The Project is an extremely captivating story about a young woman uncovering the truths behind the cult that her estranged sister became entangled with. When I say captivating, I mean it in every sense of the word; I started reading and, before I knew it, I was a third of the way through the book.

Aside from its ability to make me lose myself in the story, my enjoyment of the book came primarily from my interest in the subject matter. However, though YA books about cults are rare, and I applaud the book for tackling the topic, I didn't feel like there was anything particularly special that the book did. The Unity Project, to me, seemed very much your stereotypical cult, Lev your cookie-cutter leader, and the way the members of the cult got involved was also very...typical.

That being said, I was invested in Lo's (albeit, unrealistic) story with her working at SVO, and the slight twist at the end was also enjoyable.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and I think anyone who is interested in reading fiction about a cult would as well, however, it was not anything mindblowing.

2.5/5 stars. I was really excited to pick this one up and it was even one of my most anticipated reads of the new year. Having read and fallen in love with "Sadie" a couple of years ago, I've slowly been working on and enjoying the author's backlog. From the blurb, this sounded like a such a twisty read about a creepy cult. That's also what I felt like the characters in the book tried to chalk it up to be, when in fact The Unity Project was quite boring. I think my other problem with this book is that I didn't care for any of the characters. I didn't find Lo or Bea to be all that developed so I had no connection with them and wasn't really rooting for them. That being said, I still think this was well written and I'll continue to check out books from this author. (Also, that cover is stunning!)

I loved the idea but I have realized that Courtney Summers work although the ideas always really appeal to me are not for me. I find her narrative voice really grating and off putting. It’s a shame because I want to know what happens next but it so tedious I really have to work hard to finish each book.

Another great and heartbreaking book from Summers. Hard to read knowing full well what's exactly going on when the young women are in the dark.

3.5 Stars
I was really excited about this book, I loved Sadie and I was interested in The Project as soon as I read the synopsis. In the end though it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I really liked the beginning and the first half, but it got a little bogged toward the second half and then the end felt kind of rushed. While the ending was more definitive than in Sadie and I was overall happy with the actual ending itself it felt like you spend the whole book waiting for the climax and then it just kind of gets rushed over, I don’t want to give away details but the final confrontation was lacking for me, there was all of this detail in the rest of the book and that just went away at the end.

Loved this book. It’s no Sadie, but I enjoyed it a lot. It had twists, turns, and surprises. Can’t wait to read her next book.

I never have, and never will, understand how people fall into cult. Honestly, hearing the stories makes me angry.
The Project follows the storyline of two sisters after they lose their parents in a car accident. The duel narration is an interesting way to see how Bea falls into the The Project and the ways that Lo tries to find her. However, I found both characters underdeveloped and felt no attachment to their story.
At times, the date shifts and pov changes gave me pause as I tried to figure out who was speaking, but nothing too radical. While the overall plot was intriguing, the pacing was severely off and the ending predictable.
2.5

The Project by Courtney Summers

9781250105738

352 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books
Release Date: February 2, 2021

Mystery & Thrillers, Teens & Young Adult, Religious Cults

Bea Denham was a toddler when her Lo (Gloria) was born prematurely. When Bea was 19, her parents were killed in a car accident and Lo was severely injured. The doctors did not think Lo would survive her injuries. Bea prays for Lo’s recovery and then enters Lev Warner the religious leader of the Unity Project. Bea falls under his spell and abandons her life and moves to the Unity Project and the two become lovers. Lo works at a SVO a lifestyle magazine. She wants to investigate the Unity Project after she meets Jeremy shortly before he jumps in front of a train.

The book is written in first person point of view and jumps from Bea and Lo. The characters are developed, and the story is fast paced so I was able to read it in one sitting. The story also jumps around in time. I was confused at times since I wasn’t sure who was speaking. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and the characters. It shows how easy it can be to fall into a Cult without knowing it.

I really did enjoy this book - it was interesting enough to keep me turning pages. But it wasn’t anything groundbreaking.

The dual perspective was a great way to explore The Unity Project from the inside and outside, and the familial aspect made the stakes feel higher.

