The Writing Retreat | part 3

[Lala, owner]

The book is divided into 4 parts, so I figured one discussion thread for each might make sense!

Part 3 begins on page 161 and ends on page 256

What discoveries have been made during this section?
Are you enjoying the direction the story is going on?
Which part has left on the biggest cliffhanger and made you want to continue on?

Only 50 pages remain. How do you hope it will wrap up? What will it take to get a 5 star?

[Len]

I felt like the pacing was off in this part. And even though it was supposed to feel scary I didn't find it particularly scary. I still wanted to know what would happen but am a little bored now.

[Jen]

The pacing from this part has definitely felt off. Also, I agree with Len, what's meant to feel scary really isn't, it's just gotten kind of annoying. Especially Taylor.

I'm not thrilled with how this has gone tbh, I've never been more bummed to be right lol. I'm curious to see if Wren and Alex will live or die so that's pushing me on but at this point I don't think it can be a five star anymore.

[Rosalind]

agree with the other commenters. Part two picked up the pace and I was getting invested, but in part three it's started losing a lot of what interested me to focus on a story I wasn't looking for rather than what was teased earlier.

[Nikevious]

Part 3 turned this into a 3 star from a 4 star for me. Kinda just waiting for it to be over now

[Lauren]

Well that escalated quickly...

[Michelle]

I feel the same as you guys. I’m kind of bored to be honest. The only thing that could turn this around is if Alex is actually in on it too.

[Teresa]

Part three has been a bit long and kinda boring. The whole premise is that some of the girls are locked in the dungeon-y basement and some girls are on Roza’s side.

This story has been a bit predictable so far. Although I couldn’t forecast which character(s) were in with Roza, the general plot has felt foreseeable. Taylor was in on it, which initially surprised me. I wasn’t surprised by Zoe/Poppy’s death.

Overall I’m still enjoying the story and want to hear how Wren and Alex survive or don’t. I’m hoping for something exciting to happen.

I don’t think this will get five stars, maybe 3.25 stars.

[Dina]

Not the Nanowrimo dungeon

[Leigh]

Part 3 has been a bit dull. I wish the scary parts were actually scary.. Taylor just seems like a mean girl who wants people to believe she’s scary. Also there were parts where I thought something major would happen and it just fell short or nothing happened at all… I will say that Zoe was a nice surprise.

[Sarah]

agree with everyone above -- i had actually texted my friend that now that we know what's going on, i'm just bored.

[Taylor Glastetter]

I agree with all of the other comments. The only thing I would add is that I feel like we’ve been missing more of Roza. She’s this looming presence over the girls but in reality her interactions are very minimal and often summed up with a line or two.
I’m left wanting more! Hopefully the end will bring it.

[Stavroula]

Unpopular opinion here, but I enjoyed this part more. The first part was interesting, but I felt that the second part started to drag a little bit. This part, on the other hand, had more action. The only downside is that the paranormal aspect is no longer on the table. I hoped that the mansion was haunted by Lamia or Daphne.
Poppy/Zoe's double identity didn't surprise me, but Taylor's part? I definitely didn't see it coming.
If I had to rate it right now, it would be 3 stars. This doesn't feel like a 5 star for sure.

[Mandy]

I’m over here just living this life and loving how whacko this book has gone. It WENT there. In a really weird, cuckoo way and I’m eating it up like it’s the best buffet dessert ever.

I can see how people can dislike this though too. I just want to keep reading and find out how this concludes.

This is not the book I expected it to be. I thought it was going to be more along the Agatha Christie “And Then There Were None”, but instead it is giving me “House of Hunger” and “Bunny” madness.

It’s definitely a solid 4.5 - maybe a 5.

[Danielle]

yes Mandy, same! i'm eating this up. im wishing for more horror in this part - I've loved the weird parts. but knowing what we know now with Roza - maybe this is still not what we think it is...still so invested and gonna finish this today to find out.

[Jasmine]

I have to say that I actually really enjoyed part 1 and 2, but part 3 has been a bit of a letdown. While Roza's reasons and the revelations are surprising, this doesn't feel "thrilling" like I hoped it would. I was thinking it'd be more like people are mysteriously disappearing or there's something relating to the house being haunted; not forced labor and imprisonment, and murder for money/fame. Lol those are just classic villain tropes. Maybe part 4 will prove me wrong!

[Jasmine]

lol @ Dina, a NaNoWriMo dungeon is funny!

[Emelie]

I think the beginning of this part was a bit slow for me. The pacing just felt off and horror is missing like some people mentioned. It definitely got better towards the end though.

That having said, I feel like the character's decision making and motivations should be shown a little bit more. Not just in this section, but throughout the books. There were instances where characters made certain assumptions or theories that just didn't make sense to me as a reader.

It is at 3.5 for me currently. If the last part is amazing it might become a 4 for me, but 5 is out the window.

[Olivia]

I can totally get why people aren’t liking this but I think it’s a good mix of weird/fun for me.

I don’t think anything as been particularly surprising, Taylor has been off since the beginning when asked about taking off from school and getting confused, and we could all tell Rosa wasn’t writing her own books. The horror aspect isn’t scary at all and yet I can not stop turning the page.

The last part will probably make or break for me but this is my kind of quirky wtf

[Daria]

I'm not quite sure if I'm enjoying it, but I'm for sure isn't bored! who didn't imagine a stranger they only knew for a couple of weeks is a demon and is worth pursuing sexually while under the influence, amirite? %)
it does remind me of the House of Hunger for some reason

Hopefully there is a satisfying conclusion, even if it feels a bit unrealistic at this point

[Amanda]

I’m feeling bored and the reveals were predictable. I don’t think there is any way for this book to be a 5-star read for me. Getting The Shining and Dolores Claiborne vibes though.

[Reeseisreading]

I wish it continued with the paranormal route I'm less invested now but still want to see how all of it wraps up