Lo is a 19 year old secretary for a CEO of an up and coming magazine. She's an aspiring writer with a difficult past. When she was younger, she was in a car crash that killed both her parents and left her older sister completely broken. Her sister, Bea, finds comfort in a man named Lev, who leads Bea to believe that he brought Lo back from the dead. Bea falls into Lev's world of The Project and cuts off all ties to Lo and their great aunt Patty. Years later, a mysterious boy speaks to Lo telling her to find the truth before taking his own life in front of her. With no family left, Lo is desperate to find Bea and help her out of this cult. But not everything is as it seems. Lo finds herself wrapped in the world of The Project and may not be able to find her way out.

I wanted to like this book. I saw so many people raving about it. But I think I was let down by all the hype.
The book itself is well written. There's no doubt that Summers is an amazing author. But it wasn't until I was about 60% through that I started getting interested in the book. I usually like cults, but The Unity Project wasn't interesting in my eyes. I also wasn't a big fan of the main character, Lo. I found her to be boring, weak, annoying, and cocky. I usually like a two person POV but this one, along with the time changes, made it very confusing as some points.

I'd just say that I am indifferent with this book. I didn't hate it, but it didn't do anything for me.

I have been very interested in cults since watching a couple detailed NXVIM documentaries and this story hit on exactly what I find fascinating about cults. The timeline in the story was confusing, but I liked getting perspectives from both sisters. Very interesting cult story!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lo Denham hasn’t seen her older sister Bea since she joined a community called The Unity Project six years ago, just as Lo was recovering from a near-fatal accident that left her broken, scarred, and alone. Lo has been trying to prove a darker, more nefarious intent behind the charitable organization ever since, especially now that she’s nabbed a low-level job at a high-profile magazine. When a friend of her boss begins to claim that The Unity Project killed his son, Lo sees a golden opportunity. What she didn’t expect was charismatic Unity Project leader Lev Warren to welcome her investigation with open arms. The project has no secrets, he says, and while he can’t force Bea to communicate with Lo, he can clear the suspicion surrounding his life’s work.

Told from the perspectives of Lo in the present day, as she dives deep into her work with the hope of destroying a cult before finding a world more complex than she imagined, and Bea six years earlier as she tumbled through trauma and into the embrace of The Project, Courtney Summers whips up another devastating contemporary. While it didn’t hit me quite as hard as Sadie, this book is here for you if you’ve ever been fascinated by cults and manipulation. It’s also a great look at the bonds of sisterhood and the way family shapes us.

Summers does a great job creating two distinct but equally interesting narrators. Lo is, of course, the more relatable of the two. She’s cynical and angry at times, but it’s very easy to understand why and she’s still got plenty of wit to her. Bea is at a very vulnerable point in her life that’s certainly interesting, but a little harder to swallow. You recognize early on that she’s falling into something and that nobody is going to save her. It’s only through a slow burn build-up of both points-of-view that the truth is unveiled, making for a compelling mystery throughout. However, it’s all very character-driven, so if you’re looking for action, this may not be for you.

Despite finding it a very engrossing tale that does a great job unpack why cults exist and often thrive, I did have a few small qualms with it. In particular, the last third or so of the book felt rushed. There were some really crucial moments in there, including Lo wholeheartedly believing in and joining Lev and The Project, that felt like they weren’t fully explored because the characters made major, life-altering decisions very quickly. It was frustrating in Lo in particular, because she’d be built up as someone “street smart” and able to survive on her own terms prior to it.

Summers also ends this book with a trick she used in Sadie: A cut scene. For me, it was far more effective in her previous novel. In The Project, I needed to see the culmination of Lo and Bea’s dark journey play out before any other change could feel real. Not seeing it was a bit dissatisfying, but again-- this is still a very good book and I recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery thriller situation.

Lo Denham, magazine assistant and loner, is looking for her sister, Bea. Six years ago, Lo's parents died in a car crash, and while Lo was recovering from her own injuries, Bea left to join The Unity Project. On the surface, The Unity Project and it's leader, Lev Warren, look charitable and positive. But Lo knows there is something not right about them, and she's determined to prove it and finally reunite with her sister after years of silence. When her investigation puts her closer and closer to Lev, making her question everything she thought she knew, she will have to find the truth before it's too late.

THE PROJECT has everything you look for in a Courtney Summers novel: tough family situations, a girl more than a little haunted, and an angry, nearly aggressive search for answers. In this latest title, you get all that and a fascinating exploration of cults.

