Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis

36 reviews

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

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

Moderate: Outing, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicide attempt

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

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

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

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

els04's review against another edition

dark tense slow-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

4.0

 

Scherven. Door: Bret Easton Ellis. 

 

Het is al van American Psycho geleden dat ik nog een Bret Easton Ellis las; de vagina-scène blijft me achtervolgen. Ik lees ondertussen bijna geen spannende boeken meer en ook quasi geen mannelijke schrijvers meer. En toch wou ik Scherven lezen. Het zal nog een jaar of twintig duren eer ik weer een Easton Ellis ga lezen kan ik u wel al verklappen. Niet omdat het slecht geschreven is (al mocht het soms iets korter en bondiger en met wat minder herhalingen) maar omdat ik eerst enkele vulva scènes moet proberen te verwerken… 

 

Scherven is een combinatie van feit en fictie (geen idee wat tot welke categorie behoort, wie tips heeft mag ze met me delen) en dat maakt het toch al spannende verhaal nagelbijtend spannend. Ik heb 5 dagen in het paranoïde hoofd van Bret (de schrijvende, zeventienjarige hoofdpersoon) doorgebracht en had gerust wat van de valium die hij met hele handen vol slikt kunnen gebruiken. 

 

Drugs, seks, feestjes, giga veel muziek, het zonnige LA van begin jaren ’80, de zorgeloosheid, het coming of age van rijke, verwende jongens en meisjes die leven alsof alles rondom hen draait én hoort te draaien,… Maar ook het niet uit de kast mogen/durven komen, eenzaamheid, het gebrek aan ouderlijk toezicht dat leidt tot nog meer eenzaamheid, tot een vlakke emotieloosheid en in Brett’s geval tot een totale paranoia vormen de hoofdtoon van dit verhaal over een seriemoordenaar die niet enkel moordt maar ook met mensen hun hoofd speelt. 

 

Ik moest er even inkomen, het kwam wat traag op gang door de uitgebreide beschrijvingen maar eens ik er in zat, zat ik er helemaal in. Verslaafd, onrustig en paranoia :) De paranoia die Bret voor de Treiler voelt, zijn bezetenheid, krijg jij als lezer ook, dat is het knappe aan het verhaal. Door de middelbare schoolomgeving, het geld, de clubs, het feesten doet het verhaal wat denken aan Gossip Girl. Maar dan veel en veel enger, spannender én gruwelijker. 

Dit is een boek voor de fans én voor mensen die even helemaal door een boek willen worden gegrepen. Bingen in boekvorm. 

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, and Drug use