Ok so first off, I have to say that the synopsis for this book makes it seem different than it really is. So here's my version: Woman who had a teenage parasocial obsession with an actress runs into that actress as an adult when that actress shows up as a patient in the psych ward where she works. When that actress leaves, woman drains her bank account to follow said actress across the country to a cult. Things get culty and the book gets weird.

I had really high hopes for this after absolutely loving The Writing Retreat. And the story was intriguing here, but the writing just did not measure up. The book felt repetitive in places, many of the characters were annoying, and the last 15% or so of the book just didn't make any sense. I also don't know how to put into words my feelings about Thea's big sexual secret. Or the fact that she is obsessed with sex in general throughout this book. Thea also simultaneously acts to smart and so stupid. She regularly questions Moon and Sol's methods and credibility, and pretty instantly is like "this place is kind of like a cult." But then it doesn't even phase her that the wifi is always out and keeps innocently asking about it. Like, hello, of course they're trying to cut off your contact with the outside world. That's what cults do.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed in this one. Thank you though to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC!

Thanks for the ARC NetGalley! I loved Bartz’s “Writing Retreat,” which was an over the top thriller. This one was wild in a different way- it took me a bit to get into, but then I was sucked in. But the book is uneven in pacing and I was left with some questions.

Thea is a social worker who recognizes her traumatized patient Catherine from the beloved film Stargirl she was obsessed with as a girl. Catherine doesn’t remember much of the trauma that led her to Thea, when she’s suddenly removed from her care. Thea traces her to an isolated influencer cult in the desert where she joins undercover to help liberate Catherine. But Thea uncovers so many other despicable secrets disguised as wellness, she doesn’t know what to do.

The first third of the book I struggled with, but the creepy yet beautiful atmosphere Bartz crafted in the desert cult hooked me. I really didn’t know what would happen. The middle of the book was excellent but the end a bit rushed and over the top. I also could have done without all of the Stargirl lore peppered in (I felt this about Bartz’s debut which contained passages of a novel throughout that I didn’t need.) I will continue to read whatever Bartz writes, but this wasn’t quite the home run I wanted it to be.

✨Content Warnings: Murder, Sexual Assault, Sexual Content, Emotional Abuse, Adult/Minor Relationship, Violence, Mental Illness, Child Death

The Last Session by Julia Bartz is about a social worker named Thea who confronts her past when a catatonic patient triggers memories of a traumatic event and then disappears. Determined to learn more from her patient who has conveniently disappeared, Thea makes her way to a very unconventional wellness center in the desert, At the wellness center, Thea uncovers disturbing secrets that were buried for a reason.

This book was a slow for me. I initially struggled to become fully engaged. I took me a . Having enjoyed the author's previous work, I was eager to jump into her new novel.

However, I found this book failing to captivate me and sometimes outlandish. The cult-like environment depicted was interesting and unexpected until it became a bit unrealistic.

If you are drawn to narratives featuring cult-like dynamics and personal traumas, this book might just hit the spot for you.

When a comatose, amnesiac, patient shows up at the psychiatric hospital where she works, Thea is certain she recognizes her. She discovers the woman is an actress, who starred in a film Thea was obsessed with as a teen. When the woman suddenly disappears from the hospital, Thea can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong, and follows her to a wellness retreat in New Mexico. What follows is a story of cults, murder, kidnapping and prophesies, as Thea learns more than she bargained for.

This book was unhinged in the BEST way possible! While it’s definitely a “trust the process” type of plot, it hooked me from the very start. I want to keep my review spoiler free, so I’ll just say that most of the characters are purposely unlovable. Their quirks get stranger and stranger as you go along, which adds to the twists and turns of the story. By the end, you’re not sure who, or what, to believe.

As long as you’re able to overlook the fact that Thea makes back-to-back-to-back bad decisions, I would highly recommend checking out The Last Session!

Read this if you're into locked-room mysteries, cult-y retreats, and twisty whodunits with a side of therapy talk

Another thriller from Andrea Bartz, and this one’s got all the ingredients for a page-turner: a remote wellness retreat, a group of people with secrets, and a decades-old mystery resurfacing. I was hooked from the start and really wanted to know what happened.

The setting was a standout—it’s easy to picture the isolated retreat with its tension-filled therapy sessions and cabin-in-the-woods vibes. The mystery itself kept me guessing, and Bartz definitely knows how to build suspense.

That said, the characters felt a bit too much like stock types: the guru, the skeptic, the damaged-but-deep one, etc. And sometimes their choices were baffling in a “no one would actually do that” kind of way. The story also tried to juggle a lot of themes—trauma, groupthink, influencer culture, recovery, secrets from the past—and it didn’t all land. It was like three different Big Ideas trying to fit in one book.

