I was interested to read this because it keeps being compared to one of my all time favorite books (The Push by Ashley Audrain) but BOY would I like a word with those claiming so. The only similarity is the creepy child element, unfortunately this one is poorly written and the plot is unbelievably stupid. I laughed out loud at how dumb it was multiple times and if you read many thrillers then you’ll clock the villain immediately.

4.5 stars

Any book compared to The Push is a book I run to pick up. Though I didn’t think this book quite had the same shock value as The Push, it was still a great read. It held my attention, was binge worthy, and well written. I felt myself rooting for Charlotte through out the book.

I’m normally not a fan of open ended thrillers, but I liked how it gave 2 perspectives on how to interpret the ending.

This might not be for everyone, but it was for me.

Thank you Net galley for the ARC copy in exchange for my honest review!

Helena Echlin's Clever Little Thing follows Charlotte as she witnesses an unsettling metamorphosis in her eight-year-old daughter Stella. After their babysitter Blanka's sudden death, Stella - once a brilliant but volatile child with strict routines and intense sensory aversions - begins transforming into someone unrecognizable. Her meltdowns vanish, she abandons her lifelong vegetarianism for hearty stews, and she adopts Blanka's distinctive mannerisms with eerie precision. Through alternating "Then" and "Now" chapters interspersed with psychiatric evaluations, Echlin crafts a feverish narrative where maternal instinct collides with impossible questions. The story spirals through Charlotte's increasingly desperate perspective as she seeks answers about her daughter's transformation, finding an unlikely ally in Blanka's mother Irina while her husband insists these changes are all for the better.

4/5 ⭐️
What an amazing book I just read! It kept me guessing and entertained from beginning to end! If you are a fan of psychological thrillers, this is the book for you.

When Charlotte unexpectedly loses her nanny and then finds out the nanny died suddenly she's worried about what this news will do to her neurodiverse daughter Stella. Charlotte is pregnant with her second child and feeling sick and overwhelmed when she realizes that Stella has begun to change, Always bright, super-sensitive Stella slowly becomes different. Not as sensitive, not as bright, and with a changing look and personality. Is it Charlotte's heightened hormones giving her strange thoughts? Is her husband being supportive or scheming? Most importantly what is happening to her daughter and why is she the only one concerned? For fans of The Bad Seed and The Push.

Clever Little Thing is an intense, dark, bewildering physiological drama. While I can’t say I enjoyed the book, I was fascinated at the way the story unfolded and captivated by how much I believed what the main character was conveying through the drama.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This is one of the best books I have read in a while. What I thought was a psych thriller turned out to be something else. This book held my interest from the first page until the very last word. I didn’t want to put it down. This books tells the story of two women who will stop at nothing to give their daughters a voice. The mystery, the climax and resolution, the power of a mothers love, the depth of the characters… It was all so fantastic.

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Viking for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The story of an 8-year-old girl and her mother, and the aftermath that they encounter after the death of the girl's babysitter. The girl takes on the characteristics of her babysitter, and her mother knows that something is not right.

I was intrigued as the book keeps being compared to The Push by Ashley Audrain but found it to be only in the concept that it was a mother noir type book. I was a little put off by the child being presented as neurodivergent and found it to be presented in an odd way (this may just be the social worker in me.)

Overall, I liked the book. The writing was good and easy to read. I may have not been in the mood for this type of book, as I liked it but did not love it. But I do think that it will be a well-received new psychological thrilled for early 2025.

For me, it is a 3 star read.

DNF @45%

I really tried not to give up on this novel, but the plot and characters were so boring and pointless. I used to really enjoy psychological thrillers when I was younger, but I realize my real passion and motivation when it comes to reading is literary fiction.

I really found this interesting! Definitely good if you enjoyed The Perfect Child or the Push. I was guessing the ending until about 70% through and still didn’t totally get it.

This one did a 180 for me. It was going great, I was totally captivated by it, then all of a sudden, the story just flopped. I guess I can see the cleverness behind the use of Stella’s transformation, but unfortunately it just didn’t work for me.

thought-provoking, ominous, intense, and at times heartwarming tale of a mother, a daughter, and the baabysitter's mother. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

I absolutely loved this book! After so many 3-4 star reads lately, this was such a gem. It is an absolute must read for any mother and for anyone who loved The Push. I seriously can’t think of a single complaint and cannot wait to read more from this author in the future! 5⭐️s!!!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking- Pamela Dorman Books for an ARC of this novel.

Helena Echlin adds another novel, “Clever Little Thing” to the genre of Mom-noir/bad seed books like “The Push”, “House of Glass”, “Baby Teeth”, “Beware the Woman”, “A Good House for Children,” and “None of This is True.” The mom is usually reaching a breaking point whether or not her progeny is supernaturally possessed, truly evil or just overly difficult. Mental health is a major theme in most of these.

