The Project is a story about strength, love and overcoming grief. It is also about a cult, and the kind of dangerous charisma that terrifies me. And thanks to Courtney Summers, that terror won't be going away any time soon!

Lo Denham is an aspiring journalist intent on proving herself to her boss. Years earlier, her sister Bea joined a secretive cult called The Unity Project after their parents' car crash deaths. Despite Bea's apparent desire to have nothing to do with Lo, she's desperate to reconnect with her big sister. But as Lo digs deeper into the Unity Project and its charismatic leader, for the dual purpose of reconnecting with Bea and getting the story of the decade for her boss, Lo begins to realize there might be something darker going on.

Told from two points of view in two converging timelines, The Project is an incredibly clever book. Courtney Summers manages to write in such a way that her characters are saying or thinking one thing, while her elegant foreshadowing manages to tell a completely different story. This is a story that absolutely keeps you guessing, even as it fills in all the answers you thought you needed to know, there is always another reveal to be had.—in fact, I absolutely devoured the last 25% in one sitting, desperate to know the truth behind the Unity Project and what would happen to Lo and Bea.

Though this book was a masterclass of unreliable narration, its best moments were the moments of heart between the mystery. I enjoyed this book and will definitely pick up Courtney Summers' next one.

I listened to the audiobook Sadie by Courtney Summers and LOVED it! The podcast add ins were awesome. The plot for this novel is similar in that two sisters share an unbreakable bond and will go through hell and back to save each other. The suspense in this one is intense. I had trouble putting it down towards the end.
Gloria (Lo) was in a tragic accident at a young age that leaves her scarred and the end result of a "miracle". Her guilt-riddled sister (Bea) will do just about anything to save her, but has problems coping with the grief, near loss and miraculous recovery. Both are drawn to the Unity Project for different reasons. Bea was hero worshipping the Project's (cough cough cult) leader and looking for comfort. Lo was looking for her sister.
What I loved: the pacing. It picks up and slows down in all the right places. The characters: you never know who is fully vested into the Project and who is faking it and the twists.... LOVE it. The ending: poetic. I also can't help but love the spooky, classic horror cover for the novel.

Was this on par with some of Summer's other novels? Probably not. But did I find it still be a compelling read? I did. Mostly because, although the pacing felt off at times, there was still something about the evolution of the story that I found intriguing as well as the whole concept of cults.. I think that's an important topic for teens to understand and to discuss in order to recognize how organizations like the Unity Project can seem like such a positive force or even slightly mundane in its practice, and the leaders can be overwhelmingly charismatic, but how ultimately these groups can be dangerous and damaging, especially for those who are vulnerable. I think this book has a lot to unpack about grief, family, trust, and so much more making it a compelling and worthwhile read as well.

I've read many of Summers' novels at this point, Sadie being my favorite, but this one might be my least favorite. The plot was intriguing and Summers' writing style was captivating, but the ending fell a bit flat for me. I don't think it was told as spectacularly as it could have been.

This is my first Courtney Summer book and I honestly had high expectations. The story was extremely long, very slow and nothing really blew me out. The premise of a religious cult seemed extremely interesting and enigmatic to me and I thought that a lot of things would happen that would leave me speechless, but that was not the case.
The book has different timelines, one very close to the other. 2012, 2016 I think and 2018, it was very confusing to read that type of format and remember what the hell was happening there and who was narrating that part of the story.
2 stars for me
thank you so much for Wednesday books for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good cult book. It is definitely a trope that will make me want to read a book right away. As far as cult books go, this was a good one. Courtney Summers writes in a way that created a fantastically creepy atmosphere and I found her characters quite interesting. It is lyrical and packed with tidbits of history and emotion, focusing well on the strength of the sisterly bond.

The dual timeline is well crafted and creates a lot of twists and turns that amp up the pressure and make the book incredibly tense in some parts. It gave a more well-rounded approach to the story. Seeing pieces of the story from Bea's point of view was often a punch to the gut, but really added a lot of depth and emotional grip to the story.

