DNF @ 18%

I'm very sorry to DNF this but it's just not a good book. The writing feels juvenile, which isn't inherently a bad thing but it just did not work with this book. For example, the main characters literally go around in a circle and introduce themselves to each other and tell the reader exactly what they need to know. This could have been done in a much more creative way and teased it out more over various chapters. There were also some incredibly superficial paragraphs about race and pronouns that made me feel icky. It came across as just a way to tick the "diversity" box.

It honestly felt like a high school creative writing project. I read some other early reviews and the spoilers are not something I care to read so I'm not going to waste my time with this one. I hope it finds its audience!

The Writing Retreat is dark, disturbing, twisty-turny, and eminently enjoyable. What begins as a fairly typical "former best friends, now rivals competing for a prize" story set in the world of publishing quickly turns into a Gothic-infused thriller. Some twists and turns you'll sense coming, but the payoff is still pleasurable... and the twists and turns you don't see coming will leave you open-mouthed in surprise. A remarkable debut novel! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this one early.

Avoid the blurb--it didn’t spoil the twist for me, but it helped me to figure it out early on, which slightly ruined my reading experience.
I love books about books, and I love books about the writing process-even more. That is what I was expecting, but that isn’t what I got!

4.5 B*****s Be Crazy stars

What a fascinating look at this author's take on what happens behind the curtains in the publishing world. It's dark and disturbing and oh so deliciously depraved. The plot is quite intricate, if perhaps a bit far-fetched, but I was stuck to the pages and flew through this trying to determine everyone's end game.

I would give this more stars if possible! This was a great and thrilling story! I kept guessing what was happening but I was not even close. I think when things seem to good to be true they are. It seems like a chance of a lifetime but is it? I recommend this one all the way!

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Julia Bartz’s debut suspense novel, The Writing Retreat is a bloody good time (and I mean bloody)! Haunting and edgy, this book definitely lives up to the hype.

The story follows a young author named Alex, who earns a spot at an exclusive writer’s retreat, hosted by her favorite author and feminist icon, Roza Vallo, at her personal estate. When the attendees arrive, Roza drops a bombshell—they must all complete an entire novel from scratch in one month. The author of the best story will receive a life-changing seven-figure publishing deal. But as Alex and the other writers push out their 3,000-word per day requirement, strange things start to unfold, and the retreat soon transforms into a living nightmare.

Claustrophobic and atmospheric, The Writing Retreat is one of the best books I’ve read this year. I loved the Gothic vibes, complicated characters and intricate plot. It starts out as a bit of a slow burn, but buckle up - the last third is a wild ride! Bartz is a compelling new talent and I cannot wait for her next book!

Many thanks to the author, Atria Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy. This novel is due to be released on February 21, 2023.

Creepy, twisted and fast-paced, I couldn’t put this book down. Every aspiring author’s dream and nightmare wrapped into one.

This book grabbed my attention right from the start. An intense friendship that has ended. They end up at an isolated estate, with a disturbing history at a writing retreat with an author they idolize. The first half of the book worked more for me, than the second half where it descended a little too far for me, into horror and unrealistic events. It was different in many ways from other books in this genre and I appreciated that and the ultimate growth of some of the characters. Fame, desire to create, sexual identity, friendship, power and competitveness are some of the themes explored

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Writing Retreat.

I'm always eager to read a debut novel, mostly because I'm hoping this will be the moment when I'm wowed by the premise and writing.

I was definitely intrigued by the premise; five women have been selected to attend a month-long writing retreat by a famous feminist author.

When the women arrive, they are stunned by the author's ultimatum - each of them must complete an entire novel in one month and the winner will receive a publishing deal of a lifetime; fame, fortune and adulation.

Alex, the main character, has dreamed of being a published author but has been afflicted with writer's block since a disastrous breakup with her ex-BFF, Wren.

To make matters worse, Wren is also attending the retreat and can we saw awkward?

I did like the dark history of the mansion, the secret rooms and passageways, but the lackluster characters derailed my enthusiasm for the narrative.

I couldn't stand Alex; she was whiny, bratty, and insecure. I don't mind unlikable or insecure characters, but she didn't come across as a compelling character.

I don't believe in coincidence or lucky breaks, such as how Zoe was able to sneak her way into the retreat because the daughter of her BFF was accepted.

Despite the squabbles and mind games between the women (nothing new in these types of novels), there was a lack of urgency and suspense.

The narrative was about female obsession, sexual identity and sex.

