This book started off good, but it kept getting worse as it went on. The main character just went around hurling accusations at people, and she always believed she was right “this time.” She also allowed people to treat her like crap for something she did went she was seven. Did mention that she’s now 17/18? Yeah.

Her relationship with Gideon was solid at first, but even he stopped talking to her after she kept secrets and lied to the police.

SPOILER
.
.
.
.
.

Seriously, what the heck was up with that ending? She didn’t recognize X’s voice? And she’d never been even loosely responsible for the fire? WTH? You know, a twist ending is usually a good thing. But this one was just all kinds of sloppy. Oh, and by the way, termites don’t stay alive when it’s freezing unless they’ve found serious shelter, so I’m doubting they would have been crawling around on the tarp when it was snowing.

I loved this book. It was creepy and dark and I loved that the mystery surrounding the main characters past.

A great thriller with a good twist!

A solid thriller with an unreliable narrator, so you're never sure who you can trust. A bit of a romance involved, but still fairly creepy!

Not being a big reader of YA thrillers, I was pleasantly amused by this book. I liked the premise of a stalker and creepy text messages. Although, the beginning of this book is a little shaky with a somewhat clunky writing and a protagonist that is so annoying because she actively makes stupid decisions; I think it pulls itself up partway through. and becomes solely interesting, not just interesting but also frustrating. The writing and story kept me hooked to a point that I found myself easily perusing through the book, without feeling the need to take a break or even wanting to. The protagonist's attitude improves, in a way, which makes her more easy to read. However, the ending of this book left me angry and unsatisfied because it uses this roundabout way of rationalising the villain's motives. I found this extremely weird because one of the themes that this book explores is that you circumstances do not validate your actions.

In spite of one of the creepiest covers I’ve seen in a while, Little Creeping Things was a pleasure to read.
Our story is that of Cassidy who, when she was little, was rescued from a fire in which her best friend died. Since that time, people in her small town have seen her as something to fear...her nickname Fire Girl ensures she’s not seen as a survivor of an awful event, but the perpetrator of a callous crime. She doesn’t recall many details of this accident, but it has shaped her life in the years since.
Cassidy’s elder brother, Asher, does his best to look out for her, and her best friend Gideon sees beyond the rumours. Unfortunately, when one of the girls who has tormented her most goes missing Cassidy knows things could get difficult...particularly since she was in the woods on the night Melody disappeared, and someone had taken her notebook in which she jokingly made comments about how she could carry out Melody’s murder. She wants to do the right thing, but can she bear the personal cost involved?
Our story focuses on the aftermath of the discovery of Melody’s body and the hunt for who did it. We watch Cassidy under extreme duress, and though we have a number of twists/deceptions we do, eventually, get answers.
Huge thanks to the publishers, Sourcebooks Fire, and NetGalley for letting me read this prior to publication.

Can we just take a moment to admire the cover of this novel! I mean how amazingly creepy is the cover? It fits perfectly with the story and I love it!

I absolutely loved this book! It kept me entertained and hooked from the very start! We are introduced to the main character, Cassidy Pratt. Bit by bit we get pieces of the puzzle about what happened all those year ago that claimed the life of one of her good friends, who is related to Melody Davenport. Melody (and others) have never let Cassidy forget about the fact that she is responsible for starting the fire that killed her good friend many years ago, and Cassidy is often ostracized and ridiculed for it.

One night while out drinking with friends, Cassidy jokes to someone about the perfect way to get away with ridding their lives of Melody forever. Then once Melody goes missing, all fingers point towards Cassidy and she is terrified that someone has found out about her drunken night joke.

A thrilling, addictive story that you will devour in one sitting, it is that good! I loved the various characters in this novel and loved the main character Cassidy. She was an interesting character to get to know and I liked reading about her friendship with her best friend and confidante., which is put to the test due to the events then finds themselves in.

There are many shocking twists and turns that you will not see coming, with one revelation at the end that will shock you! I loved the ending! I will be on the lookout for other titles by this author!

