Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis

39 reviews

mosswood's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

5.0

This book held me in tension for so long that I’ve never experienced before. I was desperate to understand and learn from these characters that I completely hated. I cared deeply about them, despite not caring for them, immersing you in the same kind of dissociation that the characters are in! Amazing. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Murder, Animal cruelty, Stalking, Homophobia, and Sexual violence

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

---

Content Warnings

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

dubious_little_creature's review against another edition

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Stalking, and Suicide attempt

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

---

Content Warnings

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

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

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

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Mental illness

Minor: Homophobia and Suicide attempt

ktduk's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

When I started this book, I was excited about it, but then it continued. There are frequent meltdowns from the main character where he acts as If their world Is literally going to end, but for the most part, not much has happened outside of his world. I guess you could say that a book written from the perspective of a 17-year-old should feel this way, but by the end, I just felt irritated with him and his entire friendship group, who were highly unlikeable. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Homophobia, Drug abuse, and Sexual assault

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

---

Content Warnings

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

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

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

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

---

Content Warnings

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

Minor: Suicide attempt and Stalking

fmoffiziell's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Drug abuse, Animal death, Excrement, Infidelity, Sexual content, Body horror, Homophobia, Murder, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Car accident, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Death, Gaslighting, and Alcoholism

poubelleboi's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

Ho letto "Le schegge" di Bret Easton Ellis. 😳 In realtà ho ascoltato l'audiolibro e non scherzo quando dico che in un giorno ne ho ascoltato un terzo, anche se dura 26 ore (ha più di 700 pagine). Avevo già sentito tante opinioni positive quindi mi aspettavo che fosse bello ma veramente non riuscivo a smettere. 

In questa autofiction, Bret è alle superiori e durante il suo ultimo anno cose strane cominciano ad accadere e si scopre che un serial killer è attivo nella zona. Bret ne diviene ossessionato e sospetta del suo nuovo compagno di classe. È una storia con tanta tensione e tanta violenza ma una delle cose intriganti è il fatto che il narratore non è affidabile per cui ogni lettore può interpretare la storia a modo proprio. Ha tanti trigger warning ma io l'ho divorato e lo consiglio.

È stato interessante come l'autore ha intessuto l'omofobia nel racconto.

L'omofobia interiorizzata è un motore per Bret per fare o non fare determinate cose; la paura di essere scoperto lo porta a non denunciare ciò che sa, a non condividere la registrazione delle torture su Matt. Questo finisce per esacerbare tutte le sue paranoie. Chissà se sarebbe potuta finire diversamente se solo Bret avesse pensato di poter essere attratto dagli uomini senza giudizi esterni. Perché alla fine, i pensieri omofobi che ha non sono che echi di ciò che qualcun altro gli ha detto nel corso della storia. Per cui l'omofobia è stata come un personaggio che teneva sotto ricatto costante il nostro protagonista.

Quello che mi ha tenuto incollato, comunque, è stata la scrittura di Bret Easton Ellis e ammetto che non avevo letto niente di lui prima, ma di certo adesso sono intrigato e voglio leggere altro, quindi consigliatemi altro di suo. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Body horror, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Drug use, Sexual content, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Violence, Cursing, and Death

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Infidelity, Mental illness, Outing, and Medical content

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Suicide attempt