This is a great follow-up to Sadie!. The story is interesting and accessible for YA readers. There is a lot of interest about cults, and I think this book does a great job showing how a cult leader can influence followers. I have a lot of students who will really enjoy this book. We have already pre-ordered a copy for our classroom library.

This book was, in a word, subtle (in the best way possible).
Somehow, without me noticing, it wormed its way into my brain and wouldn't let go. I dreamt about it while I was reading it. I thought about it whenever I had to stop reading it.

The subtlety of this book is what I loved most about it. The suspense was clever-I kept catching myself thinking "Something isn't right here" and then changing my mind, thinking I made it all up. I felt like I went on the journey with Lo as she believed that the Unity Project was a cult, and then slowly began to learn about it in ways that made her question her own beliefs.

Speaking of Lo, I loved her as a main character. I loved that she was feisty and angry and hurting, and still somehow surviving despite the odds stacked against her. I loved how Summers wrote of the complicated relationship between Lo and Bea (even beginning the book on this note of the nuances of the nature of sisterhood). The little glimpses into Bea's story and past in between Lo's present gave me insights into both sisters-and the plot as a whole-that made the story deeper and richer.

Knowing both sides of the story as they happened for each sister also upped the subtle suspense in the book. We see Lo's beliefs about the Unity Project and then get transported into the past seeing Bea discover Lev and God and the Project for herself in ways that made me question if Lo was a reliable narrator. (Was she? Guess you'll just have to read and find out for yourself!)

The ending was the culmination of a book's worth of suspense, of not wholly knowing the truth until the last second. While the rest of the book was more subtle in its machinations, the ending was a gut punch that left me stunned.

The main thing that kept this from being a five star read was that it wasn't exactly fast-paced. I think the way it was written was exactly what the story needed, but there is a lot of backstory and dialogue -and not as much action as you would think for a book touted as a "pull-no-punches thriller." I would like to clarify, though, that the lack of action in the middle of the book by no means detracts from it. You need the dialogue and backstory. It keeps you from knowing what to believe, what's right or wrong about the Unity Project and Lev. It builds the suspense for the action of the climax, which then becomes that much more compelling because of what came before it.

All in all, this book was a great read. It examines the complicated relationships between family and faith, and how each person can view the same thing so differently. It examines the notion of truth and how it changes depending on the angle.

The Unity Project is a cult....or is it?

Courtney Summers has done it again. She is undeniably the queen of raw, gritty, dark contemporary YA. In The Project, Summers introduces us to sisters Bea and Lo Denham.

After a car accident claimed their parents and left Lo hospitalized, Bea was drawn into the comforting embrace of The Unity Project. At the head of The Unity Project is the enigmatic Lev, a man who many believe is the walking embodiment of God. Drawn to Lev and all he offers, Bea makes the ultimate sacrifice and says goodbye to her life and her little sister.

Years later, a grown up Lo is still trying to contact Bea only to be blocked by members of the project at every turn. But suddenly Lev changes course and offers Lo unprecedented access to the project and its members. This is the opportunity Lo has hoped for, not only as a means of finding her sister, but as a way to advance at her job at a magazine.

But in the world behind the shiny veneer of The Unity Project are mysterious deaths, unexplained disappearances, and a following so loyal to its leader that Lo begins to doubt her own perception. Is The Unity Project a dangerous cult or an enlightened community dedicated to service? And does anyone ever really leave the project?

The Project is an enthralling, engaging thriller that pulls you into its dark, mysterious depths and doesn’t let go until the very end. Told from the alternating perspectives of Lo and Bea, Summers has a haunting voice and unique narrative style that kept me engaged the entire time. Courtney Summers has quickly become one of those authors that never disappoints me and whose books I’ll buy without question.

The Project will be available everywhere on 2/2/21

*I received a copy of The Project from NetGalley and St. Martins Press in exchange for an honest review*

Lo is supposedly the miracle child who was saved from death itself by Lev, head of Unity project which is a cult basically. She is now working for a news outlet and her focus is on proving The Unity project for truly what it is. In her childhood after she survived the fatal accident, her sister, Bea left her in their aunt’s care and joined the Unity project making Lo all alone.

Her investigation starts off when she witnesses the death of one of the members right in front of her. Then she sets off to find more and but as she unravels, she finds things might not what they seem to be and ends up joining it in fact. But why does she join? Does she have a secret agenda yet to be unraveled? Will she get out alive?

