alexblackreads's review against another edition
5.0
Have you ever felt like an author writes their books with you specifically in mind?
I've come to the conclusion that Courtney Summers is one of my favorite authors. Like, at this point she just has to be. I've read three books by her (Sadie and All the Rage were the other two) and I've given them each 5 stars. That pretty much never happens with me, even with authors I love. This is my first 5 star book since 2019 and I am in love.
For me, it's not so much the story that draws me in. Which is not to say anything negative about it. It's told in dual perspectives and dual timelines as two sisters get involved in a cult in different ways, and it deals with the unraveling of their lives a bit. It's a fine story, but I don't think I would have loved it had it been written by anyone else.
Summers's writing style is gorgeous. Nothing I can put my finger on exactly, but her storytelling draws me in completely. I spend the first twenty pages of each of her books worrying that I won't love it as much as the others, and then the next three hundred pages forgetting to breathe because I am utterly absorbed in the story. What I want more than anything when I'm reading is to be so involved in the book that I forget reality exists, and Summers delivers that every time.
I'm terrible at reviewing books I adored beyond reason. I can't sit here and critique the minutiae because to be perfectly honest, I don't remember it. I enjoyed the experience so much that any tiny flaws that may have existed were totally erased in my mind. And everything good is mostly just, wow amazing yeah loved it.
So here's a potentially unhelpful (and incomplete) list of what I loved:
-the fact that the two sisters are almost never have screen time together throughout the whole book, but their relationship is so visceral
-how present the entire book feels (okay yes it's in present tense, but I usually prefer past and Summers is basically one of the only people I love in present tense)
-the circular nature of the story/events
-the minor cast of characters all felt like real people, even though some of them barely had any screen time
-the ending
-Lo's personality. She's bitter and she's allowed to be bitter without being cast as a wholly negative person
-the constant question of what makes a cult, and who these people really are from the perspectives both of insiders and those already biased against
-how characters are allowed to fall and rise again, without needing redemption arcs because they're just people making mistakes
-everything, just everything I think I may have cried not because it was sad but because it was so good
What I didn't love:
-???????
No, I'm kidding. There were a few moments and events at the end that I felt needed more development. Not that I didn't feel like they fit the story, but some of them seemed to happen so quickly and be such an abrupt turn for those involved. I think a little more time could have been spent to ease the flow between point A and point B.
I loved it, though. I managed my one somewhat negative thought, but eventually I will buy this book and add it to my Courtney Summers collection that grows ever larger on my shelf. I don't think I would recommend this as your first of her novels, though. I think All the Rage and Sadie were both just a touch stronger, ever so slightly. But considering I'm comparing three of my nine 5 star reads from the past five years, I'd take that with a grain of salt.
I recommend this book. I recommend Courtney Summers. If you haven't read her yet, just do it. Can't promise she's for everyone, but she's definitely for me.
I've come to the conclusion that Courtney Summers is one of my favorite authors. Like, at this point she just has to be. I've read three books by her (Sadie and All the Rage were the other two) and I've given them each 5 stars. That pretty much never happens with me, even with authors I love. This is my first 5 star book since 2019 and I am in love.
For me, it's not so much the story that draws me in. Which is not to say anything negative about it. It's told in dual perspectives and dual timelines as two sisters get involved in a cult in different ways, and it deals with the unraveling of their lives a bit. It's a fine story, but I don't think I would have loved it had it been written by anyone else.
Summers's writing style is gorgeous. Nothing I can put my finger on exactly, but her storytelling draws me in completely. I spend the first twenty pages of each of her books worrying that I won't love it as much as the others, and then the next three hundred pages forgetting to breathe because I am utterly absorbed in the story. What I want more than anything when I'm reading is to be so involved in the book that I forget reality exists, and Summers delivers that every time.
I'm terrible at reviewing books I adored beyond reason. I can't sit here and critique the minutiae because to be perfectly honest, I don't remember it. I enjoyed the experience so much that any tiny flaws that may have existed were totally erased in my mind. And everything good is mostly just, wow amazing yeah loved it.
So here's a potentially unhelpful (and incomplete) list of what I loved:
-the fact that the two sisters are almost never have screen time together throughout the whole book, but their relationship is so visceral
-how present the entire book feels (okay yes it's in present tense, but I usually prefer past and Summers is basically one of the only people I love in present tense)
-the circular nature of the story/events
-the minor cast of characters all felt like real people, even though some of them barely had any screen time
-the ending
-Lo's personality. She's bitter and she's allowed to be bitter without being cast as a wholly negative person
-the constant question of what makes a cult, and who these people really are from the perspectives both of insiders and those already biased against
-how characters are allowed to fall and rise again, without needing redemption arcs because they're just people making mistakes
-everything, just everything I think I may have cried not because it was sad but because it was so good
What I didn't love:
-???????
No, I'm kidding. There were a few moments and events at the end that I felt needed more development. Not that I didn't feel like they fit the story, but some of them seemed to happen so quickly and be such an abrupt turn for those involved. I think a little more time could have been spent to ease the flow between point A and point B.
I loved it, though. I managed my one somewhat negative thought, but eventually I will buy this book and add it to my Courtney Summers collection that grows ever larger on my shelf. I don't think I would recommend this as your first of her novels, though. I think All the Rage and Sadie were both just a touch stronger, ever so slightly. But considering I'm comparing three of my nine 5 star reads from the past five years, I'd take that with a grain of salt.
I recommend this book. I recommend Courtney Summers. If you haven't read her yet, just do it. Can't promise she's for everyone, but she's definitely for me.
theninthbow's review against another edition
5.0
I’m not quite sure why this doesn’t have higher ratings (though the ratings aren’t bad, per say). The one thing I could think of is that people might have thought this would be more of a thriller or mystery or more fast paced. But it’s not.
