Having been raised in a cult, Frida and Gabriel have been through so much. After escaping, they have leaned on each other and have a close brother/sister bond.

The Last Resort is told in both present and past timelines. We are able to meet Frida and Gabriel as teenagers, experience their time in the cult. Also we see them now as adults on a week getaway to a luxury resort. When there is a murder at the resort, we are left wonder if they had something to do with it, as past events come to light.

This book had be completely immersed in the story, both past and present. Really enjoyed this one!

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

After reading The Quiet Tenant and loving it, I was thrilled to receive this book early for review. While I wouldn't say it's as good, it's a decent, fast-paced read. I love reading about cults. I find them fascinating, and I wish the entire book were just about that, with a mystery involved. The present-tense storyline was a bit far-fetched and a little bizarre. I do think this book is more murder mystery, which is different from the first book she wrote. Overall, I think it was a twisty, suspenseful book that readers may enjoy. I am looking forward to future releases by Clemence Michallon.

I loved Michallon's debut, The Quiet Tenant and that set me up to make this a very anticipated read. It didn't wow me like her first and the two timeline structure here didn't work for me as well as it could have. Our two main characters grew up in a cult and the past timeline seemed so distant and unrelated to the first. I am not sure exactly why, but it just didn't seem to be exactly what I think was needed to make it seem as important to the story.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.
This was a very interesting story. While it actually gives a lot of background information on the cult these 2 protagonists were in when they were kids, I felt that the story has left some holes in what happened after they left from the cult and to how they got to where they are now. The story line was good and definitely built up and became more and more tense. The reader can feel how the tension is building between the 2 'siblings.' Some of the story was very unbelievable. There is so much happening at once that the reader truly has to pay attention not to miss any important details. I did not read this author's previous book (The Quiet Tenant) but will definitely pick it up now after having read Our Last Resort. I enjoyed it and read it fast as I wanted to know what is going to happen and who did what. It definitely had some interesting twists and surprises!

I was expecting a solid read from Michallon given The Quiet Tenant was one of my top reads last year, and she did not disappoint. Our Last Resort was a solid follow-up that was an easy five stars. I really love stories that play in the grey area and keep you on your toes the entire time, and this one most certainly did. It starts off at the beginning with a murder at a resort and Frida and Gabriel are persons of interest, prompting Frida to revisit their past in a cult and how they both escaped. In addition to being a thriller this also covers friendship and trauma, and how two people handle trauma differently but at the same time it bonds them together in a way that is never broken. The audio was excellent; this was a one-sitting read for me and I could not put this one down once I started. Michallon is now an auto-read author for me, and I highly recommend this one if you have not read it yet.

Thank you to Knopf #partner for the finished copy and to PRH Audio for the copies to review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this one!
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I’m going to go with 4 ⭐️!
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I did a mix of ebook and audio for this one and it was the way to go!
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Was this more of a suspense/mystery than a true thriller? Yes. Did I see a lot of it coming? Yes. Did I binge this in one sitting in a day? Also, yes.
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I liked the resort setting of this one with a big “who did it” storyline. I always love when a book has dual timeline. I really enjoyed getting to see the past in this one. We got to see how our MCs met and came to have the relationship they had in the present.
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I really enjoyed the ending and how everything wrapped up really well!

2.5 rounded down. I really did not like Clemence Michallon’s debut, “The Quiet Tenant” but I was excited to give the author a second try with her newest release. I can’t really put my finger on exactly what it was that I didn’t like about this book. It just didn’t really seem like a thriller to me. The smaller twists were lackluster and the main mystery was just so obvious.

This was fine. Kind of hard to follow and not as good as other books I’ve read by this author. I’m very interested in books regarding cults, but this fell short for me unfortunately. I think it was the dual time lines

#ad much love for the ALC #prhaudio #partner
& the ARC @knopf #partner

“I hated that we spoke it so fluently, the language of violence, of crime. But it was what we'd been given to work with from birth,” (p. 35).

