Like many other reviewers, I wanted to like this book, and I truly tried, but I could not get past many of the glaring errors and poor content of the book. The language makes it seem like it would be good for younger YA readers, but the content was vulgar and a bit too explicit for YA in general. The characters were underdeveloped, if they even made it past a flat stereotype (the female characters were often sexualized and generalized). There was not much development of any element in the book, whether it be characters or plot, which made it hard to care about anything that happened in the book, much less care about anything that affected Caldo, the protagonist. Most characters and scenes seemed one-dimensional, and much of the book seemed unedited-- or, if it was edited, it needed several more rounds of revision to infuse life and heart into the story. I admit that I could not get more than halfway through the book, but from reading other reviews, I doubt the quality of the book changed for the better in the second half. I think this could be a decent book with major adjustments, but as it stands, I would not recommend this book.

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.

This book has a great concept. However it’s missing some key things to make it grounded more into reality giving it a real connection for YA. For instance Caldo’s school doesn’t hold any real value that the mentor program is an educational tool.
In my years of teaching it would have been more accurate if the lessons were more traditional in nature leading up to the “big reveal”. I work in a non-traditional school, and even we have guidelines by the state that does not allow for certain actions. Also having the kids in a 1-1 tutoring is kinda creepy and I don’t know any educator who would be willing to do that. What I would have envisioned is it was a multi grade classroom instead. Giving small groups and individualized lessons for each. That feels more believable. Also no teacher who has seen the behavior from Caldo would just let him present in front of young children. In a smaller setting they would have done a practice prior to the actual performance.
My other major plot hole was that Valerie leaves her school to go to a better school. However, no school would let two outside students to prom or homecoming (which it would have been just homecoming based on the season) to just waltz in. Especially in this day and age. I would have love to have seen it be someone’s 16 quinceañera, since it was located in south Florida. Then it would have made more sense.
Lastly, I struggled with some of the concepts of how the classmates were viewed. Clearly there was more than just your average learning disabilities. It felt like there was some targeted jokes to the disabled. That was rather offsetting. Even with Charles and Fane there should have been clear understand that the obstinate acts was also a behavior disorder.
Finally, I had a hard time with the sexual harassment from the old guys in the nursing home. It was very cute that the entire home was invested, but when the old men start talking about boobs it was very uncomfortable. I imagine the audience you are trying to reach will be most YA girls since boys just don’t read (facts). Girls would have wanted Caldo to stand up and take over the mic. If you don’t want him to take over, then I highly recommend removing the cat calling boob conversation.
Over all I like the concept and what was trying to be achieved. There are some strange syntax in some passages and some spelling errors.

I really wanted to like this, much like everyone else. The premise was there, and I waited AGES to get this arc. But …. But… but…ITS SO NOT GOOD. The plot needs help, the author needs a think tank full of adolescent boys on the spectrum, and two more rounds of heavy editing. This book reads like it was pushed through production prematurely to meet some sort of deadline and I am so so sad. I wanted to love it, i tried to like it, and it didn’t do anything for me.

I Could not finish this book. It was a bit to rambling and full of pontification. I think it needs some more editing. I'm all for unlikeable and outsider characters, but it kind of didn't quite land.

Caldo has no real social life, unless arguing about film online counts. Having seen so many films while struggling romantically, he has formed a theory that women pick romantic partners the way they pick which movie to watch. He’s definitely not a blockbuster, a rom com, or even a horror film, he’s more of an indie art film that is unfortunately funny. He worries he’ll never find the person who will accept and love him, the way that he accepts and loves his favorite obscure films.

That is until he meets Alexia at his grandmother's retirement home. Alexia was court-ordered to do volunteer work for her DUI but it's cool, Caldo has issues too, and it feels like they have a real connection. But there's also Valerie. The new girl at Caldo's awkwardly small school. She's a straight-A student who is attending on scholarship and is assigned the difficult task to mentor him in Shakespeare's plays. The two opposites have nothing in common except for being romantics who do nothing but fail at romance.

With first jobs that go very wrong, untimely food poisoning, and fake prom dates, Caldo unintentionally reenacts Shakespearian tropes in the heart of South Florida. Humor award-winning author Christoph Paul’s Shakespeare in South Florida is a quirky romantic comedy about being 17 and falling in love.
I really enjoyed this story. Cannot wait to read more from the author. Will recommend to others.

This book was a DNF for me at 25% finished due to the writing style.

I’m not entirely certain, but perhaps the style is a creative choice to appeal to young men. If it is, then I say leave it as is. If this book is looking for a larger reach, I would recommend an edit and overhaul to appeal to a wider audience.

The premise of this book is amazing and I definitely don’t hate the story.

I will not be leaving this review on Goodreads in hopes that this book is pulled from NetGalley before it is published.

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.

This sounded like such a great idea, but the voice of this narrator is so problematic and the voice is immature.
As somebody who has worked with 17 year-old children for the past decade, the voice is wrong.

I wanted this to be so much better but it needs some heavy overhauls.

I wanted to love this book, but it just wasn't it for me. Seemed very immature writing and from a teenager.

This was just not good

I thought the writing in general was not good and it was even at times misogynistic

I did not enjoy this book. The writing and the story both seemed like it came from the 17 year old male protagonist. Because it was all around average I would rate it 1.5 stars.