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greatexpectations77's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Death, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Toxic friendship, and Confinement
Moderate: Drug use, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Sexual assault
Minor: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and Gun violence
blackcatkai's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
this was pretty good, especially for a debut, in my opinion. not a huge fan of how some mental illness was handled, especially the use of words like 'psycho' and such, but this was definitely entertaining. a couple twists, one of which I definitely saw coming, complicated characters, weird relationships, drama, and just kept my attention the entire time. I feel the pace was good, and it was well put together. I'd definitely read more from Bartz in the future.
Graphic: Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Body horror, Murder, Blood, Gore, Death, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Racism, Ableism, Sexism, and Grief
morellomel's review
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Drug use, Murder, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Sexual content, Blood, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child abuse and Mental illness
katiieecat's review
- 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? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Gun violence, Alcohol, Violence, Murder, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Kidnapping
Minor: Addiction, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, and Slavery
lovelymisanthrope's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
“The Writing Retreat” follows a young woman named Alex. Alex is struggling in her personal and professional life. She is an aspiring author, but she has not been able to find the right idea to write about. All of her struggles are compounded by her recent falling out with her longtime best friend, Wren. Things seem to finally be looking up for Alex, when she is invited to attend an exclusive writing retreat at the mysterious home of best selling author Roza. Alex and a handful of other talented young women come together at Roza’s estate for a month-long writing retreat. Unfortunately, this amazing opportunity might be too good to be true when other members of the retreat begin to vanish, and there seems to be something far more sinister at play.
I was initially really excited to pick up this book, because I love to read stories about authors, who are struggling with their craft. Alex‘s character is so relatable. She is a struggling 30 something who is just trying to find her place in the world. She has a fire within her and she wants to write a story because she loves to read the inspiring works of others , but she cannot seem to stoke the fire high enough to be able to come up with her own idea. I really enjoyed seeing her character struggle with her relationship with Wren. After college it is really difficult to maintain friendships for various reasons. Alex‘s story with Wren really highlights how some people are your friend for certain chapters in your life, and that is okay.
Unfortunately, this book fell kind of short for me. It ultimately did not keep my interest, and I had to force myself to finish the story. The ultimate mystery behind what is happening during this writing retreat started out interesting, but it quickly transpired into a plot line that I felt was absolutely ridiculous. By the end of the story, I felt like it was all so unbelievable that I was disconnected entirely. I also ended up not liking any of the characters by the end, which makes it difficult for me to be invested in their stories.
This book was not for me, but I will still keep Julia Bartz on my radar and try a different book in the future.
Graphic: Torture, Gun violence, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Bullying, Blood, Grief, Confinement, Murder, Sexual content, and Emotional abuse
carmenross599's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
My only complaint is I feel like the Alex-Wren dynamic doesn’t get the closure I would’ve liked, especially on Wren’s side. It would’ve been nice to have a raw emotional conversation between them that lasted more than two sentences, specifically about Wren’s treatment of Alex after their friendship ended.
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Mental illness, Blood, Death, and Gun violence
basicbookstagrammer's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Mental illness, Sexual content, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Death, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Gore, Murder, and Gaslighting