This book was a mess. The whole “Stargirl” plot was ridiculous; Thea just disappearing from her job to play investigator was unprofessional and silly; the back and forth between “reincarnation is totally real” and “this is obviously a group delusion” was exhausting. Plus the descriptions were hard to follow - despite all the pages spent on the “castle” and the tents and the caves, I still had no real idea what any of it looked like. Also, enough with the Scooby Doo “let’s see who you REALLY are!” nonsense.

I was excited for The Last Session, but it didn’t quite work for me. The premise was intriguing, but the pacing felt uneven, and the therapy retreat lacked the depth and tension I expected. The protagonist, Thea, had potential, but her decisions were frustrating at times, making it hard to stay invested. While the book explored trauma and healing, it relied too much on predictable twists rather than real psychological depth. Overall, it had some interesting moments, but it just didn’t fully deliver.

When a catatonic woman arrives at a psychiatric unit, social worker Thea recognizes her from a traumatic event in her past. The patient claims to have no memory of what happened, and before long, she's taken away. Determined to find her, Thea follows clues to a remote retreat in New Mexico, where a couple helps attendees confront their sexual and romantic issues. As Thea participates in increasingly intimate exercises, she uncovers dark truths about her own past—while racing against time to avoid losing her mind.I had high hopes for The Last Session. The beginning was exciting but once they reached the retreat, the story lost its momentum. While some may find it fast-paced, I felt it dragged. The connections I expected didn’t materialize, and some plot points felt overused. The author was clear with trigger warnings, the book ultimately fell flat for me.Thank you to Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review of The Last Session. This book publishes on April 1, 2025.

In The Last Session, Thea, a social worker at a New York inpatient psychiatric hospital, becomes fixated on a new patient—an unidentified, catatonic woman who seems strangely familiar. When the patient mysteriously vanishes from the facility, Thea embarks on a cross-country search, uncovering unsettling truths that force her to confront her own unresolved childhood trauma. What begins as a mission to find the missing woman soon turns into a journey of self-discovery, blurring the lines between past and present, truth and illusion.

This was an incredibly fast read—I devoured it in less than two days, staying up way too late because I simply couldn’t put it down. The mix of tension, mystery, and psychological depth had me hooked from the start. That said, there were a few aspects I struggled with.

As a licensed therapist, I was excited about the book’s subject matter but found some of the depictions of confidentiality concerning. Additionally, while the cult-related elements of the story intrigued me from a psychological standpoint, certain aspects of that narrative pulled me out of full engagement. Without giving away spoilers, there were moments that didn’t fully land for me.

Despite these caveats, The Last Session is a gripping psychological thriller that I’d recommend to anyone looking for a fast-paced, thought-provoking read.

My most sincere thanks to Atria Books, Julia Bartz, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my non-biased review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books - Atria/Emily Bestler Books for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest review. The Last Session is out April 1st, 2025.

Based on my experience reading Julia Bartz's first novel, The Writing Retreat, I was really looking forward to digging into this one - and oh what a wild ride it was! I read a couple other reviews that comment on the fact that this story requires a lot of 'buy in' from the reader, and I couldn't agree more. Thea's journey takes us in some pretty unbelievable directions, with some being pretttty wacky (I even freaked myself out thinking about caves in the night!). That said, the plot was unique and I was completely engrossed and finished the book in just over a day - I needed to know what was next!

Ultimately, I had a lot of fun with this one and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fresh page turner of a thriller! Though I didn't connect with this one as much as I did her first novel, I cannot wait to read what Julia Bartz comes up with next.

The Last Session by Julia Bartz is a psychological thriller that attempts to blend elements of suspense, isolation, and character-driven storytelling. Unfortunately, I was unable to finish the book due to issues with pacing, character development, and engagement. While the premise is intriguing, the execution left something to be desired.

What I Liked
The novel’s premise is undeniably compelling—a group of writers attending an exclusive retreat, only to find themselves entangled in a sinister game. The isolated setting is well-described, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere that suits the genre well. Additionally, Bartz’s writing style is vivid and atmospheric, effectively capturing the unease and tension within the group.
The concept of blending psychological tension with the creative struggles of writers is an interesting one. The exploration of ambition, rivalry, and self-doubt within the literary world adds depth to the story.

