I was a huge fan of The Quiet Tenant, so I was anxious to read Our Last Resort. But I didn’t enjoy this one the same way.
The story revolves around two characters that grew up in a cult. Close as siblings, but not related. Frida and Gabriel manage to escape as teenagers but not without trauma. Now, years later, they are at an exclusive resort in Utah looking to reconnect after a long separation when a woman is found dead. Michallon tells the tale in a back and forth narrative between then and now. But everything is told from Frida’s POV.
Michallon does a good job of keeping the reader off kilter, only giving us clues about their lives like dropping breadcrumbs. It’s a slow burn of a book which wasn’t helped by my lack of connection with either main character. I also struggled with certain parts of the story. Silly point, but would a coyote really have let Frida get so close? I’m always interested in cult stories, but Michallon created nothing original in those sections. Or am I meant to think that all cults are basically the same? The pacing was also off. It’s a very drawn out start to the current day story. It’s almost over by the time Gabriel is charged with the murder and then it’s a mad rush for Frida to prove him innocent. And the ending was totally predictable.
Having loved The Quiet Tenant, I’ll definitely give Michallon another chance.
My thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for an advance copy of this book.

Clemence Michallon is my new fave auto-buy author! I was obsessed with The Quiet Tenant after I read it and love this book just as much.

There’s a lot going on but it somehow all works: A dual timeline, a cult, a modern wellness resort, an unsolved murder, The Sopranos. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say that I will be thinking about this book for a while.

Thank you Knopf and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Michallon’s writing keeps you fully engaged in this story. OUR LAST RESORT is drenched in emotional trauma, as well as murder and the disintegrating relationship of two old friends.

Frida and Gabriel grew up in a cult. They became close due to their shared traumas and lifestyle. When they finally decided to escape, their method of doing so left them both with even more confusion and heartache.

In the outside world, they grow apart and live very different lives. In order to regain their bond, Frida invites Gabriel to a resort to spend some time together, however, their vacation is anything but joyful when another guest is murdered. When Gabriel gets accused of the crime, Frida does everything in her power to prove his innocence.

I loved Michallon’s first book, I loved this book, and I’m quite sure I’ll like every other book she writes. Her characterization digs deep and her plotting is suspenseful. I highly recommend this 5-star read and give many thanks to NetGalley and Elliott and Thompson for the advanced reader copy.

Frida and Gabriel left their old lives together, escaping a cult that had programmed them from birth. Now after years spent apart, they're back together at Ara Hotel. A beautiful, upscale property located in Utah, to rehash and reconnect before finally opening up about their past to the media. When a woman is found dead, their past comes out quicker than they'd imagine. Fingers start to point in Gabriel's direction and Frida will do what it takes to protect him.

Michallon wrote a tragic tale of two children who grew up in a cult. She lays out how their world differs from most kids in a way that makes you really feel for these two. As they grow older and their questions grow, the duo will fight against the ties that hold them down. Frida is a driven and determined woman who will do anything to protect Gabriel. This was very different than her first book. There were definitely slower spots within the plot. Overall, I still really enjoyed this quick read. Thank you Netgalley and Knopf for the advanced copy of this upcoming release.

Two siblings (who really aren't) are on a posh vacation when tragedy strikes and a guest dies. Tragedy seems to follow these two since they escaped as teenagers from the cult they were raised in. The story is told in the present following the murder and subsequent investigation (they become suspects) and on a second timeline from when they met as children in the cult to their escape and one character's marriage and the untimely death of his wife. I liked the story and the premise of te cult, there was a plot twist or two that really got me, but the resolution fell a little flat. Still overall a really good read that i would recommend to any suspense fan.

Clémence Michallon delivers again with OUR LAST RESORT, a slow-burning, emotionally layered thriller that lingers long after the final page. Her writing is crisp yet intimate, and she masterfully builds tension not through shock, but through insight, restraint, and character.

I absolutely loved this book. Michallon is one of the sweetest, most thoughtful authors out there, and I truly believe she deserves more recognition in the rising thriller space. She’s crafting stories that are sharp, original, and quietly unsettling in the best way.

Thank you to NetGalley and to KNOPF for the chance to read an e-ARC, I’m always excited to see what she’ll write next.

At first I wasn't digging the alternating stories--one, a murder mystery set in the present, and the other, a story of two kids who met while growing up in a cult. The reader understands that these two plot lines will get connected eventually, but the gap seems unsurmountable at first (like this should maybe have been two different books.)

However, I'm glad I stuck with it. In time, the story very steadily pulled me in. As the kids age, you start to see more connections between their history and the position they find themselves in at the start of the the story, at the scene of a murder while on vacation together.

The scenes at the resort felt a tad underwritten for a true mystery/thriller. But I felt like this book was less of a whodunnit and more of a character study in which we parse out truths from the lies. (Because of this, when the action picks up at the end it feels like an odd tonal shift. Suddenly the thrill level is high, where it hasn't been before)

Still though, I enjoyed the read and found the story of these two characters compelling. I liked the exploration of how trauma can haunt your past and even sabotage your future. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Very well written. This is my first book from the author and I will be happy to read more. I love the use of language used and how well the story wrapped around these two “survivors.” I enjoyed the twist that I did not see coming. I would recommend this book.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3. I really wanted to like this book, I thought the premise was interesting, but it just didn't grab me. I got lost sometimes in what was happening when and the story just didn't pick up until close to 80%. I think this is would be perfect for someone else, just not for me. Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!

