This book wasn't bad at all-- it was powerful and sad and oh so real. However, I do wish there was more. More into the allure of the Unity Project, more into lev, if anything I wish this book was from Bea's POV and her journey into the cult because Lo... as the book went along wasn't my favorite. She wasn't bad... but you can tell I have a favorite.

I purchased this book for my high school library. My students have enjoyed it. and it has circulated well.

The Project was an interesting ride. I like those kind of weird thrillers that suck you in and you keep reading to unravel the pieces. This book was good but not great. I think I wanted more twists and a few more surprises. Nothing really shocked me. If you like mysteries but don't like them too dark then this is the perfect mystery for you.

A fast paced, high stakes, emotional thriller that I could not put down. Courtney Summers excels at writing interesting and sympathetic heroines who make questionable and often frustrating decisions.

DNF at 30%, this is quite a different book than her first one, and it wasn’t quite for me!
The pacing was pretty slow and I was waiting for it to pick up.

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Sally this is an DNF for me, started it yesterday, and got to the 7 mark the first time , then put it down and then picked it back up and restarted it from the beginning and got to the 15% and still have no idea what is going on. Some pages I even found myself re reading them to try and understand what is going on. Going to keep the ARC and give it a second chance later down the road.

The writing was fantastic and the story itself was heartbreaking. However, either with high expertise or going in with the wrong frame of mind of what the story would be hinder the experience.

I found myself riveted to the idea of this. It’s about Lo, whose sister joins a cult. But upon closer inspection, Lo finds that The Project isn’t what it appears to be from the outside. She feels seen and a part of something like she never has before. She has a family—something she has desired for a long time.

I can see where kids would really like this one.

4.5 Stars

****

Lo Denham is an assistant at SVO, a magazine dedicated to "radical perspectives and bold new voices". She has dreamed of being a writer most of her life, but her boss has kept fer from making that next step. She needs a big story to help push her career forward; unfortunately, she witnesses the suicide of a young man who recognized her and spoke a cryptic message to her just before his death. His death appears to be connected to The Unity Project, the same organization that stole her sister away from her after their parents died in a tragic car accident that Lo barely survived (and has the scars to remind her). Now, Lo is determined to expose them. However, as she becomes closer to The Unity Project she begins to question everything she knew about the group, her sister, and founder Lev Warren.

I started this book in audio format, which really helped with connecting to the sisters separate perspectives (Bea in the past and Lo in the present). However, as the story progressed and the creeping dread was mounting, I had to switch to the physical book because the story was just too visceral and real. But, even switching, I was in tears by the end for these two sisters. Their loneliness, their vulnerability, their strength.

The double perspective was especially handled well, as you sort of go through a déjà vu as Bea becomes a member of the Unity Project and as Lo begins to be enveloped into the Project. Their perspectives and feelings are vastly different upon approaching the Project, but are mirrored so well throughout the progression of the story. Both sisters just crave to be seen, to be comforted, to be needed by others. And that is how these organizations can function so well, because they feed off the loneliness and trust of others.

This book really makes your skin crawl. You begin to question if what Lo believes about the Project is real, or if her opinion is a projection of her anger at being abandoned by her sister. She is desperate to place blame, so that she does not have to confront the fact she was left behind or unwanted. But, as she continues to find out, maybe Bea also felt a little left behind (by her parents death) and, so, in a moment of fear and uncertainty she accepted the love of a stranger in order to heal.

Lev Warren is exactly what you would expect from a leader of an organization like The Unity Project. He is charismatic, humble, kind. He is honest, he is bold, and he protects those who are part of his flock from the outside world. It is through Lo's eyes that you are introduced to this man, through her words and her hurt and anger, so you are unsure if this means he is actually the terrible person she believes him to be, or if he is the embodiment of the grief and loss she feels. His easy charm and his humble grace make everything shift subtly and as a reader you being to doubt yourself and your own immediate mistrust in an organization that only appears to want to help those in need.

