This was a good book that definitely has you questioning whether Stella somehow has become possessed by Blanka, her old babysitter who recently died, or if Charlotte is unraveling slowly due to the difficulties of her second pregnancy. There is much evidence for both options and that leads to a creepy crazy story that I had to keep reading, so I could find out which because otherwise it was going to drive me crazy! I did enjoy reading this, especially when we find out what is actually going on and why the characters are acting the way they are. Very explosive climax complete with the reason why Charlotte is spending the first part of the book talking to a doctor (to prove she can leave and protect Stella from some unknown danger) and being "trapped" in a wellness clinic.

So, good thrilling book and I enjoyed reading it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book to read and review.

A great cover with an intriguing idea of a story but one that I couldn't seem to connect with.

Right from the start - I thought this book might not be for me. So if it sounds good to you - unreliable narrators and creepy possibilities with near death and changing children - then you should definitely give this one a try.

For me, I found the writing disjointed and Charlotte frustrating overbearing, odd and inconsistent. I struggled to believe each twist and shook my head with conversations that felt like they started in the middle instead of pulling me along. I wish I'd liked this one more but it just didn't work for me.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

This books is not going to convert anyone to the joys of parenting. An odd child (who I felt needed more help before the main plot happened--what was going on there??) starts acting like her babysitter who had recently died. The mom seemed to think the child was off before so doesn't pick up on things until it really starts to spiral. It made it hard to care about her because she was kind of neglectful. I didn't feel like it was a very good representation of a neuroatypical child either--it made it seem like she was just difficult for no reason at times when it was clear more was going on. The weight stuff was a little odd too. It just felt very dated for a book coming out in 2025.

My first Helena Echlin novel but definitely not my last! The characters were crazy great and kept me flipping pages long past my bedtime. And oh how many secrets we all seem to keep. Dark and twisty. Enjoyed it.
Thank you NetGalley, Helena Elchin and Pamela Dorman Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

From the beginning, I was captivated by Clever Little Thing. It’s a propulsive suspense novel that kept me guessing, and while some of it may require a bit of suspending belief, I was fully engrossed in it.

CW: miscarriage

Clever Little Thing follows Charlotte and her family. When the sudden death of their nanny seems to set off a drastic change in her neurodivergent daughter, Charlotte isn’t relieved her behavior has improved. In fact, she is terrified something darker has happened to Stella.

A creepy-mommy-psychological-thriller, what starts off slow ends at lightning speed. If twisty and dark is your vibe, this might be one to pick up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books.

Charlotte and Pete have a happy marriage, an 8 year old daughter, Stella, and another little one on the way. Charlotte sometimes struggles with Stella's behavior. She's practically a genius who reads well beyond her years but socially she's awkward. She often displays "freak-out mode" when something doesn't go her way. She's sensitive to touch and sound.

When their nanny, Blanka, suddenly dies Charlotte finds herself worried even more for her daughter. It's as if her behavior has changed over night. She no longer reads, she's putting on weight, and her temperament is as calm as can be. Charlotte can't help but to wonder if Blanka has somehow possessed their daughter.

I'm not going to say too much more because I don't want to spoil future readers. What I will say is that this was an absolute page turner for me. I had no idea what was going. Is she possessed? Is Charlotte experiencing some kind of psychosis? I had so many questions and theories. Echlin took me completely by surprise when she started spilling the devious little secrets. Throughout most of the book I believed one thing until the rug got pulled out beneath me and I realized that not everything is what I assumed. I love when that happens. Echlin's debut psychological thriller is a worthy entry in the genre. 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group - Viking for my complimentary copy.

3.4 rounded down to 3 stars. But it’s 3.4 stars.

Charlotte’s daughter Stella is a little odd, maybe brilliant. But following the death of her babysitter, Blanca, something has changed….she had begun to mirror Blanca’s personality and mannerisms.

Instead of just dropping her off at the nearest fire station with a blanket and a note (I guess it’s best that I don’t have children, yes?) Charlotte tries to solve the problem. Meanwhile she’s in her second pregnancy and deathly ill. Can she figure out what is going on, with the help of Blanca’s mother?

