Book Club Questions for The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

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Book club questions for The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz invite readers to explore the dark side of female relationships and fame in this unputdownable debut novel about a group of writers attending an exclusive, month-long writing retreat at the estate of feminist horror writer Roza Vallo.

Through the eyes of aspiring author Alex, readers will follow her journey as she tries to win a life-changing seven-figure publishing deal by completing an entire novel from scratch in just one month. However, strange happenings at the estate, including Roza’s erratic behavior and the alleged haunting of the mansion, make the contest increasingly challenging.

As the story unfolds, Bartz’s masterful storytelling creates a claustrophobic and propulsive thriller where the dark side of female relationships and fame is explored. When one of the writers vanishes during a snowstorm, Alex realizes that something sinister is afoot and with the clock running out, she must discover the truth or suffer the same fate. The Writing Retreat is a gripping debut that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.

With its captivating storyline and multi-dimensional characters, The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz offers a wealth of thought-provoking themes for discussion in a book club setting. From the nature of competition and ambition to the dark side of female relationships and fame, this propulsive thriller is sure to spark lively and engaging conversations.

Whether you’re an experienced book club member or a newbie, preparing to dive into The Writing Retreat, it can be helpful to consider some questions that will enrich your discussion. Below you will find a list of book club discussion prompts that can kickstart your conversation.

We hope these book club discussion prompts will enhance your exploration of The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz! ✨

The Synopsis

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.

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 propulsive thriller exploring the dark side of female relationships and fame, The Writing Retreat is the unputdownable debut novel from a compelling new talent.

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Selected Reviews for The Writing Retreat

“The book’s pacing—a slow roll of dread and horror—is exceptional . . . A perfect winter night’s haunting.” ― Kirkus Reviews

“Stomach-clenchingly thrilling from beginning to end . . . Highly recommended for fans of authors like Ruth Ware and Riley Sager.” ― Booklist

“A wild ride into the pressures of publishing that is equal parts nightmare and erotic fantasy as five would-be writers are pulled deeper into the secrets of Blackbriar and its inhabitants. In THE WRITING RETREAT, Julia Bartz captures the hunger to have our stories told and the desperate measures some will take to cut through the noise.” — Jennifer Fawcett

“THE WRITING RETREAT is a sexy, thrilling, compulsive mediation on art and competition amongst women who ought to be sisters, only something malignant gets in the way. I couldn’t put it down.” — Sarah Langan

“NIGHT FILM meets THE SECRET HISTORY in Julia Bartz’s bold, brilliant, and genuinely scary debut. THE WRITING RETREAT masterfully delivers everything thriller readers crave: palpable atmosphere, sinister characters, full-body chills, jaw-dropping twists, and stay-up-all-night suspense. I am obsessed with this book. I never wanted it to end.” — Megan Collins

Book Club Questions for The Writing Retreat

Spoiler alert: my book club questions may contain spoilers, so make sure to discuss them after you’ve finished reading.

The Writing Retreat explores the intricate ways in which loss can influence and shape the resulting actions of an individual. From the very beginning, Alex’s feelings of sadness and longing at the sight of her high school friends’ bond haunt her throughout the novel, leading to a series of events that are both heart-wrenching and thought-provoking. How does Alex’s journey to come to terms with her loss ultimately shape her character development and influence the trajectory of the story?
The personalities of Roza and Alex are complex and multifaceted, and comparing and contrasting them can provide insight into their motivations and behaviors. In what ways are they similar, and in what ways do they differ? How do their interactions and experiences throughout the novel shape their relationship and change their perspectives of one another?
Competition is a key theme in The Writing Retreat, and it can be seen as both a driving force and a hindrance to the young women’s creative process. In what ways does the novel depict the ways in which competition can lead to toxic comparisons and sabotage? How do the characters navigate these challenges, and where do they find empowerment and growth in the face of such pressure?
Roza is a formidable antagonist in the novel, and her characteristics are both terrifying and fascinating. What traits make Roza such a successful adversary, and how does the novel explore the dynamic between her and the other writers? How does her presence contribute to the atmosphere of tension and unease that pervades the retreat?
Blackbriar estate is a central setting in The Writing Retreat, and its character is just as important to the story as the human characters who inhabit it. How does the mansion and its surroundings contribute to the atmosphere of the novel, and what role does it play in the characters’ experiences and perceptions of one another?
From all of the unexpected twists and turns that kept you on the edge of your seat, which twist shocked you the most, and what about it made it so effective and surprising? How did it change your perspective on the characters and the story as a whole?
The relationship between Alex and Wren is fraught with tension and history, and the novel delves deep into the complexities of their dynamic. Were there any surprises in the way their relationship was portrayed, and how did their experiences at the writing retreat affect their interactions with each other? In what ways did they grow and change as individuals as a result of their shared experience?
The Writing Retreat explores the ways in which the subjects and themes of the writers’ novels are intertwined with their own personal experiences and perspectives. How does this aspect of the novel enhance your understanding of the characters and their creative processes? In what ways do the parallels between the writers and their work add depth and complexity to the story?
The theme of leaving behind one’s old self is present throughout The Writing Retreat, with many characters grappling with the idea of growth and change. Which characters do you feel were successful in shedding their old selves, and at what cost? How does this theme contribute to the overall message of the novel?
The Writing Retreat features a cast of female writers with distinct personalities and motivations. Which character did you relate to the most, and why?
The Writing Retreat balances tension and atmosphere with humor and satire, making for a unique and engaging reading experience. What were some of the lines or moments in the novel that made you laugh the most, and how did they contribute to the overall tone of the story?
The ending of the book has been a source of controversy among readers. Without giving away spoilers, what did you think of the ending, and did it satisfy your expectations for the story?
The book has been compared to other thrillers and mysteries, such as Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None and Riley Sager’s Final Girls. What similarities and differences do you see between The Writing Retreat and these other works, and how does it stand out from the crowd of similar books in the genre?
The characters in the book are defined by certain personality traits or behaviors, such as Taylor being quirky and Wren being high-maintenance. How does the author use these characterizations to create tension and conflict, and do you think they are effective in making the characters feel real and nuanced?
The book deals with themes of female relationships and fame, particularly the darker side of these concepts. How does the author explore these themes throughout the story, and what message do you think she is trying to convey?
The author, Roza Vallo, is a feminist horror writer with a reputation for pushing boundaries in her work. How does her presence and behavior at the retreat impact the other writers, and what does it reveal about the nature of the publishing industry and the expectations placed on female writers?
The book takes place in a remote mansion during a snowstorm, with the writers cut off from the outside world. How did the isolation and claustrophobia affect the story and the characters?
The book explores themes of female friendship, rivalry, and power dynamics. How did the relationships between the characters impact the story and the mystery at the heart of the book?
The Writing Retreat has been described as a thriller, a mystery, and a satire. How do you think these different genres and tones come together in the book? Did it work for you, or did it feel disjointed?
How did the author’s writing style affect your reading experience? Were there any particular passages or quotes that you found especially powerful or well-written?

