The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz (2023)
A locked room thriller featuring young writers desperate for a chance at success.
Laura’s Rating: 2/5 Stars
Plot: Struggling writer Alex is chosen for a competitive writing retreat at the isolated mansion of her favorite author, Roza Vallo. The five young women selected expect a challenging writing opportunity, but what they don’t expect is just how far Vallo plans to push them in the pursuit of literary success.
Analysis: All the characters in this book could use a heavy dose of maturity. The main character, Alex, is whiny and we get a lot about her past and her friendship drama, which gets old fast. It seemed like too many concepts were jammed into one story. Admittedly, there are some spooky parts and the storyline was compelling, but much of the book felt unfocused. As the story continued, the events of the book eventually became outrageous and unbelievable.
There were supernatural elements that didn’t really work for me because the author never fully committed to them. There were also multiple unexpected sex scenes that felt out of place and distracted from the thriller plot line. Bartz was also obviously concerned with being politically correct, but it didn’t feel natural or genuine. The Writing Retreat had some potential but was all over the place.
Fans of Mexican Gothic might enjoy this book. It also reminded me a bit of The Villa by Rachel Hawkins and even Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty. I’d recommend you read either of those instead and skip The Writing Retreat.
Comments