This was quite the page-turner! I enjoyed this well-written book most of the way through, and it would have been four stars due to the quick, easy pace. However, I lost patience when the story veered off in a direction from which I couldn't see any plausible recovery. I guess I'm someone who needs believability.

Here you have an overly anxious mother, a perfect dad, and a quirky, gifted child for whom the parents have made consessions beyond the norm. How they manage is the bulk of the book, until some strange goings-on creep in and slowly begin to change the story. Since we see the story through the mother's eyes, perception is everything. The ending, for me, didn't work all that well and left me with questions. That said, I would recommend it for the thrill of suspense that I know readers will enjoy.

Thanks to Penguin Group/Pamela Dorman and NetGalley for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of my most awaited books and I enjoyed every second of it. Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC!

Admittedly, I was a little put off in the beginning when Charlotte reacted aggressively to another mom’s suggestion that Stella was on the spectrum. Despite the many signs, Charlotte refuses to seek an evaluation for Stella, choosing instead to embrace her quirks. So, when Stella begins to change following the death of her babysitter, Charlotte starts to feel afraid for her daughter.

This was disturbing in the best way. Stella was deeply attached to her babysitter, Blanka, and begins to mirror her personality after she dies. Her speech regresses, her dietary preferences change, and she becomes a placid and obedient child instead of the fiercely intelligent and unique girl she used to be. Everyone else seems to welcome these changes in Stella, but Charlotte is terrified. Is Stella simply processing Blanka’s death in her own way, or is there something more sinister going on? Has Stella been possessed by Blanka? Charlotte is an unreliable, and often frustrating narrator, but she can tell something strange is going on.

Clever Little Thing explores the complexity of mother-daughter relationships with a supernatural twist. As aggravating as Charlotte could be, I really felt for her as she tried desperately to figure out what was going on with Stella, only to repeatedly be told there was nothing to worry about. Her tentative relationship with Irina, Blanka’s grieving mother, was one of the high points of the book. My heart broke for both Irina and Blanka as I learned more about their situation and their lives before coming to England.

Overall, this was a phenomenal read, one that I didn’t want to put down. Well-written, tense, and creepy in all the right spots. Although it became increasingly stressful being inside Charlotte’s head, the ending was perfectly satisfying.

This was such a good thriller! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I kept trying to figure out who I trusted, who I didn't and what was actually happening. Lets just say I was wrong every time. Great, fast paced read. Ill be looking for more from this author!

𝑶𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆: 𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒋𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒂 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅. 𝑬𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒚 𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒔. 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆.

I went into this thinking it would be another creepy kid story, which I love, but it ended up being so much more. Charlotte's daughter Stella is different. Her hair is often matted and wild because the brush hurts, the bath water must be drawn with the bathroom door closed because the noise is too overwhelming--Charlotte has grown so accustomed to her daughter's endless list of accommodations that she thinks nothing of it until a well-meaning friend gently suggests that Stella may be on the spectrum and suggests testing. Charlotte has a visceral reaction that damages the friendship, but she's got more bad news waiting.

Their nanny Blanka abruptly quits, giving no real reason. Overwhelmed, frustrated, and pregnant once again, Charlotte and her husband are bewildered when Stella's personality totally changes soon after they find out that Blanka died. The little girl who once had meltdowns has become docile and timid, she's speaking with an accent, and she has a ferocious craving for Armenian meat stew despite being raised as a vegetarian. When Charlotte finds a diary Stella has been keeping, there is one phrase repeated over and over, and it's written in another language. Every instinct is screaming at her that something is wrong. Could Blanka be possessing Stella? Is Stella manipulating everyone? Could Charlotte's own troubled upbringing be causing her to imagine things that just aren't there?

This was a totally immersive, unsettling read that was downright creepy in some places. I did have a hunch early on that proved to be correct, but in no way did it alter my enjoyment of this book. The underlying message that spoke to me was this--there are so many roles that women play, and being a caretaker is one of great importance. Ironically, a woman playing this role seems to be diminished, relegated to the background to shrink until she becomes a ghost in her own life. The layers to each female character were meticulously crafted, and the author came them a dimension that life often robs them of.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Viking/Pamela Dorman Books for this stunning early read. At the time this review was written, this book was expected to publish January 14, 2025.

This is an engrossing psychological thriller, disturbing in some ways but also ultimately hopeful. It is a story about relationships , about how well do we know the people we are closest to, our spouse, our child. It is a story of a woman, who has to find out the truth when no one believes her, even sometimes us as the readers. And the story of an unusual girl, gifted, different and what is she capable of. 4.5

Sometimes the main character of this book felt very familiar to me as someone with anxiety. A quote I even highlighted was "It's like anxiety is your natural mode." because that is relatable. Clever Little Thing takes you on a bumpy ride with a mother who wants nothing more than to protect her daughter and ensure she can always be herself even if it means she may be a little different. This book touches on topics like post-partum mental health and the role it can play in raising a child, having a village to raise a child, and the lack of diverse learning options. While I caught myself changing my opinions on the mother multiple times during the book by the end I felt like this gave me a much better understanding of the lengths a mother will go to for their child. Make no assumptions in "Clever Little Thing" because you'll find out something new as you read.

