3.5 stars - I loved Clemence's first book, The Quiet Tenant, so I was very excited to read this book. I wouldn't say this is a typical thriller, more of a fiction with a mystery. A brother and sister escape from a cult and later find themselves intertwined with a murder while on vacation. The book has two timelines and is very character driven. I found the cult aspect interesting and very well done. The alternating time lines in the second half of the book made it so hard to put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read Our Last Resort by Clémence Michallon. This story quietly wrecked me in the best way. It’s beautifully written—emotional, introspective, and full of heart. Michallon has such a gentle, powerful voice that pulls you into the characters’ grief, their memories, and the slow, steady process of healing.

The setting was so atmospheric, and the resort felt like more than just a backdrop—it was a space where pain lingered, but hope began to grow. I appreciated how nuanced and honest the relationships were, especially in the face of loss and uncertainty.

This is the kind of book that stays with you long after the final page. Thoughtful, tender, and quietly powerful.

Our Last Resort by Clémence Michallon is an author I thoroughly enjoy reading. I gave this book a 4-star rating because of its unsettling plot line, which she excels at writing. The story kept me on the edge of my seat, and I couldn’t predict the ending. It begins with a past-present narrative, which adds to its great mystery and fear of the unknown outcome. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it to mystery and suspense enthusiasts.

Thanks, Knopf via NetGalley.

Our Last Resort by Clemence Michallon

4 Stars

320 Pages
Publisher: Knopf Pantheon Vintage and Anchor, Knopf
Release Date: July 8, 2025

Fiction (Adult), General Fiction (Adult), Mystery, Thriller, Cult, Rape

When Frida and Gabriel were young, they were raised in a cult separated from the outside world. Life is hard and they yearn to venture beyond the compound. Slowly they begin to take chances. They visit the neighboring town and are befriended by some.

Nine years ago, Annie, Gabriel’s wife was found dead in the water after being missing for two weeks. He was the prime suspect but without any evidence, the case was never solved. Because he is under a cloud of guilt, he moves from the east coast to Washington state for a new start.

Frida arranges for the two of them to stay at the luxurious Ara Hotel in Utah. Since they have not been close in a long time, Frida hopes they can rekindle their sibling relationship. They notice a married couple, a young woman and an older man, having disagreements. While standing outside smoking, Frida sees the man threatening the woman. The following morning, she is found dead. At first, the husband is arrested but soon attention shifts to Gabriel. His wife’s death makes him an ideal suspect. Frida knows Gabriel is not a killer, but she must do everything she can to find the truth.

The story is fast paced and bounces from the past and the present. The characters are well developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view from Frida. Reading about the cult life was difficult to read but important to the development of the characters. Their experiences make them flawed which makes them more believable.

Brilliantly written, great pacing, a true psychological thriller. I felt like I knew Frida and Gabriel, and couldn't believe the twists and surprises that evolved. This was the best book I've read in a while. I could not put it down, and I'm still thinking about the characters, their strengths, their flaws, their fears, and their will to survive. It was amazing that they could even navigate the larger world after growing up in a cult and never going outside it until they bravely escaped. What a great piece of modern literature.

I was disappointed by this book. It’s my own fault for setting my expectations so high since I enjoyed her first book, “The Quiet Tenant” so much. This one didn’t even get semi-interesting until half way through. To me, everything felt so forced. It tried so hard to be surprising and suspenseful, but for me it was dull and unbelievable.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for review!

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reader copy of Our Last Resort by Clemence Michallon. I was interested in reading this as I loved Michallon's debut, The Quiet Tenant. Our Last Resort was a fast moving thriller about a brother and sister who are reconnecting at a desert resort but have a heavy past having escaped a cult in their teen years. The story provides alternating chapters with what happened to them and how they escaped the cult with the current issue of a fellow guest found murdered. I very much enjoyed this novel -- really who doesn't love reading about a cult? Highly recommend this novel. Clemence Michallon is one to watch.

WOW. Loved this book. Well written and didn’t leave me feeling like I had unanswered questions. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Interesting book. The story is told in first person by a cult survivor in present day. Every other chapter is a flashback to her and another person's cult experience. The current day events are not particularly twisted, but they do leave you guessing a bit. It's a quick read; the book kept me interested that I was able to finish in a day.

Fantastic book! I would highly recommend both this book and other books by this author. Be sure to read this book!

In Clémence Michallon second novel, Frida and her brother Gabriel reunite at a secluded resort in the Utah wilderness after being estranged for years. The trip begins as an attempt to reconnect but quickly spirals when one of the resort guests is found dead and Frida and Gabriel become the main suspects.

As the investigation unfolds, so does their haunting backstory. Told in dual timelines, the novel weaves together the present-day murder with disturbing memories of their early years spent in a cult, their harrowing escape, and the trauma that’s shaped their lives. Each chapter adds a new clue into their lives, building suspense until the truth is finally revealed.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I had kind of a hard time getting through this one. I just found myself putting it down and putting off picking it back up. It just seemed like the same book I've read over and over and I never guess any twists but I somehow already knew what was coming through this one.

