Scan barcode
missy_reading's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“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.”
The Project by Courtney Summer was published in Feb of 2021 by Wednesday books. Trigger warnings for suicide, cults, physical deformities, physical abuse, and parent death.
Never in my life have I read relationships about sisters that have felt more really than reading Courtney Summers books. I went into this book not knowing more than this was a book about sisters where one sister is a member of a cult and the other sister is trying to figure out how to get her out of it.
I felt like all of the main characters in this book were crafted so well and The Unity Project itself felt so real. I felt like Bea and Lo’s relationship was laid out so well to show how much they mean to each other from page one. When we start seeing the parts of Bea’s story where Lev starts showing up it is so obvious to the reader in my opinion how much of a manipulator this person is.
I felt like the way that the “cult” was handled was very true to what you read about some of the more well know cults in recent years. The charismatic man who is receiving visions from God and who wants to pull their followers away from the world. This part of the story just really pulled me in and had me speaking out to the characters that I didn’t think Lev was all he seemed.
Lo as a character took such a big turn through out the whole story that was so refreshing to see. I thought that the way her feelings and thoughts about the unity project changed as she was researching them made complete sense to the story.
I think if you like stories like The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni I think you will enjoy this book as well.
I gave this book 5 stars and will be reading more by this author very soon.
The Project by Courtney Summer was published in Feb of 2021 by Wednesday books. Trigger warnings for suicide, cults, physical deformities, physical abuse, and parent death.
Never in my life have I read relationships about sisters that have felt more really than reading Courtney Summers books. I went into this book not knowing more than this was a book about sisters where one sister is a member of a cult and the other sister is trying to figure out how to get her out of it.
I felt like all of the main characters in this book were crafted so well and The Unity Project itself felt so real. I felt like Bea and Lo’s relationship was laid out so well to show how much they mean to each other from page one. When we start seeing the parts of Bea’s story where Lev starts showing up it is so obvious to the reader in my opinion how much of a manipulator this person is.
I felt like the way that the “cult” was handled was very true to what you read about some of the more well know cults in recent years. The charismatic man who is receiving visions from God and who wants to pull their followers away from the world. This part of the story just really pulled me in and had me speaking out to the characters that I didn’t think Lev was all he seemed.
Lo as a character took such a big turn through out the whole story that was so refreshing to see. I thought that the way her feelings and thoughts about the unity project changed as she was researching them made complete sense to the story.
I think if you like stories like The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni I think you will enjoy this book as well.
I gave this book 5 stars and will be reading more by this author very soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse
Moderate: Suicide and Suicide attempt
Minor: Death of parent and Death
cults, physical deformities, physical abuse, and parent death.lisacanteven's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is my first Courtney Summers book. I know a lot of people read Sadie before and this book did not measure up. For me, I do not have that book to compare to. I still was left wanting so much more from this book that she gave us. I felt as if so much happened off the pages that we were hardly given enough of the story for it to make its impact. I've never read a book that left so much unsaid before, and let me say that I did not like that at all.
The cult vibes were great though, so I rated it higher than I would have normally I think. I wanted a cult book, and I got one. It was pretty predictable the whole time, even without as much context as we deserved as readers. I didn't love it, but I didn't dislike it as much as I was expecting based on other reviews. I'm not sure I would read another book by this author though.
The cult vibes were great though, so I rated it higher than I would have normally I think. I wanted a cult book, and I got one. It was pretty predictable the whole time, even without as much context as we deserved as readers. I didn't love it, but I didn't dislike it as much as I was expecting based on other reviews. I'm not sure I would read another book by this author though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Torture, and Toxic relationship
mmikadze's review against another edition
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Torture
Moderate: Child abuse
kbergsten's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Violence
gbyd's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Torture, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Car accident, Cursing, Kidnapping, and Panic attacks/disorders
melinthestacks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, and Physical abuse
Minor: Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Torture
massiahchantel's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was a really good read. However, the story didn't really grab me until the last 200-100 pages though. I felt for the characters and all but I did put the book down several times while reading. I'm not usually one to re-read but I might re-read this in the future just to see if I can get a better handle on the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Child abuse, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Physical abuse
amandamreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
elwirax's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
This was really dissapointing, granted it may be because I set my expectations too high after "Sadie". I think the marketing for this book was poor I was expecting a dark thriller but it was simply not atmospheric enough.
