If I was in some kind of dire situation and only had the time to describe The Project in one sentence, I would definitely say that this book left me speechless. In the best kind of way. Maybe I should start by saying that I’m not really a thriller/mystery type of reader — mainly because the plot twist always make me feel like I’m pretty stupid for not noticing before the thing actually happened. I also didn’t really liked Sadie by the same author so I wasn’t actually going to read her next work but then I heard that it was going to be about cult and sisters and I just had to try it, you know? Well, I definitely don’t regret it.

The Project has something really fascinating — from the way it is written to the story itself. And I believe it says a lot when you say « cult are interesting and fascinating. » Or at least it says a lot about me — about how something so dangerous and morbid can seem interesting for an outsider like me. Outsider because I’ve never been part of a cult and will never be but when I talk about cult or stumble on someone talking about it, there are always a bunch of questions in my head: why would you join a cult? How did they manage to get you in? Why did you stay if it was that dangerous? Etc… And Courtney Summers gives some kind of answers in her story. She goes deep in the psychology of all the characters she wrote and doesn’t shy away from writing everything. Since it’s a thriller, I can’t really say much without spoiling the story but without a doubt, Lev was the most interesting character, because he was so well written I felt like I could have fell for all his pretty words. Sometimes I wonder if he truly believed what he said or if he was just an absolute narcissist who wanted to be surrounded by people thinking he was God. These are the type of questions I found myself thinking when I used to watch all those documentaries about cult and cult leaders. As morbid at it is, cult leaders are characters that raise a lot of questions (and idk if you’re doing psychology or something please tell me why they are so interesting to know about? or is it just me?) and Lev made me raise a lot of questions.

‘You think you’re chosen by God.’
‘I was chosen by God.’

Writing Lo as a main character who is skeptic as hell about The Unity Project and then write about Bea who is in that project was smart, so, so smart. Because you actually have two contradicting perspective and you, as the reader, can confront those two point of view and see how one would fell into the Lev’s hands and the Unity Project in general. Writing two point of views allowed the writer to show something really important: the two sisters, no matter where they were, actually loved each other a lot. Seems really odd, to write that, right? But I believe it was actually one of the main focus of the story. Because to me, it seemed that no matter what they were doing, they did it for each other — even when you believe one is forgetting the other.

If I love the story itself, I can’t deny the fact that I actually like it that much because of the way Courtney Summers wrote it. I believe The Project is one of the smartest story I have read in a while. When I say « smart » I do not mean « beautifully written » (though Courtney Summers do write prettily). When I say « smart » it means that the way the author craft her story was so well done that it left me in awe. I will never be able to explain it correctly and the only way to know is to write the book but listen to me. Courtney Summers tells you the present and the past, gives you two storylines who ultimately cross each other near the end. But it is actually not when they cross that is interesting. It is how each time line mirror each other that is so interesting. It’s almost like an echo — each story line and time line responding to each other. I can’t say much more without entering the spoilers territory but I do believe you need to read the book to understand how well craft it is.

The Project left me on the edge of my sit, which is pretty impressive for someone who doesn’t read thriller like me. I found myself reading sentence after sentence, wondering what was going to happen and how it was going to happen. Like I said before, the strong point of this story is how Courtney Summers crafted it but also how interesting her characters are. Lev kinda left a mark in me — in the sense that this is what I’m looking for when I say I need more well-written villain. It is scary how someone can be so dangerous without looking like someone who can actually harm you. It was so impressive that I found myself thinking that the Unity Project was actually not that bad even though it is written in the summary and the blurb that it is a cult.

Lo was in a traumatic car crash when she was 13, resulting in the death of her parents. Her sister Bea is devastated when it looks like her only surviving immediate family member may not pull through. In the chapel at the hospital, she makes a deal with God - to do whatever it takes to save Lo. When Lev Warren of The Unity Project answers Bea’s prayer and miraculously saves Lo’s life, Bea devotes her life to the Project.

Years later, Lo is angry that her sister Bea has abandoned her. After her recovery, her sister was gone, fully ingrained in The Unity Project. Lo tried to get her out, but without success.

