So not cool.If your book is as buzzy as Julia Bartz’s debut thriller, “The Writing Retreat,” you know what’s in your future: Podiums. This book perpetuates the victimization of women, but the perpetrators are other women. It was done without the women's knowledge or consent. This is no different that a date rape drug. Not to mention that she then wants to continue the retreat as if she has caused the probable death of a young woman. At this point, Alex actually says that Rosa hasn't done anything illegal. This causes one of the five in the group to wonder out into the snow. Their host, Rosa, decides she think sit will help them to spike their drinks with LSD. But that isn't even close to the worst part.

I am so sick of these stories where the main character is a doormat and just allows people to walk all over them.

Then she has the nerve t pass off Alex's writing as her own. She was close friends with Alex until she got what she wanted then treated Alex like she was both irritating and invisible. Wren is nothing but a man with breasts and I don't mean that in a gender way. The main character, Alex, is whiny and depressed. I made it a little past halfway before it made me so angry that I couldn't continue. This is supposed to be a book about two ex best friends who are given a chance to attend an exclusive writers retreat. With the clock running out, she must discover the truth-or suffer the same fate.Ī claustrophobic and propulsive thriller exploring the dark side of female relationships and fame, The Writing Retreat is the unputdownable debut novel from a compelling new talent. But when one of the writers vanishes during a snowstorm, Alex realizes that something very sinister is afoot. Determined to win this seemingly impossible contest, Alex buckles down and tries to ignore the strange happenings at the estate, including Roza’s erratic behavior, Wren’s cruel mind games, and the alleged haunting of the mansion itself. Even the knowledge that Wren, her former best friend and current rival, is attending doesn’t dampen her excitement.īut when the attendees arrive, Roza drops a bombshell-they must all complete an entire novel from scratch during the next month, and the author of the best one will receive a life-changing seven-figure publishing deal. The Plot meets Please Join Us in this psychological suspense debut about a young author at an exclusive writer’s retreat that descends into a nightmare.Īlex has all but given up on her dreams of becoming a published author when she receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: attend an exclusive month-long writing retreat at the estate of feminist horror writer Roza Vallo. “Darkly satirical and action-packed.An absolutely splendid debut!”-Wendy Walker, nationally bestselling author of Don’t Look for Me

The writing retreat julia bartz