What a great surprise this book was. I thought I knew where it was going, felt smug certain plot developments proved me right...and then the author pulled a nifty trick that left me delighted by its, well, cleverness. A real treat that begs for a movie adaptation...perhaps with Kate Winslet as Charlotte?

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC! The book comes out on January 14th, 2025.

This is a book that I will tell everyone about! A must read. Everyone will remember this book for a long time. The writing is superb. I enjoyed all the characters Echlin created. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A creepy story, and very much enjoyed. I read it in two days. Echlin is a talent and I look forward to get future work.

I loved this! Definitely for fans of psychological thrillers - reminded me a lot of Ashley Audrain books. Echlin did such a great job at convincing me that the outcome could go in so many ways, so I was truly surprised by the ending and the final twist. I never fully trusted any of the characters, but that made for an interesting story experience from start to finish. Would absolutely recommend!

This is a well written psychological thriller that I think some of my students will really. They are fond of disturbing reads, horror and supernatural. The subject matter, primarily the relationship between a mother and her young daughter might be of less interest to them.

This novel is hauntingly beautiful mom noir. As gentle caregivers, moms know that if allowed a safe space, we will all evolve and softly unfold like a new flower in spring. There are so many intense emotions that well up in a mother’s hormone-rich body . . . copious amounts of joy, love, guilt, fear . . . at times these emotions can come in waves large enough to knock us down at our weakest and leave us feeling helpless. Being a mom can also be frightening . . . am I doing this right? Is my child going to be okay or am I completely wrecking this perfect little human? Moms can become their own harshest critics, often placing unrealistic expectations on themselves . . . striving for perfection, and occasionally pushing their nerves and bodies to the absolute limits. Could those same powerful hormones meant to create new life and flood us with love and energy, that which bind us, also become rancid in the brain and conspire to drive us mad? These are the thoughts that begin to swirl around Charlotte as she navigates motherhood of a neurodiverse daughter, Stella, and fears that seem to be growing faster than the second child in her pregnant belly. Disturbed by the major personality changes witnessed in Stella . . . Is Charlotte acting from a deep-seated intuition or the paranoid obsession that her husband suggests?

I highly recommend this read for those who like complex human experiences and a touch of the supernatural. The first half may have you scratching your head in confusion, but the second half pulls it all together with crystal clarity.

I thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of Clever Little Thing for my unbiased evaluation.  5 stars

Clever Little Thing by Helena Echlin opens with Charlotte in what seems to be some sort of sparkly asylum after giving birth to her baby. It’s immediately obvious that she doesn’t want to be there, and you find yourself wondering why she’s even there in the first place. That’s when the real story starts. The following chapter is a flashback to a playdate with Charlotte, her daughter Stella and some friends, where Stella exhibits some strange behavior. The story continues highlighting Stella’s often challenging behavior and the changes that ensue after the death of her babysitter, Blanka. Charlotte starts to unravel as she watches her daughter change before her eyes, and there starts her quest to get to the bottom of what’s really going on, even if everyone else starts to think she’s crazy.

I don’t really read books in this genre, but I was intrigued by the premise and decided to try something new. I’m so glad I did! I thought this would be your typical take on “The Bad Seed” - a child acting out and doing disturbing things, but it was such a unique concept. All of the characters were developed so well and you start to feel like you’re part of the story (like a fly on the wall) after a while. As a mother myself, I really felt for Charlotte and wanted her to triumph so badly as everyone around her was starting to turn on her.

I also really enjoyed the supernatural aspect of this book! It really gave an eerie and sometimes unnerving vibe that had me wanting more and more. I really couldn’t put it down! I didn’t really see the twist coming at the end either. Normally, I can predict twists fairly easily, but this story kept me guessing up until the very end!

Thank you NetGalley and Pamela Dorman books for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review. It’s so fun to try new things sometimes and I’m happy I did. I highly recommend this book!

Perfectly creepy to start Fall thrillers! Possessed children and haunted secrets are just what I was looking for. While there was a bit of naivety and long drawn out conclusions, I did enjoy this read!

Thank you for the ARC !
This book was amazing ! I couldn’t put it down at all . I was definitely surprised at the ending and the different twists . The characters and story were easy to follow . Definitely 5 stars !

This is the best psychological thriller I’ve read this year! It kept me engaged, intrigued and I wasn’t able to guess what would happen next. 10/10

This was quite the psychological thriller!!! It kept me interested and I had no idea where this was going which I love when that happens!

If you love books like “The Push” and “Baby teeth” this one’s for you!! When Charlottes daughter changes drastically overnight after her longtime babysitter quits, Charlotte cannot accept that all these changes are for the good of her daughter. What has happened to Stella and is Charlotte going crazy?

This book was definitely a page turner for me. You never quite know what’s going on but it’s so intriguing that you keep relentlessly turning the pages. This book will make you question everything until the very last page!

If you loved the Push you'll love this one! I normally steer clear of paranormal but this strangely worked for me. Twisty and page turning throughout!

This is a slow paced psychological thriller. I enjoyed it once it picked up and got really strange. Has a unique premise that won’t be soon forgotten.