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.
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.
Helena Echlin’s singular, chilling voice holds light to the blurred lines of diagnosis in children and to the vital power of maternal instinct. Kaleidoscopic and tense, pulse-pounding and genuinely creepy, and infused with shades of the supernatural, Clever Little Thing is an ode to motherhood and a nuanced critique of the caretaking industry, a page-turner that will haunt readers long after its epic, surprising finale.
Told through a singular, chilling voice, Clever Little Thing holds light to the blurred lines of diagnosis in children and to the vital power of maternal instinct. Kaleidoscopic and tense, pulse-pounding and genuinely creepy, this is an ode to motherhood and a page-turner that will haunt readers long after its epic finale.
Book Info: Print length 352 pages. Publisher: Headline. Publication Date: 14 Jan 2025
My Thoughts:
Creepy child ✔ Gaslighting characters ✔ Dysfunctional families ✔ Unexplained death ✔ Cross-genre fiction ✔ Toxic marriage ✔ Shocking Twist ✔
If you follow my reviews you will know how much I love creepy children and dysfunctional families and when you add a splash of supernatural to a psychological thriller then all my wishes have come true.
Clever Little Thing by Helena Echlin is a super creepy, thought-provoking, uncomfortable look at parenthood, mental health, autism awareness and grief.
Charlotte and Pete appear to have a strong and loving marriage. They are parents to 8 year old Stella and have another baby on the way. Stella is very clever, bordering on genius. She has temper tantrums, is uncomfortable around her peers and often behaves in highly inappropriate ways when she doesn’t get her way. Charlotte, having been brought up by a mother who suffered from chronic depression is determined to protect Stella and often dismisses her unsettling behaviour refusing to see that her daughter is possibly on the autism spectrum.
Blanka, a very socially awkward women, is Stella’s nanny and has been for years, but when she unexpectantly quits without explanation and is later found dead Stella’s behaviour takes a dark and sinister turn.
I’m not going to say any more as you need to read this for yourself.
