For the first half of the book I was fully invested and it was such a wild ride! As the book progressed it seem to get a little ridiculous, but I pushed on. I feel like the pacing of the 2nd half of the book was a little off to me and that's where the problem was, overall it was still a decent interesting book

I started out speed reading through this, loving every second. And then, it kind of went off the rails. I love a good surprise but, this almost went too deep into the weird brainwash experiences. I think if it didn’t all link to Stargirl, it might not have seemed so forced.

I really loved The Writing Retreat but, unfortunately this one wasn’t my favorite.

I enjoyed about the first 40% of this book. It was enough to keep me reading to want to know more about what was happening and what had happened to our main characters, Thea & Catherine.

I felt like this book had promise but then veered off the rails. It just wasn’t my “cup of tea” so to speak.

I don’t want to give any spoilers. I’ll say that I felt like the blurb on the book was not what I was reading.

Thank you for the ARC. I had to push myself a few times to finish the book. I thought I would love it. It lost me with the strange connection between Thea and Catherine. Just didn't really make sense to me. The cult was interesting but just was ok.

The first few pages hinted at a wild ride and this book didn't disappoint. However, it turned out to be a ride that wished I had not gotten on. Thea, a social worker, instantly pulled me in with secrets in her past. When a patient came into the hospital where she worked, refusing or unable to talk, but looking familiar to Thea, I was invested to solve this mystery. When the patient disappeared, I desperately wanted answers and for her to be found. The characters were developed well, there was enough intrigue to keep you wanting to know and locked into finding answers. Why did Thea recognize her? Where did she go? How are they connected? Who are all these mysterious characters that aren't who they say they are? But then, for me, the ride derailed. Thrown into a storyline of past lives, orgies, and scenarios too wild to relate with. I just wanted for the ride to be over. That said, the story and characters are well written and interesting enough to keep you peeking through your fingertips.

The Last Session by Julia Bratz is a beautifully crafted and emotionally resonant novel that captures the complexity of human relationships and the power of healing. The story revolves around a pivotal final therapy session, where the characters confront their deepest fears, unresolved conflicts, and hidden truths. Bratz’s writing is sharp yet compassionate, drawing readers into the raw emotional landscape of her characters' lives.

What stands out is Bratz's ability to create multidimensional characters who feel authentic and relatable. The dialogue is natural and poignant, and the themes of self-discovery, vulnerability, and the challenges of change are handled with grace and depth. The book manages to balance moments of introspection with those of tender connection, making it both thought-provoking and heartwarming.

The Last Session is an insightful exploration of the human experience, offering both catharsis and hope. It’s a must-read for anyone who enjoys novels that delve into the intricacies of personal growth and emotional resilience.

Never at any point did I have an idea what was coming next and honestly, that made this book amazing. Books can get stuck in repetitive themes and tropes, but this story was 100 percent batshit crazy and 100 percent fresh. I had so much fun reading this story and escaping into Theas personal hell.

this one was a bit like some other thriller authors for me, they are entertaining enough and the twist is either fun or gives me a good chuckle in a “gotcha” moment but theres just something missing. with this one i couldnt quite really pinpoint what that something is, maybe its an over all believability of whats occurring?

it was hard to take seriously at some points but overall i did enjoy my time reading it and i look forward to picking up something else by julia in the future!

first; thank you to net galley, atria books & julia bartz for an e arc.

i really enjoyed the writing retreat so was looking forward to this one. i enjoyed a lot of aspects of the book, but i felt some plot points didn’t seem to add much & were too talked about & didn’t feel like it was necessary to the overall story. either way, it was a great read; definitely intense !!! i felt very intrigued through most of it, some parts felt a bit slower than others but overall just really enjoy the writing style and will read anything julia bartz writes !

This book had SO much potential! I really enjoyed the first 60% of this book, and then completely lost interest in the last 40%. This book dives deep into reincarnation, spiritual beings, and dream state. Honestly had no idea this concept would take up most of the book, and didn't love it 🤷🏼‍♀️ just was hoping for a thriller

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. The first chapter was the greatest hook and immediately had me wanting to go what the heck was going on! The story was great until it got a little weird. The ending did not do it for me. The story was just too weird for me.

