The Project

Gr 9 Up–Lo Denham knows all about the Unity Project, a cultlike organization that has received a lot of attention for its community outreach. She knows her sister, Bea, joined it after Lo’s car accident at the age of 13, which left Lo scarred and their parents dead. Lo hasn’t seen her sister since. Six years later, Lo is working for an investigative publication, and the idea of writing an article about the Project, while hopefully reconnecting with her sister, is intriguing. When her boss vetoes the idea, Lo infiltrates the organization on her own and discovers devastating secrets. The nonlinear narrative alternates between Lo’s point of view (performed by Emily Shaffer) and Bea’s point of view (read by Therese Plummer). Despite the challenges presented by the jumps in time periods from past to present and back again, listeners will easily be drawn into the story and become invested in the characters. The narrators beautifully build suspense, and the intensity never falters. This is one of those compelling audiobooks that will have listeners driving around or walking an extra block just so they can listen longer. The sisters are white, while the secondary characters are of different races.