Charlotte’s daughter Stella is sensitive and brilliant, perhaps even a genius, but a recent change in her behavior has alarmed her parents. 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?
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.
Clever Little Thing is an incredibly suspenseful, haunting read. I loved how it intertwines struggles of motherhood, sinister mystery, and hints of the supernatural. I read this novel while on the train to Edinburgh to attend my graduation and it made the time fly by. Echlin has crafted an entirely original, eerie thriller that kept me turning the pages my entire train journey.
Charlotte has had a variety of odd and stressful things happening in her life. Her child's babysitter dies in mysterious circumstances, she's struggling to fit in with her friends, and Stella is acting increasingly erratic and unrecognisable.
I don't want to spoil anything but the plot is quite clever and events take a turn towards the implausible. The narrative of Charlotte's quest to find the truth is creepy, unnerving, and compelling. The novel's timeline is jumbled, told mostly in flashbacks with a few flash-forwards to the 'present' timeline where Charlotte is in dire straits.
Moreover, the novel's conclusion and final plot twists are pitch-perfect. Echlin builds up to a perfectly planned ending. I also enjoyed how much each character jumps off the page, especially Stella and Irena. My one complaint is that sometimes the representation of neurodivergence felt like a one-dimensional plot device rather than a realistic, nuanced depiction. Stella and Charlotte are neurodivergent and this adds an interesting and important layer to the story, but I feel that Echlin could have expanded more on their experiences.
Overall, I would highly recommend Clever Little Thing. This highly original tale will captivate you and keep you guessing.
*I received an e-ARC for free in exchange for an honest review*
Publication Date: January 14th, 2025
No comments:
Post a Comment