This fictional story could not feel more real or leave me more unsettled. The Project by Courtney Summers is a masterpiece thriller revolving around a religious cult and the connection between two estranged sisters.
Summers pulled me into this story immediately with her intense and powerful writing. The juxtaposition of two stories, Bea's being in 3rd person and Lo's in 1st, was simply brilliant.
I want to add a trigger warning for religious topics, some political topics particularly concerning the year 2016, and lastly physical abuse and abuse in general. If any of this is too difficult for you to read about, then I do not recommend this book.
Now, on the other hand, if your interested in a thriller that gets under your skin and has some major twists, then I would definitely recommend this.
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martims Press and Wednesday Books for this Arc. This book comes out February 2nd this year!

The Project follows Lo, and her search for her sister Bea who hasn't been seen after getting deeper into a cult organization known as The Unity Project. I think anything related to cults are so scary and creepy so I really enjoyed that aspect since I like reading books that are a little scary. There's this slow build of an unsettling feeling throughout as Lo gets deeper and deeper into the details of The Unity Project. I will say the ending felt a little quick and took some potential religious turns that aren't always my favorite, but overall I really enjoyed this book. Courtney Summers writing is so engaging, I read this in one day because I couldn't put it down, I just had to know what was going to happen next. I pretty much want to read all of her thrillers.

“Courtney Summers is an absolute nightmare in the best possible way” - This review is from Dahlia, and it’s perfect.

If you’re interested in a book about life in a cult, this book is for you. I found it terrifying, in the sense that I found this story terrifying, that one human could bring so many people under their sway. I didn’t enjoy it; not because the book isn’t good, but because this story isn’t enjoyable because being in a cult isn’t enjoyable.

The writing was solid, although it dragged a bit in the middle.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was a well written, evocative, well plotted story about two sisters, one of whom is an aspiring journalist and the other who is living in a cult. A catastrophic car accident killed their parents, severely injured Lo, and introduced Bea to the man who would be her leader and change her life. From the blurb, it sounded like this would be a thriller about investigative journalism and trying to save Bea from the cult, called The Unity Project.

The characters are complicated, well-developed, and you feel a great deal of sympathy for these people who are lost. In particular, Lev is a well crafted character. He is the perfect balance of snake oil salesman, prophet, charmer, and creepy. You know that he is preying on Lo and you keep hoping that she will not fall for his slick words and charm.

However, it was marketed as a thriller and the action doesn’t pick up until about 60% into the book. As more is revealed about the true nature of Lev (the leader) and The Unity Project, the story picks up. But it never really hits that sense of urgency, high-octane or high-stakes.

**This review was posted on Goodreads**

Courtney Summers is an automatic buy for my classroom library with my students. They ate up Sadie and will no doubt enjoy "The Project" as well.

Wow! Courtney Summers has done it again! The Project is sure to be a hit YA thriller. The story centers around two sisters and a cult. One sister, Lo, is an aspiring journalist, while the other, Bea, joined The Unity Project after their parents died. The Unity Project is a cult that’s done enough marketing and good for the community, so it’s in good-standing. Lo knows better and is intent on getting it shut down. Then she meets the leader who makes her question everything. There is a second storyline set in the past where you see how Bea got mixed up in The Unity Project. The story has solid, well-developed characters and gorgeous writing. Fans of Sadie or Courtney Summers' previous novels will want to check out The Project. Highly recommended!

Courtney Summers has long been a favorite author of mine, so I was soooo excited to receive this ARC. This book is just plain good. The writing, the plot, the characters, the atmosphere, the 'everything'. This book makes you think, it makes you question, it makes you realize the limit of your own mind. And highly enjoyable too!
All the stars!

Thank you for the chance to be an early reader. I tried to really love this one, but I just can't get into the story. I hope it works for other readers.

Captivating right from the start, I had a hard time putting this one down. Courtney Summers knows how to tell an excellent story. Sadie and The Project both had me devouring page after page.

The Project centers around a cult and boy did I feel myself getting dragged into it. Lev made perfect sense at first, he was charming and he had a way with words. But the moment you see past his perfect, you witness the true monster that he is. I wasn't shocked that he was an actual bad guy, as he's a leader of a cult. There is no way he wasn't. But I didn't know how much of a monster he really was. And Lo, with her struggles and feeling lost, I related to her so much. She was the perfect MC for a book like this and really show you how someone can get caught up with people like Lev.

But only frustration is the ending. It didn't feel complete, something is missing. One moment Lo is being baptized (aka drowning) and the next Lev is dead and she is fine. No explanation on how that happened. Summers tends to leave her endings open, I struggled with the ending of Sadie as well. But this felt like a crucial piece of information that was left off the table and I don't feel satisfied. If I would have just gotten a tiny bit more info on what occurred, this would be a 5 star. But I have to knock a star.

If you are a fan of Sadie, I highly believe you'll be a fan of this one.

You follow two storylines. One is present day and with Lo. Lo is the younger sister of the pair and lets just say she has been through a lot. She is working-up to having her dream job when all of a sudden the "group" that her sister joined long ago comes up and brings back old memories and hurts. Her sister, who she hasn't spoken to for years due to other member's of this "group" saying that she wants nothing to do with Lo. Lo knows that isn't true because sisters fight, but sisters are for life.

