I have read other books by this author and liked them but found myself reluctant to start this one. It was hard to read at first but grew to really care about the main character and rooted for her to find her way. while the "twist" was easy to guess., it didn't take away from her victory

Interesting and different

I liked the premise, writing and characters. The story is not exactly a thriller and very suspenseful but don’t let that spoil it for you. There were some crazy and awful moments at the beginning of the story.

The Feely family, professional bloggers, gave an insight to something that I wasn’t familiar with. I can’t imagine how this works for someone to profit enough to live. Also, why you would want to put so much of your life and children in the public eye. I just feel like it’s a bit scary exposing your children to every sicko on the internet.

I liked the conclusion and how things clicked together for Tara/Angela. I’m not sure about the Henry thing. It didn’t seem necessary or organic to the storyline. Regardless, I did enjoy this story and will look forward to more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Lake Union Publishing for a copy in exchange for a review.

Why has no one thought to write a novel based around a YouTube vlogging family before?? A fantastic premise especially as my 9 year old is obsessed by following a particular family online.
This novel has the perfect level of creepy. Just enough whiff of suspicion that you aren’t quite sure who Tara should trust. I have enjoyed other books by Emily Bleeker and her descriptive powers are top notch. I need a lot of help from authors in building my minds eye picture of the characters, homes and locations but writing this review having finished the book some time ago and having read many books since I can still instantly call to mind the public toilet in the park, the apartment building Tara says she lives at and my God I can smell that pregnancy belly by the end of the book!!
I could say so much more but it would contain spoilers which I hate so I’ll just say “Read it!”

"Adopted by her controlling foster mother at the age of eight, twenty-year-old Tara has seen little of the outside world. Lonely, punished for the slightest offense, her only distraction comes from watching the Feely family’s online videos. They’re an affectionate vlogging quintet and an internet sensation. Most important, they are Tara’s mental refuge. Then the opportunity arises for them to be something more. When Tara accepts an internship with the close-knit clan, they’re her escape."
This novel has all the creepy elements! Tara found comfort in the vlog show about a family, one she wished she had. So she got an internship at the studio and soon discovers that this tv family isn't perfect after all. This is a page turner with twists!

3-4 stars. This was an okay read, which I was able to finish, but didn’t love, like I do my complete 4 and 5 star books. I did think it was well written and definitely provided some thrills and chills; but something was lacking that had me wanting to rip through the page and find out what’s next. Overall, I would recommend to those looking for a quick, intriguing read, but not someone wanting lots of twists and turns and an unbeatable pace.
Will make sure I buzz it up on different platforms!

This was a really interesting and different book than my normal fare. It hooked me early on and I was definitely invested in the main character, Tara. That said, this was not an easy read (see TWs below).
CW/TW: abuse (lots and horrible), sexual assault.
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Summary/thoughts: Tara is a 20 year old woman who lives with Mother, her extremely abusive foster mom. Mother gained custody of Tara as a young girl and has since ensnared her in a shoplifting scheme. Mother is a horrific character, completely irredeemable and nefarious. Tara is sweet and smart but does not leap off the page as a fully formed character (at times her actions and voice do not seem true to form). Tara secretly watches lots of YouTube and becomes obsessed with a particular YouTube family, so much so that she applies to be their intern in secret.
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The most interesting aspects of this book are the ideas around perception - who are the people we see on screen? Even when portraying themselves, there is always more to the story and people are never truly exactly as they are. This aspect was interesting and a different take on the traditional abuse-victim-escapes-and-finds-refuge story. Where this book falters a bit is its predictability and the depth and realism (or lack thereof) in its characters. It is an interesting story but not necessarily for me. I recommend it only to those readers who can handle stories of extreme abuse as those parts of the story were horrible to read. As an an alternative, I recommend Bleeker’s debut Wreckage which was far better in my mind.
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3 ⭐️

This was an okay read, not great and for me definitely not edge of the seat as some reviewers have said.

The story is about Tara (Angela) who has been living with her controlling and abusive foster mom, basically locked away since she was 8. Now age 20 she manages to escape her foster mom but is very unsure and makes so rather poor choices. I wasn’t a big Tara fan and also didn’t care for her internal dialogue, but all the same I wanted to know if this story had a happy end and what kind of end so I kept reading.

The main character is a shelter recluse, all be of her foster mothers doing. Tara seeks escape from this perfect family called the Freely’s. But when she gets to their house she realizes something isn’t right. If you like cults and munchousen by proxy you will like this book

I really liked this story. It was a real page turner for me. An original story, something completely different from the usual thriller books. Will certainly read more Books by Emily Bleaker in the future !

