Enjoyed this psychological thriller. A mother is convinced something is wrong with her daughter, Stella, after the death of their nanny, Blanka. She believes Blanka has taken over Stella's body but can't prove it. It took me a while to get into the book, but then once I did, I was in it. It was creepy and slow with a touch of supernatural elements to it, that I didn't hate. The ending was satisfying and the emotions I felt for Charlotte, that's how you know the author did a good job!

@pameladormanbooks | #partner You know how your mom always said, “If you don’t have anything good to say about someone, don’t say anything at all?” Well, that’s the situation I find myself in with 𝗖𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 by Helena Echlin. This psychological thriller is about a mother who seems to have had some sort of breakdown after the death of her daughter’s nanny AND the fact that her already “different” daughter seems to be taking on characteristics of that nanny.⁣
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All typical psychological thriller fare, right? Readers expect to need to suspend disbelief at times, but constantly? There was almost nothing I could believe about this story and in fact felt a little insulted that I might be expected to. I really tried to like this book, moving from audio to print and then back to audio, but the format changes couldn’t change the overly bizarre plot. I know this is harsh, but 𝘊𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 was a definite fail for me. On the positive side, I did finish it and if you look around you can find reviews from other readers who liked it much more than me. Shannon @thebookclubmom is one such reader.

I had mixed feelings about Clever Little Thing. On one hand, the writing is absolutely stunning. Helena Echlin has a beautiful, almost poetic way with words.

However, despite the beauty of the writing, I struggled with some aspects of the plot. The twists, though meant to be shocking and unexpected, felt a bit too far-fetched at times. Some plot developments seemed more contrived than natural, and I found myself questioning the plausibility of certain events. While I understand that fiction often pushes boundaries, there were moments where the narrative stretched my suspension of disbelief too thin. The convoluted nature of the twists made it difficult to fully connect the dots,

That said, I did want to find out what was going on. Despite the implausible moments, the mystery at the heart of the story was intriguing enough to keep me reading. There was always a sense of suspense, and I was genuinely curious to see how things would resolve. The emotional stakes were high, and even though I had trouble following some of the developments, I still cared about the protagonist’s journey and her desire to uncover the truth.

In the end, Clever Little Thing left me with a sense of both admiration and frustration. The writing is undeniably beautiful and evocative, but the plot’s increasingly unbelievable twists made it hard to fully embrace the story. If you’re someone who enjoys beautifully crafted prose and doesn’t mind a bit of complexity and implausibility in the plot, you may still find enjoyment in this book. However, if you’re looking for a more grounded, believable narrative, this might be a tougher read to connect with.

LOVED this one! Thank you so much for sharing with me. Recommending to everyone I know! I loved the pace, the twists & the major confusion. It felt fresh and new for a thriller and that’s rare as I read a lot of them.

A cross genre book that will have you confused almost from the start. Charlotte is the mother of a young girl with all the hallmarks of a child on the autism spectrum until the girl's babysitter unexpectly dies. The cause of death is a little murky. Charlotte's daughter begins to display the charcteristics of the babysitter, reversing her own typical behavior. At this point, readers are left to wonder what's going on. Helena Echlin has mixed a few supernatural topics intertwined with some serious mental health questions while stirring in the possibility of someone influencing the girl to confuse her mother. I had to keep reading just to see what would happen next and who was responsible. A different kind of thriller that set Echlin's debut on the road to a top ten.

Yikes! This was a creepy read. Whenever there are kids invoked, it’s even creepier. What if your child changed into someone they weren’t and what would you do? Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Viking for the advanced copy.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. If you are looking for a creepy book that keeps you questioning things, this is one for you!

A truly gripping domestic thriller with a paranormal twist. What is a mother to do when her child becomes a completely different person? Every parent has this fear, and Echlin approaches it through a dark new lens. Hard to put down!

Clever Little Thing is very much in the vein of books like The Push and Baby Teeth. Creepy kids is one of my favorite subgenres and this did not disappoint. Although I had figured out the twist early on I still very much enjoyed the story. The characters were well developed and the story was a unique take on possession that I haven’t read before.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Title/Author: Clever Little Thing by Helena Echlin

Page Count: 352

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

Format: I read a digital arc from NetGalley

Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: First time reading

Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978059365...