Have you ever jokingly written about taking revenge on your bully and then find that that plan has mysteriously....come true? What would you do?
That's exactly the type of situation that Cassidy finds herself in. She's been tormented and bullied for having survived a mysterious fire that killed her childhood friend when they were seven years old. To this day Cassidy finds her memories of the event a bit hazy. But there's something that rings true amongst the rumors and whispers that follow in her wake. Cassidy finds that sometimes she gets....this itch the see something burn, to watch the flames consume an object. This is what leads her to internalize all those hateful comments her classmates say about her. Perhaps they're right and she's just a heartless killer. And yet, I think at the heart of this story there are questions. Like when do we stop fighting back against the bullies and let them tell us what's the truth? When do we become the labels we are assigned by society? And while I don't want to spoil anything...but Cassidy has an older brother, okay? And he's such a caring sweetheart until.....some secrets are revealed. Which begs the question: how far are you willing to go to protect your family and when do you draw the line? When do you say this has gone too far? This story is a mystery thriller that kinda makes you think you're becoming a bit paranoid just like Cassidy but the twist at the end definitely kicks you in the gut! I'm giving it a 4.25 stars because....it did take me a while to get into the story and Cassidy pining after Gideon (who's her best friend and someone she has a crush on).... drove me a little crazy. But I liked how the story brought light to how with a simple rumor, people's lives are ruined. How an offhand comment we make about someone can lead them to become the loner, the social outcast, the hated and feared person of a community. I probably read way too much between the lines XD but I think this book is thought-provoking in how Cassidy has to face the stigma of what happened years ago but how over time she comes to accept those words as who she is without questioning anything. And that hurts. Why should we settle for what society has to say about us? Why should we be okay with letting society label is as they see fit?

This book had it all- great characters, pacing, plot, and most of all it was true to its title - creepy! Thanks to NetGalley for a copy!

I don’t normally read from the YA section, but this one sounded intriguing and I’m so glad I read it. Little Creeping Things has a way of getting into your mind and not letting go. The rollercoaster ride through this book left me on edge for most of it. At times I was silently pleading with Cassidy to stop everything and other times I rallied with her. Little Creeping Things is a great thriller!

Cassidy is known as Fire Girl throughout school and town. As a child, Cassidy was in a fire with her friend and her friend didn’t make it. Cassidy doesn’t remember anything from that day, except for what she’s told; she accidentally started that fire. She is bullied constantly, especially by Melody.

One afternoon after a particular bad bullying, Cassidy is in the woods and hears Melody’s voice and laughter. Cassidy is in her hideout and tries to block out whatever may be happening. What she doesn’t expect is to hear Melody’s scream for help. She doesn’t know what to do. One thing is for sure though, she can’t go to the police. Unfortunately, due to poor judgement and her bitter anger, she detailed the perfect murder of Melody in her notebook. Soon after Melody disappears, she receives texts saying they are in this together. Whoever is behind the disappearance of Melody will take her down too. Cassidy never meant any of this to be real, but now she must race against the clock to figure out the truth before it’s too late.

Little Creeping Things is a great thriller to get wrapped up in. I definitely recommend giving this a read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this ARC.

Cassidy (aka Cass) had a tea party with her girlfriend, Sara, in a playhouse built by her dad. Cass comes up with the idea that to make the tea party better, she would get a candle. When the lit candle fell over, she and Sara were trapped in the playhouse as it burned. Cass was saved by her brother Asher but Sara died. Cass couldn’t remember what happened at the fire. Her parents told her that it was an accident. However the kids at school called her “fire girl.” Gideon her best friend stood up for her when her classmates called her fire girl. Cass is in her senior year when she is treated badly by Sara’s cousin Melody. Cass was hoping to become the captain of the volleyball team, but didn’t get it. Melody follows Cass to a school room, where she starts a fire telling Cass that everyone will think she did it, not her. Will Melody get caught? Cass and Gideon have a special place in the forest in the forest behind Cass’ home. They had built a small shelter to talk and eat snacks while visiting. Melody has disappeared. While Gideon was gone from their shelter, Cass hears Melody scream help once but can’t hear the male’s voice who is with her. When Gideon comes back, Cass tells him but he doesn’t believe her. Cass gets strange, threatening messages on her cell phone. When she finally is questioned by the police, she feels that she can’t tell them about the messages she has gotten. Will the police find out who killed Melody? Will Cass survive even though she has been threatened?

This is a mystery with some surprising twists and turns. The novel includes topics that includes teenage angst, a little romance, friendship and family which at times distract from the story. I enjoyed the novel as it made me wondered how Cass was going to solve or not solve the mystery.

A great mystery with an amazing twist! Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy. Filled with twists and turns at just the right time. Cassidy was told she caused a fire when she was a child but she doesn't remember doing it. She was just seven years old at the time. The fire ended up killing another child whom she was close to. Then in highschool Melody the dead girl's cousin disappears which Cassidy wonders if that was also her fault.