What I Didn’t Like
One of the primary reasons I did not finish The Last Session was the slow pacing. The buildup takes too long, with much of the narrative feeling repetitive or lacking momentum. While slow-burn thrillers can be effective, the pacing here made it difficult to stay invested.
Additionally, the characters felt underdeveloped. Many of them lacked distinctive personalities, making it hard to connect with their struggles or care about their fates. The protagonist, in particular, was frustrating at times, with motivations that felt unclear or inconsistent.
The suspense elements also felt forced at times, with certain plot twists being either predictable or overly reliant on familiar thriller tropes. Rather than building organic tension, the book occasionally relied on vague foreshadowing without enough payoff.

Recommendations for Improvement
To enhance The Last Session, I would suggest:
1. Tightening the pacing – Reducing unnecessary exposition and building suspense more efficiently could keep readers engaged.
2. Developing characters more fully – Giving them more distinctive voices and motivations would make the story more immersive.
3. Avoiding overused tropes – A fresh take on psychological thriller conventions would help the novel stand out.

Conclusion
While The Last Session has an intriguing premise and strong atmospheric writing, its slow pacing and underdeveloped characters made it difficult for me to finish. Readers who enjoy slow-burning psychological thrillers may still find it appealing, but for those looking for a gripping, fast-paced mystery, this novel may not fully deliver.

as a social worker, i LOVE a book about a social worker so it’s a half star bump up from me <3

however, i feel conflicted about the book itself. it’s super quick paced with short chapters and i found myself not being able to put down.

but it was a little too…. absurd if that’s the right word. the plot just was a little too messy and coincidental that i couldn’t really believe the story.

so that leaves me with a 3/5 rating so i wouldn’t read again but would recommend as a quick read!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review of The Last Session, which publishes April 1, 2025.

Before this book even starts, the author provides a list of content warnings. She mentions the following: Alcohol abuse, religious abuse, child abuse, sexual harassment and assault, physical violence, murder, cults, psychosis, suicide attempt (off-page).

I found this book actually quite fascinating to read. Thea being a social worker gave such an interesting perspective on how she thought about things and reacted to situations. I think she felt very “real” as a character, although her using abbreviations like “IRL” and “BFF” out loud in her dialogue felt off. As a 33 year-old woman, it felt like those random moments didn’t match up with how she presented herself through the majority of the book.

I found myself getting increasingly more uncomfortable and anxious as the plot moved forward, which was good since I believe that is the point. I’ve never really read many books involving cults, so if that’s something that bothers you I don’t think this would land - but I really enjoyed the complexity and rationalization of the characters. Moon and Sol were such interesting characters and I truly don’t think I’ve read books with similar characters to them.

I didn’t fully guess the twists, but some of them didn’t feel too surprising either. I think they felt pretty natural for the plot, and didn’t randomly take a different route for “shock value”. The ending tied things up pretty nicely, although I was left wanting a little bit more.

After putting a lot of time and effort into the slog of reading THE LAST SESSION, I really hoped it would be one of those endings where I look back and say to myself, “That was totally worth it.” Unfortunately, this psychological thriller (to the 100th degree) gave me the ick. I don’t like to rate books on vibe, but I can’t help it. This story is unhinged (not in a good way) and had so many strange and unrelated ideas that I could hardly keep track of the story.

The beginning showed promise but it was difficult to suspend belief after Thea decided to go undercover at a sketchy wellness retreat, leaving behind her entire life to rescue a woman she doesn’t actually know. Maybe if there were a deeper connection between the two women in this fever dream, I would have had a better feeling at the end. I mean, I’m very partial to the characters of movies I watched on repeat when I was young, so that I could maybe understand. Even the sudden, out of context orgy couldn’t get me on board.

I will say that Julia Bartz can write compellingly, I just didn’t relate with this book whatsoever and ended up needing to read something light and fun afterward because I'm a little disturbed.

Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for the early digital copy of THE LAST SESSION in exchange for my honest feedback.

