A culty book always hooks me in!
15 years after escaping a cult, Frida and her brother Gabriel check into a resort hoping to reconnect. But when a guest is found dead, secrets start to come out and their time isn’t as peaceful as they hoped.
I love a locked room feel in a thriller and this one definitely delivered. There is a dual time line of their time in the cult leading up to the end which really was done well. It’s not just a mystery/ thriller it is also emotionally layered with trauma, trust and healing.

I was pretty excited to get an early copy of this book because I love this author‘s last book so much.
Unfortunately, this one was just OK.
I never really liked these characters or cared about what they were going through. There were three different timelines and yet I didn’t really feel that interested in any of them.… They almost seemed random and an excuse to justify what shady characters they were.

The book is divided into two sections: cult days and present days, and it moves at a very slow pace. It was difficult to connect with Frida and Gabriel. I wish more details about the cult had been introduced to the story. The plot is effortless, the writing is average, and I easily guess the ending. There’s nothing surprising about this story.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are my own.

I love it when stories intertwine, but this one was trying to do *too* much of it and somehow did it without necessarily connecting them gracefully. Multiple murders + a cult background + an odd non-sibling/sibling relationship borne from the cult made for an odd read. Didn’t love.

I am obsessed with a good cult book, and this one was loaded with twists and reveals.

The dual timeline gives great insight and backstory into their lives in a cult, how they were brought up, how they bonded together and ultimately, how they broke free.

But the time spent there directly affects the rest of their lives, their work and most importantly, their relationships with others.

This book was addicting, so many times I thought I might know what was going to happen and then was surprised by new information. Would definitely recommend to anyone who likes a good thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley and Knof, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

"Frida and Gabriel arrive seeking a fresh start at the stunning Ara Hotel in the secluded desert of Escalante, Utah. Once so close they were able to finish each other’s sentences, they’ve grown apart in recent years after a sudden, unspeakable tragedy. Now, at the luxe resort, they are ready to reconnect between dips in the pool and hikes on spectacular desert trails. It all feels like paradise—until the dead body of a beautiful young woman who was vacationing at the Ara with her powerful, much older husband is discovered.
When the local police arrive and suspicion quickly falls on Gabriel, Frida is forced to revisit memories from their upbringing in a cloistered cult in upstate New York, their dramatic escape, and the scandal that followed. Frida’s belief in Gabriel’s innocence never wavered at the time, but now even she can’t ignore the evidence mounting against him.
Alternating between past and present timelines, Our Last Resort builds toward a shattering climax that uncovers the fate of the murdered Ara guest and poses the question: how well do we ever really know those we love?"
Wow! I absolutely loved Our Last Resort, the character development, the dual timeline, I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen, and on the other hand, I didn't want this story to end. I don't know what it is about Cult reads, I love them! Clemence Michallon never fails to disappoint. I can't wait for her next novel. Thank You to NetGalley, Knopf, and Clemence Michallon for the complementary egalley, and I don't want to forget, Abby Endler- for introducing me to Clemence Michallon back when I read her first novel, The Quiet Tenant, also a fantastic read, highly recommended.

Thank you Knopf for my gifted ARC!

I am a sucker for a story about a cult. And that’s exactly what Our Last Resort is. We get this perfect blend of trauma from the past justifying the present’s actions and reactions. Clèmence Michallon’s writing is crisp and engaging. I inhaled this book quickly because I needed to know what was going to happen. This was a solid four star popcorn thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC
2.5 ⭐️

I enjoyed the Quiet Tenant, so I was excited to pick this up. Unfortunately, this was pretty disappointing. I thought there were too many unnecessary details and fairly uninteresting characters. That created a rather forgettable reading experience.

Me 🤝🏻 thrillers about cults

Go into this one not knowing anything except it’s centered around former members of a cult—that is really all you need to know!!

I read and loved this author’s debut, The Quiet Tenant, so I was super excited to see another book from her. And it did not disappoint!!

It’s a mix of past and present timelines, which I loved because you got to see a clear picture of our two main characters growing up in this cult and how it shaped their future. I enjoyed both timelines equally, never lost interest when reading, and was pretty satisfied with the ending.

Thank you NetGalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, and Clémence Michallon for the opportunity to read this book.
I, however, had to DNF it at 30%. I tried a couple of times to read it before deciding to DNF it.
I just couldn’t connect with the characters. I felt bad for them, but the storyline wasn’t enough to keep me interested. It was extremely slow. I’m all for a slow-burn thriller, but this one was just dragging on. I didn’t get any crumbs to keep going or care enough about the characters to see what happens.
But I hope people enjoy it! It just wasn’t my jam!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy. Our Last Resort follows two self described siblings. Growing up in a cult, Frida and Gabriel did not have a typical childhood, and once they left they eventually drifted apart. Now at a resort in Utah catching up, they find themselves tangled in a murder investigation. The story is told in the past and present. I really enjoyed learning about their past and how it shaped their future and decisions. I enjoyed the pacing of the book. I also enjoyed the relationship between Gabriel and Frida.

I finished the book. That is the only reason I gave this two stars vs one.

