Engaging and immersive. A recommended purchase for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.

Good book that took me a few chapters to get into fully. Once I was into the story it was good. A few slower parts but nothing that dropped the whole tone of the the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this digital advance readers copy to preview for my library and our customers.

From Miranda Beverly-Whittemore, the bestselling author of BITTERSWEET and JUNE, comes FIERCE LITTLE THING, an ambitious, mesmerizing coming-of-age story about five children turned grownups who are forced to deal with the repercussions of a decades-old incident and the lies that brought them there.

For Saskia, adult life began the day her younger brother died. Her father went to jail, her mother headed to Mexico, and her wealthy, powerful grandmother sent her to live with the Pierces, family friends with a young teen around her age. But when Saskia leaves her grandmother’s sprawling Maine mansion for the Pierces’ Manhattan loft, she finds a family as full of dysfunction as her own. Philip Pierce has downgraded his family from their swanky Upper East Side apartment for a loft in Chelsea; his wife, Jane, is off in Ghana, Bali and Paris buying exotic fabrics for her upscale boutique; and Xavier, their painfully beautiful son, is living like a young bachelor with his more or less single father. Although Saskia is eager to build a home with Philip and Xavier, she is shocked when Philip announces to the children --- while his wife is off in Japan --- that they will be summering in Maine. But these are not the New England summers to which Saskia is accustomed.

After consulting a map from a man named JimBob and completing a treacherous trip through the undergrowth, Saskia and her newfound family arrive at Home, a commune of sorts settled under a cathedral of greens in a valley. While the people do not look strange at first glance --- aside from the mother and daughter decked out in long braids and starched white pinafores --- it is obvious that Philip has taken the children somewhere silently dangerous. And at the center of it all is Abraham, Home’s charismatic, beguiling leader, a man who immediately seems to focus on Saskia in a way that no adult --- no person --- has since the tragic loss of her brother.

Saskia blossoms under the gaze of Abraham, even while the commune crackles with tension. She learns to forage, throw hatchets and bake the bread that is the life force of the dining hall. Xavier, too, finds a home in his friendship with Ben. Overcome with the wonder of it all, Philip decides to make a massive --- but highly divisive --- donation to the commune. With the three of them finally gaining acceptance, Saskia soon sheds the worst of her sadness...just as Philip sheds his rose-colored glasses and decides to leave Home.

It makes sense that Saskia is heartbroken to leave the place where she found friends and family and learned new skills, but she has a secret, too: the ghost of her little brother has found her at Home, and it is only in the cabins and foliage of the valley that she can sense his nearness. Returning to New York leaves her bereft, amplifying and strengthening her belief in Home, Abraham and the commune’s mantra of “Unthinging oneself.” When Abraham’s righthand woman shows up to bring Saskia back Home, she jumps at the chance, changing her future forever.

Years later, an adult Saskia has locked herself in her grandmother’s --- now her --- home and cut off all communication with the other children from Home. So when Xavier, Issy and Cornelia appear on her doorstep asking her to come back Home with them one last time, it takes some serious begging. But they know something that Saskia doesn’t: someone is aware of what they did that last summer at Home, and all three of them have been receiving threatening notes written in the unique cadence of Abraham’s voice. That someone is adamant that they all face what they’ve done, or they will be outed to their families, friends and communities.

In alternating storylines, Miranda Beverly-Whittemore highlights key moments in Saskia’s life at Home and her adult journey back to the hallowed grounds where she faced life and death; learned the true hold of power; and reunited with her ghostly brother. If you’re thinking that Home reeks of a cult, you’re exactly right, and Beverly-Whittemore crafts both the cult and its ideologies and enigmatic leader expertly. Cult fiction is not new, and I love a good cult thriller, but what she does here is unique in that she never hides from her readers exactly what Home is. Right from the start, it is easy to see --- almost laughably so --- the sway that Abraham has over his community, the control of food and free time, and, of course, the massive donation that Philip makes, and how quickly Abraham turns it into a moment of empowerment for the group. As a child, Saskia cannot see what Abraham is doing, but we can, and it is downright painful to watch this traumatized, neglected and lonely girl pulled into the group’s center.