Working as an assistant for a small magazine, Lo pitches a story to expose The Unity Project to her boss because surely her sister didn’t renounce her only sister of her own free will. But the magazine prides itself on honest, well researched stories and her boss is convinced after conducting his own research that The Unity Project is as clean as it seems and that Lev Warren is legit.

Is Lo’s hunch that The Unity Project is more of a cult than a movement to help people correct? Can she rescue her sister, or is it too late?

I enjoyed the writing style and the use of the varying timelines. We follow Lo in real time as she tries to uncover malfeasance on the part of Lev and the Project. We also follow Bea’s story as she joins the Project and enters into a romantic relationship with Lev.

However, overall I found this story fairly underwhelming. I love stories about cults and the premise of this novel really intrigued me. Unfortunately, I felt like much of the drama didn’t really happen until the end and the build up was a little stale. There’s a big turning point in the novel around 80% that felt inauthentic and rushed. If it had happened earlier on, I think the story would have had a better flow.

This was definitely a good book that I generally enjoyed, but it’s not one that I would enthusiastically recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this novel.

First off, I love the cover. Initially, I thought this would be a perfect horror book/novel cover, but it does fit brilliantly with this book as well. What did not fit this book was me. Were my expectations too high after reading [book:Sadie|34810320]? Perhaps. Was it me or the book? I am not sure.

After their parents died, Lo's sister, Bea joined The Unity Project, leaving Lo to be raised by their great aunt. Lo has been trying to prove for years that there is more to this group and its leader than meets the eye. When a man shows up and claims that The Unity Project killed his son, Lo is more motivated than ever to expose the group and reunite with Bea.

I am not the biggest fan of slow burns but do not mind if there is a big payoff. For most of this book, there was not too much happening. I wanted things to go faster. I was a little bored. I wanted that big "Moment", but even though things picked up in the very end, it was not enough to move my rating higher. I do not usually have an issue with cult books, I find cults to be fascinating, but this book fell flat for me. Mainly because none of the characters really stood out for me. To be more invested in the story, I had to care more for Lo and her search, but I did not.

I may be in the minority and there are some that are loving this book and I encourage you to read their reviews as well. I really wanted to love this one. But we cannot love them all. I will still be on the lookout for more books by Summers. She is a gifted writer and unfortunately this book just was not for me. Again, please read other reviews for this book as well.

I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lo Denham is used to being on her own. After her parents died, her sister Bea joined The Unity Project, leaving Lo to take care of their great aunt. The Unity Project has won over most people in Upstate New York, but Lo knows that there is more to it than what meets the eye. When a man shows up at the magazine Lo works at claiming The Project killed his son, she thinks it's the perfect opportunity to expose the group and reunite with Bea. As Lo dives deeper into The Project, it contorts everything she thought she knew, to the point where she can't tell what's real or true. Lo never thought she could trust The Project's leader Lev Warren, but now doesn't know if she can afford not to.
This book is not so much about The Unity Project and cults as it is about family members trying to get their loved ones out of the cult. Although Lo hasn't seen her sister in six years, she still cares about Bea and wants to save her. You also get to meet a lot of side characters, some of which I would have liked a little more backstory on. I also liked how the story was told in dual timelines so we got to see why Bea joined The Unity Project while Lo was discovering it. This book is unlike anything I've ever read before, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

This book was captivating and as someone who is horrified and yet fascinated by cults it is a deep and interesting look in to the power of manipulation. It shows how cult leaders can feed on people's deep sense of a search for belonging and we really see that here with the story of two sisters and their involvement with The Project. I couldn't put this book down and as someone who has watched Going Clear and The Voa and listened to many podcasts I definitely recognize aspects of Scientology and NXIVM and I'm sure many other cults as well. It's a story that has you questioning belief and faith and what it means to feel seen.

Truthfully? I requested this book for three reasons:

1. That cover! OMG,
2. Sadie by Courtney Summers was AH-mazing, and
3. It’s about a cult - I mean, c’mon.

So, it was very different than I expected. The writing is fantastic - Summers has a way with words. And I truly enjoyed that this is just a whole new way of looking at a cult (from the eyes of someone who decides to join). It was mostly based on emotions rather than actions, and delved into some deeply religious ideals.

