if julia bartz has no defenders, i am no longer on this plane of existence. now, this one is going to be hit or miss even if you were a fan of the writing retreat (as i am) HOWEVERRRR i think bartz writes exactly the kind of zany, wild things i need to stick through thrillers. with a breakneck pacing, i can see why this might be too much if you don’t let yourself suspend your deblief GREATLY— but if you do, you are in for a treat.

I really enjoyed how immersive the setting was in The Last Session. The descriptions of the castle and its grounds were vivid and atmospheric—it felt like I was right there in its haunting, mysterious halls. The author clearly put in a lot of research, creating a believable and layered backdrop for the story. I also loved the inclusion of a female antagonist, which brought a refreshing change to the typical thriller dynamic.

Though the plot wasn’t gripping or particularly exciting, it was an easy read that kept me engaged. One highlight for me was how the author openly discussed issues surrounding queer and trans individuals in the context of religious harm. Lines like “Think of certain religious communities right now denouncing queer and trans people” stuck with me, adding nuance and depth. I really appreciated the LGBTQ+ representation and the thoughtful commentary on the intersections of faith and identity.

On the downside, some parts of the plot felt exaggerated or disjointed. Additionally, while the backstory of the main character was interesting, it didn’t fully align with her present-day character or the plot’s progression. I also found the male main characters to be quite flat, and I wish they had been more developed.

Amazing and atmospheric. What starts out as an easy mindless mystery turns into a thrilling wild ride that I absolutely could not put down at all. The authors writing style is grabbing and addicting all the way up to the end. Some of the things that happened may seem implausible but when you read for escapism’ you’ll believe anything lol.

I really struggled to finish this book. It was very crazy at times and a little out of my wheelhouse so I had a hard time relating to the story and characters. This content may be perfect for someone else and the prose was fine, I just didn’t care for it personally.

I really enjoyed Bartz’s debut, The Writing Retreat. While The Last Session got off to a fast start, this was a little too “out there” for me and required too much suspension of disbelief to truly enjoy fully.

I’m all for a “cult” thriller but the actual backbone of the cult’s beliefs and philosophy was chaotic and hard to get through in the parts where it was detailed in depth. Thea’s actions throughout also required suspension of disbelief to think she would have willingly continued on or even arrived at the “center” in the first place.

Written well but too much for me!

I really like Julia Bartz’s writing. The Writing Retreat was a 3.5/5 for me— a promising debut but a bit lacklustre. I was really excited for The Last Session and to give Bartz’s sophomore novel a chance. It started off VERY promising. Her writing really does suck you in and the storyline in the beginning was very intriguing. Once we get to the main premise of the story is when things start taking a downward turn for me. I just did not care. And nothing is worse than a mystery that you just don’t care about. And I don’t mind an ambiguous ending but what was this? So many things left unanswered but then also, what was the plot twist? Nothing overtly shocking took place; maybe a couple mini surprises but even that feels generous to say. I probably wouldn’t have finished this if not for Julia’s writing— it really is very good and makes me hopeful for her next novel. Third times a charm? Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Full of twists and bizarre happenings , this kept me reading to see just where it was going and how things would be explained.. Julia Bartz has a knack for writing thrillers that keep you reading even when her stories are a bit over the top. Even though things get a bit unbelievable and the main character seems to consistently make poor decisions, it is still a good read.
3.5 stars rounded up.

Thea is a social worker whose new patient is a celebrity from Thea’s childhood, one Thea has loved since she was 13. The only thing is Catherine, the celebrity, cannot remember what happened to her and how she ended up in a hospital to this in-patient facility. After she leaves in the arms of unknown individuals, Thea embarks on a journey to the New Mexican desert to a health and relationship retreat to find what Catherine was running away from.

