This one left me utterly confused. I thoroughly enjoyed Bartz’s last book, The Writing Retreat, but this one was just….weird.

I enjoyed the first half of the book much more than the second half. The main character, Thea, is a social worker, and when she had a new patient who looks oddly similar to herself, things suddenly take a turn.

This one will definitely mess with your brain, I know my mind was spinning for awhile after finishing this one, but not in a good way. It is super dark, so be aware of that.

While this wasn’t my favorite book, I have seen many positive reviews of this one, so if the summary interests you, obv give it a try!

I went into THE LAST SESSION by Julia Bartz with high expectations after really enjoying The Writing Retreat (which was unhinged in the most entertaining way). Unfortunately, The Last Session didn’t quite deliver. It starts off super strong with culty vibes and reincarnation intrigue but the more it tried to juggle, the less invested I became.

There were just too many ideas competing and the pacing dragged toward the end. What really did me in was the repetition which really dulled the tension and left me feeling restless as we reached the finale. I usually love an unhinged, over-the-top storyline but this one just didn't stick for me. Overall, this had a solid premise with a great hook, but it lost its footing towards the end. Bummed I didn’t love it more.

Rating 2.5 stars (rounded up to 3)

Amazing thriller, this was very good and gave me the vibes of Ward D.

An amazing thriller to recommend for 2025.

I’m not sure why this doesn’t have higher ratings but this was good for me. The beginning was a bit slow and i couldn’t see the direction where this was going but once our MC made it into the “cult” is where it picked up. It was a bit weird but it was written well and i love weird books.

**3.5-stars**

The Last Session is a slow burn, psychology-fueled, suspense story following a social worker named Thea. Thea works on a psychiatric unit and one day, when a catatonic woman arrives, having been picked up on the streets, Thea feels moments of deja vu looking at her. She swears she knows her, but can't figure out from where.

Even more strange is how similar the woman looks to her. Once out of her catatonic state, the woman claims she can't remember the events leading up to her memory loss, and her being in the psych unit in the first place. When Thea finally places who the woman is and how she knows her, she can hardly believe it. This person played a huge part in Thea's own traumatic past. She offered her a sense of comfort and inspiration.

But just as suddenly as the woman appeared on the unit, she disappears. People claiming to be her parents came by and picked her up. Shortly thereafter though, her real parents arrive. So, who took her and where did they go? What is going on here? Is this woman still in further trouble? Thea feels compelled to help her. She cannot let it go. She feels too strong a connection to her.

Following a trail of clues, Thea ends up in a Wellness Center in a remote area of Southwestern New Mexico. It's there that a charismatic, New Age couple counsel individuals through a 1-month retreat focusing on romance and intimacy issues. Thea enrolls herself in the program, and while she gets closer to finding answers for her missing patient, she's maybe even more importantly, edging towards answers about her own past, and resulting hang-ups.

The Last Session is yet another story that immediately intrigued me, but started to lose me as it went on. Don't get me wrong, Bartz did succeed with a lot of things here, but it veered too far into fever dream territory at the end for my liking. Ultimately, that did sour my experience a bit.

I did appreciate how bold the content was. The conversations about sex, and in particular, the MC's explorations of her own issues surrounding sex and intimacy. I really enjoyed that side of the story. I also loved Thea's determination and how the whole mission evolved into not just being about her saving this mystery woman, but also saving herself; aiming to regain her own power and self-confidence.

I feel like the retreat, and the characters involved in that, were also really well-developed conceptually. It reminded me a lot of the cult of Mother God, or even Heaven's Gate. I feel as far as cult stories go, it's a good one, so if that's something you enjoy, you should absolutely check it out.

Overall, I enjoyed this. While it was a little uneven for me, as far as my personal interest level goes, I still can appreciate its many strong attributes. Yet again, I am impressed by the risks that Julia Bartz takes with her stories. Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I look forward to seeing what Bartz comes up with next!

I'm... not exactly sure how I felt about this book. There were so many times that I flipped back and forth on whether or not I liked it, so I gave it a solid 3-star rating because that puts me firmly in the middle.

