The Writing Retreat | Book Review
I don’t often post a book review where I don’t give spoilers, but this is an exception! This book was SO good that I really can’t imagine spoiling it for any of you. If you’re looking for a book that you CAN NOT put down, this is it! This was an incredible debut novel, and I can’t wait to see what else we get from Julia Bartz.
PLOT
(From the Simon and Schuster Website)
The Plot meets Please Join Us in this psychological suspense debut about a young author at an exclusive writer’s retreat that descends into a nightmare.
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.
But when the attendees arrive, Roza drops a bombshell—they must all complete an entire novel from scratch during the next month, and the author of the best one will receive a life-changing seven-figure publishing deal. Determined to win this seemingly impossible contest, Alex buckles down and tries to ignore the strange happenings at the estate, including Roza’s erratic behavior, Wren’s cruel mind games, and the alleged haunting of the mansion itself. But when one of the writers vanishes during a snowstorm, Alex realizes that something very sinister is afoot. With the clock running out, she must discover the truth—or suffer the same fate.
Discussion
It’s hard to discuss this novel without giving spoilers, but here we go. As an aspiring author, I’m always up for a book featuring other authors working on their craft (which might be why Beach Read was my favourite book of 2021). This book pulled me in from the first line. There was never a moment where I felt bored reading The Writing Retreat. I NEED this book to be turned into a movie so I can see these characters come to life.
This was like Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory for writers. The secret estate, the eccentric recluse creator inviting hopefuls in, the twists and turns around every corner. This book does have a lot of explicit content, so if that’s not your jam, be warned. I personally found that it tied into the rest of the book quite well. The novel was bold and featured a lot of unexpected plot points that kept me wanting to read more.
I loved how we got to see excerpts of Alex’s novel throughout the book. I was just as interested in her novel as I was in The Writing Retreat. It tied in the history of Blackbriar Estate nicely, and knowing the history of the estate added to the overall creepiness of the novel.
This book is very fun, while still being dark and twisty. I found the ending to be unpredictable and nicely executed.