Shakespeare in South Florida

by Christoph Paul

286 pages, Paperback

Expected publication March 31, 2026

About the author

Christoph Paul is an award-winning humor author. He writes non-fiction, YA, Bizarro, horror, and poetry including: The Passion of the Christoph, Great White House Volume 1 and Volume 2, Slasher Camp for Nerd Dorks, A Confederacy of Hot Dogs, and Horror Film Poems. He is the managing editor for CLASH Media and CLASH Books and edited the anthologies Walk Hand in Hand Into Extinction: Stories Inspired by True Detective and This Book Ain’t Nuttin to F*%k With: A Wu-Tang Tribute Anthology. Under the pen name Mandy De Sandra, he writes Bizarro Erotica that has been covered in VICE, Huffington Post, Jezebel, and AV Club.

Reviews

[BookswithLydscl | · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't give a full review for this as I couldn't finish it. Despite its premise and great cover drawing me in, the writing makes it clear I'm not its intended audience
It felt like it was trying to be a mix of Holden Caulfield and a Bret Easton Ellis teenage protagonist but less well written or nuanced. It also felt misogynistic, and combined with a need to be much more tightly edited, I had to put it down.

1.5* for the cover and potential based on the premise.

Thank you to Clash Book and Netgalley for a digital review copy of "Shakespeare In South Florida" in exchange for my voluntary review.

[Ashley Hart · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to love this, but it sounded like somebody trying to sound like they were 17 years old and instead coming across like somebody trying to troll people on a subreddit that was actually in their 30s and getting it wrong.

I think the base material is there but it needs an overhaul

[Stephanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m devastated to be the first one to review this book and give it such a low rating because it had such promise. The title? Fucking brilliant. The cover? Fantastic. The premise? So, SO good.

The execution, however, not so much.

I write this hoping, although I never recommend it, the author sees this and pulls it from NetGalley. Genuinely, I had such high hopes for this book and I think with another two rounds of editing, it would be amazing.

Right now, this is a first draft. It desperately needs an editor: a good one who sees the vision and helps amp up its literary potential.

The book starts off rambly (and not in an effective Holden Caufield way — which I foresaw this book being; sort of like a contemporary reimagining of Catcher in the Rye) but instead like an I’m a 30 year old trying to write like an eight year old way. There are so many punctuation and grammar mistakes, which again, could be fixed after another round of editing.

Because at its core, this just needed editing and I’m sad that the author didn’t get a capable one or just didn’t get one at all. Truly, a coming-of-age book about two broken kids bonding over film and Shakespeare is my dream book.

[Sheila Parker · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an ARC, so I understand that this is a draft. Mechanically speaking, editing needs to be completed. I picked this one up because the title and the premise were very promising. I liked the structure of putting the story into five acts, much like Shakespeare’s plays. However, the name is a bit of a misnomer as the only element of Shakespeare was in the context of a meta high school project relating to Shakespeare. The author tried to create a tangled web that was reminiscent of Shakespeare’s comedies, but the relationships fell flat. The protagonist Joseph, is an interesting character, but he lacks development in my opinion. For a kid who is very stuck in his own mind, the author spends a lot of time, focusing on events in his life, rather than Joseph’s own mind. In the end, I didn’t grow to even care about Joseph and his problems.

I feel that the female characters have the potential to carry this novel, but the author does not develop them past the flat stereotypes that he uses to create the love triangle. They seemed very much like the perception of how a male views women. Although the author tried to create dynamic characters, they appear very superficial throughout the story. I felt there was more development in the relationship between Alexia and Joseph, but the author should have spent more time developing Valerie and Joseph.

[Arielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review: ⭐⭐☆☆☆ (2/5)
Title: Shakespeare in South Florida
Author: C. P. Paul
Thanks to NetGalley and CLASH Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a Florida native, the title and concept immediately pulled me in. I was genuinely excited to see how Shakespeare would be woven into the chaotic, colorful backdrop of South Florida—a setting I know well. The premise had so much potential: a modern teen coming-of-age story with literary undertones? It sounded like a win.

Unfortunately, the execution didn’t land for me. The writing felt disjointed and unpolished, and the characters lacked emotional depth. The dialogue often felt exaggerated or unnatural, which made it hard to stay engaged. I also found some of the relationship dynamics problematic and unaddressed, especially considering the intended YA audience. It left me uncomfortable and distracted from the overall story.

That said, I did appreciate the raw humor and some of the commentary on South Florida life—it definitely captured that "between Hell and Purgatory" vibe that only locals truly understand. I can see this working for a very specific teen audience who likes fast, chaotic storytelling with a heavy dose of pop culture references. But for me, it felt like a missed opportunity.

I think with more editing and focused development, this could become something special. The bones are there—it just needs tightening.

[Iniye · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Man, you live long enough and you realize you've lived in almost everyone's shoes.”

I considered DNFing this book on different occasions. Captured by the title and good-looking description, I had lots of expectations coming into this. Mixing Shakespeare with teen drama was something I had never thought of. I believe this book will be great for audiences in their late teens, but I'm concerned about the vulgarity of this book. Seeing reference of Billie Eilish and Doja Cat made me feel like an old head, lol.

Another part of this book I wasn't comfortable with was the Joseph and Alexia relationship. Knowing that it's illegal for any kind of sexual relationship for both of them and no one made an effort to say something? Nah, man.

“So like, you're the first highschool guy I've ever dated. I know that's weird, but I've only dated college guys since I was 14.”

The second half of the book started becoming interesting and I was keen on knowing what was going to happen in the end—although I saw it from a mile away.

I did enjoy the humour of this book and I laughed at the thought of Shakespeare being the Santa Claus of young love.

“Unless you're rich, a model, athlete, or a cocaine dealer, South Florida is not as glamorous as people think. It's somewhere between Hell and Purgatory.”

Thanks to NetGalley and CLASH Books for a review copy.