Additional Recommendations

Hope you enjoyed book club questions for The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz! Here are some more book recommendations along with their synopses.

It’s One of Us by J.T. Ellison

Everybody lies. Even the ones you think you know best of all . . .

Olivia Bender designs exquisite home interiors that satisfy the most demanding clients. But her own deepest desire can’t be fulfilled by marble counters or the perfect rug. She desperately wants to be a mother. Fertility treatments and IVF keep failing. And just when she feels she’s at her lowest point, the police deliver shocking news to Olivia and her husband, Park.

DNA results show that the prime suspect in a murder investigation is Park’s son. Olivia is relieved, knowing this is a mistake. Despite their desire, the Benders don’t have any children. Then comes the confession. Many years ago, Park donated sperm to a clinic. He has no idea how many times it was sold—or how many children he has sired.

As the murder investigation goes deeper, more terrible truths come to light. With every revelation, Olivia must face the unthinkable. The man she married has fathered a killer. But can she hold that against him when she keeps such dark secrets of her own?

This twisting, emotionally layered thriller explores the lies we tell to keep a marriage together–or break each other apart . .

River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer

Her search begins with an ending.…

The master of the Providence plantation in Barbados gathers his slaves and announces the king has decreed an end to slavery. As of the following day, the Emancipation Act of 1834 will come into effect. The cries of joy fall silent when he announces that they are no longer his slaves; they are now his apprentices. No one can leave. They must work for him for another six years. Freedom is just another name for the life they have always lived. So Rachel runs.

Away from Providence, she begins a desperate search to find her children—the five who survived birth and were sold. Are any of them still alive? Rachel has to know. The grueling, dangerous journey takes her from Barbados then, by river, deep into the forest of British Guiana and finally across the sea to Trinidad. She is driven on by the certainty that a mother cannot be truly free without knowing what has become of her children, even if the answer is more than she can bear. These are the stories of Mary Grace, Micah, Thomas Augustus, Cherry Jane and Mercy. But above all this is the story of Rachel and the extraordinary lengths to which a mother will go to find her children…and her freedom.

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai

The riveting new novel — “part true-crime page-turner, part campus coming-of-age” (San Francisco Chronicle) — from the author of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist The Great Believers

A successful film professor and podcaster, Bodie Kane is content to forget her past—the family tragedy that marred her adolescence, her four largely miserable years at a New Hampshire boarding school, and the murder of her former roommate, Thalia Keith, in the spring of their senior year. Though the circumstances surrounding Thalia’s death and the conviction of the school’s athletic trainer, Omar Evans, are hotly debated online, Bodie prefers—needs—to let sleeping dogs lie.

But when the Granby School invites her back to teach a course, Bodie is inexorably drawn to the case and its increasingly apparent ﬂaws. In their rush to convict Omar, did the school and the police overlook other suspects? Is the real killer still out there? As she falls down the very rabbit hole she was so determined to avoid, Bodie begins to wonder if she wasn’t as much of an outsider at Granby as she’d thought—if, perhaps, back in 1995, she knew something that might have held the key to solving the case.

In I Have Some Questions for You, award-winning author Rebecca Makkai has crafted her most irresistible novel yet: a stirring investigation into collective memory and a deeply felt examination of one woman’s reckoning with her past, with a transﬁxing mystery at its heart. Timely, hypnotic, and populated with a cast of unforgettable characters, I Have Some Questions for You is at once a compulsive page-turner and a literary triumph.

Thank you for reading my book club discussion questions & happy reading! ❤️