I read this author’s previous book and loved it so much! It was actually my friend @itsNikoTaylor (I feel I always need to add a “bishhhhhhh” to the end of his name.) who recommended it to me. Just loved it! And while this book isn’t like that one, it’s just as compelling. Mostly.

Picture a luxury resort on its own island. Coming home after being away for years and escaping a cult. Sounds fascinating doesn’t it. Then a woman is murdered and all chaos breaks loose.

The story alternates between the past and current times - and while this is more of a slow-burn (maybe) there was never a dull moment. However, I didn’t enjoy the two timelines and really feel this story didn’t need it. Readers looking for a more emotional story will appreciate this one. Thriller readers might not enjoy it as much - but if you haven’t read The Quiet Tenet I highly recommend that one!

🎧 The audio was perfect for this one. I feel I always say this but the narrator did a phenomenal job bringing this book to life.

It’s called Our Last Resort but it’s literally both the place and the characters’ last resort too. Enjoyed the writing and the depth of the characters.

This was a great second novel from Michallon, whose The Quiet Tenant was a standout for me in 2024. The dual timelines kept me intrigued throughout the story and I was intrigued about the mysteries as they unfurled. The last 50 pages or so did more telling than showing, which is a personal pet peeve of mine and therefore this lost a star for me.

Thank you to Knopf and Netgalley for the eArc.

I’ve heard wonderful things about the author’s first book so I was happy when I got her second book on NetGalley. It’s hard for me to write a constructive review. I liked it but didn’t love it. Honestly I found it to be pretty…meh. I was not very attached to our main characters. Their pasts were intriguing and unique and I guess where they come from explains their bond to each other. But it was just another aspect that just failed to connect with me.

This was not a bad book but it just wasn’t the book for me. After hearing how amazing her first book is (I’ve not read it yet) I expected more from this one. I still plan to read her first book.

**Thanks to the author and Knopf for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.**

This was an interesting read, though not a favorite. The story follows Frida and Gabriel, who escaped a cult as young adults. While at a resort, a young woman is found dead, and the mystery unfolds alongside glimpses of their traumatic past and the unresolved death of Gabriel’s wife.
The plot is straightforward and the ending wasn’t surprising, but it was still a satisfying read overall.
Thanks to NetGalley and Elliot & Thompson for the ARC

After hearing such good things about Clémence Michallon's first novel, "The Quiet Tenant," I was excited to read "Our Last Resort." The book follows Freida and Gabrielle "siblings" who were able to escape a cult when they turned 18. This novel goes back in time to their childhood and also present day where they are a hotel in Utah and a woman was murdered. It's looking similar to another case involving Gabrielle's past. I thought that the cult plot was pretty unique and it really added to the murder mystery. I found the twists mildly predictable, but still entertaining. If you like a thriller with some depth, I would recommend this! Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for this eARC.

I was a big fan of Clémence Michallon’s debut The Quiet Tenant. It was unique, unsettling, and creatively written. Her latest, Our Last Resort, takes a different stylistic route, but I still found myself thoroughly drawn in.

Now let’s get this out of the way… this book is a slow burn. It’s almost glacial. The narrative is steady, not urgent. The reveals are gradual and pack emotional weight, steadily deepening the narrative. It’s labeled a thriller, and while there are moments of tension, it leans harder into childhood trauma, psychological nuance, and relationship dynamics. It’s less edge-of-your-seat intensity, and more reflective immersion… and honestly, I didn’t mind that one bit.

Of course, there are some “wow” moments sprinkled in. But the real strength lies in how the story explores trauma, the ripple effects of choices, and the quiet desperation for love and normalcy. It’s emotionally layered, morally complex, and psychologically thoughtful. It’s not your average thriller fare, but who says thrillers must always follow the same formula?

Michallon’s writing continues to impress with its sensitivity and insight. I’ll definitely be first in line for whatever she writes next.