The premise of this book is interesting: woman shows up in a catatonic state, and she looks like the social worker at the psychiatric unit she ends up at. And somehow.... we get to a cult? It's a very interesting journey and I was pretty invested because the plot moves very quickly, but I was SO mad at Thea for being so stupid at times. There were so many moments that could have made this book 100 pages shorter if she wasn't so trusting with every single stranger she came across.

Sort of spoiler of a plot point, but the past lives portion also made no real sense to me. Is this book supposed to be slightly supernatural, or are they just good guessers? I felt like that could have been fleshed out more. And then Thea's weird, abusive past that was explained in almost WAY too much detail (and I don't remember there being a trigger warning but don't quote me on that one!!). So I understand her not making the best choices, but you would think those things would make her super wary of all new people.

Not a bad book, but I think it could have been done better. Still a very quick read, so worth it!

Strange and unsettling, this one took a bit to get into and even longer for me to review.

Thea is a social worker on a locked psychiatric unit – as a nurse who worked in psych, I had a few bones to pick with her and her lack of confidentiality in clinical settings like, Thea, ever heard of HIPAA? Anyways, I digress.

When a Jane Doe comes in, Thea immediately recognizes her as Catherine, a childhood star from a favorite movie and Thea becomes a bit obsessed with where she’s gone and what’s been happening to her in the interim since her early stardom. Before long, Catherine is gone under mysterious circumstances and Thea is following bread crumbs that lead her to a wellness center with serious cult-like vibes. Things are not okay there and this is where the book takes a turn for me. Things went from crazy to crazier and while I appreciate the authors exploration into trauma, I just couldn’t reconcile the craziness of it all.

This won’t dissuade me from reading anything from Julia again, I loved The Writing Retreat, this one just wasn’t for me!

My thanks to Atria Books for this gifted DRC.

this is the comeback of the century from this author.

I read the writing retreat last year and was wildly disappointed—2 stars—the plot was bold but I found pretty much every other element, particularly characters and dialogue, flat and amateur. I have been dumbfounded by the unfettered writing retreat praise for the last year.

But THIS BOOK. HOLY SHIT. SO WELL PLOTTED. SO LAYERED. SUCH MULTIFACETED CHARACTERS. THE CONVERSATIONS ON MENTAL HEALTH, RELIGION, PAST TRAUMA. THE DELUSION!!! THE ENDING!!

This book packed so much into 368 pages and was perfectly paced, had my jaw on the floor and was so visceral yet left just the amount of speculation to continue to leave my hyper fixated on this book long into the night.

Thea wins the award for most realistic but complex and still kick ass thriller MFC I’ve come across in a WHILE. THEA! THEA! THEA! A strong contender for final girl of the year!

I’ve previously read and enjoyed The Writing Retreat by this author, so I knew this was going to be a must read! What a journey it was!

What started out as a pretty straightforward premise had me questioning everything about midway through. This is one of those books that’s going to cause you to suspend belief but if you just go along for the ride, it’s a fun one. I do enjoy books with originality even if it seems far fetched. There’s still much about this plot that’s grounded in reality, primarily when it comes to healing, self realization, and trauma.

I enjoyed the psychological aspects, and I think it helped to have the main character. Thea, as our resident social worker psychologist. Having her psychology narrate events and choices made the characters, allowed us, as the readers, insight into each character’s behavior/past. With that said, some of her particular choices were quite questionable given her field of research. I wasn’t as connected to her or really any of the characters as I would have liked to be, but what kept me engaged was seeing where this storyline was headed. The concept of groupthink really illustrates how vulnerable people can be taken advantage of.

Overall this was definitely original and entertaining, despite the plausibility. It was atmospheric and richly layered. Some of the pacing and ending threw me off a bit, but I can see how this book could lead to some fascinating conversations. Those that prefer some depth to their psychological thrillers will also appreciate the themes that explore mental health ethics, alcohol abuse, childhood trauma, religious trauma, confronting your past, sexual trauma, cult-like dynamics.

Thank you so much to Atria/Emily Bestler and NetGalley for my #gifted copy.
3.5 stars rounded up

Past lives? Connections from beyond? That’s what you get in Julia Bartz’s latest, THE LAST SESSION.