This book was about love. The love of sisters, of a family, of a “God-like” figure, and of the self. The narrations spans years and is from Bea’s and Lo’s POV about the Unity Project and their experiences within this community.

It was interesting enough, but the action didn’t to start until the last 10% of the book which made it a very slow burn.

Though it wasn’t her debut, 2018’s Sadie was the novel that put Courtney Summers on the map for me and made me an easy fan. Since then I’ve been eagerly awaiting her follow-up and three years later it’s here. Unfortunately – and I can’t believe I’m starting a sentence with that word – The Project just didn’t live up to expectations for me.

Alternating narration between two sisters, Lo, an assistant at an up and coming magazine, and Bea, the older sister who sought solace in The Unity Project after the death of their parents, the story dives into the world of this group – and its leader. To the world The Unity Project looks like a fantastic community outreach program, but Lo knows there’s more to it that lurks beneath the surface. When a distraught father runs into the magazine’s office one day convinced that the Project is directly to blame for his son’s death, Lo takes it upon herself to dig into the group. And, if she’s being honest, try to find the sister she hasn’t seen in years.

Past/present timelines, a mysterious cult, The Project had my name written all over it. I read this in December and just one month later – four weeks later – I’m having a hard time remembering details. Once the secret baby plot was introduced I started skimming and didn’t stop until I had reached the end of the book. I’m left questioning my high praise of Sadie now. This is such a lackluster, BLAH review that I hate to even call it a mini-review – more like a handful of thoughts – but I’m so disappointed with The Project. It was such a highly anticipated read for me and fell flat. I do know the book will find its fans, but there was nothing special here; it was so middle of the road, like a made-for-tv movie.

First off, I'm throwing out a question about whether I would classify this as YA book-I think after reviewing it that I would be more inclined to view this as a New Adult.

Everything about this book was perfectly fine, but with all the hype surrounding it, I had pretty high expectations for a gripping thriller about a cult. But what I read was a bit of a letdown if I am completely honest. The writing was what I would expect from Summers, but the plot just seemed a bit sparse.

Overall, I just didn't find anything terribly thrilling about this thriller.

After reading the synopsis of The Project, I thought it would be the perfect book for me. I was really excited to finally read it but unfortunately, it didn't fully live up to my expectations.

Firstly, it took me a while to get into the story. I didn't immediately understand who the characters are and how they are connected to each other. Once I'd gotten into the book though, I began to really enjoy it. I liked learning about "The Project" and the people behind it and could barely put the book down anymore. Around the 70% mark however, the story began to get a bit boring. Since this book was supposed to be a thriller, I had expected it to be more gripping and a lot more suspenseful than it ultimately was. Up until the very last part of the story, none of the things that happened were exciting or shocking which was a bit of a bummer. Overall though, I still enjoyed The Project and if you're actually very interested in religion and cults, I think you'll definitely enjoy this book more than I did.

Lo has been alone ever since her parents died and her sister joined The Unity Project. The Unity Project does a lot of good things for the communities it serves, but Lo believes some secrets need to be revealed. She has spent six years trying to uncover these secrets. After a man comes to Lo’s job and claims The Unity Project was responsible for his son’s death, Lo decides that now is the time to expose the group and get her sister back. What secrets will Lo uncover? Will she stay a skeptic or become a believer?

The Project is a stand-alone realistic fiction story that explores the turmoil of a family member isolating themselves after joining a cult. The description of the book piqued my interest, but the execution of the storyline was lackluster. There was a constant change to alternate time periods and I found my attention needing to be pulled back in constantly. Overall it was enjoyable, but I don’t consider it as a must-read choice.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this compelling book

oh my word where to start....bea and lo are sisters...but their lives are about to take an horrendous turn when their parents are killed in a car accident. lo is critically injured but eventually survives with horrific injuries

but during this time bea finds the unity project....and the very charismatic leader lev warren...

and from that day onwards life was never the same again for either sister

a compelling and deeply disturbing read, but it keeps you hooked right to the end

The Project is my second book by this author (my first was Sadie). This is a mystery/thriller about a cult called The Project.