What It Seems is a thriller about a 20 year old girl, Tara, who was a foster child from age 8. Her foster mother is manipulative and abusive and forces Tara into morally questionable situations. Tara's only outlet is the friends she's made among her dolls, a bird she named Sampson, and the YouTube families that she watches when her foster mother thinks she is working on one of her projects. An opportunity arises for an internship with one of the YouTube families that she adores for an internship, but Tara's foster mother keeps her under lock and key. Tara's dreams of meeting her YouTube family are but a pipe dream.

I am a thriller lover and enjoyed the original premise of the story. However, I predicted many of the plot twists that come later in the story. I still think that What It Seems is a solid read for lovers of the genre, and though the story starts slow, it picks up and has you turning pages before you know it. What It Seems is a solid 3.5 star thriller for me.

Bleeker sees a real return to the form she showed in WRECKAGE with this ripped from the headlines look at what it's like to be trapped in the middle of someone's skewed perception and what might happen if you escape. For fans of The Act. Highly Recommend.

I received this book "What it Seems" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. I ended up finishing the book but really didn't like the story line. The book was okay.

I would probably give the book 2.5 stars almost 3 stars. I LOVED all of the authors previous books, but this one just didn't click with me. I wasn't a fan of any of the characters. I know I should feel for Tara/Angela but she was just as irritating. Although, I'm sure she had some type of brain injury. The story was pretty predictable. I was just wondering how long it would take before the Feely family realized the truth about Angela. Alyssa and Stan Feely are pretty messed up. Who has their children abducted to increase their subscribers on YouTube??? The whole family was completely fake. I thought the book was taking a strange turn when Alyssa wanted Angela's baby. How did Mother eventually find Angela? Did I miss that part? Of course, everything works out in the end and Angela has no lasting scars from the 18 years she suffered with Mother. I would have thought she would have needed extreme therapy. But no, instead of therapy she posts her happy reunions on AllTheFeels, because viewers are important.

Give the book a try, it just wasn't for me. It was a quick read. But I do recommend all of the authors previous books. I look forward to reading more from the author because I'm a huge fan. I loved the cover of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me interested the whole time and was thrilling. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

Examining the era of YouTube stars, along with a failing foster care, Tara (Angela) and her life story was powerful, intense and absorbing. I ended up staying up all night to finish this one! Quite a nice twist at the end that I didn't see coming - which is always nice.
I am a fan of Emily Bleeker, and this novel continues my appreciation of her writing. So grateful for the advance copy from Lake Union and NetGalley. If you love a twisty mystery, with modern gripping themes, grab this quick read!

I hate having to DNF any book, especially a review book, but at around 58% I stopped reading and just skimmed until the end to get the answers I wanted.

I loved the story of Angela/Tara. I wanted to know more about her situation.. more about her birth parents.. more about mother. When the Feely's became a bigger part of the book, my interest plummeted. I just couldn't find it in me to care about them at all.

Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read it... it just wasn't for me.

Suspenseful, intriguing. A story of a young woman who escapes her captor realizing she was taken from her family @ a young age & finding her voice to ask for help while saving another child @ the same time finding her happy ending..
Would recommend to others.

First off I want to thank @netgalley & @lakeunion for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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I was intrigued by the synopsis of this book, unfortunately for me it did not live up to my expectations. I was expecting more suspense, more mystery, more action. It was still an enjoyable read that I was able to read in one sitting.
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The writing style was nice and easy to read. It did keep me flipping the pages, but there was something missing for me to make it great. I didn't like the part with the YouTube family, I felt that it could've been better if there was more darkness in that family, but they were just dysfunctional. I would've just liked a bit more suspense and thrill. But I still enjoyed it.
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The ending was good and left to some openness to the book which I like. If you like lighter suspenses with some family drama then this might be the read for you.

This story of a twisted woman and how she treated her “daughter” was spell-binding. What a scary situation for a child to grow up in! I was cheering for Angela as she broke away from her prison and learned how to be herself in her new world. Great book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book is a real page turner! Tara was a foster child at age eight, she is now twenty. Mother is beyond cruel to her but Tara escapes at night by watching a You Tube family, the Feelys. All is not as it seems in this book and you will be especially surprised at the ending. I was like, OMG, with my mouth hanging open! There is so much more to this story but I don't want to leave spoilers. Tara is an intensely written character and she will make you feel many emotions. Sadness emanates from her. Mother is well developed as are the other characters. This book will stay with you because what is truly happening, could be true. All I can say is grab this book! An incredible read filled with suspense.