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THE SHARDS: Where Memory Bleeds Into Fiction In 1981, seventeen-year-old Bret Easton Ellis was a privileged senior at Buckley School in Los Angeles, writing his first novel "Less Than Zero" between classes. Or at least, that's what he wants us to believe in "The Shards," his first novel in 13 years – a hypnotic blend of memoir, psychological thriller, and unreliable narration that makes you question every page you devour. The Guardian called it "a brilliant return to form," and it's hard to disagree. Ellis masterfully weaves a story where teenage Bret, along with his wealthy friends and girlfriend Deborah, navigates their final year at an elite prep school while a sinister presence – the Trawler – stalks the margins of their sun-soaked Los Angeles existence. The novel's genius lies in its disorienting dance between fact and fiction. Ellis populates his narrative with real locations and events from his youth, then introduces elements so disturbing they must be fictional... or must they? Consider this haunting passage: "Sometimes I had to admit that what I was remembering might not be what had actually happened. But did that make it any less real?" The prose is pure Ellis at his finest – clinical yet sensual, detached yet deeply intimate. He captures the hazy glamour of 1981 Los Angeles with precise detail: the Wayfarer sunglasses, the Fleetwood Mac on the car radio, the cocaine-dusted parties in modernist homes. But beneath this glossy surface lurks something far darker, as the teenage protagonist becomes increasingly paranoid about new student Robert Mallory and a series of gruesome local murders. "The Shards" will especially resonate with readers who appreciate: Psychological thrillers that blur reality and fiction Coming-of-age stories with a dark twist Literary explorations of memory, truth, and trauma The sun-noir atmosphere of Los Angeles fiction Ellis's previous works, though this can absolutely be read as a standalone Fair warning: this isn't a book for the faint of heart. Like Ellis's other works, it contains graphic content and disturbing themes. But for those willing to follow him down this kaleidoscopic rabbit hole of memory and imagination, "The Shards" offers a mesmerizing reading experience that lingers long after the last page. Think of it as "Less Than Zero" meets "In Cold Blood," filtered through the unreliable lens of memory and paranoia. It's both a return to Ellis's roots and something entirely new – a book that makes you question not just what's real and what isn't, but whether that distinction even matters in the end.