Thank you @netgalley and Knopf for the eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Honestly, this one felt a bit slow and predictable. The setting was awesome, but the characters just didn’t do it for me, and the story didn’t grab me like The Quiet Tenant did. Still, I look forward to seeing what this author comes up with next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the early release ebook. All opinions are my own.

Our Last Resort slowly simmers as the story of Frida and Gabriel, two individuals raised in a cult, deal with trauma and murder in their lives. They were uninteresting and I failed to ever connect with them. The story was written in two different timelines that essentially felt like two different stories. It did little to add to the plot. The story essentially read flat and dry.

While I'm sure that many will find this book enjoyable but I was not one. I will not be running out to buy a copy.

I wanted to love this so much because I loved her previous book! But this was rough. The two timelines didn’t converge at all. The plot was very basic.

Some thrillers throw you into chaos from the start. Our Last Resort quietly pulls you in with beauty and tension, then lets everything unravel in the most unsettling, deliberate way. And I couldn’t look away.

From the outside, the Ara Hotel is all peace and elegance, a remote luxury escape tucked into the haunting landscape of Escalante, Utah. But the calm doesn't last long. When a woman turns up dead at the resort and suspicion lands on Gabriel, Frida is forced to confront not only the cracks in their relationship, but the darkest corners of their past.

What makes this novel stand out is the dual pulse it beats with. In one timeline, there’s the current investigation, whispers of infidelity, and the unspoken grief that clings to both Frida and Gabriel. In the other, there’s the lingering trauma of their shared childhood in a secluded cult, something that doesn’t just haunt them, it defines them. The result is a layered, eerie narrative where every chapter peels back something raw.

Clémence Michallon’s writing is deceptively quiet, restrained in a way that makes the tension sharper, the emotional unraveling more devastating. It’s not just about a murder. It’s about identity, memory, blind loyalty, and the terrifying idea that maybe we only ever know the version of someone we choose to see.

If you love thrillers that take their time, where atmosphere does just as much damage as the plot twists, Our Last Resort is for you. It’s smart, character-driven suspense that knows exactly when to hit hard and when to whisper something that will keep you up all night.

I love reading about luxury places, & Our Last Resort gives readers that setting, but it also gives them a cult-in-the-woods setting. The story moves between these two places and times and explores the relationships and experiences between the narrator and the boy/then man, Gabriel, who she considers her brother. The cult is horrible, but the book doesn't dwell too deeply in that aspect of the story. Instead, it explores a murder that takes place at the luxury hotel where the "siblings" are reuniting. There were moments that felt a little extraneous, but overall, I liked the book-- I got invested in the characters & the drama.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

Siblings, Frida and Gabriel, had a rough childhood born and raised in a cult. At age 18 they made a harrowing escape from the only world they ever new. Now two decades later, both have found a place for themselves outside of the cult. Although many years go by without seeing each other, Frida wants to reconnect with her brother, so she treats them to luxury vacation at a remote, up-scale resort. Shortly after their arrival, another resort guest turns of dead, and things begin to go wildly wrong for Frida and Gabriel.

I was so intrigued by this premise, and curious to see how these two plot-lines were going to come together. Our Last Resort is told through the voice of Frida as her story slowly unfolds in alternating past and present time-lines.

I was invested in the cult storyline, but much less so in the current day happenings at the resort. Frida’s account of cult life, including how she and her brother changed and the challenges they faced throughout their years within the confines of the cult walls, was gripping and suspenseful. Whereas the plot that occurs during the resort stay seemed fabricated and just barely plausible. It was interesting to see how the author brought the two storylines together, but the payoff at the end did not feel worth the time for this reader.

Our Last Resort was my first by this author. Although I didn’t love this novel, Michallon’s writing was solid enough that I will give her highly lauded debut, The Tenant, a try.

Our Last Resort is for thriller lovers who enjoy reading dual time-lines, cultish stories, complicated sibling relationships, rags to riches themes, and White Lotus vibes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for an ARC of Our Last Resort by Clemence Michallon in exchange for my honest review.