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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed ‘What It Seems’, I got serious Rapunzel retelling vibes from this book which my mind kept making references to but I think that was a personal thing! It has such loveable characters and I really cared about Angela. It’s fast paced and interesting throughout and the ending was nail biting. I’d happily read another title by Emily Bleeker.
Thank you Netgalley & Lake Union Publishing for a free copy in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you Netgalley & Lake Union Publishing for a free copy in exchange for my honest review.
I have enjoyed all Emily Bleeker’s other books because they usually turned into a big plot twist that I never saw coming. I kept waiting for that to happen in this book but never really did. I did enjoy the story and how the main character overcame her challenges, but it was missing a little something.
The beginning was fantastic! The middle was just ok for me, and then the ending was fantastic again! I love Angela, and how she handled everything. This book draws you in immediately right from page 1, so be prepared!
First, a warning; What It Seems is such a heavy plot. Unfortunately, despite giving us an awful story of a young woman trying to survive in a controlling, abusive environment, I felt her character was quite flat.
The Feely family I found really irritating; in fact, the whole "vlogger" storyline really grated on me. Maybe this is a storyline that would be more appreciated by someone who enjoys the whole vlogs but it wasn't for me.
I really struggled to keep reading What It Seems but I didn't consider a DNF... I just really wanted it to be over.
I bumped What It Seems from one star to two, purely because of the ending; literally the last chapter! Throughout the book, Henry is the only redeeming character and even then we don't get to see the real him or know much about his story. Finally getting to know his story and see how he responds and cares for "Tara" made me like him even more.
I know this is a really negative review and I hate giving such criticism but this was just not the right book for me at all and this is just my own opinion. I've no doubt there are people out there who will read this book and find themselves utterly absorbed by "Tara's" life and her fight. Unfortunately this just wasn't the case for me personally.
Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Bleeker and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Feely family I found really irritating; in fact, the whole "vlogger" storyline really grated on me. Maybe this is a storyline that would be more appreciated by someone who enjoys the whole vlogs but it wasn't for me.
I really struggled to keep reading What It Seems but I didn't consider a DNF... I just really wanted it to be over.
I bumped What It Seems from one star to two, purely because of the ending; literally the last chapter! Throughout the book, Henry is the only redeeming character and even then we don't get to see the real him or know much about his story. Finally getting to know his story and see how he responds and cares for "Tara" made me like him even more.
I know this is a really negative review and I hate giving such criticism but this was just not the right book for me at all and this is just my own opinion. I've no doubt there are people out there who will read this book and find themselves utterly absorbed by "Tara's" life and her fight. Unfortunately this just wasn't the case for me personally.
Thank you to NetGalley, Emily Bleeker and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
2007: the year of the Missouri Miracle. For anyone not familiar with the case, Michael Devlin kidnapped a young boy in 2002, keeping him hostage for years and attempted to kidnap another young boy in 2007, when a third young man was able to provide information resulting both in Devlin’s arrest and the reunification with the families. What it Seems explores a similar theme, featuring Tara (last name unknown) who lives with her abusive foster mother turned adopted mother who makes her steal for a living and hurts her, even at twenty years old. She has been broken and beaten having lived with Mother since 8 years old when her real parents decided they didn’t want her. She becomes obsessed with the Feely family, a YouTube family, who shows her what real love looks like. She applies for an internship with them in a desperate bid for hope and manages to get in, while hiding her secrets from them. I loved this book. I couldn’t stop reading it and it was a very quick read. I do wish there had been a stronger wrap up, including consequences for several characters going beyond a mention. This would have made for a great read on the beach but thanks to CORVID-19, maybe you can make up the difference by reading it in a bubble bath like I did. It was the perfect book and the perfect stress reliever, although it did bring tears to my eyes several times to think of someone treating children this way.
Page turner
What an amazing book. I picked it up this morning and couldn’t stop reading until I’d finished the book! An intriguing story with a great ending. I am eager to read more from this author. If you enjoyed The Stillwater Girls you’ll enjoy this one as well.
