Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of this ARC. I wanted to like this one, but I ultimately DNF. The writing, while strong and descriptive, fell flat with the storyline. It felt predictable and I found myself struggling to stay engaged.

Hmm.. not really my vibe like I’d thought it’d be. Book focuses on mental health and cults, so if that is your jam then you would really like it. I did enjoy the author’s writing style and would read from her again.

After reading and loving the authors debut novel, The Writing Retreat, I was really looking forward to her second novel.

I really liked the beginning of the story and the writing quickly pulled me in. I also really liked the fact that the main character was a therapist like I am. I also loved the cult aspect of the story.

However I did find a few issues with the book.
I don't mind an over the top/suspend your beliefs type of story but there were so many of these situations in this one that it became a bit much. I also felt as if there was too much of a focus on the Stargirl film (a movie that the main character was obsessed with as a teen).

Even though I didn't enjoy this one as much as I did The Writing Retreat, I still liked this one and would recommend it to thriller readers. I will also look forward to reading whatever Julia Bartz writes in the future.

The Last Session by Julia Bartz will be available on April 1. Many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the gifted copy!

I LOVED this book. I was already a fan of Julia Bartz from "Writing Retreat" so I was very excited to dive into this book.

It kept me enthralled! I was sucked in from the first page, and did not stop reading until the end. Unputdownable.

The twists and turns were not predictable, but felt completely supported by the text.
Characters felt full and developed.

Definitely pick this up if you're a fan of psychological thrillers, I do not think you'll be disappointed!

I wanted to like this but it just didn’t do it for me. It seemed predictable. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review.

Holy hell I’m going to have a book hangover after this one. This hasn’t even hit the shelves yet and I’m already hungrily waiting for her next book.
I loved the Writing retreat last year and the Last session exceeded my expectations.
This is not your typical thriller/horror novel, there’s a lot going on here and I loved every bit of it.
The story is almost all from Thea’s point of view. Thea is a therapist and has some past trauma of her own that she’s numbing with booze. One day a catatonic patient is brought in to Thea’s clinic and she feels a deep connection to her right away. The woman starts talking to Thea and opening up to her some. Suddenly Catherine the patient gets picked up by a couple posing as her parents. Thea finds a clue that sends her on a mission to find Catherine. Her mission leads her to New Mexico to a high end weekend retreat that is supposed to help you find your soul mate. Is it a cult or is something else going on?
This book got into my head where I was having dreams that I was in the retreat, that is how much this pulled me in. It kind of brought back memories of some of Christopher Pikes adult novels with symbolism and mysticism but still believable. I loved this book so much and now I’m at a loss on what to read next. Thank you to the publishers, Netgalley and Julia Bartz for the opportunity to read and review the fabulous book.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this exciting psychological thriller. It kept my attention the whole time. I look forward to reading more books from Julia Bart’s!

This book tipped from thriller to Sci-Fi to fantasy all throughout the story. Wasn't expecting that! Thea, the main character, who we hear from in first person, unknowingly sets off, not only on a rescue mission, but a self discovery one as well. I appreciated how determined she was to find and help her patient when she didn't think that she was safe. The book got pretty confusing and muddled at points when it came to the "visions" associated the the cult. I think maybe it was element of confusion and chaos that it was meant to invoke, but it was hard to read through. Overall, it's a good book!

I loved The Writing Retreat and was hopeful that I would love this one, too. And I did, about the first half of it. Then it flies off the rails, gets totally crazy and nonsensical. It went on too long and I didn't enjoy it anymore. Could not relate to the main character anymore (Thea), She made so many insane decisions. I liked the cult aspect and trauma bits. It could have been so interesting. Thank you.
Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of this ARC. I knew it would be a crazy one and I was not disappointed!

After reading The Writing Retreat last year, I knew I had to read Julia Bartz’s next book. So when I unexpectedly was granted approval for the ARC of The Last Session, I was over the moon.

This story follows Thea, a social worker for a psychiatric unit in New York. One day, a catatonic woman is put in her care and Thea has a strange notion that she knows her from somewhere. But just as she realizes how she knows the woman, she disappears again. Concerned for her safety, Thea follows the clues all the way to a remote “healing” retreat, designed to get to the root of intimacy-related issues. But the couple running the retreat are strange, and the session even stranger and Thea quickly finds herself in the heart of something much more sinister.

If there is one thing I’ve come to appreciate about Bartz’s writing, it’s this: the sheer unpredictability of her stories. Without fail (thus far), her books will inevitably go completely off the rails and, in that sense, The Last Session did not disappoint one bit. This story touches on a number of sensitive topics, such as mental health, past trauma and cult susceptibility.

