I didn’t love Julia’s last book, but I liked it enough to try out her next one. The Last Session started out strong, I really enjoyed the story and the characters. I thought it was going to be a winner. Unfortunately, the middle to end became quite unbelievable and then completely went off the rails. There was a fever dream type of chapter, that didn’t have a definitive conclusion. And parts were thrown in randomly and then it ended. I felt like I was missing chapters and some may have been out of order. There were large puzzle pieces missing that I did not understand. This book just wasn’t for me.

A social worker crosses paths with an actress who looks a lot like her and ends up following her across the country to a retreat center in New Mexico to save her, but things quickly spiral out of control. I remember similar vibes from Julia Bartz's first book, The Writing Retreat, so I was excited to see where this sophomore book would take me.

I wasn't sure if I was going to like the story at first, but it drew me in and was highly entertaining. You quickly learn that you can't trust any of the characters and everyone is pretending to be someone they're not. Bartz nailed the desert resort vibes, relaxing and remote but unsettling and isolated. The story goes a little off the rails towards the end, so be prepared to suspend a little disbelief. Overall, this was a unique psychological thriller.

Synopsis
When a catatonic woman is admitted to her psychiatric unit Thea is convinced she knows her from somewhere. Upon discharge the woman is deemed missing by her parents leaving Thea determined to find her and also answer questions to her own past.

Review
As a social worker I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about each woman’s experience. The book had a nice pace throughout. The retreat gave me the feel of a 70s holistic vibe and I wanted to empathize with each character. Each character stood out and you saw some character development.
I give this 3 stars as I felt some pieces were drawn out and I would have like more character growth.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

This is one of those books where you’re either gonna have fun with it or you’ll roll your eyes and hate the direction it goes - I’m part of the former. It was ridiculous of course but I loved every part of the insanity.

I’m always a sucker for a culty book and this had such an interesting twist to it. It had the typical locked room vibe with a creepily atmospheric setting. The whole book felt like such a fever dream - not knowing what was real, who to trust.

I think to love this book, you need to go in ready for a batshit book that’s so far from your typical thriller. I need to run to read Julia Bartz previous book because I need more ASAP.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me about 60% through.

Thea, an art therapist with her own shady past, meets her doppelganger in the form of a former child actress turned cult member. Thea's obsessive journey for the truth about this actress (and about herself), brings her to a New Mexican cult disguised as a romantic and sexual therapy retreat where she hopes to unravel mysteries both old and new.

This isn't my first read by Julia Bartz, and I really did enjoy The Writing Retreat. I was expecting similar paranormal vibes, which you don't quite find with this novel; instead, you're faced with a twisty narrative and a protagonist that was difficult to root for. Where Bartz finds the connection between self-discovery and trauma, her story becomes a bit TOO implausible, requiring a suspension of belief a bit too much for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest reivew.

What on earth did I just read? I was expecting this to be like her previous book but this was not it. Don't get me wrong I loved it but it was wild.

There was so many different elements and places that this story takes you that don't expect to go. This story that started as a psychological thriller taking place in a psychiatric institution takes us to a love retreat in the desert of Arizona.

Some parts of this book had me lost in the sense that I didn't know what to expect but in a way I think this is a great writing structure for Julia. Keeps her readers guessing and she has a true cult classic following.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

Meh. And I love the genre of ‘traumatized woman becomes a therapist, is a self-destructive hot mess, makes a bunch of dumb/unethical decisions, and investigates shit that is none of her damn business.’

A social worker at a psychiatric hospital gets a nonresponsive Jane Doe patient and hilarity ensues. Hilarity involving wellness retreats that might be cults, and working through traumas.

About halfway through, it felt like 2 different books… and none of them ended up being all that interesting. The cult stuff was just a letdown and pretty dull. Cults should be more exciting, OK?

I hadn’t read this author’s first book, but since I got this ARC on NetGalley I figured I’d start with this one. And now at least I know there’s no reason to read the first one. Not if it’s as meh as this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: You know, I don't even know what to say. I tried. I did. This had everything I would typically enjoy in a thriller especially the wellness gone bad aspect. However, this seals the deal, this author is not for me. I just cannot find the tropes and topics used in this to be appealing or interesting. There are too many twists and turns that don't need to be there. It's far too dramatic and that's saying something for a popcorn thriller. I really hoped this would deliver given what it's supposed to be about but I honestly could not. I won't try again because I don't think it's fair to review a book by an author that doesn't work for me year after year. The only reason I tried this one is because I really loved the synopsis. I am very disappointed.

I am still not sure how I really felt about this book.
The first 25% I was hooked.
The last 75% I was completely confused.
I still don't know half the answers to the questions I have.
I don't even know how to write a review on this one because I am still shaking my head in disbelief at what I just read.

This was just not the book for me. As a social worker, I can’t accept the behaviors of this social worker, and I don’t love a book about cults. It’s just a no from me.

Cult Vibes, Questionable Ethics, and a Sci-Fi Movie? What is "The Last Session"

I was beyond excited to receive an ARC of The Last Session. (Many thanks to Atria Books for an electronic ARC in exchange for my authentic review). Julia Bartz’s debut, The Writing Retreat, was a favorite of mine—dark, suspenseful, and just the right amount of unsettling. So, I went into this one with high expectations. Unfortunately, it just didn't work for me. This was weird, but not the good kind of weird. More like what did I just read? weird. 2 stars.

A Social Worker with No Boundaries

Our protagonist, Thea, is a social worker. In theory, this should make her a thoughtful, professional, and ethical character. In practice, she has zero boundaries and seems to have skipped the day in training where they covered HIPAA. She crosses so many professional lines that it’s hard to root for her, and that’s before the story really starts unraveling. For someone trained to help others process trauma, Thea has done shockingly little self-reflection on her own past, making her a deeply frustrating protagonist. Her inability to separate her personal struggles from her work leads to boundary violations so blatant that it's a wonder she hasn't been stripped of her license.

The Center for Relational Healing

The book takes place at an isolated retreat, a setup I normally love. There’s a group dynamic at play, tension simmering just under the surface, and the kind of social experiment atmosphere that promises psychological horror. And this was one place that I truly think The Last Session shines. The weird mosaic art piece/wellness center (aptly titled The Center for Relational Healing) in the New Mexico desert creates an eerie, otherworldly backdrop that feels both mystical and oppressive. The isolation, the strange therapeutic exercises, and the unsettling cult-like undertones all work together to build a sense of creeping dread, making the environment one of the strongest elements of the book."

Cult Vibes, Orgies, and a Bizarre Sci-Fi Movie

While the premise and setting had so much potential, the story takes some deeply bizarre turns. Without spoiling too much (but also, check out spoiler tags if you’re considering reading this one), we get:

A completely unexpected and strangely written group sex scene that comes out of nowhere.

Profound sexual trauma that is introduced but not handled with much depth or care.

A strange connection to a fictional sci-fi movie, which felt like it belonged in a different book entirely.

The combination of these elements made for a reading experience that was more frustrating than thrilling. The horror elements were present, but they didn’t build up effectively, and the character decisions often felt forced or implausible.

Final Thoughts on "The Last Session"

I wanted to love this. I should have loved this, given how much I enjoy books that lean into psychological horror, cults, and eerie group dynamics. But The Last Session never came together for me. Instead of feeling deeply unsettled in the best way, I was mostly confused and occasionally uncomfortable. However, despite all its flaws, The Last Session was the kind of trainwreck I couldn’t look away from—fast, compulsively readable, and so completely unhinged that I kept turning pages just to see what absurd twist would come next. And honestly? I kind of enjoyed the chaos.

The Last Session will be published on April 1, 2025. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one—especially if you think I missed something! But for me, this was a disappointing follow-up to The Writing Retreat.

Especially after reading Julia Bartz’s debut novel, The Writing Retreat, I was so excited to get into this! Unfortunately, this book fell pretty flat for me and was definitely underwhelming. The beginning was compelling and the end was wild, but the middle chunk is what lost me.

Mostly, I really could not get behind any of the wacky ideas Thea had. I’m all for suspending belief, but a social worker trying to infiltrate a cult to find her missing patient? Lmao no. A good chunk of this book was just Thea going through the motions of this cult and borderline getting sucked in. Once she got to the “retreat”, it took so long for there to be much talk about or real efforts to find Catherine.

And Thea was just so immediately trusting?? Like skeptical still, but she just kind of went along with everything and was way too chill. And then she would be shocked when things suddenly got worse, or something sketchy happened. Like yeah girl, you have no idea what you’re doing and you’re just winging this whole thing!? I’m sorry, Thea was actually pretty dumb lol. But I guess that’s what being in/around a cult does to you? So this book did end up being more of an exploration of the psychology of cults, less thriller.

