ARC received from Netgalley. Thank you to the publisher!

I'm wow?! What the actual heck did I read? So gripping, so heart-wrenching, this YA thriller is too good. I loved the sisterhood aspect of this story, the storyline is so emotionally moving and yet the events that unfold gives you goosebumps. Summers' writing lures you in from the start, with the cults, murder and emotional torment. She's written her character so well, we seem to believing them knowing things are about to head south. Even though I'm running with less free time, I came back to this one in that time because I wanted to devour it all!! Courtney Summers is here to destroy us again. Can't wait for more people to read this in February

I selected this book because I loved Sadie. This book didn't disappoint. I found myself holding my breath page after page. Frankly some of this was gut wrenching. I wanted more for an ending. I get it but still wanted more of a resolution.

Stunning, emotional, and highly intense, "The Project" by Canadian author Courtney Summers is going to be a highly anticipated must-read novel for 2021. Summers delivers another emotionally intense thriller with the same dark, sinister undertones of Sadie. "The Project" is an incredibly unique, unflinching journey about how easy it is to lose oneself on the path towards truth, hope, and empathy while grappling with one's own suffering.

Lo Denham is well acquainted with loss. From the accident that killed her parents and left her with a permanent scar down the left side of her cheek, to her sister Bea abandoning her at the hospital where Lo fought tooth and nail to survive. When the aunt who took care of her passes, Lo finds herself stuck as a receptionist for a self-assured writer who won't let her amount to anything, not even the writer she has always envisioned herself to be.

Her chance to move up in her career comes in the form of a young man's suicide, a man who has a connection to the Unity Project, and Bea, who joined the group shortly after Lo's hospitalization. Sensing there is more to the Unity Project than what meets the eye, Lo becomes solely focused on proving the sinister inner workings of its members, including the leader Lev Warren.

When the opportunity presents itself to move and speak freely among its members and Lev, Lo begins to question everything she thought she knew about Bea, herself, and the Unity Project. With her sudden loss of control and grip on reality, Lo finds herself walking down a dangerous and deadly path she may not return from.

While the general inner workings of cults are unsurprising and may feel overdone, "The Project" is highly recommended for Summer's brilliant and brutally honest depiction of human suffering that sparks a new way of looking at cults, its members, and the way they function. Nothing about Lo's story is overdone, exaggerated, or overdramatic, but rather, an intriguing outlook at the ways in which those who are hurt and desire love and acceptance, will band together to feel less lonely, Sometimes, that desire can lead people to dangerous places, such as Lo. Summer's style of writing is fresh and unique, which alone makes this novel worth reading.

Look for "The Project" by Courtney Summers on the expected publication date of February 02, 2021. Deliciously thrilling and wonderfully insightful, this is not a novel to miss out on.

A warm thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read a free e-arc of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

It’s still been a few days since I finished The Project and all I can say is this: Courtney, why did you put me through such pain? I loved Sadie so when I heard news of The Project I was instantly interested. Especially that this book is centered around a cult was a selling point for me, something about these kinds of books just trap me in. I can’t give The Project enough praise, but I’m hoping this review is a little drop in the tons of love it will get.

I love Courtney’s writing style. It’s easy to follow, imaginative and leaves the reading sitting on the edge of their seat eager for more. She did not disappoint on the twists and turns in The Project. There would many times through out this book that I would have to stop and process what happened.

I loved Lo’s character and her dedication to finding her sister and finding is place in the world after something horrific happened to her. I especially loved seeing how as the story went on how Courtney subtlety shifted certain aspects of Lo’s beliefs and actions to meet those of The Project, it was masterfully done. This whole entire book is masterful.


The Project left me crying in my room at 1a.m. because the ending is unlike anything I predicted it to be, especially having read Sadie and knowing how that ended. But as much as it emotionally destroyed me I loved every moment of this book and I hope everyone else who reads it does too. As I said, this review won’t do The Project justice so You have to read it for yourself to see!

''Having a sister is a promise no one but the two of you can make - and no one but the two of you can break.''

