Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

110 reviews

ripxw's review

dark funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

_lera_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Confinement, Sexual content, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Drug use, Physical abuse, Murder, Kidnapping, and Gun violence

christajls's review

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Gun violence, and Confinement

literary_bug's review

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Gun violence, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, and Blood

booksemmahasread's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Violence, Sexual content, Alcohol, Death, and Confinement

Moderate: Medical content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Murder

Minor: Kidnapping, Grief, Gun violence, Terminal illness, and Mental illness

bookishbabe93's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I read a majority of this book during an ice storm. As the wind howled, upended trees, downed power lines and sent my world into a chilly darkness this book kept me warm. It isn’t perfect a diamond in the rough and its story is one that’s not entirely original it’s been perfected over hundreds of novels.

A secluded beautiful home, a storm, a mystery, and the tantalizing struggle to survive.

Yet it felt new to me… felt fresh and ripe and brimming with sweet acidic prose. Like a dark poisonous flower. At its heart this book was an homage to writers so I am well aware that won’t translate to every reader…but it translated to me. This book speaks to me fluently. With its complicated relationships and nuanced female characters… it speaks and speaks and speaks.

I finished this book cocooned in the bubbles of a soothing hot bath a month after the ice melted and the lights turned on again. I spent the final hours deeply engaged as the novel hit its crescendo and entered the final few chapters. The once steamy water had grown tepid the bubbles faded… I didn’t care. I had to finish it…I had to know the end of Alex’s story.

That’s what this book was, a story about stories. A love letter to characters and the manic process of creation…of writing worlds and people and plots. Not only did this book cure my reading slump brought on from an overly prosed 700 page fantasy it also stoked the spark of my muse…coaxing her back to life and igniting that desire once more to write.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Drug use, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Violence

nerdglasses08's review

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Blood, Death, Drug use, Cursing, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Confinement

teabeansss's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Gun violence, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Death

tokki_reads's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Blood, Gaslighting, Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, and Violence

_charliesbooks_'s review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

As a huge fantasy and litfic reader this book was very out of my remit. And yet I couldn't put it down. It was weird and wonderful and I did not expect a SINGLE plot twist that happened. I loved the discussions on race and sexuality and I ADORED the book about books vibe. I'd definitely read this author again

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Drug use, Blood, Addiction, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Classism, Child abuse, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail