Pete and Charlotte's daughter Stella can be difficult, but she's a sensitive, sweet girl and very likely she is a genius, but recently Stella has become mild, complacent and very good...too good. This change follows the drowning death of Stella's Armenian babysitter, Blanka. Charlotte is increasingly worried as Stella begins to walk like Blanka....suffling, slow, head down and answers questions "0h, yes", just like Blanka did. The vegetarian child now craves Armenian meat stew and the only thing that seems to excite her is swimming even though she'd had a lifelong dread of water.

Charlotte is exhausted and suffers morning sickness, but becomes obsessed with getting "her" Stella back. Pete is no help. Charlotte teams up with Blanka's reluctant mother to get her Stella back.

I began this book by browsing my #netgalley shelf and figured I'd just check out the beginning, I was hooked immediately and just kept reading, This is one of those books that I looked forward to delving into each day. I highly recommend this well crafted tale of motherly instincts and devotion in the face of so many obstacles, many of which are not of this world. Thank you #netgalley and #Viking #PenguinRandomHouseBookd for offering me this captivating read, "CleverLittleThing" by #HelenaEchlin

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Viking for the arc!

I liked this book - motherhood, possible possession, extreme personality change in a child, gaslighting, womanhood, mystery - but something was missing for me. It's entertaining and has a great ending but overall I felt like it was a slower burn. I like my thrillers more fast-paced.

Overall, the story is unique and worth reading but temper expectations for the ride!

** spoiler alert ** 3 Stars! ✨ Huge thanks to Penguin Group Viking, Pamela Dorman Books, and NetGalley for the ARC! Clever Little Thing by Helena Echlin is dropping on January 14, 2025, with 352 pages of crazy maternal instincts, creepy vibes, and some twists that'll leave you questioning everything 🤯

✨ Tropes & Themes ✨
✧ Maternal Fear 💔
✧ Paranormal Suspense 👻
✧ Family Secrets 🕵️‍♀️
✧ Creepy Kid 👧
✧ Gaslighting 🚩
✧ Psychological Obsession 🧠

Okay, let’s talk Charlotte. Pregnant with her second kid, Luna, but all her attention is on her first daughter, Stella, who’s definitely acting a little too weird after their babysitter dies suddenly. We're talking full-on possession vibes—mimicking Blanka (the babysitter) with her accent and food cravings. At first, I’m hooked, right? Is Stella really possessed?! I’m all in, but then... things got... uh... out there.

Charlotte's decisions were a mess, y’all. She seriously thinks about giving up Luna to her husband Pete (who, side note, she knows is a rapist) just to keep Stella safe. What? I’m like, “Charlotte, honey, what are you even doing?!” This moment had me shook, because her desperate obsession with Stella clouds her judgment completely. Seriously, her moral compass was lost at sea.

And then there’s the twist with Pete, Blanka’s abuse, and Stella's possession. Blanka’s ghost wants Charlotte to take Stella away from Pete to break the possession, but even then, Charlotte’s willing to make such drastic, messed-up choices. It was hard to follow her emotional journey when her decisions were so... well... unsettling. The emotional depth I was craving just wasn’t there, and it was tough to look past her seriously questionable actions.

Now, the concept? So good. A mom’s instincts mixed with supernatural horror? YES, PLEASE. But the execution? Not so much. Some twists that should’ve been freaky came across as... well, kinda comical. 🤷‍♀️ I found myself laughing at parts that were definitely meant to be serious, and the ending left me with more confusion than closure.

But hey, if you’re into unreliable narrators and creepy kid stories, you might still enjoy this one. Just be ready for some wild twists, uncomfortable maternal themes, and a lot of head-scratching moments.

📌 Content Warnings (CW):
- Child neglect
- Pregnancy complications
- Gaslighting
- Death of a caretaker
- Parental obsession

TL;DR: Creepy kids, ghostly vibes, and a mom making some seriously questionable choices. It’s a wild ride, but the twists lean more campy than clever. Worth a read if you love maternal suspense, but not one I’ll revisit.

If you’ve been following me for a while, then you know that motherhood is one of my very favorite themes to read about. Helena Echlin did a fabulous job bringing a mother’s unconditional love, care, and understanding to light in her forthcoming release, CLEVER LITTLE THING. The author flawlessly captures the overwhelming intensity of motherhood, the anxiety, the demands, just how well we truly know our children, and the ferocity of that mother bear instinct. I’d best describe this novel as mom noir, or a mama drama with a dark side. The first sentence of the synopsis really sets the tone:

“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.”

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:

- Motherhood and marriage
- Family drama and dynamics
- Mother/daughter relationships
- Female friendship
- Dark and creepy reads
- Supernatural elements
- Disturbing child behavior
- Mystery and suspense
- Twists and turns galore

This novel is chilling, disturbing, and unsettling. You must be prepared to suspend belief a little bit as like I mentioned above, supernatural elements are used heavily throughout. If you go in with the right mindset, I can guarantee that you’ll be entertained and enthralled. I also suggest you go in as blindly as possible. Enjoy the wild and crazy ride! CLEVER LITTLE THING releases on January 14th! I give it 4/5 stars!

Stella, daughter of Charlotte, seems like she is on the autistic spectrum with her sensitivity issues to sounds and just about everything else. Her mom knows she has frequent severe meltdowns, but chooses not to have her tested. Charlotte is pregnant and always having morning sickness issues while working, but now her nanny has quit so Charlotte quits her job too. Stella becomes her obsession and keeping Stella safe is a full time job as it is.

When she learns the nanny had died, Charlotte visits the nanny's mom to comfort her and learns the nanny committed suicide; a secret Charlotte tries to keep from Stella. Weird things are happening with the child. From freakout to Ms. Oh Yes! within days and now she sounds and eats and acts just like the nanny. Charlotte's hubby commits her when she starts to think maybe the nanny has taken over her child's body. Is he the good, caring hubby? Or is there another side to him???

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy. Honest opinions expressed here are my own and are freely given.

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.