I honestly did have to force myself to finish this…the 3 star rating is pretty generous. I really did like the concept of a social worker infiltrating a cult and helping a missing person, but this was just bizarre and not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy to read and review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria for the pre-release copy of The Last Session. Below is my honest review.

This one was a wild ride! After The Writing Retreat, I had high expectations of Julia Bartz's second novel, and she delivered.

It did everything well - world building? Check. Really deep and developed characters? Check. Top notch plot twists? Check. Awesome locale? Check. Perfect build of foreboding atmosphere? Check.

Highly recommend this one to fans of culty stuff, mysteries, and working through personal traumas through the written word.

The writing itself is good and engaging and I always enjoy this author's voice. However, the storyline didn't work for me. It was a little too outlandish and I've read a lot of cult/retreat types of books and this one just didn't quite hit the mark for me as far as where it went and I wasn't a fan of any of the characters.

I overall enjoyed The Writing Retreat, but this one was not for me. As a social worker myself, I didn’t love some of the language that was being used about the mental health population.

This book started off interesting and then ended up going into a completely opposite direction than I thought it would. To be honest, I really thought some of the plot was really unrealistic (and maybe because I’ve been an RN for 16 years?) Overall, the plot and characters were just a little flat for me and I found myself questioning a lot of the character’s actions.

Thea works as a social worker at a psychiatric unit. When a catatonic woman shows up at the unit, Thea learns that the patient is related to a traumatic time in her past. When the patient regains her lucidity, she has no recollection of what happened right before she entered the catatonic state. The patient disappears quickly, and Thea is left with more questions than answers. Thea follows the patient to a remote center in Southwestern New Mexico, where a charming couple holds a monthly retreat, promising to uncover attendees’ romantic and sexual issues. While being pushed to participate in intimate exercises, Thea finds herself closer to finding answers about her missing patient and her own past.

After really enjoying The Writing Retreat, I couldn’t wait to read this newest book by Julia Bartz. I really enjoyed the intro to the story, the writing quickly pulled me into the book. I also enjoyed the cult aspect of the story. While I enjoyed the characters, the plot just got a little too out there for me. You really have to suspend your beliefs for this one. If you like books where you have to suspend your beliefs and enjoy really bizarre plotlines, then this one is for you. I give it 3/5 stars.

Set against the stark, isolating backdrop of a New Mexico desert wellness center, The Last Session promises a tense, twisty dive into trauma, obsession, and the murky line between healing and harm. This book builds on Bartz’s knack for atmospheric suspense and if you have enjoyed her previous books, you will really enjoy the Last Session.

Do not start reading this book if you have someone where to go or something to do because this book will keep you flipping pages until the satisfying conclusion. I loved this one and I think you will too! Go get it when it releases in April!

There's weird books, and there are WEIRD books. And this is a WEIRD book. I know cult books are firmly in the weird category but this was a bit outlandish. I rated it 2.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up to 3, mainly because I like the author's writing style and the story was really engaging. I literally could not put this down. But I had so many issues with this book. From the deconstruction of faith to the blurring of professional boundaries as a social worker to the heavy drinking to the bad romance choices, the main character, Thea, is a trainwreck. I don't necessarily mind reading about trainwrecks (sometimes they're quite engaging, let's be real)... but here, it was almost painful at times. And I had a hard time finding any character I really liked or could root for. All that, coupled with the fact that the (disturbing) movie plotline that connected to real life and the fantasies of the cult leaders was a bit confusing and required a ton of suspended disbelief, just made some of this book a complete miss for me. I also didn't like the ending, so there's that.

It wasn't all bad though. The psychological suspense was interesting, as was the setting... it was hard to know who to trust and what to enjoy (or what to fear). I also appreciated how there were some trigger warnings at the beginning of the book. So thoughtful since traumatic content was such a large part of the story.

In the end, I decided to be generous with my rating. I think this book will appeal to some for sure, and I was interested in it... but some of the details were a little outlandish and not my cup of tea. I'm still glad I gave it a chance. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I decided to try The Last Session after reading The Writing Retreat and not really liking it. I don't think Julia Bartz's writing is for me. The fictionalized cult pulled from real life examples like Twin Flames, which was interesting.