Courtney Summers’ cult thriller The Project is both suspenseful and heartbreaking

People will probably pick up Courtney Summers’ newest title The Project simply because it’s about a cult, and that’s fine. It’s a frankly terrifying story of the way groups like the fictional Unity Project can prey on people who are hurting and vulnerable, taking advantage of those who feel lost and unmoored in the world.

But the novel is also about something much more than that.

Sure, there are plenty of horrifying moments where we see just how dark cult life can be – the way the group cuts its members off not just from their families but from any sense of the person they were before they joined. There’s physical abuse, emotional manipulation, and much more.

But The Project is also a story of identity and empathy, a twisty tale of two desperate, vulnerable girls and how far they’re willing to go in the name of healing and hope in the face of painful loss.

The story follows a pair of sisters named Bea and Lo Denham, who have struggled to adjust to life after the car accident that kills their parents and leaves Lo badly injured. During her sister’s hospitalization, Bea turns to a group known as the Unity Project and their charismatic leader Lev Warren for answers and finds a sense of community and belief there.

Years later, Lo – now a budding journalist – is convinced The Project is a cult because she’s been cut off from her sister ever since Bea joined the group. Determined to find out what has become of her – and whether The Project is involved in the tragic death of a boy who commits suicide, Lo begins an investigation of the group, which leads to consequences she never could have imagined.

The story unfolds via two separate timelines, following the accounts of both sisters’ experiences with the Project in a twisty, relentless path that will keep readers guessing what’s real and what isn’t until the very end. The magic of Summers’ writing isn’t just that she can tell a story that’s full of surprises, but one that feels honest about its characters. It centers on two damaged young women and doesn’t apologize for their specific feelings and fears, just empathizes with how those things have influenced them and made them who they are.

At its core a story of sisterhood, The Project explores the bonds that exist between Lo and Bea no matter how much time and strangeness have come between them. Though Bea may believe in Lev and his mission, she never completely abandons thoughts of her sister, and the same can be said of Lo. Nothing can replace that relationship, and that’s a thread that weaves throughout Summers’ novel.

The Project is a fascinating look at how far people are willing to go to feel a sense of belonging, and it largely tells its story without judgment. We meet many of Lev’s faithful flock, but the book never mocks their beliefs or choices. Rather Summers chooses to present them with a deft sort of sympathy, one that recognizes that many are simply looking for meaning in a world that has damaged them, for someone to believe in when those who were supposed to love or protect them let them down.

Even Lev himself has unexpected layers, enough so that it’s easy for readers to see why people could be drawn to him and the promise of his teachings.

All in all, The Project is a heartbreaking tale that’s difficult to put down.

The Project is available now. Will you be adding it to your February must-read list? Sound off in the comments.