In the present-day timeline, it is easy to pinpoint the effects of the cult’s trauma on its youngest members. Saskia is locked in a gilded prison; Xavier is unable to commit to a family; and Issy cannot seem to put down roots. But even more poignant is the hold that Home still has over each of them, especially Saskia. Sure, they’re being blackmailed to return there, but Beverly-Whittemore crafts the tension so spectacularly that it is difficult to ignore the pull of Home, and the friendships and families that were built there. This is a character-driven, slow-burn thriller, but it is creatively structured and just eerie enough to keep you glued to its pages.

That said, though I was desperate to learn the truth about what the children did that long-ago summer and why Saskia alone felt so drawn to Home, at times the novel felt a bit too long. The first half dragged a bit, and compared to the shocking finale, it appeared that Beverly-Whittemore was overcompensating. She is tremendously skilled at evoking a sense of place and a sensation of horror, but her more drawn-out chapters felt like they were lacking the confidence that came later in the book.

Nail-biting, moody and every bit as compelling as the cult leader at its center, FIERCE LITTLE THING is a powerful coming-of-age tale about the ways that we are forever changed by the traumas, lies and betrayals of our youth.

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A taut, addictive read taking you on a journey back to the place five people never wanted to return to.

FIERCE LITTLE THING takes the psychological thriller, twists and turns it until the final tale is nothing short of a wonderful blend of coming of age and intrigue. The way the author combines the past at Home, the lakeside commune, with the presence of these adults is both compelling and extremely well thought out.


There are so many layers to this narrative that it makes it hard not to want to find out how they will all come together. As each page flies by, the reader will learn more about the complex relationships these five people have. They are bonded in a way not many have experienced which makes the suspense so much better. In truth, while reading this book, I often thought it was the best kind of thriller—one that focuses on the characters and their realities. Whittemore gives them room to grow, develop, and make choices informing who they were, but more importantly, who they are now.


Filled with secrets, complicated friendships, emotion, carefully constructed (…shocking…) reveals, and a hell of a lot of tension, FIERCE LITTLE THING is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

FIERCE LITTLE THING is a well paced, enjoyable thriller. Fans of Beverly-Whittemore won’t be disappointed by her latest story, which I found interesting and satisfying, if a bit predictable at times. I would recommend this book for fans of The Secret History, or thrillers/cult fiction in general.

I kindly received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I love a culty read, but this one left me disappointed. I didn't care for the writing style, and I had to basically force myself to finish the book. The story was good, however, and I was surprised by the twist. Some will really enjoy this; it just wasn't for me.

A lonely teenager is offered sanctuary and a home at a desperate time in her life. She holds on to this foundation like a life raft. Happy for a time and under the spell the “Home’s” leader . Friends forever Saskia , and three others share a life each never knew was possible. Nurtured in a community committed to nurture the land. Decades later Saskia is living away from most people and content with little interaction. Menacing, threatening, sinister letters push Saskia back into a world and a nightmare she hoped was over long ago.

An atmospheric book with a lot of puzzles to unravel. I enjoyed Saskia's internal struggle and her conversations with Will. I wish that some of the other Home children had been more fully drawn (Cordelia, Ben) so that they had full personalities. I love a good cult-y book and this one was a solid effort! Great for fans of Plain Bad Heroines, Girl A, and The Maidens.

Saskia remembers when she wasn’t so afraid. Those were the days when she was a promising young girl and not a walking tabloid tragedy. She even had a place where she truly felt like she belonged – a place to be free. Now, she lives alone in a sprawling old house that may as well be a prison. Its walls are alive with the kind of regret that only she can understand. And then one day, the past comes knocking at her door.

“The outside doesn’t scare me. It’s being in the outside—but not the way they’re thinking. What the outside might do to me is not my concern.
Grit under my soles. The sneeze of cut grass. Evening light in Renaissance flares. Vast sky. Whisper of Acer palmatum, the Japanese maples. Clouds that dance over the sun. The urgent chick-a-dee-dee-dee that earns Poecile atricapillus its common name. Hum of an airplane, hum of Apis millifera—the honeybee. Crunch of gravel off the step. Imagine the blast of noon. Imagine the veil of midnight.”

The friends that she once thought of as family are back. And with them, the secret that has bound them together for so long. Someone is calling them back to the place where it all began. And they have no idea of what she’ll do to protect them and exactly what she’s truly capable of.

“What did it mean to be built to destroy?”

Fierce Little Thing is an absolute psychological powerhouse! I can’t remember the last time I experienced such a profound range of emotion while reading a book. All the feelings came in like waves - sorrow, anxiety, hope, anger, compassion, curiosity, disbelief and then finally, understanding.

