I appreciated the trigger warnings at the beginning of the book even though none were an issue for me.

I loved the characters,storyline, it was good at keeping me engaged and guessing the whole time. I like how more subtle forms of abuse were highlighted and how they can still deeply affect one’s life.

Julia Bartz delivers another masterful psychological thriller with The Last Session, a gripping exploration of trauma, identity, and the darkness that lies beneath the surface of well-meaning institutions. Following her stunning debut, The Writing Retreat, Bartz proves she’s a standout voice in the genre, weaving tension and intrigue into every page.

The story centers on Thea, a dedicated social worker, who encounters a mysterious catatonic patient that pulls her back into the shadows of her own troubled past. When the woman vanishes, Thea’s search leads her to a secluded wellness center in New Mexico—a setting Bartz brings to life with chilling precision. The more Thea uncovers about the center’s operations, the more she must confront her own buried secrets, creating a riveting interplay between past and present.

Bartz’s prose is both sharp and atmospheric, drawing the reader into Thea’s complex psyche while keeping the twists and turns coming at a relentless pace. The narrative examines themes of memory, trust, and the limits of healing, challenging readers to question what’s real and what’s illusion.

Fans of psychological thrillers will find themselves captivated by Bartz’s ability to build suspense and create deeply flawed, relatable characters. The Last Session is not just a story—it’s an experience that lingers long after the final page.

Highly recommended for readers who crave a thought-provoking and suspenseful journey into the depths of the human mind.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced reader copy.

This was my second time trying a Julia Bartz novel and I think this just isn't the author for me. The beginning of The Last Session was intriguing enough--a young social worker who finds that a former child actor, who's had a psychotic break, ends up in her psychiatric hospital--but the way in which the main character dives into following the actress, once the woman has left the psychiatric hospital felt too far fetched for me, leaving me unable to connect to the main character or stick with the story.

This was a really bizarre book that was oddly paced and seemed to jump around. I felt like it could definitely use more editing because the plot, the pacing and the jump in locale really was jarring for me as a reader. Did not love this one.

I considered not finishing The Last Session, but I stuck with it until the end because I enjoyed Julia Bartz’s first novel. This one required a suspension of belief that continually pushed me out of the story. The thing I most struggled with was not the behavior of those at the retreat center. It was the fact that a young psychologist would miss work and spend a huge sum of money to follow a patient with whom she’d had brief contact into the desert. I just kept thinking, this woman has student loans. She wouldn’t risk her hard earned license in this way.

I did find the concepts of groupthink interesting and thought the conclusion was satisfactory. Overall this is a 2 star read for me.

I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review through NetGalley.

This was a very suspenseful book. Although Thea, a mental health therapist, has some very questionable boundaries, this mystery keeps you guessing and you are on the edge of your seat to see what strange thing is going to happen next. It easily kept me interested from beginning to end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for gifting me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book had moments early that reminded me a little of the silent patient but took an abrupt turn when the social worker becomes heavily obsessed with her patient, who looks like her and was the star of her favorite childhood movie. Then we went down the cult path - always a winner for me - only to leave me completely speechless and dumbfounded about the wild and chaotic and bizarre last third. Idk wtf I read but it was definitely a fever dream journey.

The Last Session is Julia Bartz's sophomore novel and it brings her over the top, wild ride style of thriller to a very different setting than her first. While her debut was about aspiring writers gathering in a famous writer's home, this book is about a social worker who follows strange clues about a woman she felt so connected to and this takes her to a relationship center in New Mexico.

Thea is a second career social worker, with her own history of childhood trauma. Bartz creates a fair bit of mystery and tension around Thea's past as she also develops the character of a catatonic woman who shows up at the hospital that Thea works for. The two women share a striking resemblance and a connection to something very important to Thea's childhood.

I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller from the very early pages. In her signature style, this book has some taboo sexual content and many unlikable characters. There are major themes of verbal abuse and religious trauma. While I recommend this one, please check content warnings before diving in.

This confused me so much. It was a paranormal cult thriller and I just simply did not enjoy it. There were moments I liked but the rest I was like what am I even reading??

holy shit. this book felt like you're in shrooms.

I probably would have enjoyed this book more if I hadn't found almost every single character profoundly annoying, not unlikeable, just very annoying. this is just me trying to find a more professional way of saying what I really mean, which honestly is, "WTF did I just read??" I'm still not sure, and I still don't know if loved it or hated it.

3.75 stars

I am sorry to say that I really did not like this book. I expected going in it would be about a cult, but it was just so over the top and ridiculous. Yes there was a cult. But it fell so far down a rabbit hole of past lives, reincarnation, and prophetic dreams that it was not only unbelievable but also just unenjoyable. The characters are not very likeable and the attempts the author made into character development just added too much fluff. I finished the book only because it was an ARC and I feel obligated to finish those, but this book was barely worth finishing. I hoped for a good redeeming ending but even that fell flat.

Thank you NetGalley and Atris Books for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review. Publication date April 1, 2025

I really enjoyed this book I like books starring therapists and ones with psychological aspects so this was a lot of fun. No idea if it was done correctly though, since I am not a therapist or in the field, lol but it was cool to read about. I also really like books about cults so I was eating this book up for at least 2/3 of it.