Lots of sex for a thriller, which I'm not a fan of. If I want to read about sex, I'll read romance.

I didn't like any of the characters, nor could I identity or sympathize with them.

There were too many moments of disbelief suspension like when Roza spikes the punch with LSD. I don't know about you but I'd call the cops.

There were some revelations, which I guessed; I wouldn't call them twists.

The writing was good, but the pacing dragged, and felt far longer than the novel really was.

This was a decent debut, and I'd read the author's next book, but this didn't wow me as I had hoped.

I can appreciate this book for what it is, and I think thriller readers will certainly enjoy it, but it was not for me. I found it overly silly and melodramatic and the characters underwritten and underdeveloped.

This book was such a treat! The suspense continued to ratchet up throughout the book and the tone was deliciously creepy. I love how the characters’ true selves were slowly revealed as I scampered to figure out the plot and the villains. The setting, too, came to life as a secondary character, always in the background, causing grief and havoc. The story within a story connected with the developing plot and provided another layer to unravel. This psychological thriller was unique and the writing style mesmerizing. This is the best thriller I have read in a while. Excellent read! Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. There you have it!

Debut author. Wow. What a unique story. I love thrillers that deliver on a new concept. This was that. The atmosphere was cringeworthy. Great setting in the story. Creepy vibes all around, don’t know who’s telling the truth. There are many twists in this book and I devoured them all. Love that Rosa was the ultimate villain, however she did bring out the best stories in people. Great book.can’t wait to read what’s next from this author.

Thanks to Atria books and NetGalley for the arc of this book for my honest review.

This book was ok. I’m giving it four stars because maybe it just wasn’t my type of book. The back story of daphne was weird and I didn’t love it but it was a good plot line. I thought the ending was a great ending and mystery. I didn’t see it coming but it was a little weird.

I read the blurb on this one and got excited about it, though it seemed to take me forever to read it and truly get into it. Four writers get an experience of a lifetime to be at a writing retreat with the famous Roza Vallo. Yet, what happens over the course of the month is one that will have you even questioning yourself. Alex is dealing with her own issues of losing her best friend/ maybe someone she messed around with who happens to be on the same trip as herself. Alex's drama just drove me crazy like girl grow the freak up. Quit worrying about what Wren is doing and how you feel. I really did like the idea of writers coming together to get better at writing in a remote, isolated place. I liked how the writers started being part of a game, a great concept then we came in with all the nonsense drama. There were a few surprises I did not see coming, and I loved that, so I will raise my rating to a three. Overall it was a decent read, just not my favorite read of the year.

I dislike everything about this book. I was bored through out. The characters were insufferable. There were too many unnecessary details. This book had so much potential but didn’t live up to it.

Enjoyment: 4
Total rating: 4.36

A solid debut novel by Julia Bartz. I loved the atmosphere and the idea of this book. I was 100% gripped and can honestly say the book went in a direction I couldn't see coming. The end is a bit chaotic, but not in a bad way.

I love books within books, but when not done correctly, it can backfire. The Writing Retreat would have worked just as well without Alex's book. That was my least favourite part of the whole novel.

With that out of the way, the characters are off the rocker Bat S**t Craaaazyyyy! I loved every minute of it. Honestly, the book has flaws, but it is impossible not to invest in it and enjoy a crazy ride.

It wasn't what I expected, but I dug it. This book is high-octane and intense! Maybe it was just me, but I detected a cheeky and funny undertone that reminded me of Knives Out. Sometimes it's good to be surprised. As I type this, I have a smile on my face, which says a lot about Bartz's prose.

I recommend this book, but for those interested in reading, I advise against reading the synopsis - it reveals things that happen too far in the story, and I felt a bit cheated.


Disclaimer: In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to the publishers and NetGalley for providing a copy of The Writing Retreat

3.5 rounded up || What the hell did I just read? 😅

I don't even wanna say too much because if you have already read the synopsis, and you know you wanna pick this up when it comes out, I feel it's best to go into it as blindly as possible. I don't wanna potentially tamper with anyone's expectations of this book. I, for one, had a certain idea in my head before digging into this, just to be heavily caught off guard from the jump, lol.

These unexpected elements tend to be exciting, giving a bit of edge to the reading experience. This was possibly the greatest strength this book had: shock value. Obviously, this can be very subjective, and I am sure there will be certain readers that won't think this novel is all that shocking. But let's dig into my pros and cons...