I’m not sure what took these ladies so long, because, again, I don’t have children, but I do know people and I was pretty darn sure what was happening right at the outset (and that was it.) The book kept me turning pages, though.

I always want to like Helena Echlin's books, but for some reason they just are't for me. I think it's a mix between the plot and the writing style. Everything takes too much time for me. Thank you, NetGalley.

This book felt a bit like a fever dream. It was far wilder than I was expecting, and had some "paranormal" elements that I wasn't quote prepared for. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing. I found this book to be propulsive and unique, which can be hard to find in a world drowning in thrillers.

While this book required me to suspend a bit of disbelief and keep a very open mind, I think the pacing kept me engaged enough to want to pull through to the end.

This is a solid 4 star thriller with an excellent ending. The novel opens with Charlotte, who had very recently given birth to her second daughter, in an institution for mothers with mental issues, telling the story to the therapist that led her there. Charlotte is very worried about the safety of her eldest, 8 year daughter Stella, who had recently gone through a dramatic personality change. The story then varies between a “now” and “then” timeline.

Fans of The Push or any novel that features creepy children will enjoy this novel. The writing is descriptive and the characters well-developed. Charlotte definitely has her flaws and is not always likable but the story is compelling.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Pamela Dorman Books for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Woof. So, I can 100% see this as being the jam/a vibe for many people, but for me it was ludicrous, often poorly executed, and a little bit on the offensive side? There are times when Echlin's story moves along well, but it takes quite a while to get into the meat of the story. The beginning, a slow ramp up into the heart, can be a bit of a slog. There is a lot surrounding the idea of a child on the spectrum, how they should be treated, a parent just wanting their child to be "normal" and it just doesn't hit well for the TYPE of book this is, which is most definitely more on the thriller side than on the social commentary side, although it most definitely tries to be both and does not hit the mark.

There is a lot of virtue signaling from both parents, but a whole lot of framing Charlotte, the mother, as crazy (and lets be honest, the situation that Echlin paints Charlotte into is crazy, but it feels so icky and then becomes MORE icky when you find out all the facts...). It feels a bit like the book is trying to say hormones = bad. hormones make mothers crazy and bad parents. Its all just a bit much.

Unfortunately, it reminds me of wattled writing in the worst way. It feels as if everything is somehow both overwritten and underdeveloped.

I absolutely loved this novel! I'm picky about my psychological thrillers, but this one 100% delivers. It has layers and depth, intriguing characters, smart writing, intense suspense, and genuinely surprising twists. Echlin perfectly captures the complicated emotions and nuances of motherhood. Comparisons to The Push, which I also loved, are spot-on. I couldn't put it down!

I was very excited to start this novel. Charlotte's daughter Stella is exhibiting strange behaviors. She hates cuddling, screams frequently, and also exhibits intelligence far behind her grade level. Charlotte is reluctant to have her daughter seen by someone for fear of being labeled, and Stella feeling bad about herself.

When Stella's babysitter Blanka dies, Stella instantly changes into someone docile and agreeable and starts echoing much of Blanka's personality and even accent. Charlotte becomes convinced that somehow Blanka is controlling Stella, that she's possessed. Charlotte's hubsand however is questioning his wife's sanity.

I really wanted to love this and was intrigued by the premise. Unfortunately this book and the writing style never captured me, I never really felt connected to the story.

Thank you netgalley and Penguin Group Viking for giving me an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was an immensely readable, unputdownable, and suspenseful read.

Following the sudden death of the eight-year-old precocious Stella’s babysitter, Blanka, the once disruptive and anti-social child has become docile and agreeable. What’s unsettling is that she has begun to mirror Blanka’s personality, or so Charlotte, her mother suspects.

I spent most of this book cringing at everything Charlotte was doing, but I have to admit that the characterization was layered, complicated, and incredibly interesting. The plot kept me guessing, and second-guessing, maybe getting one or two of them right, and resulted in a pretty satisfying conclusion. A true psychological thriller, creepy and enigmatic, destined for the big screen. I can try but not unsee Amy Adams as the protagonist.