Lo was an okay protagonist. For the most part I enjoyed her character and thought she was well done. However, there were moments where she seemed either excessively naive or housed in the "convenient" zone. Some things that happened to her were a bit of a stretch and some of her reactions didn't really make sense for me. Her emotional connection to her sister was well-crafted though, and I was able to connect with her in some ways.

Lev is a particularly crafty character. He is well-built as a cult leader and his tendency toward a dual personality makes him the perfect villain. He is sneaky and slowly manipulative, able to overwhelm the senses of fear and confuse those around him until he coerces them toward his ways. He is vile and yet at the same time totally intriguing.

As touched on earlier, there was some "convenience" in the plot that made things a bit less believable and occasionally there were chunks of the story that were told rather than being shown. This unfortunately included the ending, so I was left a bit disappointed. I needed to have a bit more depth and there were some important questions that were left unanswered. The Project wasn't a perfect read, but it was a fun ride with excellent writing, so I will be picking up more Courtney Summers in the future.


* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

I really loved the premise of this book, but it felt slow and lost my interest. I found Lo to be a dynamic character who was sometimes hard to root for, and felt that the ending was a little anticlimactic (in line with other reviews). I wish there was more action rather than backstory and suspense-building, but I gave it four stars because it was well written and thought out. I haven't read a true suspense/ psychological thriller in a while so maybe I'm out of touch with how much of a slowburn it could be.

I had really high hopes for this book. While I really enjoyed it, it left me hoping for a little more. A little more thriller/horror and a little less exposition. I did really enjoy the idea of two sisters. One caught up in a cult and one trying to save her and gets caught up in the fray. I loved the sister relationship, but wish we'd gotten a little more of that. Overall, what I liked I loved, but there just needed to be a little more of the good stuff.

A few years ago I read Sadie by Courtney Summers and absolutely loved it (sidenote: if you haven’t yet, listen to it as an audiobook, it’s awesome). Naturally, I was super excited to read her latest book, The Project. Unfortunately, this book really fell short for me. I found the plot to be a slog (I kept waiting for the cult to get more exciting but it just never really happened). The ending was also an issue for me - it just fell flat and felt very anticlimactic. Lo was easy to root for - though sometimes she made frustratingly poor decisions. Overall, The Project didn’t live up to my expectations that Sadie set and I really couldn’t get into it the way I expected to. 2/5

Lo Denham's parents died in a car accident, leaving her alone. Her sister Bea joined The Unity Project, a strange community that seemed to completely pull Bea in. Lo has spent the last six years trying to get back in touch with Bea, but apparently once you join The Unity Project, it becomes your whole life. When Lo is given an opportunity that she thinks will reunite her with Bea, she jumps at it. But she soon realizes Bea has no desire to be found. And the more she digs into The Unity Project--and its leader--the more she recognizes how dangerous it is.

"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."

I read this spellbinding book in one day. It's completely addictive as it delves into the bond of sisterhood. I was fascinated by Bea and Lo's story and absolutely had to know what happened to Bea. Summers does an excellent job at weaving a story about cult and religion and the power they wield. THE PROJECT sucks you in, and it's beyond fascinating, filled with unexpected twists and turns.

At its core, this is a story of family and sisters, and while it's a dark story, it's also touching too. Summers writes so well and so deftly, with her characters springing to life before your eyes. Highly recommend.

I’ve always found cults interesting so this was a very intriguing story. The suspense of Lo’s and Bea’s journey with the Unity Project was riveting but the dual perspectives and timelines got confusing at times.

this was honestly kind of odd, but i honestly really liked it and enjoyed the plot. like the characters were honestly so well developed and i really liked the internal battle they went through with this book, especially with the drama with the daughter. but, the relationship between the mc and her sisters baby daddy was honestly so odd and i didn’t really like that part of it

Content Warning: Death, suicide, physical and emotional abuse.

I enjoyed this and the discomfort it brought me. It sounds weird reading that back to myself but I guess that's what Thrillers do, right? Courtney Summers' writing is great and I would definitely read more from this author. Overall my experience reading The Project was unsettling to say the least.

