CLEVER LITTLE THING by Helena Echlin has an odd premise, so odd that it was hard for me to buy into the story. The story starts with Charlotte, a new mom to her second daughter, settling into a facility while her newborn is in NICU. As the story unfolds, Charlotte thinks her older daughter Stella has been possessed by her recently deceased nanny Blanka. Her daughter had been showing signs of being autistic, but, after Blanka dies, Stella becomes more social and exhibits far fewer sensory processing issues and also takes on Blanka’s preferences.

I found this novel to be unsettling but not in an intriguing way. I was confused by the different elements, like the “possession,” Charlotte’s munchausen by proxy toward her daughter Stella, Stella’s radical change in behavior, Charlotte not being a trustworthy narrator, and just not liking being in Charlotte’s perspective. I did enjoy THE PUSH tremendously, so I’m not opposed to novels with a nuanced look at motherhood. This one just didn’t land for me. 

CLEVER LITTLE THING publishes January 14, 2025.