Pros
1. The aforementioned shock value. This was a lot more sinister and twisted than what I gathered from the synopsis. Mind-fuc*ery would be a good term for this book. Again, don't even wanna divulge any details.

2. Unique premise. A writing retreat hosted by a legendary writer in her creepy-ass mansion? I have never read anything like this before, and let me tell you, it was unhinged.

3. The writing. Bartz's writing was juicy. I was entertained the entire time, never coming across a dull moment.

Cons
I don't really have a list for what I didn't enjoy. My big 'con' is just me not being impressed with the overall character arc and plot execution. These two things fell flat for me by the end.

If you love the whole 'unhinged women' trope we keep seeing these days, then I highly recommend you pick this up. I have no doubt in my mind this will be a popular release.

Overall, a solid literary thriller. The Writing Retreat blends the pretentious vibe of dark academia with the gore from a horror novel to deliver an addictive, twisted, and staggering tale.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC of The Writing Retreat in exchange for my honest review!

There's plenty of lush and twisty darkness to be found in Julia Bartz's debut novel, The Writing Retreat. It follows Alex, an associate editor for a publisher who's wrestling with an extensive case of writer's block, as she ends up having the seemingly good fortune of being invited to a month-long writing retreat at the estate of Roza Vallo, the horror author who's been her longtime writing hero. Sure, it won't be completely smooth sailing, since one of the other attending writers is Wren, Alex's former best friend who has now become a foe under murky circumstances that led to their mutual buddies shutting out Alex. But no worries, because heading up to Roza's estate in the Adirondacks can still provide a prime opportunity for her to put an end to her writer's block, right? Well... maybe, but not in the way you think it would.

There aren't too many psychological thrillers that have utterly gripped me as of late, but hooboy, The Writing Retreat is now part of that small collection. I will advise you, though, to avoid the back cover. It gives away a—well, not a twist, per se, but an important plot point nonetheless that doesn't even occur until halfway through the book. But even if you do come across it, Bartz has spread enough juicy meat throughout the rest of the masterfully paced story to keep you hooked. The first half of the plot is a slow-burn that lays down the pieces and gradually builds up the characters and their interrelationships, while the second half kicks it all into high gear. I wouldn't necessarily say that it veers in an ultra-bonkers direction, but it definitely embarks on some twists and turns that floored me. The gothic mood and the claustrophobic locale make for such a robust atmosphere, one that's heightened by the fact that we're diving into this via Alex's first-person POV—a POV that crystallizes how much she needs to (pardon my French here) get her shit together. She's an endearing protagonist all the same, though.

Bartz rounds out the supporting characters with their own layers as well. We've got Wren, as I previously mentioned, who shares an incredibly intricate dynamic with Alex. There are the other writers at the retreat, Taylor, Keira, and Poppy, who all play their own crucial roles in the story. And then there's Roza, who I personally find to be the most complex character in this cast. She actually reminds me a bit of Terence Fletcher, J.K. Simmons's character in Whiplash—not that she has explosive and vitriolic outbursts necessarily (though both of them share a penchant for being temperamental), but she does have a habit of insidiously breaking down writers until they're left absolutely raw in a seeming mission to unearth their inner artist. She simultaneously terrifies, appalls, and enthralls me with her numerous facets, and I wish we could experience characters of this caliber more often.

I was pleasantly surprised by the book's queer elements, especially since most of the thrillers I read are ridiculously straight. I also appreciate its thematic handling of toxic codependency, internalized misogyny, and the pains that writers endure to create remarkable stories—the last which felt reminiscent of Stephen King's Misery, since it covers similar subtext within an equally confined environment.

If there's any gripe I have with this, it's in regard to the book-within-a-book conceit that gives us a peek at the novel Alex endeavors to pen throughout the plot. Sometimes I love how this trick is able to deepen certain stories. But in The Writing Retreat, while I initially like how Alex's book reflects the course of events surrounding her, it ends up feeling tropey and extraneous, especially towards the third act. That's really my only criticism for what's otherwise one of the most absorbing psychological thrillers I've read in a long time.

Overall, if you don't have the ARC already, I urge you to pick up The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz when it's published on February 21st, 2023.

What a fun read! I really enjoyed reading this thriller and trying to figure out the mystery. I really liked all of the characters and liked following them through this writing retreat. The plot was unique and the story was well written and had a good flow. I enjoyed!
**I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

WOW! This book was no what I expected and I loved being surprised by the twists and turns. The author did a great job weaving this together and creating characters who were flawed but forgivable.