Miranda Beverly-Whittemore masterfully creates a landscape that is serene in its beauty and yet vicious in its brutality. I could actually see the lush gardens of Connecticut, hear the crowded city streets of New York and smell the damp leaves of Maine. But it’s her characters that make this book truly exceptional.

Saskia burns with a clever intensity that borders on unsettling. Still, I found myself aching for her to find the love that illuded her for most of her life. Her story is one of grief and human connection. And it shines a knowing light on the darkness that resides in the heart of us all…

I have a lot of feelings about how to rate this book. Overall, I did not enjoy it. The characters are not likeable and at 25% I wrote down two big plot twists predictions that I got correct. The first at least 15% of the book I was so confused and annoyed that it was written intentionally to give you as many details as possible while still being confusing. The timelines jump so quickly back and forth that I was continuously having to reorient myself to see where we were in the story. Not one single character was someone I wanted to root for. There were things that happened that felt more like shock instruments than plot instruments and detracted instead of added to the story. Reading it, it was so full of heaviness and darkness that I needed a palate cleanser of a different lighter book in between reading this one. But despite all that, I was intrigued enough to keep turning the pages... I don't recommend this book necessarily, but if you like dark, slow burn, psychological books, this may be for you. And I will say, the prose was beautiful despite the story not being my fav.

Content Warning: Cult life, Death (including child death), Murder, Violence, Abandonment, Infidelity, Cursing, Mental Illness (and I'm sure I missed some)

I included this title as part what's new in suspense, mystery, and thrillers in the month of July. I promoted on Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram. https://www.bethfishreads.com/2021/07/22-mysteries-thrillers-suspense-novels.html

Title: Fierce Little Thing
Author: Miranda Beverly-Whittemore
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"Fierce Little Thing" by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore

My Opinion:

"Fierce Little Thing" was quite a read that brought in willpower and survival. But, what will happen when Saskia finally gets friends and starts a new life that will be broken due to a traumatic event? As the story goes on through mysterious letters, they will have to come back 'Home,' due to a secret that is threatening to be revealed.

For the most part, the characters were well-developed, but some were not to my liking. For example, some of the scientific names of plants and animals were somewhat overdone; however, after reading the whole story, there was some understanding of why it was done that way. Be ready for an account with lots of suspense and past secrets, as it will all come together with Saskia and her friends.

"Fierce Little Thing" was a long read [141 chapters], but if you can keep up with all that is happening as it will rely upon it all from the past to the present, presenting the reader with a suspense-told read and a satisfying ending.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review Fierce Little Thing before its release date.

I'm having trouble writing up my thoughts on this one which makes it sound like I didn't like it which wasn't the case. I just don't know how to put into words how I felt about this book so be patient with me. This book is dark. Like dark, I didn't expect it to go there even when I had inklings, dark. It won't be for everyone. But it was also really good and such a compelling read. In this book it is basically told from two different storylines: the present day where Saskia is being faced with having to return Home being the first storyline, a place that she once loved but where things ended very badly for her and her friends, and then also the storyline where we see Saskia as a young teenage girl and how she ended up at Home and her experiences living there. I'm trying to be as deliberately vague as possible so I don't spoil anything. The book goes back and forth between those two storylines seamlessly. And the entire time I was reading there was this feeling of dread almost that was present in both of the storylines. That feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop so to speak. It really ratcheted up the tension and feelings of suspense that were present throughout the book. Throughout the book I could never get a full read or understanding of Saskia. I knew that there must be more to her story but wasn't exactly sure what it could be. And the author drops these hints....enough that you know as the reader that something really terrible happened in her past even if you don't have the full story yet. Just wait. Because this is a compelling read that kept me engrossed within its' pages even if I wasn't sure that I wanted to be there. And the ending...whew. Even when I had parts figured out, I cannot begin to explain how I felt about that ending. It left me clearly at a loss for words even now. I'm actually eager to see what other readers think of this one and to discuss it. This is an author that I will definitely be watching from more of because wow - she crafted a story that I won't be forgetting about any time soon!

Overall, it feels wrong to say that I enjoyed this one due to the content but I do still think it was a really good read. I don't think it will be for everyone and message me if you need some specific content warnings before going into it. But if you enjoy books about cults, character focused books, and a suspenseful read that you won't forget about anytime soon then pick this one up. Recommended!

Bottom Line: A dark but very compelling read!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher. Honest thoughts are my own.

