Another fantastic Emily Bleeker book. Finished it super fast! Tara/Angela was adopted by "mother" when she was young and the details are never fully revealed to her. Tara grows up stealing for mother and is locked away at night in her room. Her only escape is with the seemingly picture perfect Feely family on YouTube. She jumps at an opportunity to become their intern in hopes to break free from mother, and gets it. Free at last, Tara has to keep the secret of who she really is. Unlike the title, this book it not what it seems!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be "tense". Teeth-grinding, edge-of-your-seat, watching TV while your hands are covering your eyes, TENSE.

The highly disturbing and traumatic premise of this book is mixed with exquisite storytelling. An abusive parent/child relationship, escapism via internet, a literal escape, and slowly the walls of secrecy start crumbling and the truth is finally revealed.

Families are complex, and "What It Seems" digs into the dark family dynamics of abuse, using two different facades to cover similar problems. When it comes to what you're shown on the outside, nothing is quite WHAT IT SEEMS.

First I would like to thank Netgalley for granting me the ARC of What It Seems. I read almost nothing but domestic/psychological thrillers so it’s getting harder to find a plot that I haven’t already read 100 times. I can say that didn’t happen with this book! The plot was different straight from the beginning and kept that flow all the way through. I felt for Tara/Angela and couldn’t imagine being in her shoes. We all think we know social media personalities like we know our own personal friends and families, so imagine how scary it would be to realize we know nothing at all! I’d recommend this book to any lover of this genre, you won’t be disappointed!

DESCRIPTION: Tara lives with her abusive foster mother (who reminded me of the mother from Carrie). “Mother,” as she’s called in the book, forces Tara to fake a pregnancy in order to steal designer goods from department stores, which they later resell on eBay. If Tara does anything wrong, she is locked in a closet for days at a time with no food or water. Her only happiness comes from the computer in her bedroom, which she secretly uses to watch videos on YouTube. When her favorite family—the Feely family—posts a video saying they’re looking for an intern, Tara sends in a heartfelt essay that wins the family over. Winning the internship motivates Tara to finally run away from Mother, and she settles into her new life with the Feely’s. But the Feely family’s handsome young assistant, Henry, immediately senses that something is off with Tara. Can Tara finally build a real life for herself? And can she ever truly escape from Mother?

REVIEW: Guys, this one was great! It pulled me in from the first scene. I loved watching Tara's growth throughout the novel. I felt nervous the whole time for her, because she was hiding so many secrets from the Feely family, and I didn’t want to see her happiness come to an end. I also appreciated that the author gave her a romantic interest, since it’s my belief that EVERY good book should have a love story. Also, there’s very little foul language or sexual content in this book, which is a huge plus. And you guys know I love twists at the end, and I didn’t see this one coming. MAYBE if I’d thought about it more, I would've figured it out. But I was so invested in Tara’s story that I wasn’t trying to figure things out. I was just enjoying it! Definitely check this one out!

This book, I have to say, was mind-blowing with amazing characters and story-line. Though I didn't give it a full 5 stars because I expected more from it, I felt like the book ended so soon.

The story is told from Tara's point of view and she is an absolute sweet heart. She is definitely my favorite character.

The book is filled with emotions and mysteries. It is a great pick for suspenseful feel good story lovers.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my copy of this book.

What It Seems by Emily Bleeker

Brief Summary: Tara is a twenty year old living a very limited existence with her controlling foster mom. One of her few pleasures is watching the Vlog of the Feeley family on you tube. When an opportunity to intern with the family arises, Tara seizes it. Though getting up close and personal with this family is not what it seems to be. This is my first book by Emily Bleeker.

Highlights: It is an interesting premise of a reality you tube famous family. It was good to see Tara grow into a strong young woman and overcome the abuse she suffered. It was also interesting to see how resourceful she is and the lengths she went through to keep her secrets.

Explanation of Rating: 3/5: It held my interest but didn’t suck me in. It was predictable though suspension of reality was necessary to tie everything together.

Psychology Factors: This deals with serious topics of abuse, kidnapping, and sexual assault.

Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review

Having enjoyed ‘The Waiting Room’ I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of Bleeker’snew novel. An interesting psychological thriller mixed with domestic noir brings us Tara, basically imprisoned by her cruel, inane foster mother. Tara escapes in her mind by following and becoming obsessively convinced that an internet sensation - a beautiful, loving, fun family video blogging , is not only the perfect family but her perfect escape. Well, it’s not. Tara runs away from Mother to join the new family and realizes that not only isn’t the grass greener, but her mother is out to find her. Well written drama with timely issues, (influencers, vloggers) I really cared about Tara living with the aptly named Feely Family after her earlier situation.

