Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - The Writing Retreat

Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

18 reviews

readingwithcoffee's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

1.0

The book is incredibly superficial and predictable with a central argument that’s pretty ludicrous

towards the end it has An argument that authors only have one great work in them that’s just complete nonsense for actual well read authors to entertain given how many others such as James baldwin, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Isabela Allende and more have written so many great books. This and how it doesn’t actually challenge the idea that great art comes from tragedy and instead seems to agree with it is silly. The cast is diverse ethnic wise with a Jewish protagonist, British, Russian and Hungarian characters and entirely female cast except for very minor male characters but the Russian and southern woman are complete stereotypes. And as another reviews noted the only queer women comfortable with their sexuality are murderous psychopath that are obsessive that feels like a bad stereotype alongside the indecisive and anxious bi-curious rivals that are uncomfortable with their sexuality there entire book despite wrestling with that also being a clear theme

The main protagonist despite being thirty has a maturity of teenage girl and never seems to take almost maiming even if accidentally another author so she can’t write seriously but we’re expected to treat being ghosted by a friend as remotely a similar grievance especially as she imagines the woman as horrible friend any way but feels entitled to the woman never ending the friendship on terms different from the protagonist. It’s incredibly immature that we’re expected to both sides. Also the only black woman is constantly stereotyped and feels like she’s there to be the clan and collected characters and constantly associated with Africa, and slavery from lion necklace to someone who’s family is from Senegal saying her family came over the trans Atlantic slave trade when that’s African Americans. I genuinely think the majority of her on screen dialogue had the book discussing her in association with Africa or slavery more then anything else or having her awkwardly accuse the other white women reducing her to angry black woman that instead of critiquing racism in white liberal spaces felt the non black author feeling incredibly self conscious about her own black character and almost entirely white cast.

Also I’ve enjoyed books within books before but while the one here is related to the events in the book it reads like bad historical fiction.

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yuyuv's review against another edition

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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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adelinebal4's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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kleinekita's review against another edition

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mysterious tense

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

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thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced

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

3.0

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chighland's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I seem to be in the minority here, but I actually quite liked this book.

First, the setting was incredible. I love a creepy mansion in the middle of nowhere, and to make it a writing retreat from hell is really the icing on the cake.

I also like a slow-burn on occasion, and that's what you got here -- there was an ever-present prickling weirdness that abounded, and that's what drove the story forward. Yes, the first half is a little quiet, but I enjoyed that reliance on atmosphere.

I also liked the story within a story.

Yes, the characters are odious -- but I thought that was the point. They have bad takes and masquerade as open-minded. I know that's not everyone's cup of tea, but I do like it. I didn't feel like their occasionally problematic views were endorsed by Bartz, but rather, that she wanted to showcase just how messy they all were. I could be wrong! But that's how I took it.

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arthur_ant18's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-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

5.0

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC of The Writing Retreat in exchange for my honest review!

There's plenty of lush and twisty darkness to be found in Julia Bartz's debut novel, The Writing Retreat. It follows Alex, an associate editor for a publisher who's wrestling with an extensive case of writer's block, as she ends up having the seemingly good fortune of being invited to a month-long writing retreat at the estate of Roza Vallo, the horror author who's been her longtime writing hero. Sure, it won't be completely smooth sailing, since one of the other attending writers is Wren, Alex's former best friend who has now become a foe under murky circumstances that led to their mutual buddies shutting out Alex. But no worries, because heading up to Roza's estate in the Adirondacks can still provide a prime opportunity for her to put an end to her writer's block, right? Well... maybe, but not in the way you think it would.

There aren't too many psychological thrillers that have utterly gripped me as of late, but hooboy, The Writing Retreat is now part of that small collection. I will advise you, though, to avoid the back cover. It gives away a—well, not a twist, per se, but an important plot point nonetheless that doesn't even occur until halfway through the book. But even if you do come across it, Bartz has spread enough juicy meat throughout the rest of the masterfully paced story to keep you hooked. The first half of the plot is a slow-burn that lays down the pieces and gradually builds up the characters and their interrelationships, while the second half kicks it all into high gear. I wouldn't necessarily say that it veers in an ultra-bonkers direction, but it definitely embarks on some twists and turns that floored me. The gothic mood and the claustrophobic locale make for such a robust atmosphere, one that's heightened by the fact that we're diving into this via Alex's first-person POV—a POV that crystallizes how much she needs to (pardon my French here) get her shit together. She's an endearing protagonist all the same, though.

Bartz rounds out the supporting characters with their own layers as well. We've got Wren, as I previously mentioned, who shares an incredibly intricate dynamic with Alex. There are the other writers at the retreat, Taylor, Keira, and Poppy, who all play their own crucial roles in the story. And then there's Roza, who I personally find to be the most complex character in this cast. She actually reminds me a bit of Terence Fletcher, J.K. Simmons's character in Whiplash—not that she has explosive and vitriolic outbursts necessarily (though both of them share a penchant for being temperamental), but she does have a habit of insidiously breaking down writers until they're left absolutely raw in a seeming mission to unearth their inner artist. She simultaneously terrifies, appalls, and enthralls me with her numerous facets, and I wish we could experience characters of this caliber more often.

I was pleasantly surprised by the book's queer elements, especially since most of the thrillers I read are ridiculously straight. I also appreciate its thematic handling of toxic codependency, internalized misogyny, and the pains that writers endure to create remarkable stories—the last which felt reminiscent of Stephen King's Misery, since it covers similar subtext within an equally confined environment.

If there's any gripe I have with this, it's in regard to the book-within-a-book conceit that gives us a peek at the novel Alex endeavors to pen throughout the plot. Sometimes I love how this trick is able to deepen certain stories. But in The Writing Retreat, while I initially like how Alex's book reflects the course of events surrounding her, it ends up feeling tropey and extraneous, especially towards the third act. That's really my only criticism for what's otherwise one of the most absorbing psychological thrillers I've read in a long time.

Overall, if you don't have the ARC already, I urge you to pick up The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz when it's published on February 21st, 2023.

Content Warnings

basicbookstagrammer's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

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