Review: Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth

*I received an advance reading copy of this book from Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review.

Twelfth Knight

by Alexene Farol Follmuth

May 28, 2024

Goodreads Summary:

From the New York Times-bestselling author of The Atlas Six (under the penname Olivie Blake) comes Twelfth Knight, a grumpy/sunshine YA romantic comedy and coming of age story about taking up space in the world and learning what it means to let others in.

Viola Reyes is annoyed.

Her painstakingly crafted tabletop game campaign was shot down, her best friend is suggesting she try being more “likable,” and school running back Jack Orsino is the most lackadaisical Student Body President she’s ever seen, which makes her job as VP that much harder. Vi’s favorite escape from the world is the MMORPG Twelfth Knight, but online spaces aren’t exactly kind to girls like her―girls who are extremely competent and have the swagger to prove it. So Vi creates a masculine alter ego, choosing to play as a knight named Cesario to create a safe haven for herself.

But when a football injury leads Jack Orsino to the world of Twelfth Knight, Vi is alarmed to discover their online alter egos―Cesario and Duke Orsino―are surprisingly well-matched.

As the long nights of game-play turn into discussions about life and love, Vi and Jack soon realise they’ve become more than just weapon-wielding characters in an online game. But Vi has been concealing her true identity from Jack, and Jack might just be falling for her offline…

Review

Twelfth Knight is a reminder of the ups and downs that occur with growing up. Though it’s been a long time since I’ve been in high school, I could relate to both characters’ struggles. Coming-of-age is not an easy thing.

Viola was so hard to like in the beginning of Twelfth Knight. She was extremely cynical and most of the time came off as plain rude. It wasn’t until later in the story, where I got to hear more of her thoughts, that I began to understand her and her actions. Vi stayed true to herself- not letting anyone’s opinions dictate what she did.

The opposite to Vi in every way, Jack was very likable despite his cocky attitude (from his POV). I thought his efforts to win Olivia back was sweet (no matter how futile it was). Due to his injury, Jack started questioning his future. The insecurity he felt was super relatable.

I’m all for an enemies-to-lovers romance but in Twelfth Knight, I didn’t really feel a strong connection between Vi and Jack. Yes, they got to know each other but it felt way too soon when they started confessing their feelings. Some more in-person interactions would’ve helped cement their growing relationship.

I loved Vi’s twin, Bash, with his theatrics. Even when he disapproved of Vi’s decisions, he had her back. The surprising friendship that Vi developed with Jack’s ex-girlfriend, Olivia, provided some comfort during tough times. Their honest conversations were really great to see.

Realistic and not too dramatic, Twelfth Knight was a quick read. While it may not have been the perfect book for me, it had many relatable moments that should not be missed!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the copy I received.