Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis

36 reviews

corruptednatz's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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

3.75

Throughout this book all I thought was “Stop it, get help” 😂 this book has a crazy ending but the build up to it was slow and sometimes pointless. The slow parts were the main character Bret doing drugs, falling into a drug induced sleep and fantasizing about various men he can’t have. But I do see how it plays into his mental state. The really pointless points were when the author when go into tangents about movies or music from the 80s. He would go into great detail about these things but I didn’t see the point. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Torture, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Infidelity, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Suicide

there is an adult and minor relationship and it’s graphic

n1ghthag's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-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

4.5

Fucked up thriller with that’s as horny as it is revolting. I couldn’t put it down. A great exploration of the LGBT trope of do I want be you, fuck you or kill you? Also, Brett Easton Ellis hates vaginas!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexual violence, Body horror, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Drug use, Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Vomit

charvermont's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Addiction, Drug abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Animal death, Drug use, Mental illness, Vomit, Gore, Kidnapping, Murder, Car accident, Death, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content

dglds_'s review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty

Moderate: Body horror

Minor: Drug use

seanamcphie'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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Torture, Toxic friendship, Death, Gore, Grief, Violence, Alcohol, Drug use, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Addiction

natalia's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Gaslighting, Gore, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Animal death, Death, Blood, Murder, Physical abuse, Stalking, Violence, Biphobia, Drug use, Suicide, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, and Vomit

torturedreadersdept'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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Body horror, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Biphobia, Alcohol, Death, Drug use, Dysphoria, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicide, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Confinement, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Outing, Gore, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Animal death, Blood, Infidelity, Murder, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship

ireneac's review against another edition

dark 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Drug use, Sexual content, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Violence, and Murder

phoenix13's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Animal death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Torture, Stalking, Animal cruelty, and Drug use

kevindillon's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad 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

4.0

Bret Easton Ellis is one of my favorite authors so this review had no chance at impartiality. I circled the release date once it was announced. I had listened to a little bit of the beginning on his podcast. 

I loved it, I was frustrated at times by it, I was captivated and towards the end I found it surprisingly affecting. It's not for everyone and I suspect you probably wouldn't be reading this novel unless you're a fan of the author as lot of the history of Bret Easton Ellis the persona is baked in. 

I thought at times it could have been shorter, could have moved onto certain events quicker but that might just be impatience. Also, the more I read it I couldn't help thinking: the character of "Bret Ellis"  is a younger, wet-behind-the-ears version of Patrick Bateman. The obsession is the point with a lot of his writing and I think it can really depend on the type of reading mood you're if you want to read another section describing the various roads and highways in LA. 

But the end, more specifically the aftermath of

Robert Mallory's demise, Susan, Thom

I really found affecting and emotional and sad in the way I like my novels to be sad. 

Recommend for anybody that enjoyed Lunar Park and American Psycho and Less than Zero. This also makes me want to re-read Less than Zero. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Blood, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Death, and Body horror