As a child, Cassidy's actions contributed to another child's death in a fire. Living in a small town, everyone knows her history and refers to her as "fire girl". Unable to escape the constant negative attention, she has grown into an unstable teen with fantasies of revenge. When one of her tormentors is killed, Cassidy realizes she had described the teen's death in what she thought was her private notebook. Chelsea Ichaso has taken the local newspaper headline of a bullied teen striking back and given it a hard twist. Great characters, you feel the connections they have to each other, and a realistic small town community where a personal tragedy can become an unsurmountable lifelong wall. The tension between the teens and their town could happen most anywhere. The clues are there, but figuring out who done it before the end is not an easy task.

“My thoughts and vision blur. Everything darkness. Breathe. Lifting my chin, I suck in a deafening breath. Then I grab my phone, remembering with a sickening sense of dread that I won’t have a signal.
I have to find Gideon. I have to get help. But one thought punches through the others, drowning all reason:
I have to get out of here.
Because I know the other person up there, the one whose hushed voice drifted over from the log and into our sanctuary.
He and I planned this murder together.”

“Little creeping things” by @chelseaichaso tells the story of Cass.

When she was young Cass accidentally started a fire that killed her best friend. Or so everyone has always told her. Whilst her brother Asher was able to save Cass, he didn’t get to Sara in time.

Growing up Asher has always been Cass’s hero, her protector. Her only friend is Gideon, with the rest of the town knowing her as “fire girl” and never letting her move on from the tragedy in her past. Especially since her arch-nemesis, Melody, is the cousin of Sara - and she has never forgiven Cass for Sara’s death.

But what happens when Melody disappears and only Cass has the clues to just what happened to her? How can she get anyone to believe “fire girl”? How can she expose the truth without putting her family and Gideon in danger from mysterious person sending her threatening messages to keep what she knows to herself?


Cass is convinced she knows the identify of Melody’s abductor, but if no-one believes her, if even Gideon and Asher think she is mistaken and should leave the matter up to the police, then can she really trust herself?

This is a twisty psychological thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat as you try to work out just what happened to Melody.


Thanks to @Netgalley & @sourcebooksfire for the ARC.

This wasn't my cup of tea. I didn’t find Cassidy worthy of much sympathy (I didn't appreciate her treatment of Seth or Emily, who she starts a vicious rumor about and flat out uses, respectively), and her strange love triangle was really unnecessary (why can't there just be platonic relationships between boys and girls). It got frustrating that she was regularly blaming a new person for Melody’s death, with little or no proof. I don’t feel like she developed well as a character, but maybe that wasn’t her fault. Maybe, it was that she was repeatedly bullied for an accidental fire that happened WHEN SHE WAS 7! Like, who blames a 7 y.o. for that? I though it a bit too unbelievable for a book that was supposed to be a realistic thriller.

Chelsea Ichaso is new to the YA Fiction and Psychological Thriller genre and I was instantly intrigued by her book cover and the description given. I have never been more happy that a book was exactly what I was hoping for in all my life.

I LOVE THIS BOOK. I read it in about 4 hours, in one sitting, while riding out some bad weather at home. It was that good. From the very beginning it was intriguing and draws you in. Instant action that left an abundance of questions that I just had to find the answers for. I had multiple guesses of who the bad guy was along the way. I’m happy to say ONE of them is right. But not necessarily the first one I picked. Ichaso definitely kept me guessing until the very end.

I love these characters. As annoyed as I get when people don’t do the obvious things like go to the police with evidence and such, all these characters are so fun to read. I also felt like Cassidy made the decisions she did because she really thought she was protecting others as well. Gideon is my favorite character because his personality is just good. You feel warm around him. But I got to a point I wasn’t sure that warmth was good, or hiding something bad. Asher was the idea brother and reminded me a lot of my own brother in his protective senses. These characters were some of my favorites I’ve read in a very long Time.

The story flowed nicely, even when it was flashing to other side stories that happened years before. The characters were extremely well written and developed. You really felt like you got to know them. The story line was new and refreshing compared to the same old story a lot of books seem to be. I cannot wait to see what else Chelsea Ichaso comes out with next. I will be first in line to pick it up! A non-stop, edge of my seat, mind twisting psychological thriller that had be guessing til the very end.

If you love psychological thrillers and liked to be on the edge of your seat the entire time, then pick up Little Creeping Things by Chelsea Ichaso. You will not regret it.