Psych Unit Social Worker, Thea can’t seem to shake the feeling that she has seen her newest client before. The woman came into the unit after being found catatonic, walking along the highway. When she finally comes round, she admits that she is missing B-movie actress Catherine O’Brien. Thea feels like the main thing she needs to do is gain Catherine’s trust. As she begins to work with Catherine, she assumes that the reason she seems so familiar is that she was the star of a movie that eerily reflected what was happening in Thea’s own life. Then Catherine is whisked away from the hospital by people claiming to be her parents. Thea feels such a connection to Catherine and believes she is in trouble, that she decides to follow her to the Southwestern New Mexico retreat where she has apparently gone.

Thea arrives as a participant at the Center for Relational Healing in the New Mexico desert. She meets some very interesting people along the way either participating or working at the Center. But not everyone is what they seem. As she submits to ever-increasing intimate exercises, she continues to search for Catherine. Enlisting the help of other participants, Thea learns that others may not be there for relational healing and have their own reasons for being there. Can she save Catherine from herself? Can she save herself from Catherine? And what are the leaders truly up to? Should she stay on for THE LAST SESSION or will it cost her her life and/or her sanity?

Having lived in the desert Southwest, this one interested me and took me back to that place. That aside, the setting and weirdness of the entire novel kept me interested. The writing was clear and concise which led to an enjoyable read. While I am not a believer in past lives and sorcery, the tricks and misdirection of the leaders left me shaking my head at times. I believe this is my first Julia Bartz novel and suspect it won’t be my last. I can’t wait to see where she takes me next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

After absolutely loving The Writing Retreat, I found myself disappointed with The Last Session. I couldn’t buy into the main characters motivations for her actions like I could in Bartz’s previous book. The beginning was interesting, but then it kind of fell off the rails.

3.5/5 I didn’t know what to expect going into this book. I really disliked her last book. I thought it was good as a thriller but the character relationships were frustrating and there were aspects of the plot that bothered me. However! I liked this one! I read some other reviews that said that they didn’t find it thrilling- and I would agree. This isn’t a heart racing kind of book. It was more psychological. What’s real and what isn’t, and how do you know. I think Thea was kind of bland as a character but the rest of the cast was interesting enough to keep the plot moving. My biggest issue with this book (and with the last book) were the very abrupt moments of sexual trauma. If you choose to read this, please keep that in mind.

Thanks to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for providing an e-ARC. I have decided this author is simply not for me. I did not enjoy Writers Retreat but decided to give this author another chance. The book synopsis grabbed my attention as I am a fan of wellness cult vibes in books but this went too far into the sexual realm for my liking. This book while well written, went too far into crazy-town for me to enjoy. I feel when reading this author you HAVE to suspend your sense of reality to enjoy the story, as it is so unbelievably crazy - I just couldn’t with this one. I do believe this book has an audience which will appreciate the story, sadly I am not a member of that group.

“The Last Session” by Julia Bartz, a new to me author, is a wild and absolutely crazy ride! You absolutely cannot deny this author has some serious albeit potentially whack imagination. This is a gripping psychological suspense and mystery tale of interpersonal and sexual dysfunction with a distinct surrealistic dimension of cultism that warps and tricks the reader’s brain, just as cultists do.

When a catatonic patient crosses Thea, a social worker’s path—Thea is certain the woman reminds her of someone. Who is she? Why is Thea so drawn to her? This question begins Thea’s determined pursuit of the truth, and it’s a lot more than anyone bargained for….

This cult thriller takes you places you’d never expect. Personally, I appreciated and applaud the author’s flamboyant imagination. This is definitely not a boring or predictable read. And yes, you’ll suspend disbelief. You’ll even say “wtf!?” out loud, I guarantee it.

What truly impressed me about this book is the evident research that the author put into how leaders of cults manipulate as well as the psychological techniques embedded in the unorthodox therapeutic approaches that The Center, a mysterious compound in the middle of the desert, utilizes to help members analyze their relationship problems. It makes a heck of a lot of sense and the writing and dialogue in these scenes is smart and superlative. The dialogue and characterization shine. It’s undeniable that Bartz is a great writer.

