The Writing Retreat

Books | Fiction / Thrillers / Psychological

3.6

(421)

Julia Bartz

In this instant New York Times bestselling and “utterly addictive thriller” (Ana Reyes, New York Times bestselling author), a young author is invited to an exclusive writer’s retreat that soon descends into a pulse-pounding 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. A claustrophobic and “audacious psychological thriller debut” (Publishers Weekly), The Writing Retreat expertly explores the dark side of female relationships, fame, and the desire to have our stories told.

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Author

Julia Bartz

Pages

320

Publisher

Simon and Schuster

Published Date

2023-02-21

ISBN

1982199474 9781982199470

Ratings

Google: 2

Community ReviewsSee all

" ⭐️⭐️1/2 I was so hopeful for this one unfortunately it was a bit bizarre and disjointed for me. The characters were very unlikeable and extremely immature to the point it kinda felt like a YA book at first but the cringey sex vibe relieved me of that notion. It did hold my interest and I wanted to see it through to the end but I think a lot of people will guess the crux of the plot early on."

Sher Free✌️

"I didn't really expect to like this for some reason but I was pleasantly surprised! It was weird but I enjoyed the book. The beginning was a little slow but once the main character got to the retreat it picked up pace and I really liked it! "

Skye Edelson-Bennett

"3.75"

Arleisha Strauder

"All promising literary writers could only dream of working with the esteemed Roza Vallo, a sci-fi/magical realism author. Alex, who has looked up to her ever since she can remember, becomes one of the select few who is called to Blackbriar estate to churn out new writing under Roza’s supervision. Things are much darker than they seem, however. What was thought to be a more relaxing, laid-back retreat turns out to be anything but. The prose was lush, vivid, and heartbreakingly high-stakes. "

Gabrielle Grosbety

"Super enjoyable, fast read with a splash of supernatural..."

LeeLoo Dallas

"I was excited to read this because I liked the premise, but it wasn’t as good as I’d hoped. Eerie and unsettling, sure, but only kind of. Overall, this was “meh”"

CaitVD

"Would make a good movie."

Cindy Hartley

"Started intriguingly: A small group of women under 30 are selected for a renowned author’s writing retreat in Adirondacks. All five women must write 3000 words a day, then submit them to the host before midnight. About two-thirds into the book, bedlam breaks out and the plot goes from suspenseful to murderous. Suddenly the plot gets lazy and introduces extreme measures to exit some characters. Some aspects of the book were appealing, but I dropped to 2 stars as, ultimately, the book was disappointing"

Diane Morello

"I’m anxiously waiting for this book to arrive (BOTM) are there any with similar story lines that I can check out. Not “Verity,” or “The silent patient.” Something dark and brooding. "

Sarah Ortinau

"This book wasn’t exactly what I hoped it would be, but it was still an interesting read. The exploration of power and codependent relationships was interesting. The narrator grappling with her queer awakening added a curious layer to the story beyond the events happening. I wished there were more depth to the haunting nature of the home beyond the murderous antagonist and her goons. I would have also enjoyed if we were able to learn more of the truth about the story behind the estate beyond what the narrator was “channeling”. I think I would have found these unsolved mysteries more appealing than what was uncovered, but I liked the story well enough. "