The next storyline is a few years back and is from Bea's point of you. You see her from how she learned about The Unity Project (that, um, "group" I talked about earlier) and where she is now in present day.

This messed with my head.

I have a fascination with cult stories and how they work because no matter who you are, you can and probably would fall victim to one if they groomed you right. I felt myself saying "oh that isn't bad at all, this is just a different way of living," and "let these people live their lives, they are FINE" all the time. And then at the end when all the strings were unraveled.. damn was I backing out of that mentally real quick.

The only complaint that I had is that very open-ended ending. I need answers!

The Project by Courtney Summers was one of my most anticipated books of 2021 so I was so excited to get the opportunity to read this early! I love Courtney's last book and had high hopes for this one. I was not disappointed!

Aspiring journalist Lo has dreams of being more than an assistant. She works at magazine where she gets the opportunity to prove she is worthy of being more than just an assistant by going undercover in a cult that her sister is apart of, after a man comes to the magazine claiming the cult killed his son. As I read along, it was easy to understand how someone get lured into this cult.

Excellent read and something I will purchase once it's released.

I think my main issue was that I was anticipating that this was going to be like “Sadie” which I gave 5 stars and read in one sitting.

It was similar in the sense that I read this in one sitting but it was just not the right plot for me. Courtney Summers’ writing is BEAUTIFUL and has a lot of depth but I just could not connect with the plot and the underlying theme of the cults. I would definitely be able to recommend this to a few friends who are interested in the idea/subject of cults.

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc!

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to early read The Project!

The Project was another Courtney Summers novel that I really enjoyed! It was dark and moody while being intriguing and delightfully creepy. The pacing was wonderful and I was never once bored with the characters or the story. I only had a few minor things that brought it down from a 5 star to a 4 star. One being the ending, it felt so rushed! In the height of the action it was suddenly just.. over. It just felt a little.. disjointed compared to the pacing of the rest of the story. It also seemed like there were several things left unanswered, but honestly that might be the point! Leave it more open ended for the reader to fill in the gaps, kind of like with Sadie.

Overall I thought it was a really great story. A story about a cult leader will always grab my attention, and this one delivered.

I had high hopes for this one. Maybe too high
Courtney Summers’ books Sadie and All the Rage are two of my favorite books. They are brutal, punch in the throat emotional reads. This one didn’t give me that heart wrenching emotional response. The characters missed the mark for me. I liked Lo’s character, but she seemed flat to me. Levi’s character never struck me as a charismatic leader. He’s handsome and attractive but I didn’t think he was compelling enough for people to blindly follow him. There was never enough of a punch in this book to make me really connect with it. I’m sure other readers will be pulled right in and love it.

I have read many books about cults in the past, and I have pretty much enjoyed reading all of them. This time I did not click with the book. I got no positive or negative feelings towards the main characters. They fell flat in my opinion. It is not a bad book per se, not poorly written either, but it was simply not for me. I expect a lot more from a book like this. It felt like the story never really took off, instead it was a long prologue, and the ending didn’t carry it through.

I’m sure there are many people who enjoy this book, but for someone like me, who enjoys a great mystery, thriller, or at least a great story with interesting characters, it did not work. It is a short and fast read. I just wish it would have given me more than some general cliches about cults. The beginning was promising and I really believed this could have been a good book, and maybe it is, but not for me. 2,5 stars.

I hate when I compare an authors latest work to a book of theirs I love. Really, it shouldn’t color my opinion of the new book, but expectation is expectation and I couldn’t help but compare The Project to Sadie. You have the same bond between sisters, their troubled home life, and their dedication to each other, but I ended up never really connecting with this. I like the idea of trying to expose a cult for what it really is (call your dad- you’re in a cult!) and I appreciate that the book gave us more insight in the sense. But the pacing was off and slowww and I kept having to convince myself to pick this up. Not a great feeling when reading! Still, I think a lot of readers will love it, especially those who lean toward being fans of YA.

This was my final read of 2020! This is probably a 3.5-star that I’ll round up to a 4-star read for me.

I’ll give The Project my compliments for being a gripping read. I found it to be a page turner and that’s exactly what one hopes for from a mystery thriller. The first half of this book especially was very well done in my eyes, but I’ll admit my disappointment in final chapters diminished my overall satisfaction in the end. That being said there is still much to intrigue here.

The Project unfolds with parallel plotlines shown through the alternating perspectives of sisters Bea and Lo Denham. One explores events experienced by Bea in the past as she slowly integrates into The Project from the inside, while the other explores events experienced by Lo in the present day as she investigates The Unity Project from the outside.

After a fatal car accident kills their parents and leaves a thirteen-year-old Lo severely injured, the nineteen-year-old Bea is shattered with grief. She is daunted by the task of caring for her wounded and traumatized sister even with the assistance of their estranged aunt. Her own trauma leaves her desperate respite of any kind. It’s only when she is approached and comforted by Lev Warren at her lowest that Bea finally begins to feel hope again. She takes solace in his guidance and is eager when he invites her into his religious movement The Unity Project. With the urging of her new ‘family’ in The Project, she slowly starts to detach herself from responsibility of taking care of Lo until she eventually cuts off all contact for good.

