I really enjoyed this author's first book, so I was very much looking forward to this one. While I did enjoy her writing, the story didn't work for me. I have discovered that I don't enjoy books that include sexual trauma involving children. The second half of the book also went all over the place and I didn't feel like it had a specific direction. Unfortunately this was a miss for me.

This was the second book I’ve read from this author. I did not enjoy this near as much as I did The Writing Retreat.

This is a locked room thriller…. I guess. A genre I’m not particularly fond of, but I persevered. I’m not sure how to describe this one other than it was a bit all over the place. There’s a therapist that gets overly involved with the patient because of a previous connection. There’s some cult involvement but rather than bringing resolution it was just odd. The whole thing was rather confounding. Thanks to NetGalley for the read.

Interesting premise but the last 20% lost me. It was from straight up thriller and mystery to all over the place. Unfortunate.

I was intrigued to read a thriller about a social worker, as I am working on my MSW degree. However, all I got from the main character was a lesson in how not to be a social worker. She ignores clear signs of countertransference, and crosses boundaries by chasing after a client. The narrative doesn't exactly reward her, but she also never grapples with how inappropriate her conduct was. I don't believe books have to show us perfect people behaving perfectly, but this is certainly not a good depiction of social work for those outside of the profession, and the book is so badly written that you can't even say there was a point. The plot is a mess, the characters are flat and uninteresting, and the central concept is bonkers but not in a fun way, just in a way that made my eyes tired from rolling them. I guess someone could have fun with this, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the e-ARC. This is my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley! My second book by this author. I love the complex characters that she creates. I did enjoy her other book, Writing Retreat more. This one started out a bit slow, then started to pick up. It became weird when they entered the “cult”

The Last Session by Julia Barts, I’ve always thought authors from publishing houses get memos with popular things to talk about great descriptive things to say in their books like she quirked her eyebrow, she slid her loose hair behind her ear, the newest one is chewing on the bottom lip and although I’m probably not explaining it right my point is I think Julia Barts Tried to take all those recommendations and throw them in this book I must’ve heard can I talk to you at least 100 times in this book not to mention there was a lot going on she grew up in a cult, she’s a social worker and saw an unconscious Jane Doe at the New York hospital where she worked and when the woman disappeared she left to find her which she did and found her in New Mexico because she believes her to be an actress from LA And not gonna lie she was a tad bit obsessed. if you think that’s crazy that’s just the beginning. There’s a lot I want to say about this book but I will leave it up to you whether you want to read it or not it is a thriller/mystery and I know not every book is for every reader and others may absolutely love it I myself did not. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview,#JuliaBarts, #TheLastSession,#AtriaBooks,

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARc of this book for review.

I was originally very excited for this book after loving the Writing Retreat by this same author. However, this one didn’t work for me like her past work. The pacing was a little slow for me and personally I didn’t care much for the characters. I see how people might like this if they like to feel uncomfortable and anxious while reading a book like this, but it just wasn’t for me.

I had high hopes for this book because I actually really enjoyed The Writing Retreat. That book was kind of bonkers - in an entertaining way - and really held my attention. This one, unfortunately, did not. I found myself skimming a lot and I wasn't always sure what was going on - in a not so good way, unfortunately. That said, the book did move along quickly and it hits the spot if you're in the mood for a popcorn thriller.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

This book was extremely compelling and I kept wanting to read more! Some parts felt like they were a little predictable but all in all it kept me guessing. I really liked all the aspect of the wellness retreat as there have been so many crazy news stories like that lately. I would recommend to anyone who likes psychological thrillers and mysteries!

I love books about cults and I was soooo intrigued by what was going on with Catherine and Thea. I actually really enjoyed the “trippier” parts of this story and the commentary on toxic power dynamics throughout. The only reason it doesn’t get 4 stars is because it felt very disjointed at times to me and I had trouble following it. I can’t wait for her next book though, if you haven’t read The Writing Retreat you have to!

THE LAST SESSION
BY: JULIA BARTZ

I don't know how much suspension of disbelief qualifies to read this without taking as long as I did to finish this to be fair to the Author, Julia Bartz. With psychological thrillers, or a fair amount at least in this present time it's common to have to accept it, and readjust my expectations, and I don't have a problem with unreliable narrators either. This was just way too Over The Top that it definitely strains credibility. I thought it might improve, so I kept reading because I'm conscientious about everything that occurs to publish a novel. So, I read at a slower pace hoping that I would reach a point where it just didn't border on the absurd in so many aspects. I feel bad giving a low review, which I'm grateful that it rarely happens. The whole objective of reading an ARC, is to give a fair and honest assessment to what I read, which in the final analysis I was extremely disappointed with this compared to this author's debut novel.

I wouldn't be true to my honest opinion, if I rated this any higher even though it bothers me, it reflects my reading experience. I do want to emphasize that I thought long and hard before rating this two stars, as I read this over a week ago, and gave a lot of thought to see upon my reflecting over some time, before deciding that I might have a more charitable reaction. I'm sad to say that I didn't move from my honest opinion even after a week of giving this plenty of time. I do wish this author my best wishes for success, but with my background there were many things that just seemed too far fetched. I do wish that I loved this, but if I am not honest to keep from worrying about giving a rating that lines up with how I felt while reading this, then what's the point? I am hoping that my intent resonates with my submission as a desire to be helpful, because I finished it regardless of this needing editing and maybe I am in the minority I hope. Either way, this might just be too many things that I felt needed improvement to my own ideas that it just didn't ring true. I expect to suspend disbelief in most novels of this genre, however, this had significantly too much of that throughout this novel on the whole to be in my humble opinion to ignore.

