A review by greatexpectations77
The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
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
4.0
This kept me interested, and I thought that the plot was written well. I was a little less jazzed about the inner lives of the characters, particularly Alex. Something felt a little too spelled out for me, and then when I read that the author is a therapist, I could nail it down. Sometimes the inner monologue feels too clinical. It's like the author knew what was normal for folks to think and go through and just listed those out. But people are messier than that and usually don't, in the moment, make those connections. It just took me out of the story a little bit. Oh, also the narrator was too breathy, and I had to turn it up really loud, and I didn't think that was great. I felt like I missed words a lot and had to rewind.
Spoiler
Also, the sexual encounter that Alex talks about sounds non-consensual. She told her roommate to stop, the roommate didn't, and that's not consent. I was miffed that this wasn't specifically called out. Especially by a therapist?Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Death, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Toxic friendship, and Confinement
Moderate: Drug use, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Sexual assault
Minor: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and Gun violence