Really liked the book, but really disliked main character Thea….i just wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake her! That being said, great story. Culty, mystical, murderous, not knowing who you can trust- The Last Session had it all.

The Last Session by Julia Bartz gets a solid 4 stars from me. This thriller dives deep into the eerie and unsettling, following Thea as she tracks a mysterious patient tied to her traumatic past all the way to a creepy retreat in New Mexico. The locked-room mystery vibes mixed with intense psychological drama make it a gripping read, though some parts felt a bit rushed toward the climax. Still, the tension and unexpected twists kept me hooked, and the wellness retreat setting was a fresh, sinister touch. Perfect for fans of moody, suspense-filled stories!

This was weird and wild and I liked it. Lol. I admit I do prefer her first novel I read, The Writers Retreat, but this has the same whimsical, mysterious, and totally unique premises and characters that were highly interwoven and complex. I liked the setting a lot and Julia is clearly a master at developing a scene for the reader to feel like they are right there with the characters. The last 1/3 of the book was very dry for me and I felt it could have lost a few chapters of pure dialogue, but I still enjoyed it.

When Thea sees the newest patient at her psychiatric unit, she is stunned. The catatonic woman doesn’t just look eerily familiar—she awakens a long-forgotten memory from Thea's childhood, a memory that feels both unsettling and significant. Thea, a dedicated social worker, becomes fixated on this patient, spending more time trying to reach her than she does working with her art therapy patients. There’s something about this woman that Thea cannot shake, and she becomes determined to uncover the truth.

Just when Thea feels she’s on the verge of a breakthrough, the patient is abruptly taken away by what appear to be her parents. Thea is heartbroken, feeling as though her chance to help—and to understand—has slipped through her fingers. But when the patient’s real parents arrive at the unit, Thea realizes that something much darker is at play. The woman is gone without a trace. Thea knows she can’t just walk away; she has to find her, no matter the cost.

The search takes Thea from New York City to the desert of New Mexico. Along the way, she is forced to confront her own past—the deep recesses of her childhood that she has long tried to forget, and the current traumas that have resurfaced in the wake of this mysterious woman's disappearance. As she follows the trail, Thea discovers that the woman is somehow connected to a remote wellness center in the New Mexico desert, a place that promises healing but hides something far more sinister.

The wellness center is run by a charismatic and enigmatic couple, who claim to offer transformative retreats for those looking to uncover their true selves. But as Thea infiltrates the center, she finds herself caught up in a bizarre, cult-like program that seems too absurd to be real and too dangerous to ignore.

Bartz masterfully weaves a tense and gripping narrative, taking readers on a journey that is as psychological as it is thrilling. The gothic undertones of the wellness center set in a desolate unreachable area make every twist and turn even more chilling. Thea’s determination to save the woman becomes a race against time, as she begins to understand the true nature of the center and the dark secrets it hides. The people running it are not what they seem, and the deeper Thea goes, the more she realizes that escaping might be impossible—not just for the woman she’s trying to save, but for herself as well.

The Last Session is an unforgettable thriller that blends suspense, emotion, and sharp social commentary. With plenty of twists, an immersive setting, and a cast of complex characters, Julia Bartz delivers a story that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end.
If you love psychological thrillers with gothic elements, unexpected twists, and a powerful emotional core, The Last Session is the book for you. Bartz has crafted a masterpiece that will haunt you long after you turn the final page.

#atriabooks #juliabartz #thelastsession #cults #cultalert #thewritingretreat

I was a big fan of the writing retreat so I was very excited for this book! Similar to the writing retreat - this was a wild ride. Thea is a social worker who has a patient that was a famous actress of her favorite movie growing up. They also happen to look very similar. When the patient is discharged by people pretending to be her parents, Thea finds a secret message the actress left for her and she ends up going to a retreat center turned cult. Not sure who to trust this book was a page turner for sure, although I don’t necessarily feel like I was on edge or scared at any point in the story.

