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The Shards

The Novel Behind Disney+ Drama of Suspense, Seduction & Obsession, by the Author of American Psycho

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The Shards

By: Bret Easton Ellis
Narrated by: Bret Easton Ellis
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A sensational new novel from the bestselling author of Less Than Zero and American Psycho that tracks a group of privileged Los Angeles high school friends as a serial killer strikes across the city. His first novel in 13 years, The Shards is Bret Easton Ellis at his inimitable best.

Los Angeles, 1981 –17-year-old Bret is a senior at the exclusive Buckley prep school when a new student arrives with a mysterious past. Robert Mallory is bright, handsome, charismatic, and shielding a secret from Bret and his friends, even as he becomes a part of their tightly knit circle. Bret’s obsession with Mallory is equalled only by his increasingly unsettling preoccupation with The Trawler, a serial killer on the loose who seems to be drawing ever closer to Bret and his friends, taunting them with grotesque threats and horrific, sharply local acts of violence.

Can he trust his friends – or his own mind – to make sense of the danger they appear to be in? Thwarted by the world and by his own innate desires, buffeted by unhealthy fixations, Bret spirals into paranoia and isolation as the relationship between The Trawler and Robert Mallory hurtles inexorably toward a collision.

Gripping, sly, suspenseful, deeply haunting and often darkly funny, The Shards is a mesmerizing fusing of fact and fiction that brilliantly explores the emotional fabric of Bret’s life at 17 – sex and jealousy, obsession and murderous rage.©2023 Bret Easton Ellis (P)2023 Random House Audio Coming of Age Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Psychological Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Exciting Scary
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The book was long, but it hooked me and I was totally invested in the characters and story. There was one particular scene that was so shocking it floored me.

Brett narrates brilliantly - I am sure that his voice telling his story adds so much to it. Gives it a unique and powerful dimension.

The story is raw and honest. A triumph.

Captivating

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This is brilliant. Favourite book of 2023 so far. Great character development.
Completely addictive. The descriptions of animal cruelty were tough. The rest is mesmerising and punchy. Better than American Psycho

Wow!

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truly up there with his best work. So immersed I could of listened for another 20hrs.

stunning

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I wasn’t a fan at first of the style of narrative, but it grew on me, intrigued me and I needed to know what happened in the end. It was just what I wanted to read.

It’s a grower, an enticing listen

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I really enjoyed this book, edge of your seat stuff and whilst I found it hard to particularly like any of the main characters that’s kind of the point. Great story.

Interesting and gripping

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