I fell into the trap of judging a book by its cover - originally picked this up because I thought it was about a horror story about a haunted doll... it wasn't :(

Still a really good read though - a solid thriller. Loved the twists and second-guessing throughout. There's limited cursing/sexual content (actually... none that I remember) - I will be adding this to my Middle School collection.

Cassidy Pratt is known as the fire girl in her town because she started a fire when she was a child. The fire killed her best friend, while Cass was saved by her brother. When Cass’s enemy at school, Melody, goes missing, Cass thinks she knows what happened. Melody’s disappearance seems to follow a list that Cass wrote down in her notebook of how she would kill Melody. Cass gets threatening text messages from the unknown person who has her notebook. Finding the person who is blackmailing Cass will lead her to solve Melody’s disappearance.

This book was a quick read for me. It was fast paced and moved along quickly. There were loads of twists that kept me surprised. It was also creepy, since someone had seemed to perform the actions that Cass listed in her notebook. It had to be someone that she knew, since they got ahold of her notebook, so I considered everyone a suspect.

In many young adult books, the lack of parental supervision is strange. Some of the decisions that the parents made in this story were unusual, particularly ones revealed at the end. The way that Cass was the only one blamed for the fire was one way that I found the parents to be unusually absent. Kids can be mean and find any reason to tease another child, which explains the way other children called her the fire girl. However, an adult should have been supervising them so they couldn’t start a fire, yet none of the parents were blamed for their part in the fire. That part was not explained, which put all of the blame and pressure on Cass.

I enjoyed this fast paced thriller.

Thank you Sourcebooks Fire for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Musings:

I enjoyed this book. Parts of it were slow and it took a while for me to be super into it, but I liked it all the same. It was a fun read.

What I enjoyed:

The creepy descriptions. One of the creepiest parts of the book are how the main character Cassidy sees things sometimes. People turn into dolls with big blue eyes in her mind and it’s an unsettling part that peppers throughout the novel.

The twists. I should have expected, but did not expect the ending. The signs were there and I got distracted and ended up delightfully surprised at the end. Made the book more interesting.

The paranoia. I liked how mistrustful Cassidy was. It did make things interesting and with someone threatening her it kept me on edge a bit.

All in all

I enjoyed Little Creeping things. It’s a fun little thriller that gets better as it goes and it’s a fun read.

Cassidy is known as 'little fire girl' for something that happened in her childhood that left her scarred both physically and mentally. This is something that truly affected her entire life, and made it so she really didn't have many friends because of living in a small town and everyone being a little leery of her. She does have one best friend though and that is Gideon who has been by her side since second grade and the two have been inseparable since.

One day the two are in there secret place in the woods that they've made since they were little kids. But they hear something they possibly shouldn't have and that thing is Melody being in the woods with someone, but they don't know who or why. All they do know is that things are similar to something that Cassidy said to someone else in the past, and with her reputation as a 'little fire girl' already she knows everyone will blame her. This leads to Cassidy and Gideon trying to solve who took Melody and why before the person comes forward or potentially frames Cassidy on their own.

Overall I loved this book. The main character Cassidy seemed incredibly unreliable throughout at least half of the book I would say as she was made to seem like she was losing it. We have the friendship with Gideon that is strong at first, but we slowly see to fray due to multiple different things happening throughout the story. We also have an unlikely friendship happen between Cassidy and Emily that is rather complicated, then we have Peter who was also around and seemed like an answer to some things. What got me the most though was how you could really feel the small-townness of the place that Cassidy lived. The grudges being held, and the name-calling that spreads not just through the high school but to everyone in town which leads to reputations happening that everyone and their dog knows about. The author did such a good job of bringing all that together to make the situation that Cassidy was in even more complicated.
Every time I thought I had it figured out about what happened to Melody I was wrong. There were so many twists and turns, and everyone involved being afraid to say something due to it being a small town and how it meant they probably knew the person responsible and that person had even more dirt on them possibly. I will say I figured it out at the end before Cassidy did due to some things just not seeming quite right to me. I will say though Ichaso did an amazing job of throwing me off the trail constantly of who it could be and why they did it. Was not expecting the why they did it at all. This was a good YA thriller for a change, and I liked how you could really feel the different elements happening and the characters actually acting their age!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read Little Creeping Things. This book is geared toward young adults and is written in an understandable way.
Great introduction for the thriller/mystery genre for teens.
3 stars.