This is a book that immediately grabs you and holds you tight, offering you instantly the reading experience you were craving to have. No waiting around to get the best of it, you're in it from the first page. Those are the kinds of books I really love. I loved Sadie, but I think I love The Project even more.

SHORT SUMMARY: Lo and Bea are sisters who lose their parents in a devastating car crash, which Lo was a part of. While Lo is struggling to survive, Bea is struggling with finding sense in the hard life that suddenly hit her. She finds this sense in The Unity Project, a famous organisation that saves her life. Or does it? We follow Lo a couple of years later, as she investigates The Unity Project to find out whether her sister really abandoned her or there was something more to it.

CHARACTERS:

Lo, the MC, is such a strong character. The author builds her from the ground up and adds all these dimensions to her that slowly start to show themselves as we progress. Lo is brave, fierce, curious, ambitious, but also angry, frustrated. I absolutely loved her from the first to the very last page of the book. Her growth as a character couldn't have been presented any better.

Bea was a mystery to me for half of this story, in the sense that I couldn't figure her motivations out. I had my own conclusions, but in the end, her story brought me to tears. I finally understood her, and it broke my heart.

Lev was the kind of character that you knew is up to something. Underneath all the layers of pretty wrapping and bows, there was something just waiting to get out. As a master manipulator, he conceals his true personality so well, to the point where he seems too perfect. Once you figure that out you start noticing all the things that are wrong about him. The first groundbreaking moment was when his best friend left the Unity Project. This is the first instance where you see his manipulation manifest. He convinced everyone that Rob was banished because he was a danger, successfully distorting the truth. And this was just the beginning.


THE CULT: It shows you how cults work, how they lure you in, how they run things, and how people end up there. It shines a light on the fact that these are real people with real lives, not some lost causes who didn't know better. And it's absolutely chilling when you realise that.

THE WRITING: It took me less than 20 pages to get into this book. It's fast-paced, but your mind doesn't run the marathon to catch up. It's instantly gripping and suspenseful, and it's exactly what I would have expected from this author. She has this amazing way of finishing her paragraphs so that you just have to continue reading.

The atmosphere building was off the charts. It builds up slowly and tingles gently all throughout your reading experience, constantly keeping you on the edge.

We do jump between past and present, but it was easy to get lulled into that rhythm. It doesn't get confusing and it's really easy to follow.

Little hints are peppered through the entire story about what might have happened in the past, or what might happen in the future, but you're never quite sure, as the writer immediately lures you away with something else, just as you're starting to think you figured something out.

Needless to say, this book kept my mouth open. I'm sure I even got a few extra wrinkles on my forehead from all the frowning and uncertainty. The deeper you go into the novel, the heavier it gets because you start to really feel the burden of this world of delusions and manipulations.

WHO WOULD LOVE IT: People who enjoy suspense, thrillers, stories about cults, stories about family bonds, more specifically the bond between two sisters.

After falling in love with the cover, I fell in love with the novel. Dark, emotional and addictive read.

I'm not a young adult, so while I don't usually reach for YA novels, this one hit it out of the park for me. The themes in it are very adult: loss, grief, abandonment, religious fanaticism and a dangerous cult investigation. My heart was ripped out as I turned the pages on high alert, devouring the writing and the story.

The Project is a story of Lo - a girl who, at just nineteen, became victim of an accident which left her with significant scars, her parents dead, and her sister wandering off to a cult, the Unity Project.

The one thing that keeps Lo sane is her job at a magiazine. But then she witnesses a suicede of a boy - who was a member of the Unity Project, and whose father claims it was the cult that pushed the boy to suicide. Lo begins to investigate the cult, but she may not be ready for what she can find there. Most importantly - what happened to her sister?

This book is heavy. Dark. Difficult. Emotional. You will likely cry and wonder what you would do in Lo's shoes. Her life is so difficult it is hard not to feel overwhelmed. But it is also a truly beautiful and important novel which I know I won't forget for a long time.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an emotional, compelling, and immersive read. The main characters, Bea and Lo, lost both their parents in a car accident. After the accident Lo was in the hospital and nearly died. During her recovery, the sisters became estranged as Bea was sucked into a cult called the The Unity Project. Lo, scarred for life both physically and emotionally was struggling with life basically on her own. Six years after the accident, Lo is working for a newspaper and decides to start investigating The Unity Project in hopes of reaching her sister. What she begins to uncover puts her life in danger.

