The Writing Retreat

One of my most anticipated books this year was The Writing Retreat, the debut novel by Julia Bartz. A psychological thriller combining an isolated setting with a theme about books, and I’m sold. Though I got this book back when it came out, I didn’t get a chance to read it. But I couldn’t let the year end without getting to it, and the current winter weather made for the perfect backdrop.

Summary

Alex is an aspiring author who’s had little luck, but when she gets accepted to an extremely exclusive writer’s retreat hosted by her favorite horror author, Roza Vallo, she can’t turn it down. It’ll be a strenuous month, writing a whole novel in just four weeks, and the fact that Alex’s ex-BFF is there doesn’t help matters at all, but this is the opportunity of a lifetime. Things get off to a strange start, though, and only become more concerning as the days past. Is Roza what Alex thought she was? Is this mansion actually haunted? Are she and the other authors there truly safe?

Review

The Writing Retreat starts off slowly, patiently easing into things, but it quickly escalates and is fully worth the read. It’s all told from the perspective of Alex, an aspiring author who has finally gotten the chance of a lifetime: to join four other authors at a writer’s retreat hosted at the home of her very favorite author, Roza Vallo. Each will have just one month to write a complete novel from start to finish… a demanding timeline, but one that will pay off for one lucky winner.

At first, things seem okay but kind of weird. Alex is joined by authors Taylor, Poppy, Keira, and (surprisingly; unfortunately) her ex-BFF Wren. Alex had a falling-out with Wren months earlier, and their relationship has been strained, even antagonistic, ever since. Then there’s their host, the iconic feminist horror author Roza Vallo. As amazing as her books and mysterious persona are, Roza is kind of intimidating in real life, too. She has a harsh sense of humor, at least.

From the get-go, there are already some red flags. There’s no cell service or Wi-Fi, and they’re quite isolated from civilization. The impending snow storm surely won’t help matters. Then there are the increasingly tense relations between the four writers, Roza, and the staff. What’s with the mind games and cruel tricks? Why is Wren spreading lies about Alex? And is it just Alex, or are her one-on-one conversations with Roza kind of, well, weird?

Interspersed with it all are excerpts from Alex’s work in progress, tentatively titled The Great Commission. How much of that will end up echoing what goes down at Roza’s mansion? In addition, we get more and more glimpses into Roza’s own novels, as well as her real personal history. But how much is fact and how much is fiction?

Everything is building up the tension, and soon enough, major events start piling up. Someone goes missing just as the storm hits, leaving the basement door ajar. Where are the police? Why does it feel like help won’t ever come? Are the remaining authors even safe in this mansion? Things get wild, making for a fast-paced and surprising sequence leading up to the novel’s end. I raced through the last 200 pages in one sitting!

Final Thoughts

The Writing Retreat is a gripping novel that combines elements of a psychological thriller with horror. It’s an engaging debut for anyone who enjoys a locked-room mystery, books about books, and a rapidly growing sense of dread. I loved this and can’t wait to read more from Julia Bartz.

Get the Book

You can buy The Writing Retreat here – it’s available as a hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
Audience	Adult
Genre	Psychological Thriller
Setting	New York
Number of Pages	320
Format I Read	Hardcover (Book of the Month)
Original Publication Date	February 21, 2023
Publisher	Atria

Official Summary

In this instant New York Times bestselling and “utterly addictive thriller” (Ana Reyes, New York Times bestselling author), a young author is invited to an exclusive writer’s retreat that soon descends into a pulse-pounding nightmare.

Alex 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. Even the knowledge that Wren, her former best friend and current rival, is attending doesn’t dampen her excitement.

But 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. 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. But when one of the writers vanishes during a snowstorm, Alex realizes that something very sinister is afoot. With the clock running out, she must discover the truth—or suffer the same fate.

A claustrophobic and “audacious psychological thriller debut” (Publishers Weekly), The Writing Retreat expertly explores the dark side of female relationships, fame, and the desire to have our stories told.