This book was simultaneously frustrating and shocking - the kind where you really just want to grab the main character by the shoulders and give them a good shake. Despite my frustrations, this book had me at the edge of my seat from start to finish. It’s definitely a fast paced novel, becoming more and more outlandish as the story goes on. There’s plot holes and nonsensical decisions, which definitely requires some suspension of disbelief behalf of the reader but if you’re good with sitting back and enjoying the ride, then this is a pretty fun one.

This one of those books that I feel like the less you know the better. If you like cult-y books or an unpredictable mystery (and don’t mind a little insanity), then definitely give this one a try.

This book releases on April 1st, 2025.

Rating: 3.5/5
Review will be published on my website on March 24th, 2025 at the following url:
https://mishmashedmagic.com/bookblog/the-last-session-by-julia-bartz

Smooth writing and an interesting plot. The MC seems pretty naive so I was always anticipating what trouble she was getting herself into. I enjoyed the different perspectives of reincarnation.

I was very excited to read this book and I personally felt that this book started out strong. I found myself getting lost in the cult elements that felt too far-fetched. The character development was a little slow for me personally and certain aspects felt too far-fetched. I love a thriller, but this one was my style or preference. I do think there is a certain audience for it and overall I liked the writing style. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title!

Hmm.. not really my vibe like I’d thought it’d be. Book focuses on mental health and cults, so if that is your jam then you would really like it. I did enjoy the author’s writing style and would read from her again.

This book has mixed reviews. I went into it with an open mind and I enjoyed it.

Thea is a social worker at a mental hospital. A catatonic Woman is admitted and Thea recognizes her from the past. Two mysterious people pick up the woman but Thea senses that she is in danger. Thea follows the woman to a wellness center in the middle of the desert. This hippy retreat is not what you would expect. It’s dangerous!

The first half of this book is really good. The writing is fast paced and interesting. I thought there was a lot of good character development. Thea’s past is riddled with neglect and sexual trauma. The second half of this book is a little off the rails. If you like books about hippy cults you will probably love this one!

Thea, a social worker, is drawn to a mysterious Jane Doe client, whom she identifies as Catherine O’Brien, a former actress. Convinced they share an unspoken connection, Thea follows Catherine’s cryptic note to a secluded retreat. There, she unravels repressed memories of childhood trauma and becomes entangled in a cult led by “Moon and Sol.” The novel’s first half captivated me with its gripping psychological tension, but the second half veered into a disjointed mix of surreal dreams, reincarnation, and scattered revelations that left me disappointed.

While this one started out strong and seemed very promising, I found myself getting lost in the cult elements that felt too far-fetched. The main character was unlikeable and it made the book feel like the plot dragged on for far too long, especially with the far-fetched elements. I was hoping for more twists along the way, but this one just fell flat. 2.75 star read for me!

4/5 stars: as a previous psychology teacher and lover of cult thrillers, this book was super fascinating and chilling to me - the sense of suspense and danger was real throughout and kept me on my toes

While there were some parts I was a bit hmmmm about (the reincarnation part was kinda odd, as was the fact that the MC would jump on a plane to follow a stranger), these were overridden by the weaving and well paced plot, twists and overall character building of some of the MCs.

It’s my first time reading Julia Bartz, but I will be going back to read the Writing Retreat soon!

I just finished The Last Session by Julia Bartz and it was an interesting one! I definitely liked the concept of the plot. You follow Thea as she encounters a patient in her mental health facility who is catatonic but very familiar. She discovers her identity and how it connects to her traumatic past but then the woman is gone as fast as she arrived. She follows her trail to a Center in the desert and the truth begins unraveling from there. Not a completely linear storyline and it gets.a little weird and crazy. I have a feeling this will be another polarizing book from Julia Bartz, where you either love it or hate it, and unfortunately I fall into the middle where this didn't really do it for me but I enjoyed some aspects. I would still recommend people give it a go and see what they think for themselves!

The Last Session by Julia Bartz is a mind-bending ride that keeps you guessing until the very end. While it wasn't my usual style of book, I found myself drawn in by the unpredictable plot and intricate writing. The narrative blends reality with delusion, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty that kept me on edge. Themes of past lives, reincarnation, and cult-like elements were a little hard to follow at times but the story is compelling enough to keep you invested. If you enjoy stories that challenge your perceptions and keep you questioning what's real, The Last Session offers a unique and engaging experience.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

It started off strong… and then it kind of fell off for me. I was excited to learn about Thea’s patient and am a huge fan of a good “locked-room” thriller. However this was not a locked room thriller. It turned into what felt like a fever dream and trauma dump that I wasn’t a huge fan of.