Holy cow... what to say about this fantastic book....
First off, The Project is a new thriller by one of the best YA thriller authors, Courtney Summers. You may know her from the book Sadie about a girl in search of her parents who left her and her sister at a young age. The Project is another family tale. This time we follow a girl who was saved from death, accordingly at the hands of the leader of a religious family. She is in search of her sister who joined this group.
I honestly had no idea who to believe through the book. Summers planted clues and fake clues so well that I was almost on the side of the cult until the real bad stories started to surface. Characters were so dynamic and our friendly cult leader really sold it so well once we started meeting him in person.
Thank you so much for this read! My copy is preordered for my shelf!

*Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the eARC from Netgalley.

1.25 / 5 stars

*may contain slight spoiler hints about the ending
*religious cult and abuse trigger warning

Lo Deham has always wondered what drove her sister to The Unity Project group and away from her. When Lo was young and suffered from a tragic accident, her sister turned to other means of help. Lo was close to not making a recovery after the accident she was in. Lo’s sister Bea went through a hard time during Lo’s hospitalization. Lev Warren from The Unity Project was there for Bea as her sister fought for her life. According to Bea, Lev saved Lo’s life and her wellbeing is a physical example of a miracle he made. After Lev supposedly saves Lo, Bea decides to commit herself to The Unity Project group and community. Because of Bea’s choice, the sisters lose touch and Lo cannot get in contact with Bea. When an event occurs involving an individual who is part of this unity project, Lo decides to investigate what the project is up to, and how it involves her sister.

I will start off by saying that I wish that this book included that it was more religious cult focused. The synopsis with this is a bit vague and misleading, so here is my content warning for you all.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but this just was not it. I will say that I did enjoy some of this, but overall it just did not work for how it should have been. Some of the inclusions toward the end of this were just so puzzling and counterproductive.

I really liked the set up with this. I like how Lo decides to investigate the project that her sister abandoned her for. I wish the reader could see her actively digging deeper and doing good investigation skills. We see some of this to an extent, but it just was not fleshed-out well. I feel like the story had a lot of transition convenience and ease at times.

I will admit that I did not love the whole religious cult idea. I just do not really care to read about that stuff. I knew this would contain cult content, but the synopsis is a bit vague on the type. I think that this should be changed and addressed.

Lo was an okay character at first. Like I said, I wanted her to be a bit more hands-on and do some more critical thinking, and I will say she tried. I definitely preferred the scenes when she investigated some and tried to dig deeper into the complexity of The Unity Project. I really felt for her as she learned new things about her sister and the confusion she has on where her sister is and why she left her.

I really love that the author ended up making the story split perspective. While we do focus on Lo, we do see past snippets from Bea. I much preferred Bea’s chapters. I found her story to be quite captivating and I like how so much is revealed. Bea definitely has the main exposure of the project. I also enjoyed some of the twists with Bea.

The reason that this book has such a low rating for me is because of Lo. With how the falling action begins to play out, Lo has a complete character change that makes absolutely no sense. Lo could have been a strong character, but that is destroyed at the end. I felt like I could no longer recognize Lo. Lo basically becomes reliant on a man in a situation that she knows is totally toxic. She obliterates any strength she had. To me, this was one of the worst falling action / transition into the resolution, that I have ever read. I want female empowerment, not ridiculous character decisions that lead to a woman giving up herself to become an ornament of man. Lo becomes an ornament. It happens and it makes no sense at all.

I still do not understand this choice of ending. It was ridiculous and made me end up disliking the book so much. All of the good inclusions with Lo ended up becoming covered up with an ending that basically discredits them.

This book is definitely one of those that one will GET and LOVE, or not. There is no in between.

The entire storyline, while slow, is so beautifully written. It follows the timeline of Lo and Bea; two sisters who have drifted apart due to tragedy, and faith. Bea has turned to The Project after the founder, Lev, “brings Lo back to life.” The tangled web of Lo trying to get Bea back sends Lo right into the clutches of the Project, and she has to fight her way out.

The story is beautiful, heart breaking and tragic. It highlights blind faith, and the amount of manipulation that is possible for some people to master. It’s terrifying, as we walk through life and pass by people who could easily prey on us in our weakest moments and we wouldn’t even know it.

As I said above, you either love this book or you hate it. It’s either a 5 star, or a 1. There is no in between. So, my advice for those who have never read a Courtney Summers book before: Do not start with this one. Get your feet wet with another one of her books because this is heavy and requires attention to detail.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. Oh the bonds of sisterhood, wasn't what I expected and pleasantly surprised.

I absolutely loved Sadie and when I saw that Courtney Summers had a new book out I knew I had to read it. She did not disappoint me. I highly recommend this book! **My review could contain spoilers for some**

**Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

Lo Denham is in a terrible car accident that killed both of her parents and almost killed her. Bea is Lo’s sister and after the accident that almost killed her whole family she decides to join The Unity Project, an organization that appears to do a lot of good for the community. By doing so, she cuts herself off from Lo. Lo knows something is off about Unity Project and spends the next six years trying to prove it. Her like many others claims it is a cult. Someone comes to Lo claiming The Unity Project killed his son and Lo stops at nothing to get to the bottom of what’s going on. Once she meets and learns more about Lev, the leader of the Unity Project, she’s not sure what to believe anymore.

