The story concept was great, but I didn’t get sucked in the way I thought I would. Wasn’t an overly huge fan of the characters. The story pacing was a bit slow for me. Overall, good book that I’d recommend to thriller fans.

I read The Writing Retreat, so I was excited to check out Bartz’s new novel. I did finish the book, but it wasn’t while sitting on the edge of my seat, fully engrossed. It was with curiosity wondering how the author was going to write her way out of this one. The plot really jumped the shark at a certain point. It was still a fun read, but I would recommend getting it from the library, not buying a copy. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

I love a book with cult-ish vibes. It's basically an automatic read for me. The Last Session had all the potential to be a super good book. However, I think that it went 1-2 too many things. We had cult vibes, supernatural things, mental health issues... It just felt like a lot. Still a good book, but there was too much going on.

I feel like this was a fever dream and I left a little bit confused but also like “wow that was an interesting story”. I think people that like reading about cults will find this story very interesting.

I think we all know people who would be very susceptible to the characters we meet in this book and it reminds us that cults aren’t always these large Jonestown size followings,sometimes it’s a small group of people, cut off from society in the desert, with a charismatic charming leader waiting to tell you what you want to hear…

Thanks to NetGalley & Atria Books for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

What a wild read! The beginning of this story completely captivated me. I loved trying to figure out how Thea knew the mystery woman who showed up at her facility. After this part though I feel like you really have to suspend reality to get into the book. Without giving away too much it was just hard for me to believe a social worker would throw everything in her to the side to follow a stranger to a retreat? (I kept wondering Thea was really a patient too. haha) That being said, I did like the creepy setting of the retreat and the book held my attention. Julia Bartz really writes atmospheres well. The book felt heavy to me, so just know this is not what I would consider a light thriller. I felt satisfied at the end, but it was a lot!

I initially requested this because I had read The Writing Retreat, which was a 5 star for me! I figured this would be a wild ride too.

I will say, it was slow at times, and I would have to re-read certain thinks to make it make sense. Some scenes I just felt disconnected from and had to suspend disbelief at certain times, but for a majority of it, I DID enjoy this book. I liked the cut-off from society atmosphere.

It starts with a catatonic woman showing up in a psych ward, where our main girl, Thea (a social worker) encounters her. She cannot stop thinking about her after she leaves, so she follows her to New Mexico to a private 'wellness center'.

I loved that this book dove into cults, group delusions, and trauma/dealing with it(or lack there of). This will have to be a 3/3.5 for me. I liked it enough, but I didn't absolutely love it like I did with the authors other book. I do plan on reading more from this author when they come out with more books.

Thank you to author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

Will update my Goodreads and IG on this soon.

Thank you to @netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC. Thea is a social worker in a mental hospital in New York when a cataonic women is brought in. After two weeks of complete silence, Thea finally recognizes her from a movie from her teenage years. Once she tells the patient her name, she snaps out of her state and runs. The couple that came to pick her up were in fact imposters and now Caroline is no where to be found. Before she leaves, she left a note for Thea in her art treatment room. This sets Thea on a course to find her. This psychological thriller is just that - messed up. If you like talks of mental manipulation, reincarnation, and cults, this book is for you! #TheLastSession #JuliaBartz #AtriaBooks #April2025

Ok this was so weird but I found myself obsessed with needing to finish the story. Something about Julia’s writing makes me not able to put her books down. I felt the same way with THE WRITING RETREAT last year.

I don’t want to even talk about the plot of the story because it’s better to go in blind. I will say I didn’t enjoy the first part of the book. I thought some descriptions were unnecessary but once I got to part 2 and beyond it made sense with where Julia was building the story.

I think this is going to be a controversial read, similar to her first book so I’m really excited to see everyone else’s thoughts. Just know going in….this is weird lol

When a catatonic woman is found wandering near New York City, she is taken into a nearby, psychiatric hospital, where Thea, a social worker feels a distinct pull toward her. Identifying the woman as an actress from a significant time in her life, Thea is distraught when the woman disappears suddenly one day. Using clues left by the actress, Thea traces her to an isolated relationship and wellness retreat in the New Mexico desert. Once there, Thea begins to suspect that there is more going on than just some “wellness“ sessions.

This book is quite a wild ride from beginning to end, but so was Julia Bartz‘s last book, The Writing Retreat, so I went in knowing that anything could happen. And trust me in this one anything and everything did.

And I really don’t think that was a bad thing. Sometimes, books do have you suspend belief and go on some wacko colt retreats that are mind-bendingly insane, and I am here for that. Not every book has to be necessarily “by the book,” pardon of my pun, and once in a while, taking a fun journey can be the perfect escape.