The whole cult part and the investigation was really intriguing and it kept me engaged in this bizarre world. It was completely insane and so different that I found it refreshing. Very mysterious and very vulnerable/flawed characters that you will feel they might do literally anything. This is a very fast paced and weirdly interesting thriller.

This book is right up my alley. Give me all the cult thrillers! MC Lo has nothing. Nothing but the opportunity to expose an accused cult known as The Project and launch her journalism career into epic success. Oh, and also the opportunity to reunite with her sister who The Project claimed as one of their own years ago. Nobody would be able to convince one sister to abandon the other sister on her deathbed unless that group is seeded in pure evil….right? But The Project appears squeaky clean and the abundance of good deeds dispersed throughout multiple communities makes it increasingly harder for Lo to uncover the truth. Especially when she starts to feel the pull of The Project herself. This book hardcore manipulated my feelings but in all the best ways. There were definitely brief moments when the author had ME convinced The Project wasn’t so bad. BRIEF. I found Lo’s lack of emotion and ease of betrayal a bit disbelieving at certain points but overall I was fully invested in her success. Be warned that the timeline and POVs jump around ALOT but not to the point you can’t comprehend what’s going on. A fascinating read that should be added to the TBRs of all thriller fans.


Thank you @netgalley an @stmartinspress for the gifted copy of this book in exchange for a review!

*3.5⭐️

EXCUSE ME I’m not okay with that ending 🙃🙃🙃 Honestly I couldn’t stop reading this but I also wasn’t fully into it?! I cared for the characters but I also kinda wanted more from the book? There’s so much left unexplained I feel like dammit 🙈🙈 If you like open endings and feel like binge reading a book, this is definitely one for you though!!

Lo Denham has lost her parents in a car accident in which she herself was also seriously injured and which marked her with a scar for life. Her sister Bea, six years her senior, is the last bit of family she has, but she has not been able to contact her for months. It must be The Unity Project’s fault, the sect Bea joined when she couldn’t make sense of the loss she experienced anymore. When a man claims that The Unity Project killed his son, Lo decides to take a closer look and to get nearer to the charismatic leader Lev Warren with the aim to expose the group’s doings in the magazine she works for. However, Lo is not prepared for the experiences she makes there.

Courtney Summers narrates the story from different points of view at different points in time, thus we get both sisters’ perspective on the highly emotional events in their lives. This also creates a lot of suspense since from the beginning, there are gaps which need to be filled to make sense. It also underlines the different characters of Lo and Bea which, nevertheless, does not hinder them from being fascinated by the same man.

The crucial point is most definitely the psychological impact a major tragic event such as the loss of the parents can have on young persons. Coming to grips with such a stroke of fate which does not make sense and is hard to understand is not only very hard but also makes people fragile and prone to others who are eager to exploit their situation. The leader of the group is surely an interesting character, it is easy to see how he manages to win people for his project and how he can make them follow him blindly. In this way, the novel also cleverly portrays the mechanism which work behind sects and which make it difficult to immediately see through them and more importantly to leave them.

I thoroughly enjoyed the novel due to the multifaceted characters and the message beyond the suspenseful and entertaining plot.

This book was not quite what I expected. Just like in Sadie, Courtney Summer's writing is captivating, but I felt a distance from the characters in this novel, whereas in Sadie I felt connected and more invested in the story. While reading this, I felt like I was constantly waiting for something more to happen - something to make it more creepy, more upsetting, and more harrowing than what it was. Of course, the themes and events that happened in this book were upsetting, but maybe it was the distance I talked about that just did not make this novel as impactful as I expected it to be. But, the idea was very good, and Courtney Summers definitely knows the mystery/thriller genre, and I would still gladly read more of her works in the future.

When I read Summers’ other books, I knew I was going to pick up anything else she put out. As soon as I read the sypnosis for The Project, I was hooked. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I literally could not stop thinking about it.

This is the first Courtney Summers book I have read, and it was an absolute pleasure. This book was gripping and 100% unputdownable. I fully admit that I am a sucker for a cult story, and in the young adult genre I have not found many. This book is going to blow up, much like her novel Sadie did, and for good reason. It is amazing.