It is being promoted as a YA thriller. But the main character is 19. And her sister is older (there are some chapters where the sister is 19 and now she is 25ish). It just did not feel YA at all to me. I was shocked when I was done to see that this was being marketed as YA. It is also not a romance, although there is a tiny bit of romance in this book.

The narrators are Lo (19- 1st person POV) and her sister Bea (25 in the present -3rd person POV). This book has no chapters. But it is divided into 5 parts. The POVs are indicated with new dates listed (ex October 2017).

I didn't love that the book didn't have chapters. I think that it would have been much easier to follow with chapters. It is a bit confusing at times to have the different dates appear throughout the book (without even a new page).

The book mostly takes place in 2017 and 2018. But it goes all over the place. And we get scenes from the past. I didn't love the scenes from the past. But it did give us some info that we needed.

Lo lives in a small town called Morel (an hour from NYC by train). She works as an assistant for Paul. But she wants to be a writer.

The beginning did not capture my attention like I hoped that it would. But the more that we got Lo's 1st person POV in the present (2017) the more I found the book captivated me. Unfortunately I was less interested in Bea's chapters.

I was very fascinated by Lev (he runs The Project). He was a great character.


There were definitely also some things that did interest me to do with the sisters. This book is not a light read. It deals with some serious topics. Lo had a difficult childhood. And she has a complex relationship with her sister.


Overall, it was an interesting story, but I just wanted more.

The Project is, in my opinion, a victim of its own publicity. It's been touted as a chilling YA thriller about a cult and two sisters.*

Well, it is a novel about a cult. And, maybe it's because this is a YA novel, the cult is sad but it is definitely not the stuff of dark thriller territory and while there's lots of talk about being sisters, the sisters' only real interactions happen before the novel begins.

If I hadn't been led to expect a dark YA thriller, I would have said The Project is Courtney Summers's unsuccessful attempt to ease her way into writing adult thrillers, and if she'd write adults who aren't dead, evil, or idiots, she'd have better luck with it.

As a YA thriller, The Project lacks teeth, as its "scare" is that cults are bad. Duh. As for the rest, the bond between Bea and Lo feels as insubstantial as the story around it.

**Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for an eArc in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changes my rating**

I was really excited for this one after reading and loving Sadie. A murderous cult with a squeaky clean front splitting sisters sounded like a great Suspense novel. Unfortunately, I was incredibly bored with this one. I ended up DNFing at 50% and skimming the end.

Lo Denham dreams of being a journalist. She finally gets the chance to start her career when she’s offered the opportunity of an exclusive interview with Lev, the charismatic but secretive leader of The Unity Project. Lo’s sister, Bea, joined the project years before, allowing Lo to also find out what happened to her. But as she uncovers more secrets, she realizes she’s in more danger than she ever thought.

To start with, keeping the timeline straight was difficult. EVERY chapter took place in a different year than the one before it and it can be a chapter where Lo is narrating or Bea. While this gives the reader additional perspective, it’s really jarring switching both narrator and the time at once. It’s not even like it’s one year for Lo and one year for Bea. It takes place over the course of about 5 years. Trying to reconstruct the timeline in your head as you read made it that much more difficult to understand the events of the plot, as well as causing the pace to drag to a crawl.

Without spoiling anything, this went exactly where I expected it to go. The ending was exactly what I expected. And the plot was JUST getting started 50% in, which is too far in to be just getting to the plot in the synopsis. I was just really disappointed with this after Sadie was so great.

⭐️⭐️/5 stars

Maybe this book just wasn't for me. I didn't find it compelling at all. I was so excited to read this after reading Sadie. I see the connections in subject matter of sisters, but I was bored and I HATE politics in books that I'm reading.

Ohters seem to love it, so maybe it's just me. I appreciate the content as far as how people are so easily fooled into joining cults when they are hurting and need someone, and people out to scam people are just waiting for those hurting people. It's horrible.

