Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

The Project by Courtney Summers

8 reviews

directorpurry's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Kidnapping, Torture, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Medical trauma, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death of parent

dustghosts's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Death of parent, Stalking, and Sexism

brookey8888's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

This wasn’t what I was expecting. It was enjoyable but not as dark or thrilling as I thought it was going to be. I didn’t really like how it was told because I felt like you couldn’t connect to the characters and their storylines as much. Also until the end we didn’t get to really see how bad the cult was. Also a certain part in this just doesn’t make sense it’s a spoiler so don’t read this but I don’t understand why she would just join it after fighting them for so long. Overall it was enjoyable but nothing amazing like Sadie was.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Stalking, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence

morganperks's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Torture, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Suicide, Grief, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Violence, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Body horror, Religious bigotry, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Blood, Stalking, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Infidelity, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, and Rape

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

melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

4.5

Told from dual-POVs and dual-timelines, this story explores what happened to two sisters after one was in a tragic accident that killed her parents, and the other joined the mysterious religious group, the Unity Project.

This was a very high-intensity thriller.  This deals with some really tricky subjects, and does a good job expressing the feelings of loss, grief, and loneliness that are preyed upon by Lev and his cult. Though I can't really say I liked the characters, I did enjoy reading about them, and I was on the metaphorical edge of my seat while racing through this book! I really enjoyed the way this ended, as well.   I'm definitely scoping out this author's other books to read.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Stalking, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Pregnancy

princessgonchar's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

There's a point at the end of the novel where Lo says

"I was barely there" in response to the cult to which I respond "yeah! you were BARELY there!"

I'm frustrated by this book because there were so many ways that this book could have gone, and this was the least exciting version of the book. Some examples:

- The story told entirely from Bea's perspective/someone else from within the cult
- Lo trusting the cult at least a little in the beginning
- Lo never trusting the cult at all
- Some of Lo's "enemies"

specifically Paul and Lauren

having more to do with the whole story (wouldn't that have been so cool???)

Etc. etc. I just feel like the story was very bland,

Lo fell for the cult out of practically nowhere

, and none of the things that I think we're supposed to be surprising were actually surprising. It just could have done so much more and been so much more surprising.

It's not terrible; I'm just disappointed.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Car accident, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Death of parent, Miscarriage, Murder, Kidnapping, Stalking, Torture, and Violence

danielghurst's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Project by Courtney Summers tells the story of Lo Denham, an aspiring journalist who wants to expose the cult that took her sister. To do so, she'll have to get close to the very people she's trying to destroy and question everything she believes.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. Summers' writing is vibrant and gritty, the story is intriguing, and the characters are complicated. I could appreciate Lo's cynicism and bluntness that she uses to mask her trauma and pain. If you enjoy stories about cults, questioning faith/religion, or sisters, you might just love this book!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Blood, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Death, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content