Just look at that cover, it literally screams horror/thriller novel. I honestly don't have much to say about this book. I was really excited for it and the first few chapters were really promising but from there and it went downhill enough that I decided to put the book down. My biggest issue is that from the summary of the story we know the Cassidy started a fire that killed her neighbor and now she is bullied because of it. It took 30% of the book before the reader is told this from the narrator and this detail is actually a really important detail that would have left a lot of confusion out earlier on in the book. Little Creeping Things had the potential to be an amazing read too, but it just fell short.

Little Creeping Things is the debut novel of Chelsea Ichaso. It follows the daily life of a teenage girl who is an unreliable narrator, named Cassidy. She is involved in trying to solve a recent murder of a fellow student while also navigating difficulties within dating and friend relationships. The pacing of the story was (mostly) reasonable, but it felt like some characters and story elements were not fully fleshed out. The author threw in plenty of red herrings and possible solutions to the mystery, but they often did not make much sense. The ending happened very quickly, with little to no tie-in to the way the rest of the story unfolded. We were not given any explanation of why the villain did what they did, which left me with questions. I was honestly expecting a really creepy book since it had the title Little Creeping Things. Instead, I read an okay mystery with a questionable resolution. I appreciate Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the advanced reader copy.

I really enjoyed this book. I really didn't know what to make of Cassidy at times but the ending definitely cleared up any confusion. There were so many surprises along the way. I really liked how the author allowed the reader to understand Cassidy's thought process.

This was an incredibly fun read! There's a genuine creepiness and it's a fantastic concept. 

I thought that I knew who the killer was, but there are a lot of red herrings. I thought that I understood everything, and that was wrong, too.

If you're in the mood for a fun, fast read, this is for you. It's a really enjoyable story that made me feel like I was on a bit of a vacation. We may not get to the beach or pool this summer, but this made me feel like I did.

Thank you Sourcebooks for the privilege of granting me this ARC,

This was a FUN ride. And when I say fun, I mean THRILLING. I do have to let you know this plot was somewhat a bit predicatable. I think I was possibly into 25% when I had a hint and sure enough.  Cassidy was a really not likeable character mostly throughout the whole story. I just think she had way too many issues that really made her and turn her demeanor, but still, she was waay too strong for Gideon's character, he seemed like her little puppy dog most of the time. It would be better to tag her as paranoid, from blaming Melody's dissapeareance and suspecting on her brothers friend, to Seth, even though he was kind of 'creepy'. 

it was a fast paced and it did keep me quite entertained, I just wish I wouldnt have figured out the plot at such an early read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me a copy of this title in return for my honest review. 

Cassidy has lived her life under constant scrutiny and judgement after allegedly starting a fire that killed her friend, an event she can’t remember. Her biggest tormentor is Melody. When Melody goes missing, Cassidy’s life is about to get more troublesome and chaotic once she realizes that she may have inadvertently planned Melody’s murder as a joke. Once Cassidy begins to receive text messages from an unknown number, she realizes it's up to her to do all she can to keep those around her safe and figure out what truly happened to Melody. 

When I read the blurb for this title, I was instantly attracted to it. I love to read YA and really enjoyed Little Monsters so I was very excited going into this read as it gave me similar vibes. The doll on the cover was incredibly creepy which I felt was a great fit for the title. Unfortunately, the blurb did almost too good of a job hyping the book that I feel tremendously let down. 

For starters, it's important to acknowledge that Cassidy is meant to be an unreliable narrator. While this is great, I found it SO hard to like her at all. At times I got so annoyed with her, I couldn’t stay involved in the plot. She spent most of the novel taking advantage of her friends, blaming a variety of people for the disappearance for little to no reason, and we eventually find out she started a horrible rumor herself about someone, even after knowing how it feels. At that point I basically lost all respect for her as a character and wanted to be done with the book. 

