Reviews tagging 'Rape'

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

11 reviews

omgpaulareads's review

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.5

this book was WILD. very over the top mystery/thriller/horror?. I'm obsessed. it would make for a great movie. 

one thing I am not seeing many people talk about in reviews is the content warning, specifically:

rape. I'm confused because the main character NEVER calls it that, when it's written "I tried to stop her but she told me to relax." this wasn't a big deal to me, but I know it would be for some people.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Rape

Moderate: Drug use

contrapasso's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Rape

ufohnooo's review

dark tense

1.0

For being written by a "sex positive" therapist, there is no meaningful consent in any of the sexual encounters in this book. Some are just rape but, but they aren't ever addressed in the plot as such. Is the thought that because these things were happening in Queer spaces with Queer people, it's not assault and consent doesn't matter? This gave me the ick, and all the so-called "feminist" good press for the title only deepened that ick by contrast. It's possible I missed, but this felt like a disservice to the LGBTQIA community.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape

whimsykat's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Murder, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Violence, Blood, and Confinement

Moderate: Slavery, Torture, Bullying, Rape, Outing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting

Minor: Alcohol, Vomit, Racism, and Infidelity

himbojimbo's review

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

archaicrobin's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

This chilly winter thriller is over the top and overdramatic and I loved it. The premise was intriguing but a little obvious and the characters interactions were cringey at times, but overall I enjoyed the craziness of this thriller, that always had me 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Rape, Blood, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence

lanean's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Alcohol, Violence, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Rape, Drug use, and Sexual assault

Minor: Child abuse and Torture

novi's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

This reminds me of Rachel Hawkins' The Villa, but with much darker twist and longer (but effective) portion of darkness. The latter half of this book also reminds me of a popular gothic vampire book, but The Writing Retreat did it better (despite having longer portion of it, again) because I care more about the characters and the relationships between them here.

I finished this book in 2 sittings and that's rare lol. The beginning felt just like other books about aspiring writers' life in new york, but the next part I couldn't put this book down.

I was mad and frustrated several times reading this, just like this book wanted me to. There are a lot of "woke" discussion here that felt natural (except the she/her part, idk). I actually predicted the main idea of the ending but the way it played out was beyond my imagination. Like this would be a horror film.

My most favorite part of this book was the relationships between the characters. I think it's done really well with all the complexities of it. My least favorite part was some of the sex parts. I'm not a prude but

the placing of our main protagonist's sex actions just felt so bizarre and selfish to me although i think it's intentional. When Poppy tried to show something important to the mc and then she randomly having sex right then and there like I was so maddddd lol also i think what Wren did to Alex in the past could count as rape, but it was never discussed to that far of territory in this book.

. There are some excerpts of a book here and I was surprisingly not bothered by it at all (usually I don't like a book within a book). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Rape, Blood, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Gun violence and Vomit

yuyuv's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious 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? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Drug use, Homophobia, Rape, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Medical content, Outing, Toxic friendship, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Violence

jenn_reads's review

dark tense fast-paced

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

2.0

Makes no damn sense. Compels me, though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Toxic friendship, Death, Murder, Confinement, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Gun violence, Rape, and Alcohol

Minor: Vomit and Excrement

Secretly drugging someone else, blackmail/coercion, supernatural elements, what even is real?