On the downside, a few aspects of the plot were underdeveloped and towards the middle of the book, everything started to feel very rushed. It seemed like characters would completely switch up their core belief systems at the slightest change in the wind.

If you’re looking for another Sadie, this may not be it for you. But it’s a fun look into the inner workings of cults and it’s definitely worth a read!

I've long loved Courtney's YA books, but her adult debut is really something. I'm always drawn to cult books, but there is so much else going on with this story. There was a shift in narrators I didn't expect, twists I didn't see coming, and less about joining a cult than it is about trying to find your way.

A bit choppy at times, this story about sisters, Bea and Lo, is a fast-paced read. In the aftermath of a tragedy that kills the girls' parents, their lives take a turn that neither of them could have imagined. While the story itself is quite predictable, I still liked it.

I loved this book! It’s a mystery thriller but it also involves religion and cults which are my favourite to read about. It follows two sisters who lost their parents in a tragic accident. One now has joined this religious group while the other in investigating the ‘cult’ over a death which she witness. I found this book fast paced and a page turned. I am always so interested to see how people fall for these groups and give up their lives to others and this was a fantastic story. I read Sadie last year and liked it but I feel this book is far better

I was very excited to read "The Project" because I truly loved Courtney Summers' "Sadie". And in many aspects, this book didn't disappoint. Summers has a very approachable writing style and she knows how to keep readers hooked, which happened to me basically from page 1. She doesn't spell things out for the reader, she trusts them to figure some things out for themselves. I really liked both of the sisters, Bea and Lo - Bea was actually even more interesting to me. I liked how the story unfolded too. It doesn't strike me as a typical book about cults, the focus is much more on two young women who lose themselves in the horrible things that happen to them. They are looking for an anchor, for a safety net, for anything or anyone to ground them, even if Lo doesn't admit to it for a long time. And this is why both of them, in the end, are perfect targets for a cult.

I do have to say that the cult itself wasn't very convincing. It's nothing new how they work and how dangerous they are, it's nothing new that cult leaders are horrible people who do horrible things, especially in literature. While Lo's search for the truth is at the center of her story, the book never really delves into the inner workings of the Unity Project. It focuses for a long time on the perceived good parts of it, probably to confuse the reader some more, show that these matters aren't always black and white. But while there is a lot of white on display, the black mostly happens through show, don't tell moments until basically the very end and it is limited to a very small group of people. I was hoping for a little more in a book with such intriguing protagonists and interesting premise.

Still, it is definitely worth a read!

I enjoyed The Project. It was dark, gritty, and I liked the mixed timelines and POVs because it kept me on the edge of my seat.

If you’re interested in or fascinated by the nature of cults and organizations, this one is definitely a must read. It explores the dangers of cults and groupthink and I loved getting POVs from a skeptic and a believer as they navigated their lives with The Unity Project.

So far, I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read by Courtney Summers and I highly recommend it.

There is just something about Courtney Summers writing that just sucks me into her stories. I really enjoyed Bea and Lo’s story and figuring out what happened inside The Project. It’s a slow burn read but one I enjoyed.
Thank you netgalley for an ARC of The Project by Courtney Summers!

To begin with, I loved  Sadie and had high expectations for this novel. I was not disappointed.


Told in different timelines by sisters Lo and Bea, The Project is a great read with rich characters and a strong storyline. Offering up a realistic portrait of life inside a cult, this novel hooked me from the start. A sensational and emotional piece, this book should appeal to fans of The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes and After The Fire by Will Hill.

Honestly I'm not sure I'm competent enough to review this. There are so many layers to *The Project* and it's both very complicated, and very simple. I am loath to admit that I started this late at night and I finished it even later at night, all in one sitting. I was just so absorbed in it, even though I was supposed to stop halfway for my buddy read with [Sara](https://www.instagram.com/sarareadthat_/).

Part of what unsettles me the most about *The Project* is that the *physical* violence just kind of. Sneaks up on you. It's hinted a little, but its masked by Lo's own biases, as most of the story is told by her. For the first half, the most predominant feeling I felt was desperation. Both in Lo's 1st person "present" narration, and the 3rd person "past" narration of her sister Bea's experiences entering The Unity Project. Summers pulls you in as you try and figure out just where Bea is, what's really going on. And then suddenly you're in the second half and on the edge of your seat as Things Happen.

