Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis

68 reviews

nomonbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This was well written, I just didn't like it. I didn't enjoy the gore and the tone or the people. I wanted to keep reading and that's pretty significant given what I didn't enjoy but also I'm so so glad I finally finished it. People who like thrillers may like this.

Also in regards to what happened (spoilers for ending)

I am like 100% sure in my mind at least that the trawler were the adult cult members and this was a story about a bunch of messed up kids left to their own devices too much, not cared for and adultified resulting in horrible conclusions. Everyone (of the children) was a victim here. The violent crime we see on page committed by a child is Brett murdering Robert. And that was a huge failure of every adult involved that let it get to that point. (And I know he's old enough to take responsibility for that somewhat but as with any crime in the real world committed by a 16 year old thecl context is so so important - and I know Robert has been accused of sexual abuse and I'm not absolving him from that responsibility but acknowledging that he was a victim here too from his father, and from the cult).

I don't think Brett attacked Susan and Thom, as it seems a bit random and out of character for him and it's more a further example of how things can are and will spiral in absence of I don't know, adult responsibility and supervision and putting it all on kids. The paranoia that seeped into their relationships and lack of trust for eachother and I think in the world generally to look after them.

They consistently had absent parents, drug addict parents, parents who are perpetrators of sexual abuse, alcoholic parents. The level of neglect is overwhelming, the absence of modeling of healthy interactions and relationships. The total lack of guidance from any adult in my opinion is what got them to where they ended up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

ashlyntalksbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

perpetualpity's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, and Violence

Minor: Drug use, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, and Outing

hannschwarz's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

patrickreads89's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Murder, and Toxic friendship

violents's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, Stalking, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Mental illness

Minor: Homophobia and Suicide attempt

ktdakotareads's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

rose_ann_leest's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Het boek begint een beetje chaotisch. Er wordt uitgelegd dat er een seriemoordenaar is, maar dat het op dat moment nog niet bekend was en dat hij de Trawler werd genoemd. Dit werd steeds benadrukt en dat zorge eigenlijk dat het niet prettig las. Ja, nu weet ik het wel. Laat het dan weg...

Het boek bouwt zich erg langzaam op. Het gaat over een groep tieners die naar hun laatste jaar op de middelbare school gaan. Er komt een nieuwe jongen in de klas, Robert. En sinds Robert er is, gebeuren er vreemde dingen. Het boek volgt het leven van de schrijver Bret. Delen zijn fictie en delen zijn non-fictie. Hij legt in het begin uit (of had ik dat in een interview gelezen?) dat de angsten die hij in het boek uitlegt echt waren. De seriemoordenaar mag dan niet echt waar zijn, de angsten die heb ik wel echt zo gevoeld.

Dit klinkt allemaal heel spannend, maar er gebeurt niet veel. Pas na een derde van het boek gebeuren er meer dingen, waardoor je nieuwsgierig wordt, is Robert wel de Trawler of is Bret gewoon doorgeslagen?

Ik vind de combinatie van een autobiografische thriller wel origineel. Het zal vast vaker voorkomen, maar ik had dit nog niet eerder gelezen. 

Doordat het literatuur is, is het gedeelte over de seriemoordenaar wel aanwezig, maar wie het is, blijft meer op de achtergrond. Het belangrijkste is de angsten van Bret. Een jongen van 17 die volwassen wordt en welke onzekerheden en angsten hij heeft. Maar echt waarom laten zijn ouders hem zo lang alleen? Terwijl er een seriemoordenaar rondloopt?

De moorden werden gruwelijk en gedetailleerd beschreven. Dit past goed bij de langzame opbouw van het boek. Maar je moet hier wel tegen kunnen.

Ik kan me voorstellen dat er mensen zijn dit dit een leuk boek vinden. Langzaam en dat alles gedetailleerd wordt omschreven en herhaald.

Voor mij duurde het echt te lang. Vergeet niet dat als je over 576 pagina's een tijdje doet, je dan elke keer als je leest te maken hebt met angsten, iemand die paranoïde begint te worden en daar had ik op een gegeven moment geen zin meer in, dan wil je uit die narigheid. Dus als je het zo bekijkt, weet de schrijver de sfeer heel goed over te brengen.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Stalking, and Murder

aristarcodisamo's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Minor: Racism, Vomit, Antisemitism, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Outing

kittiesss's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Blood, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Stalking and Suicide attempt