THE PROJECT highlights many ways someone can get drawn into a cult but primarily focuses on the paths of Lo and Bea. For Bea, we get a timeline several years ago, while Lo's is in her 'present' (2018). When many people think of cults, they tend to jump to the aftermath of them: the deaths, the deceptions, the lies unveiled. It's common to be on the judgmental side, wondering how no one could have seen the warning signs or questioning what sort of person would want to join a cult to begin with. When Bea first encounters Lev Warren, she is at the end of her rope, desperate to find a path out of the pain she's feeling or maybe if not an answer, a reason or a cause to put her pain behind. You see how she falls in love with Lev's charisma and with the ideals the Unity Project claims to represent. She finds a community in the middle of her heartache.

Fast forward several years, Lo, now a young adult, believes something is wrong with The Unity Project, no matter how many reporters have investigated them and returned with nothing. She hasn't seen or spoken to her sister in years, and every time she goes to the Unity Project, she's turned away. She arrives like many of us may imagine we would: immediately skeptical, on guard, and defenses fully up. Her change is so gradual that it was halfway into the book before it really started settling in. It becomes extremely easy to see how, when life is throwing punch after punch at you and you keep falling down, even while trying to get up, you could oh so slowly be drawn into a person who has only been kind and gentle, even knowing they have strange beliefs. Lo starts to doubt her own judgement, and once she, like Bea before her, reaches the end of her rope, she finds Lev at the bottom.

The plot moved slowly for me the first half, but once it hit that halfway point, it took off. The last fourth or so had me particularly consumed. There's rarely any neat and tidy ending with a Summers book, but we do get more answers than I was anticipating (no spoilers).

After finishing, THE PROJECT left me feeling emotionally wrung out with a bittersweet aftertaste and in complete amazement of Courtney Summers' talent once again.

I was sucked right into this book and didn't want to put it down...but at times I had to because the subject was heavy.

Courtney Summers knows how to draw me into a story that I know won't have a happy ending but still makes me hope for one.

The Project was an intense and heavy read. I had to put it down many times because I found myself getting mad at Lev Warren and overwhelmed by the circumstances of the book. Still, this book was well worth the emotional toll.

I loved that the author chose to tell the story from both Bea and Lo's perspectives in different years. It added another dimension to the story and really built up the anticipation. It was a crazy experience both delving into The Project with Lo and being in the thick of it with Bea.

I knew I was in for an emotional read but I was surprised by how frequently I found myself having to take breaks throughout the book. I was still thinking of the book every time I took a break, and this is one that's going to stick with me for a while.

Last year, I had the pleasure of reading Courtney Summers YA novel, Sadie. It was gritty and bleak, but full of emotion. I loved it. Summers' latest novel, The Project, is equally powerful. Lo is such a compelling character, and her need to connect with her sister is heartbreaking. This is another novel full of suspense that will keep you up late at night, reading.

What I Liked:

Characters:

Lo is all alone in the world. Her parents died in a car accident (which left Lo severely injured), and her sister, Bea, has left to join a church called The Unity Project. Her life is further complicated due to the large scar that dominates her face. It's all most people see when they meet her, and becomes a litmus test, of sorts, for who she will let into her life. Needless to say, most people do not pass the test.

I don't know if it's because of COVID, but I connected to Lo's feelings of isolation and loneliness. I could see how important is was to her to regain a relationship with her sister, even though Bea abandoned her. And I could see how she might be open to manipulation by others.

Bea, feeling overwhelmed by the sudden responsibility of dealing with her parent's deaths and Lo's injuries, just wants to escape. The Unity Project seems like just the place for Bea to regain her self-esteem. She wants to have a purpose and be useful, and The Unity Project fits the bill. Instead of trying to parent her younger sister, she takes on the smaller responsibilities at The Project. It was easy to see how she could get sucked into this cult.

Story Themes:

Both Bea and Lo want to find purpose in their lives, one in a church, the other as a wanna-be investigative reporter. Bea is asked to cut out everything in her previous life to dedicate herself to The Unity Project and it's charismatic leader, Lev. Lo works insane hours at a magazine with an equally mesmerizing leader. Each young woman yearns for the approval of these men. Slowly, over the course of the story, we watch as Bea and Lo wake up to the realization that the only person they need to impress is themselves.

