The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
**3.5-stars**
Picture it: you’re an aspiring writer, you’re maybe down on your luck, you’re stuck in a dead end job and then you get offered the opportunity of a lifetime.
Your favorite author, we’re talking a person whose words you have read since childhood, who has had a lasting impact on your life…
…oh, sorry. I got too much into my own head there for a moment. Anyway, this author, a ground-breaking author of feminist horror, is hosting a writing retreat for five up-and-coming female authors.
Thousands have applied. Few are chosen. You are chosen. Sure, it’s due to a technicality, but you’ll take it!
This is amazing. You get to travel to her mansion in a remote location and do nothing but write for an entire month. It’s the chance to finish a novel and be published.
Rein in your expectations though, this is a competition and every other writer there wants it as much as you do. It’s going to be a cut-throat endeavor.
Do you have what it takes to survive The Writing Retreat?
Y’all, The Writing Retreat was a journey for me and not necessarily a great one. Starting out I was intrigued by the set-up. I liked how quickly Bartz got us to the retreat, which is the focus of the story after all.
I liked meeting all of the women involved, including the infamous author, Roza Vallo. The setting is lovely. I definitely could picture it and felt the isolation and claustrophobic, creepy feel in my gut.
It’s fairly clear from the start that not all is going to go as expected for these women. This isn’t a casual, write when we feel like it, sort of place. Roza is intense as heck and has certain expectations of the women she has extended this opportunity to.
I liked how the author built the tension. I was suspicious of everyone. There were so many different occurrences that quite literally got under my skin, however, over time I began to fall out of love with all that was happening here.
I expected the interpersonal drama, which will always happen with a group of unrelated women living together under one roof, and frankly, I was living for that. The topics explored definitely went in directions I wasn’t expecting. This got darker than I anticipated, but I do love dark fiction.
I guess where I started to disconnect from the novel was jarring plot twist after plot twist after plot twist. Each one crazier and more OTT than the last. Unfortunately, each consecutive twist brought it farther and farther away from the realm of likability for me.
Let it be known, and if you’ve followed my reviews for any amount of time you know, I am generally a fan of OTT. This toed the line of, dare I say, ridiculous though for me.
I applaud the author for taking risks, that takes a lot of daring. I enjoyed the writing style very much, as well as the initial set-up, atmosphere and character work, but the plot just wasn’t for me
With this being said, my personal opinion should not keep you from picking this up. There are a ton of rave reviews and you could be one of them. If the synopsis sounds intriguing to you, absolutely give it a go.
Further, I really did enjoy the writing style and construction of this story. I will definitely be picking up Bartz’s next novel. I am sure it will be equally as surprising and creative.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.
I definitely recommend this one to fans of claustrophobic feeling, OTT-Thrillers!