Twelfth Knight

This was such a fun read! Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth is a YA contemporary Shakespearean retelling about two teens with more in common than they think. Viola Reyes is a girl against the world. Opinionated and unafraid to voice it, Vi lets few people close to her and trusts even fewer. Jack Orsino, the bane of Vi’s existence, is the star running back and student body president to Vi’s vice presidency. The two butt heads at every opportunity. Then a football injury changes the course of Jack’s senior year, and suddenly he sees Vi like he never has before. Told in dual point of view, Twelfth Knight is about discovering how to be yourself and finding your place in the world.

Vi is not an easy character to like. She can be harsh to those around her, especially those that disagree. Honestly, if not for having her POV, I would have completely disliked her. However, her POV gives insight into her actions, and I was able to empathize with her. This is a girl who likes (and is good at) things that are geared towards boys, specifically an online game called Twelfth Knight which would be similar to World of Warcraft or Dungeons and Dragons. Because of some off-page online bullying that happened before this story began, Vi has created an online persona that is male. As Cesario, she dominates the game. It is a safe space for her until she gets a message from a gamer called Duke Orsino….

Jack is adorable. Like he is the all-around good guy that everyone likes and no one can get mad at. He’s a people pleaser, but something about Vi really pushes his buttons. After a bad tackle lands him on the sidelines for the season, Jack has to find something to occupy his time while he recovers. His best friend introduces him to the world of online gaming, and Duke Orsino is born.

I loved the interactions between Duke and Cesario and Vi and Jack. The two find common ground in the inside the game. Vi can be herself without judgment being passed on her. Jack is having fun and learning that there is more to life than football. BUT Jack doesn’t know Vi is Cesario. He opens up to Cesario about things he’s never admitted to anyone else. And Vi is feeling all kinds of guilty as she gets to know (and is falling for) Jack in real life. The romance is sweet and built on a fledgling friendship, my favorite kind.

Overall, Twelfth Knight is a sweet story about finding friendship and acceptance in a world that isn’t always kind. Jack and Vi start as antagonists, but it’s easy to see how much they have in common if they would just put their guard down. I loved the Shakespearean references. It made the book that much better. While my review focused on Jack and Vi, the side characters are amazing. I love Bash, Vi’s twin brother, and Olivia, Jack’s sort of girlfriend. They add so much to the story and Jack and Vi’s characters. I highly recommend this one to fans of YA contemporary romance.

Most of the students view Vi as unapproachable and she almost uses their judgment of her as a shield to protect her ideals and values. She finds escape from the sexism and disappointment reality has to offer by playing an MMORPG called Twelfth Knight. It's based on Arthurian times and she slips into the role of one of her favorite characters from a popular show called War of Thorns. When she assumes the role of Cesario , everyone seeks out her help because she's excellent at the game. Here, she is needed and doesn't have to deal with people who don't like her for being a geek or opinionated.

Jack lives for football and following the legacy of his family. His father was an amazing quarterback and all Jack wants to do is make him proud. But when a late tackle lands him with an injured knee, he finds himself bored out of his mind. One of his friends suggests playing Twelfth Knight to occupy him time and cure his boredom. Especially since he won't be playing football any time soon and his girlfriend just broke up with him. During a battle, he decides to make an alliance with C354R10 who he discovers is someone who goes to his school. He realizes just how intriguing this game is and why his friend enjoyed it so much.

TWELFTH KNIGHT is a rom-com that's made for gamer nerds like me. I love how in a panic, Vi lies about who she is but quickly finds out she has more in common with Jack than she anticipates. This just adds to the tension between the two. The only thing I don't like his how Vi kind of treats everyone like she looks down on them. I know it isn't intentional because she feels like the world is against her, but it would be nice to see her be a bit more relatable as a gamer girl. I love Jack and how he's a well-rounded nice guy without needing much growth. He just needed to channel his inner geek.


Final Verdict: I would recommend this to fans of rom-coms, video games, King Arthur, grumpy meets sunshine, and humor. I enjoyed this and would love to see a game like it come out. It would be nice to have something new but at the same time it reminds me of Final Fantasy, which is a nice touch.