Release Date: January 14th, 2025

General Genre: Psychological Suspense Thriller/Supernatural

Sub-Genre/Themes: Domestic drama, neurodivergent children (diagnosis not known), parenting, Armenian people, motherhood, Pre and postnatal depression, mood disorders, paranoia, Postpartum psychosis, nannies, self-harm, suicide, SA, pregnancy

Writing Style: Short chapters, alternating timelines (Then & Now), intricately plotted

What You Need to Know: "A taut, powerful psychological thriller following a mother who must confront a sudden and terrifying change in her daughter after the abrupt death of their babysitter."

My Reading Experience: I love psychological thrillers centered around new mothers and/or pregnancy.
Especially if there's something paranormal or supernatural going on too. I love intimate exposure behind closed doors of marriages and I also love an unreliable, unlikable narrator--you get all of this with, Clever Little Thing.
The most entertaining and compelling aspect of this book was that even though I had a sense of where the story was headed, I never once expected *exactly* how it would get there. One development took me completely by surprise, so props to the author for a solid blindside. Are there some unrealistic elements to the story? Yes.
Did I have to suspend disbelief a few times, also yes. But hear this: We live in a world that proves beyond the shadow of a doubt, that truth is stranger than fiction. I read headlines of real-life situations that make my jaw drop every day. Nothing surprises me anymore. I do not show up to my fictional book expecting reality because nobody could make that up anyway.
So yes, things go off the rails.
The main character is exhausting in the way she leaps to wild conclusions for no reason.
This was fun. I had a good time putting this one together and the author was great at keeping all the important cards close to her chest while allowing a few clues to reveal just enough to keep me hooked.

Final Recommendation: If you enjoy creepy kids, paranoid first-time parents, juicy drama, and unexpected twists and turns, this is for you. Please note my content warnings in the "themes/sub-genre" section

Comps: The Push & The Whispers by Ashley Audrain (elements of both books), Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage, The Changeling by Victor LaValle, Jennifer Hillier thrillers

I liked the story line. There was a creep factor. I was never sure exactly what was going on and what story could be trusted. But it was way too slow of a burn. It also seemed unnaturally formal. Both of these factors made it tough to truly LOVE the book. However, I was invested and engaged in learning what was actually going on and which characters and story I could trust. It definitely had an unsettling vibe - I felt like I was on edge throughout the entire book. Overall, a creepy read, but if you do not enjoy slow burns, it may not be for you.

Stella shows signs of autism, until the death of her babysitter, Blanka. She then begins to mimic her babysitter's behavior. Charlotte, Stella's Mom, has become obsessed and is convinced that Blanka is controlling her child. Pregnant and sick, her husband believes that she is going crazy. But is Stella safe? Who and what is responsible for this change?

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

This was a weird book that didn’t click with me. It started as a psychological thriller and then turned into something completely unrealistic and unbelievable. The supernatural element just made this book messy and confusing. Also the way the main character acted at certain times was so over the top it became completely unrealistic. This one just wasn’t for me.

I really like the book The Push and this is being compared to it but unfortunately it is nothing like it.
This book was a total miss for me. It starts off strong but then just gets strange and too disturbing, even for me, and just not good. I love a good thriller, but this is another Mommy type thriller if you will.

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC.

I have seen this book on all the triller book clubs and just HAD TO READ THIS. I jumped into this book without knowing anything about it.

This book is bizarre, intriguing, and creepy to say the least!!! It gave me moments of rage as a mother and then goosebumps and chills the next. It hits on topics of mental health, family dynamics, the heavy burdens of motherhood, grief, child psychology. You really don't know what's going to happen next with this supernatural horror/ Psychological Thriller.

Definitely would recommend to anyone who likes domestic thrillers and fiction

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC for my honest review!!

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

This book definitely had parts that took me by surprise! I love not knowing what’s about to happen, or even better, catching me completely unaware! The book, although fiction, felt very real and relevant to what many people are going through today. Raising children on the spectrum where no two rules apply for the same person makes it difficult for parents. This book explores that and so much more with some sci-fi elements too. I would recommend to anyone who likes domestic thrillers and fiction!

This book was so gripping and twisty. It spooked me but also kept me so interested. A great read and a great story. I loved the way we learn about the characters and their stories and see the development through the book. A great thriller

I’d say about 90% of this book, you’re going to think this means one way- but the last 10%, you’ll be bamboozled and personally, I was left with this thought: trust a mothers intuition.

