi is her brother Bash.

Now onto what I loved:
♥️ the gaming elements & the con and cosplay subplots
♥️ the banter & dialogue of the characters
♥️ the chemistry (once the romance started) was fantastic
♥️ fun side characters
♥️ stakes that fit w/ the characters’ age and life stages
♥️ the discourse surrounding toxicity and misogyny in the gaming world

What I didn’t love:
❌ We had A LOT of conflict. With almost every single side character and the MCs. Too much & there wasn’t enough time to do them all justice
❌ the misogyny in the gaming world plot became so insignificant it wasn’t even a subplot anymore when it should’ve been a main point
❌ the characters’ race & physical appearance was not described well & left ambiguous or left up to be determined by the reader based on very small details for both of the MCs
❌ The religious commentary in one point took me out of the story & seemed odd. I ended up skimming it and moving on.

*SPOILER AHEAD*
❌ The dismissal of the FMC’s perspective & experiences by the MMC in the resolution of the story without any clarification from the author. IE: You’re an angry girl & you need to be nicer to people, it doesn’t matter that you’ve been harassed and bullied online b/c you’re a girl. You lied and you owe me an apology but I don’t owe you any empathy. The MMC even acknowledges all that she experienced in his internal dialogue when the final conflict happens and yet gets mad anyway and never once lets her know that he understands or that her problems were valid.


It was a fun read all in all but I really feel like it could’ve been a much stronger story if it had been changed a bit to focus on one or two conflicts instead of four or five.

This book is a winner! I've never read a character that so accurately describes my high school experiences. Follmuth accurately portrays the challenges faced by girls like Viola in male-dominated spaces and high school, and how people handle those situations in different ways. The pain and anger Viola experiences are so real and well-written, highlighting the struggle of being smart but disregarded and ignored because of her gender. Viola grapples with expressing her emotions, especially anger. The book explores how societal expectations often limit girls’ emotional range especially rage. The novel also emphasizes the importance of pursuing one’s passions and interests, and finding joy in them. It also deals with overcoming challenges and adversities, and how they can sometimes lead to new opportunities. Follmuth's book is an adorable romance that is a definite winner!

Shakespeare meets YA meets role-playing games (RPGs) in the latest book from Alexene Farol Follmuth.

Jack Orsino is at the top of his game. He’s killing it at football; he’s dating a cheerleader; he has a scholarship to his top choice for college; and everyone adores him—everyone except Viola Reyes, that is. Jack is on top-of-the-world.

And then he suffers a knee injury. And his girlfriend wants to take a break.

What is he supposed to do now that his life isn’t football, football, football with some time with Olivia mixed in.

It seems like Viola Reyes picks up the slack for everyone. Things need to get done; someone needs to do them; and Viola has systems and methods in place for everything. She comes off as prickly, but really, she’s “‘just a marshmallow with spikes.’”

When Jack, president of the Associate Student Body, strikes a deal with Viola to actually work on the events hosted by the student government in exchange for her helping him with Olivia, she agrees. He should be doing those things anyway, and Viola is partnering with Olivia for a class project. Jack and Viola begin to spend time together.

And when Jack starts playing an online RPG, called "Twelfth Knight," he doesn’t know that the other player he partners with on the quests, C354R10, is really Viola. He assumes he’s playing with another guy, and Viola leads him to believe his game partner is her twin, Sebastian. The two open up to each other even more from behind their screens.

I’m always impressed by how this author captures the teenage experience—the frustrations and the hurts, the friendships, being on the precipice of finishing high school and heading off to college, young love, growth, and new horizons. I enjoyed the mashup of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night with the RPG that pulls the Arthurian legend into play, too.

It’s a coming-of-age love story, with an unlikely pairing of teens that help each other to grow. It shows that people don’t fit neatly into boxes or under specific labels. The jocks can also be gamers. The cheerleaders can be in AP classes. The driven, Type A student has other sides.

