I was really looking forward to reading this, and I was very into the beginning of this novel. The plot was intriguing, and the writing quickly pulled me in, but we just as quickly drove straight into weird as heck territory. I'm really sorry to say that I'm not sure how I made it through this book as it took me forever to read, and I didn't find myself wanting to pick it up, but I was hoping it would come back together. I have discovered that I am very much not into the cult trope, but if you're a fan, you might find this interesting.

The Last Session, described as a locked room thriller, follows FMC Thea, a social worker living in New York who is reeling from a recent breakup. When a patient with a connection to a traumatic part of her past arrives at the treatment center where she works, Thea is strangely excited. But when she departs as quickly as she came leaving behind a secret message Thea’s fears she is in trouble. Feeling a strange connection to Catherine, she infiltrates a cult like treatment center to try to find her.

I felt that the idea for this book was so unique and I was really excited to read it. I enjoy thrillers with mental health as a theme so that drew me in as well. The second half of the book was incredibly suspenseful and the whole thing left you wondering, “what the hell will happen next?” So I enjoyed the unpredictable nature of it.

Unfortunately I think this book was plagued by a cast of mostly unlikable characters including, for me, the FMC. Her poor decision making eventually reaching the level of far-fetched adding to the outlandish feel of the story. I don’t mind having to suspend my belief some for the sake of the story, but this one was a bit too much.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Julia Bartz, and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the chance to read this ARC copy!

This was my first novel by Julia Bartz and I didn't know what to expect. The premise sounded strong, and I enjoyed the first part of the book. I typically like thrillers and mysteries but this one was wild. At the end of the day, this one just wasn't for me. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I had such high expectations for this book, mainly because I loved the other one written by the same author, The Writing Retreat. And even though they had the same vibe, the many twists in this one just confused me instead of enhancing the story. The whole thing seemed like some kinda of scary fever dream and then the ending was a bit anticlimactic.

The Last Session is another twisty locked room thriller from Julia Bartz, author of The Writer's Retreat.

Thea is a social worker battling her own inner demons when a familiar looking woman suffering a psychotic break shows up at her treatment centre. The identity of this strange woman has mysterious connections to Thea's past sending them both on a visionary experience in the desert of New Mexico at a new age healing facility. The owners of this controversial facility use unconventional and illegal therapies to summon Thea's long buried traumas which connect her to the strange woman and the other guests partaking in the therapy. With dreams, rituals, and sacrifices intermingling with Thea's long buried secrets, she will find herself delving into the depths of her own psyche where the shocking truth of it all will be revealed.

The Last Session has all of the elements that I loved about The Writing Retreat, but in much larger doses. The mega twists and turns, the creepy locations, a bit of the supernatural, and the intricate plot. I also thought the author included more supernatural and unpredictable elements which I thought was slightly lacking in her first book. The story was complex and the imagery served as powerful metaphors for the human mind/psyche which heightened the unnerving atmosphere and untrustworthy characters. The overall concept was highly original, I have never read a story quite like it before. The descriptions created a visceral feeling and the heavy topics added to the suppressive quality in the story. The trigger warning included at the beginning of the book was necessary as some difficult topics are explored in the story which was brave on the author's part. The cultish healing practices and new age topics such as karma were all woven into an imaginative story that explored mental health in a way I have not read before. Thea was a fascinating main character with her inner struggles and traumatic past, humanizing her experience in a respectful and discerning way.

The story was incredibly suspenseful, an intense page turner that had a dark dazey vibe to it.

Seductive and suspenseful, The Last Session is one you don't want to miss.

3.5

Julia Bartz definitely writes compelling novels. Bartz did a ton of research for this book, and it really shows. I think why this was a like and not a love for me is that I just could not wrap my head around the cult’s ideologies (especially in regard to the main point, which I won’t mention as it could be a possible spoiler). Maybe this just means I won’t easily get lured into a cult because I will have difficulties comprehending their ideologies lol.


Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my review copy.