Waking up in the hospital, after the car accident killed her parents and left her near death, Lo realizes she has lost her sister as well. Bea has given herself to The Unity Project, her sacrifice bring her sister back from the dead.
Lev Warren leads the Unity Project. He claims he is not a prophet, but God's redeemer. He speaks of a world cleansed of their sin by giving back and repenting. His love is a gift to you, but if you take it you have to give up your past. Bea felt his love, and gave herself to him, never to see Lo again.
Six years later, still no word from Bea, Lo hasn't given up. She's closer then ever to getting her sister back, and her life. All she has to do is confront Lev. All Lev wants to do is let her into his love, forever...

The Project is a complex and thought provoking story about a cult and its followers. When I think of cults I think dark thoughts, mass deaths and rooms of children fathered by one man. This story is not that version. Its about a girl who lost her sister to a cult, and how she was determined to get her back.
I admit I wanted it to be darker, but was satisfied with the story. I could feel the attraction to Lev, the love of his family and freedom of release. For a minute I was ready to give in to himself. The appeal of it all is so powerful. But then you realize he is just a man, not God, and collects weak people to make himself feel better.
The end was not as powerful as it could have been, for the message the story is trying to send. But it was satisfying. This a book that makes you take notes, highlight quotes, and think about for a few days.

This book was insane. I read it in one night and my jaw was on the floor almost the entire time. It left me feeling empty when I was finished, my heart broke for the main characters and I absolutely loved it. Courtney Summers is quickly becoming a queen who can do no wrong, imo,

I ended up not really caring for this book unfortunately. I haven't read any of the author's previous books, but I've heard great things about them. I felt very confused to start, about what exactly what happening, and who the characters were. It didn't really clear up as I read, and it ended up being way too much cult philosophy rather than a suspenseful plot. I was tired of hearing Lev's thoughts way before the end of the book. Overall, it just fell flat for me.

Courtney Summers has done it again. She has produced a one-of-a-kind story that makes your skin crawl and your stomach churn. Just not in ways you were expecting.

From the beginning, I was hooked on this story. The writing is superb and the plot is twisted and intriguing. Really, though, this is a character-driven story that explores not just the surface level of a cult, but trauma, pain, loss, and so much more.

If you liked Sadie, there’s a good chance you’ll like this, too. It has the same dark markings and a story woven through the (complicated) bonds of sisterhood.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a high-action thriller, this isn’t it. This is an emotional story that will leave you guessing and breathless, but the plot itself is a little slow. The switches between POVs are sometimes abrupt, too, lending this to be a little bit harder of a story to fully get wrapped up in.

Particularly when the main character Lo starts making some seeming out of character choices.

In many ways, this book is a comment on some very real things about the world we live in, including how we idolize people, deal with trauma, and treat the victims of trauma.

I can definitely understand where there would be some mixed feelings for this book. It’s certainly not for everyone.

Overall, I highly enjoyed it and was left slightly nauseated, but I did not love it as much as Sadie. Summers' writing style is always a full five stars for me, though.

I finished The Project by Courtney Summers... yesterday? Monday? Idk I’ve lost track of time, but what I DO know is that no one wrecks me like Summers does 🥲😂🥺

I went into The Project without fully knowing what the story would be about—I just knew I needed to read it after falling in love with Sadie a couple years ago. It becomes clear pretty quickly that the main focus is on two sisters, who are (for lack of a better word) estranged due to a tragedy (cw for death of parents, car accidents) and, well, a cult.

The story is told through POVs from both sisters (first and third person) and in different timeframes. Each sister has her own beliefs, loyalties and convictions, and I loved seeing how these things warped and changed as the story evolved.

Summers did a fabulous job of writing the main antagonist—he seemed like a true believer, haunted by his past and the state of the world. (The Trump administration is mentioned in the story, and there’s a definite link between that and how/why the cult was formed.)

There were moments where I found my certainty wavering about whether The Project was really a cult or just a charitable organization. There’s always that question of how any reasonable person ends up in a cult, and Summers tackles it beautifully. Emotional manipulation, careful lies, well-hidden sociopathy... the list goes on, and to see it happening to the sisters was devastating.

The Project releases Feb. 9 (it was such a joy to realize that the Trump admin would be a thing of the past when the majority of people are reading this one 😂) and I recommend picking it up if you’re looking for characters to break your heart!