I was totally immersed in this book and kept rooting for Lo to succeed in her endeavors. The cult leader, Lev, was a charismatic leader. It is soon obvious that his difficult upbringing was a major factor in his life and his mind is a strange landscape. It was a fascinating read for me.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press / Wednesday Books through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Wow, this was so good. This is my second book by Courtney Summers (I gave three stars to Sadie) and I have to say I loved this one.

I ended up caring so much for these two sisters who after a tragic car accident, lost both of their parents. Lo is in the hospital, dying when a man shows up. His name is Lev and when Bea is at the bottom, he comes in and brings Lo back from the dead... at least that's what Bea believes. She quickly gets wrapped up in The Project. Some people thinks it's a cult, others thinks it's the best thing that ever happened to them. After years of not being able to hear from her sister, Lo is determined to find out the truth.

Overall, this was a really solid read. I feel like the first half of the book was slower-paced but the second half made up for it and you couldn't have taken my kindle out of my hands even if you tried. Now I can't wait to read more from this author and see what she publishes next!


(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

closer to 3.5

This was my first Courtney Summers and wow. The Project is a story about two sisters who get involved with a questionable group which changes both of their lives.

What I adored about this book is how much Summers captivates you. From the beginning, you know something is up with The Project but they remain out of the public eye. Lo is a young journalist trying to connect with her sister while also trying to bring to light the horror of The Project.

We are told the story through both Bea and Lo's eyes.

Overall, I found this to be a really fun book. I mean, as fun as a book about trauma & cults can be.

5 blown away stars.

Courtney Summers has done it again with The Project, and I feel so lucky to have been able to read this early. This book was phenomenal! Seriously a must read

After their parents death, Be a left her sister Lo to join The Unity Project. While the Project markets itself as charitable, Lo knows there is more to the story. Her boss won’t let her write for the company, so Lo takes things into her own hands while also trying to reconnect with her sister.

Unpopular opinion alert. I really enjoyed Sadie so I was stoked to start reading this book! I’ve read and enjoyed books about cults before but this one just did not do it for me. Way too much God talk throughout the entire book. I know that shouldn’t be a surprise being that it’s a book about a cult but it was too much for me. I also just didn’t buy into Lo and everything she went through in this book. I don’t want to give anything away, but the second half had me questioning who this character even was compared to the Lo from the first half. There is no doubt that Summers is an amazingly talented writer, and I look forward to what she writes in the future, unfortunatly this one just didn’t work for me.

I love the premise of this book, and Summers crafts quite the cult. But the slow burn is a little too slow this time and then everything amps up by 1000 towards the end. While the events of the conclusion are satisfying they seemed VERY abrupt. I definitely wanted more. Still, I was interested throughout and the time shifts were an effective way to tell the story.

This book was a bit of an emotional filled rollercoaster.

Trauma is not something easy to deal with. This book starts with a traumatic experience and continues to have the such experiences continue throughout the book. All the trauma is with cause and reason, it is not just there to fill space or add shock.

What is a cult? What makes a cult member join? What makes them stay and believe even after bad things happen?

This book offers a view on the answers to all those questions and more.

I love everything I’ve read by Courtney Summers. While The Project was certainly different than her other stories, it was compelling and fascinating. Some parts were tedious and a bit predictable, but overall it was a great read!

I had to read the blurb. Rarely do I do that until I've turned the final page of a book, but at about the 10% mark of "The Project" I found myself needing a roadmap for the narrative I was trying to navigate.

In short, this is a story about a (very) young woman trying to investigate and expose an alleged cult called The Unity Project that has alienated her from her older sister. Is it truly just an organization that brings lost souls together to help the greater humanity through charitable works, or is there something more sinister behind the intent of its founder?