This is an ARC so I want to give it the benefit of the doubt that it’s still being worked through, but the ending and the escaping through tunnels is extremely unclear. Thea is in and out of consciousness and we’re supposed to somehow follow how she was dragged out of a cave she was pushed in and that only had one entrance and exit: the one she was pushed from. The book also took a significantly long time to get good and that was the last 75% of the book. Additionally, I found the writing juvenile and cringeworthy. I read her other book and I’ve come to terms that I believe this authors writing style isn’t for me.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, please note that this ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Session by Julia Bartz is a gripping psychological thriller that skillfully explores the complexities of group dynamics and hidden agendas. Bartz’s sharp, engaging prose creates an atmosphere of tension and unease, pulling readers into a story filled with twists and unexpected revelations. The characters are flawed yet compelling, each adding depth to the unfolding drama. While the pacing falters slightly in the middle, the final act delivers a satisfying and intense conclusion. A thought-provoking and suspenseful read that keeps you guessing until the very end, perfect for fans of dark, character-driven mysteries.

Thank you Atria Books for the ARC.

I heard great things about Bart’s’ previous book, so I was excited to pick this up. That being said, this seemed to drag on a bit. At first, I was interested to find Catherine and Thea’s connection, but once I hit half way, the story seemed to drag on. I would probably skip this book and read the Writing Retreat instead.

A compelling twisty psychological thriller with themes of sexual/religious trauma, identity, healing, mental health, cultural appropriation and cults, phew that's a lot right? Bartz deftly intertwines these elements with remarkable sensitivity and insight, all while maintaining an unsettling atmosphere that heightens the suspense and unease, an incredibly suspenseful and atmospheric mystery with a protagonist whose journey elicits genuine empathy, much like a Catriona Ward novel the reader is left wondering that the hell is going on, it's intense and will have you second guessing everything, overall a fantastic thriller!

This book is one of the most batshit insane things I’ve ever read in my life and I loved every second of it.

Our main girly, Thea is an art therapist at an inpatient mental health clinic in NYC when she meets a catatonic woman that she remembers from a traumatic time in her past. Thea forms a connection with her only for her to be ripped away, but the woman leaves Thea a note suggesting that she needs help. Thea then follows the woman across the country to a relationship and sex retreat in a remote area of New Mexico. Then, chaos ensues.

For starters, you have to go into this book expecting balls to the wall ridiculousness and have a certain suspense of disbelief. When Thea decides to follow this woman, you’re screaming at the page trying to tell her to stay home, but where’s the fun in that?

I was optimistic and yet hesitant going into this book because I LOVED the author’s debut The Writing Retreat, but the setting of a mental health institution doesn’t do it for me. Luckily for me, the bulk of the book is set in New Mexico at the relationship and sex retreat.

The only issues I had with this story were that some of the descriptions were difficult for me to imagine. The majority of the book played like a movie in my head, but descriptions of the physical retreat center were hard to grasp. That being said, I still love this book and I appreciated the points that the author made regarding childhood trauma and its lasting impacts.

I would absolutely recommend if you liked the author’s previous novel The Writing Retreat and would recommend to fans of Taylor Adams, Grady Hendrix, and anyone that wishes their thrillers would be a bit more, ahem, thrilling.

Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for providing an early copy to review.

The Last Session felt confusing and indecisive, I wanted to enjoy the ride but I found the main characters unrealistic and unrelatable. While the overarching premise would have been mysterious enough, there were too many random variables that left it confusing and reaching,

Thank you to the publisher Atria and to NetGalley for this free advance readers copy in exchange for my honest feedback. This is quite the thriller! This book made my brain itch in a good way. True thriller to its core. You will need a cleanser book after this one.

WHAT. What. Just. Happened.

Wow wow wow wow. I am in awe that someone's brain could come up with this entire story. It is wild. I was pulled in by the description, and the fact that I liked (but didn't love) the author's previous book. This one, I loved.

The first half sets the stage. We meet Thea, the redheaded (this is important) MC and learn about her career and childhood trauma, which is entwined with her childhood obsession with an inappropriate movie and its stars. This is all important because one of those movie stars appears in the psychiatric ward where Thea is a social worker.

And what happens next... you cannot begin to imagine. It involves a podcast, an intensely strange retreat and a cult. And you have absolutely no idea who you can trust. The things that happened... just wow.

