A review by pezinho
The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis

dark mysterious tense medium-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

4.0

I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would. Usually, when a book has a cast of characters that I don't find particularly likable it tends to make the book less enjoyable for me, however, this was not the case with The Shards. Despite Bret and his friends being unbearably annoying, the events of the book and pacing really worked to hook me in.

The book would be a lot shorter if it weren't for the extensive descriptions of the Los Angeles traffic system that no one who doesn't live in California cares about or the multiple sex scenes that add nothing to the story. At times, considering Bret is the author, it felt like I was subjected to reading him live his sexual fantasies through the fictional Bret.

The cult storyline also didn't go anywhere and made me wonder why it was even a part of it. It doesn't seem like the Trawler was connected to them in any way, at least from what I took away from the book.
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