This was one that I didn't finish, but not without trying a few times. The alternating chapters using second person point of view made it distracting and I just couldn't get connected to any of the characters. I wanted to get into this book and read it because I am a sucker for books that are in the realm of cults - weird to say, but I love books that deal with the sociology of cults, so I was bummed when I couldn't get into this one and finish it.

I have to admit this was a hard book to read as it didn't have a linear feel to it and constantly jumped back and forth between timelines and the character's story was confusing at times and you were like - ok, what just happened and I felt it was one of those stories where you just have to nod your head and read on and pretend that you understand what the heck is going on. The book starts with a sister and a brother and then tragedy strikes and we learn the brother dies, the father goes to prison and the mother takes off to Mexico. The girl then goes to live with her grandmother but then her grandmother pawns her on to another family. The girl moves in with a new family where she meets her new "brother" Xavier and his dad Phil. Soon Phil takes Xavier and Saskia to a cult-like commune in the middle of the forest where they meet Abraham - the cult leader. They learn a new way of life called Unthinging and soon tragedy strikes again and causes Saskia, Xavier, and their three friends to go their different paths and never speak again. Until now in the present time, each of the five has received letters of blackmail about something they all did in the forest many years ago. Who knows what happened? Is the Cult leader back in their lives? Find out in Fierce Little Thing by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore, perfect for those fans of cult fiction and thrillers.

Fierce Little Thing introduces readers to Saskia, a lost girl searching for connection and a grown recluse hiding from the past. Now, years after getting away from the commune, Home, and the enticing leader, Abraham, Saskia and several others are receiving mysterious messages about needing to return Home. The truths of the past that Saskia has been hiding from are going to need to resurface, unless those who left Home behind are willing to forget it once and for all. Told between two time periods, Saskia’s story of joining Home and the present time running from Home are woven together to bring this chilling thriller to life.

I jumped at the opportunity to read this new thriller. I am drawn to books which explore the human condition surrounding extreme beliefs. Saskia’s development in Home drew me in, I found myself more interested in the past timeline, learning about how they came to Home and their belief of “unthinging” from the materialistic nature of our society. Abraham’s charisma really drove home the idea that people of power are able to spin words to convince people into their way of thinking, and even accept things that are otherwise unacceptable.

The chapters were often very short, and I did have to pay close attention to details in order to follow which time frame I was reading in. I also felt that the storyline moved quite slowly in the first half of the book. In that same breath, it was the back and forth of the developing stories that kept my interest, seeing how the two timelines would unfold to reveal the devastating events that happened at Home.

Wow, this novel completely engrossed me right from the beginning!

Fierce Little Thing centers around Saskia, who finds herself being blackmailed for something that happened when she was a teen (20 years ago). Saskia, along with four friends from that time period are reunited to figure out who is blackmailing them and more importantly dissect exactly what happened all those years ago!

For me Miranda Beverly-Whittemore is a sure thing! Her novels are so incredibly original and so darn addictive! Fierce Little Thing is a mystery/thriller that will have you staying up way past your bedtime! Just when I thought I had everything figured out, there was a well-placed twist that proved my theory wrong— love that! This unputdownable novel would make the perfect beach read! As per usual, I am already looking forward to reading what Miranda Beverly-Whittemore comes out with next!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Fierce Little Thing, prior to its release date.

Saskia, is a broken teen. When she gets to the lakeside living facility, called Home she meets some of her best and only friends. Cue the cult signals!

Years late Saskia is living in Connecticut, completely estranged from her friends who resided with her while at Home. Saskia begins to receive letters, threatening letters. Saskia needs to reach out to the others and face truth about the awful things they did as teenagers.

How far will they go to keep their secrets?

This was an easy, fun, medium paced read. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style and the slight edge. The ending was satisfying and unexpected.

Saskia grew up on a cult compound in Maine known simply as Home. As their lives began to fall apart, Saskia and her four teenage friends committed a terrible act in order to try and stay on the compound. Now, decades later, their actions are coming back to haunt them.

This was a well-plotted thriller with a great ending that could have benefitted greatly from an editor with a heavier hand. The book was longer than it needed to be and subsequently tended to drag and get bogged down in the details of the land surrounding Home losing the thrill that should have accompanied the plot. The constant scientific names of plants and animals served their purpose in developing Saskia's character but appeared in such abundance that they often took the reader out of the story. Overall, though, this was an enjoyable read for fans of psychological thrillers.