So back to the book, I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, but this one is all about atmosphere and the creepy feeling you get as things unfold and Thea discovers more and more about what’s going on at the retreat. There’s definitely times when it feels like she’s the girl in a horror movie about to explore the dark basement in your shouting at her to just run in the other direction, but she doesn’t, leading to chaos, of course. And with each new revelation, you’re just sucked more into this world of cult craziness where you’re not sure which end is up.

Thea’s backstory is also really interesting because she’s also dealing with trauma throughout the book in that colors her perception of things. It adds that extra layer of stress and anxiety to the character and makes the plot evolve. Obviously her choices are a part of her past in some way, and it was interesting to see how she ends up dealing with everything.

Overall, I really liked this book and will continue to look for more of Julia Bartz’s books in the future. If you’re interested in an original thriller, I would highly recommend this book.

After "The Writing Retreat" I absolutely HAD to read this book. I am a psychologist so the author being a therapist is appealing to me.

I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline given the draw of cults, spirituality and wellness in the news the last few years (and historically). The characters were interesting, as were the settings. I loved the descriptions of New Mexico and the mosaic art.

What felt disappointing was the ethical violations the main character (the social worker) made. We don't have great examples of therapy in the mainstream, and mental health is still stigmatized, so I wonder why the author made this choice. I think the story could've been just as good without them.

Overall, it was a good read and I look forward to her future work!

It was too slow for me. Ultimately I struggled to get into it and finish it. This is my first read by the author but I would be willing to give her another chance.

Thank you to Julia Bartz, Atria Books, and Netgalley for the arc copy of The Last Session! 3.5 ⭐️ Started off strong then got slow in the middle but still kept my interest. Cult/trauma/thriller! Kept me guessing! This book publishes on 4/1/25! In the meantime check previous book by author, The Writing Retreat!

📖 Book Review 📖 For anyone newer to my reviews, I will disclose my bias toward books with social workers. My favorite job ever was as a psychiatric social worker so I absolutely adore any book that features this profession and Julia Bartz delivers one twisty read in this realm! When a catatonic woman arrives on Thea’s unit, she looks similar to Thea and sparks a familiarity that shakes her to the core and really pushes her to discover Jane Doe’s true identity. The Last Session unravels delightfully, a fast-paced page turner that is just gripping! Bartz’s psychological thriller reminds me of one of the most important lessons we learned while getting our masters; sometimes treating others unlocks our own trauma and it is important to stay ahead of our own baggage we bring to the treatment room.

This book was a kind of polarizing experience for me; there were parts of it I absolutely loved and other parts I felt could have been skipped over. Which is why I am giving it a rating right in the middle.

The core of the story, which centers around a cult set in the desert of New Mexico, is a really fun, thrilling, and suspenseful plot that I bought into and was excited about right from the opening prologue. Unfortunately, the following nearly 100 pages after the prologue pulled us completely away from the spooky, dark setting of the prologue and into a psychiatric inpatient center which I found to be quite tedious to get through. Yes, a lot of what happens in this part of the book helps to set up what is later to come in the cult setting, but I felt like this section could have easily been shortened to a few quick chapters and we would have gotten the same effect. Truthfully, if I hadn't been committed to reading it as an ARC I might have stopped reading during this section.

That said, I am glad that I did push through the first part of the book, because I really enjoyed it once we actually made it to the retreat in the desert. I found this setting really creepy and unsettling, and yet really enjoyed how well the author showcased just how easily it could be to get sucked into the orbit of the types of people who become cult leaders. I was often cheering for her to go along with their scheme, rather than wishing she'd run away—because I wanted to know the full extent of what they were scheming! This section of the book was not completely without issues: I found some of the suspension of disbelief to be a bit much for me at times, and I grew tired of time after time of the main character being certain someone was really familiar but being unable to articulate why. Or, certain people just happening to look strikingly similar to other people. It makes sense, in the end, why these things happened, but during the read it felt hard to buy into.

Overall, I did find myself wanting to pick the book back up and continue reading, so I do think it's worth checking out especially if cults are of interest.

The Writing Retreat will forever live in my mind, so I was very excited to snag an ARC of Julia Bartz's latest book - The Last Session. After I learned what the phrase "drinking the Kool-aid" actually meant, I have had an aversion to books about cults. However, my morbid curiosity usually gets the best of me, as was the case with The Last Session.