CW: Sexual issue are explored with a couple relatively explicit scenes. Sexual dysfunction stems from psychological trauma which is explored in some detail, and lies at the heart of this story.

Often the truth proves stranger than fiction.

Recommended reading for anyone who enjoys dark mysteries of the human mind, some weird psych elements, many masters many lives, and thrillers with radical twisty turns without limits.

4.25/5

this was a culty type thriller, and I enjoyed that aspect of the story. As for the rest of the story, not so much. I felt like it was just plain weird. A random 4 some was thrown in, and all of the Egyptian type symbolism and past lives was all just strange to me. It definitely had an eerie feeling to the story and you didn’t really know who you could trust or what was actually happening.

The Last Session was my first thriller by Julia Bartz, and I really enjoyed it. The story follows Thea, a social worker who has always felt a deep connection to actress Catherine O'Brien. One day, Catherine is admitted to the psychiatric ward where Thea works, and it doesn't take long for Thea to realize that something is very wrong. Following a series of clues left by Catherine, Thea signs up for a retreat where Catherine is now living. Determined to help her idol, Thea uncovers the disturbing truth: she has stumbled into a cult. Despite the danger, she continues her mission to save Catherine from this bizarre world.

I found The Last Session to be a gripping, fast-paced read. I always enjoy novels that explore cults, and this one delivered with plenty of suspense and unexpected twists. I also really liked Thea as a heroine—she was smart, determined, and relatable—and the supporting characters added a lot to the story. Overall, this was a great page-turner that kept me hooked from start to finish!

*** Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are always my own.

THE LAST SESSION – by Julia Bartz

‘When a catatonic woman shows up at the psychiatric unit, social worker Thea swears she knows her from somewhere. She’s shocked to discover the patient holds a link to a traumatic time in her past. Upon regaining lucidity, the patient claims she can’t remember the horrific recent events that caused her brain to shut down. Thea’s at a loss—especially when the patient is ripped away from her as suddenly as she appeared.’

A slow burn, THE LAST SESSION was an interesting read, though it did not tick all the boxes for me.

Thank you, NetGalley and Emily Bestler Books, Atria (Simon & Schuster Publishing), for providing me with an eBook of THE LAST SESSION at the request of an honest review.

I loved The Writing Retreat so I was really excited to get to read yet another book by Julia Bartz. However, this one was a very slow burn and I really struggled getting through it. I was really interested in the beginning with the mental hospital being brought in but once Thea ended up at the retreat, that’s when there were some weird elements I struggled getting through.

In The Last Session by Julia Bartz, social worker Thea is jolted when a catatonic woman is admitted to her psychiatric unit—and she’s sure she’s seen her before. As the woman slowly regains awareness, it becomes clear that she's connected to a dark chapter from Thea’s past. But before Thea can get any answers, the woman disappears again. Desperate for the truth, Thea follows a trail to a mysterious retreat in New Mexico, led by a charismatic couple who guide participants through intimate and often unsettling exercises. As Thea digs deeper into the cult-like environment, she must confront disturbing memories and face the possibility that she, too, could unravel—especially if she stays for the final session.

I really wanted to love this book because I enjoyed Bartz’s previous novel, but this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. While the plot had her signature offbeat twists and psychological tension, much of the story felt slow and meandering. I didn’t connect with the spirituality element, especially given how it unfolded, and although some parts were intriguing, they weren’t enough to carry the rest. Overall, it had potential, but it left me a bit underwhelmed.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to read The Last Session as I enjoyed Julia's first book, but sadly, this book just didn't work for me. I feel I may be an outlier in my opinion, but it just seemed scattered all over the place. There were no characters I could connect to, and a lot of the characters seemed overly exaggerated, like reading a comic book.

I was unable to suspend the belief required to follow this story, and quite honestly, as the book reached its conclusion, my greatest feeling was confusion. Having said that, it did keep me reading until the end, for which I'll raise my 2.5 stars to 3.

I feel like there definitely is a market for this book. Maybe I'm just too old to identify with it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Julia Bartz, and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.