Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - The Writing Retreat

It was an engrossing read; despite its chaotic nature (a hot mess), I found myself unable to put it down. It was a fortuitous find at the bookstore, that eerily sounded like one of my own works in some aspects. However, there were that felt off

like unnecessary or forced lgbt content and sex related scenes

The novel had an intriguing quality, I would say just a little reminiscent of "The Picture of Dorian Gray," with its exploration of the human psyche and morality, even though they’re not comparable, because they deal with different things overall. While I don't see myself revisiting it, I would recommend it to fellow writers for its inspirational elements, that depicted real-life industry themes.

The dialogues were convincing, and the plot was engaging overall, with some exceptions that were slightly bothersome. Overall, it was a decent read.

I'm curious to see what Julia Bartz writes next; I'm hopeful for a narrative that feels more organic.

and not like it’s being made, among other things, to push a narrative or agenda

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volsairine's review

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adventurous 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

4.75

Delightful! It was a 5 star book for me up until the end, where it seemed to get a liiiittle messy. But it was still phenomenal.

However, I feel like if you are looking for a "turn off your brain" stereotypical thriller, you may not enjoy this. To me, this felt more closely aligned with "Mexican Gothic" than "The Guest List" (which I mean in the best way possible). I really loved it and it kind of creeped me out! Great debut.

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jackie_reads_314's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

3.75

This was a thrilling look into the writing process, the desperate need to be seen and understood as a victim and creative, and the addictive nature of toxic relationships. I did want this to be a little more supernatural; though the small depictions did well establish the unreliable part of our narrator (who was unreliable since the beginning, so this is not a spoiler). I was also able to guess about 1/3 of the plot twists, which made gave me a lil serotonin rush, but it would have been better to be completely taken aback. The penultimate twist did get me though, that one got me out of nowhere. I might read this book again, I feel like you could definitely get a few good reads out of this and still pick up on new hints, metaphors, and nuances.

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