What an amazing book. I picked it up this morning and couldn’t stop reading until I’d finished the book! An intriguing story with a great ending. I am eager to read more from this author. If you enjoyed The Stillwater Girls you’ll enjoy this one as well.
This was an interesting read! I was expecting more of a thriller type book, but this is more mystery/suspense.
The story is told from Tara's point of view. She was adopted by her foster mom at 8 years old. Since then, she rarely leaves the house and has been the victim of her mother's mood swings. Now at twenty, Tara may have a chance to get away - the Feely's, her favorite YouTube family, is looking for an intern. Does Tara have what it takes to get away?
I immediately fell in love with Tara. She's so sweet and innocent - so innocent that the book reads a little juvenile, but it's fitting. From page one, I was hooked on the story and could've read it in a day if I had had the time.
I wasn't just hooked on the story, my emotions were involved too. I was sad and angry and happy. The end actually made my eyes do that slightly burning thing like I was about to cry. For the record, I didn't cry, but I could have.
This book was fairly predictable though. I knew the big twist within the first few chapters, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the book. I recommend this book if you want a suspenseful feel good story.
The story is told from Tara's point of view. She was adopted by her foster mom at 8 years old. Since then, she rarely leaves the house and has been the victim of her mother's mood swings. Now at twenty, Tara may have a chance to get away - the Feely's, her favorite YouTube family, is looking for an intern. Does Tara have what it takes to get away?
I immediately fell in love with Tara. She's so sweet and innocent - so innocent that the book reads a little juvenile, but it's fitting. From page one, I was hooked on the story and could've read it in a day if I had had the time.
I wasn't just hooked on the story, my emotions were involved too. I was sad and angry and happy. The end actually made my eyes do that slightly burning thing like I was about to cry. For the record, I didn't cry, but I could have.
This book was fairly predictable though. I knew the big twist within the first few chapters, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the book. I recommend this book if you want a suspenseful feel good story.
Tara was adopted by her foster mother at the age of eight when her parents decided that they could no longer take care of three children. Now twenty-years-old, she hasn’t managed to see much of the world. Mother is extremely controlling. Tara is forced to work for Mother shoplifting and reselling the items they acquire. Tara yearns for something more. She wants a life and a family like those popular accounts on YouTube. What would happen if she ran away from Mother? Could she find her own happiness or would Mother find her first?
WHAT IT SEEMS drops the reader into Tara’s life with Mother. We see an unhappy life of shoplifting and imprisonment. Tara isn’t free to leave Mother, her house, or even her room without the possibility of severe consequences. Being front and center watching Tara’s life immediately allows the reader to bond with her and cheer for her escaping this life. This start also adds an immediate sense of tension and dread with thoughts of what Mother is capable of and what could happen to Tara if she did escape.
I want to keep the bulk of the plot to this story vague, so I won’t be digging deeper than that. I really think this is one of those stories you need to go into blindly to avoid any spoilers. What I will say about the progression of the story is that Bleeker does a fantastic job of holding a sense of suspense throughout the book. There are moments when you feel extremely worried for Tara, but you can’t look away because you need to know what will happen next.
I thought the basis for the story was really original and not what seems to be rather run of the mill these days in the thriller world. There are a lot of great modern touches, which make the story relatable and believable for the current generation. I loved how everything came together at the end! I absolutely flew through the last fifty pages simply glued to my seat needing to know more!
If you’re looking for an entertaining and heart pounding read, you’re going to want WHAT IT SEEMS on your TBR!
WHAT IT SEEMS drops the reader into Tara’s life with Mother. We see an unhappy life of shoplifting and imprisonment. Tara isn’t free to leave Mother, her house, or even her room without the possibility of severe consequences. Being front and center watching Tara’s life immediately allows the reader to bond with her and cheer for her escaping this life. This start also adds an immediate sense of tension and dread with thoughts of what Mother is capable of and what could happen to Tara if she did escape.