However, keep in mind that every charismatic leader is similar to Lev. Likeable, able to sway even the surest of doubters. And even when you begin to suspect something is off, something is wrong, you continuously question why you think that might be.

This book was just wow! I honestly felt my skin crawl a few times. The blatant loyalty, the blind trust, even when things are happening that are wrong. But, you can also understand why people would be so easily drawn to this group, to wanting to fit in and be loved, to believing what they are experiencing in this group is what God means for them to experience.

There were a couple moments I felt the book maybe was a bit slow, and a couple characters that were introduced and never heard from again (but would have been nice to see their perspective toward the end). But, all in all, this book was so well written and by the end you are so invested, and just on the edge of your seat, you cannot help but root for Lo and hope that she finds a way to forgive and to love herself.

I really enjoyed Sadie by Courtney Summers and was looking forward to The Project. The premise sounded intriguing and I'm a sucker for books about cults. The Project was a strong book, not quite up to the level of Sadie, but another good read nonetheless. We get both Lo's and Bea's perspectives, however primarily Lo's in first person. The characters really pulled me into the story, and I was immediately invested in both Lo and Bea. I did struggle with the overall pace of the book and at times I felt the plot moved too slowly and I found myself losing interest. Although the plot moved slowly at times I believe the ending did it justice! Overall this was a strong book with interesting, well-written characters I could connect with and I would recommend both this book and Sadie by Courtney Summers.

Thanks NetGalley for providing this ebook!

I really loved Sadie by this author however this book did not worked for me. i tried to listen to this book but it just was not for me.

I love books about cults and find them fascinating so this one intrigued me. It was slow at times but fast at other so it saves me from being too bored

This book was amazing. There were many trigger warning topics, but they were done so well and accurately. I have recommended this book to many of my students, and I will continue to do so.

I enjoyed this book for the most part, especially the beginning and the end. There is a lot of good about this book, great set up, it's obviously well researched, and the ending is very strong. I struggled in the middle to push through as it got a bit info heavy and I found myself skimming instead of reading. However, like I said, the ending is great and the book itself is an interesting take on cults and the mystery/thriller genre.

I love Courtney Summers writing, I loved this book. I felt close to Lo and I wanted her to succeed in her mission. I thought I had it figured out and then the book slapped me right in the face.

Didn't capture my attention and engagement. Interested in trying it again though and hopefully it will take.

What an interesting story. Not obvious about what happened until the end. Very complicated relationships.

DNF. I’ve tried to read The Project three times, but haven’t progressed any further than the 20% mark. It’s very slow, and when does the promised ‘cult’ plot line kick in? Also, I’m not sure what was up with the narration, but I found myself reading every sentence twice just to make sense of it. I just can’t force myself to read anymore to find out. I’m gutted because I loved Sadie and Some Girls Are. On wish there was an option on Netgalley to select ‘no rating’, as I have no choice but to rate it one.

Courtney Summers completely blew me away with [book:Sadie|34810320] - I wish I could say the same about The Project, but it's a high three, at least.

It's all in the summary so I won't get too into it - two sisters, apart since the accident that claimed their parents and left Glory (Lo) struggling for survival. Bea may have been older but she's also in thrall to the man who runs The Unity Project, a community outreach program that's been criticised for its cult-like tendencies (probably because it's a cult), and Lo is determined to get her back and avoid losing the last little bit of family she has left.

So for the most part, this is a pretty good book - Courtney Summers is a good writer, and while I took a minute to get into it, once I was in I was pretty invested. But she has her characters make some interesting choices, Lo in particular <spoiler>I would have been okay with it if her whole Lev thing was a plan, but apparently she just changes her mind way too fast</spoiler> that I couldn't get on board with - and it's her job to make them plausible. The ending wasn't quite the punch it should have been and probably just needed a little more time.

Overall I'm happy I read it, it's quick and for the most part entertaining. I can't help but feel this one's going to teflon right off my brain in a couple of months though - I guess we'll see!