The Last Session by Julia Bartz

About the Book:

When a catatonic woman shows up at the psychiatric unit, social worker Thea swears she knows her from somewhere. She’s shocked to discover the patient holds a link to a traumatic time in her past. Upon regaining lucidity, the patient claims she can’t remember the horrific recent events that caused her brain to shut down. Thea’s at a loss—especially when the patient is ripped away from her as suddenly as she appeared.

Determined to find her, Thea follows a trail of clues to a remote center in Southwestern New Mexico, where a charismatic couple holds a controversial monthly retreat to uncover attendees’ romantic and sexual issues. Forced to participate in increasingly intimate exercises, Thea finds herself inching closer not only to her missing patient, but also to tantalizing answers about her harrowing past. However, time is running out, and if she stays for the last session, she too might lose her mind…or worse.

My Review:

I read this author's first novel so thought I would give this one a try. From the very beginning, it was too dark for me. I tried reading it several times but just could not get into it enough to finish. The therapist did not seem realistic to me. It got really strange and I just could not go any further. Did not finish.

About the Author:

Julia Bartz is the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Session and The Writing Retreat, a practicing therapist, and a creative coach. Her fiction writing has appeared in the South Dakota Review, InDigest Magazine, and more. She lives in Brooklyn. Photo by Savannah Lauren.

Atria, 364 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. Mine is an independent review.