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

Dark and twisty in the best way! Reminded me a lot of “The Push”, another maternal thriller that makes you feel uncomfortable throughout. A great unsettling feeling follows you through the chapters, as you question the main character’s sanity and her child.

What a wild ride this book was. This book was so creepy. Books with kids, and things surrounding the supernatural and kids just give me the creeps, but I love reading them. The paranormal elements were fantastic, and I love how they felt real, yet made me question everything. This book kept me guessing and I just devoured it. I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen. This one is full of suspense and kept me on the edge of my seat. I truly couldn’t guess how everything was going to work out, it was so twisty and unexpected. Charlotte was the ultimate unreliable narrator. I was surely questioning her sanity hard at several points in the book. And then her husband, just wow, what a character. The second half of the book is full of twists. I loved how some of them felt like they smacked me right in the face, while a few I felt I knew were coming. I couldn’t put this one down and finished it in a couple hours over the course of an afternoon.

If you are looking for a delightful and entertaining psychological thriller, then you need to read this one.

I’m not usually a fan of psychological suspenses with supernatural elements, but this was really original well written! A little girl takes on characteristics of her babysitter who recently died. There are family secrets that are eventually exposed. This was suspenseful, captivating, and a fast read.

This gave me the chills/creeps in a good way - I was on a move around every day road trip and still fell into it at night despite the exhaustion.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

4.5 Stars rounded up ! This novel was brilliantly twisty and kept me completely at the edge of my seat. I thought the storyline was very unique and I have not read another psychological thriller similar to this one. It was very easy to binge read this one in a sitting or two. I highly recommend giving this one a read if you enjoy a good suspense/psychological thriller, especially if you are a mother.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Viking for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

Clever Little Thing is perfect for fans of "The Push" and "All the Dangerous Things", following the perspective of a mother in grief, confusion, and strength, fighting to protect their children. Clearly, some interesting themes are explored here about motherhood, but also neurodivergence, found families, and the disintegration of the nuclear family. There's also a surprising touch of magical realism and spookiness! This definitely is dark and leaves you guessing, but for me the answers did tend to come way earlier than intended. The pacing was also too slow for my personal taste. Still, be sure to check it out in January!

This was just weird and not in a fun enough way for me to be able to suspend disbelief for its entirety. I think I’m just tired of mommy thrillers that use pregnancy-related depression as a plot device.

Clever Little Thing is sure to be one of the most talked about books of 2025. It's a perfect book club read. I was thoroughly impressed with this psychological thriller that was deeply disturbing and at times heartbreaking.

Charlotte loves her daughter exactly the way she is. So she's very concerned when Stella starts to change after the death of her babysitter, Blanka. Stella's personality and habits do a complete 180 and Charlotte is the only one who doesn't like it. Because Stella is acting just like Blanka.

It doesn't help matters that Charlotte is going through a very rough pregnancy and her husband works a lot. Luckily Blanka's mother Irina is good with Stella. She helps out while Charlotte increasingly worries and her husband dismisses those worries because he likes the way things are now.

There's so many layers to this story. Is Charlotte making a big deal of things because she's under so much strain? This could all just be Stella's way of coping with losing Blanka. Or is she actually possessed by her babysitter?

The tension never lets up as Charlotte stops at nothing to get her daughter back. I never knew what to expect all the way through to the shocking reveal. Comparisons to The Push are valid but Clever Little Thing is it's own unique story. But if you loved The Push like I did, odds are you'll love this.

I recommend Clever Little Thing if you like psychological thrillers with a bit of the supernatural mixed in. Or if you just want to read something different and thought provoking.

Thank you Penguin Group Viking/Pamela Dorman Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book- it was creepy and kept me guessing! The story centers on Charlotte, whose daughter Stella is seen as a difficult child to others, though Charlotte can see no problem. When their babysitter, Blanca, dies, Stella’s personality changes and Charlotte is convinced she is being possessed by Blanka in some way.

I love a story with an unreliable narrator and you get that here, as everyone around Charlotte thinks she is crazy. I went back and forth throughout the book on what was really happening. It was easy to root for her either way due to her fierce loyalty and drive to fight for Stella. There were some great twists in the 2nd half of the book, the biggest which I didn’t see coming at all. There were a couple things that were a bit unrealistic but still fit well with the story and didn’t bother me much. The very end of the book introduces some questions that kept me thinking about it even after I finished reading. I liked the ending overall.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and thought it was creepy and unique. There were some great surprises and it kept me guessing the whole way through. Would definitely recommend to those who like psychological thrillers. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley… I really wanted to love this one but I could not finish. It was just too slow paced for me right now.. but I do think I can go back and finish this book and update my review at a different time . It’s not what I’m looking to read right now .

Clever Little Thing is bingeable, entertaining, and keeps you guessing until the end. The book has a slower start as it introduces you to the characters but it picks up in the second half.
The book was very well written and easy to read. I enjoyed the paranormal/supernatural elements and the unique premise. Readers of psychological and mom thrillers will enjoy this one.

This book is being compared to The Push and aside from the book being about a mother, Clever Little Thing is completely different (in a good way).

Clever Little Thing by Helena Echlin will be available on January 14. Many thanks to Pamela Dorman Books and NetGalley for the gifted copy!

I love a good creepy child story. I was hooked from page one and simply could not wait to see how it all ended.
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Charlottes daughter Stella is incredibly bright. She’s also a bit introverted and quite particular. Charlotte has a special bond with her daughter and goes to great lengths to protect her well being. When Stella’s babysitter suddenly die's strange things start to happen around the home and more specifically with Stella herself. At first Charlotte chalks it up to hired, but then things become more prevalent that Charlotte can no longer ignore what’s happening.
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This story took me on a ride. I was intrigued, I was invested and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. There were a few parts of the story I found a bit unbelievable, but then I think to read this type of book there must be some suspension of belief in order to enjoy it. I found it clever and really enjoyed it!•
Thank you @netgalley and @pameladormanbooks for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Clever Little Thing lives up to its name - it is a clever read full of questions that Echlin slowly answers for her readers, one surprise at a time. I enjoyed that some of the more supernatural aspects of this story were bound to reality through the actions of each character. Echlin’s style of writing had me feeling connected with Charlotte: I felt her anguish, her confusion, and her desperation to figure out what was happening to Stella. This book is engaging and has a steady pace - I didn’t want to put it down.

The premise of this book intriuged me, although I don't typically like supernatural elements of ghosts/demons etc in my thrillers, i decided to give it a try. This was a pretty quick read for me and i think i enjoyed the last 10-15% of the book the most. Some of the things that came out about the husband were shocking, I cant believe that it was him who assaulted the babysitter. and that he was cheating on the wife for almost their whole marriage.