Oh my goodness...this book was creepy and not always in a good way. A disturbed child and a mother who is losing her grip on reality...not really my kind of book!!!

This book was not what I was expecting but I still really had a good time with it. This book follows Charolette after the death of her daughter’s babysitter. Charolette notices some changes in Stella that were similar to Blanca ( her babysitter). I was expecting a creepy kid story with this one and it is not really what you are getting. This felt much more like a family drama with a little magic realism thrown in it wasn’t really creepy or unsettling but still kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next. I will say not having kids of my own I don’t think I was the target audience for this book. The writing was engaging and kept me interested throughout. This was my first book from this author but hope to read more in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

There is so much to this story! Clever Little Thing surprised me – while it has the horror theme I was expecting, it brought so much more in other areas – abusive relationships, the traumas of motherhood, mental illness, the pure love of a mother for her child and so much more.

What I loved most was my own uncertainty chapter to chapter – I never doubted Charlotte’s love for Stella but was that love so big that she couldn’t see the forest for the tree’s? Then, things really took off and I cannot say enough about this plot’s twists and turns. Just so well done!

Thoroughly engaging and a unique storyline that is both compelling and thought-provoking, all while giving me the heebs and the feels!

My thanks to Penguin Group Viking for this gifted DRC!

I read a lot of thrillers, but this one felt different from the start—Stella’s sudden shift after her babysitter’s death is creepy enough, but the little details (like craving Armenian meat stew after a lifetime of being vegetarian) made it even more unsettling.

Is it possession? Trauma? Something else entirely? Clever Little Thing keeps you guessing, blurring the line between the supernatural and psychological. I’m not a mother, but I can only imagine how much more haunting this would be to read as a parent, watching your child become someone unrecognizable and not knowing how to fix it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this one. It had a twist that I didn't see coming, and I really enjoyed the characters. 5 stars for sure!

Very creepy and unsettling portrait of motherhood, pregnancy, and postpartum. Lots of nods to maternal mental health and extreme anxiety as it relates to kids. Ultimately, this was too slow for me. I didn’t want deep explanations and background. I wanted a faster pace, more clues, and compelling characters. I didn’t get that.

Clever Little Thing is a complex look at motherhood with a paranormal twist. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down. The character development was wonderful, characters flawed and trying. And the suspense was top notch.

I had my suspicions about the twist and I was correct, but it was so well done.

This is a harrowing story of a mother’s fight to protect her child. Charlotte is a mother to 8 year old Stella who is showing possible signs of being on the autism spectrum, something that she and her husband, Pete, do not fully agree on. When Stella’s caregiver, Blanka, abruptly quits and then dies suddenly, Charlotte leaves her job to care for Stella and herself as she is newly pregnant. As time goes on, Stella begins to change. Charlotte is concerned for her daughter. Pete thinks she is just growing up but Charlotte thinks it is way more than that when Stella starts acting and even speaking like Blanka. Irina, Blanka’s mother, is a source of support for Charlotte who is experiencing lots of pregnancy symptoms. A series of events take place that lead to a harrowing fight for Stella’s life. Can Charlotte save her daughter from this other force?

This story is told using dual timelines. It was a little hard for me as a parent of a daughter on the autism spectrum to read parts of this book just as it hit close to home whereas I prefer my books to be an escape. I found Charlotte’s character to be slightly difficult to like just from my perspective as a mother, but every parent’s journey is different.

Ultimately, this book kept me interested but was a little bit of a slow burn for the first half to three quarters of the book before it picked up and I did not want to put it down. There was some intense gaslighting in this book as well, so if that is a trigger, proceed with caution.

Thank you Penguin Group Viking publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I honestly think I’m kind of done with books about the terror of motherhood and child behavior. I’m not a mother so I find it hard to really relate. That’s not the fault of the author but it certainly changes how I relate to the story.

For me this was just ok. You kind of jump right in without first getting to know any of the characters at all and I found it hard to really care about any of them. I especially disliked Charlotte. She’s very pretentious to me. And to be honest fear of having an autistic or emotionally handicapped child is just one reason I’m glad I don’t have kids so Stella’s behavior was grating to me. The overall mystery was fine and the end was decent. I’d read another book by the author.

If you can relate to being a mom and worrying about a child then you will probably enjoy this book way more than I did.

**Thanks to the author and publisher for the e-arc I received in exchange for my honest opinion.**

This book was…interesting.
I was completely entangled, but then it took a strange turn, and I just don’t know how I feel about it now.
I wish the ending were different. One of those, you have a feeling someone isn’t telling the whole truth, and then you see a glimpse of proof at the very end. One of those endings would have been a little more intense here.
What would you do if your troublesome child suddenly cooperated with everything she wouldn’t before? Charlotte doesn’t know what is happening to her daughter Stella, but it doesn’t feel right. This book is just so strange. I did enjoy it, but it also creeped me out. 3.5 ⭐️
Thank you netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you to Penguin Viking Books and to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. "Clever Little Thing" follows Charlotte, a pregnant mother to an 8 year old who has always had sensory and social difficulties. When her nanny quits out of nowhere and then dies a few days later, her daughter experiences a drastic change in personality that starts to mimic that of her deceased nanny.

This book was fast paced and compulsively readable, I ended up finishing it in 24 hours. The author really drives you into the story and captures you in Charlotte's descent into madness and paranoia. It is a compelling story about the lengths a mother will go to protect her child and the ways women are told their problems are all in their head. It does dive a little heavy into demons and possession which I know will be a turnoff for some readers (and did make me love the last third less than the first two). However, fans of Ashley Audrain's, "The Push", or the Amy Adam's movie Nightbitch will enjoy this novel.