I spent the majority of the book questioning the reality of what I was reading.
Is it a cult? maybe they're just helping people.
But is it a cult? This doesn't seem so bad.
Is it a cult? is this a cult?

I felt like I was being gaslit the whole time and I believe that feeling was intentional. Again, UNSETTLING.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Having a sister, mom says, is a place only the two of them will share, made of secrets they never have to say aloud – but if they did, it would be in a language only the two of them could speak. 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.”

We all know that fantasy is my favorite genre. It is known. BUT my second favorite genre, and one I feel like I neglect far too much, is thrillers. Or mysteries. Or mystery thrillers! I love the darker tone, trying to figure things out as the story unfolds, and all the twists and turns! I’ve also been wanting to read something by Courtney Summers ever since I heard about Sadie, so when this book pop up as a Read Now on Netgalley, I jumped at the chance to snag it!

The Project follows two sisters, Lo and Bea. After a tragic accident that kills their parents and leaves Lo fighting for her life, Bea is begging for a miracle. Then a miracle walks into the hospital room in the form of the charismatic leader of The Unity Project. Bea credits him with bringing her sister back and, to show her thanks, she throws her lot in with this band of do-gooders. But flash forward a number of years and Bea has disappeared into the depths of the Project and Lo, now an adult herself, is determined to save her from what she thinks is a pretty obvious cult. But how can you save someone who refuses to even speak to you on the phone?

This book was everything I love about thrillers! The tone was beautifully dark in a subtle, yet pervasive way. It had me questioning so many things as I was reading and the twists were incredible! I did see where we were going with the story, but I still ended up loving every twist we were given. I love when an author can do that! I think my favorite thing, though, was watching the dynamic between Lo and Bea. They are completely estranged and, yet, you still can get such a strong sense of their relationship and I do love a book with an intriguing sibling dynamic.

I will say, I was a little thrown off by the shifting timelines. Not that they were confusing. No, it was because I would be so invested in what was happening in one timeline and then BAM we were in the other one! Then I’d get invested in that one and BOOM timeline shift! I guess it’s a great thing that both were so compelling, but it was still a bit jarring.

Final thoughts: This was a well-plotted thriller that kept you guessing throughout the story! The tone is perfectly tense and will keep you on the edge of your seat. This is told in two separate timelines and the shifts between them can be a bit jarring, but they are both so intriguing that you’ll be sucked in no matter which timeline you’re reading. If you enjoy your thrillers with a lot of questions, great twists, and a dark feel, I think you’d enjoy The Project!

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.

Such a good book! The plot was pretty interesting as were the characters. It felt like it was still missing something, though, but I'm not sure what. Maybe more twists?

I love a book about a cult in pretty much any context but its not often that I start to find myself sympathizing with the cult which goes to show just how good Courtney Summers is at crafting her characters. Naturally, I was shown the error of my ways soon enough.
It was a little slow but it was also a whole lot creepy and kept me guessing right up to the end. Would definitely recommend!

I love Courtney Summers, ever since I got my grubby little paws on Sadie. The Project is dark and twisty (a cliche, I know) and the story is so good that I despised having to put the book down. Can’t wait for the next from Courtney!

I love the way Courtney Summers writes, and I had super high hopes for this one--unfortunately, I think that's the reason it crashed so hard for me. The prose was absolutely beautiful. The plot and characterization, however, fell flat. I enjoyed Lo's character at the beginning but eventually, she ended up making decisions that felt strange and completely out of character. I wanted to learn so much more about the cult so their actions at the end would feel believable, but it somehow felt simultaneously underdeveloped and slow. I think if I had gone into this with different expectations I would have enjoyed it more, but unfortunately, this book left me wanting so much more.

This book was very dark and I would almost consider counting it as adult rather than YA fiction because the content was heavier than I expected. The journey between the 2 sisters was tense and intriguing. You are not sure whether or not there is a cult or just a group of devout followers. Overall, it was well written and filled with a lot of suspense, twists, and surprises.