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A review by onthesamepage
The Project by Courtney Summers
3.5
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Lo lost everyone after the car accident. Her parents died in the crash, and her older sister Bea left her with their aunt to become a member of the Unity Project. Every time Lo has tried to see her sister, she's been rebuffed by members of the project. Charitable deeds notwithstanding, Lo can't help but think that this behavior resembles that of a cult. When a teenage boy jumps in front of a train and she finds out he was a member too, Lo becomes even more determined to find her sister and get her out. But it's not that easy--they don't let her see Bea, but Lev Warren, leader of the Unity Project, gives her the chance of a lifetime: write the first ever profile on him and the work they do. This is her chance to expose them once and for all.
I think I was expecting something altogether different from this book. What I got was a solid story with excellent writing and interesting, flawed characters. What I didn't get was a plot with twists that blew my mind. The story follows a fairly predictable path that reminds me of a couple of mystery thriller books/movies I've enjoyed in the past, but ultimately doesn't do anything new. Which is a shame because I think the potential was there.
Following two timelines, we get to see events unfold from both Bea's and Lo's perspectives. With Bea we see how she went from someone who didn't really believe in God to a firm follower of Lev and his group. It's morbidly fascinating to see what happens, and then to see a similar pattern with Lo once she starts interviewing Lev and other members for her profile. I do have to say that Lo's journey didn't feel entirely believable to me, and I still couldn't tell you what happened to get her from point A to point B.
Overall a solid YA book but not one that'll stay with me. I will read more by Courtney Summers though because the writing was a definite highlight.
Lo lost everyone after the car accident. Her parents died in the crash, and her older sister Bea left her with their aunt to become a member of the Unity Project. Every time Lo has tried to see her sister, she's been rebuffed by members of the project. Charitable deeds notwithstanding, Lo can't help but think that this behavior resembles that of a cult. When a teenage boy jumps in front of a train and she finds out he was a member too, Lo becomes even more determined to find her sister and get her out. But it's not that easy--they don't let her see Bea, but Lev Warren, leader of the Unity Project, gives her the chance of a lifetime: write the first ever profile on him and the work they do. This is her chance to expose them once and for all.
I think I was expecting something altogether different from this book. What I got was a solid story with excellent writing and interesting, flawed characters. What I didn't get was a plot with twists that blew my mind. The story follows a fairly predictable path that reminds me of a couple of mystery thriller books/movies I've enjoyed in the past, but ultimately doesn't do anything new. Which is a shame because I think the potential was there.
Following two timelines, we get to see events unfold from both Bea's and Lo's perspectives. With Bea we see how she went from someone who didn't really believe in God to a firm follower of Lev and his group. It's morbidly fascinating to see what happens, and then to see a similar pattern with Lo once she starts interviewing Lev and other members for her profile. I do have to say that Lo's journey didn't feel entirely believable to me, and I still couldn't tell you what happened to get her from point A to point B.
Overall a solid YA book but not one that'll stay with me. I will read more by Courtney Summers though because the writing was a definite highlight.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse