I received the ARC for this book, but the review is my own opinion. I liked Julia Bartz as an author before this but was worried when I saw the premise felt similar to her previous book (no shade I loved it). Not the case, completely different story. Really exciting thriller without being creepy or uncomfortable. I recommend if you want something you know you’ll finish and enjoy classic thrillers.

Holy. Smokes. I still think about Julia Bartz's debut THE WRITING RETREAT so I was thrilled to see she has a new one coming out. THE LAST SESSION was incredible and has cemented Bartz as a must-read author for me. If you liked her first novel, you'll love this one. She dives deeper into crazy plotting, bonkers characters, and truly shocking twists.

I don't even know where to begin trying to explain this story. It's about reincarnation, mental health, celebrities, cults and wellness, the horrors of Christianity and religion. It's surprising and uncomfortable and FUN and weird! Bartz clearly has no qualms about not holding back and this journey from a psychiatric hospital in NYC to a wellness center in a remote part of New Mexico is wild. I truly had no idea what was going to happen from one moment to the next. Sure there are some plot holes (pun intended for those who have read!) but I was also genuinely scared at some points (which is super hard for a book to do) and I was yelping and clapping my hands at other points. Just read it when it comes out, you won't be disappointed!

The settings in this story are well-developed and help move the story forward. Some characters seem to be less well-developed, which could be because of the controlling nature of others in the story. The plot was a little out there, and there are some disturbing scenes that revolve around sex.

What I liked:
Julia Bartz's writing style is compelling. The main character, Thea, is likable and sympathetic. The beginning of the book, focusing on her struggles as a social worker and in her personal life, pulled me in and kept me interested.
What I disliked:
Thea's repeated plunging into dangerous situations becomes unbelievable. She meets a patient who went through a traumatic event as part of a "wellness center" and when the patient disappears, Thea immediately follows her, even though it's clear that the wellness center is a cult. Once Thea arrives (pretending that she is there for a weekend retreat but really searching for the missing patient), it becomes clear that some sketchy things are going on, but she either ignores or doesn't see the danger. Many aspects of the book are over-the top-and unbelievable, and the ending feels rushed.
Overall:
I was never bored by this book, and I read it quickly because it was exciting and compelling. However, Thea's recklessness, bordering on stupidity, along with some over-the-top aspects of the cult, made it less enjoyable.

The book will be published on April 1. Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

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*ARC review* My prediction was right…this book went a little haywire beyond just being a thriller. It follows Thea, a social worker in NY who’s oddly obsessed with a movie & lead actress from her childhood. She’s experienced her own trauma so when her idol is in trouble, she goes beyond professional ethics and tries to “help”. Throw in some delulu/new age concepts like past-lives & collective consciousness (to the EXTREME) and it makes for a pretty wild ride.

I have so many thoughts and feelings after finishing The Last Session, especially since I really enjoyed the Writing Retreat earlier this year. I really loved the first half of this book. I was instantly intrigued by Thea and her work as therapist as well as her inexplicable connection with the newest patient, Catherine O'Brien. I felt like the plot had real potential to go somewhere unique, with the lush setting of the New Mexican retreat and the dessert atmosphere, but that whole aspect of the story seemed to fall flat. I also really liked the idea that Bartz would dive into the holistic nature of childhood trauma and who it shapes the people we become in our adult lives as well as the romantic partners we seek. However, that plot thread became tangled in "cultish" vibes and the whole story seemed to spiral 0ut of control. I may have gotten whiplash from going back and forth on who was a trustworthy and reliable character. Overall, the second half of the book took a very bizarre and overly sexualized turn, but for some readers, this kind of read may be exactly what they're looking for a book about cultish behaviors and strong group beliefs.

Thea is an art therapist living in New York with her roommate after a disappointing breakup. When a new patient, Catherine, comes into her facility, the staff is instantly commenting how similar Thea and Catherine look. For some reason, Thea finds herself drawn to Catherine and her recovery, only to discover she a famous actress who starred in her favorite childhood movie. After Catherine mysteriously is discharged by people to be her parents, Thea follows her across the country to New Mexico where she becomes entangled in a healing retreat in the middle of the desert. Under the tutelage of leaders Sol and Moon, Thea is thrown in a weekend of "sessions" that reveal the darkest secrets and intentions of everyone around her, including Catherine and Thea herself.

After reading and loving the authors debut novel, The Writing Retreat, I was really looking forward to her second novel.

I really liked the beginning of the story and the writing quickly pulled me in. I also really liked the fact that the main character was a therapist like I am. I also loved the cult aspect of the story.

