Set after a traumatic upbringing, two childhood friends meet at a resort to (hopefully) talk through the past decade. A guest in the resort is murdered and one of the friends is implicated.
The premise is great but the story has holes. It is interesting enough to capture and keep a reader though.

The characters were flat and mostly unbelievable.

I would suggest this for those that enjoy a dark but easy read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf for an early copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. This is the first book I have read by this author and I will be looking for more. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters. I thought the characters had great growth. I enjoyed this book so much that I read it in one day! I would definitely recommend this book.

First I would like to thank NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC of this novel.

This was a super quick thriller read. The beginning of the book started off so promising but overall the ending fell a little flat for me.

I loved learning about the backstory and wish we spent way more time learning about their life in the cult. I found I wanted more info about that time in their lives. The current storyline just seemed a little rushed and all over the place for me.

I wish there had been more twists throughout the book but overall it was a fun thriller read. And if you are a fan of cult troupes I highly recommend.

3.25/5 stars

This was an easy-to-read, rather suspenseful tale of two people who are bound to each other and who may be lacking a moral code. Both raised together in a cult, they had no normal societal frame of reference to shape their development. At least not normal in the ways of the outside world. And therein lies a bit of an issue, for me. As much as I enjoyed the story, it was not easy to connect with either character. Gabriel, I didn't understand at all. Frida was either good or bad, and I'm not sure even she knew. But all that was supposedly explained away in the telling because of their upbringing. Not so fast.

Let me just say, murder has consequences. Nobody gets a pass. Who is guilty and who is innocent? There is more than one death to solve in this novel, actually three. And that is what kept me reading. Like them or not, this "brother/sister" duo kept the momentum going. Recommended.

Thank you to the author, publisher Knopf and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't sure what to expect heading into this book. There are so many paths a book can take when it's "people with a history staying at a resort." This book had much more depth than I was expecting. One part "family" drama, one part coming of age, one part delayed adulthood/childhood isolation.

Unlike other books, the resort plays only a minor part in this story - it is merely a backdrop for decades worth of history to play out for two adults who spent their entire childhood enmeshed in an extremely isolated cult. From the beginning, Freda and Gabriel's "relationship" is clearly complex. It truly does get into siblings-not-by-blood territory. Theirs is in large part a trauma bond formed by growing up in a cult where there are no distinct mothers and fathers, only men and women who fulfill their patriarchal duties.

It is easy to see how a very warped sibling bond forms between the two of them - fiercely loyal and protective but also kept at a distance as well. I liked the nuanced relationships within the book, however it did seem that other details were thrown in a bit unnecessarily, such as the other guests at the resort - specifically influencers and TV stars, not just everyday people at a desert resort. The book I would say is very slow-paced but not entirely difficult to follow.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and a nice break from your typical murder-at-a-resort whodunnit.

Our Last Resort follows Frida and Gabriel, who grew up like siblings in a cult even though they are not related by blood. They escaped years ago, but life pulled them in different directions. When a book deal about their past comes up, they agree to meet at a fancy hotel in Escalante, Utah called the Ara Hotel.

Frida wants to finally have a real conversation with Gabriel, but it is frustrating because he is often missing or claiming headaches, making it impossible to get through to him.

Then one night, Frida overhears a tense argument between a young, beautiful woman and her wealthy, powerful husband. The next day, the woman is found dead and Gabriel becomes the prime suspect. This is not the first time he has been under suspicion and as the story jumps between past and present, dark secrets from their cult days start coming to light.
This book is full of twists, lies, and unexpected turns that keep you guessing until the very end. If you are into cult dramas with complicated characters and a suspenseful plot, Our Last Resort is definitely worth checking out.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers!

Frida and her "brother" Gabriel grew up in a cult that they escaped together. They remained close as the slowly learned how to integrate into life outside of the cult until Gabriel's wife was found dead and Gabriel accused of the murder. He moved away and they have not really kept in touch. Due to circumstances surrounding the leader of the cult they grew up in and what happened to expose the cult and bring it down, Frida and Gabriel find themselves at a luxury resort to potentially discuss those events for a documentary. Before anything even gets started, a hotel guest is found murdered. Immediately, her husband is suspected and arrested, but attention soon turns to Gabriel, which is shocking to Frida because as far as she knows, he doesn't even know her.

The story is told from Frida's POV in the past as they grew up in the cult until events meet up with present day. Frida knows Gabriel and does not believe him guilty of any crime. They share a deep bond and an even deeper secret. As she begins her own quest to prove Gabriel's innocence, she realizes she may not know him as well as she thought.

The story is decent, but drags in the buildup. The ultimate reveal is satisfying so worth it to continue to the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Actually 3.5⭐️ but I rounded up.

I've been trying to branch into more genres outside of my usual romance and sometimes fantasy and this was not a bad read.

I will recommend this to certain friends.

I love The Quiet Tenant so much so maybe I had unrealistically high expectations for this one. It was fine. A pretty standard thriller. Nothing special or memorable about it for me. It wasn't bad but it certainly wasn't as gripping and compelling as The Quiet Tenant.

Dnf'd at about 26%. LOVED The Quiet Tenant and hoped this would be as gripping. This was more of a literary thriller focused on the characters, which isnt my jam. She is a great writer and I'll read future offerings, but this one just 2asnt for me. Again, nothing against the book or author, just a personal style preference.