4/5 stars. This is the author's debut thriller, and it shows. I'd recommend this to fans of Lisa Jewell and Gillian Flynn.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Viking | Pamela Dorman Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to netgalley, and Penguin house publisher for allowing me to read Clever Little Thing by Helena Echlin. IThis book has some psychological aspects a death of a babysitter and the girl she babysits has characteristics of her.. I took a chance on a new author and I was pleasantly surprised. This book was a quick physiological suspenseful thriller that was hard to put down. It was hard to believe this was her first. This author gave me similar vibes to a child being a main character.

"A taut, powerful psychological thriller following a mother who must confront a sudden and terrifying change in her daughter after the abrupt death of their babysitter.

Charlotte's daughter Stella is sensitive and brilliant, perhaps even a genius, but a recent change in her behavior has alarmed her mother. Following the sudden death of Stella's babysitter, Blanka, the once disruptive and anti-social child has become docile and agreeable. But what's unsettling is that she has begun to mirror Blanka's personality, from Blanka's repetitive phrases to her accent, to fierce cravings for Armenian meat stew after being raised a vegetarian.

Charlotte is pregnant with her second child, and depleted and sick with the pregnancy. She is convinced that Blanka herself is somehow responsible for Stella's transformation. But how could Blanka, dead, still be entwined in their lives? Has Blanka somehow possessed Stella? Has Stella become Blanka? As Charlotte becomes increasingly obsessed, she is sure that only she can save her daughter...even though it's soon clear that her husband believes this is all in Charlotte's head.

Helena Echlin's singular, chilling voice holds light to the blurred lines of diagnosis in children and to the vital power of maternal instinct. Kaleidoscopic and tense, pulse-pounding and genuinely creepy, and infused with shades of the supernatural, Clever Little Thing is an ode to motherhood and a nuanced critique of the caretaking industry, a page-turner that will haunt readers long after its epic, surprising finale."

Seriously, when a kid's behavior changes, be suspicious. Be very suspicious.

This was an engrossing and twisty tale about Stella, a once difficult child who undergoes a total behavior shift after her nanny's death.

Once combative and challenging to please, Stella becomes more agreeable and pleasant after her nanny, Blanka, dies. The exact nature of Blanka's demise is a mystery that unravels as the novel progresses.

Stella's mother, Charlotte, is understandably unsettled by the changes in her daughter and worried that her daughter might have something to do with Blanka's death.

Charlotte visits Blanka's mother, Irina, and they become unexpectedly close. Irina ends up coming over frequently to help care for Stella since Charlotte is pregnant with her second child.

Overall, it's a pretty creepy story, but it keeps you interested and guessing until the end. It's a solid four-star read that I would definitely recommend!

Thank you to #netgalley for the ARC of #cleverlittlething

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is such an interesting thriller that moves quickly and keeps you turning the page. Charlotte's eight-year-old, Stella, exhibits signs of neurodivergence, but after her babysitter, Blanka, dies, Stella starts becoming much more docile, vacant, and "normal" - just like Blanka had been. Charlotte becomes convinced that somehow Blanka is possessing Stella, and things go off the rails quickly.

Besides being a fun, creepy story, this novel powerfully explores modern motherhood, generational trauma, the difficulties of parenting a neurodivergent child, the imbalances and abuses of the care industry, and the unequal emotional and physical labor that so often characterizes heterosexual marriage. Stella appearing to be consumed by Blanka feels like a metaphor for the way Charlotte's entire identity becomes subsumed into being a mother, and the way that society glorifies motherhood and maternal instinct but also demonizes people's parenting choices. Seeing Charlotte's own struggles manifest - especially as she reckons more with her own mother's parenting and life - is both heartbreaking and real, and the novel kept me guessing about whether Charlotte's psyche was blurring dreams and reality or there was actually something supernatural or magical happening.

It definitely gets a little hard to believe towards the end (even beyond what's going on with Stella and Blanka), but the build is slow, and by the time I got to the end I was just enjoying the ride.