DNF'd at 40%

I tried really hard to get into this book. It was way too slow for my liking. I am sure it's up to speed for some so don't let this review discourage you from reading this book.

Thanks NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Last Session is an atmospheric unsettling thriller with cult elements. While some portions of the book are implausible, it was twisty and fast-paced, which kept me up reading to see how the story would end.

Some of the explicit scenes won’t work for everyone, but I found it to be an intriguing part of the book and adds depth to the characters’ pasts. Julia Bartz did a great job of including thought provoking aspects throughout the story with mental health, sexuality, and trauma to set it apart from a typical thriller.

Thank you to NetGallery and Arita Books for an ARC of this book!

THE LAST SESSION
Julia Bartz

" I fell asleep amid the flowers for a couple of hours"
Daydreamin'

THE LAST SESSION stars a social worker, currently working at a facility where a patient arrives comatose. She looks familiar to her at first and when she realizes who she is it’s a surprise to her as much as it is to us.

One thing leads to another and before you know it our main character has signed up for a weeklong retreat run by a cultish couple. Will she find what she is looking for or fall asleep amid the flowers?


The second half is all I can remember it's all that's in my head it completely demolished everything and had built in the first half I wish it never existed it felt like such a waste

The voice was there the sentiment, although a little skewed at times, is there but unfortunately whatever magic occurred in the first half didn't carry over into the second half.

Our main character is flawed and I was rooting for her from the beginning watching from behind covered eyes begging her to please stop meanwhile encouraging the bad behavior, the bad choices, and the horrible decisions.

Thanks to Netgalley, Atria Books, and Emily Bestler Books for the advanced copies!

THE LAST SESSION is available now!!

THE LAST SESSION…⭐⭐⭐

I enjoyed the author's previous book and expected to love this tale about a cult, but it proved to be an overall confusing story. Thea is a social worker who use art therapy to help her patients. She herself has significant childhood trauma and when she recognizes a new patient as a movie star from her teen years, she becomes determined to help the woman. Catherine was in a science-fiction movie called "Starfire" as a teen and she looks a lot like Thea. She came to Thea's hospital after being found wondering in a daze on the road. The first section of this book deal with the various patient and workers at the mental health hospital where Thea works. Once Catherine leaves, we leave this part of this story and the author could have just started with part two which is at the retreat in New Mexico, where Thea follows Catherine with the hopes of saving her.

Various people come to the health resort for a weekend course in healing relationship traumas. Thea unwisely brings her childhood diary which is promptly stolen making it easier for the cult operators Sol and Moon, to guess at her issues. She finds Catherine at the resort, but the woman tells her she shouldn't have come and that she doesn't want to leave. The rest of the book is a combination of dreams, manipulation, reincarnation theories and the cult leaders using drugs and sex to ensnare Thea and the other participants. The last part of the book is confusing with it never being clear if Thea is dreaming, hallucinating or if magical things are actually happening.

A few little details drove me crazy too: As a 13 year old, Thea was verbally assaulted by the pastor of their large church, a married man with children. The pastor was 23 or 24 years old. It seemed odd to make the man that young. Then in current times she checks his social media to find that now he is 43 but all his children are married with families of their own. The ages don't seem right unless all these people where marrying and reproducing in their middle teen years. The cult leaders seem to alternate between being in the business for money and fame with being hypnotized by a decades old science-fiction movie and believing the movie will play out in real life. Good beginning but the plot could have executed better. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.

This was a weird premise with weird execution. I think it almost could have been a short story because there really wasn't enough plausible action to fit a full novel.

Wow this book was crazy. At first I was super curious about the cult, but I truly could not figure out where this story was headed. The only reason I finished it was to see what actually happened, but the ending was underwhelming. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

"The Last Session" by Julia Bartz follows a social worker, Thea, as she works in a psychiatric unit where a catatonic woman shows up one day. This catatonic woman turns out to be Hollywood actress Catherine, and once she comes to, she has no idea how she got to the center or even to New York City, for that matter. The only thing Thea can come up with is that Catherine must have suffered deeply to be put into such a state. Then, all of a sudden, Catherine goes missing, and Thea is set to track her down. While tracking Catherine, she is led to a cult center in New Mexico. Will she be able to get Catherine out of the cultish center before it's too late? What happens when Thea realizes Catherine plays a huge role in her past?

I enjoyed this cult cat-and-mouse chase thriller. It goes much deeper than just Thea finding Catherine. Catherine played a huge role in Thea's past, and the journey to uncover the connections was a fun ride. It's almost more of a tale of Thea reconnecting with her past traumas.