Rating: 😐/2
Review: I had to stop after about 60% in. This book is dark and gritty and I can’t stand any of the characters. The pacing is off too - it starts off strong and quick but part 2 moves so slow and gets so out there I just couldn’t go on. DARK. Cult. Has some Nine Perfect Strangers vibes.
Format: 👩🏻‍💻
Source: #netgalley

The Last Session by Julia Bartz was a book I had high hopes for. I really enjoyed Bartz' previous novel, The Writing Retreat, mostly for its madcap drama and insane plot twists. When I came to this book, I was expecting something similar, but right off the bat, I found myself a little confused by where we were and what I was expected to understand.

This book feels messier than The Writing Retreat, lost in its own convoluted dramas and plot twists. I was less excited to pick this one back up– unlike The Writing Retreat, where I finished it in one sitting. I was not as drawn to the characters or the world, and felt I didn't really understand any of the characters.

Beyond this, as someone who has experienced significant religious trauma in her lifetime, I felt often that the trauma of the main character was presented in a repetitive, melodramatic light. I would've enjoyed her exploration of guilty feelings and how her sexual abuse at the hands of two men altered how she experienced her life and sexuality more if it had felt genuine or nuanced in any way. In every scene it was presented, it was almost presented for the cheap melodrama of the moment, of the main character going "Here's why I'm so weird sexually now." I also don't know how I feel about those scenes being presented almost as sex scenes that are arousing and stimulating, though I recognize that is part of the intent. It was hard to differentiate between the character's opinions and the author's– the intention was not clear, and I think when you tackle a topic like this, you have to present things with nuance, while this kind of felt like every scene was a knock over the head that was telling me more than it was showing.

I do think Julia Bartz is a talented writer, and I will pick up her next one, but I don't feel this one was for me.

If you love a good, locked room thriller, this book will be right up your alley. It brings in multiple themes of cults, mental health care, childhood trauma and much more. There is a ton of twists and turns which I really enjoyed. the only downfall is there were times some things were just too farfetched to be believed. Even with those, I still really enjoyed this book and would recommend to my friends who enjoy a good thriller. Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read early in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this authors' previous book, The Writing Retreat and was eager for this one. I did not enjoy this one as much. I usually love cult tales, but this one just didn't quite connect for me. I did like it, but parts of it just seemed unrealistic and a bit confusing. Stargirl? It has some pretty heavy themes, as the main character is a therapist trying to treat a catatonic patient. When the patient wakes up, she returns to a remote cult-like compound. The therapist follows as she is convinced the patient is a favorite childhood star. Then it gets weird. Then weirder. And still weirder. Not necessarily in a bad way, just unexpectedly. I did enjoy this overall in an uncomfortable sort of way and I do still look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Julia Bartz and Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Instagram and other retail and social media sites upon publication day of April 1st.

The beginning was unique and mysterious and had me craving to read on.. as I continued reading the first half was thrilling and I couldn't put it down. The last 3rd of the book began to feeling disjointed from the story I was reading. The end felt unfulfilling and unrealistic.
The Last session is not a favorite, but Id still recommend it if you enjoy mystery thrillers involving cults.

I'll be very straightforward: a couple years ago I read this author's debut novel, The Writing Retreat, and I pretty much did not like it. But, because I'm usually prone to giving authors a second chance, I requested this eARC to see if Julia Bartz's book are for me or not, after all.
Conclusion: no, her books are not for me.

The Last Session is another thriller about a retreat with shady people and where weird things start to happen, and the mystery of it all escalate to an ending that...might not be satisfying to most readers.
Also, I'll just say it: this is also a book about a cult. So, readers who are not into cult books might be aware of that.
Personally, I like 'cult books'. I have no problem with that, as long as I enjoy the writing and empathise with the characters.
Sadly, none of that happened with me while reading The Last Session.
What's more, I was fairly enjoying this book better BEFORE I got to the cult plot. LOL

I personally didn't like the plot twists; the too juvenile aspects of the protagonist (most of the time she would act way younger than her actual age); the 'fever dream' mess that took part in the second half of the book, and all the valid and meaningful conversations the author was trying to achive in the first half (such as mental health, religious traumas and sexual abuse traumas) ceased to exist in the second half.
All in all, I'd say the first half is decent enough and it can be compelling to some readers, but the second part? It was a struggle.