As luck would have it, our main character, Lo, has landed herself a job as an assistant at an online magazine ("SVO"). About a year into her role, she's insulted that her boss won't yet allow her to do her own investigative story. And herein lies one of my primary problems. I just didn't like her, and I'm pretty sure readers are supposed to. To me Lo came across as whiny and entitled, rather than ambitious and sympathetic. After she does some moonlighting to dig into The Project, she laments, "Between this and SVO, it feels like I never get a day off." Uh yeah, paying your dues comes at a cost. This is just one example, and it could be a generational issue. As a more (cough, cough) mature reader, my dues have looooonnnnng since been paid. YA readers who are still young adults themselves may cheer her on for her defiant drive.

Beyond a lack of connection with Lo, I never could grab hold of the storyline after we got off to such a rocky and confused start. I felt like I was the claw in one of those toy-grabbing arcade machines, trying to latch on to anything that would pull me into the story. The jumping around from present to past through different perspectives didn't help, although that non-linear technique is quite common. I just don't think it worked here. I didn't want to pick the book back up after I'd stepped away from it, and I lost interest in the plot's resolution.

I went into The Project rooting for its success. That striking cover! This young phenom author! Despite my tepid experience with this release, I won't be surprised if my point of view is an unpopular one. It just wasn't the book for me.

“Having a sister is a promise no one but the two of you can make--and no one but the two of you can break.”

Lo Denham has had a miserable life since her parents were killed in a car accident and, although she survived, she still has the scars. Then her sister, Bea, leaves her in the care of their Aunt, and joins what Lo believes is a cult, The Unity Project, headed up by charismatic leader Lev, with a fascinating backstory of his own. The story goes back and forth between time periods, and we find Lo working for a newspaper, where she decides to investigate the Unity Project with the hope that she can get Bea out and back with her. It is a well-researched story of cults and examines the way people are attracted to its principles. This group does a lot for the community, can they really be a cult?? As Lo starts looking into it, she also gets drawn in by Lev and his young daughter Emmy. The characters in this novel are so well-written, you will swear you know them all! I was up late into the evening finishing this one. I recommend this book highly!

A powerful story of grief and belief, of family and the extent we can go to in our loss to believe in something that isn't love but promises it. Lo and Bea are strong and interesting characters. Though very different the author makes both of their paths seem not just believable but realistic and understandable.

After reading Sadie, I had very high expectations for this book. The pacing was a bit slow at first, but when the story started to really unfold, it was very engrossing. The characters feel real and though it's easy to understand their motives, it's occasionally difficult as an outsider to watch them make their choices. Just like Sadie, this is not a happy book, but it is a worthwhile emotional journey.

VERY unpopular opinion here but I DNF’d this one at 50%, and it was quite an effort just getting there. I read Sadie by Courtney Summers last year and I really liked it. And that COVER. 😍 I had high hopes for this one.

This book centers around two sisters, one of which is in a cult called The Unity Project. I read 50% of this book and I still didn’t really know the sisters, Lo and Bea. The author merely skims the surface of their characters so much so that I has no attachment to them or desire to continue with their story. By the halfway point I still didn’t know much about the cult, or its members, either. Nothing. Was. Happening. This one, unfortunately, was just too slow for me.

Thank you to @netgalley for the complimentary eARC in exchange for an honest review. Publication date February 2, 2021.

I love the two C’s: Courtney and Cults. After catching wind of Courtney Summer’s Sadie, I knew I had to take a ride into the world of cults she created. Therefore, I requested this book and read it many, many months before its official release date. And I regret nothing! Except the fact I didn’t write this review when it was fresh in the top of my dome. So I am keeping this short and sweet.

Cult stories are sadly and eerily familiar. Summer’s clearly recognized this before writing this novel because she does something that I’ve not experienced before. On the many journey’s that I’ve been on, I’ve not witnessed a character make such a transition. We begin this story with our narrator vehemently hating The Unity Project for taking her sister. But it all changes. And oddly, it was magic in a perverse way. I loved getting insight into how a mind set against certain groups and thinking can alter so drastically. This is what made the story so unique.

Additionally, I like dark stories. And Summer’s does nothing but deliver dark, broken, sad, and tragic telling’s. But I am here for it. Keep bringing on the doom girl. It is working for you.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the read. This story very well might trump Sadie.