Clever little thing was an interesting one for me. Definitely a slow burn but picked up half way through. I definitely recommend!

I wanted to love this book. Especially since it comes recommended by Ashley Audrain, but I just couldn’t get into it. The story was slow and boring, the book didn’t keep me guessing at all and the fact that it had a supernatural ending was a big disappointment. Regardless, thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC!!

A mother must confront a sudden change in her daughter's behavior after the abrupt death of their babysitter. Charlotte is convinced that the babysitter's spirit has possessed her daughter, and she becomes obsessed with saving her. This chilling psychological thriller explores the blurred lines of diagnosis in children and the power of maternal instinct.

This book is absolutely phenomenal! I love so many aspects of it. Firstly, it was completely unexpected, so I recommend not reading the blurb before diving in. The characters were captivating, and the subtle paranormal occurrences added an intriguing element.

The book was clever, fast-paced, and full of unpredictable twists. I appreciated the cultural references, as I also come from a different country, and the author did an excellent job incorporating them. I was immediately drawn into the story, and while you may predict a few twists, the true outcome will surprise you.

There are a few triggers to be aware of, so I recommend checking before reading. The author's depiction of the children's behavior was so vivid, I couldn't help but wonder if it was based on personal experience or thorough research. The dynamics between the mother and daughter, and their compromises to avoid conflicts, were fascinating to read about.

I don't want to give too much away, but I truly adored this book! If you enjoy a touch of the paranormal and a well-written story that will keep you hooked, this is the perfect read. It's so engaging that you won't be able to put it down, so clear your schedule before starting, because you'll be binge-reading this book in no time.

Thank you, PENGUIN GROUP Viking | Pamela Dorman Books for digital ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Clever Little Thing is, unsurprisingly, a very clever thriller. I loved the way the author both played into and sometimes subverted thriller tropes; but my favorite part of this book was the unexpected emotional weight it carried.

Our narrator Charlotte is slightly obsessed with and overprotective of her daughter Stella, so when Stella begins to behave differently after the death of her babysitter, Charlotte notices at once. The personality changes start out small, but then start becoming more sinister & unexplainable; but no one else seems to see any changes in her daughter, and no one takes her concerns seriously. As the situation escalates, Charlotte becomes determined to save her daughter, no matter what; but what if it's all in her head?

Clever Little Thing is a tense thriller revolving around motherhood. It is very well-written, and surprisingly emotional as it explores the relationships & strains of motherhood throughout the story. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoys thrillers with narrators you aren't sure if you can trust or not; possible supernatural themes; and interesting family commentary.

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

Eight year old Stella is sensitive and brilliant, maybe even a genius, but a recent change in her behavior after the sudden death of her babysitter has alarmed her parents, especially her mother Charlotte. Now the once disruptive and anti-social child has become docile and agreeable and 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 Stella resembles Blanka. 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. Has Blanka possessed Stella? Is Stella Blanka? As Charlotte becomes increasingly obsessed, she is sure that only she can save her daughter.

Clever Little Thing is a quick read that keeps you turning the pages. Charlotte is an unreliable narrator and I was fascinated watching her become increasingly desperate. I also cringed at most of her actions, including her parenting style. While I give Charlotte credit for noticing a change in her daughter I didn't like her. She's frustrating and obsessive.

You'll spend a lot of time wondering what is really going on. It certainly seems Charlotte has it figured out. It's never that simple though and there is a twist that reveals something major. I had that figured out and I thought it would shed a new light on things. And that's really all I can say without spoilers. I can't say I like the "resolution" and how it was arrived at. There is a final potential twist that is also hard to talk about without spoilers. It wasn't a twist for me and I don't see how it wasn't the ___ _______. Like come on, seriously? No matter what, you have to suspend belief. There is a lot to discuss about Clever Little Thing and it is perfect for book clubs or buddy reads.

Clever Little Thing will be published January 14th. Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Viking/Pamela Dorman Books for the chance to read this ARC and the opportunity to give my honest thoughts and review!

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, unsettling, and slightly paranormal psychological thriller, then look no further than Clever Little Thing. I randomly decided to pick up this book one night and by the next morning, I had finished it because it hooked me to the point I actually stayed up late because I couldn’t stop reading it! In this book, we follow Charlotte, a married pregnant mother of a little girl named Stella, who by all accounts, is most likely autistic. Charlotte has been doing everything she can to nurture Stella and her unusual interests, but things start to change when Stella’s babysitter, Blanka unexpectedly quits her job and is later found to have died suddenly.

This is where things start to get weird and unsettling as Charlotte begins to notice that Stella has started to take on some of the characteristics of her old babysitter, including changes in her behavior like not reading above her age level (when Stella used to read textbooks and dense informative books all the time based on her current interests) and wanting to eat meat when she was raised vegetarian. Charlotte begins to wonder what happened to her daughter… and if Blanka has somehow taken her daughter’s place.