Perhaps the most striking part about this book is just how plausible Julia makes the entire scenario. For example, I kept thinking how fantastical certain events were, only to stop myself and remember that I was reading about a cult, where logic and rational thinking go out the window. Needless to say, I could not put this book down -- a MUST read for 2025!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I’m shocked that this book has such low reviews when it’s not even out, and I feel like I read a different book from everyone else.

I really enjoyed this book. My one and only complaint was just that it seemed too long. I guess I would say that the book also left me with a lot of questions too, but that might be intentional.

I thought this book was so interesting, and it kept me guessing as to what was happening at all times.

My suggestion for reading is to read nothing about it because I think even looking at some reviews to see what I was in for ruined a lot of things for me.

I’m keeping this intentionally vague because I think a lot of the reviews I’m seeing have included some really important elements to the story, and I would argue some spoilers.

I just thought this book was so entertaining, and it was so well done.

I really wasn’t sure what to expect, but I enjoyed it!

Y’all. What did I just read?! This was by far one of the strangest books that I have ever encountered. Pretty sure this book is what an acid trip would feel like.

The plot was meandering and until the last 15% of the book the story didn’t even read as a thriller. The MC accumulated more traumas and issues by the end of the book, but no real closure was offered for the initial trauma themes. Would have given this title 1 star, but I’m always a fan of vengeance/revenge at the end of a book.

I really enjoyed the twisted, dark tale of Julia Bartz’s previous novel and this one did not disappoint. Yes, it had moments of insanity but wasn’t that the point? The main character works in a mental health unit and suffers from unresolved trauma. Everyone other character is damaged in some way, looking for salvation, guidance or so far gone and no medical intervention to stop the psychosis. This all leads to a wonderful novel full of imaginative horror and mental closure.
Some parts were a little long winded and too educational for me (hence the four stars). I was more than happy to skim those to get back to the narrative. It does get very dark, sexual and twisty so be warned. If you an handle that then get on a comfy chair and settle in. Can’t wait for the next one.
Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

Only way to describe this - a psychedelic trip. What the heck did I just read? There is so much crazy going on with this unreliable narrator I don’t even know where to begin.

I really thought we were going to get more patient stuff at her job but she just up and leaves and goes on a relation trip to possibly find some famous actress she met for a few days at the psych ward. She was supposed to be moving out too but that’s okay it’s just a $4,000 trip with no WiFi or cellular service. Lol I’m sorry this story definitely needs to leave reality behind because you’d not still have a job or a place to live after that. Also, there is a lot about the abuse she sustained as a child and it goes on the back burner and then magically she’s healed.

I can’t say I enjoyed it or hated it.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Apr. 1, 2025
Julia Bartz, author of “The Writing Retreat”, has created a tense locked-room thriller about a social worker who goes undercover at a wellness retreat in order to investigate the disappearance of a client, only to find herself facing her worst fears, and the secrets of her past.
Thea is a social worker at a local hospital, where she reaches out to the patients through art therapy. When a woman is brought in in a catatonic state, Thea realizes that she has seen this woman before and immediately sets out to help bring her out of her catatonia. Slowly, the patient begins to reveal small clues as to who she is but, before Thea can investigate further, the woman is discharged from the hospital and Thea fears she won’t see her again. When she finds proof that her patient has been taken to a wellness centre in New Mexico, Thea finds herself on the next plane and is soon caught up in something dark and sinister.
“The Last Session” was multi-layered and not at all what I was expecting. I was captivated by the premise of a social worker and her catatonic patient, and “Session” had that, but it had a lot of other complexities as well. Thea has a dark history of abuse, emotional and sexual, which translates into something that she sees as a sexual fetish. The wellness centre in New Mexico is, of course, a cult, who believes in reincarnation and past lives, which adds a layer of depth. There are emotional, dense themes, but the story itself is interesting and engaging.
Thea narrates, although toward the end of the novel there is one chapter where Catherine (the patient) takes over, which I appreciated as it answers some pretty important plot questions. The novel flows well, even though a lot of the questions aren’t answered until the final pages of the book, which had me curious if they would even be answered at all (such as how Catherine escaped the cave), so I was glad for the detail Bartz provided.
Some of the plot points are tied together pretty loosely (Catherine and Thea being doppelgangers for each other, for example) but I really enjoyed the cult component and the past lives aspect was intriguing. Thea was a great character that I immediately connected with and was hoping that she’d find happiness after battling her own demons. The finale was satisfying and somehow Bartz manages to tie up all of the various loose ends, forming a conclusive and definitive end.
I did not read “The Writing Retreat”, so this novel was my first by Bartz. Overall, I was pulled in by the premise, delighted by the twists and turns throughout the storyline and touched by the emotional themes. Well-written and creative, “The Last Session” is worth checking out.