Lo’s character arc was so well drawn, and even though Bea’s had much less page-time, it was also very satisfying and well put together. Nineteen year old Lo is really the main character, narrating from 20 as she once again tries to seek out her sister, seven years after Bea joined The Project, but we also get flashbacks to Bea’s life during those missing seven years, and see how she was drawn in and kept in Lev Warren’s orbit for so long. He pulls her into the cult and out of Lo’s life just when their sisterhood would have been most important to both of them. The book follows two sisters, Bea and Lo, who were close in childhood, but due to a terrible car accident where both their parents are killed and Lo almost dies as well, Bea is put in the path of Lev Warren, the leader of The Unity Project, at her most vulnerable moment. I think this is something that fascinates, and angers, Courtney Summers as well. I am fascinated by cults and what they can do to the human mind, how the atmosphere and manipulation of a cult or cult leaders can take otherwise average human beings and manipulate them into enduring and participating in things they otherwise would avoid or decry, manipulate them into giving up their identities and freedoms of choice in favor of whatever the cult is offering. But regardless of what caused me not to like Sadie as much as I wanted, this one was always going to be more up my personal preference alley.

This is only my second Courtney Summers book, my first being her previous novel, Sadie, which I liked but didn’t love (I did the audio and thought the production was horrendous, which definitely affected my feelings towards the book). I did have two pretty big problems with it, though, so it’s not getting that five star rating I thought it might when I was halfway through. I read it super fast, and found it very compelling in multiple ways. But regardless of what Overall, this was a great book.

Courtney summers books in order