This had me hooked from page 1, and I’m so thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an arc in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

👧🏼Book Review👧🏼
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Thank you so much @prhaudio for the advanced copy of Clever Little Thing which came out earlier this month! I’m a sucker for an evil child thriller where you’re wondering is the mom crazy or is the child evil. (Weirdly specific I know🤷🏼‍♀️). This one just hit and the narration was fantastic. So many twists and turns I couldn’t keep up or stop thinking about it. Especially loved the Armenian references (hello I’m a fellow Armenian!). Overall a super fun read with an ending you just won’t see coming! Perfect for fans of Baby Teeth and The Push!
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Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Summary- Charlotte’s daughter Stella is sensitive and brilliant, perhaps even a genius, but a recent change in her behavior has alarmed her mother. Following the sudden death of Stella’s babysitter, Blanka, the once disruptive and anti-social child has become docile and agreeable. But what’s unsettling is that she 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.

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. But how could Blanka, dead, still be entwined in their lives? Has Blanka somehow possessed Stella? Has Stella become Blanka? As Charlotte becomes increasingly obsessed, she is sure that only she can save her daughter. . . even though it’s soon clear that her husband believes this is all in Charlotte’s head.
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QOTD- how’s the weather by you?! It is SO cold in NJ but that won’t stop me from waiting for my copy on Onyx Storm to turn up on my door step today, fingers crossed for you Prime shipping👀.

Helena Echlin’s Clever Little Things is a haunting, thought-provoking exploration of motherhood, obsession, and the eerie intersection of the psychological and the supernatural. With its chilling premise and relentless tension, this novel grips you from the first page and doesn’t let go until its shocking conclusion.

Charlotte, the protagonist, is an achingly relatable mother grappling with the demands of raising a gifted yet difficult child while enduring the exhaustion of a second pregnancy. Her daughter Stella’s transformation—from a disruptive, socially withdrawn child to a calm, unsettlingly different version of herself—sets the story’s chilling tone. Stella’s sudden mimicry of her late babysitter Blanka is unnerving, from adopting Blanka’s accent to craving foods she’d never eaten before. Charlotte’s suspicion that something supernatural may be at play is both compelling and deeply unnerving, leaving readers questioning whether her fears are real or a manifestation of her frazzled mental state.

Echlin’s writing shines in its ability to blur the line between reality and the inexplicable, creating a kaleidoscopic, pulse-pounding narrative. The novel examines not only the supernatural elements but also the emotional weight of maternal instinct and the societal pressures surrounding caretaking. Charlotte’s desperation to save her daughter, coupled with the doubts cast by those around her—especially her husband—creates a suffocating atmosphere of isolation and paranoia that resonates deeply.

The audiobook, provided by PRH Audio, heightens the tension and immerses the listener in Charlotte’s unraveling world. The narrator masterfully captures the nuances of Charlotte’s desperation and Stella’s eerie transformation, making the supernatural elements even more chilling. My gratitude to PRH Audio for granting me access to this excellent format, and to Pamela Dorman Books for providing me the title via NetGalley.

While Clever Little Things is undeniably gripping, its pacing can occasionally feel uneven, with the supernatural elements overshadowing the deeper, nuanced critique of the caregiving industry. That said, the book’s exploration of motherhood, trust, and identity remains impactful and thought-provoking.

This is a perfect read for fans of psychological suspense with a touch of the supernatural. Helena Echlin has crafted a story that will stay with you long after you turn the last page, leaving you questioning where the line between reality and the inexplicable truly lies.

Clever Little Thing by Helena Echlin is a twisty, unsettling psychological thriller that will leave you questioning what’s real and what’s not. Charlotte, a pregnant mother, watches in growing horror as her daughter Stella begins to adopt the personality of her recently deceased babysitter, Blanka. This eerie transformation fuels Charlotte’s obsession—leading her to believe Blanka’s spirit has somehow possessed Stella. The tension builds as Charlotte becomes more consumed by her own fears, even while her husband dismisses it all as postpartum paranoia.

Echlin’s writing is sharp and atmospheric, drawing readers into a claustrophobic world of maternal anxiety and supernatural intrigue. The pacing is solid, though it occasionally drags in the middle, making you wish for a bit more forward momentum. The ending is both surprising and satisfying, even if it leaves a few questions hanging.

If you're a fan of psychological thrillers with a supernatural twist and a healthy dose of motherhood drama, this one’s for you—just don’t expect any easy answers.