My Thoughts on: The Project by Courtney Summers

 

The Project by Courtney Summers

Publication Date: February 2, 2021 by Wednesday Books

Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller 

Source: eARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Cults creep me out. Reading about cults creeps me out. Creepy cult leaders creep me out. This story creeped me out. Read on for all my thoughts about this latest YA thriller from Courtney Summers.

Lo Denham is used to being on her own. After her parents died, Lo’s sister, Bea, joined The Unity Project, leaving Lo in the care of their great aunt. Thanks to its extensive charitable work and community outreach, The Unity Project has won the hearts and minds of most in the Upstate New York region, but Lo knows there’s more to the group than meets the eye. She’s spent the last six years of her life trying—and failing—to prove it.

When a man shows up at the magazine Lo works for claiming The Unity Project killed his son, Lo sees the perfect opportunity to expose the group and reunite with Bea once and for all. When her investigation puts her in the direct path of its leader, Lev Warren and as Lo delves deeper into The Project, the lives of its members it upends everything she thought she knew about her sister, herself, cults, and the world around her—to the point she can no longer tell what’s real or true. Lo never thought she could afford to believe in Lev Warren . . . but now she doesn’t know if she can afford not to.

Let me first say that reading about cults just makes me feel disgusted. It gives me the icky feels. Major icky feels. Cult leaders are just…. ugh….icky…..and reading about a cult creeps me the f* out.

Now that i got that out of the way, let me talk about my feelings on this story. This is the 2nd book that I’ve read by the fabulous Courtney Summers. I first read Sadie, which was a well done mystery/thriller that I highly recommend.  The Project felt grittier and darker, probably because it involves cults (which I already stated creep me the f* out). The Koresh/Jones/*insert cult leader here* guys that lure people in with their bull crap just really makes me angry, and reading about this story’s cult leader luring the main character’s sister into his creepy cult really angered me. I just pictured this sleazy looking dude throughout the story, intent on luring in his next naive victim. Yuck.

I am a big fan of Summers’ writing and this was a quick and immersive read. This was a powerful story, especially the bond between the sisters, and the lengths that one sister will go to in order to try to save her sister. I loved the dual perspectives of Lo in the present day, and her sister Bea in the past. 

This was definitely a difficult read because it really shows how a person can become lured into a cult. It shows how one crazy insecure man can create a following that will worship him no matter the cost. It was eye opening and disturbing. 

Overall, while I didn’t enjoy this book as much as Sadie, I still really liked it and I would recommend reading it. If you watched and enjoyed any of the documentaries involving cults, such as the NXIVM cult, you will most likely be intrigued with this story. Summers is one of my favorite authors and I look forward to reading her next book!