This novel has some seriously dark themes involving a cult, including some wacky sex scenes that Bartz incorporates, just as she did in her first novel. It was incredibly entertaining, even for this non-romance reader. Let's not forget to mention the secluded setting of the center in New Mexico. It truly was a special spot for this locked-room thriller, adding a claustrophobic, hopeless feeling of not being able to escape.

If you're looking for your next cult thriller, this is it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

The Last Session:

Thank you @atriabooks and @simon.audio for my gifted copies! #AtriaPartner #simonaudio

I’m a cult reader forever and a day, but this has me really saying bitch wtf. First half had gripped, second half, just confused.

I feel like this was marketed wrong. I thought this was a horror a la Catriona Ward. Or even a stretch for a mystery thriller with a snap of magical realism. But honestly, idk what to market this as.

The chaotic storyline is basically like my ADD brain trying to keep everyone in line. I now apologize to all my coworkers. It went off the rails into the unknown (via Elsa) and I’m just.. confused. I actually have no idea what I just read. No idea as confused not like wtf but also like wtf.

What I did love was finally calling our Moon on her “Spanish accent” and lots of calling out of appropriation on the sake of being “spiritual”.

Not for me but I know so many people loved it so check out their reviews!

Julia Bartz delivers another gripping psychological thriller that hooks you from the first page and doesn’t let go. The Last Session is eerie, suspenseful, and masterfully plotted, blending emotional depth with the intensity of a locked-room mystery. Thea is a compelling protagonist—resilient, complex, and haunted by a past that refuses to stay buried. As the story unfolds in the shadowy desert retreat, the tension escalates with every twist. Bartz's signature blend of psychological insight and chilling atmosphere will hook you. I can honestly say I did not see the direction this one was going!

Thank you Julia Bartz, Atria Books, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

The Last Session is a psychological thriller with a side of what did I just read. I’m not certain how to review this novel. It’s a well written, vivid tale about a cult. There is a lot going on here that is completely unbelievable – hence it’s fiction. The Last Session was a bit too bizarre for me. Note several potential triggers. While not for me it will appeal to readers looking for a dark and twisted read.

4.5 stars! I’m so glad one of my most anticipated releases for the year lived up to my expectations. The author has such a knack for blending thriller/mystery/horror/weird fiction into a real page turner. While not quite a perfect 5, I simply couldn’t put it down. I loved the journey we went on with these characters and the way all their stories intertwined. The reveals were well timed and the pacing was perfect. I wish we’d had a little more details at certain points, but generally this was an excellent book. A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

A total trip. I always love a book where the first chapter hooks me and has me looking sideways. It was my first book by this author and I’m excited to learn of a new writer I enjoy..

Julia Bartz delivers us another psychological thriller with some unexpected twists. A unique perspective with some supernatural aspects, cults vibes, and unreliable characters. I personally don't mind a cult storyline as the concept always blows my mind, but this one was definitely "out there" with its unique storyline and originality. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, especially with the trigger warnings (although properly forewarned by the author) and some aspects of the overall plot line. It was entertaining, but not quite as entertaining as The Writing Retreat.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review! I would be interested in seeing what Julia Bartz comes up with next!

Julia Bartz is usually quite over the top but that’s why I am drawn to her work. The cult story line is so outlandish but that’s what keeps me involved in the book. The Last Session was a little hard to get into however I did enjoy the craziness of it all

DNF @20%

This book has solidified that Julia Bartz is just not an author for me. On top of not liking the content of this book, the plot is always over the top ridiculous to me. And not in a fun way.

Wow, that was just wow!! This book introduces childhood drama, a non-believer cult, and some weirdness for sure. My dreams definitely reflected on my own childhood by the end. Thank You to Netgalley , Atria, and Julia Bartz for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. It's hard to say you "like" or "enjoyed" psychological thrillers but I was entertained. Were there some flaws and questions at the end, sure. But if you're looking for something with morbid twists and persuasion type vibes that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this might be for you.

I adored Julia’s debut novel, the Writing Retreat, to the point where I kept looking for a new book by her every few months. I was so happy to get the e-arc of her new novel, the Last Session. Julia does a really good job with twisty turns and captivating story lines. She always has a WTF moment in her stories and this book has many. It was entertaining but it was sometimes hard to avoid the reality of it all. Being a social worker, Thea has some standards to uphold and professional boundaries to maintain. At times, some of the things the FMC did felt like a reach. Nonetheless, I will continue to look out for other books from this author!

Julia Bartz is gives you that anxiety inducing escape room experience in The Last Session. This was a heart racing mind bending adventure that has you white knuckling for the whole ride.

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.. I had so many scenarios playing in my head and let's 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 )

A quirky read. A little hard to get into in the beginning. Not as good as The Writing Retreat. Had it figured out early on. I love a cult story but it needed a little more action.