Look, I'll be the first to admit I have a soft spot for cult-y chaos, psychological unraveling, and a protagonist one bad day away from a full-blown identity crisis. So when The Last Session popped up with promises of a mysterious patient, a suspicious retreat, and "romantic and sexual exercises" (what even?!), I thought I was about to dive headfirst into the good kind of unhinged. And at first, I was into it.

The setup was strong: Thea, a social worker with some baggage of her own, meets a catatonic woman who feels oddly familiar. As the story unfolds, things get weird—a mysterious center in the New Mexico desert, some charismatic weirdos running an intimacy boot camp, and a dark history.

But somewhere along the way, the tension dissolved. I found myself oddly detached for a book that teases psychological thrills and emotional excavation. Thea's journey should've glued me to the page, but instead, I kept checking how many pages were left. The characters didn't feel vivid enough to root for (or love to hate), and it just never grabbed me the way I expected.

This was my first Julia Bartz read, and even though The Last Session didn't totally click for me, I'm still intrigued enough to check out The Writing Retreat, which I've heard much better things about.

Would I recommend The Last Session? Honestly... maybe. If you're cult-obsessed like me or really into therapy-thriller hybrids, it might be the book for you. But if you're on the fence, I'd suggest doing a little research—check out other reviews, maybe skim a few sample pages, and decide from there. Sometimes it's just not your book, and that's okay.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced reader's copy; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is a good read but it is seriously messed up. It’s graphic, disturbing but I cared about the characters and wanted to get to the ending and find out what happened last. The author provides good trigger warnings and definitely consider them when deciding if it’s for you. If it is, you will go through it rapidly because it’s compelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of The Last Session! I absolutely LOVED this book, and I devoured it as quickly as I could. I found myself nervous throughout, waiting for the next event to unfold. This was such a unique plot, and Bartz has a real talent for crafting stories that live on the edge of reality, leaving it up to you to decide what you believe in the end. I cannot wait to read more from her!

Unfortunately, this one was a miss for me. I really loved The Writing Retreat so I was excited to read this one. The premise of The Last Session is really interesting and unique. I enjoyed it for about half of the book and then things started to take a really bizarre turn. I felt like the ending was chaotic and kind of out of left field. I will still read whatever Bartz writes next.

DNFed at 30%. While I love a popcorn thriller and enjoyed Bartz's last book, this one had a little too much tell-rather-than-showing, a main character with unbelievable and unrealistic motivations, and entirely too much sexual and religious trauma that I don't entirely know was well done. Not for me.

Well, so far Julia Bartz is two-for-two with writing books that make me ask myself, “WTF did I just read?” as soon as I finish them. She has big ideas and bold plots, that’s for sure. For me, though, the execution of those ideas in her sophomore novel didn’t quite work.

The Last Session requires suspension of disbelief from the jump: A social worker in a psychiatric hospital unit named Thea follows a troubled patient to an isolated wellness resort in New Mexico. That patient is an actress, happens to have starred in Thea’s favorite childhood movie, and also happens to look exactly like Thea. From there, things get very strange. Even though Part One of the book sets things up pretty well, I was still giving the book the side-eye pretty early on.

And still, I can get behind an over-the-top plot, but I think my main issue was that Bartz seems to favor sensationalism over depth in this story. There are several serious topics – sexual assault, grooming, cult behavior and religious fanaticism – that are not given the attention they deserve or treated as sensitively in the story as they could have been. As a result, there is very little empathy created for our protagonist, Thea, who experienced these things. It’s clear Bartz wants to portray Thea as psychologically damaged, but it only ever comes across in Thea’s poor decision-making skills, which consistently annoyed me rather than made me sympathetic. Seriously, our girl Thea never met a bad decision she didn’t fully embrace. This could have been a much more nuanced portrayal of trauma and vulnerability – without sacrificing the thriller aspect – but instead it just felt salacious and a little silly.

I really did enjoy the cult aspect, though; the idea behind this particular cult is well-developed and just as “out there” ask you’d expect.

2.5 stars. I’m going to keep reading Julia Bartz’s novels, and I hope she doesn’t stop making bold plot moves – because I think she’s eventually going to write something that works on every level. Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the complimentary reading opportunity.

I tried to read this one, but I just couldn’t get into it. I DNF at around 11%.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted copy.

This book yanked me into it right away--I'm not usually a fan of the psychiatric unit trope (a degree in psychology will do that to you), but this was actually... really good? Realistic? Thea is a social worker, and a woman is admitted who looks a lot lie her. She soon realizes who this person really is, and wants to discover what led her to end up here, in the hospital. Full of twists and unexpected realities, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Calling this book a wild ride doesn't quite do it justice. It kicks off in a psychiatric unit, where a woman who looks uncannily like Thea, a social worker, is admitted with no memory of who she is. From there, things escalate from strange to utterly unhinged as Thea sets out to find her now missing patient. Her search leads her deep into the heart of a cult riddled with religious symbolism and manipulation, preying on the vulnerable and lost.