I don't want to give away any more, but I have never read a book like this before. Even if you don't love it (and I expect some won't) it is still a wildly entertaining read.

Thea made some judgement errors that bothered me, which is my only criticism.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I'm still mentally reeling from this book that I'm sure will take a while to get out of my system since some of the themes hit me pretty hard (cults, mental health, sexual/religious trauma). And I'm pretty sure I'll have some nightmares about getting stuck in dark caves...

It's much more layered and complex (and longer) than your average thriller. It reminded me a lot of The Writing Retreat: there's the same kind of the same set up with an isolated retreat, lots of characters with secrets and an eventual turn to a wild, kind of implausible climax with some woo-woo parts and plot holes... Since I can't help but compare the two, what makes The Last Session more compelling is that it revolves around cults, which we know are a real thing that can make people go off the rails and do crazy things.

As uncomfortable as it was, I was immediately drawn to Thea's character since I related to her issues of navigating sexuality in adulthood with religious trauma. I've never read a character like hers before and was obviously extremely invested in her finding a way to resolve her issues throughout the course of the book.

Since the author is a real therapist, I enjoyed reading about therapy and mental health (all the terms explained in layman's terms) from her perspective I knew was as authentic a source as you can get. I found all the types of therapy practices super interesting to read about-especially the messed up ones the cult leaders Sol and Moon get carried away with. Hello, orgy incoming!

I had a hard time understanding why Thea-a therapist who just met this patient, Catherine-would go through all of that risk just to help her, again and again and again. There are some little plot holes but the story is so suspenseful and exciting that you can get over them. For a book that was pretty lengthy with lots of layered parts to it, the ending was pretty swift and I felt like some parts were swept under the rug or tied up hurriedly. Overall a very good quality thriller!

My thanks to Atria Books, Julia Bartz and Netgalley.
So, I just reviewed this 2 minutes ago, and it got deleted. By Netgalley. Fine. This had better not be some new shit. Does Amazon now own Netgalley?
Not going through the review again.
I enjoyed this book. Damned ole' messed up cults! Honestly, my main thought was about the sad sacks that fall for this type of shit.
Hell, I rejected my Christian upbringing when I was in the sixth grade! There's conspiracy theories and then there's me.
I'll admit that I expected to love this, mostly because I loved Julia's last book. This was good, but not what I was looking for.
Doesn't matter. Bartz already won me over with her first book. She's got a fan in me!
3 1/2 stars rounded down.

Such a good thriller! I had to finish it in one night; I couldn't put it down. What a wild story! The main character was a little strange at times but overall very good.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thea is a single adult, who works in art therapy at a nearby institution. She lives with a female friend, Dom, and has had many on and off again relationships. Thea struggles to develop relationships with men due to traumatic experiences with a boy in Middle School (Adam) as well as extreme misbehavior from her family’s pastor, Pastor John.

Thea arrives to work one day to see that she has a new inpatient, Catherine. Catherine is catatonic and not responding to anyone. Thea thinks that she looks familiar, but doesn’t put it together until later in the day that Catherine is the childhood actress from her favorite movie as a child, Stargirl. This realization helps the facility track down Catherine’s family. However, while Catherine’s family is on the way to the hospital, Catherine is checked out by people portraying her parents.

Thea is astounded and feels a true connection with Catherine. She searches for clues as to where she may have been taken and makes a connection to a podcast that Catherine was listening to on Thea’s phone. Over the course of the weekend, Thea has found the “healing center” in the desert (that sponsors the podcast) and registered for their upcoming 3-day retreat in an attempt to “save” Catherine.

Will Thea find herself during the retreat or will she regress and find that she isn’t able to release herself from the happenings in her earlier life?

This book is truly gripping, and I think the plot progressed perfectly. Some of the variables got a bit out there, and I found myself trying to figure out what reality we are supposed to be in. I haven't read The Writing Retreat, but I'm putting it on my TBR now.

Thank you Simon & Shuster for the E-Arc via Netgalley.