What it Seems by Emily Bleeker

3.5 stars rounded up.
TW: child abuse/torture, one brief scene of animal abuse, one brief scene of attempted sexual harassment

This is the story of Tara, a 12-year-old in a 20-year-old's body. For eight years she has been the victim of an abusive, sadistic, controlling adopted mother who has forced her to shoplift to help put food on the table. Tara hasn't attended school since she was hit by a car at the age of 8 and then adopted by "Mother." She doesn't watch television, play games or leave her room except to eat meals.

While in her room, Tara's door is deadbolted from the outside and it's her "job" to list all of her stolen items on eBay. But while she has a computer, she's not allowed to use it except for her job. Mother ensures her keystrokes are monitored.

When Tara misbehaves, Mother's wrath is swift and nearly deadly. She is beaten, locked in her closet for days and food and water are withheld. Tara lives a most horrific life, except when she removes the keystroke machine and watches Youtube videos. Her favorite is AllTheFeels with the Feely family.

The Feelys are like a real family to Tara, who longs to be loved like the three kids in the family's daily vlogs. When an opportunity arises to intern with the family, Tara finds the strength to disobey Mother to interview for the job.

Here's where the story begins to fall apart some and you'll need some suspension of disbelief when Tara finds herself with the Feelys. It's hard to imagine this super-popular vlogging family wanting to employ a self-described "stinky" young pregnant woman--Mother forces Tara to wear a pregnancy prosthetic to hide her stolen goods in, which Tara wears to the interview with the Feelys--and invite her into their home, despite her grand plans for the family's Youtube content.

I nearly put the book down at the 40 percent point because the story changed so dramatically, but I trudged along and I'm glad I did. What it Seems wound up being a pretty good read (although the ending was a little too feel-good...forgive the pun). I subtracted a star because of the suspension of disbelief factor and the too tidy ending.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. See this review on Goodreads. Buy this book on Amazon.