The Writing Retreat
Ratings121
Average rating3.5
This was definitely very over the top, but it was so much fun to read! I sped through it and loved every minute.
I really enjoyed reading this. It could have been 5 stars with a little editing. The characters aren't really likable, but this is more about the story so it actually matters less than it normally would. The author's virtue signaling really draws the reader out of the story at times though. If you're going to have characters give their pronouns, just have them give their pronouns. Don't shoehorn in a lecture to the reader about why it's needed. That's not normalizing it. Some of the comments that were clearly in there with the intent to say, “Look how progressive I am!” didn't even make sense. Also, parts were more vulgar than they needed to be. This isn't (as far as I can tell) a romance novel. The graphic sex comes off as the author trying to be edgy rather than serving the story. Having said that, I do think it's worth reading and the annoying bits can be overlooked for the overall story. But it would have been nicer if I didn't need to overlook them and could have stayed immersed in the story. I would absolutely read another book by this author and recognize that she might have been pressured to add in some if the disjointed stuff by her editor.
This is my first book by this author. I thought the book was very well written and it wasn't long and drawn out. My favorite character was Kiera. She seemed to be the only one that thought something was weird before we found out there was something weird. I liked the twists at the end and was so happy Kiera was alive and came back.I would recommend this book to anyone who likes psychological thrillers.
2.5, very average sinon mediocre
hated some of the pop culture references, hated alex & her stupid decisions, & the whole book just wasnt as interesting as i thought it would be
also pretty mediocre dialogue & immature GROWN ASS characters
hated that story within a story situation, also disliked the way the ending felt rushed
3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was really excited for this book especially because I've seen GabbyReads rave about it.
Unfortunately, it really didn't grab me.
It was a good read but not a fave.
read for the literally dead book club: april 2023read for magical readathon 2023 [moon warden]: art of illusion (match clothes color to cover)
this was just really fun and campy. i had such a great time and i loved roza's unhinged nature and the twists this book took
I really struggled with this rating, because part of me wants to give a 3.5 instead of a 4, but I really did enjoy it. I just think it was a little sloppy. It's about a writers' retreat (shocked) that goes awry. It took a while to get going, but once it did, it was spooky and dark and kind of twisted! But I found some parts to be so unrealistic that I couldn't overlook. And there's a book-within-a-book element that I thought was SO boring. I liked the ending and overall enjoyed.
Amazing. The plot was so well developed and had me on the edge of my seat. Slow to get to the action so to speak, but I enjoyed it. It kept me wondering what would happen and when.
Dit boek was krankzinnig!
Het begon nochtans als een gewone, intrigerende thriller. Er is mysterie, spanning en dreiging.
Dan gebeurt er iets onverwachts en absurd, maar het is oké, het was maar een kleine storing en we zijn weer op het goede spoor met toenemend gevaar en onheil.
Maar dan ontspoort het verhaal helemaal en wordt het zo gestoord en bizar en overdreven dramatisch, maar op een erg vermakelijke, geef-me-de-popcorn-eens-door manier.
Dus ja, waanzinnig boek. Helemaal niet wat ik had verwacht, met enkele rare scènes die te midden van andere belachelijke ontwikkelingen werden gegooid, maar uiteindelijk wel een extreem entertainende, zotte, snel lezende thriller.
This book was crazy! These characters were fucking unhinged, I loved it! Bonus:
such an easy read i absolutely loved this i flew through it faster than i did with any book. the plot is a 4.5/5 because it was a tiny bit slow in the beginning but the writting style is what boosted it up to a 5 star.
This was definitely very over the top, but it was so much fun to read! I sped through it and loved every minute.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
1 star. What a struggle to get through. Messy teen drama in a supposedly adult thriller package.
Every single character sounds and acts like a whiny teenager from a mediocre YA novel. Be that the attendees of the writing retreat, who are in their mid-twenties to early thirties or the famous author host, who is in her mid-fifties. Every one of them was annoying to no end. Also, the characters' ages make no sense, considering their backstories. Several of them can't be the age the book tells us they are, unless they are all secretly time travellers.
All of the dialogue is weird, awkward and unnatural. Which is also true for the random sex dreams that are thrown into the mix and the odd descriptions of breasts and nipples. And every single item of clothing is described in tedious detail. The characters also seem to think that the name Poppy is the most exotic and uncommon name that they have ever encountered... another example of the strange writing choices. And let's not even talk about the historical fiction novel that one character is writing and the very many current-day expressions used in that book-within-a-book.