Suspense:

The story centers on Lo's determination to speak to Bea, even though The Unity Project won't let them meet. As she puts pressure on them to give her access to her sister, strange things begin to happen. The magazine's office is ransacked, and is she being followed? Other people who have left and spoken out about The Unity Project disappear. Is Bea all right? could she be in danger? What has happened to people who speak out against The Project? The story gets scary as Lo becomes involved with Th Project in order to find her sister. I stayed up really late at night because I couldn't stop reading.

*3.5 stars

After Lo's parents die in a car accident, her older sister Bea joins The Unity Project, a mysterious organization run by the equally mysterious Lev Warren. Years later and now an aspiring journalist, Lo comes face to face with a man who claims that The Unity Project killed his son. Hoping to reunite with her estranged sister and uncover what's really going on behind closed doors, Lo decides to investigate the Unity Project herself.

I was admittedly floored after finishing Courtney Summers' SADIE last year. The characters, the format, and the ending, all held me at the edge of my seat and refused to let go. So when Summers announced her follow-up, THE PROJECT, which promised an insidious deep dive into cults, I was more than a little excited. However, as much as I wanted to love THE PROJECT, it failed to grab me in the same way. Which may be my own fault for overhyping myself. Something about the general pacing and structure never quite clicked for me. The main storyline doesn't fully start until 25% in, and even after that, is a slow-moving train toward the end. The point-of-view switches between Bea in the past and Lo in the present, and often left me more confused than intrigued as I couldn't always tell the two sisters apart based on narrative voice alone. All in all, while not my favorite Courtney Summers novel, I still enjoyed the spine-tingling concept and her breathtaking prose.

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review.)

It’s taken me a while to sit down and write this review, because once again Courtney Summers has left me reeling. After reading Sadie, my review states that I came away feeling “raw” and “unsettled” and that’s exactly how to describe my feelings after binge reading The Project. Yet The Project evoked these feelings in a much more subtle and insidious way.

The Project follows protagonist Lo who is estranged from her sister who she hasn’t seen in years due to her involvement in what is pretty obviously a cult called “The Unity Project.” Lo gets tangled up with The Project again thanks to circumstances that arise at her job at a magazine, and when her boss doesn’t uncover enough in his investigative reporting to write a scathing exposé, Lo decides to take matters into her own hands.

I’ve read my fair share of books about cults, but I’ll admit that this one really got me. As Lo continues to dig and dig to find the dirty underbelly of The Unity Project, her resolve and judgement very slowly and very subtly begins to cloud as she witnesses all of the “good” they do, from offering shelter and hot meals to the homeless, crisis counseling, medical help to those who can’t afford it, etc. After a while I was starting to think perhaps the novel was going to take an alternative route and reveal that The Project wasn’t a creepy cult after all…but Summers had just made Lo’s descent into their mind frame so subtle and nuanced that you don’t realize until almost too late who they really are. It’s masterfully done, especially since Lo started off the story with such an axe to grind with them.

Mixed in with Lo’s current day narrative are flashbacks to her sister, Bea, and her time with The Project, including how she became involved with them. It exemplifies how organizations prey on young people in time of desperation and weakness to indoctrinate them and fuel a sense of devotion and reciprocity to them. It was intriguing to see how Bea and Lo’s paths were so different, yet their fates were almost so similar as well.

Overall: It’s hard to say more without spoiling what is an excellent story, but Courtney Summers really knocked it out of the part with this slow burn, subtle tale that leads to horrifying consequences. In true Courtney Summers fashion the ending is not 100% neat or clear, but it was one heck of a ride. I can’t wait to see what topic she covers next!