The short chapters helped to fly through the novel, and the writing was simple yet captivating. It was a great commentary on mental health care, healing, and childhood trauma, at least for two-thirds of it. Near the end, it got too reincarnation- and past-life-heavy. I can't say it dragged on because I don't think the author could've made it end faster, but it was just hard to stay interested near the end. Maybe it was too farfetched and outlandish.

Overall, though, I had a great time, and I'm looking forward to the author's future books. The publisher provided an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t love the Writing Retreat but it was a quick thriller so thought perhaps her second novel would improve. Unfortunately what starts as a great premise and beginning just dissolves into the absurd. By the end it was dragging and I nearly put it down because I wasn’t invested anymore. The author throws as many ridiculous and “shocking” plot devices in as she can but it doesn’t propel the story forward. Also the main character absolutely needs to lose their social work license and be banned from engaging with patients but that’s another gripe. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC

I received an ARC copy of this book through NetGalley.

I loved Julia Bartz's first novel and was intrigued by the premise of this one. It was a quick read, but jumped around a bit and had a large cast of characters so at times it got a bit confusing. She packs A LOT into a fairly short novel.

The Last Session was a solid 4 stars. It was very well-written. I liked the characters. It just required too much suspension of disbelief to get that 5th star from me. To quote another review I read, "I could've done without the orgy."

Overall, I'd recommend it.

For anyone who read Bartz’s debut, The Writing Retreat, you know you’re about to be entertained. I’d described her storytelling style as “unhinged lit” (a category I just invented).

In the follow-up, think Nine Perfect Strangers with Nicole Kidman mixed with the nutso insights from that couple from Twin Flames.

The Last Session follows social worker Thea as she tries to track down a patient she recognizes from a past interaction, which on its own is crazy, thinking the patient may be in danger.

It leads her to a “retreat” in New Mexico where shit really starts to go sideways. Me trying to detail what happens is impossible because you wouldn’t believe me if I tried. You have to read it for yourself.
I wish there would’ve been maybe one chapter talking more about Thea’s childhood and even her entrance into social work because she has a tough time with boundaries. Also, I’d like a bit more about the couple running the retreat. I filled in info and ideas about them based on Twin Flames but didn’t really get their allure as leaders.

Also, I love the cover but not sure if The Last Session is quite the right title. The Final Gathering? The Main Event? The Last Retreat? I guess that last one wouldn’t work because of her first book title… or would it?

Tips for reading The Last Session:

Do not allow your rational mind to enter the chat.

Hang on for the wild ride and trust you’ll be safe when it comes to a stop.

Binge it, baby.

Thank you for an advance copy of this book by an author I have enjoyed in the past. This tells the story of a social worker who is works in a psychiactric mental facility and meets a catatonic woman who she swears she knows from her past. This sets Thea off on a journey to discover the girls past and how she fits into it, if she does. The story moves slower than I would have liked and I wouldn't say it had great twists, but it was a well written, held my interest thriller. 3.5 stars.

The Last Session started out strong, dragged in the middle, and became preposterous in the end.

Thea is social worker in the psychiatric unit in New York. A catatonic woman is brought in and once she is able to converse, she can't give any indication of who she is or what happened. Thea feels drawn to her (they look alike) and that she knows her and surprisingly she is right--this is Catherine, the star of her favorite childhood movie. Before she can capitalize on this chance meeting, Catherine is gone after being picked up by her "parents".

When Thea figures out that Catherine has left under suspicious circumstances she follows some very small breadcrumbs and comes the conclusion that she is at a Wellness Retreat in remote New Mexico that is possibly a cult. So of course, Thea manages to go to this retreat to see if she can find Catherine and bring her "home". The problem is, she doesn't even know her and doesn't really have any idea what is going on. Once she arrives at the retreat, her and a small group of people tackle wellness but she is keeping an eye out for Catherine. It is a weekend retreat and what should be exciting is actually boring and then we start to delve into some religious/psychological trauma and some woo and the book just turns ridiculous.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thea is a therapist/social worker in a psychiatric center in NYC when a woman in a catatonic state is admitted, who Thea thinks she recognizes. Days later, when the patient flees the center but leaves Thea a cryptic note as to her whereabouts, Following the clues, Thea arrives at a wellness retreat in New Mexico, where she discovers the retreat may not be what it seems. The Last Session is an ambitious undertaking that tackles several emotionally charged topics, including sex, cults, and reincarnation, all woven together in an intricate plot that goes in an unexpected direction. While the story stretches credulity a bit, and you’ll have to overlook some plot holes, the writing is topnotch as the author guides you through the maze. The ending felt rushed after a large buildup, but overall this was an entertaining read. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Julia Bartz delivers another heart-pounding masterpiece with The Last Session! This thriller pulls you in with its unsettling premise and keeps you hooked with layer upon layer of suspense. Thea’s journey to unravel the mysteries of her patient and her own traumatic past is both riveting and chilling.

The remote desert setting and the eerie wellness retreat create an atmospheric backdrop that intensifies the tension. Bartz expertly weaves psychological depth with relentless twists, leaving you questioning everyone and everything.

A must-read for fans of locked-room mysteries and psychological thrillers. You won’t want to put this one down! 🏜️🖤✨

I loved “The Last Session”, it was harrowing and kept me from getting ample sleep because I couldn’t put it down. My heart is with Thea, Julia Bart’z writes another great book!