I wanted to love this but I think the story struggled because it didn't know which way it wanted to go. We have two different timelines: one in the present and the past where the main characters are in a cult. The problem for both is that neither timeline fully fleshed out. Because of this, it was hard to connect to the characters and the mystery was pretty basic. I wouldn't put it as a thriller because there is not much suspense.

Frida and Gabriel grew up in a cult, and this book unfolds in a dual timeline—one set during their time in the cult, and the other in the present day, where they’re enjoying a desert vacation. But peace is elusive; deaths and accidents seem to follow them wherever they go, and this trip is no different.

Unfortunately, this book completely fell flat for me—largely due to sky-high expectations. I absolutely adored Clémence’s debut, The Quiet Tenant—it was one of my favorites of 2023. Maybe if I hadn’t read that one, I would’ve been more forgiving here. But this just felt like a run-of-the-mill thriller, with no significant depth and nothing particularly memorable.

Between the two timelines, I much preferred the one set in the cult—it was fascinating and had so much potential. The modern-day storyline, on the other hand, felt boring and predictable.

I'm giving this one 3 stars, not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because it didn’t quite live up to the incredibly high bar set by The Quiet Tenant, which I absolutely adored. That debut completely floored me, so I went into this one with sky-high expectations. While there’s so much to appreciate here, it just didn’t hit quite as hard for me.

That said, there’s a lot I genuinely liked. The dual timelines were handled beautifully, I really enjoyed the way the past and present wove together to slowly reveal the bigger picture. I was especially drawn to Freda and Gabriel as characters; they felt layered and compelling, and I found myself caring about what happened to them.

I also loved the cult backdrop - it was eerie and fascinating. But where The Quiet Tenant felt like a tight, relentless thriller, this one leaned more into murder mystery territory. It had a slower burn and less of that breathless tension I was hoping for, which may be why it didn’t grip me in quite the same way.

Still, Clémence Michallon is an incredibly talented author, and her writing remains sharp and thoughtful. I’ll absolutely keep picking up whatever she writes next.

Huge thanks to Clémence Michallon, NetGalley as well as the publisher Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for the Advance Reader Copy for my honest review.

Clemence Michallon captured the journey that was Frida and Gabriel in a thrilling murder mystery set in the Utah desert. As survivors of a cult, Michallon provides bits and pieces of Frida and Gabriel's upbringing and to what ultimately brings them to Utah in an effort to reconnect after the murder of Gabriel's wife years prior.

When a woman is found murdered at the resort and with one murder already in Gabriel's past it's up to Frida to unearth the truth of what really happened.

On the surface this novel adheres to the popular genre of murder mystery/thriller; however, Michallon dives deep into relationships, trust, and understanding the complexities of who people become and what they let others see/believe.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor

this book was a mixed bag for me. the pacing flowed really well and i absolutely loved the dual timeline, which kept the story engaging. but the plot itself felt a bit too familiar, cliche and predictable.

i struggled to connect with the characters. it’s a quick and decent read overall, and i can see how others might enjoy it, but it just didn’t quite resonate with me personally.

thanks to Alfred A. Knopf Publishers and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Our Last Resort had all the ingredients for a compelling, atmospheric thriller: a remote hotel, characters with secrets, and a mystery that promised twists. The premise is undeniably intriguing, and Michallon’s writing style is engaging enough to pull readers in quickly. I especially enjoyed the alternating timelines between past and present—it added depth and kept the pacing interesting. The cult backstory was another strong element, giving the novel a darker, more unsettling tone that added to the suspense.

That said, the story ultimately felt anticlimactic. The tension builds, but the payoff doesn’t quite land. The plot became increasingly predictable, and what were meant to be twists came across as expected or underwhelming. For a book that sets such an atmospheric stage, it was disappointing to see it play out so tamely.

While the concept is solid and certain elements like the dual timelines and cult history worked well, Our Last Resort didn’t quite deliver the impact I was hoping for. A decent, quick read—especially for fans of slow-burn thrillers—but not one that leaves a lasting impression.

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

This book was tough. I did not connect to the story. I did not connect to the characters. It just dragged for me. I’m typically a fan of this author. But this one was just a no.

I dropped everything I was doing the second I was approved for this ARC and read this book in 2 days. I loved The Quiet Tenant so I was really looking forward to Ms. Michallon's second book.

I thought this book was a little bit slower but it got my interest quickly and I was excited to learn more about Frida's and Gabriel's story. It was written in two timelines - now and then, and the parts about both siblings living in a cult were very interesting to me.
I felt a little disappointed with the ending - it guess I just expected more of a jaw dropping twist and that didn't really happen for me.
Overall I still think this is a solid mystery/thriller that I highly recommend.

Thank you Knopf and the author for a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.