Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - El Proyecto

The actual rating is 4.5 for now.

So this story follows the alternating perspectives of two sisters who are estranged. Bea the older of the two checked out at some point and joined a group called The Unity Project where she felt like she found her purpose. Her little sister Lo, holds nothing but resentment for The Unity project and wants to see it exposed for taking her sister away from her. As a journalist, she dives deep into The Unity Project so she can expose it for what it truly is...a cult.

Probably not the best description but I don't want to spoil too much about this book.

But to put it simply Summer's writing, per usual, grabbed me the second I began reading this book and didn't let me go until I hit the end pages. I felt such massive frustration throughout this as a Christian because I absolutely HATE seeing God's existence used in such a manner. So I just felt so utterly frustrated and aggravated throughout the entire book-BUT that was the point. You were supposed to be aggravated as the reader seeing all these mistakes and choices be made by both sisters.

Also being a weird fanatic for cults. Having listened to countless podcasts that delve into cults as well as watching a bunch of documentaries this is a massive interest area of mine so to have this book show up being right up my alley. I knew I needed it and I enjoyed every awful moment of it.

This book is not easy to read or process at times. And what is more worrisome is that some parts

of the cult sounded so nice. But then being slapped by the reality of it with Bea's perspective while simultaneously seeing the appeal through Lo's eyes-it really messes with you while you're reading it. I mean Lev, for example, he comes across as so charming at moments with Lo but you also know he groomed Bea, kept her from her daughter, and is the reason Bea is missing. You KNOW he's abusive, controlling, and just so beyond fucked.

To read some of his dialogue and have it seem so level-headed...was so frustrating. As the reader you know it's fake and it's a trap but Lo doesn't. It just-the emotions I felt while reading this was so visceral. It's like being Arthur throughout this story or Lo at the beginning and wanting to desperately keep your loved one safe from this bullshit but them not seeing the truth of it. And then watching them fall into it and let it brainwash and consume them.

The horror of it.

I know some people were let down by thinking this story would follow a cult that was more...upfront with their messed-up practices. But to me, this showcased the more dangerous cults that go under the radar because they can also easily just come across as do-gooders who are religious.

I really appreciate what this book but damn was so much of it messed up and so many parts of it aggravating at the same time.

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booksinthefreezersteph's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

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

3.5

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crackedspines_'s review against another edition

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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

OVERALL: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s everything I was hoping it would be. Courtney Summers has a unique way of writing where she gives you a bunch of details and you think you understand it all, but then suddenly towards the end everything clicks together in a completely new way.
PLOT: There were so many twists and turns in this book. Every time I thought I was at the height of the action the pace would pick up more. And it all climaxed in this horrifying, breathtaking moment when everything fell into its place.
STRUCTURE: The non-linear timeline was really effective for this book. The way different details were revealed from the different POVs was really interesting! Summers basically had two timelines going at once and yet it never got confusing.
THEME: Obviously this book explores a lot of themes about cults, but it also explores family and authenticity and truth and legacy and trauma and identity...Summers wove it all together beautifully.
CHARACTERS: This book contains my most hated character and yet he is also a really good character. Lev is one of those characters who you absolutely despise as a person but are intrigued by as a character. And I really liked the character development present in Bea and Lo. Both girls are complex and layered and not “likable”/palatable and I love them so much.

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livmm's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.75

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lairofbooks's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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mdemanatee's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Wow, another emotional devastation thanks to Courtney Summers. Summers continues her exploration of the bond between sisters and lends her signature tone to cult angle. I wasn't always 100% on board in terms of the pacing of the structure, or maybe how the cult itself was developed in terms of how we as readers experienced it (because all the pieces were definitely there). But there's a lot to unpack here. More thoughts to come as I am processing and also want to avoid all spoilers.

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cajun_reader's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.5

The Project by Courtney Summers is an interesting book that explores how a cult can destroy families. The main characters' lives are greatly impacted by the influence of a charismatic leader. The book reveals how appealing membership in one of these organizations can be to individuals seeking love and acceptance, but that acceptance comes with a cost.

The main characters in this book are sisters. One sister, Lo, is in a life-threatening accident as a child. Her older sister, Bea, struggles to deal with Lo's accident and its aftermath. She turns to Lev Warren, leader of The Unity Project, to find healing and purpose. By joining the Project, she severs her ties with her sister. Lo does not understand why her sister has left her life and blames the Project for taking Bea from her. Therefore, Lo sets out as a young woman to learn and reveal the truth behind the Project. To do this, she must get close to its leader, which is a risky endeavor.

The premise of this book is interesting and engaging. The delivery is a bit chaotic, though. The story is told in two different timelines from the perspectives of Lo and Bea. It is often not clear at first which sister's storyline is being told at a given moment in the book. Some aspects of the story do not get explained well, either. Overall, I just found myself often confused.

This is one of those books that I find it hard to really like any of the characters. That's not necessarily a problem in the writing. Not all characters are meant to be likable. It just lowers a book's appeal to me in the sense that I will not likely want to pick it up again. I will admit, however, that the cult leader character is very interesting to read and well portrayed. I wish I had enjoyed the two main characters more.

I would recommend this book to fans of fiction that is focused on cults. It portrays that lifestyle and its members in a very engaging and fascinating manner.

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phoebereads's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

This book absolutely floored me. I inhaled it in a single day. It's a brilliant and haunting book that cuts right into the power and pain that cults are centered around. Courtney Summers has the ability to write incredibly compelling characters and the girls who her stories are centered around are given the chance to be messy and hurt, but yet still find their inner power and strength. The girls of The Project are no different, and Lo and Bea's story is deeply compelling and traumatic and real. Where the book really shines is in how it pulls both the reader and Lo into this world of the Unity Project until we too begin to buy into them, or at least until we begin to truly understand why anyone would join such a group, including Bea. The horror and the abuse that underlie cults, like in real life, is saved for later until you've already been drawn in too far. The characters of the Unity Project too are all deeply complicated and again, a masterful portrayal of all the different people involved in allowing cults to continue and succeed. This is ultimately a book about pain and grief and the things we do to try to heal and feel whole, even when the paths that puts us on are deadly.
I really loved this book and I can't recommend it enough. Bravo to Courtney Summers.

**Thank you to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

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