A review by mysteriouslytiff
The Last Session by Julia Bartz

dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I received an ARC of this book from Atria Books and NetGalley. It had an interesting concept, but it was delivered in an incoherent and underwhelming way. When it came to the psychological side, too many characters were unreliable from mental illness/addiction or deceit, causing the story to be too difficult to follow and the investigation to be too overshadowed by trauma. As for the thriller side, the locked room element wasn't evenly present throughout the story. It was briefly introduced in the prologue and then didn't return until the final stretch, leaving the atmosphere mostly dulled to a general sense of isolation. Overall, I appreciated the author incorporating their therapist background with the topics and dynamics explored. However, the pacing and characters unfortunately made everything confusing, tedious, and frustrating to read. 
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