The other aspects of the novel that were not my favorite were the way certain relationships were sort of creepy (some family members/people just felt grossly and unnaturally close), the way that Cassidy would “see” smoke from the fire as a child and “lose consciousness” in a way never seemed to fit the plot well, and how I wanted to like Gideon with all my heart but he felt like a big mopey dog with no spine instead.

While you’re probably thinking “wow this review sounds harsh, why did she finish it?”, it is important to note that I did truly enjoy the plot of Melody disappearing and wanting to figure out the “who done it?” I didn’t see the big twist coming at the end, and for about 30 pages around 80% of the way through I was super engrossed and absolutely had to know what happened. These things redeemed the book enough for me to want to finish. I also loved how in the last chapter the title of the book came into play and it felt like an excellent fit based on all the events that took place in the story. 

While this book wasn’t for me, I can see how young adults might be drawn to the plot points of bullying and relationships and might find this book more enjoyable than I did.

I started this book at bedtime and had a hard time to put it down but I knew I had to get up in the morning. I really do think I could have read this book in one sitting. This is definitely a YA with the main character Cass a hard one to really like. Cass has been bullied most of her life so you would think she would go out of her way to be kind and build true friendships but instead it seems she does a lot of bulling herself - starting rumors about classmates, being mean to others and leading on a boy who has a crush on her. Cass has no problem using Peter to make Gideon jealous, jumping to point fingers at one person or another to be the killer without really stopping to think if it really could be them. Though at one point I seriously thought she was right with one person. I think that the author did a good job at having the reader on the edge of their seat. I couldn't put this book down and read well into my bedtime. I would have liked to see a little more character development to get to feel a little closer to some of the characters. I did think the author did a good job of twists in the plot and the ending I didn't really think was going to unfold that way. I can't wait to see what Chelsea comes up with for her next book. A great debut!

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It drew me in from page one and had me guessing until the end. 
Although it was YA, the characters were believable and likeable, unlike some recent YA I've attempted to read.

The story did become a little confusing for me but it got better as I kept reading. The ending was something I didn't see coming and I always like when that happens in thrillers that I read.

Thanks to Netgalley for my advanced ebook copy of this title.

Holding twists, which shoot out of the most overlooked shadows, this is a psycho-thriller which hooks right away and ends with an eerie treat.

Despite being an ace at volleyball if it wasn't for her soul mate, Cassidy would have been broken by the never-ending subtle bullying awaiting her every day at school. Although she accidentally started a fire, which killed her best friend, when she was a very young girl, no one has ever forgotten it. The incident still haunts her, especially since she can't clearly remember what happened. When another bullying scene has her leaving school early, her soul mate tries to comfort her in a secret spot in the woods they built as children. But while there, Cassidy hears the voice of one of her classmates...the last time anyone ever hears the girl again. Soon, Cassidy finds herself at the center of a murder, and the killer is playing a game with her.

Be ready for a well-woven plot with tons of surprises because this book packs them tight and full. The entire ride starts with a bang and lets tension and mystery sail the whole way through. Every time I thought it seemed like the identity of the killer was being revealed or a hint at what was really going on about to be dropped, the next surprise appeared, throwing everything into a doubtful spin all over again. This author knows how to lay out a thriller and keep the reader on their toes until the very last page.

Although over three-hundred-pages, I read this one within a couple hours. It flows that fast and furious. The dialogue sits, and the scenes slide through to keep the pace going. The beginning grabs and immediately throws the tension into high-gear. The ending definitely packs the most unexpected flip. It could have easily hit five stars from me, but there were some things missing due to this high speed of twists and turns. 

While the first scenes grab, there were holes left to Cassidy's background. She constantly worries about what everyone thinks of her and sees herself as the Fire Girl, and while there are hints at what she did in the past, there isn't quite enough to have made me quite understand what was going on. But then, her character is always kept an arm's distance away, making it hard to really be concerned about her or feel for her. Even with her soul mate, her Giddy, she never comes across as being kind to him, but he constantly is bending to meet her. The other characters are never built out much, either, and the emotional bonds or reasons to really care are never established.