This book does open as mom Charlotte is being settled into a minimum two-day stay at a mental health facility for mothers with postpartum issues. It’s just three days after her daughter Luna was born. She also has another daughter, Stella, age eight, that she’s extremely worried about. Why?

Stella had always been precocious (reading at adult level), but overly sensitive: she hates the sound of the ocean and running faucets, won’t eat if food that is touching other food, refuses to be hugged or touched, and has late night freak-outs — full blown screeching meltdowns. At her birthday party, there was an incident that horrified the invitees. Stella was being taken care of by Blanka, a young foreign woman with limited English, but who got along well with Stella. But Blanka suddenly quit and died in an accident.

Charlotte was overwhelmed by her pregnancy, and quit her job. But she’s overly permissive, never disciplines Stella, and refuses to believe that Stella could benefit from professional help. Charlotte had a terrible relationship with her own mother, Edith, who died recently, so she tried to be the loving mother. Her husband Pete was concerned about Stella’s behavior until after Blanka died.

Quite the opposite of a child slowly becoming a demon after the death of her caregiver, Stella is finally agreeable and sociable, and has an appetite. Charlotte is the only mum in the world worried that her wild child has become calmer and better behaved. But some changes (mimicking Blanka’s phrases, craving Armenian stew, wanting to be closer to Blanka’s mother Irina), really bother Charlotte. Has the deceased Blanka managed to possess Stella? What happened that put Charlotte into institutional care?

Well-written and well-paced, we experience Charlotte unraveling. She seems like the ultimate unreliable narrator, but much about Stella’s odd behavior can’t be explained. Author Echlin has written a twisty novel that will keep you engrossed until the end. 4 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Stella has a rosebud mouth and big green eyes, as does her friend Zach.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO I initially doubted it, but there is something called mushroom packaging.

Thank you to Penguin/Viking, Pamela Dorman Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

Clever Little Thing is a bingeable psychological thriller with paranormal elements.
If you enjoyed The Push definitely check this one out. The characters are intriguing, the story is suspenseful and the twists are twisting! It’s a rollercoaster of a ride.
I went into this one blind and I recommend doing so!
This one will be released on January 14, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for the ARC!

Outside of being a thriller, I think this was a fabulous exploration of motherhood, mental health, and relationships.

Definitely recommend this slow burn, dual timeline thriller to fans of The Push.

This book has a good premise but it was just not for me. It gave me The Push vibes, so you enjoyed that book, you will enjoy this one. i unfortunately did not like THe Push. If I had known it had those vibes going into the book I would not have read it. So for what it was, not a bad book, just not for me personally.

What a weird book, in the absolute best way. After Stella's nanny dies, her mom, Charlotte, notices that her mannerisms and personality have suddenly shifted. It's more of a slow burn than a fast-paced thriller, but I loved every minute of it. If you liked The Push, I would recommend picking this one up.

This.. this is what a true psychological thriller is 👏🏻

Charlotte’s daughter Stella has a particular way of liking things: she doesn’t eat meat, she doesn’t like the sound of water, she often has melt downs.

After the sudden death of Stella’s babysitter, Blanka, Charlotte notices abrupt changes in Stella’s behavior. All of a sudden, she devours meat stew, she doesn’t mind the sound of water, she seems to be behaving without meltdowns. Charlotte is desperate to find out why her daughter has changed so much, amidst her husband and friends saying she has just grown out of it and also easier to get along with/manage.

This book was so well written! Hats off to the author. There are dual timelines, psych evals, and immense character depth. It reminded me of an Alice Feeney book which is HIGH praise.

Definitely put this one on your radar - pub date 01.14.25

4.5⭐️

Thanks so much to Pamela Dorman Books, NetGalley, and GOODREADS (giveaway) for my e-arc and physical copy!

Overall, this was pretty good. It wasn’t what I was expecting (a creepy, intense thriller), but it was a good slow burn for me. I wasn’t really getting into the book for the first half, but I’m glad I stuck with it because a little more than halfway through things started to pick up and it kept me turning the pages. While Charlotte wasn’t the most reliable narrator and I found myself second guessing her sanity at times, the gaslighting from Pete was real. I guess Charlotte wasn’t the only one being gaslit — I was too. Then once everything seemed to all make sense, a slight cliffhanger at the end left me wondering about Stella/Blanka. I will definitely be recommending Clever Little Thing.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group/Viking for the opportunity to read this ARC and offering the “read now” option. I had been eyeing this one for a while.