Still, I tore through it and was curious enough to see it through. If you like a moody mystery and don’t mind suspending disbelief for the sake of some drama, this could be a good weekend read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review!

>>>> for some original book related illustrations, check out my blog :) <<<<

Thank you NetGalley for the copy!

After Bartz’s first book (The Writing Retreat) I couldn’t wait to dive in to this one. It was everything I wanted and more.

The characters were captivating and infuriating. The story was mesmerizing and though bizarre, it was also realistic. As someone who lives in LA and has been lightly exposed to cults/cult-like behavior especially in the spiritual community… I was pretty impressed with how Bartz captured the essence of subtle manipulation among these types of groups. Watching the subtleties develop into extremes was beautifully and delicately done.

Color me enthralled and consumed.

Couldn’t put this down. Couldn’t stop thinking about Catherine and how trauma and patterns will dictate your life if you let them.

For those who may find this story/plot unrealistic or too over the top.. it may simply reflect experiences that are outside their personal frame of reference as i would have felt the same prior to my own experiences.

Also for those who watched Love Has Won: the cult of Mother God or Escaping Twin Flames ... this book is sure to take you on a similar ride.

Not as great as Bartz's last book - was expecting something totally different based on that and was unfortunately disappointed!

Read If You Like:
• Psychological thrillers with wellness retreat setting
• Explorations of trauma and memory
• Female protagonists confronting past secrets
• Atmospheric, desert landscapes
• Tense, locked-room mysteries

A catatonic woman is admitted to the psychiatric unit where Thea works as a social worker. Thea feels an unsettling familiarity but can’t place it. When the woman finally speaks, she claims to remember nothing. Then she vanishes.

Thea’s search leads her to a remote wellness retreat in the New Mexico desert—a place where guests surrender their autonomy to a magnetic couple promising healing through radical intimacy. The deeper Thea goes into the program, the more blurred the lines become between therapeutic recovery and psychological control. As she’s drawn into increasingly vulnerable exercises, Thea is forced to confront a past she thought she’d escaped—and a truth that may unravel her completely.

This is a taut, emotionally charged thriller that balances suspense with quiet psychological depth. Thea’s journey is both a gripping investigation and a raw excavation of personal trauma. The setting heightens the claustrophobia, isolation, and intensity of each interaction, as the story builds toward a deeply satisfying—and disturbing—conclusion.

Final Thought:
This is a haunting exploration of what it means to lose and reclaim control—in your mind, your body, and your story. Gripping, thoughtful, and uncomfortably real.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my ARC copy!

This book had me on the edge of my seat! A social worker, Thea, finds a catatonic celebrity in the public mental hospital she works in, and they eventually form a connection. When the celebrity checks out early and without warning, Thea feels like something is wrong. She finds out where she might be, and follows her out there, only to find a very creepy New Mexico wellness retreat -- with a darker side. This story definitely kept me on the edge of my seat with twists and turns. Thea's own beliefs are challenged as she gets sucked deeper and deeper into the mystery of what is truly going on at the retreat. The story is a little over the top at times, which I see in other comments too, but honestly, I enjoyed that about it.

This book pulled me in right away. The tension at the start was so good, especially when Thea starts trying to figure out the identity of a mysterious woman she comes across. That reveal really made me want to keep reading to see where things would go.

The setting really stood out too. The retreat in the middle of the New Mexico desert felt so off in a creepy, almost dystopian way. You could just feel that something wasn’t right, and that feeling hung over the whole story in the best way.

The pacing kept things moving, and I have to say, Thea’s little side quest felt totally chaotic but somehow worked. I also really liked how strange and unsettling the retreat leaders, Sol and Moon, were. Every time they showed up, you just knew something weird was about to happen.

If you like books that have an uneasy, mysterious vibe with characters you are constantly trying to figure out, this one is worth checking out.

Set against the backdrop of a final therapy session, the story unfolds as the protagonist confronts pivotal moments from her past, seeking closure and understanding. Bart's writing is lyrical and nuanced, capturing the raw emotions and vulnerabilities of her characters.

The interplay between the therapist and the patient reveals deep insights into human nature and the struggles we all face. With its rich character development and thought-provoking themes, The Last Session is a compelling exploration of relationships and the journey toward self-acceptance. Readers will find themselves reflecting on their own experiences, making this a relatable and impactful read.

