Scan barcode
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
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.
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
mydearwatsonbooks's review
4.0
TW: suicide, abuse, cults
Lo Denham works for a fledgling newspaper. When she sees a man commit suicide after quoting a Bible verse, her decision to reach out to the cult he was a part of—the same one her sister is in—changes her life.
This book is what you might call “slow burning”, which is normally not my style, but it works here. Summers alternates between two voices, Lo and her sister, Bea. Each voice is in a different timeline: Bea’s is in the past, and Lo’s is more or less in the present (the novel ends in 2018).
After Lo is in a car accident that kills her parents, Bea ends up at The Unity Project, a cult run by Lev Warren. Lo sets out to discover if the rumors she has heard about The Unity Project are true or not. I do wish that some of the characters involved in the cult had been a little more skeptical before joining, but the need for something to believe in is certainly relatable. I also appreciate that the author recognizes how hard it is to condemn something when that thing has also gone so much good in the world.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s, and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Lo Denham works for a fledgling newspaper. When she sees a man commit suicide after quoting a Bible verse, her decision to reach out to the cult he was a part of—the same one her sister is in—changes her life.
This book is what you might call “slow burning”, which is normally not my style, but it works here. Summers alternates between two voices, Lo and her sister, Bea. Each voice is in a different timeline: Bea’s is in the past, and Lo’s is more or less in the present (the novel ends in 2018).
After Lo is in a car accident that kills her parents, Bea ends up at The Unity Project, a cult run by Lev Warren. Lo sets out to discover if the rumors she has heard about The Unity Project are true or not. I do wish that some of the characters involved in the cult had been a little more skeptical before joining, but the need for something to believe in is certainly relatable. I also appreciate that the author recognizes how hard it is to condemn something when that thing has also gone so much good in the world.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s, and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Suicide
magsapt's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
2.0
I was the first person that wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, it let me down.
Summers' wonderful words still seduced me and kept me gripped to the story. Her prose is simple, yet she manages to involve you in her narrative. Her books are very plot-driven, and she only writes descriptively when necessary which makes her books fast to read, even though the usual themes are dark and heavy. I think that's Courtney Summers' true power: her ability to write about tough subjects without making the book too dense. She writes what she must - there are no unnecessary scenes or long detailed pointless moments. Summers' gives you enough freedom to imagine things on your own, leaving you clues to solve the mystery, every gap intentional.
However, on this particular occasion, she made the plot too predictable. Nothing was surprising or unexpected. In the beginning, I saw the whole story unfold and unfortunately, all my hunches came true. Adding this to the fact that there was barely any character development equals a two star read for me.
Lou started as this fierce character who was willing to do everything to find her sister and then becomes her sister. One might've thought that one woman's actions were another's lesson, but I was wrong. I kept being naive and thinking Lou has something up her sleeve, but it turns out she was just an ignorant brat who always makes the worst decisions available. Her lack of progress and improvement baffled me, and the only two things that kept me going were: a) Courtney Summer's marvellous writing; and b) my hope that the author would redeem herself. Thing b) didn't happen, so here I am, hea
Summers' wonderful words still seduced me and kept me gripped to the story. Her prose is simple, yet she manages to involve you in her narrative. Her books are very plot-driven, and she only writes descriptively when necessary which makes her books fast to read, even though the usual themes are dark and heavy. I think that's Courtney Summers' true power: her ability to write about tough subjects without making the book too dense. She writes what she must - there are no unnecessary scenes or long detailed pointless moments. Summers' gives you enough freedom to imagine things on your own, leaving you clues to solve the mystery, every gap intentional.
However, on this particular occasion, she made the plot too predictable. Nothing was surprising or unexpected. In the beginning, I saw the whole story unfold and unfortunately, all my hunches came true. Adding this to the fact that there was barely any character development equals a two star read for me.
Lou started as this fierce character who was willing to do everything to find her sister and then becomes her sister. One might've thought that one woman's actions were another's lesson, but I was wrong. I kept being naive and thinking Lou has something up her sleeve, but it turns out she was just an ignorant brat who always makes the worst decisions available. Her lack of progress and improvement baffled me, and the only two things that kept me going were: a) Courtney Summer's marvellous writing; and b) my hope that the author would redeem herself. Thing b) didn't happen, so here I am, hea
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Murder and Infidelity
Psychological abuse; cultdanielghurst'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!
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
More...