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A review by coolbeans
The Project by Courtney Summers
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Having heard rave reviews about previous titles in this author's backlog, I thought it would be a great opportunity to pick this one up. I also don't have an extensive reading history of cult-related books in my repertoire and figured this would be a good introduction as a young adult thriller. Don't let the young adult label fool you, this is a solid suspense story regardless of age.
It follows Lo Denham as she tries to find out what has happened to her older sister, Bea, after she joins the Unity Project, an organization that is increasingly being labeled as a cult in the region. Being informed in flashbacks of the trauma that the sisters endured as children to get the to the present point, Lo journeys into the gravitational pull of the Unity Project and it's highest ranking members for information on her sister and a breaking news story that would expose the dark side of this seemingly gentle and benevolent organization.
The author quickly gains your empathy with the two sisters in their trauma and choices that result from it. Neither are picture perfect in their decisions, but you can clearly see the reasoning behind the way they wade through the muddled events in their lives. In saying that, specifically, you see how the leader of the Unity Project, Lev Warren, can enrapture his followers into his tangled web in the "how, who, and when" of he shows up in their lives. And it's not flamboyant or in-your-face with this part of the story. Summers has a wonderful way of surreptitiously weaving the inner monologue of certain character's perspectives to shift their ideals until you hit a sudden realization of "Wait a second, this doesn't sound like you from four chapters ago." This deception taking root in the reader's mind is in essence the experience the characters in the novel go through as the plot wisps forward quietly and eerily.
Ultimately, the plot, atmosphere, and writing style of this story gives the reader the same isolation, redirection, and unsettling narrative that any follower of Lev Warren of the Unity Project would receive. You definitely feel the characters and atmosphere of this story hazily unfurl out onto you like a foggy mist. It made the book for me. Great first read by this author and has convinced me to pick up her backlog. If you like YA thrillers, cult-related titles, or just a good old psychological minefield, give this one a try!
It follows Lo Denham as she tries to find out what has happened to her older sister, Bea, after she joins the Unity Project, an organization that is increasingly being labeled as a cult in the region. Being informed in flashbacks of the trauma that the sisters endured as children to get the to the present point, Lo journeys into the gravitational pull of the Unity Project and it's highest ranking members for information on her sister and a breaking news story that would expose the dark side of this seemingly gentle and benevolent organization.
The author quickly gains your empathy with the two sisters in their trauma and choices that result from it. Neither are picture perfect in their decisions, but you can clearly see the reasoning behind the way they wade through the muddled events in their lives. In saying that, specifically, you see how the leader of the Unity Project, Lev Warren, can enrapture his followers into his tangled web in the "how, who, and when" of he shows up in their lives. And it's not flamboyant or in-your-face with this part of the story. Summers has a wonderful way of surreptitiously weaving the inner monologue of certain character's perspectives to shift their ideals until you hit a sudden realization of "Wait a second, this doesn't sound like you from four chapters ago." This deception taking root in the reader's mind is in essence the experience the characters in the novel go through as the plot wisps forward quietly and eerily.
Ultimately, the plot, atmosphere, and writing style of this story gives the reader the same isolation, redirection, and unsettling narrative that any follower of Lev Warren of the Unity Project would receive. You definitely feel the characters and atmosphere of this story hazily unfurl out onto you like a foggy mist. It made the book for me. Great first read by this author and has convinced me to pick up her backlog. If you like YA thrillers, cult-related titles, or just a good old psychological minefield, give this one a try!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Car accident, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Suicide, and Toxic relationship