We meet Lo again when she’s at the age of nineteen herself. She works for the struggling magazine SVO and is frustrated at her lack of promotion from secretary to writer. Although Lo has recovered from the accident aside from a permanent reminder – the large scar on her face – she is still bitter from the ordeal and Bea’s abandonment. Years of having her attempts to contact her older sister rebuffed by members of The Unity Project has left her seething with rage at her sister and The Project both. She firmly believes the allegations that the group is a dangerous cult and becomes only more convinced after witnessing a former young member take his own life.

When the father of the deceased young man comes to the SVO offices begging her skeptical boss to investigate the group further, Lo decides to try and unmask the group herself. Taking down the cult she despises while finding enough dirt to get her a story in the company’s magazine would be knocking down two birds with one stone after all.

As mentioned previously I did find the first half of this novel to be quite enticing. The grotesque mystery surrounding The Unity Project was captivating and I was invested in uncovering their secrets. The anguish experienced by both sisters from their family tragedy and the deep hurt Lo feels at her sister’s abandonment was compelling. Even when I did not like their choices – and frankly had a hard time understanding them – I was still invested in discovering their fates and could see what would lead them to make their decisions for the most part.

The narrative of The Project also contains a convincing portrayal of how cults have such insidious hold over people. It shows the susceptibility of those who are vulnerable to sense of belonging that these cults-in-disguise offer, and then how the cult isolates their victims from any kind of outside influence in turn. But if the aim was to challenge the reader into questioning what was fact or what they really knew then I can’t say it was effective. The arguments about all the good works done by The Unity Project did not sway me at any point and nor did Lev himself. But I do appreciate that it serves to show how truly terrifying the pristine outward front these cults display are by the way it masks their abuses and manipulations with a façade of legitimacy.

Now, this leads me to what I was less thrilled with. I’m not wholly satisfied by what happens at the end of this book nor the events that led up to this ending. It felt to be rather rushed in general and there’s a plot twist that occurs at the start of the final act that I’m not entirely sold on. I think my issue may be with the execution of what occurs based on everything that had come to pass beforehand. This is about as far as I can elaborate without going into spoilers, though!

Nevertheless I still believe The Project is still a fascinating thriller that is well worth a read. It’s a book that will grab hold to your attention and keep you hooked until those final pages unravel the mystery, for better or for worse.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for the honest review.

Lo Denham survived a horrific accident in which she lost her whole family. Her parents died in the accident but she lost her sister Bea in another way. I. The aftermath of the accident, Bea turned to the Unity Project for help in healing her sister. Shortly after Lo recovered, Bea disappeared. Now years later, Lo has an opportunity to investigate The Unity Project and try to find her sister’s fate.
I loved this book. It had incredible twists and turns and was a true page turner. I love all of Courtney Sommers books and this one was no exception.

I find cults fascinating, so if you also find cults fascinating - read this book.

Lo has been searching for her sister, Bea, for years after she joined The Unity Project. On the outside, the organization looks to be the largest, faith driven, philanthropic organization in the world - looking to help others and provide safety. But Lo knows the truth, the leader of The Unity Project was keeping her sister from her and she would do anything to get her back. She agrees to meet with Lev in order to write an expose on his group, a positive one, in order to get access to her sister. But as she gets deeper and deeper into the project, her sense of truth and lie get more and more jumbled....

The most fascinating part of this book is trying to decide whether The Unity Project was or wasn't a cult. Because that's how they get you, they make is sound SO. GOOD. so that it's hard to believe they would be doing anything nefarious in the organization. The beginning of the book through me a bit, I'm not entirely sure what Lo's birth story had to do with the overall plot of the book. I could've skipped that personally.

I also felt like the pacing was off. The first half of the book goes at a steady pace, then the second half seems to flip a switch and race along. Without getting spoilery, Lo makes a decision that still seems out of character at that point - it was a bit jarring and confusing. However, the end really makes up for the middle. Like I said, if you enjoy learning about cults or reading about cults, you'll enjoy this book.

**Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

This is my first book by Courtney Summers. Any mystery/thriller novel involving cults usually makes it to my tbr list.

The story rotates between past and present which gives us the backstory of the two sisters. It also alternates from different points of views. This is not like any typical book about cults where the protagonist is telling the story instead this is more of an outsider looking in on the inner workings of a cult.

This book deals with a lot of complex family issues. It’s also a coming of age story about dealing with the female psyche while growing up with a complicated family history. This book is so different from any other cult book in the same genre. It also deals with issues on how society can make a young vulnerable woman fall to prey to the wrong type of people. But at the same time, The Project shows how almost anyone can unexpectedly get sucked into a cult.

I absolutely loved this book! The Project made me question everything I thought was going on. I do enjoy more of a fast paced story but in this instance I the slower pace was necessary. I thought the author did an amazing job. The Project definitely stands out from my recent reads and I see it being very popular when it is published!

Many thanks to the publisher, Courtney Summers, and Netgalley for the arc!