And it forced me to think about whether (1) I was only validating abuse once physical violence occurred [My current conclusion to this question, which is not really relevant to the review, is that I don't think I was. Regardless of physical harm, at the end of the story I do think that Project members were victims of abuse. The narrative structure intends for us to be more lax on The Unity Project in the beginning.] and (2) how it snuck up on me so quickly. How, even as a reader who isn't experiencing this and knows vaguely how it would end, I didn't see the full extent of what was happening in The Unity Project.

I think the answer to both of these questions is that Summers specifically crafted it this way to make us think and consider. That Summers being smart about choosing what and when to tell the readers, leaving things out and using POVs specifically to change what & how information is presented, was all part of the mind-fuckery of this book.

And as a result. I admit that I wasn't entirely seeing the full extent of the harm The Unity Project was doing in the first half-ish of the story. I don't think most readers are really meant to until the latter half. (I don't know that much about cults.) Even as I was reading and even as I literally knew The Unity Project was a cult, I still was influenced by Lo's perspective and what was being presented to me, and they seemed more "religious fanatics starting a commune" more than "desperate people being targeted by manipulative leaders using religious zeal."

Obviously by the end I recognize this. But as you read along with Lo, you partly absorb Lo's perspectives. You're taken in by Lo's desperation and her own approaches.

All of this, in my opinion, is intentional. It's how Summers wants to present the story to us and how they craft an unsettling story.

This is mostly why I feel like I'm not competent to review this book *in a critical manner*. I can tell you about my experiences and feelings while reading, but I don't want anyone who reads this to think I am competent enough to critically evaluate "how good" this book is. Not only am I not a cult survivor, but I also, plainly, was swept away with this book and interfaced with it through my emotions, rather than a critical lens.

Ultimately, *The Project* is unsettling and weird and it messes with your mind so you have trouble sorting through just what's really wrong and right. I would definitely recommend everyone check out the Content Warnings, because there is some content that you wouldn't necessarily expect. In the end, I would say if the story appeals to you, read it. If it doesn't, don't push yourself.

Content Warnings: cults, abuse (physical & emotional), manipulation (esp with religion), death by suicide, death of parents & family members, car crashes, PTSD, medical emergencies, almost a miscarriage, premature childbirth resulting with the baby in the NICU, issues with child/childbirth blamed on the "mother being sinful" which is obviously incorrect, murder + matricide, drowning, cheating (kind of? hard to explain), estrangement, also unprofessional office sex after hours

Ugh... the weak female protagonist has returned.

Shortest Summary Ever: Lo, the victim of a serious accident that killed her parents has now lost her sister Bea to the Unity Project, a cult/religious group led by Lev Warren. She’s fought for years to uncover their deceptions so she can simply see her sister. Now Lo is working at an up-and-coming magazine, hoping to be taken seriously as a writer, when a man reveals he blames the Project for the death of his son. And Lo realizes she was a witness. Now she’s trying harder to find Bea and uncover the truth.

Now, before my thoughts let me say - this book IS very well-written and kept my attention throughout. So for that, hey brava! The development of characters, especially this complicated sister relationship was intricate and believable within a family dynamic.. but then the cult... and yep, I’m about to get judgmental because it’s a topic I’m passionate about.

Thoughts: Moderate spoilers ahead but I’m not hiding this one! The Unity Project is run by an eerily similar, magnetically powerful David Miscavige-type figure (and there are some strong similarities to critiques of Scientology) with a more God-centered ideology. But sorry - ya’ fall for a cult? I’m going to think you’re an imbecile every day of the week and twice on Sunday. No matter how gullible/vulnerable a person is, I can’t wrap my mind around it especially when it’s to a point of physical abuse. Yeah... ok I’m being judgey. I will own it. Maybe I was born of iron? I’ve never been a follower. How people can hear stories of wide-spread abuse in the cult, accept those stories, witness it AND participate? Sub-moronic. Cringe. So much cringe.