However I did find a few issues with the book.
I don't mind an over the top/suspend your beliefs type of story but there were so many of these situations in this one that it became a bit much. I also felt as if there was too much of a focus on the Stargirl film (a movie that the main character was obsessed with as a teen).

Even though I didn't enjoy this one as much as I did The Writing Retreat, I still liked this one and would recommend it to thriller readers. I will also look forward to reading whatever Julia Bartz writes in the future.

Really good book, but strange! Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review!!

My goodness, what a whirlwind. First of all, I could not put this down because it was so crazy. If you’re not able to suspend disbelief for entertainment, stop right here because you won’t want to get on this ride.

Thea is a social worker and gets assigned to a mute and very traumatized woman who, weirdly, looks a lot like her. She also looks very familiar to Thea, and she quickly figures out the woman is an actress from her favorite childhood movie who hasn’t been seen in years. Thea goes out that night and drinks so much that she sleeps through her alarm, and she arrives late to work to find out the woman has left with a couple posing as her parents. Thea feels a connection to this woman and believes that she’s left Thea a message to track her down and rescue her, so Thea books a very expensive retreat to a New Mexico wellness center that, once she gets there, turns out to be some kind of weird sex cult. Even as she is doing all these questionable things, Thea recognizes how unethical and ludicrous her actions are, but lucky for us, she perseveres and we get to come along on this entertaining adventure.

There is A LOT going on here. Thea herself is processing some childhood trauma around her self esteem and sexual experiences, dealing with how those things are showing up in her present romantic experiences, and having all these bizarre dreams. She knows this place is a cult, but she also kind of lets herself get sucked in. Indeed, there is even a surprise orgy, because remember, this is a weird sex cult.

Was this thrilling? It sure was. I also kept talking to Thea and pointing out all the obvious red flags that she seemed to be ignoring (because how could she not notice them). I was frustrated that she made the decisions she made, but I also desperately needed to know what happened next. The ending was wild, but the plot got resolved so I'm okay with that. This fictional story exists for our entertainment, so you can either insist that all your fiction be plausible and free of plot holes and skip this one, or devour all its inexplicable and baffling parts like I did.

On a more serious note, the book is also exploring some real-life issues around abuse in spiritual communities. Having experienced something like this myself with a yoga teacher who way overstepped her qualifications, I can see how it’s possible to be deceived by someone who claims to have your best interest in mind. If nothing else, I hope this book helps some people realize how dangerous that is and how useful real therapy, with a qualified professional, can be.

It’s the last day of 2024 but this book ended the year strong for me! The Last Sanctuary is a tense thriller that kept me interested all the way through. There are some sensitive themes so be sure to check the trigger warnings. I think the less said about the plot the better, I had no idea where this was going to end up when I started reading. I didn’t think the ending quite lived up to the rest of the book but I still definitely would recommend this!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this eARC!

I really wanted to love this after adoring the Writing Retreat despite its ridiculousness. However, this one was simultaneously ridiculous and uninteresting?? I would have absolutely loved it if the twists lived up to the insanity, but the cult dynamics were so compelling and then the ending fell flat. The main character was incredibly stupid.

That said, I did fly through it!

The Last Session was a bit of a mix bag for me. It begins quite realistically following Thea, a social worker as a psych hospital. When a familiar seemin Jane Doe is admitted, Thea tries to figure out who she is. Once that mystery is solved, thing begin heading toward unrealistic...for me. Thea follows a clue from Jane Doe, now Catherine, someone representing Thea's last. This clue leads Thea to a cult at a retreat center in New Mexico. A LOT happens here, and I felt a bit of explanation was missing. I was able to look past the lack of information a trudge forward. I found myself gripped by the last 20%, gasping throughout. Overall, I enjoyed this psychological thriller but can recognize it will not be for everybody!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for this eARC!

Unfortunately this book was not for me at all. It was just all over the place and didn't hold my attention..I wasn't even able to continue it, I had to DNF.

The Last Session by Julia Bartz is a mixed bag of compelling psychological suspense and uneven execution. The story follows Thea, a social worker haunted by past trauma, who finds herself unraveling dark secrets at a mysterious therapy retreat in New Mexico. The setup is intriguing, with Bartz tackling heavy themes like religious and sexual trauma with thoughtful commentary, especially in the book’s first half.
But once the plot shifts to the retreat, things take a surreal turn. A reincarnation subplot and fever-dream-like sequences muddle the narrative, slowing the pace and making it harder to follow. The thriller aspects feel less refined compared to Bartz’s previous novel, The Writing Retreat, and the story drags at times, with some parts feeling overly long.