The bond between Lo and Bea was insubstantial not to mention Lo's sudden and inexcusable actions. In the end i didn't really care for either of them.
The last 15% was interesting but felt rushed and wasn't enough to make up for the rest.
The bond between Lo and Bea was insubstantial not to mention Lo's sudden and inexcusable actions. In the end i didn't really care for either of them.
The last 15% was interesting but felt rushed and wasn't enough to make up for the rest.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Torture
Moderate: Death and Suicide
onthesamepage's review
3.5
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Lo lost everyone after the car accident. Her parents died in the crash, and her older sister Bea left her with their aunt to become a member of the Unity Project. Every time Lo has tried to see her sister, she's been rebuffed by members of the project. Charitable deeds notwithstanding, Lo can't help but think that this behavior resembles that of a cult. When a teenage boy jumps in front of a train and she finds out he was a member too, Lo becomes even more determined to find her sister and get her out. But it's not that easy--they don't let her see Bea, but Lev Warren, leader of the Unity Project, gives her the chance of a lifetime: write the first ever profile on him and the work they do. This is her chance to expose them once and for all.
I think I was expecting something altogether different from this book. What I got was a solid story with excellent writing and interesting, flawed characters. What I didn't get was a plot with twists that blew my mind. The story follows a fairly predictable path that reminds me of a couple of mystery thriller books/movies I've enjoyed in the past, but ultimately doesn't do anything new. Which is a shame because I think the potential was there.
Following two timelines, we get to see events unfold from both Bea's and Lo's perspectives. With Bea we see how she went from someone who didn't really believe in God to a firm follower of Lev and his group. It's morbidly fascinating to see what happens, and then to see a similar pattern with Lo once she starts interviewing Lev and other members for her profile. I do have to say that Lo's journey didn't feel entirely believable to me, and I still couldn't tell you what happened to get her from point A to point B.
Overall a solid YA book but not one that'll stay with me. I will read more by Courtney Summers though because the writing was a definite highlight.
Lo lost everyone after the car accident. Her parents died in the crash, and her older sister Bea left her with their aunt to become a member of the Unity Project. Every time Lo has tried to see her sister, she's been rebuffed by members of the project. Charitable deeds notwithstanding, Lo can't help but think that this behavior resembles that of a cult. When a teenage boy jumps in front of a train and she finds out he was a member too, Lo becomes even more determined to find her sister and get her out. But it's not that easy--they don't let her see Bea, but Lev Warren, leader of the Unity Project, gives her the chance of a lifetime: write the first ever profile on him and the work they do. This is her chance to expose them once and for all.
I think I was expecting something altogether different from this book. What I got was a solid story with excellent writing and interesting, flawed characters. What I didn't get was a plot with twists that blew my mind. The story follows a fairly predictable path that reminds me of a couple of mystery thriller books/movies I've enjoyed in the past, but ultimately doesn't do anything new. Which is a shame because I think the potential was there.
Following two timelines, we get to see events unfold from both Bea's and Lo's perspectives. With Bea we see how she went from someone who didn't really believe in God to a firm follower of Lev and his group. It's morbidly fascinating to see what happens, and then to see a similar pattern with Lo once she starts interviewing Lev and other members for her profile. I do have to say that Lo's journey didn't feel entirely believable to me, and I still couldn't tell you what happened to get her from point A to point B.
Overall a solid YA book but not one that'll stay with me. I will read more by Courtney Summers though because the writing was a definite highlight.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse