I’m grateful to all my friends for their support and love; the bold and fearless ways they live their lives inspires me to live mine as boldly and as fearlessly. I regret I’m unable to name everyone here, but these people in particular saw me through all stages of the The Project’s development, and it couldn’t have been completed without them. Lori Thibert has been a constant in my life and I will forever marvel over the fact I ended up having the kind of best friend I read about, and wished for, in books when I was growing up—someone smart, interesting, kind, funny, and loyal, who I’ll forever admire and aspire to be as good as. The combined force of Somaiya Daud, Sarah Enni, Maurene Goo, and Veronica Roth’s friendship has levelled me up as a person and I’m grateful for their wicked humor, ferocious talents and smarts, and unwavering support. Emily Hainsworth and Tiffany Schmidt have been with me since the beginning, and that I can always count on their generous hearts and brilliant minds, no matter the weather, is something I’ll never take for granted. Brandy Colbert, Whitney Crispell, Laurie Devore, Meredith Galemore, Kate Hart, Kim Hutt Mayhew, Michelle Krys, Amy Lukavics, Baz Ramos, Samantha Seals, Nova Ren Suma, Kara Thomas, and Kaitlin Ward are some of the funniest, smartest, most talented and most caring people I’ve had the honor and privilege of knowing.
I’m grateful to the booksellers, readers, librarians, educators, and book bloggers and vloggers who have found a space for my books on their shelves. I’ve said this before, but it will always be true: their consistent and enthusiastic support, and willingness to follow me from book to book, is no small part of why I’m able to do what I love and why I love what I do.
Thanks to Amy Tipton and Ellen Pepus Greenway of Signature Literary Agency.
I am beyond grateful for the love and support of all of my family, near and far. I’m surrounded by incredibly intelligent and creative thinkers, the quickest of wits, master improvisers, and rule breakers and makers, and my career in writing began with their unfailing belief in me. Thank you to Susan and David Summers, Marion and Ken Lavallee, Lucy and Bob Summers, Megan, Jarrad, Bruce, Cosima and River Gunter. The impact they’ve made on my life cannot be quantified and so this section of acknowledgments always turns out to be the smallest in size—but make no mistake; I owe them everything.
ALSO BY
COURTNEY SUMMERS
CRACKED UP TO BE
SOME GIRLS ARE
FALL FOR ANYTHING
THIS IS NOT A TEST
PLEASE REMAIN CALM
ALL THE RAGE
SADIE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Courtney Summers is the bestselling and critically acclaimed author of several novels for young adults, including Cracked Up to Be, All the Rage, and Sadie. Her work has been released to multiple starred reviews, received numerous awards and honors—including the Edgar Award, John Spray Mystery Award, Cybils Award, and Odyssey Award—and has been recognized by many library, “Best of,” and Readers’ Choice lists. She lives and writes in Canada.
Visit her online at http://courtneysummers.ca, or sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Prologue
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Acknowledgments
Also by Courtney Summers
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
First published in the United States by Wednesday Books, a division of St. Martin’s Publishing Group
THE PROJECT. Copyright © 2021 by Courtney Summers. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 120 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10271.
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Summers, Courtney, author.
Title: The project: a novel / Courtney Summers.
Description: First edition. | New York: Wednesday Books, 2021. | Identifiers: LCCN 2020037484 | ISBN 9781250105738 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781250807397 (signed) | ISBN 9781250798800 (international, sold outside the U.S., subject to rights availability) | ISBN 9781250105745 (ebook)
Subjects: CYAC: Cults—Fiction. | Sisters—Fiction. | Journalism—Fiction.
Classification: LCC PZ7.S95397 Pr 2021 | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020037484
eISBN 9781250105745
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First U.S. Edition: 2021
First Signed Edition: 2021
First International Edition: 2021