Bret Easton Ellis’s The Shards transports us to LA in 1981, vividly capturing the lives of a wealthy friend group during their final year at Buckley College. Set against a backdrop of 80s pop culture, the novel delves into the uncontrollable teenage hormones and love life of 17-year-old Bret, blending extensive descriptions with dark, ominous undertones. The arrival of Robert Mallory, a mysterious new student, and the looming threat of a serial killer known as The Trawler, intensifies the suspense. Initially published as an audiobook on Ellis's podcast, this autofiction novel morphs around page 400 into a gripping, fast-paced thriller, culminating in an ending that leaves readers eager for more and searching the web for answers.

Set in the 80s, the novel explores erotic horror through its depiction of teenage lust and obsession. The narrative is interwoven with the chilling presence of serial killers, adding layers of tension and dread. The dynamics within Bret's friend group are central to the story, as their relationships and secrets unravel against the backdrop of their exclusive prep school.

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 fusion of fact and fiction that brilliantly explores the emotional fabric of Bret's life at 17 – sex and jealousy, obsession and murderous rage.