Clever little things

''Goosebumps! Sharp and unflinching . . . this is a perfectly unnerving story with something to say about the collision of motherhood''s love and fear'' ASHLEY AUDRAIN''A cleverly constructed psychological thriller about the lengths that a mother will go to to protect her children . . . incredibly moving, tense, and deliciously creepy, and I know that last chapter will stay with me for a very long time'' ASHLEY TATE----Charlotte''s daughter, Stella, is sensitive and brilliant - perhaps even a genius - but after the sudden death of Stella''s babysitter, Blanka, the once disruptive and anti-social child has become docile and agreeable. And what''s more unsettling is that she has begun to mirror Blanka''s personality, from her accent and repetitive phrases to fierce cravings for Armenian meat stew after being raised a vegetarian. Charlotte is pregnant with her second child, depleted and sick, and convinced that Blanka herself is somehow responsible for Stella''s transformation. But how could Blanka still be entwined in their lives? Has Stella somehow become Blanka?As Charlotte becomes increasingly obsessed, it''s clear that her husband believes this is all in her head and soon, Charlotte is sure only she can save her daughter . . . 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.