This might be the most disappointing book I’ve read in 2025. Clemence Michallon wrote The Quiet Tenant, one of my most favorite books of all time, so I had very high hopes for this book. I wouldn’t necessarily say that this book is bad but it’s just a run of the mill thriller with a cliched cult storyline (cults have been done 1000 times, if you don’t have an interesting take, at this point don’t bother) and there aren’t really any interesting plot lines, characters or twists. The one twist that did exist was pretty predictable. I’m still looking forward to her next book but I can’t really wrap my head around why this book exists. A good audiobook narrated by the great Saskia Maarleveld helped this book move very quickly.
Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for an advanced copy of this book.

A beautifully written, slow-burning story with emotional depth and a strong sense of place. Thought-provoking and poignant -- an engaging read that lingers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor and Netgalley for this ARC. Frida and Gabriel are self appointed brother and sister, they bonded in a cult in the Hudson Valley at age 8 and broke free a decade later to an unknown world. Nine years later ; Frida - a day trader in NYC and Gabriel specialist in Roman history meet up in a upscale hotel and spa in Arizona to discuss participating in a documentary on the cult they grew up in. No sooner than they can even brooch the subject a high society wife is murdered on the grounds and since Gabriel has been suspect in his own wife's death all eyes seem to be on him and Frieda must help him. Written between two timelines of years in the cult and the present we unravel their lives. If you like a slow burn (as I do) you will love this book! Did not see the ultimate truth coming around the corner!

I don't generally love books with cults, but this was well done with a dual timeline that made it stay interesting and suspenseful. Overall I enjoyed this book and did not see the final twist coming, which is always a bonus.
Posted on Goodreads as well

I absolutely LOVED The Quiet Tenant so I was very anxiously awaiting this one. I ended up listening to the audiobook of it. I did enjoy it. I was not as enthralled and captivated as the previous book though.

3.5 stars rounded up.

At first glance, the Ara Hotel in the beautiful Utah desert promises its guests a luxurious desert escape filled with privacy and peace. Chosen siblings Frida and Gabriel, who were both born into a cult which they eventually managed to escape, check in hoping to reconnect after years of estrangement. However, they quickly find themselves entangled in a murder investigation, and for them the Ara soon becomes the setting for suspicion, secrets, and the surfacing of an inescapable past.

In "Our Last Resort", Clémence Michallon writes the story of two people bound by childhood trauma and loyalty. Told in dual timelines, the novel alternates between the siblings’ past - marked by isolation, indoctrination, and eventual flight - and their fraught present, where old wounds meet new dangers. The transitions are seamless, and Michallon makes smart use of cliffhangers to keep the pages turning. The past storyline, in particular, is deeply compelling, rich with emotional nuance and insight into what it truly means to leave a cult - not just physically, but psychologically.

However, while the setup suggests a suspenseful whodunnit, the mystery aspect of "Our Last Resort" ultimately feels undercooked. The procedural elements are barely sketched, and key developments arrive with little dramatic weight. The present-day timeline falls somewhat flat compared to its counterpart; most notably, the interactions between Frida and Gabriel at the Ara are frustrating. Their evasiveness, secrecy, and often baffling behavior undermine the emotional stakes, especially when clear communication could resolve - or at least clarify - much of the tension. It doesn't help that present-day Gabriel feels underdeveloped and at odds with his character in the past timeline. His motivations and interior life remain frustratingly opaque, making it hard to fully invest in the story’s central question: how well do we really know those we love?

Still, "Our Last Resort" succeeds as a slow-burn literary thriller more interested in trauma, identity, and the cost of love than in traditional detective work. The exploration of chosen family and the psychological costs of survival is well-done, and while the final reveals aren’t particularly shocking, they’re satisfying in their emotional resolution.

Michallon’s writing is often exquisite. Her prose balances restraint and lyricism, with moments of haunting introspection and striking imagery. Though some sentences are clipped, her control over tone and atmosphere is impressive.

While it never quite delivers on its mystery-driven premise, this is a beautifully written novel with a vivid setting, poignant themes, and a strong emotional core. Additional bonus points for the clever title.

Many thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf and NetGalley for the copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

"Our Last Resort" was published on July 8, 2025.

My favorite kind of thrillers are ones that involve cults. They scare the crap out of me, but they are so much fun to read about! And I loved this one!

A murder in a resort leads to so many questions. After surviving a horrific childhood, Frida and Gabriel become involved in the investigation. This was a great domestic thriller with very twisty turns! While this is the first book I’ve read from the author, it definitely won’t be the last!

This book was suspenseful. The characters were well developed and the set up made for the perfect storyline. I’m not big on books about cults, but still found those sections fascinating. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

In Our Last Resort, siblings Frida and Gabriel meet at a resort in the Utah desert to reconnect. A few days into their vacation, a woman is found dead and we learn that Gabriel's wife is dead and he was the chief suspect. As the investigation carries on, there are flashbacks to their time growing up in a cult. With subjects like murder and cults, I was anticipating an exciting novel however found this one quite boring. I was not particularly interested in either timeline or main character and while I finished it, I was never drawn to pick it up. I finished this about a week ago and already have forgotten most of the details. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy. 2.5 stars, rounded up.