Lo hasn’t seen her sister, Bea, since she nearly died in the car crash that killed her parents. She knows Bea joined the Christian Unity Project with its charismatic leader Lev Warren, but she doesn’t know why she can’t talk to her.

Six years ago, Bea believed she witnessed a miracle: Lev Warren brought her sister back to life after the accident. She dedicated her life to Lev and the Project in return.

But when Lo witnesses a young man throw himself in front of a train and she discovers that he was in the Project and knew Bea, she starts digging.

The Project is a bit of a trudge for the first half. The narrative flips between Lo and Bea and between ‘now’ and previous years. I found the writing a little hard to wade through - the sentences get tangled in their syntax and there often needed to be a second or third read to wring the meaning out. The second half is tighter as Lo narrows in on the Project and gets caught up herself in Lev’s thrall.

The portrayal of Lo is well done: she is unmoored and adrift in her life with no connections and the author does a decent job of showing her vulnerability to someone like Lev. Lev himself is a bit of a caricature of a cult leader and his followers seem similarly one-dimensional.

If you’re looking for nuanced and balanced insight into small Christian sects, you won’t get it here I’m afraid. If you’re looking for a sensational revelation about cults confirming everything you think you know about them, then you’ve come to the right place.

Thanks to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

I think this book is just not the type of book for me, and that's alright. I don't think that true-crime style or cult-y books are for me, as interesting as they may sound. I'm not a true-crime person in the real world, so maybe it's not surprising that I'm not one with fictional work either.

If you like stories about cults, you should check this one out. It goes into how they get their claws into seemingly reasonable people, and how they keep them. It hits on all the sordid earmarks of cults: abuse, gaslighting, control, etc. Also heavily featured is the way they use charitable works to try to convert the general public. Because as long as it looks good from the outside, most of us don’t seem to really give a shit what questionable things take place behind the closed doors of places of worship. You’re probably going to knee-jerk here and bluster, “Of course we do!” but I want you to think long and hard about that. Because we don’t. If we did, we’d ensure that it didn’t happen again. But we don’t. We just get outraged for a minute, and then move on with our days.

Courtney Summers truly knows how to write sisterly bonds so well, perhaps better than any other author. The Project started out really strong for me: I love how Summer does not shy away from writing about unlikeable characters and I think her ability to make us care for these people is evident. With that said, this book was not the one for me. I found that our main characters sense of self started out so strong only for it to waiver so quickly. I find it unrealistic that the Bea that wanted nothing more than to take down The Unity Project would be so quick to believe in its message. Overall, this was a 2 star for me.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley...Thank you to the Author, the publisher and to Netgalley...this is the second book that I have read by Courtney Summers, it was a really good book, but it doesn't really live up to the hype of her other book "Sadie". I give this book 3 stars...The story was pretty interesting and definitely touched on sensitive subjects. I liked the characters and it kept my interests...but overall, it just wasn't enough for more than 4 stars

This one fell short for me and seemed really preachy which will turn a lot of kids off. I can't adopt something so overtly religious to use in my classes.

4.5 stars

While a bit slower to develop than Summer's novel Sadie, The Project is another gripping ode to sisterly love and vengeance, gorgeously written by Summers. This is not an easy read; grief, loneliness, desperation and fury practically seep out of Lo's pores and across each page of The Project. But at the same time, I found it impossible not to be drawn in by her courage, indomitable spirit, and unwavering love for Bea, who may--or may not--have been terribly wronged by The Unity Project and its mysterious, messianic leader Lev Warren. Cults have always fascinated me, especially the idea that anyone could be convinced by another to give themselves over so completely and utterly, and Summer's Lev makes for a fascinating and enigmatic character.

A powerful and engaging novel that grips you from the very beginning and doesn’t let go. The alternating perspectives and shifting timelines are written seamlessly and propel the plot forward while making you feel every bit of raw emotion intended. The hope, desperation and vulnerability of the characters come across so intensely and truthfully that you can’t help but identify with them. A stellar novel!

Following two sisters, The Project is a cult novel that showcases the way people fall into cults rather than the salacious details of cult behavior. I think if you loved Sadie and you’re going into this book expecting something as dark as it, you will be disappointed by this. Summers is a powerhouse author to me and this novel is a perfect quiet creep of grief and trauma. I think Summers made an emotional novel about trauma and human behavior that does not cross into exploitation, etc. A lot of cult novels do this and it was refreshing to see a cult book that was more about grief than shock value. I really loved this.

Courtney Summers tried to kill me again, with this novel, and yet I somehow made it out alive...can I say that for all of the characters? Read it to find out.

I should know by now that she’s going to write a novel that has me fully invested in the characters and their plight and somehow I always forget that her novel is going to take over my entire life until I can get to THE END and then have imaginary commentary in which I ask Courtney Summers all the questions and get to the bottom of it all.

Since there will be no Courtney Summers conversation, I shall drink and call it a night.

This book was okay. The story got a bit boring at times and it was a little had to follow at times, as well. I felt like it was a little predictable, as well.

Such a good book! Courtney Summers has a real knack for writing stories that keep me at the edge of my seat and this book was no exception!

I’m completely obsessed with Courtney Summers’ writing. That's it.
I already was, after reading Sadie in a day, but this... Wow. This is a must-read for anyone looking for a groundbreaking and breathtaking thriller!

Courtney Summers is always bringing the hype, and this one was another win. It's a story of a cult, and the people who merge throughout it. As someone who grew up in a cult, I found this book interesting to see the main character's outsider perspective and how she wanted/needed to save her sister. Then there was her sister's view of how easily you can be trapped and manipulated into bad things.



Summers knows how to pull us in and how to hook us to a book. I didn't want to put The Project down, but, alas, life.



Overall, a great story, and one that felt close to home. But I was also quite lucky to get out!



4/5 Stars

I have not previously read the highly recommended book Sadie but when I saw Courtney Summers had a new book out, I had to read it. Courtney Summers is a great story writer and the this story is very intriguing.
The downside of the story is I was not pulled into the protagonist to feel invested in their story. It also was a slow burn for me.

Honestly this book just didn't work for me. I think my expectations were too high because of the cult aspect of the book. I found the pacing to be a bit too slow for my liking and I kept getting the sisters mixed up while reading. I still want to try Sadie at some point because I have heard great things. Unfortunately, The Project just missed the mark for me and I had to DNF it.

The Project is the perfect blend of historical fiction and mystery/thriller. Students who enjoy Netflix documentaries and True Crime will devour this. This novel has a very interesting premise and really takes a deep dive into cult culture. Students will find a lot to learn here and also find the suspense/mystery aspect they're looking for. Courtney Summers is a great author to read when wanting to have long, deep discussions with students about morality and the decisions we make when faced with hard choices.

I loved Courtney Summers's previous book Sadie so I was really excited to get to this new release! I loved the character relationships but I did not love the overall story. It felt drawn out and overly complicated which created a slow read. The atmosphere was lackluster and the ending was a bit confusing. The writing was absolutely beautiful and I am looking forward to this author's next book.

I enjoy reading about cult stories and I love a dual timeline, so this story really appealed to me. While I won't spoil it, I really enjoyed the ending, not the resolution about Bea, but the parts that came after. Those parts represented trauma very well, in my opinion. I rated this one 4 stars personally. I will continue to pick up future titles from Summers because she writes female trauma and familial bonds so well.

This is a story about sisterhood and how far one will go to protect each other. I liked the cult angle of the story and how there was always something more beneath the surface. I'm a huge fan of the author's previous book SADIE and this one didn't disappoint either!