The Writing Retreat: A New York Times bestseller

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Overall, there is little doubt in my mind that Julia Bartz is very talented, and I look forward to reading what she comes up with next. Once there she realizes her ex best friend was also invited (cue the angst). But Rosa has more in store for the attendees than a casual getaway of peace, harmony and writing. Alex has all but given up on her dreams of becoming a published author when she receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: attend an exclusive, month-long writing retreat at the estate of feminist horror writer Roza Vallo. Even the knowledge that Wren, her former best friend and current rival, is attending doesn't dampen her excitement.

While tense and atmospheric, the novel’s tone is also quite funny and satirical. What lines made you laugh the most? He chattered as we walked towards the basement steps and I tried to focus on his words. Pete and I had only started hanging out outside work recently, and while part of me enjoyed his unselfconsciously affable personality, another part was bereft. I could almost hear Wren’s amused voice: Really? This nerd is your new bestie?But things might be about to improve — against the odds, Alex has secured one of a handful of places on a month-long writing retreat hosted by her favourite writer and inspiration Roza Vallo, author of dark and disturbing female fiction.

But as Alex focuses on the words taking shape before her, odd happenings begin to occur. From Roza’s volatile and unpredictable behavior to Wren’s mind games, Alex senses that the very house they are in may be contributing to her unease. But then the entire retreat takes a rather ominous turn when one of her fellow writers disappears in the midst of a snowstorm. Determined not to come to the same fate, Alex decides to hunt out the truth. Will she manage to find the answers in time? Or is it already too late? I was highly anticipating this book especially as the synopsis said the book would be claustrophobic! I love those kinds of books. Although, I did enjoy this, I didn't love it. Things get a little (a lot) over the top which I don't have an issue with as it was entertaining, but I did do some eye rolling. There is a book within a book in this which I also didn't mind. The pacing was also solid, and things never felt dull or slow for me, and yet, for some reason, I didn't enjoy it more. Compare and contrast Roza’s personality with Alex’s. How are they alike? How are they different? Does this change over the course of the novel? A: I’m working on a new novel. I can’t say too much about it yet, but if you enjoyed THE WRITING RETREAT, then I think you’ll definitely like this one, too!

Competition is central to the plot and the cause of so many of the events that unfold. In what ways do the young women allow competition to rule their lives at the retreat, and where do you see them rebelling against toxic comparisons? This is fantastic debut! It seems like writing gift is genetic and runs in the family! This book introduces us Andrea Bartz’s sister Julia: such a gifted mind! She nailed it with her first work and I’ll look forward to read her future works! Alex has all but given up on her dreams of becoming a published author when she receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: attend an exclusive, month-long writing retreat at the estate of feminist horror writer Roza Vallo. Even the knowledge that Wren, her former best friend and current rival, is attending doesn’t dampen her excitement. Going into The Writing Retreat blind would be my recommendation—I found myself unable to put it down, as it constantly subverted my expectation to where the plot was heading. On the flip-side, I can foresee readers who feel this novel is chaotic and all over the place, which is also a valid observation (the book is divided into parts, and each part is written as if it has stealthily switched genre), but I take it as an intentional creative decision to its overarching message—You gotta do what you gotta do to keep your readers around. People were applauding. I shook myself and clapped along as Ursula strode across the stage in iridescent platform boots. “Guys, seriously, thank you so much for being here.” Her low voice was often sardonic, but now it was resonant with sincerity. “You are all amazing people and sometimes I have to pinch myself that I have such an incredible support network.” As Ursula continued speaking, I took another gulp of beer, realizing it was almost gone. I hadn’t eaten since lunch, and the alcohol was making me woozy in the overheated room.

There was waaay too much wokeness for me. If you are looking for a far left leaning political agenda, then this might work for you. The sex was gross, weird, and frankly unnecessary. Demons? Nope, run far far away from the evils of this world! Drugs used to spike drinks! Since when is it ok to drug someone !? When all five attendees arrive at their host’s gothic estate, Roza announces that this retreat will not be a relaxed, write-whenever-you-feel-like-it affair. Instead, they must compete to win a seven-figure publishing deal by writing a new novel. Why not 5 stars? The last third of the book took another direction and I wasn't as enthralled as I was while reading the parts before, but thankfully it didn't drag too much.Slowly, I stood and flushed the toilet. At the sink a pretty girl washed her hands and avoided looking at me. She must have heard my retches. I wanted to burst into tears but I kept them firmly down. Q: Did you attend writing groups or a writing retreat before you wrote your novel? What were your experiences like?

A ferocious ride of genre-bending fever dream, The Writing Retreat is part thriller, part horror, part commentary on fiction publishing, and throwing in a dash of sexual awakening for good measure—even though it doesn't dive deep into any particular themes, I really appreciate its dark humor and the ballsy direction the plot evolves into. If you enjoy the films produced by A24—where they usually start out as something familiar, before taking a turn for the weird and the unusual, this novel is giving that same vibe.When it came right down to it, however, there were enough positive aspects to outweigh that flaws in my eyes. Granted, I wasn’t thrilled with the book within a book passages as I’m not particularly a fan of paranormal tinged horror stories, but they were few and far between, so I suffered through their brief appearances. And, when all was said and done, this fast-paced, surprisingly addictive, twisty, dark and suspenseful tale was a thoroughly impressive debut. And I, for one, look forward to seeing what else she manages to come up with next. Rating of 3.5 stars.