Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis

39 reviews

missfox051's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-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

What a corker! This is undoubtedly one of the best books I have read and I read a lot. Not as disturbing as American Psycho but has moments of gut wrenching horror. Very very good.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

amebarre's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Outing, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

emouemi's review against another edition

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

dylan2219's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.25

In so many ways typical BEE fare - here are the brands, here are the bands, here are the cars, here are the drugs, here are the blood and the cum and the emotional nihilism - but also has a weirdly mournful quality brought by his stab at (parody of?) auto fiction. The book is maddeningly repetitive and overlong - definitely a consequence of his serialisation of it - and for long stretches I was bored out of my mind. Even if this is the desired effect, it remains (like in American Psycho) massively unpleasant to read. Like that book, too, sex and violence are treated with a medical-gothic style that makes it grow increasingly anaesthetic. It would be more effective without Ellis’ needless signposting that he is chasing after that feeling of blunting and numbness that he has cultivated his whole career. By the far the most interesting aspect, improved by his own reading of the audiobook, is the way he seems genuinely traumatised and haunted by his own career and life. He is aware that his childhood and adolescence has infected him with a kind of strange desire for transgression, that ultimately leaves him cold and affectless. His books, too, have brought him no pleasure, and writing feels more like a way for him to try and get it all out of his system. I can respect and admire this, and we are given more insight into Ellis’ protagonist (and hence, self) by the level of first-person psychological detail, in a way that is more compelling than in his other work. And the narrative twists, and slow unravelling of this voice as the book goes on only adds to the appeal. Not sure I think this is a good book, but there are things about it I enjoyed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Blood, and Murder

swalk's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.5

Framed as an autobiographical, true crime writing about a teenager living an extremely privileged life on Mulholland Drive. Bret diarises his experiences of life when of a string of murders committed by someone known as ‘The Trawler’ begin taking place in the surrounding area.


Bret is a high school student, with many wealthy friends and is experimenting with his sexuality in an era when it was a lot more taboo. There is a lot of eroticism, as a sort of stream of consciousness, unfortunately I found it very repetitive. Most of the characters are unlikable and completely oblivious of the lubrication which wealth and privilege allows as you move through life. That being said, I suppose most people aren’t that self aware at that age and characters do not necessarily need to be 'likeable'. 

It really reminded me of a male oriented Pretty Little Liars. I’m fairly sure this isn’t what he was going for, instead trying to be profound … but it doesn’t really achieve it. Whilst it was entertaining (at least from about 40% onwards), nearly every choice ‘Bret’ makes in this story is totally illogical and personally I found it far too drawn out and meandering, losing interest in parts. Although I did enjoy the nostalgic nature of the writing, overall it just came across as self indulgent. It’s kind of a shame it wasn’t edited down, because I think it has the potential to be very good and I really enjoyed the ending.


The narrator, BEE himself is great and has a wonderful reading voice and style. I know that author read audiobooks are not always favoured, but I enjoy them as you know the emphasis and understanding is in the right areas.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Murder

kayewa's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

4.0

Probably should have known a Less Than Zero - American Psycho mash-up was always going to be where BEE’s journey took us. It’s absolutely too long, it’s definitely not for the faint of heart, and if you tired of his long lists of 80s brands / music years ago, he’s still doing that, but I’m still here for his drugged out nihilist dreamscape when he’s making it work. Definitely glad he took time from hosting his wretch podcast for this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Torture, Violence, Blood, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Outing

Minor: Rape

adamnagy'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? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Lustful, tense, long, young, entitled, disturbing, explicit, mentally unstable: American.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Blood, and Kidnapping

booklinensinker's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

4.75

This is a very dark and disturbing novel. I loved it. I am a thriller lover but I also really enjoy books with characters that I love to hate. I read and listened in tandem and the narration was done by the author and it was perfect! This knocked my socks off. My only issue was that there really was no solid resolution, but it didn't really matter because the novel was more about the characters and the setting and the lifestyle that was being portrayed. Others have complained about the superficial aspects of the novel, however this is exactly the way these characters were meant to be seen and understood. I loved the depravity of it all!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Dysphoria, and Classism

valeriekate's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-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, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism