So…What Is The Shards Based on? Bret notably went to Bennington College in Vermont, where he met and became close to fellow famous authors Donna Tartt and Jonathan Lethem. The Shards was published just a few years ago in 2023, and is a fictionalized memoir about his final year of high school. Is The School from The Shards Real? Bret went to the Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, and—much like in the show/book—the student body historically includes kids of famous celebrities and major Hollywood players.