I guess I'd recommend this book to readers who have truly enjoyed this author's previous novel and also to readers who don't mind cult-y books and 'fever dream' stories.
I'm glad I gave this author a second chance, but I won't be reading any more books by Julia Bertz.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for providing me with a free eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

US pub date: 4/1/25
Genre: thriller
Quick summary: Social worker Thea feels a special connection to a new patient - and when the patient disappears, Thea chases her to a wellness center in New Mexico that feels more like a cult.

I've been reading a ton of thrillers lately, and who can resist a story about a cult? I liked that this was a quick read, but despite the short length, it felt a bit like two different books (one at the hospital, one at the wellness center). The twists were a little too over the top to make this one a new favorite, but I still enjoyed the wild ride! I will continue to pick up Bartz's books.

Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 Stars!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this ARC :)

This book gave me everything that I wanted it to. I LOVE books about cults, especially when they deal with religious trauma, so this book was right up my alley from the start. I loved her debut novel, the writing retreat, and I was a little worried going into this one because this one is also in a retreat like setting. The vibes were very different, and I quickly forgot about that worry I had going in.

This book was terrifying to me, watching some of the characters in this book get sucked into the web of the cult leaders Moon and Sol (I hate the names tbh) was hard to read at times.... but that was the point of it. I did struggle a bit with the pacing, but it did not really take away from my enjoyment of the book.

This book comes out April 1st, 2025 and I highly recommend picking it up!

Although this was a very entertaining book with very unexpected plot twists, I just don’t think it was for me. I found the characters hard to like. There were also some elements that felt a little uncomfortable

this book was bat shit crazy! I went into it expecting a mystery and then it got culty and mystical and confusing. There's a lot of different subplots to keep track of and the constant mentions of the fictional movie Stargirl were annoying because I felt like I was missing something.

the main character wasn't believable as a social worker unless she was super bad at her job.

the end was convoluted and felt like an easy way out. I have no idea what happened but I didn't enjoy this because I was confused and stressed the whole time.

Julia Bartz’s The Last Session is one of those books that keeps you flipping pages, not because you’re enjoying every moment, but because you’re desperate to figure out what’s actually happening. Even after finishing, I’m still not entirely sure I know.

The story is packed with intriguing elements—past lives, cult-like dynamics, and the ever-present question of how mental illness factors into the narrative. The unreliable narrators only add to the swirling confusion, making it hard to know what’s real and what’s not.

While the uncertainty is compelling in its own way, it also left me feeling unsatisfied. The book raises so many fascinating questions but doesn’t necessarily deliver clear answers, leaving me wondering if that was the intention or a missed opportunity.

That said, the writing is sharp, and the tension is undeniable. If you’re a fan of psychological twists and unreliable perspectives, The Last Session might be right up your alley. Just don’t expect all the pieces to fit neatly together.

3.5 - I liked this one. I really enjoy cult-centered books. However, this one was a bit too messy for me. The constant Stargirl conversations were confusing, since it felt like everyone was referencing something I had no context for. I also felt like there were way too many threads going on at once, and too many of them were unbelievable. I was honestly confused why Thea even went in the first place. Once she was there, I did enjoy the story and the unhinged characters. I would have enjoyed this even more with a more streamlined focus.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book really started off in a way that captivated me. It touches on a lot of subject matter that is sensitive and deserves to be talked about more. However, after about 30% of the way in it just fell flat. Something shifted and the rest of the book felt poorly put together and rushed.

The first half of the book was very compelling, exploring mental health and religious and sexual trauma. The focus on cult dynamics was especially intriguing, and I was eager to see how these threads would develop. However, I struggled a little bit with the length and some confusing parts of the plot. The story took me a long time to finish, and the latter half felt disjointed and confusing.

That said, the last few chapters provided some redemption, tying up loose ends and offering closure. By the end, I was left with mixed feelings—appreciative of the themes and strong start, but disappointed by the uneven pacing and lack of clarity.