I started this book expecting a missing person type mystery, with a side of self- healing and reflection, and it delivered that in the beginning. The plot kept me hooked as the book progressed through twists and turns and took an unexpected turn into the realm of the occult. The switch added a layer of depth and intrigue, transforming the book into something much more than a simple mystery and kept me engage. Each character feels authentic, with their own distinct motivations and struggles. If you’re open to a story that evolves into something more mysterious and magical, this one is definitely worth exploring.

Firstly-I highly recommend that you check any trigger warnings before diving into this. If you like anything by Freida McFadden you’d probably like this book. I felt that this had very poor mental health representation and found the plot to be very unbelievable. Sadly, I don’t think I will be picking up anything else from this author.



Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Social worker, Thea, works at a psychiatric unit where she starts to feel that she somehow knows one of the newly admitted patients, who comes in catatonic and traumatized. The patient admits she has no knowledge of the events that led to her arrival and Thea uncovers that she knows this woman from her own past.
When the patient dissappears, Thea tries to follow her and track her down but this leads to an dangerous path for both women.
Note, multiple triggers throughout the book. 2 stars given for the slow burner, unprobability of the plot and situations, and overall slow read for a thriller.

This book was dark and twisted. It starts out with a social worker, Thea, who befriends one of her patients, Catherine. Catherine was a movie star who starred in the movie Stargirl that Thea had come to love as a 13-year-old. She had shown up in the clinic catatonic, but then, after Thea had spent a great deal of time talking to her, she came out of it. The clinic phoned her parents and they came to get her. But imposters showed up claiming to be her parents and took her away. She had left behind a note for Thea that led her to a podcast. The podcast featured Moon and her partner, Sol. They ran a cult in New Mexico so Thea decided to go there thinking they were the ones who had kidnapped. Catherine and she wanted to bring her back. In the meantime, Thea had met a PI by the name of Jonah. He told her that he was hired by Catherine's parents to find her. So Thea bought admission into the cult. When she got there, Jonah was there.

Once there, they were able to locate Catherine. It was decided that they would leave at 4:00 in the morning and that Catherine would accompany them. But that didn't happen. Sol and Moon got Thea and Jonah drunk and they had an orgy.

Moon and Sol's cult was all about past lives. Thea and Catherine looked just alike and it was decided that they were sisters. So there was all this talk about Thes's past life and that she needed to be a sacrifice. That's when everything went haywire. It turns out that Jonah was a part of the cult and his real name was Joe. They wanted to put Thea in a black hole in a cave. When she refused, they tied her up. And like I said, this is when everything went haywire. They dropped her in the black hole, and the narrative changed from Thea to Catherine. After that, I have no idea where the story went. It became convoluted and went to a different place all together. There was nothing about this book that I liked. It went off the deep end in a big way. I feel like I wasted my time reading it. I would never recommend it. I gave it one star.

This book has everything: cults, mystery, potentially mystical or inexplicable events. It was right up my alley, and I found it thoroughly enjoyable. It was also fun that it started in one setting, with a certain tone, and then sort of unraveled in an entirely unexpected way. I'm excited to see more from Bartz.

after loving her debut the writing retreat, i happily came back to find a sexual tension queer thriller this time set in the new mexican desert. BIG SLAY from one social worker to another <3

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Thea, a social worker working in a psychiatric facility comes face to face to an unknown patient just admitted for catatonia and psychosis, that looks eerily like her.

Shortly after discovering the identity of her patient, the woman disappears in the hands of a couple posing as her parents. Thea goes above and beyond to track this patient down....to a cult.

Overall enjoyable, just suspended disbelief in some of the plot lines.

The last session was a wild ride. While cult thrillers have been done many times over, this takes a fresh crack at it and does a solid job at it. I went in expecting a fluff thriller, and was genuinely in suspense at times. The female main character's character arc was satisfying, as you meet her in a place where she seems generally ambivalent about her life and unwilling to take charge of it. It's a refreshing change to see her take the reigns more as the story progresses. I felt similarly to The Last Session as I did about the author's previous book - It was perfectly entertaining with some enjoyably unique elements. Would recommend as a summer read.

An intriguing psychological thriller with a bit of a paranormal slant. Including elements of deception, romance, drama, and mystery this one will keep you turning the pages for more.