This was twisty, turny, and definitely chilling as it explores the questions and burdens of motherhood, especially when it comes to knowing your children and wanting the best life for them. I will say that the ending was kind of surprising to me and it kind of came out of nowhere for me, but thinking on it now, I can see some of the signs and it does make more sense in a way now than when I first finished the book. I feel like this will be the next big thriller once it is released in 2025 and I can’t wait to hype it up!

If you enjoy bingeable psychological thrillers, pick this one up and go into it BLIND!

As an avid thriller reader, I find it more and more difficult to find a 5-star one to really impress me. This one had a different type of twist to it, and although I could see a lot of the reveals coming it was still done so well. Echlin’s writing is the true star of the book though, I wasn’t expecting this to pack such an emotional punch - one reveal in particular around the halfway mark really hit home for me and provided some really fantastic quotes.

This should be a buzzy thriller for early ‘25 and it deserves all the praise.

CLEVER LITTLE THING by Helena Echlin has an odd premise, so odd that it was hard for me to buy into the story. The story starts with Charlotte, a new mom to her second daughter, settling into a facility while her newborn is in NICU. As the story unfolds, Charlotte thinks her older daughter Stella has been possessed by her recently deceased nanny Blanka. Her daughter had been showing signs of being autistic, but, after Blanka dies, Stella becomes more social and exhibits far fewer sensory processing issues and also takes on Blanka’s preferences.

I found this novel to be unsettling but not in an intriguing way. I was confused by the different elements, like the “possession,” Charlotte’s munchausen by proxy toward her daughter Stella, Stella’s radical change in behavior, Charlotte not being a trustworthy narrator, and just not liking being in Charlotte’s perspective. I did enjoy THE PUSH tremendously, so I’m not opposed to novels with a nuanced look at motherhood. This one just didn’t land for me.

CLEVER LITTLE THING publishes January 14, 2025.

2 stars

I had to DNF this at 11%. The pacing and voice reminds me very much of writing on Wattpad - very undeveloped, and overly descriptive of every action that doesn’t add anything to the plot. The writing made me feel like I needed to rush while reading it, like she was building to something only to have nothing happen at all. This was described as being similar to The Push by Ashley Audrain but this was far less engaging from the beginning and I already think Stella is a psychopath just from the beach scene alone.

This was a fascinating one! I won't lie, it took me a little while to get into it, but once I did I was hooked and by the last 1/4 or so I was flipping pages like crazy just dying to see how it ended. It's a unique plot in such a way that I don't think I've read anything else like it. I ended up really loving Charlotte, Stella, and especially Irina, and rooting for all three of them.

A page-turning thriller that has "unreliable narrator" written all over it | The story kept me on the edge of my seat from page 1 | I kept guessing what was actually going on and I did not get it right | Until about 85%, this was a true 5 star read for me - then it took an unexpected turn that disappointed me a bit | The writing was super engaging and the characters felt very well developed | Highly recommend for any thriller lover, especially anyone who loved The Push

4.5 Stars

This review was published on Goodreads

Oh, she is a clever little thing. This book kept me guessing and intrigued the entire time. Charlotte seems obsessed with her daughter Stella. She appears even more so when Stella's behavior changes drastically. While Charlotte tries to get to the bottom of it, her husband who plays the role of supportive partner, really isn't helping her at all. I liked the writing style and seeing everything from Charlotte's point of view. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for the ARC of this book. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read it early.

This book certainly kept me reading to find out what would happen. I was a bit unsettled by the possible supernatural aspect of the story, and it’s not something I typically gravitate to. But for fans of that genre, this will probably be a winner. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fast paced, thrilling suspenseful read. An interesting mix of characters. Dark and gritty, entertaining and hard to put down. Overall a great read.

Getting this ARC felt like such a win. Right from the start, I was pulled into a thriller that wasn’t just about suspense—it was filled with beautifully complex characters. The way it portrayed neurodivergent traits, especially around autism, felt incredibly respectful and genuine. It’s rare to find stories that handle this with such nuance, and even though it wasn’t directly addressed, there was a quiet authenticity that stayed with me.

Some twists felt predictable, but oddly, that only made the experience more gripping. It was as if the story invited you to anticipate what was coming, and then threw in emotional weight that took me by surprise. The blend of drama, trust, and unexpected depth created a rollercoaster of emotions that left a real impact. By the last page, I didn’t want to say goodbye to these characters—they felt like they’d been on the journey with me.

Helena Echlin has written a tense psychological thriller with great suspense and a varied cast of characters. Clever Little Thing is a fast-paced read, with a good twist, and a satisfying ending.