I'm hoping that her next execution of her future novel, makes this one a rare outcome, since I really was so impressed by her former one, there's no doubt that Julia Bartz is talented, or I wouldn't have opted to read this. Two Stars!

Publication Date: April 1, 2025

Thank you to Net Galley, Julia Bartz, and Atria Books for generously providing me with my ARC. in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own, as always.

#TheLastSession #JuliaBartz #AtriaBooks #NetGalley

Thank you to Atria/Emily Bester Books for the free ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is out now!

Thriller. Thea is social worker in New York at a mental health facility when a young catatonic woman - who looks striking like Thea - ends up in the unit. Thea eventually realizes she’s so familiar because she was an actress in one of Thea’s favorite movies growing up named Catherine. When she finally comes out of her catatonic state and is released from the psych unit to people posing as her parents, Thea learns that Catherine as it a “healing” retreat in New Mexico and she decides to follow her to make sure she’s safe. But the longer Thea is at the retreat - lead by the charismatic and attractive couple Moon and Sol - the more Thea believes this is less a retreat, more a cult, and she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to get out alive.

A book about a cult (fictional or not) and I’m in. Really enjoyed the world building of the retreat and the ramp up to the more culty aspects, but it felt like it took forever to get there. I don’t think all the detail around her 20th 8th grade reunion (which I’ve heard of never) was necessary. It also got a little woowoo at the end and felt a little rushed to wrap everything up. Overall was a fun read and would make for a fun movie! 3.75 stars rounded up.

Um… excuse me, but were we gonna explain anything or…? This is absolutely an intriguing book, but be prepared to be left unsatisfied. I would say it’s a combination of Nine Perfect Strangers and The Silent Patient with supernatural/woohoo elements mixed in. Definitely a page-turner, but a disappointment overall.

Was this good? Yes. Was this great? Meh. There was a rando orgy I really was not expecting nor into so have fun with that. I was hooked to a degree when it came to the plot.

I really enjoyed Bartz's debut and was excited to read her follow up, but unfortunately it fell a little flat for me.

I really enjoyed the cult aspect of the book. Moon and Sol were both intriguing, creepy, and a little sleazy. And I thought their ideology was fascinating as far as cults and their motivations go.

Unfortunately though, the rest of the characters were not as interesting and our protagonist Thea suffers greatly from "main character making moronic decisions" syndrome.

I was also not a fan of the repressed religious sexual fantasy aspect of the book. I know that was Thea's main struggle, but it combined with the concluding post-New Mexico chapters just felt so out of place with everything else going on.

Certainly not the worst thing I've read this year, but between the sluggish pace, hollow characters, and underwhelming conclusion, it's far from the best as well.

I didn't really enjoy this book - it was too all over the place. There were so many unbelievable things happening and the characters were never really developed enough to care about them. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Writing Retreat was one of my favorite reads of 2024. I really wanted to love this book- I really did. The first few chapters had me glued. A social worker- a famous patient with amnesia that goes missing- it had me. But then it took a turn I did not expect nor did I enjoy. I really struggled getting through this book. I had to force myself to finish it and that was a far cry from the last book I read by her.

2 Stars- and that is being generous.

The Last Session by Julia Bartz is a psychological thriller that delves into themes of trauma, memory, and the complexities of human relationships. The narrative follows Thea, a social worker at a psychiatric hospital, who becomes entangled in a mysterious case involving a catatonic woman resembling a childhood actress. This intrigue leads her to a remote wellness retreat in the desert, where unconventional therapeutic practices and unsettling secrets await.

Bartz effectively establishes a tense and atmospheric setting, drawing readers into Thea's journey of self-discovery and suspense. However, as the plot unfolds, I found the narrative to become increasingly implausible, requiring significant suspension of disbelief. The story's latter half introduces elements that some may perceive as disjointed or overly complex, potentially detracting from the overall impact.

In summary, "The Last Session" presents a dark and compelling narrative that combines suspense with psychological exploration. While it may not resonate with all readers due to its unconventional plot developments, it offers a unique perspective for those interested in psychological suspense and complex character studies.

The Last Session is Julia Bartz’s sophomore thriller novel following social worker Thea as she tries to help a patient who was the star of her favorite movie as a teen. Thea always felt deeply connected to Catherine who looked eerily like herself and starred in a movie that seemed to mirror her own life experiences.

Let me say this book was a TRIP, to put it lightly. The first 25% feels like a COMPLETELY different book than the preceding 75%. I thought both parts were twisty and fun and held their own merit, but it did sort of feel like whiplash, going from a psychiatric unit caring for a catatonic patient to a cult like retreat where a bunch of strangers are participating in bizarre sessions to uncover their traumatic pasts.

As many reviewers mention, you really have to suspend your disbelief quite a bit with this one, which I typically don’t mind for mystery thrillers but this novel goes above and beyond. Our main character consistently makes terrible, life threatening decisions, making it tough to root for her. This was certainly and interesting and unexpected story.