The Writing Retreat: A New York Times bestseller

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Another inspiration was works that explore mentorships and relationships with those who are at the very least sociopathic, including the movies Silence of the Lambs, Whiplash, and Basic Instinct, and the show Killing Eve. These relationships can be toxic, but they’re always fascinating, and sometimes (in the case of Silence of the Lambs) even helpful. Two months later Wren had asked me to join her writing group, since their third person had dropped out. There I’d met Ursula. She was nearly ten years older than us and had a calm self-confidence that I could only dream of. At this point I’d been blatantly copying Wren—which meant spending whole days at Goodwill, looking for clothes she might admire. But Ursula was her own person. She had her own neon-colored, clashing style and wrote intensely personal pieces about being Chinese American, queer, and a fat activist. She was so different from Wren and yet was the one person Wren ever seemed in awe of.

As the attendees arrive, they are told that they will be required to write an entire novel from scratch during the month, with the winner receiving a life changing seven figure, publishing deal. 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. The premise of this thriller is both familiar and unique. A famous author, Roza Vallo, holds a writing contest. If selected, writers will win one of FOUR spots at a retreat located at her isolated old mansion. When a snowstorm ensues, everyone is trapped with no way out. One of the writers soon goes missing, and everyone becomes suspicious. What are Roza’s true intentions? It is up to Alex, Wren, Taylor, Kiera, and Poppy to figure out the true game they are playing before it is too late. Will they publish or will they perish? If you're looking for a book that is difficult to put down, even when you desperately need to get things done, this is it. It's been quite some time since a story hit me where I was thinking about it even when I wasn't reading it, which is exactly what The Writing Retreat did. The snow covered atmosphere, the sense of dread that slowly builds into sheer panic, and the drama that unfolds between the characters are all things that I admire in a book. The author does a fantastic job of tying in so many different plot points, although maybe there is a bit TOO much thrown in there near the end, but regardless, the outlandish nature of the plot only gives the story quirky character in my opinion. Through the eyes of aspiring author Alex, readers will follow her journey as she tries to win a life-changing seven-figure publishing deal by completing an entire novel from scratch in just one month. However, strange happenings at the estate, including Roza’s erratic behavior and the alleged haunting of the mansion, make the contest increasingly challenging.

I'm an outlier here. Many people love this novel. I just didn't enjoy the novel beyond the opening premise. While I forced myself to finish it, I should have just left it DNF and kept working through the many novels on my to be read list. 2 stars, one given for the quality of the writing beyond the plot and that I read it. With everyone in attendance Roza informs them that they must complete an entire new novel in the month they are there. The winner will be published and receive a seven figure deal. Alex does her best to ignore the distractions from Wren and the others however, when one of them disappears during a blizzard, the group begins to realize some things really are too good to be true.

The characters of Alex and Wren are, quite frankly, just not all that likable. Wren in particular comes across as narcicisstic, greedy and opportunistic until very late in the game where that changes slightly. As for Alex, she spends most of her time obsessing over Wren, acting bitter, needy, weak and confused. To be fair, she does grow into becoming more of a “heroine” toward the end of the story but the journey there feels contrived. 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. Welcome, everyone.” Ursula’s agent, Melody, had a commanding voice and everyone quieted down immediately. As she introduced Ursula, I kept an eye on the crew. Watching them gave me an unexpectedly powerful ache. The friend breakup with Wren hadn’t just been between the two of us; I’d lost all our mutual friends too.I enjoyed following the women participating to the writing retreat with the famous author Roza Vallo in her mysterious mansion lost in the middle of the woods. I thought the characters were well drawn-out and it was really interesting to read about their relationships while they had to write an entire novel under pressure. Mrs Vallo certainly wasn't an easy mentor to work with! NIGHT FILM meets THE SECRET HISTORY in Julia Bartz’s bold, brilliant, and genuinely scary debut. THE WRITING RETREAT masterfully delivers everything thriller readers crave: palpable atmosphere, sinister characters, full-body chills, jaw-dropping twists, and stay-up-all-night suspense. I am obsessed with this book. I never wanted it to end." Megan Collins I love books about books, and I love books about the writing process-even more. That is what I was expecting, but that isn’t what I got! She’s my favorite author.” I calculated and continued: “She’s a big inspiration for me. For my writing, I mean.”

Wren’s ruby lips curved. “Me too.” She leaned in, eyes narrowing. “I kind of love your eyebrows. Where do you get them done?” This was a VERY strange debut novel. Honestly, I almost DNF’d it several times. I know, I know…I just couldn’t do it. So, I persevered.The pacing is fast and furious. Whether one is inside Alex’s head or experiencing the weird dynamics of the retreat, there is always entertainment for the reader. Friday night commuters filled the sweaty subway car. I stood over two seated girls who were maybe in high school, their mascara-laden eyes darting, hands pulling nervously at hair. One leaned in and said something into the other’s ear. She nodded sagely, and they regarded each other with smirks. Unfortunately, even beyond the conventions of the story there are problems. No more so is that more evident that in the style of prose. It takes a talented writer to get that meta, satirical humour right, and The Writing Retreat almost becomes a parody of itself as a result. The theme of leaving behind one’s old self is present throughout The Writing Retreat, with many characters grappling with the idea of growth and change. Which characters do you feel were successful in shedding their old selves, and at what cost? How does this theme contribute to the overall message of the novel?

Alex and Wren. Wren and Alex. Two peas in a pod who bonded instantly at a shared workplace and continued their friendship for nearly a decade after. However, a year ago, something happened between Alex and Wren that ended their relationship for good. Now Alex is an anxious loner and Wren has poisoned all of their mutual friends against her, so when Alex finds out that both her and Wren have been accepted into a private, prestige-laden writing retreat with the duo's favorite author Roza Vallo, even the prospect of facing Wren in close quarters for a month isn't enough to derail her excitement. Once the group of aspiring authors arrive and settle in, strange things begin happening. Is Wren trying to sabotage Alex's chance at publishing her debut novel? What is Roza Vallo hiding? And how does the fable involving a seance gone wrong in Roza's estate over a century ago tie into everything? You'll have to read the book to find out!

More books by Julia Bartz

Stomach-clenchingly thrilling from beginning to end . . . Highly recommended for fans of authors like Ruth Ware and Riley Sager. Booklist (starred review) There is no doubt that the quality of the writing is good, but this was not quite the novel I was expecting based on the description. The premise is very compelling. Yes, there is a high pressure writing competition, there are cruel mind games, and, okay, the mansion might be haunted, but I wasn't prepared for all the focus on the occult as well as the drugs, sex, and other actions of the women. It also seemed a bit too predictable and I didn't care for the ending. Somewhere after the opening the idea of a writing competition and a book about writers went down a totally different rabbit hole and one I wasn't interested in. Suffice to say, it wasn't my "glass of drugged wine" or even water The two stars are mine for finishing this absurd book.