The Writing Retreat

Spooky, haunted house vibes mixed with twisted madness!

Bewertet: Buch (Gebundene Ausgabe)

Oh my. This one was WILD. I literally inhaled this book. The story gripped me from the first chapter til the end, with its eerie gothic vibes and never ending madness. When the luck is finally on her side, Alex gets the opportunity to join a writing retreat of her idol author Roza Vallo. Well, turns out, it's not that muchof a 'retreat'.There is definitely nothing resting in any way (besides the corpses...) Alex is not only facing the challenge of writing a whole book in a month, but also figuring out, who she can trust and well how to freaking SURVIVE in this madhouse. Am I crazy for liking this so much? Naaaah. I really look forward to reading what Julia Bartz comes up with next.

Vibes of Stephen King's "The Shining"

Bewertet: Buch (Taschenbuch)

I truly love books with more than one story and stories within stories. As our protagonist Alex is invited to join a monthly long writing workshop with her favourite horror author Roza Vallo, it soon becomes clear to the reader that this is not only a "normal" thriller but also an exploration of what it takes to be a writer and how to come up with new and fresh ideas. When unexplained phenomena start to occur at Roza's seclusive and snowed-in mansion, I definitely got goosebumps as the setting of the story reminded be of Stephen King's "The Shining" with no place to hide and no safe space to run to. Even though there is also some sexy spice woven into the story as Alex is dealing with the loss of her former roommate, best friend and short-time-lover Wren, it does not overshadow the overall spine-chilling atmosphere but rather contribute to the story's dramatic effect. I especially enjoyed the few chapters which give us a sneak-preview into Alex' horror novel and I would really like to read this story for real if it were possible.