This was an amazing exploration of the pull of cults, the pull between sisters, and the loneliness people feel, and how they try to fill that. It was written extremely well, and there were so many times you could see, as a reader, the deception and gaslighting and the psychological play that Lev and the project exacted on people. And it was brilliant. And it spoke to the real manipulation people (and cults) are capable of. A lot of it was so chilling in it’s quiet revelation and understated threat.
This is a book that has a quiet menace and grief to it, and as much as it was fascinating to see the cult overtones revealed, the story between Lo and Bea as sisters was heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. It rang true to me, how sisters can feel connected and a yearning for connection and for each other but also anger and a sense of betrayal. And yet love permeates all of that. The whole thing just rang so unbelievably true to me.
So ifyou want a story that explores the complicated nature of what it means to want and feel lonely and to want feel connection, and how cults weave there way in and physiologically take advantage of that with their spell, definitely give this a try. It’s not a thriller (though I was on the edge of my seat the last 30 pages), so don’t go expecting thriller aspects of it. Take it for what it is.
This was an amazing exploration of the pull of cults, the pull between sisters, and the loneliness people feel, and how they try to fill that. It was written extremely well, and there were so many times you could see, as a reader, the deception and gaslighting and the psychological play that Lev and the project exacted on people. And it was brilliant. And it spoke to the real manipulation people (and cults) are capable of. A lot of it was so chilling in it’s quiet revelation and understated threat.
This is a book that has a quiet menace and grief to it, and as much as it was fascinating to see the cult overtones revealed, the story between Lo and Bea as sisters was heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. It rang true to me, how sisters can feel connected and a yearning for connection and for each other but also anger and a sense of betrayal. And yet love permeates all of that. The whole thing just rang so unbelievably true to me.
So ifyou want a story that explores the complicated nature of what it means to want and feel lonely and to want feel connection, and how cults weave there way in and physiologically take advantage of that with their spell, definitely give this a try. It’s not a thriller (though I was on the edge of my seat the last 30 pages), so don’t go expecting thriller aspects of it. Take it for what it is.
alicehaynes's review against another edition
4.0
I wish the ending was a bit more eventful but still an amazing book!
shelf_inspiration's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 Stars
See more on my Bookstagram: Shelf.Inspiration Instagram
“You wanted the truth. Or are you afraid of it now?” - The Project.
Lo Denham is used to being on her own. After her parents died in a car accident, her sister Bea joined the elusive community called The Unity Project, leaving Lo to fend for herself. Desperate not to lose the only family she has left, Lo spent the last six years trying to reconnect with Bea, only to be met with silence. When Lo’s given the opportunity to gain access into Bea’s reclusive life, she thinks they will finally be reunited. But it’s difficult to find someone who doesn’t want to be found, and as Lo delves deeper into The Project and its charismatic leader, she realizes there is more at risk than just her relationship with Bea. As she uncovers more questions than answers, everything Lo thought she knew about herself, her sister, and the world is upended.
I have had this book sitting on my shelf since it came out in February. Since I saw so many mixed reviews about it I was a little hesitant to read it because I didn’t want to be let down. Well, that didn’t happen and I actually think I like this book even more than Summers’s previous book “Sadie” (which is an unpopular opinion, I know). This book follows both the perspectives of sisters Lo and Bea as they become entangled in The Project. Bea, running to the cult after the death of their parents, and years later Lo investigating the group and trying to contact her sister. This book has everything I love: a mysterious plot, complicated sister relationships, and of course cults. There are also prominent themes of grief, longing, belonging, and their power. While this is a thriller, it should be read with attention to detail. The perspectives shift between the past and present and the details often mesh together subtly but in huge ways. I totally recommend this book!
See more on my Bookstagram: Shelf.Inspiration Instagram
“You wanted the truth. Or are you afraid of it now?” - The Project.
Lo Denham is used to being on her own. After her parents died in a car accident, her sister Bea joined the elusive community called The Unity Project, leaving Lo to fend for herself. Desperate not to lose the only family she has left, Lo spent the last six years trying to reconnect with Bea, only to be met with silence. When Lo’s given the opportunity to gain access into Bea’s reclusive life, she thinks they will finally be reunited. But it’s difficult to find someone who doesn’t want to be found, and as Lo delves deeper into The Project and its charismatic leader, she realizes there is more at risk than just her relationship with Bea. As she uncovers more questions than answers, everything Lo thought she knew about herself, her sister, and the world is upended.
I have had this book sitting on my shelf since it came out in February. Since I saw so many mixed reviews about it I was a little hesitant to read it because I didn’t want to be let down. Well, that didn’t happen and I actually think I like this book even more than Summers’s previous book “Sadie” (which is an unpopular opinion, I know). This book follows both the perspectives of sisters Lo and Bea as they become entangled in The Project. Bea, running to the cult after the death of their parents, and years later Lo investigating the group and trying to contact her sister. This book has everything I love: a mysterious plot, complicated sister relationships, and of course cults. There are also prominent themes of grief, longing, belonging, and their power. While this is a thriller, it should be read with attention to detail. The perspectives shift between the past and present and the details often mesh together subtly but in huge ways. I totally recommend this book!
dylaurora's review against another edition
5.0
The Project slowly wormed its way into my heart and broke it, as I've come to expect from Summers' writing. The characters, past and present, were beautifully haunted and felt incredibly real. What Summers has crafted here is a cult that seeps its way into being plausibly benevolent until the darkness is truly revealed. The Project serves as a richly atmospheric read.
k31r's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
ceruleanrider's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
dmn5678's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
midnightgremlin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0