Read it for the diverse cast, the queer representation, and the feminist perspective.

4.5⭐️

I had an advance copy of the ebook from Tor Teen and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

[book:Twelfth Knight: A Reese's Book Club Pick|198536668] by [author:Alexene Farol Follmuth|21814879]is a fun, quick, and get summer read. Viola Reyes is misunderstood by many and doesn’t seem to care. She is independent, strong, determined, and often chooses to do life on her terms. After being shot down by her peers on a game campaign, she is over the misogyny. Viola’s best friend feels the key to being “likable” is to just be nice, allow others to win, and say yes more often to things. Viola turns to her favorite MMORG, Twelfth Knight, where she has created a masculine character that is a badass, to escape. She uses this space as a safe space where she can just be herself—even though she isn’t presenting herself as herself.
Jack Orsino is a star running back who is injured and out for the season. Football has defined him for his entire life as a legacy member of the Orsino family. He is having relationship problems with his—maybe girlfriend. He is learning how to deal with the what-ifs about his career, his life, and his dreams. He is pointed in the direction of also playing Twelfth Knight. He finds the escape into this fantasy world that leads him to see how even video games can be like football.
What I love about this young adult book is that it provides you with depth and perspective as an adult. You see the struggles and the conflicts; you root for the characters to break out of some of those societal stereotypes. You get to see the positive sides of being strong, and smart, and the use of influence in a positive manner. You see growth, forgiveness, and opportunities. At times the decisions that were made did feel a little mature for kids who typically don’t have that type of forward thinking. Overall, I truly enjoyed the book and strongly recommend it!

"There's nothing else you get to keep or take with you except the relationships you have. The way you love, the love you give, that matter".

Thank you Netgallery and Tor Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this ARC.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy. This book is out now!

I really enjoyed this one! After reading the acknowledgments the author does discuss how this is more of a coming of age story and a story of anger and who’s allowed to be angry with romance as a cherry on top! This makes sense with the pacing of the novel which was a bit slow at the start. The character development is strong because of it though.

This book gives so much nostalgia of movies like Cinderella Story (online communication, football, hidden identity) and She’s the Man (which this one is a DUH because they are both based on the same Shakespearean work).

I love the way the author establishes and then subverts classic stereotypes of characters(jock, geek, feminist, etc) and does so in a way that makes sense. I appreciated the thoughts on women in typically male dominated spaces and what we often go through because of it. I highly recommend this dual POV, coming of age romance!

Vibes:
The Man by Taylor Swift
Female Rage ™️
Cinderella Story/She’s the Man vibes
Football
Video games
Table top RPG
Slow burn & tension
Great side characters

Only Olivie Blake can write a YA novel about role-playing gamers and football stars and still fill it with top-notch banter, betrayal, shakespearean quips and a relatable, romantic underdog to root for.

I was hesitant when I got this ARC because it is seniors in high school, and I am 34 so I thought hmm not much for me to relate to, but boy was I surprised. (Then I thought to myself, why am I surprised? Olivie Blake’s writing is phenomenal, regardless of the subject matter.) I laughed so much and genuinely just had a great time throughout this whole read.

Blake weaves topics of toxic masculinity—especially in the online gaming world—as well as other important themes into this romantic comedy seamlessly. Her talent truly knows no bounds and I would recommend this book to any and everyone who is looking for a fun read with stellar writing.

I love Twelfth Night retellings, so I knew this book would be for me. In this book I think my favorite part was actually the friendship that grew between Viola and Olivia.

The MPRPG was so fun, I really liked the hidden identity piece done in this way. Highly recommend this book for ya romance lovers, or Shakespeare retelling lovers.

I love that I could feel the frustration of having to deal with someone like Vi Reyes because I wanted to slap her most of the time but when she and Jack get closer in the video game they're playing, I enjoyed their interactions more and it was fun to have a sunshine guy and grumpy girl because we don't see it often! Overall, an interesting read!