The blurb-promised snow storm doesn't occur until more than halfway through. There is almost no plot and what little there is, makes no sense, is incredibly obvious and just feels like messy teen drama most of the time. The first half of the book reads like a weird attempt at a gothic novel, only to turn into a strange attempt at horror in the second. Neither work.
I was so excited to read this book, but unfortunately, I only ended up being relieved that it was finally over by the end.
This made me look at the publishing industry and authors a bit differently for a minute.
Alex is struggling. She and her best friend are no longer friends, one could even call them enemies perhaps. She is in a job that she truly hates. She has had writers block for almost a year and is just all together in a funk. So when she is chosen to attend a writing retreat she jumps at the chance. And this isn't just any writing retreat, it's the famous thriller writer Rosa Vallo's writing retreat located at her remote, gothic mansion. Her and the four other authors attending the retreat soon realize that this isn't any regular retreat and they are in serious danger.
This was definitely one of those books that I couldn't put down but when it was over I had to really think “how much did I like this book”? First, the FMC is very easy to relate to. She has a bit of mystery to her. And then the surmounting mystery of what is happening on this estate and this strange character Rosa Vallo and her odd staff keeps your attention. The twist is predictable but done in such a great way.
However, at the end I thought “this is a bit of a stretch in believability” but that doesn't really bother me. For a split second it did but the more I think about it the more I just realized how much I enjoyed the experience of reading it. And honestly, I can't say this couldn't be a real story - honestly, I've heard stranger stuff when I really think about it.
Overall, I think this is a fun, quick thriller and recommend it. Though it will really make you look at those uber-famous authors a bit closer.
2.5, very average sinon mediocre
hated some of the pop culture references, hated alex & her stupid decisions, & the whole book just wasnt as interesting as i thought it would be
also pretty mediocre dialogue & immature GROWN ASS characters
hated that story within a story situation, also disliked the way the ending felt rushed
Talk about a suspense thriller which will seriously mess with your head! This one is right up there with the best and marks a talented newcomer to the crowded scene as Julia Bartz debuts with a fast-paced, twist-a-minute debut that throws everything at you. A locked room mystery – check. Mean Girls reboot- check. Haunted house – check. The Final Girl trope – check. Book within a book framing device – check. Mind games galore as five would-be novelists are invited to spend a month at a famous horror writer's mansion in the isolated Adirondacks. The one who completes a full-length novel and wins the competition will be offered a seven-figure publishing deal certain to make their reputation. The only thing they have to do is impress Roza Vallo, their host, and – oh, yes – survive. The pace is frantic, the writing well-done, and the stakes couldn't be higher. It lacked the in-depth characterizations I prefer, but once I got on board for the ride, it was hard to put down and I enjoyed the over-the-top style. This writer made some bold and unpredictable choices and I look forward to her next book.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
The whole plot was kind of fun and intriguing. And I did enjoy this book overall. And the isolation was a nice setting.
However, the characters kind of fell flat for me. Alex and Wren had a very strange relationship, and I didn't know if I wanted to be rooting for them or not.
There was maybe 1 or 2 plot twists but overall I would say this didn't live up to the hype ive heard about it.
Going on a writing retreat hosted by your favorite author with your ex best friend... what could possibly go wrong?
Alex and five other women attend a month-long writer's retreat hosted by bestselling author Roza Vallo in her secluded mansion. They're told they must complete an entire novel for the chance to win a million dollars and publishing deal. It's every writer's dream. Quickly, things begin to turn sour, and Alex begins to wonder if this retreat is as good as it seemed.
I enjoyed this story's overall setting, atmosphere, and characters. It was all extremely well done and captivating. The only issue I had was I wish the book summary didn't give away what would eventually happen. If that was left out, it would have had more shock factor and had a higher rating from me. I wish I didn't spend most of the book wondering when the big event would happen. Thus, I will only be giving this book a 3.5/5 stars rounded up to a 4.
I'm honestly floored that this is a debut novel. It was so well written, and I loved the mystery. I found myself still thinking about the book the next day. I was so impressed. I would recommend this novel if you enjoy reading suspenseful books with isolation. I would also recommend to not read the synopsis of the book since it ruins the reading experience.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a free eARC of this story in exchange for my honest review!
The Writing Retreat was it for a lot of people, but it just wasn’t for me. The synopsis made me expect something entirely different than what I read. The book started off great, but as more as the story continued, it lost it for me. There were some moments that had me reading more chapters, but I would say this book became more predictable as it went on. The character development just wasn’t there for me and, personally, just not likable.