When a mysterious patient appears at a psychiatric unit with no memory of how she got there, and disappears just as mysteriously, social worker Thea takes it upon herself to find the mystery patient. She feels a connection to this woman and a duty to follow the clues she left behind. The clues take Thea to an isolated wellness retreat where she is exposed to highly unethical methods and conditions, but doesn't feel able to leave until she finds her patient, and possibly learns more about herself and her own past trauma.

This locked-room thriller is full of suspense and unease. Thea doesn't know who she can trust and therefore neither does the reader, so everything and everyone becomes suspicious. This kept me guessing and was a wild ride.

I really enjoyed this in the beginning, and the. Things took a turn. I found so much of the MC’s actions to be unbelievable. The whole second half was just really out-there and not my cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Julia Bartz, and Atria Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Initially, I had a hard time getting into this book, but the story definitely develops and becomes crazy, somewhat unbelievable if I'm honest. But I think that's the point!

Thea is a social worker working on a psychiatric unit when a familiar patient comes in. She is familiar, but she doesn't know why, but she is sure she knows her from somewhere. The patient is first unresponsive, no one knows why she is there. As she begins to come to, she claims she does not remember what happened to her or why she came to the unit. Thea shows up to work and finds that the patient was picked up by her parents. But Thea does not believe that. She reviews security footage and senses that something is off.
Thea is adamant about finding her. She finally does and finds herself at a retreat with some unusual hosts. The retreat specializes in help people uncover sexual issues/desires. To get answers, Thea joins the retreat and is forced to participate. But what she does not expect, is the participation helps provide answers to her past.

I went into this one with curiosity, especially given its popularity among thriller readers, but ultimately, it didn’t land for me.

I’ll acknowledge upfront that I may not have been the most objective reader—my background as a former social worker in a psychiatric hospital made it hard to suspend disbelief around the professional dynamics portrayed. There were numerous red flags in the therapeutic setting that, in real life, would have had serious ethical and employment consequences for the main character. This made it difficult for me to stay immersed in the story.

The cult elements didn’t fully cohere for me either, and the supernatural thread felt like an uneasy fit within the broader plot. I can see how this twisty, genre-blending narrative might appeal to fans of psychological thrillers with a speculative edge, but I personally struggled to connect with the story and almost didn’t finish—though I did push through to the end hoping it might come together.

I seem to be in the minority on this one, so take my response with that context in mind. If you're a reader who enjoys unreliable narrators, insular group dynamics, and a slow unraveling of secrets, this may work better for you than it did for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for the advance copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

I LOVED The Writing Retreat and was so excited to read this latest novel from Julia. It did NOT disappoint! As Stefan from SNL would say, this book had everything: a psych hospital, a washed-up celebrity, past life regression, a sketchy cult, a strange portal… Plus great, propulsive writing. What a fun, wild ride; it kept me up way past my bed time.

The Last Session was not a great read for me. The ending fell flat and felt unresolved and rushed. It felt like there were many loose ends that didn't get tied up. There were a ton of religious references that contradicted one another when it came to how the narrator felt at the end.

I really would have liked this book to go in a different direction. It was perfectly set up for an unreliable narrator situation, but then the ending felt too neat. There was much ado about a connection between two characters that just...didn't go anywhere? It had the foundations for being a really interesting suspense, but then it just petered out.

Overall, this is a 3/5 for me. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review The Last Session. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoy this author, so I requested the book. The one word to describe it is cultish. This book will not be a book that I will have my students read, but I have recommended it to several teachers and family members who love to read. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but this book was tough to put down. Like I said "cultish."

Dark, intense, and totally gripping, The Retreat is a locked-room thriller that dives deep into trauma, memory, and the unsettling underbelly of so-called wellness culture. I couldn’t look away.

Thea is a social worker who’s no stranger to pain, but when a mysterious, catatonic woman appears at her hospital, someone who seems eerily familiar.,Thea is pulled into a mystery that spirals far beyond what she imagined. What follows is a twisty descent into a remote New Mexico retreat, where healing exercises blur into psychological manipulation, and no one is quite who they seem.

Julia Bartz masterfully builds a chilling atmosphere where tension simmers just below the surface, and every chapter peels back a new layer of Thea’s past. I loved the slow unraveling, the sharp commentary on exploitative self-help spaces, and the feeling of constant unease.

If you enjoyed The Writing Retreat, you’ll find this equally addictive, but with even more psychological depth and a setting that’s as isolating as it is haunting. A must-read for fans of dark thrillers that mess with your head, in the best way.

This book started out weird, but good weird. It traveled into a cult theme which I am a fan of. Then it went from zero to sixty into total lunacy for the last few parts. The end was completely bizarre and unhinged.