I ended up really enjoying this book after a slow start. The back and forth timeline was a bit odd at first, but I really appreciated it by the end. The story was engaging, and the characters had a surprising amount of depth.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this soon to be released novel. I absolutely loved Michallon”s previous novel The Quiet Tenant. I rated this four stars. It was a very slow start for me but I really enjoyed the last 20 percent of the book making it a four star read for me. Great characters. Just not that big OMG moment I was hoping for.

Our Last Resort follows self proclaimed siblings Frida and Gabriel. Having grown up in and fled from a cult together, Frida and Gabriel have an intense and uncommon bond. When Gabriel is a person of interest in the murder during their vacation reunion, Frida is torn between their once unwavering bond and the knowledge that Gabriel is not telling the police - or even Frida - the truth. Frida and Gabriel's bond was fascinating to read about, it was truly the heart of a story that while suspenseful, was not necessarily thrilling. This felt more like a character study at times, which would have worked amazingly had the author truly leaned into it, but instead I was left feeling as though this book wasn't fully formed. It was a compelling and mostly interesting read, but it definitely geared more toward a suspenseful fiction than a thriller. 3.75⭐️

The alternating timelines almost felt like two different stories. It was an entertaining read but the plot just felt silly at times.

Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I enjoyed it. A strong four stars.

This book follows Frida and Gabriel who first met in a cult school and living area as kids and then teens. They haven't seen each other in years and finally meet up at a fantastic resort. Someone ends up dead. Will Frida and Gabriel be safe or will it be a disaster?

This was probably the most vanilla mystery/thriller I’ve ever read. Predictable, the characters are unlikable, a miscommunication trope. I didn’t care for a Quiet Tenant but I thought I’d give her another shot. If you like cult books, it may be worth a read.

3.5 ⭐️

Clémence Michallon’s much-anticipated sophomore thriller novel OUR LAST RESORT was somewhat of a disappointment. That could be because THE QUIET TENANT created such a high bar for me. Estranged siblings Frida and Gabriel convene at a resort in Utah, and while they are there a fellow vacationer is found murdered. The perspective goes back and forth between the present and when Frida and Gabriel lived in a cult as teens.

There wasn’t a lot of emotion in this one. The reader feels detached from the main character, and it was difficult to care about Frida and Gabriel’s past plight or their current one. It felt like a standard thriller, and I was questioning that this was the same author of THE QUIET TENANT. The Utah setting didn’t come alive either.

What was good was the pacing. I felt like by the time I got to the ending, it felt very natural. However, I didn’t have many “thrills” along the way. I don’t need the thrills, but I do remember more shock and awe while reading THE QUIET TENANT.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

It publishes July 8, 2025.

3,5 stars!

I always think books about cults are interesting, and so I was excited by the premise of this novel. I thought this was a really fast paced read, and enjoyed flipping between the past timeline with the cult and the present timeline with the murder at the resort. I also thought the imagery and descriptions of the setting were really good, and I did feel like I was with them. My biggest issue, however, was that I did not really care about either of the characters, and really did not find myself getting invested in the murder either.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3,5 stars!

I always think books about cults are interesting, and so I was excited by the premise of this novel. I thought this was a really fast paced read, and enjoyed flipping between the past timeline with the cult and the present timeline with the murder at the resort. I also thought the imagery and descriptions of the setting were really good, and I did feel like I was with them. My biggest issue, however, was that I did not really care about either of the characters, and really did not find myself getting invested in the murder either.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Netgalley:

Book review 📖

📜Our Last Resort
✍️Clémence Michallon
📠Knopf
📚Mystery/Thriller Fiction
🗓️Pub date: July 8, 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨Thank you @NetGalley and @aaknopf for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

✨Frida and Gabriel arrive in Utah at the Ara Hotel, looking to reconnect after a tragedy tore them apart. Considering themselves siblings, tragedy once brought them together, so this is a common theme in their lives.

✨They are able to unwind and enjoy the luxuries the hotel has to offer—a dip in the pool after a desert hike, a drink on their balcony—until the body of a beautiful young woman who was vacationing with her powerful, rich husband is discovered.

✨Gabriel can’t escape his past, as the local police show up and all eyes turn to him as their number one suspect. Frida and Gabriel are forced to remember their sordid history of being part of a cult, their escape, and the scandal that followed. Frida always believed in Gabriel’s innocence, but it’s hard to ignore the evidence mounting against him.

✨In alternating timelines, this delves into a dark world and told in bits and pieces that will have you racing through it to see what happens. This is a first Michallon book for me and I loved every minute of it! A must read for summer!!

#netgalley #ourlastresort #clémencemichallon #knopf #advancedreadercopy #arc #bookreview #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #summerreleases #thrillerfiction #readthisnow