What starts with a quick and intriguing premise went completely off the damn rails. I like Bartz’s first book (which I know was mixed for many) but this one is trying to do so much it becomes a bit of a scrambled mess. The end of part 3 is especially obvious where we switch narration and that chapter made absolutely no sense. This book is way too long and superfluous and does not really stand out among the countless other cult/evil retreat books that have come out in the last 5 years or so. I could not understand the connection between Catherine and Thea and if Thea genuinely was that enthralled by Catherine as a kid I don’t think she would have forgotten so many key details that come up in the story. This book asks us to suspend a bit too much disbelief for me to get behind.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Not sure what I read here or why. Definitely was transparent on the trigger warnings. Bizarre - at least to me - topics, concepts, and story. Perhaps is a better fit for the interests of others so please read other reviews.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thea is a social worker who meets a patient who comes in not speaking. As she works to figure out who she is, she realizes she knows her.
The patient ends up mysteriously leaving the clinic and causes Thea to launch her own investigation to find her. Thea is convinced she's in danger.

Thea travels to a retreat in the dessert to find her.

I enjoyed the first half of the book as Thea tries to get to the bottom of what was going on. But once at the retreat, I did not. It just seemed so far fetched and crazy. Not for me.

Thanks Netgalley for this ARC.

Well… that was a *ride.* I had no idea where this book was going, and honestly, I’m still not sure how I feel about where it ended up.

The Last Session follows a social worker who attends a relationship retreat, not for self improvement, but to dig into the past of a former patient and a celebrity figure who has gone missing. What unfolds is a slow burn descent into a cult with delusions, shared psychotic disorder, and some seriously intense themes.

Julia Bartz doesn’t shy away from dark, complex topics, so if you go into this one, make sure your expectations are set accordingly. While the premise was intriguing, the pacing dragged at times, and I found myself more confused than captivated. If you love cult heavy psychological stories with an unpredictable edge, this might work for you.

Thank you Atria Books for the advance copy and opportunity to review before publication.

I loved this!

Thea swears she knows a new patient from somewhere, and when it hits it hits hard. When the woman leaves with people claiming to be her mother (who really aren't), Thea's desperate to help her and uncover their connection. She signs up for a weekend retreat with couple who are experts in love, sex and relationships, and things go haywire. Is it a cult?

I felt the pacing of this was steady and didn't find myself wanting to get to the point. I enjoyed the moments were my jaw dropped and on multiple occasions I reacted out loud. This book kept me engaged and I was eager to find out what was going on and what kind of novel I was actually reading. Mystery, thriller, fantasy, sci-fi? Yes. I ended up devouring the entire last half of the book in one sitting.

Would very much recommend either of Julia's novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

When a beautiful and familiar woman shows up at Thea's psychiatric unit, Thea's life take a dramatic turn. With a traumatic past of her own, Thea is haunted and plagued. When the patient awakes and leaves clues that she needs help, Thea believes that she must chase after her to a wellness center in New Mexico to save her. As she follows a trail of clues to finding the mysterious woman, Thea learns more about her own past and the demons that have chased her.

Please make sure to read the trigger warnings as there are numerous.

I was interested in the first few pages and then this turned into a frightful slog. There are no redeeming characters in this books and although I can handle many trigger warnings, the way in which this was written made me want to toss it. I think there is too much in here that the author tries to incorporate and it's too much. When humor is used it's misplaced and the last third of it is a mind bender, defying belief.

2.75 stars

This book started off so good and really had me hooked. But halfway through the plot goes astray and I was left confused desperately trying to figure it out. It was a disappointment for sure.

What a creepy and intriguing premise! I really enjoyed The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz and so I was so excited to get to reading this book! Ive never read a thriller like this, which was a relief as it seems like so many authors are doing a lot of the same. Julia Bartz will be an autobiy from now on!

This is the second book by this author that I have attempted to read, and I can now honestly say that this author just isn’t for me. I find her writing sporadic, and the plot never makes sense. Unfortunately, I think this will be the last book I try to read by her.

4 stars for this novel. I was super excited to get into the story as it starts with a unknown psychatric patient. This book was hard to put down as I felt I was in a game of hide and seeking searching for clues with Thea.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I want to start this out by saying that I read the Writing Retreat by this author last year and I really hated it. I requested a copy of this one so that I could give her another chance, and I also thought that this one sounded really good.

My thoughts: I really don't think that this author is for me. I was enjoying it a bit at first, but then it started to feel weird. It seemed like things just kept happening that were coming out of nowhere and sometimes didn't make any sense.