At times the reader must put aside realistic expectations in order to follow the story, but it works in this storyline. The neurodivergent character at times bothered me, only because the behavior of the character did not always feel authentic. Perhaps though I am just being a little sensitive to that subject. I love though that the author took a chance and used a neurodivergent character.

Fans of thrillers/suspense are going to like this one. Just be prepared, it does get dark, but it works for the story and adds a new level of suspense.

I loved the beautiful things Helena Echlin did with Clever Little Thing, even though I didn’t love everything about the story itself. It was the character growth that really impressed me. From start to finish, Charlotte undergoes a massive transformation in her emotional awareness. Her narration quickly reveals her privileged voice, as well as her stifled emotions. She relies on her self-imposed rules of etiquette, which sound wise in theory, but lead to poor boundaries in practice. She cares very little for those who aren’t part of her tax bracket, and she views her child’s babysitter mechanically, rather than seeing her as a person. She loves her daughter dearly, and appreciates all of the qualities that make her unique as a child, but she refuses to acknowledge vital truths regarding her child’s behavior. She looks back on her own childhood with sadness, continually questioning and judging her mother’s behavior. And she possesses an overwhelmingly evident bias toward foreign customs, despite a somewhat performative drive at comprehension. The author managed to take all of these characteristics and work through them as the story unfolds, allowing Charlotte to become a better version of herself by the end of the novel.

Clever Little Thing embraces the popular evil child trope, although Stella isn’t quite Damian, despite the possibility of possession. Her changing behavior after her babysitter’s death is cause for concern, although no one but Charlotte seems to be taking this seriously. This was another aspect Echlin did well. Even though we know, as readers, that Charlotte might not be a completely reliable narrator, we also recognize that she isn’t losing her mind. The way other characters cast doubt upon her observations, and explain away Stella’s behavior, is extremely frustrating. It mirrors real life so well that it succeeds in causing distress.

While Clever Little Thing had its unique components, I wouldn’t say its path was decidedly different from other stories using this trope. The narrative was always interesting to me, though. The more Stella’s behavior looked like that of Bianca, her deceased babysitter, the more my curiosity grew.

The twist certainly helped eradicate an implication that had made me uncomfortable throughout the book. I’m glad I leaned into trusting the author with it. Although it wasn’t something I automatically assumed, I felt like the story crumbled a bit after it was revealed. I also need to warn that it could be extremely triggering for some readers. I cannot say how without spoiling things. Even though my basic rule of thumb when picking up a thriller or a horror novel is to expect potentially triggering content, this reveal still caught me off guard, and while other aspects of the book’s content might also prove difficult for some readers, this particular piece may be even more jarring because of how it is illustrated.

I was, overall, satisfied with the final resolve, although what was suggested within the last few sentences irritated me. I think all that Echlin accomplished before that worked well enough, and there was no good reason for this highly implausible addition.

3.5 stars

I am immensely grateful to Pamela Dorman Books and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

Stella is a sensitive and smart child who begins to change after the death of her babysitter, Blanka. Her mother Charlotte has concerns, but not everyone agrees that the changes in Stella are for the worse. When Stella’s actions start to mirror her former babysitter, Charlotte starts to wonder if Stella and Blanka’s lives have become entwined her death.

I loved this book! The unique story and relatable struggles of motherhood made me want to keep reading.
It had some creepy vibes which made it a perfect spooky season read for me!

3.5 or 3.75. This was definitely reminiscent of The Push, but I really found the ending weak and unsatisfying. Other than that, though, this was exactly the kind of book I love! I really get a kick out of these mom-noir books that are becoming more popular nowadays. I love the idea of a mysterious/possibly evil kid and the frazzled new mom just trying to keep her head above water. Call me a sucker for punishment (I'm 34 weeks pregnant right now, so maybe I should hate these kinds of books). Our MC is Charlotte, mom to 8-year-old Stella, who has always been a challenging child. She doesn't like to be touched, hates water, is easily overstimulated, and shows little interest in her peers. The book hints that Stella may be on the spectrum, but it's never really confirmed. After the tragic death of Stella's long-time babysitter, Stella abruptly changes personalities completely, acting more and more like the deceased woman. Charlotte, struggling with a difficult pregnancy and a husband who doesn't see anything wrong, tries to find out what has happened to her daughter, and how to get Stella back.
The premise is entertaining and fun, with plenty of chilling moments that will make the mom readers shiver. Charlotte is a relatable protagonist, and the side characters add depth to the story. The ending, as I mentioned earlier, was pretty disappointing for me, and I think The Push is definitely a better book, but this one is well worth the read if you like this subgenre of mystery novels.

This was a good book. Didn't blow me away, but I did quite enjoy it. I did suspect the twist, but the ending really satisfied me. Thank you so much for the advance copy