Reviews tagging 'Torture'

The Project by Courtney Summers

71 reviews

bri_lliantlybookishef669's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Torture, Car accident, and Abandonment

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, and Violence

Minor: Pregnancy

lilythebibliophile's review against another edition

dark 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Car accident and Death of parent

Minor: Sexual assault

house_of_hannah's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-paced

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

1.5

This book ended up being nothing like I expected. I find cults fascinating, and I enjoyed Sadie, so I thought this book would be right up my alley. Instead it was simply boring. 

A majority of the book is conversations between several people. One of them is constantly preaching, which just ended up being annoying after awhile. The multiple timeline ended up not giving as much insight as I hoped either, so it just never really felt like anything was happening. Lo, the sister trying to find the one who joined the cult, goes to the Unity Project, yells at someone, goes to work, and repeat. That's it, that's the book. 

I thought there would be some surprise, or intrigue, but it just ended up being a stereotypical cult story. The climax of the story even happens off screen, and since the MC doesn't even know what happened we never get any answers. Unfortunately for me there weren't any likable characters to make up for the plot either, so this one is a disappointment in the end.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Death of parent

Moderate: Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Murder and Pregnancy

sunsetcity's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, and Pregnancy

izzy_reads's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Torture and Car accident

melaniereadsbooks's review

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.

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Content Warnings

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

bookish_owl's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture, and Blood

Moderate: Confinement, Grief, Car accident, and Murder

Minor: Death of parent

princessgonchar's review against another edition

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.

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Content Warnings

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

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

grumpyk1tt3n's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-paced

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

5.0

SADIE gripped me and wrecked me and Summers’s latest followed in the same vein. I’m a sucker for a good cult story and I love how well Summers can put together a believable and yet, unresolved, ending. She’s officially an auto buy author for me. I can’t remember the last time I devoured a book like this. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #netgalley

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

thereadingrambler's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

This was a super intense read, especially if you, like me, come from a religious background. Some elements of the plot were definitely not as well set up as other parts, but Lev's character and how he slowly took ahold of everyone's lives were so well depicted and believable.  If you are a fan of cult-based thrillers, I would definitely read this one.

Although it is classed as YA, I don't think it is really a YA book. The main character is an adult (she's 19) and there are definitely more adult themes addressed in this book than I find in most YA.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, and Murder