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.

The Project is a book about cults, but one that I haven’t encountered before. Lo and Bea Denham are sisters whose parents were killed in a car accident. Bea is inherited by a cult called The Unity Project, and Lo, after struggling to survive the car accident, is raised by their aunt, Patty.

This story focuses on the sisterly bond, loss, grief, and learning about yourself. The story jumps between the perspectives of Lo in the present day, and Bea in the past. The characters are raw and flawed which felt real. There’s anger and grief behind these characters and their actions that I truly appreciated. The cult aspect of this story is super nuanced and subtle. I appreciated that it wasn’t just an up in your face cult. The story is chilling and well-written. If you loved Sadie, you will likely love this one.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Title/Cover Draw:
This cover is gorgeous! I can’t stop staring at it. After reading Sadie earlier this year, I knew I just had to read the next thing Courtney Summers came out with. Very excited to receive this for review ahead of time!
What I liked:
The writing sucked me in immediately. Even though this is not a speculative book, there were moments that I would wonder if there was something otherworldly going on. But even though this is a book about a cult, it is important and unique. Today, we are searching for meaning, love, a purpose...and being told many things. It’s easy to be led astray. This book is important.
What I didn’t like:
Just like other people who read this book, there is a certain scene that is (to me) completely out of character for our heroine. It made me a little angry and disheartened. I understand the motive and why it was included, but it really jarred me out of the story.
The Characters:
Lo is innocent and abandoned most of her life in one way or another. But she is sympathetic and you just want her to find love.
The Ending:
Bittersweet but real.
Consider if:
You like darker stories about love.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Received from Netgalley.

It's probably my fault for expecting THE PROJECT to be another SADIE but.. I expected another SADIE.

That said, the way that Summers actually utilized this concept, and your preconceived notions about how exactly that looks like, might end up being different from the reality. Or so was the case for me. And that was definitely to its benefit, I think.

<i>Having a sister is a promise no one ubt the two of you can make -- and no one but the two of you can break.</i>

This was definitely on the tamer end of a story featuring a cult, or an organization that looks like one (but is it?), so I would encourage those who are interested but afraid of the potential darkness to not despair. I think you could handle this. That doesn't mean it's pure easy going, of course, but it's far less brutal than I thought it would be. Though not without an edge.

<i>There's no forgiveness in me, I don't think. Just a brutal acceptance of all that has been lost and a resigned march forward in the face of no other options.</i>

The plot is what kept me reading for this one. Not the characters. Unfortunately I just couldn't quite connect to anyone. There was loss and heartbreak and abandonment that I could definitely sympathize with at times but I eventually did hit a wall where I couldn't go further or parts I was just reading, not really living, if that makes sense. I'm kind of bummed because I definitely wanted an experience like SADIE (which wrecked me) and I didn't get anywhere near that. But it's okay.

While I wanted something from this that I didn't get, though the plot hooked me and kept me going, it didn't quite follow that expected path, which is definitely in its favour. It'll be memorable for that.. but not much else.

A good read, and not one that felt very long, with a lot of meat for you to chew but unfortunately, at least for me, not one that left me feeling totally satisfied.

This was a fascinating, thought-provoking novel set within the world of a modern day cult.

I have to say, I didn't quite know what to expect going into this - I have yet to read Summers' "Sadie" (I know I'm one of the very few), so I wasn't familiar with her writing style. Having finished "The Project", I completely understand the hype around how she crafts her stories - this was riveting from beginning to end! This was a strong, character-driven mystery that thoroughly examined the impacts cult-like mentality can have on those who often feel lost. Lo was such a complex heroine, it was fascinating seeing her progression throughout, particularly once she becomes more involved with The Unity Project. The dual timelines also worked extremely well here, adding to the overall mystery.

I really enjoyed "The Project" & am curious to see the discussions it strikes up once it's released - I've got to go add "Sadie" to my list! Thank you so much to Courtney Summers, NetGalley, Macmillan, & Wednesday Books for providing an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

The Project is brillantly written, Courtney Summers Writing style really sucks you in.
Things I like were the idea of researching and trying to find answers from a cult.
The need for family and the importance. It really had that feeling of a charismatic cult leader that loves his people and doing the work of God.
Unfortunately I felt nothing really happened until the last 20% and by the point I just wasn't as interested in what Lo did.

Thank you to Wednesday Books, St. Martins Press and Netgalley for you my copy for review.

When I first started this book I felt there were similarities to the Hulu original The Path but this book goes much deeper. Lo is a struggling 19 year old trying to make her way in the world. She aspires to be a writer. She also aspires to take down the Unity Project, the group some are calling a cult that her sister has been involved in since Lo and her parents were in a car accident. For years Lo has had no contact with her sister as the Unity Project asks all member to sever ties to people and things in their past. The leader of the Project, Lev never grants interviews but out of the blue he contacts Lo and tells her he will give her an exclusive. Lo jumps at the chance hoping to finally reconnect with her sister.

The story goes back and forth between Lo and Bea's experiences. We find out why Bea joined the Unity Project and lots of other secrets. This is a fast paced book from the beginning and shines light on what so many people go through when they are looking for a better way. It also reminds me of the recent documentary I saw on NXIVM cult that lead so many into what they thought was a more meaningful way to life but ultimately was run by a misogynistic egomaniac who wanted to create a society where men owned women and they were subservient to him.

This is an easy read since it is a YA book but does deal with some difficult issues such as death, child abuse, physical abuse, and brainwashing in the name of "religion". It shows how easy it is to get sucked down a dark path and accept some very bad things when you believe. This is a brilliant book. I look forward to more from this author. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for gifting me this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF 46%
I really wanted to like this book. I loved Sadie and was ecstatic to read about cults, which are right up my true crime alley. However, The Project felt choppy. In one moment, there's an interview going on at the Unity Project and suddenly Lo, the main character is back at work talking to her boss. It also felt like too slow of a buildup. The suspense isn't there, like it was with Sadie. Not a lot is going on.