The writing style was kind of choppy, but I think this really added to the atmosphere and the suspense of the story. I really liked that the story jumps around a bit in terms of point of view and timeline, it kept things interesting and really made the pages turn themselves. I could not tell where the plot of this book was going. Every time I thought I had something figured out, another twist would come out of nowhere and blindside me. It is extremely refreshing to read a novel that is not super predictable.

Lo is an awesome female lead. She is determined, and brave, and seemingly independent. Yet at the same time, we get to see Lo's flaws. I think Lo was a very well rounded character considering the things she experiences were all-consuming and could have made her appear one dimensional.

There are many other things that I would love to applaud the author for, however I don't want to reveal spoilers. Overall, I highly recommend this book to thriller lovers.

The Project has all the makings to be a straightforward cult book - sister gets wrapped up in a charismatic leader and must be rescued. Enter Lo - the baby sister of Bea, who has entered The Unity Project and has been unable to escape its clutches.

Instead, The Project is a deep look at humanity and how cults prey on it. Any one of us could be Lo, if the right traumas are exposed to the worst people. I related to Lo on a bazillion levels and left the book wondering how I never got swept up in a cult.

Lo is perfectly imperfect. She is the prime Courtney Summers protagonist. She’s going to do things that make you want to scream and yet you still want to be her best friend. Her deep love for her sister is tangible and jumps off the page - as does the trauma she’s experienced in her short 19 years. She’s been through some shit and damn, it’s going to take a lot of therapy. The journey to find Bea is a wild one so strap the fuck in.

The world of The Unity Project mirrors so many of the cults children of the 90s will be familiar with. Charismatic leader seeks the vulnerable and takes full advantage. Don’t get sucked in Lev Warren’s void - you might not make it out alive. It’s brutal and real and visceral.

I flew through the back half of this book because it was unputdownable. I was horrified, terrified, and cheering one page while wanting to throw the book across the room in the next. Courtney draws you in slowly and before you know it, you’re signing on. Just like a cult. Yikes.

All hail queen of the best unlikeable family protagonists! Good lord, Courtney Summers, how do you DO IT? Every time! I somehow managed to read a bunch of cult books back to back, which I am pretty sure I have Courtney to thank for. Am I now in the cult that is Courtney Summers? If so, I don’t want to be rescued.

Two sisters who are everything to each other lose everything in a horrific accident that claims the lives of their parents. As they try to heal (both mentally and physically) they find themselves entangled with the leader of a Christian group (cult?) that does good works. At a time when they should be coming together, they find the leader of The Project coming between them. What is faith? What is love? What is truth? All questions to be answered in the latest thriller by the brilliant Courtney Summers.

Sometimes when I don't like cult books as much as I hope to, I wonder if I really like cult books??? This book did not pull me in the way I wanted to it, I felt like it had a chilly distance to it with rather impenetrable characters. The chronological hopping was more frustrating than propulsive to my reading experience. I thought the pacing crammed too much into the end of the book instead of spooling things out. That said, I still needed to finish the book and know what happened.

This is very clearly inspired by the NXIVM cult, so people with familiarity with it won't be very surprised by the turns. What I felt like it lacked is some fundamental human weirdness to the endeavor of the cult. The NXIVM guy was really into volleyball. Rajneesh had his car collection. I felt like I was missing the absurd element of what cult leaders are like. Or maybe what interests me about cults just isn't what interests novelists who write about cults?

Courtney Summers has made a name for herself writing dark YA thrillers and The Project does nothing to change that. After Lo's in a terrible car accident, her sister Bea joins The Unity Project, leaving her alone with her aunt. While Lo is convinced there's something terrible going on at The Project cult, its charitable outreach and public image mean that the rest of the world sees them as a weird, but harmless religious group. The book is told through dual narratives - Lo in 2017/2018, years after the accident and after her estrangement from Bea, and Bea starting right after the accident. The shifting perspectives make it hard to find your footing and unsettling to read. They also cause the plot to drag a bit at times, since the narratives move forward at different paces. Lo and Bea are complex, but I wish there had been little more depth to some of the supporting characters. I definitely had no idea what was really coming next with this book and can see teens devouring it like Summers' other work.

As always, books about cults grab me right away. Courtney Summers has another great read in The Project. Lo and Bea are estranged, thanks mostly in part to The Unity Project. But is The Project to blame for everything? Or are they truly enlightened?