Despite these issues, the atmospheric setting, thought-provoking themes, and Thea’s complex journey still make this a worthwhile read for fans of psychological thrillers. While it doesn’t quite match the intensity of Bartz’s earlier work, it offers a haunting exploration of trauma and healing that lingers after the final page.

First things first: this cover is fantastic! As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to pick this up as my next psychological thriller. The page corner turned down to reveal the "Psychological Evaluation Form" is a really neat touch.

Now, onto the storyline: it was engaging throughout, with hints of deeper connections between some characters and their pasts that effectively built suspense. However, the last third of the book almost felt like a horror story to me—I found myself wanting to shout, "No! Don't go towards it, run away!" The cult-like vibes and hidden surprises will definitely keep you entertained.

While this writing style wasn't my favorite and I felt the plot unfolded a bit slowly and was somewhat unrealistic, I know this book will be very popular when it releases. I would recommend it, even though it wasn't my top choice.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I loved the Writing Retreat and was excited to get to read another book by this author. I was intrigued by the plot and the first part of the book. However, it al flopped from there. It went on and on, without any real build up to what was happening. The characters become less interesting as time went on and I just didn’t much care about them or the ending by the time I got to it. I appreciated the opportunity for an advanced copy and look forward to what the author does in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an eARC of The Last Session in exchange for my honest review!

Julia Bartz's previous book, The Writing Retreat, had become one of my favorite books of 2023, so I'd been quite pumped to dive into The Last Session. I'm happy to say that it effectively dishes out some slow-burn thrills, drawing us into what presents itself as a place of spiritual healing, but oh no, it may just be a good old cult. Sure, there are points where I'm arching a major eyebrow at certain odd choices that the characters make, but I'm willing to suspend my disbelief and go along for the ride. I especially enjoy the personal baggage that Thea has to unpack and the design of Moon as an utterly charismatic character who's capable of being quietly menacing when she wants to be. I'm additionally intrigued by the ways in which both this book and The Writing Retreat weave queerness into the story. It's not necessarily a central element, but it's still understatedly vital, informing us as to what these characters are like and how they're trying to figure out their own identities.

Overall, I'm officially rating The Last Session 4 out of 5 stars, and I'll continue to highly anticipate Bartz's work.

WTF did I just read?? This book was batshit crazy and I kinda loved it! I want to know what Julia Bartz has against retreats. This story had so many different elements and was really all over the place, but like the Writing Retreat, I really enjoyed it. Some parts lost me completely (spaceships) but the first half of the book was amazing and then what a turn it took! I didn’t think I was going to like the new directions, but somehow it all worked.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I really enjoyed this author's last book, 'The Writing Retreat', and this is in a similar vein where a group of folks are in a secluded location, when things get weird, and they need to either escape or face their demons. Thea is a social worker in a NYC psychiatric ward, where a catatonic patient is brought in. Thea thinks she looks familiar and realizes she's the former child actor from one of her favorite movies as a teenager, 'Stargirl'. She had a crush on the love interest, Sebastian in the movie, and many people thought she looked like Catherine, her current patient. When Catherine checks herself out, Thea is concerned and follows her out to a wellness center in New Mexico. That's when things start to get weird. She meets 2 other participants that are journalists/podcasters, investigating the owners-Sol and Moon, and teams up with one, Jonah, to find out what really happened to Catherine. When she starts to go through the 'treatments' put together by Sol and Moon, I had to seriously suspend disbelief. They know what she's dreaming, and believes she and Catherine are priestesses reincarnated to save the current world, if only they perform one major sacrifice. So at this point, most folks would get the hell out of there, but not Thea since she feels a 'connection' to Catherine and believes she's destined to save her. Well bad gets even worst, and I had to keep reading to determine what will happened to Thea and if she will escape with her life and sanity intact.
If you like stories about cults, psychiatric disorders, and locked room mysteries, this is for you!

After really enjoying Julia Bartz's debut thriller, I was excited to dive into The Last Session. I can confidently say this is the worst thriller I have ever read, and I would have DNF'd it if it was not an ARC read.

The mystery at the center of the plot, and how it unravels, felt stilted and underdeveloped. The main character made the worst possible decisions, downright illogical ones, despite her expertise as a social worker and mental health counselor. The writing style was meant to create and enthrall readers, but instead it just came off as trying to hard to be more complicated than it really was.