Now... with that said I think the author wanted us to feel something for these sisters... some kind of understanding, how vulnerable people are taken advantage of... but I didn’t. I couldn’t. Nope. Not. At. All. Especially when, well let’s say I hate weak, stupid female protagonists and this one took 1st prize. Why oh why can’t our female protagonists NOT be bumbling idiots who lose all their common sense, 6 YEARS of searching for answers, sister loyalty, and inklings of intelligence for a charismatic dude who bats his nice eyes at you? Ugh. So many shakes of my head 🤦🏼‍♀️.

All my reviews available at scrappymags.com around time of publication.

Genre: YA/Mystery/Chic Lit/Religious-cult angle

Recommend to: if you can sympathize with those easily manipulated.

Not recommended to: My peeps who smack their heads at actions of weak female protagonists.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review.

I just got into cult novels in 2020 and I am very happy to end this year in such a positive note. This was a great novel. The characters did not feel plain at all, and it was so intriguing getting inside The unity project and unveiling it little by little. I really liked Lo (except for the period of time where she is in the cult herself) and I sympathized with her a lot! Bea’s character was hard for me, I didn’t know where to stand with her at the beginning, but I ended up really liking her by the end; and Lev gave me creepy vibes for most of the novel but he was an interesting character for sure.

Overall, the plot itself was not difficult to predict, but if the novel is well written this doesn’t need to be a bad thing necessarily; I still enjoyed the ride that it was unveiling the cult and there were definitely some things that I didn’t see coming/was completely wrong about. Also, not related to the plot, but the art cover was so beautiful!

**Disclaimer: I received a free early access copy of The Project by Courtney Summers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you to them and the publisher for this opportunity.

The Project by Courtney is an upper YA thriller novel about cults and complicated family relationships.  Lo is trying to figure out what happened to her sister. It is set to be published on February 2nd, 2021.  I rated it four stars on GoodReads.

Here's the summary from Goodreads:

Lo Denham is used to being on her own. After her parents died, Lo's sister, Bea, joined The Unity Project, leaving Lo in the care of their great aunt. Thanks to its extensive charitable work and community outreach, The Unity Project has won the hearts and minds of most in the Upstate New York region, but Lo knows there's more to the group than meets the eye. She's spent the last six years of her life trying—and failing—to prove it.

When a man shows up at the magazine Lo works for claiming The Unity Project killed his son, Lo sees the perfect opportunity to expose the group and reunite with Bea once and for all. When her investigation puts her in the direct path of its leader, Lev Warren and as Lo delves deeper into The Project, the lives of its members it upends everything she thought she knew about her sister, herself, cults, and the world around her—to the point she can no longer tell what's real or true. Lo never thought she could afford to believe in Lev Warren . . . but now she doesn't know if she can afford not to.

Courtney Summers has become one of my favourite authors and so I was really excited to read this book by her.  I'm intrigued by the concept of cults and so the fact that this one was about that, was really interesting to me.

It definitely held up to that.  I will admit that it's not my favourite Courtney Summers book, but it's still really compelling.  It really played up the whole 'who can you trust' kind of theme, which I found very interesting.  I always like when it's not the clearest and you have to sort of puzzle things out.  

Lo was a really interesting character.  She's gruff and tough and I really respected her and what she was fighting for.  I empathized with her and the struggle she dealt with.  I wanted her to bring down The Unity Project and I wanted someone to believe her.  Courtney Summers did an excellent job with her as the main character.

I also enjoyed reading from her sister's perspective and learning, slowly, what things were actually like inside the Project.  I also found the different writing style between the two points of view really interesting. 

Overall, the story was a bit of a slow burn.  It had a really good build up, and I think I preferred that to if it had been more fast paced.  Like I said, the whole not really knowing who to trust made for an interesting perspective and I feel like it needs to be slow to work with that.  I will admit that I also read it in bits and pieces, so that might be affecting my perspective a bit.

Overall, it was a really good story, and I found it very compelling.  I highly recommend that you check it out when it releases.