Tara is mild and her personality has been crushed by her foster mother who controls her and rules her with a rod of iron. Her only life is watching a vlog of a family and when she is invited to join the family she is hugely relieved as she feels that she will have some kind of normalcy in her life.

She did not envisage cracks appearing and everything not being quite so rosy as it looks like. Is her Mother still controlling her life from afar? Is this some twisted plan put together between the two families to control Tara and not to let her get away?

The writing in the story was good and though I did know how it was going to end, it did not detract from the novel.

Tara was adopted by her foster mother when her parents gave her up. For 12 years, she has known only this solitary life at Mother’s beck and call, subject to whether or not she pleased her. Her escape? She secretly watches the “perfect” Feely family on YouTube. When they advertise for an intern, Tara applies, not even thinking that they might actually choose her. When they do, Tara takes the opportunity to break free. Though things with the Feelys aren’t quite what she expected, Tara (now Angela) starts to feel more normal, though her lies and omissions are tough on her, especially trying to hide them from Henry, her new co-worker. Is she really safe? The freedom gives Angela the opportunity to rely on herself, and, also uncover memories of her past.
WHAT IT SEEMS by Emily Bleeker is a thriller and a page turner. Tara/Angela is a different and complex character. She would frustrate me a bit, but then I would remind myself that she was so young when she ended up with “Mother” that the life was all she knew. The story was interesting and well-written, with some twists that surprised me. There were a few things that made me wonder, but nothing that detracted from my enjoyment of the novel.
As a parent, there were some scary situations that are my worst nightmare. This was a solid read and it will keep you interested and turning pages as you root for Tara/Angela and her future.
Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
#WhatItSeems #LakeUnionPublishing #NetGalley

This book started off really well, it's a great example of a hook that leaves the reader with questions. The main character is also a good example of a strong female character. She grows, thinks for herself, and often solves her own problems, even when those circumstances would be insurmountable for most of us.

Unfortunately, I found that the rest of the book was weighed down with a lot of telling versus showing and a structure that could do with some improvement. While reading I felt like the structure worked well until I realised I hadn't read a flashback for ages and all of a sudden they were introduced again.

There was also a scene that might be triggering for some readers and I felt that it wasn't handled particularly well and the seriousness of it was not really evident.

A violent upbringing for Tara, living a life of cruelty with a sadistic sociopathic mother slowly unfolds until she manages to escape. Emotionally crippled by her hideous upbringing, and living in fear of her dark sebpcret being discovered, she finds it hard to manage to trust anyone. What she thought would be a place filled with love, turns out to be a sham.
An interesting premise which is mostly plausible although Tara is sometimes difficult to like. It starts very well, I got. a little jaded in the middle, but I enjoyed the final, third of the book.

Emily Bleeker introduces us to her main character Tara, who is 20 years old and has always been under her adoptive mother's control. Some events transpire which allow Tara to begin questioning her life as she knows it. Will she join the YouTube Feely Family as they intern?

The character development in this story was strong and made me feel for Tara as she went through her personal discoveries. This book is a fast paced story that investigates that things may not always be how they seem.

Wow.

This is the perfect book to read during this self quarantine because you're not going to be able to put it down, anyway.

Right from the beginning, you're hooked onto the dirty, greasy Tara, who is being controlled and forced to steal by her mother. Then, you learn that it's more than that. She's twenty years old and locked into her room or closet, with very little to eat or do and absolutely no social interaction.

I always read the true stories of kidnap victims so this book drew me in immediately. It reminded me so much of the true stories I have read and the many feelings that come with being taken and eventually caring for your capturer.

My only complaint with this book was how Mother found her. Especially if she already had the other. How did she know? Did Angela not clear her computer history? And even still, how was she always driving by where they were, when they were 6 hours away? This part made no sense to me and I wish it had been better explained or at least that the Feely's lived much closer to Mother.

Otherwise, I devoured it and it was absolutely amazing. While fiction, it still reads eerily similar to all of those true stories, where the kids finally find their strength once their abductor claims a new victim.

Another example of why you shouldn't believe everything you see online! Although I enjoyed this book, I didn't really feel a connection to the characters. I guess I didn't understand how a 20 yr old would allow herself to be held hostage? The story was good though and kept me engaged and wanting to read more!

Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Bleeker and Lake Union Publishing for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll be totally honest and admit that I didn’t read the synopsis of this one before requesting because I am a big Bleeker fan and the first few chapters I started to think that maybe this would be my first DNF of the year. However, things changed pretty quickly at about the fifth chapter and I was so immersed into Tara’s life and the crazy challenges she was facing. I adored where this novel went and I was never sure what was going to happen next, keeping me turning the pages. You definitely find yourself rooting for some characters and hating others and I love that in a novel! I was shocked by some of the twists and the ending was awesome. I definitely would recommend this one for other Bleeker fans and those who enjoy a good thriller!

While I didn't find this to be a great read it was a fast and easy read that kept my attention. I wasn't interested in the characters and the story was extremely farfetched, that said, I always intended to see the story through to the end.

3.5 stars.

The description led me to believe that this book would be a thriller full of suspense, but I didn't feel like that was quite accurate. What It Seems by Emily Bleeker is a contemporary story about a girl who grew up in abuse and escapes to find a new life. There are a few moments of "thrill" and suspense but I don't feel like that was the driving point of the story.

It seemed to me that there were two stories in this book, and each story probably could have been a complete story in and of itself. First, there is the story of Tara who grew up under the hand of her foster mother's abuse. Locked in her room, forced to shoplift, physically and emotionally abused for almost 12 years, Tara is at a breaking point by the time she reaches the age of 20 and desparate for freedom and escape. The second story is about what happens when Tara does escape. She becomes an intern for a famous Youtube family and learns that the family is not as perfect as they appear on camera.

I thought both of these stories were compelling, but I have mixed feelings about whether both stories needed to be combined into one book. It just felt like too much. Several things seemed implausible, and one event as the two stories intersected at the end was entirely too coincidental I found a lot of it hard to believe.

However, I also thought this story was compelling from start to finish. I was hooked and eager to keep reading, even though I didn't quite buy into everything that happened. So perhaps I don't need to be too nit-picky about the implausibility or the excessiveness of the plot, because it was still highly readable. It kept my interest, and I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened.

If you are willing to suspend your disbelief a bit and just go with whatever happens, this is an entertaining and easy read that should keep you turning the pages quickly until the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Will draw you in from the first sentence. Atmospheric and tense. Will Tara succeed or fail? Come along. Read and find out. You won't be disappointed by this winner. Happy reading!

I have a good friend who loves the work of author Emily Bleeker, and she's been encouraging me to pick up one of her books for quite some time now. When I read the synopsis for Ms. Bleeker's latest novel What It Seems, I knew it was the perfect book for me. I read it in a single sitting, and I have now purchased her previous books as well.

Twenty-year-old Tara doesn't know much about families. She lives with her extremely controlling mother who adopted her under strange circumstances when Tara was eight, and for the past twelve years, it's just been the two of them. Her mother is a very volatile person, and Tara is punished for the smallest infraction. Her only real link to the outside world comes in the form of the Feelys, a family whose internet videos form the basis for Tara's fantasies. She'd give anything to be a part of such a warm, loving, upbeat family, the kind of people who seem to love each other unconditionally.

While surfing the web late one night, Tara makes a startling discovery. The close-knit family she's been idolizing for months is looking for an intern. At first, running away from her mother and joining the Feely family seems like nothing more than a pipe dream, but as the days pass and things grow increasingly untenable at home, Tara begins to plan her escape.

Soon, things fall into place and Tara is living what she thinks of as the perfect life. She's not punished for her every mistake, and she is starting to feel like a valued member of the family. Unfortunately for her, things aren't quite as idyllic as they seem. The Feelys have their share of personal problems, and it isn't long before cracks begin to form in Tara's hard-won existence.

Tara is a very troubled young woman, and readers won't always like the choices she makes. However, these choices, problematic as some of them may be, do make a great deal of sense given her less-than-stellar upbringing. It's clear from the start that she wants desperately to be loved and valued, but she has no real clue how to go about it. Some of her actions made me cringe, but I still found myself hoping she'd come out on top.

You're probably wondering about the Feelys, but I'm going to allow you to discover their secrets for yourself. They're a complicated bunch of people, and I found it difficult to know who to trust pretty much from the start. Tara thinks they're perfect, but I wasn't convinced, and I doubt you will be either.

If abuse is difficult for you to read about, you might want to steer clear of What It Seems. The first quarter of the book has some vivid descriptions of the horrible way Tara's mother treats her, and there are some flashbacks of abuse later on as well. I didn't find them overly graphic, but Ms. Bleeker does such a fantastic job transporting readers out of their everyday lives and into the hell Tara experiences, and this could prove difficult if you're sensitive to the subject matter.

This is definitely a thriller, but in a way, it's also a coming-of-age story, and I loved watching Tara come into her own. It's not always a smooth process, but it's brimming with authenticity and heart. The author celebrates all of Tara's imperfections and seems to urge the reader to do the same, and also made me feel as though my heart was in my throat due to the danger I was pretty sure was right around the corner. It's an interesting mix of genres, and Ms. Bleeker pulls it off beautifully.

Buy it at: Amazon or shop at your local independent bookstore
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1 star

I feel like reading two separate novels: one about an abused teen/young adult, and one about a family with secret. None is maximised and I kept thinking these should be two stories, but eh.