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alfie_reads's review
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
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? Yes
3.75
This was my introduction to BEE. This book is so nasty and perverse but I loved it. It’s the classic tale of disaffected youth turning to indulgence but it’s through the landscape of queer 1980s LA.
rhondac123's review against another edition
3.0
For a Bret Easton Ellis book, this novel was a little better than okay in my opinion. Dare I say the movie in this case may have been better than the book? Robert Downey Jr. was hard to beat. Ellis' characters and their hedonistic and nihhilistic personalities both annoy and fascinate me. Worth reading, either way.
reading_gremlin's review
dark
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? It's complicated
3.5
I'm a big fan of BEE's writing style!! and this book is so well written, I stared at the wall for an hour after completing it, I can't even describe what I felt.. but it was very intense.
saw this review and it describes what I felt perfectly:
This book seems boring and shallow, and reading it gives me an anesthetized, hollow, detached feeling that I would not describe as entirely pleasant. And yet I cannot seem to stop, and whenever I have to, I become very anxious to return to it as quickly as I can. Its appeal is no less powerful for being difficult to pinpoint or explain.
kappo's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
karinaruizm92's review against another edition
4.0
I thought it was a well written and disturbing book. But all I could think about was that it was too similar to Exit Here. I also didn't like one of the reviews that said it was The Catcher in he Rye of the MTV generation. But it was a good overall.
ghiblireads's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I really love the way Bret Easton Ellis writes - this book was very matter of fact and gritty which I really enjoyed. I liked following the lives of rich people in 80s LA and Clay was an interesting narrator. He was detached from his life and I liked reading from his perspective. It was very immersive - the heat, the drugs, the parties, the music and film references all felt very real. For a relatively short book it definitely packed a punch and I loved getting a little snapshot of these characters lives. It was fast paced and easy to read in one sitting. It really reminded me of The Shards which makes sense since they have similar themes. I feel like there were some deep messages that I maybe didn’t pick up on but it did make me think about some things; life, wealth and existentialism mostly. It took a really dark turn towards the end which I didn’t love but overall I enjoyed it. I can understand why it’s so controversial and has so many mixed reviews.
briannamitchell's review
dark
reflective
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? Yes
3.25
aronnaim's review
dark
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0