Thea is a social worker at a New York City mental institution when a Jane Doe is brought in in a state of catatonia. The Last Session by Julia Bartz follows protagonist Thea as she realizes she has very similar features to the nameless woman. She emerges from her mute state and slowly starts to volunteer details of her past life, revealing that she used to be a child actress named Catherine. Thea watches these events unfold with growing alarm while unintentionally becoming entangled with a private investigator named Jonah who has been hired by Catherine’s parents to lead him to her. Before her parents can remove her from the institution, Catherine is whisked away to a wellness retreat in New Mexico. When Thea follows her there, hoping to uncover the events past and gain an understanding of her own trauma, she is led into a community of trust exercises and intimacy building that will lead her to a deeper connection to Catherine than she could have ever imagined. Will the darkness envelop them both.

This book seemed right up my alley when I read the plot—an exciting thriller with a twist, but unfortunately it failed to dazzle me. The beginning was fascinating, but at about 60% in it started to drag and became so thoroughly centered on new age rhetoric that I became turned off. It’s for those reasons that I will rate it at 3.25 stars—it’s a definite skip for me.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

If you thought the first book had some "interesting" or "out there" moments, buckle up for this sequel! It's packed with equally wild twists that might not appeal to everyone. But for me? I enjoyed this one even more than the debut. Just a heads-up, make sure to read the trigger warnings included at the beginning of the book, as there’s a lot at play here.

With its culty vibes and intriguing premise, this book definitely kept me on my toes. There were moments when I needed a break and opted for lighter reads, but overall, it was an enjoyable journey. It's clear this book might not be everyone's cup of tea, and that's totally okay! After all, reading is a deeply personal and subjective experience.

This is kind of a hard one to review because I have such mixed feelings on this. I really enjoyed the first half of the book, Bartz puts in some really great and well-written commentary on religious/sexual trauma which does make this a bit of a heavy read for a thriller, it reminded me a lot of <i>The Last Housewife</i> .

Thea works at a psych hospital and when a patient comes in that she recognizes as an actress from her favorite movie as a teen she immediately tries to befriend her and figure out why she ended up here. she’s led to a sex/relationship therapy type of retreat with renown podcast hosts, and of course things escalate from there just like Bartz’s previous novel. However once we arrive at the retreat it turns into a bit of a fever dream, we get a strange reincarnation plotline, and there comes a point where it becomes a bit confusing to keep up with what’s going on and the book began to drag for me. it’s definitely slower paced and less exciting than <i>The Writing Retreat</i> and while I really did enjoy and appreciate the commentary (especially the first 30% or so of the book) it felt like the thriller aspects weren’t quite as tight.

Ok I will say this , this book will NOT be for everyone , it was dark and twisted with culty vibes and creepy AF at times !

The Last Session is a magnetic read , which somehow seduced me to read every single page . I did not know where this was going and the story literally took me down some rabbit hole and I was sucked in good and spat out like a like a sour grape. I had so many scenarios playing in my head and lets just say I was never right !

The writing is very vivid and if you like locked room thrillers then I think you might enjoy this one. However there is a lot of triggers in this book, such as sensitive subjects like religious abuse, alcohol abuse, bullying and sexual harassment. ( The author does a good job of forewarning readers before starting )

I really don't want to give anything away , but if you like unreliable narrators, dimensional reads, and Culty vibes then add this one to your TBR .

There were a few things that did not work for me , one in particular was the main characters career was a social worker and I question , would a social worker really do what transpired in this story , but that's the great thing about fiction , it can any way the author takes us and it was quit the thrilling ride!!

Thank you Netgalley, Atria Books and Julia Bratz for this heated locked room thriller of a page turner !!

PS for my Genx readers that are fans of Twin Peaks , this is for you !!

Respectfully Another Read by Angie

After loving “the writing retreat” I was sooo excited for Julia Bartz new book and as expected I absolutely loved it!!

I loved The mystery behind two look alike women who share the same traits, birthday and whose childhoods are alike in an interesting way.

The plot mostly follows Thea, a social worker who hasn’t yet found her place in life and is currently working in a psychiatric ward who’s her life is upturned when a catatonic celebrity shows up on her ward.

Skip forward to part 2 we have adventure, travel, more mystery, intrigue, a search for a potentially missing person and Thea who is playing amateur undercover detective to try and seek out answers to an unusual connection she has felt since age 13.

I loved Thea as a character, she is a bit of a mess and definitely has some unresolved issues yet I couldn’t help but love her, she is someone I would definitely want to befriend and take under my wing to offer my protection.