The complexity of the hidden mystery was exciting and while holding so many wonderful surprises, there were moments where logic fell a little short. For example, in the opening scene, Cassidy runs out of volleyball practice...right during the match...and leaves the high school building without a single coach or teacher noticing or even mentioned. I was also surprised to learn that she set a fire when she was a young girl and was still being bullied about it in the last years of high school as if it just happened. Even her own constant phobia about it, while making some sense, was over the top and made me wonder why she wasn't in psychological care. But on the other hand, it definitely added to the psycho end of the tale and made the creepiness in her head really set in.

In any case, this is definitely an exciting read, which had me wanting to know what the truth was until the end. So, it gets a thumbs up from me.

I received an ARC copy and loved the chills, thrills and surprises until the last page. I'm giving this one 3.5-stars and rounding up.

Cassidy has embraced the idea that she is Fire Girl- not really.  She has been bullied by Melody, who is missing, and others but regrettably, she turns right back around and bullies others.  Cass is not a likable character but that's ok because she's realistic.  She's got a lot of anger, that's for sure.  She's got a good brother, Asher and a good friend in Gideon, who help her as she tries to find out the truth.  Keep in mind as you read that this is meant to be YA so the angst is appropriate, as is some of the behavior, as are the twists, which might not surprise more mature readers.  Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This mystery really kept me guessing right up to the last page. I was as totally surprised as the main character was by who the killer really was. Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this mystery.

Cass has always been a pariah in her town ever since the tragedy she suffered as a child which resulted in the death of a young girl. She garnered the nickname, Fire Girl, due to the fact the young girl died in a fire when trapped inside a playhouse. 
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Fast forward to the present and one day when Cass is in the woods with a friend she overhears one of her classmates scream and thinks something has happened to one of her. The major problem is that Cass planned how she would plan the murder of said classmate previously and documented it in her notebook which now has gone missing. 
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She is frantic to try and discover who took the notebook and who killed her classmate. With the help of her best  friend Gideon they start investigating. When one person is arrested for the crime it seems the case was solved but this is anything but the truth. 
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This was an easy and fun read in my opinion. I enjoyed the murder mystery aspect of the book and I thought the premise of the book was interesting and unique. A couple times while reading I thought I had figured out who the murderer was but it turned out I was wrong every time. I thought the ending was a total surprise and well done. This one comes out June 2, 2020 and you should definitely consider reading it.

This book started out strong. But somewhere along the halfway mark it started to sizzle. Somehow, the book went from being about a murder mystery to dwelling in teenage angst. I could forgive the angst if it were crucial to the plot, however, it felt more like filler. Cassidy is the sole survivor of a fire she started when she was little, ever since that day she has been tormented and bullied and dubbed Fire Girl by her peers. One of her biggest tormentors is Melody Davenport, a girl she’d love to see drop dead. And drop-dead she does right after Cass executes the most brilliant murder and shares her step by step guide with her brother’s best friend, Brandon. Now, the murderer knows of her desire to kill Melody and has proof (her notebook). The murderer threatens to spill everything if she doesn’t comply with his needs, mostly to not disclose this info with anyone else or grave consequences will follow.

My only issue is that there was minimal sleuthing being done for this being a murder mystery and even when Cass disclosed the whole truth to her best friend, there were no repercussions! So why was there even a threat made if nothing was going to come of it?

Now, none of the teenage angst would’ve annoyed me if I actually LIKED the protagonist. But Cassidy isn’t your usual unlikeable unreliable narrator, meaning that she’s not mean and charming, but rather just a big whiner and being bullied but then goes and spreads rumors about SOMEONE else and she pretty much treats anyone close to her like shit too. She really had no redeeming qualities nor was she witty or clever that I could overlook her not having any redeeming qualities. There’s a fine line between being Patrick Bateman charming and just falling into the terrible person with a blah personality box, and Cassidy falls into that.

