The Shards

From Bret Easton Ellis, the bestselling author of Less Than Zero and American Psycho, comes The Shards, a stunning novel that blends psychological thriller and coming-of-age drama into a riveting narrative. Set against the backdrop of 1981 Los Angeles, this book dives into the lives of a group of privileged high school students at the exclusive Buckley prep school.

The Shards follows 17-year-old Bret, a senior at Buckley College, navigating his final year amidst an atmosphere thick with glamour, privilege, and underlying menace. The arrival of a new student, Robert Mallory, disrupts their seemingly perfect world. Mallory is a fascinating enigma—bright, handsome, and charismatic, yet harbouring a secret that Bret is desperate to uncover. As Bret and his friends draw Mallory into their tight-knit circle, an unsettling obsession begins to form around him.

Simultaneously, Los Angeles is gripped by fear as a serial killer known as The Trawler stirs terror across the city. Bret’s interest in Mallory is paralleled by an increasing fixation on this mysterious killer who seems to edge ever closer to their lives. Taunting them with grotesque threats and acts of chilling violence, The Trawler personifies the looming danger that shadows Bret’s existence. Caught in a web of paranoia, Bret questions the trustworthiness of his friends and even his own mind.

As Bret’s unhealthy fixations grow, he finds himself spiralling into paranoia and isolation. The boundaries between reality and imagination blur as he descends deeper into his obsessions. The intricate dance between Robert Mallory’s hidden past and The Trawler's reign of terror leads to an inevitable and explosive collision.

Gripping and masterfully crafted, The Shards is a mesmerizing blend of fact and fiction that captures the emotional chaos of adolescence. With its deft exploration of themes such as sex, jealousy, obsession, and murderous rage, this novel is haunting, suspenseful, and often darkly humorous. Ellis returns in top form, delivering a story that is both a full-spectrum triumph and a chilling portrayal of the darker side of human nature.

The Shards is not only a stunning psychological thriller but also a deeply personal reflection on the raw and tumultuous emotions of youth, making it a must-read for fans of Ellis and newcomers alike.