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Twelfth Knight
CCBC Review:
Viola “Vi” Reyes (Filipina American) is smart, forthright, and uncompromising. Jack “Duke” Orsino (biracial Black/white) is talented, charming, and easygoing. The general consensus among their high school classmates is that Vi should be nicer, and Jack is Mr. Nice Guy. Vi and Duke serve on student council, where he shows no interest in leadership and she carries the load. Star athlete Duke, couch-bound after an injury, discovers the world of ConQuest, an MMORPG game where, it turns out, Vi, is a high-achieving player who goes by Cesario. After Duke realizes Cesario goes to his school, Vi lies and says she’s her twin brother, Bash. Online, Vi—as Bash—joins forces with Duke on a quest. In the real world, Duke, longing to understand why his girlfriend Olivia broke up with him, cuts a deal with Vi: He’ll take on a vexing student council task (“You mean you’ll do your job?”) if she’ll try to find out why. Vi becomes friends with Olivia even as she and Duke grow close. This delightful reimagining of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night isn’t all fun and games. Among the social commentary and insights are Vi’s constant battles with sexism; Jack’s realization that he’s crafted his nice guy persona to ease his life as a Black athlete at their predominantly white high school; and the homophobia Olivia reveals in her extended family. Still, there’s plenty of humor, love, and romance along with reckoning as truths are revealed. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Age 12 and older
Age Range:
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
African Americans
Filipinos and Filipino Americans
Love and Romance
Multiracial Characters/Families
Sexism
Truth and Lies
Diversity subjects:
Asian
Black/African
On CCBC Booklists:
Asian in America: Selected Books for PreK-Grade 12 to Support Hmong and Asian American Studies in Wisconsin
James: Retellings & Reimaginings and 19th-Century Black Experiences
Publishers:
Macmillan, Tor Teen
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9781250884893
CCBC Location: Fiction, Follmuth