Early Reader Review: The Twelve by Joey Graceffa

Source: From Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

The Twelve by Joey Graceffa  

Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date:  February 24, 2026 

 

Format: Ebook


Rating:

Goodreads Synopsis: 

From New York Times bestselling author and renowned creator Joey Graceffa comes a pulse-pounding YA fantasy where witches hunt witches, magic has a price, and sisterhood is the only thing standing between light and darkness.

Welcome to the coven.

Each month, a Zodiac Witch is born, her magic written by the stars.

Ophelia and Serena—twin sisters born on the cusp of Pisces and Aries—are trapped in the cold confines of an orphanage until fate rips them from obscurity. Suddenly, they are invited into The Twelve, a powerful coven. To join, they must swear to hunt Dark Witches, creatures of spectral beauty and razor-sharp teeth who survive by siphoning magic from young witches.

On a secret island, protected by their new sisters, Ophelia and Serena train to use their powers. Serena commands Lightning, raw and untamed. Ophelia wields Water, quiet and waiting. Their paths shift—one chasing power, the other resisting—as the sisters find themselves caught between two destinies. Some choices can never be undone but they must decide, because magic does not wait, and the darkness is coming for them in ways they could never imagine. After all, the stars never shine without casting shadows.

Review: 

The Twelve follows a coven of teen witches that are born into powers based on the Zodiac. It's a YA fantasy that was a pretty good showing overall. 

I found myself genuinely connecting with the characters, their experiences were wrapped in some reality and that was a nice touch. Ophelia and Serena feel like two sides of the same coin. Ophelia is quiet, observant, and constantly analyzing everything around her. Serena, on the other hand, is impulsive, emotional, and driven by instinct. I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of their POVs. Seeing the same world and events filtered through such different lenses added depth to the story and made their diverging paths feel natural rather than forced as they struggled through their new lives.

The magic system a fun one. The idea of Zodiac-based witches is such a strong concept, I would have liked a little more information around if the power is based on the sign (seems like this one) or the personality. I do wish there had been a clear list of the Zodiac witches and their corresponding powers either at the beginning or end of the book (maybe there will be in a final copy, I’m not sure). With so many signs and abilities in play, a reference guide would have been a nice thing to have. 

Pacing-wise, the story moves fast, almost too fast at times. There’s a lot of action packed into a short timeline, which makes it exciting and hard to put down. That said, there were a few small moments where the timeline felt slightly stretched by how much was happening (for example, it didn’t always feel like there was realistically enough time for certain events, ex. like digging graves and burying the deceased amid everything else going on). It didn’t ruin the story for me, but it was noticeable.

I also appreciated the exploration of light versus dark, not just in a simple good-versus-evil way, but in the grey spaces both sides occupy. The moral ambiguity added an extra layer of intrigue and made the conflict feel deeper as an adult reader.

Overall, this was an engaging YA fantasy with compelling sisters, an intriguing magic system, and strong momentum. Definitely worth the read.