Twelfth Grade Night by Molly Horton Booth and Stephanie Kate Strohm

Published on November 03, 2022

Twelfth Grade Night Book Cover. A teenage girl with long blonde hair and a teenage boy with short black hair and plaid pants stand on either side of another teenager in a jacket and hat.
Reviewed by Jayde Valosin

 

Vi Messaline was going to start at her new school with her twin brother Sebastian, but he changes his mind at the last minute and Vi needs to navigate the quirky world of Arden High all on her own. She's quickly enamored by charming poet Orsino, but things get complicated when Orsino reveals he's got his eyes set on beautiful popular Olivia. Then, Orsino asks Vi the unthinkable- can she convince Olivia to go to the Twelfth Grade Night dance with him?-and Vi reluctantly agrees. Being caught in the middle is difficult, especially when Vi needs support from her twin, and Sebastian can hardly make time to talk to her. But every true love triangle has three sides, and more surprises ensure the Twelfth Grade Night dance will be a night to remember.

 

Twelfth Grade Night is a modern take on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, but no knowledge of the play is required to love this book. While it does explore topics such as Vi's feelings of abandonment by her brother and others' misconceptions about her gender presentation, the book's humorous tone keeps it from being too heavy of a read. Background characters and a subplot involving another of Olivia's not-so-secret admirers add a lot of charm to the story. Bold colors and detailed illustrations are eye-catching and help to convey the casual magic sprinkled throughout the book.

 

A fun graphic novel for lovers of Shakespeare, romantic comedies, or tales of hilarious miscommunication.

 

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