Writer Lo Denham is left scarred for life both emotionally and physically after a car crash years ago that claimed the lives of her parents. While she was hovering at death's door, her older sister Bea prays for her survival in the hospital chapel. A man appears before her promising he can save Lo if Bea commits her life to the service of the Project. When Lo finally awakes, her memories are unclear and her sister is gone. Lo goes to live with her Aunt until her aunt's death. Now nineteen and alone, Lo begins a mission to infiltrate and expose The Unity Project. Although the Project is highly esteemed for its charity work and outreach program, Lo believes they are a cult holding members against their will - including her sister. Lo becomes obsessed with getting inside and interviewing the charismatic leader Lev Warren. Members sing his praises and once Lo meets with him under the guise of writing a magazine article, she begins to fall under his spell. Was she wrong about Lev and the Project? Is Lev a Villain? Hero? Savior? Or is the man who stalks her dreams the devil she first believed him to be? The longer Lo remains around Lev, the more she doubts her own feelings, judgment, and eventually . . . mind. What's happening to her?

As this story unfolds, readers are privy to both Lo and Bea's state of mind via both points of view and two timelines. Short, choppy chapters serve to keep readers off-balance, feeding the volatile atmospheric setting while building suspense throughout. Summers excels are creating dark, complex characters who are searching for something or someone to anchor them - to pull them back into reality. In The Project, both characters and readers are challenged to find their way through a multitude of twists and turns, through a world filled with hallucinations and dreams, back to reality . . . whatever that may mean. Dark, raw, gritty - The Project is another masterpiece by the talented Courtney Summers. Highly Recommended to fans of young adult suspense.

I went into this not knowing what to expect, I haven't read anything by Summers before, just knew I usually enjoy a good religion/cult novel. I was not disappointed!
I will say that the POV switching in this one got to me at times and I found myself confused - who i am hearing from, Lo or Bea and wait a minute, which one is in the cult again?
Once I got going, about 1/4 of the way in, it flowed better and was more natural.
I enjoyed the twist of the cult leader "bringing Lo back to life' aspect.
The struggles were real, well detailed, and I loved the ending.
Great one!

I've never read anything by this author, but the summary sounded interesting. However, I struggled a bit with this. I had a hard time staying engaged, and I didn't find the characters to be as developed as I usually find in novels. Therefore, I didn't really connect with them so I didn't care that much about what happened to them. Things felt choppy with the cult, overall, the pace was too slow for this genre, and the "suspense" just didn't cut it for me.

Lo and Bea Dunham are sisters, but haven't talked in years. When a car accident killed their parents and put Lo in the ICU, Bea turned to The Unity Project to help her cope, leaving Lo behind with their only other living relative, their great aunt. Now, 6 years later, Lo works for a small magazine as an assistant and Bea is still with The Unity Project. Lo has repeatedly tried to contact her sister, but is always blocked by The Project. They are well known and loved all over the New York area for their charitable work, but Lo knows that they are not what they seem. When she is given the rare opportunity to interview Lev Warren, the leader of The Project, she knows she can't refuse. The interview could not only help her finally reach her sister, it could give her the experience needed to become a real writer like she's always dreamed. But as Lo digs deeper into the philosophies and actions of The Project, she begins to wonder if maybe her sister was right all along.

I really, really loved Sadie and I wanted to love The Project. It was good, but it just seemed to be missing that little something that makes it great. Maybe the story just wasn't as compelling. I also felt like I didn't know the characters well enough to care as much. They were very one dimensional, and there wasn't much backstory on their relationship or upbringing, so I found it hard to really connect with them or understand their connection. The plot itself was pretty good, but I really wanted a little more action and character development.

I received this ARC courtesy of Netgalley, in return for my honest review.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The project is told in dual POV from two sisters, Lo and Bea. Lo's chapters are in current day as she is trying to track down her sister after Bea has become involved in the Unity Project a religious organisation that Lo believes to be a cult. Bea's chapters are flashbacks. The narrative structure works really well for this story as it slowly reveals the full story. Courtney Summers does a fantastic job of making the project seem both a nefarious cult and then a chapter later perfectly reasonable, it really shows how perfectly intelligent reasonable people end up being sucked into the orbit of cults and cult like figures. The atmosphere was great and there was a sense of unease throughout the book. Lo is determined and easy to root for and I thought the sister relationship was complex and well done. There were a couple of plot points that I found a bit convenient and contrived, such as chance meeting with someone with the exact information needed. Overall I really loved this and would recommend.