The Project by Courtney Summers is an intense read.
****
Lo lost her parents in an accident and while she was in the hospital recovering from her injuries she also lost her sister, Bea, to the Unity Project. Led by their enigmatic leader, Lev Warren, the Unity Project expresses itself as a community outreach program as well a faith based project. Rumors abound of Lev’s skill at foretelling the future, raising the dead back to life, and many other tales.
Unity Project itself is mysterious despite all the work they do, no interviews have been given, particularly by Lev, in years after one particular rumor claimed that the project is a cult, and Lev, the cult leader.
Lo may not believe the other claims, but this particular claim she does because she’s spent the last six years trying to get in touch with Bea, and at every step of the way someone from the project blocks her way to her sister. When a young man with ties to the project throws himself in front of a train after recognizing Lo she is determined to find the truth and reveal all and when Lev gives her the chance to interview both the project and him Lo is convinced she can pull the rug out from under him and reveal him for all he is.
Unfortunately the longer she spends with him the more she finds herself confused by what is true and what is false. She wants to believe in her sister but the secrets revealed by Lev point to a side of her sister she doesn’t want to think exists. Is everything a carefully constructed lie or is the truth uglier than Lo is prepared for?
***
You ever pick up a book and start reading it with a feeling of dread already sinking into you? Because while I had some suspicions of how the story was going to go I was terrified of all the ways it could go and it made me dread getting to the conclusion of the book.
Told in an alternating style the story jumps back and forth between Lo present and Bea past and leading up to the present and the conclusion of the story.
My heart was in my throat the entire time and I both loved picking this book up and dreading picking this book up.
It’s a tense story of what two sisters are willing to do for the love of one another and the price that comes with it.
***
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

My first Courtney Summers book — and I can say that the hype most definitely has lived up.

THE PROJECT is a book with many layers. Told cleverly in two different perspectives and in different timelines, THE PROJECT is a twisting and morbidly compelling narrative of two sisters who try to claw their way back to each other, only to be violently yanked back each time.

Lo — 19 years old and the present-time narrator — is an aspiring journalist. Six years ago, she was in a devastating car crash which claimed both her parents, and a part of her soul that she has not yet found — leaving nothing but a scar on her cheek as remembrance. When Lo woke up from the accident, she was hospitalized: plugged up to tubes and barely holding onto life. And alone.

Bea — a loving older sister — has not been heard from in the last six years. All Lo has to remember of her are the memories of before — before the hospitilization, before the car crash, before Bea joined The Unity Project, a cryptic, strangely private and intensely religious organization that, on paper, organizes charity and helps needy.

Lo is convinced it's a cult, and after a man claims that The Unity Project is the reason behind his son's suicide, Lo is entangled within the sinister world of the Project and it's leader, Lev Warren, who claims himself to be the Redeemer of mankind.

Told alternatively in past and present, THE PROJECT is subtle in its suspense, which builds and builds, but is ultimately underestimated when it crashes with sudden intensity, revealing exactly what's going on with The Unity Project. At it's heart, THE PROJECT is the story of victims. It is the story of those whose desperation is taken advantage of. It is the story of the victims of physical & emotional abuse and religious manipulation. It is the story of two sisters, who are broken by all of the above.

THE PROJECT is as compelling as it is sickening — and I recommend it to all those who are interested in this type of novel. However, I strongly encourage everyone to take a look at the content warnings & trigger warnings before starting (something I unfortunately missed to do). I assure you, THE PROJECT is darker than whatever you have in mind.

This book was so rushed. Our main character hates the cult for about 60% of the book, and then does a complete 180 and there is no time for us to feel like it's gradual. I wish Summers had built it up so when she finally decided to be loyal to Lev and the cult, it felt organic. This was so rushed, and by the end I couldn't really care less about anyone or anything. I also really don't like the whole "God did it" excuse, especially for a way to end the novel. How was the bad guy defeated? God. It feels so cheesy and such a cop out. I loved Sadie, and I'm so sad this wasn't a great follow up.

I was blown away by The Project. I started it thinking I was gonna read a bit and put it down for tomorrow but that was just not possible. I devoured it within a few hours and I’m so glad I did! It’s my fourth book by Summers and she keeps amazing me and leaving me gasping at the pages. This is definitely gonna be one of my favourite books of the year. It is magnificent, hard and maddening.

The Project got me screaming at the pages and its characters, it also got me crying, and that is enough to tell you how talented Summers is. She has this way of weaving words and stories, it’s a real talent. As usual, her characters are flawed and you can’t help but root for them while also not liking them fully. But that’s why Summers’ books always resonate with me so long afterwards, because they’re far from perfect and could be any one of us.

When it comes to the story, I can say it’s simply amazing. I kept thinking I knew what was gonna happen or what the twist was, only for Summers to take me into a complete new direction and. I just. I really loved this book. And being a reader and seeing the mechanics of a cult was the most frustrating thing ever as I wanted to shake people and shout at them. But it was done so brilliantly, I still can’t believe it.

Honestly this review is a mess but just remember that this book is a masterpiece, Courtney Summers is a very gifted writer and you should definitely get your hands on a copy of The Project as soon as you can.

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.