The cult, the wife’s murder, this new murder all seemed like a hodge podge going on and was well connected. The ending felt rushed and it just all felt off to me.

It does seem like many others enjoyed this, but it took me awhile to finish this and almost felt like a chore.

I went into this blind and had no idea what the premise of the book was about. At first it took me a bit to get into it but once I realized that the dual timeline was going to follow the current day at the resort but also their past growing up in a cult throughout the entirety of the book, I was immediately hooked!

This was somewhat of an unreliable narrator type story. Both timelines are told from the perspective of Frida, but you just don’t know how accurate she is being. And Gabriel seems to be mysterious as well. There’s obviously something to uncover about their previous lives at the compound in the cult, but also their present situation at the resort.

There is a bit of a twist which I think I had kind of assumed but it didn’t take away from the reveal. I was captivated by their story of growing up in a cult and their transition to the real world. But I was also equally as invested in finding out what happened in the “who done it” case at the resort in the present day timeline.

I loved the overarching theme of found family and loyalty. You know that you’re reading a thriller and bad things have happened, but I still found myself rooting for both the main characters and yet also thinking, how far will two people go to protect one another? Definitely gives you something to think about.

3.5 I found the main character to be incredibly frustrating in this book. But when everything played out it made sense. I also credit the author with creating a character that makes you feel something even if it is frustration.

While Clémence Michallon’s Our Last Resort certainly delivers on the suspense, it didn’t quite live up to the high expectations set by her previous work, The Quiet Tenant, which I thoroughly enjoyed. This new release is a solid thriller, but it doesn't quite reach the same compelling heights.
The premise is intriguing: Frida and Gabriel, a couple trying to reconnect after a shared tragedy, arrive at a secluded desert resort only for Gabriel to become the prime suspect in a murder. The alternating timelines, jumping between their present predicament and their past in a cloistered cult, offer a fascinating exploration of their relationship and the secrets they hold. Michallon does a commendable job of building tension, and the question of Gabriel's innocence (or guilt) keeps you turning the pages.
However, the pacing occasionally felt uneven, and some of the reveals, while impactful, didn't land with the same gut-punch as I'd hoped. While Our Last Resort is a gripping and intense read that showcases Michallon's talent for the genre, it ultimately felt like it missed an opportunity to be truly exceptional. It's a good thriller, but for fans of The Quiet Tenant, it might leave you wanting just a little bit more.

Our Last Resort is a multilayered, character-driven thriller, a great 1-day read on the deck on a sunny summer Sunday!
Gabriel and Frida grew up together in a cult, and escaped together when they were 18 years old. Although not actually related, they are brother and sister in spirit, but they have grown apart in the past few years after Gabriel escaped to Seattle after being wrongfully accused (but never acquitted, in the public eye) in a tragic death. The pair has met up at a high-end spa resort in Utah, but when one of the other guests is found murdered, Gabriel and Frida find themselves "persons of interest", bringing back the tension and fear of their past experience. Can they prove their innocence? There were a couple of well-done twists (caught me by surprise, anyway) and the characters were well developed; although I didn't really relate to them, that did not detract from my enjoyment of their story.

This was underwhelming but still well written. I like the cult parts of this story more than the resort parts. It all felt predictable and anti climactic

Frida and Gabriel grow up in a cult as "sister" and "brother" just trying to to survive. Years later we find them as adults in an exclusive resort trying to reconnect and catch up on each other's lives. A murder happens here and both of them are "persons of interest". As the reader is taken back and forth between the two timelines, we wonder what happened and if both of the were involved, one of them, or neither.

Although the story was interesting enough, I didn't find it a compelling story line.

My thanks to Knopf and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this e-book.

Frida and Gabriel are "siblings" that grew up in a cult together, escaped, and are meeting up to discuss their involvement in an upcoming documentary. They meet at an exclusive and isolated resort in the dessert but never find the time to actually discuss their past or the documentary when another guest in found dead and everyone suspects they were involved. Because Gabriel not only escaped the cult when he was 18, but he went on to marry Annie, who was later found dead, and he was the main suspect. Frida and Gabriel have gone on with their lives and decided to never look back.

I liked this book, despite its issues. Frida is the narrator, and she was kind of whiny and annoying. I would think someone so strong would come across a little, well, stronger. I also wanted more cult and less present-day resort. I liked the dual timelines but felt like the older one was more interesting. I was happy they were not a couple and kept it platonic. Overall, I did really like this book (and the audio version is very good). It didn't like it as much as Michallon's previous book, The Quiet Tenant, but that was a high bar.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

Frida and Gabriel are siblings in the sense that they both grew up together in the same cult. Twenty years later they’re free from it and on a luxury resort vacation when a woman is found dead. Gabriel was talking to her, but couldn’t have anything to do with it….right?

I liked this one! It’s hard to compare with The Quiet Tenant because that one to me was a heart-pounding thriller while Our Last Resort was more of a slow burn mystery. I really liked all the chapters set in the past in the cult, more than the present day storyline. I’ll still read anything this author puts out in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf for the free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.