I want to keep the bulk of the plot to this story vague, so I won’t be digging deeper than that. I really think this is one of those stories you need to go into blindly to avoid any spoilers. What I will say about the progression of the story is that Bleeker does a fantastic job of holding a sense of suspense throughout the book. There are moments when you feel extremely worried for Tara, but you can’t look away because you need to know what will happen next.
I thought the basis for the story was really original and not what seems to be rather run of the mill these days in the thriller world. There are a lot of great modern touches, which make the story relatable and believable for the current generation. I loved how everything came together at the end! I absolutely flew through the last fifty pages simply glued to my seat needing to know more!
If you’re looking for an entertaining and heart pounding read, you’re going to want WHAT IT SEEMS on your TBR!
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars. Rounded down to 3 stars.
Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
See bottom of review for trigger warnings.
Short Synopsis: Tara is a 20 year old woman that was adopted by her foster mother at the age of eight after being hit by a car while riding on her bike. Flash forward to when Tara is twenty and she is pretending to be pregnant while she and her Mother are attempting to shoplift items from Target so that they can resell them on eBay. Getting caught will set off a chain of events that will change Tara's life forever.
Tara has a life all to herself in her attic bedroom and when she gets the chance of a lifetime to intern for a Youtube family, she'll do anything to get there. The Feely family isn't who they seem and who exactly is Angela?
REVIEW:
I had high hopes for What It Seems, but it fell short for me. The beginning was gripping and I liked that it started and ended with details from Tara's accident. I feel like Tara's time with the the Feely's went from 0 to 100 really quick and could've had a bit more development. I did like the development of Tara and Henry's relationship and could tell that there was a romance budding there IF Tara could become free.
I did like the twist of her Mother kidnapping another girl and how that helped Tara remember what happened 20 years ago. On the note of Mother, I wanted a bit more background on her. The "prison" idea was just introduced and forgotten about. Why was she in prison before, was it for something to do with the original Tara?
What it Seems was a quick read- it only took me about a day to read it. Perfect for a quick summer read.
Overall, I would read another Emily Bleeker book because I read some chapters that I enjoyed.
TW: Kidnapping, parental abuse, attempted sexual assault
Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
See bottom of review for trigger warnings.
Short Synopsis: Tara is a 20 year old woman that was adopted by her foster mother at the age of eight after being hit by a car while riding on her bike. Flash forward to when Tara is twenty and she is pretending to be pregnant while she and her Mother are attempting to shoplift items from Target so that they can resell them on eBay. Getting caught will set off a chain of events that will change Tara's life forever.
Tara has a life all to herself in her attic bedroom and when she gets the chance of a lifetime to intern for a Youtube family, she'll do anything to get there. The Feely family isn't who they seem and who exactly is Angela?
REVIEW:
I had high hopes for What It Seems, but it fell short for me. The beginning was gripping and I liked that it started and ended with details from Tara's accident. I feel like Tara's time with the the Feely's went from 0 to 100 really quick and could've had a bit more development. I did like the development of Tara and Henry's relationship and could tell that there was a romance budding there IF Tara could become free.
I did like the twist of her Mother kidnapping another girl and how that helped Tara remember what happened 20 years ago. On the note of Mother, I wanted a bit more background on her. The "prison" idea was just introduced and forgotten about. Why was she in prison before, was it for something to do with the original Tara?
What it Seems was a quick read- it only took me about a day to read it. Perfect for a quick summer read.
Overall, I would read another Emily Bleeker book because I read some chapters that I enjoyed.
TW: Kidnapping, parental abuse, attempted sexual assault
What it seems is a compulsive, suspenseful story of what seems to be a “perfect family”. This is my first read from Emily Bleeker and i loved her every word. The story flow is awesome. I felt odd to be excited and thrilled after reading this dark and intense novel! All credits to the author. The story gets heavy at some places.. but I didn’t loose any interest nor felt bored! Gripping psychological thriller. Gonna watch out for Emily!
Thank you NetGalley, Emily Bleeker and Lake Union publishing for an ARC! This review is my own and is not influenced in any way.
Thank you NetGalley, Emily Bleeker and Lake Union publishing for an ARC! This review is my own and is not influenced in any way.