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A review by katyisreading
The Project by Courtney Summers
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my review
The Project is a YA cult novel. The story is narrated by two sisters, Bea and Lo, in dual timelines. The girls are six years apart in age, and when Lo is 13 and Bea is 19, their parents are killed in a car accident that leaves Lo in the hospital with a large scar on her face. Despite Lo's condition, Bea leaves her to join the Unity Project, a collective that runs homeless shelters in NYC and around the country and is led by a man who claims to have a direct connection to God.
Fast forward six years and Bea is 19 and working for an investigative journalist. When the journalist's friend claims that The Unity Project murdered his son, Bea is determined to prove the leader Lev is evil and that the Project is a cult.
I don't know if "enjoyed" is the right word for this book, but it was definitely suspenseful and kept me intrigued throughout. The story is tragic and engaging and I appreciated the tie to the current political situation. I thought the way the sisters' stories were told in dual timelines was executed really well; Summers did a fantastic job of letting information come to the reader slowly and showcasing the moments' in the sisters' lives that mirrored one another. I think if you enjoy cult novels, you'll enjoy this one, although I did have some issues with it - see spoiler section below!
The Project is a YA cult novel. The story is narrated by two sisters, Bea and Lo, in dual timelines. The girls are six years apart in age, and when Lo is 13 and Bea is 19, their parents are killed in a car accident that leaves Lo in the hospital with a large scar on her face. Despite Lo's condition, Bea leaves her to join the Unity Project, a collective that runs homeless shelters in NYC and around the country and is led by a man who claims to have a direct connection to God.
Fast forward six years and Bea is 19 and working for an investigative journalist. When the journalist's friend claims that The Unity Project murdered his son, Bea is determined to prove the leader Lev is evil and that the Project is a cult.
I don't know if "enjoyed" is the right word for this book, but it was definitely suspenseful and kept me intrigued throughout. The story is tragic and engaging and I appreciated the tie to the current political situation. I thought the way the sisters' stories were told in dual timelines was executed really well; Summers did a fantastic job of letting information come to the reader slowly and showcasing the moments' in the sisters' lives that mirrored one another. I think if you enjoy cult novels, you'll enjoy this one, although I did have some issues with it - see spoiler section below!
- Lev somehow seduces two nineteen-year-old women. I got the sense he was in his 20s, maybe 30s? If this is YA, I think there should have been more of a conversation around how him doing that is not okay, despite the fact that the women were technically adult age at the time.
- I was intrigued by the mirror between Lev and Paul, the journalist Lo works for. I thought it could just be a coincidence, but when Lo catches Paul having sex with Lauren right after we learn Lev had sex with Bea, I think it's clear the mirror was intentional. But then why didn't it go anywhere? Was the takeaway supposed to be "not all super magnetic, talented men are assholes who use and abuse women"?
- The least realistic thing about this story to me was Lo not being fired. I'm sorry, assistants can't act that way at work! They can't be brats and expect to get promoted! And promotions don't usually just magically happen after a year!
End rant :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Death of parent