The pacing of the book was excellent and kept me engaged throughout. This was one of those books I just have a thoroughly good time reading and got lots of enjoyment out of.

Also the cover is stunning 👏🏼👏🏼

Thank you to atria books and Julia Bartz for the EARC!

Publish date: April 1st 2025

I had to DNF at 50 pages. Choppy writing, ridiculous references to sexuality and a terrible plot. I do not recommend which is such a disappointment because I loved her first book.

DNF at 50 pages. Choppy writing, ridiculous references to sexuality and a terrible plot. I do not recommend.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the eARC of this title!**

This one is a DNF for now. I’m not sure if I’m not in the right headspace for this one but it’s reading less like a thriller and more like a religious trauma therapy session.

I respect the author for tackling these big topics and I’m certain this book will resound with the right audiences.

Unfortunately, the pacing of this one is not working for me. I feel like I’ve been reading this book for 2 weeks and I’m only 22% into a 240 page….. I will give this one another try but not right now.

I devoured Julia Bartz's debut novel, “The Writing Retreat”, so I couldn't wait to dive into her second book, “The Last Session”. It definitely lived up to my expectations! The storyline is rich with layers—featuring a social worker, a psychiatric unit, an oddly familiar catatonic patient, and a wellness cult…oh my! From the very first page, the pacing is fast and relentless, with a darkly chilling vibe that lingers from start to finish. Julia Bartz masterfully blends intricate plotlines that feel both fresh and original, showcasing her talent for storytelling. I was completely captivated by the depth of her characters and the psychological complexity they embody—I love that! If you're in search of a suspenseful thriller that grips you and refuses to let go, then I wholeheartedly recommend *The Last Session*. It's a riveting read that you won't be able to put down!

2.75 stars
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In The Last Session, we follow our main character Thea, a social worker with a troubled past, who gets intertwined with a cult when her latest patient arrives in a catatonic state. What starts as an ordinary intake, Thea can't help but feel like she knows her new patient from somewhere but can't put her finger on it. It's revealed that Jane Doe is Catherine O’Brien, who at age thirteen starred in Thea's favourite movie - Stargirl.

Thea can't help but get too close to Catherine, and believes that she's sent her a plea for help when people claiming to be her "parents" check her out care. This lead brings her to New Mexico for a "wellness/relationship" retreat. Here we meet the infamous Sol and Moon who are the leaders who will guide us on this journey. We're introduced to a few other characters who are on this same retreat and you start to begin who you can trust. During the retreat, we're reconnected with Jonah-P.I. who was hired by Catherine's parents to find her, and Mikki-a freelance journalist who wants a big story. Immediately you begin to wonder who Thea can trust.

I was really into the first 75% of the book, I loved the culty vibes and wondered what the outcome would be of the book. The last 25% was a fever dream, it was beautifully written but just lost me. Like every story, this cult's motives aren't what they seem, the ending was looking a little bleak for Thea and I feared the worst for her. I'm mad that those who I trusted were linked to the cult and wanted to sacrifice Thea to the portal.

At 240 pages (NetGalley version) this dragged out far too long. Its slow pacing doesn't help add many thrills to this locked-in setting.
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I would like to thank Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books, Julia Bartz and NetGalley for a copy of The Last Session in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, this book is set to be published on April 1st, 2025, pre-order your copy today!

2.25

Setting: New Mexico
Rep: n/a

I loved this author's previous book, but this one was a flop for me - a nonsensical, one-note cult book. It isn't a locked room thriller at all, I have no idea why that's in the synopsis. At no point was it surprising or twisty. It's exactly what you'd expect a cult book to be.

This was a strong thriller novel, it uses the social worker element perfectly and told the story that it needed to. I was engaged with what was happening and was invested in what was happening. The characters were everything that I was looking for and enjoyed the feel of this. Julia Bartz has a strong writing style and thought it worked with the New Mexico element.

I absolutely loved this book. Julia did a great job creating the characters, as I was reading it played out like a movie in my head! When books have such a great flow it makes it impossible to put down.

dramatic themes of religious abuse and some very strange scenarios. 5 stars. tysm for the arc. would really recommend, a uniuqe but awesome thriller.

This was my first book by this author. It’ sucked me in from the beginning. It’s not my typical type of read but it keep me wanting more. Julia is a fantastic write and definitely keeps you engaged.