A psychological thriller between a mother losing her grip on reality and her young daughter. Charlotte, now pregnant again, is always worried for her little girl Stella, especially after her babysitter Blanka dies suddenly. But things ramp up when Stella’s entire personality changes in an instant, mirroring that of Blanka’s. Charlotte is convinced Blanka is somehow connected…either orchestrating something behind the grave, nefarious intent by her mother, or actual possession. As the pregnancy progresses, time is running out to save her daughter from other forces at play…but who will believe her?
This constantly left me guessing! It was hard to know if Charlotte was really going off the handles or if something really did have a hold of Stella on a supernatural level. Some things felt a bit disconnected but for the most part I enjoyed this thriller!
Thank you to Pamela Dorman Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Definitely an interesting story, but some aspects were kind of weird. Fully guessed every reveal long before they happened. But I was invested and enjoyed it

An eery, unsettling domestic thriller that took big swings when leaning into the supernatural. Like most of the characters, we spend most of the book thinking that the protagonist is completely out of her mind before gradually being convinced. I felt that the husband's behavioral shift could have occurred more gradually throughout the piece - little bits and pieces that the audience could track, even if the protagonist was left in the dark. That would've helped his turn seem more believable. Good writing overall.

I was loooving the first bit if this but everything kinda fell apart for me in the end. there were way too many things going on - Blanca's death, Stella's possible possession, Stella's possible autism, and the actual reveal of what was happening in the end. I really disliked this twist - the first part felt like something new & interesting and the reveal just felt like any old mystery/thriller. would read from this author again.

Clever Little Thing Review

“Clever Little Thing”, by Helena Echlin is a great read. It follows Charlotte as she navigates motherhood to what some may consider a difficult child with another on the way. She faces many issues within the bubble of being a stay-at-home mom; personality conflicts with the other mothers of a group for organizing playdates, a husband who doesn’t always take her seriously, and her nanny mysteriously quits and further dies under mysterious circumstances. Charlotte herself is fairly happy though, even though frustrated at times with the difficulties she faces, she’s ultimately happy caring for her daughter, Stella, and knows her and her wants better than anyone else. Stella is certainly a trying child, as she’s potentially on the autistic spectrum and a genius. One day her behavior changes drastically over the course of a few days almost to the point she’s an entirely different person. No one believes Charlotte as she tries to tell her husband, friends, and child healthcare professionals about the change.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and think it covers a topic most tend to either forget about or try to gloss over entirely. The mental health and well-being of mothers as well as the effects of post and pre-natal depression. This can make the book a little difficult to read at times for some, as it is a serious matter and potentially traumatic as well. I felt like Helena Echlin did a fantastic job covering this as well as how others react to mothers who know there’s something wrong with their child even if no one else agrees. Far too many times people ignore what women say for many reasons, namely blaming it on something which—even if it may be affecting the person—it isn’t the main cause.

I will suggest some readers take on this title with caution, as the tension is really present and grows consistently throughout, which was something I thought was super well done. The care with which was taken in crafting not only the story but the personalities of the characters within is so indicative. I can’t say that enough.

The only issues I had with the novel were minor; I felt it was a little too ambiguous in a few areas. In my opinion it could benefit from the writer committing one way or another deciding if it’s to have the illusion of paranormal or it actually being paranormal. Either way, I felt the book was on the whole excellent and very well written. I definitely want to read more from Helen Echlin.

I scored “Clever Little Thing” an easy and solid 5 out of 5 stars! An excellent read.

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Mom-Noir
Publisher: Viking Penguin
Pub. Date: Jan. 14, 2025

I was disappointed in this thriller. The storyline is repetitive. My entire reading time was spent trying to determine whether the mother was delusional or evil without any tension in the writing.

Clever Little Thing is an entertaining, quick read with predictable but interesting ending.

Charlotte loved her daughter, and has since she was born, with every thing she has. She knows her daughter so well, but her daughter is too smart, unable to be controlled, and has tantrums that would cause any mom to fall apart at the seams.

Soon her daughter starts to change, and her once rebellious and intelligent nature starts to fade as she becomes something else entirely. Stella is docile, obedient, and has lost her affinity with reading completely.

Charlotte knows something is wrong and she searches to find out what has changed her daughter so quickly.

It’s a great story about the bond between a mother and a child- but she doesn’t bond with her other child- which I found strange. I did love the friendships she formed and the way the author made her narration feel unstable.

Overall this was a good read, but not my favorite of the year. Entertaining, but not groundbreaking.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group publishing for the ARC and privilege of writing an honest review.

3.5 Stars – Uneven but Unsettling

Clever Little Thing is an eerie, psychological slow burn that explores motherhood, intuition, and identity. The first 60% drags, while the last 20% rushes to the finish, making the pacing feel unbalanced.

Despite this, I appreciated how my feelings toward one character shifted, and the way Charlotte’s concerns were dismissed felt painfully realistic. The ending was satisfying, but the novel would have been stronger if it were about 50 pages shorter. A compelling, if uneven, read with a chilling premise.

Thank you, NetGalley & Penguin Group Viking, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I just could not get into this book. I had heard great things about it and was excited to read it, but it just wasn't for me. I may try it again later to see if I connect with it better then.