What did I like:
1. Courtney Summers does an pretty chilling and accurate portrayal how a leader can easily gaslight and manipulate it’s members. How these charismatic individuals know just the right things to say or do. I even found myself cheering for Lev at times. Yikes!
2. It’s told in dual timelines as well as two different perspectives. It was easy to follow and understand. I absolutely love these two things and Summers does it flawlessly!
3. The ending! Somehow Summers always leaves me wanting more with her endings. I mean this in a good way. I enjoy how she leaves it up to the readers interpretation.

What did I not like:
1. The story is a slow build. It take some time to get going. There isn’t a ton of action in the story but its still definitely worth the read. It would have been nice to learn more about the Unity Projects darker side or at the very least more hints to that darker side.
2. I wish there was more development into the relationship between Lo and Lev. I really want to say more about that but can’t because I do not want to completely spoil the story. You’ll just have to take my word for it. haha.

This was an excellent book to bring up ideals of cults and how people can fall prey to them without even realizing they are in an abusive and manipulative situation.

This was a fantastic read from Courtney Summer! I’ve always been interested in cults and learning how people are drawn into their grasp, and it came as no surprise that Lo’s sister, Bea, was lured into The Unity Project. Many cults hide behind their good works and dedication to serving their community. In Bea’s case, she witnesses a miracle performed by The Unity Project’s leader, Lev Warren, when Lo is hospitalized after an accident that killed their parents. Now convinced of his legitimacy, she stays with The Unity Project and leaves Lo in the care of her aunt.

But Lo’s path crosses with The Unity Project again years later when she investigates them for the magazine she works for. She wants to prove there is a darker side to The Unity Project and hopefully reunite with her sister. But everything she thought she knew about cults and Bea is thrown out the window once she delves deeper into The Project. Will she expose their secrets or will she too become a believer?

I truly enjoyed reading this book and was surprised by how much The Unity Project revealed and how convincing it all was. I honestly wasn’t sure how it would end, but I’m glad it ended the way it did. Highly recommend this one!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3670846310

I loved Courtney Summers' Sadie, so I was super excited to try The Project, and I was not disappointed! This was a super fun, suspenseful read that kept me up late! I can't wait to see what else she has up her sleeves.

I was unable to download this book or read it on my phone/iPad it was giving me a file upload error so I’m unable to give a full review.

I love Courtney Summers and everything I’ve read by her up to this point and this book does not disappoint. When I heard she was coming out with a new book I immediately added it to my To Be Read list, no questions asked, no knowledge of the content. Then I found out The Project had a cult like theme and I was all in!! I love reading books or watching documentaries about cults, it fascinates me, so if you’re like me and enjoy that kind of stuff too then I’d definitely recommend this to you. It’s a bit of a slow burn in the beginning and you’re getting two points of view from the sisters with a timeline alternating between past and present but it all comes together so great in the end. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this.

The Project was a ride the whole way through. Deeply rooted in the effects of loss, abuse, and the human need for love, purpose, and acceptance, this story kept me on my toes about what was true and what wasn't from start to finish. Lo and Bea illustrate how we love and hurt our siblings and ourselves, and how reality can keep us from realizing our hopes and dreams, but love cannot be destroyed.

Violence: Moderate (domestic abuse)
Language: High
Drugs: None
Sex: Moderate

Courtney Summers beautifully mixes the style of journalistic writing with the intense and twisted emotions of being a character in the very story you're writing.

CW for book: manipulation, manipulation leading to sexual acts, depiction and discussion of physical abuse (generally, and specifically burning), depiction of a cult, mention of death, implied drowning, non-graphic depiction of suicide

additional warning: This review is full of spoilers, so if you haven't read the book, I would not recommend reading further. I normally try to make my reviews spoiler free, or if I do discuss spoilers to tag them within paragraph but there's just too much here to tag.

I am reluctant to admit that I didn't hate Lev. For about half of the book I figured if there was anything bad going on, it was within the inner workings, not him. Always love to see my distrust in instutions! Also, I was very thrown off by the dog trusting him, because I always have faith that animals Know Things.

This one hits home though because The Unity Project is a community run program that does actually help within the community, though eventually you see that it hurts as well. I like believing that are good things in this world, and 2020 has been how shall we say... hard. I've had to really come to terms with individual goodness vs. systemic goodness and The Project reflects that sentiment. It also hits home some of the complexities about any organized religion and the pros and cons with that.

The transition from angry skeptic to fairly devoted member felt a bit abrupt to me, but I imagine it was a very potent combination of being treated kindly and with value, and revisiting the trauma of her first accident. Don't like it but it didn't stick well so... ok.

I saw the weirdly complicated sexual relationships and I said "oh no its a cult... but maybe its still not a cult because Lev didn't ask for this" and then had to delete the second half of that note completely.

