Title: Twelfth Knight
Author: Alexene Farol Follmuth
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication date: May 28, 2024
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Summary
Things haven’t been going right for Viola Reyes. Her gaming campaign was shut down, her best friend thinks she could be more likable, and she has to work with football star Jack Orsino on student counsel. Lately, her favorite way to escape has been planing the online game Twelfth Knight, as long as she plays as a boy.
When Jack Orsino finds his way onto Twelfth Knight after a football injury, Vi is surprised to see that they’re well matched. However, Jack doesn’t realize he’s playing with Viola–he thinks he’s playing with her brother. As the two start getting closer in real life, their online and their real lives start to get more complicated.
Review: Twelfth Knight
Thanks to Tor Teen and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth to review! Twelfth Night retellings are always so fun, and remind me of She’s The Man which is just a great movie. If you like fun nerd references, rivals to lovers, and just cute high school romance, this is the book for you!
We get alternating perspectives between Vi and Jack throughout. Which means we get to see their feelings for each other unfold in real time. It also allows for some good character development, both for them and for some of the side characters. If you’re familiar with the original play, you’ll see a lot of Shakespeare references throughout. If you’re a fan of fantasy or video games, you’ll get a lot of those references throughout as well. Even if they are slightly changed because of copyright.
Personally, I enjoyed Vi’s character arc more than Jack’s. She’s not afraid to stand up for herself from the beginning, but she learns that maybe not everyone is out to get her all the time. Jack learns that there might be more to life than football, finding interets outside the sport. They both had great chemistry, both when playing the game and when they’re interacting in person. It’s really fun to read.
If you’re looking for a fun romance to read going into the summer, definitely pick this one up when it comes out at the end of May!
4/5 stars