So why did I continue to read despite all the negatives? Well, the author DID manage to keep me hooked on the premise of Who Killed Melody Davenport? I was curious to see if my hunch was right about a certain character or not (I was right).

I KNOW THIS IS A DEBUT NOVEL AND THERE’S ROOM FOR THE AUTHOR TO GROW, AND I DO THINK THAT THE AUTHOR HAS PROMISE, SO I WON’T WRITE THIS BOOK OFF ENTIRELY. THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU IF YOU LIKE SLOW BURN THRILLERS WITH A PROTAGONIST WITH A TRAUMATIC PAST.
*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Interesting YA story about a mysterious murder that take place and no one seems to know who did it. Cass heard her archenemy Melody asking for help before she got killed. But she can't just go to the police since a few weeks before, as a joke, she wrote in a notebook how she could kill her. And to makes matter worse, her notebook is missing. She then makes her mission in life to try to find her notebook and who killed Melody - and for that she keeps trying to remember who could possibly have had access to her notebook. It's kind of one of those YA books where things magically happen - like, it's a school day, but she manages to enter the house of a boy and go through his drawers, and things like that - but it's an interesting reading nonetheless.

I found this thriller to be compulsively readable, which is what I'm always looking for when I pick up a thriller. It also totally did that (rare) thing where it had me questioning and suspecting EVERYONE. It reminded me of TWO CAN KEEP A SECRET in that way. The tension was deliciously taut as I could see the mystery going in any number of ways, and also couldn't quite figure out how it would unravel, until it did, in its very satisfying conclusion. There was a fair amount of relationship drama woven into the mystery, too, so teens who are looking for that will be happy. The characters are likable and well-drawn, the voice strong and engaging. Overall, this was a compelling and satisfying read--with an unsettling edge.

Review posted at Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3356532542
Review will be posted at Amazon after pub date

I'm not going to lie, I struggled to get through this one. I don't really have a problem with unreliable or unlikable narrators but when they whine all throughout and are constantly seeing everything through their self serving pity-me glasses, that's where I tend to draw the line. I've LOVED books with a narratives from villains, from characters I didn't like one bit. I wish this could have been the case here but it just wasn't. The plot could have at least helped the story along but honestly I found it to also be lacking.

To me it was kinda like everything was rather one dimensional, the characters, the plot, and the mystery. The synopsis offered things I don't think the story ever delivered on. The big reveal at the end felt somehow predictable and easy, which was WEIRD because the one thing I can think of that I guess you could say is positive is that I didn't figure it out till right before. But once it was revealed it felt like OF COURSE and only because no one should guess that for any other reason than it would seem the least likely and you were just supposed to accept it in the end for nothing more than because sometimes people are just evil or crazy or whatever. It felt very simplified. Give me a breadcrumb or two along the way. I love to be surprised don't get me wrong, but it cheapens it to me when you did nothing along the way to give even miniscule clues or make it understandable how you got there or why things ended this way until literally right before, and even that is shakey at best. Maybe the fact that I'm reading such an emotionally complex grand series as well right now didn't help.

This just felt incredibly immature and unsatisfying to me. If major teen angst is your bag, or maybe you want to dip a toe in a light mystery, you might enjoy this one. To be honest I felt like the Scooby-Doo gang solved more indepth cases, but to each his own.

This book was a quick read and was a good teen thriller. I don’t feel like I was able to connect with the characters like I wanted to.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.  

I hate to say that I didn't finish it.  I got the twist early in the book and lost interest.

What a twisty story this is! An excellent read that will take you into a journey you'd think you have figured out until you realize you don't. A difficult one to put down.

This one was weird. The twist was lacking and the main character just didn't learn.  I wanted to love it as it was well paced and thriller with a mystery but sadly it just didn't work out at all.