I'm still not sure that I have a full picture of the corrupt side of the Unity Project. All the twistier aspects are still confusing to me: what happened to Bea, how Lo got Lev, if the only trauma Lev imparted was the kind that mirrored his own... if there was genuine aid provided, or if it was all a lie. As with most of Summers' books, it's a mystery.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I want to thank NetGalley for my free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Wow! I read this book quickly, in about two days. I have heard a lot of great things about this author, and now I know why. This is such a gripping and fast paced read. This is an enticing plot and it will reel you in from start to finish. I literally stayed up late last night just so I could see what would happen. The author makes you feel pulled into this Cult and you understand why the people are drawn to it. the whole writing theme feels panicked but keeps tugging you along. This book will stay with me for a long while!

My true rating for this book is probably 1.5 stars out of 5, because I just did not like it. I realize this is not the trending opinion, and that's okay. I'm sure some readers will find plenty to enjoy with this book. If you like stories about cults, the traditional "I gotta save ____ from that cult, but they won't let me get near ___, but I'll keep trying," then I'm sure you'll enjoy this read. It follows a predictable path, alternating past and present within sections, and sometimes switching character P.O.V.s between Lo and Bea. The format itself was confusing, as suddenly, without preamble or indication, I was suddenly reading a different time. I think sections should have been more clearly marked and separated to keep these shifts from being so abrupt and jarring.

Ultimately, I was just bored. I was bored after the first section, and I kept being bored. To keep reading was truly like rolling a boulder up a hill and such a chore. I was hoping for something new, fresh, and unique, but didn't get any of those things. All books aren't for everyone, and this is an example of that.

This book gives you an inside look at what it's like to be involved with a colt and the way a colt leader can manipulate other people's minds and souls to the point where they question everything about themselves and the way the world works. This story follows two different timelines involving two sisters, Bea and Lo, You get to read about the path that each sister takes, past and present. This book deals heavily with religion. I personally am not a huge fan of this but I understand why it needed to be in the book. I really did enjoy reading this book. I give it a 5-star rating and I plan on buying a copy when it comes out. Thank you, NetGalley, for putting this book in the read now section. This book is one of my most anticipated released books for 2021

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me at 45% :(

I *loved* Sadie, and while cults have never been my main true crime/crime fiction area of interest, I was fully willing to give this one a try. However, the pacing is super slow, and the multiple time periods were confusing. The narrative bounced around so much that I couldn't feel invested in either sister or what was going on in their lives, and when I was nearly halfway and having to talk myself into continuing to read it, I knew it was time to jump ship.

Maybe there will be big edits between the eARC and the release...but if not, this is a pass.

This was a goodie. I had never read a Courtney Summers book before, and I had heard that this book was good, and talked about cults (i wanted to know more about cults, for some entirely weird reason). The book definitely delivered on the cult aspect, but failed somewhat on the character aspect. The main character fell flat at certain parts, and her escape out of the cults felt slightly anticlimactic. I had heard that Miss Summers was practically a god in the thrilling, eye popping escape, or death defying things. But, for me, that's where it fell flat. I will admit, MIss Summers definitely created a world that could be expanded on, and she could, in turn, create a good ass plot.

THE PROJECT is another intense, unsettling, and heart wrenching story from Courtney Summers, with a sister's relationship and a manipulative cult at the center of it. I liked seeing both the perspectives of Lo and Bea, and how we get to see both of them as they go on their journeys involved with The Unity Project. While I did feel that a couple of choices and decisions that Lo makes within the narrative felt a bit rushed, overall I thought that Summers did a good job of getting into a cult mindset and how master manipulators can have such sway over vulnerable people. Bea, too, had a compelling arc, and I really enjoyed seeing how hers and Lo's paths started in different ways and ended up both mirroring each other but also inverted of each other. The sisterly bond is always there, even if the interactions between Lo and Bea are few and far between, mostly relegated to flashbacks. Summers still portrayed them in ways that felt genuine and powerful. And The Unity Project itself clearly takes inspiration from NXIVM, though with sprinkles of other groups like Branch Dividians and Synanon, especially within their leader, Lev. It's a very creepy and eerie portrayal, and it works.

THE PROJECT is a good pick for those who can't get enough of cults in fiction or non fiction. Expect heaviness and unease.

If you are intrigued by the mysterious power a cult leader can have over someone’s life this is a book for you. Two sisters who are struck by a tragedy have a bond that cannot be broken, until a force enters their lives and changes them forever. This is a story you cannot put down. You will find yourself racing to the end to discover the truth. Excellent read!!!

This wasn't a winner for me. I found the narrative very confusing, especially at the beginning. The story starts moving between timelines and between Lo and Bea's stories before it ever really sets the stage for who the characters are, what has happened to them, and what their relationship is to one another (they're obviously sisters, but the state of their relationship is unclear). I found myself constantly questioning things that weren't intentional, such as whether one of them had died in the accident mentioned, whether one sister was impersonating the other, who was talking at any given time, etc Once I figured out what was going on, I was about 25% through and had lost interest. For some reason, I keep trying to read books about/set among cults and I guess I should just stick to nonfiction in regards to the subject, as novelized versions just aren't/haven't been as compelling.