If you're fascinated by the psychological twists of cults and the mental and emotional manipulation they inflict, then this book will draw you in. While it reminded me of Midsommar, it eventually veered more into Twin Flame or Mother of God territory with less atmospheric horror and more of a chaotic spiritual delusion.

I’m torn about how to rate this one. There were moments I genuinely loved, especially the intense and unsettling situations Thea finds herself in. However, I struggled with her character development. She’s introduced as a strong, capable woman who recognizes the cult for what it is and yet somehow still ends up utterly consumed by it. That disconnect ultimately frustrated me. And while the cult’s madness had potential, it felt too scattered and overly obsessed with sex to fully land.

*Thank you to Julia Bartz, Atria Books and Netgalley for the digital copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

3 stars – It was fine, just not for me.

The Last Session had an intriguing premise and started off strong, but ultimately didn’t hold my interest the way I’d hoped. The pacing dragged a bit in the middle, and I found myself growing tired of the characters and their dynamics. While the psychological elements had potential, much of the plot felt predictable—I could see the twists coming well before they landed.

That said, Bartz’s writing is clean and accessible, and I can see how readers who enjoy therapy-centered thrillers or group dynamic dramas might find more to latch onto. For me, it just didn’t deliver the tension or surprises I was hoping for. A solid enough read, but not one that stuck with me.

Thank you NetGalley, the author, and Atria Books for the ARC.
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When a mysterious, unresponsive woman appears in the middle of the night, social worker Thea is stunned—she’s convinced she knows her. As Thea digs into the woman’s past, it leads her to a secluded trauma center in New Mexico. But what’s supposed to be a healing sanctuary feels increasingly sinister… like a cult disguised as therapy.
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The premise pulled me in right away, especially since I was a fan of Julia Bartz’s debut. The story opens strong with an eerie mystery and quickly escalates once Thea arrives at the center, where the tension is thick with unease. The book explores heavy themes—trauma, identity, and control—which adds complexity.

That said, the middle portion slowed down considerably for me. Thea’s repeated susceptibility to manipulation became a bit tiresome, even as I understood the psychological layers the author was unpacking. The ending, while bold, felt slightly over-the-top for my taste.
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Its a 3/5 ⭐read for me.
A gripping concept with a chilling setting and thought-provoking themes, but the pacing and character decisions held it back from being a knockout for me.

Really enjoyed this book. Didn’t love it as much as her last book but I would still recommend. I know a lot of people didn’t like that it had some spice but it wasn’t enough that it bothered me.

This book had so much potential. I was so excited to read it. Now that I have, I am left wondering what I read! Sometimes this questioning is a good thing; it keeps you thinking about it for long after you're finished. Unfortunately, I am just confused here, and perhaps the book is also confused on what it wanted to be. This book explores social work, mental health, divine connection, group mentality, and... cults? Thank you to #NetGalley for the arc

I really wanted to like this title. I really enjoyed her previous book, the Writing Retreat but I just couldn't get into this story. Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC.

This one just didn’t work for me. The premise had promise—a mysterious patient tied to the protagonist’s past and a secretive retreat with dark undertones—but the execution fell flat. I struggled to stay engaged and ultimately couldn’t get through it. The pacing dragged, and the story never quite delivered on the tension or clarity I hoped for. Just not my cup of tea.

This book was sadly not for me. I was 30% of the way through and DNFd. As a lover of Julia Bartz' first novel, I was surprised to feel so differently about this title. I removed the book from my platforms (Goodreads, Storygraph) in place of giving it a low rating. This may not have worked for me, but it will work for others!

So this one was ok…kept me turning the pages, but it definitely required some suspension of disbelief, as the characters made some super questionable decisions. If you enjoy cults and talk of reincarnation, this will be right up your alley. I found it veered a little too far into mystical territory—the characters were crazy fanatics….or were they??

This cover is stunning and drew me in. The Last Session was such a dark and twisted ride! I loved the New Mexico, desert setting and atmosphere. Fast-paced and filled with questionable characters, I was engaged and curious throughout. This is filled with trauma, lies and delusions. The ending had some crazy, bizarre twists that left me confused at times, but this was definitely a unique story!

I loved The Writing Retreat so much, I snatched up the opportunity to read the ARC for this release! Julia Bartz has a way of writing that pulls you in. I did struggle with this book almost from the beginning. The writing felt so different, though I know the storyline, and thus, storytelling, is very different from The Writing Retreat. I never found myself getting pulled in. I'm thankful for the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this one started strong, the premise really sounded fantastic, and we know those wellness centers can be good or wild, and this one was definitely wild. Combine that with a catatonic woman showing up at a psychiatric unit and I was all in, like I said it started strong and I was vested. Somehow though it went totally off the rails and it lost me. You do have to suspend belief in these types of stories, but this one was asking a lot, which was disappointing given the strong start.

I loved Bartz’ prior novel so much, so I am looking forward to what she writes next.

Thank you to Atria / Emily Bestler Books #partner for the gifted copy to review.