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Little Creeping Things

Chelsea Ichaso (Goodreads Author)

3.52 · Rating details · 688 ratings · 270 reviews

“Chelsea Ichaso has without a doubt written the breakout thriller of the year.” —DANA MELE, author of People Like Us

A compulsively readable debut with a narrator who can’t be trusted, perfect for fans of Natasha Preston.

When she was a child, Cassidy Pratt accidentally started a fire that killed her neighbor. She's pretty sure she didn't mean to do it, and she'd give anyth ...more

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Hardcover, 352 pages

Published June 2nd 2020 by Sourcebooks Fire

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Mar 31, 2020 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it really liked it

OMG! Look at the disturbing cover with that terrifying doll! Some people scare of clowns and I really irritate to look at porcelain dolls! ( Of course Annabelle series didn’t help me to form a lovely relationship with them!)

So this haunted cover intrigued me even though a few last YA thrillers I’ve read a little disappointed me. And here is the interesting thing: Normally I start reading a thriller with promising beginning but at the end I lose my interest and if I don’t like it outcome, it turn OMG! Look at the disturbing cover with that terrifying doll! Some people scare of clowns and I really irritate to look at porcelain dolls! ( Of course Annabelle series didn’t help me to form a lovely relationship with them!)

So this haunted cover intrigued me even though a few last YA thrillers I’ve read a little disappointed me. And here is the interesting thing: Normally I start reading a thriller with promising beginning but at the end I lose my interest and if I don’t like it outcome, it turns into a Switzerland- let’s meet in the middle three stars reading. But this book really surprised me. It hooked me at the beginning but I started to lose my interest in the middle and I started to think it turned into angsty teen romance (our heroine is in love with her childhood sweetheart but he starts rejecting her and dating with someone’s else and our heroine starts dating with his tutor blabla) and I thought the ending was so predictable but I couldn’t be so wrong with a surprising twist the author successfully pulled out the rug from under my feet and I sat on my ass with a dazzled look on my face. Wow! I didn’t see it coming! That was great. So promising 3 starred reading turned into 4 starred, surprising, psychological, fast paced one sit reading! Well done and well played!

Without giving any crucial spoiler, I’ll talk about the characters and the plot:

The story starts at the volleyball match: her teammates shouts at Cassidy a.k.a firegirl ( because when she was only 6, she got involved in fire accident which resulted with death of her friend, also her evil nemesis Melody Davenport’s cousin) to concentrate on the game. But Cassidy starts to see hallucinations that one of her teammates on fire. And she has a panic attack, leaving the school with her longtime best friend and crush Gideon. They’re besties since they were 10 and shared a special kiss but then Gideon acted like nothing happened and Cassidy was too proud not to come clean about her feelings. Her parents already treat her with kid gloves because of her traumatic incident when she was kid. ( After the fire she got involved, she spent her time at the hospital, forgetting everything about that haunted day.) Especially her brother Asher, who saved her from the fire is over protective, watching her every move.

But Cassidy still tries to adapt in school life, bullied by Melody Davenport who still calls her “fire girl”, has no intention to make her forget about the past. Cassidy still questions herself if she has started the fire intentionally. Could she be a cold blooded killer?
She and Gideon meets at the woods at their Hobbit nest they’ve build when they were little. They hear Melody’s branded laugh, talking with somebody. At the same time, Gideon leaves Cassidy alone for getting phone reception and Cassidy resumes listening Melody from her hiding place (she doesn’t leave because she doesn’t want to face her nemesis) but when Melody’s laughter turns into cry for help, she gets panic she has to do something but when she gets out, Melody is nowhere to be seen.

She realizes that she has written a murder plan for Melody as a prank a few days earlier on her notebook and shares this with Asher’s best friend Brandon. Could Brandon conduct this murder plan literally? Because after Melody’s suspicious disappearance she gets a text message from unknown number tells her: he is great to be in this together! What the hell? Who is this? Did someone really kill Melody? And where is her notebook? Did someone try to pin her on the murder?
Keep reading my friends, especially for the eerie, nail biter, smart final twist! I was entertaining, fast, action packed, debut YA thriller and so much better than my last reads! I’m looking forward to read Chelsea Ichaso’s upcoming works!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for sharing this enjoyable ARC in exchange my honest review. ...more

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May 30, 2020 Debra rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

This YA is a solid thriller that has a couple of twists and turns along the way. It has a little bit of everything you see in a YA book - teen angst, teen romance, mystery, a secret spot in the woods, bullies, small-town setting, etc.

Cassidy Pratt was told that when she was a child, she started a fire that killed her neighbor. She has no memories for that day but her town; especially the town bullies remembers. When one of her biggest tormentors, Melody goes missing, Cassidy believes she has som ...more

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Nov 02, 2020 Sumit RK rated it liked it · review of another edition

Little Creeping Things is a well written YA thriller. So, it has all the elements of a YA book; from teen romance, a cast of troubled teenagers, a high school drama, and a nice mystery.

When she was a child, Cassidy Pratt accidentally started a fire that killed her friend. Now In high school, she is tormented by her bullies. One of her bullies, Melody goes missing and things start getting muddled. Cassidy thinks she may have information about what happened but then she gets a chilling threat. Now ...more

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Jun 05, 2020 Carrie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Little Creeping Things by Chelsea Ichaso is a young adult thriller with an unreliable narrator. This one would be for the fans of did she or didn’t she or one in which you just don’t know who to trust.

Cassidy Pratt is now a teenager but when she was little she had been saved from a fire that she herself had started. That moment in Cassidy’s life was forever marked in tragedy as another child died which in turn has made Cassidy an outcast among her peers.

One of the popular girls that constantly t ...more

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May 01, 2020 Sue rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: net-galley, young-adult, suspense

A good healthy 3🌟from me.

Creepy enough to keep my interest, although it’s a YA book and I’m (cough cough) a lot older!
A lot of YA thrillers have been pretty mediocre lately for me, and although this slightly lagged in the middle it was a string start and very good climax.

The characters were relatable, old and young could experience any of what goes on.
That cover. That cover though! Freaked me out!

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May 18, 2020 C.G. Drews rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2020, young-adult, thriller-crime

In a word, this was...addictive. I flew through it and kind of didn't realise I'd read for an hour and half the book was gone already?! The writing is easy to be absorbed in and it felt easy to fall into rhythm with Cassidy Pratt's voice. I'm a big contemporary lover and it had a lot of normal contemporary aspects (highschool! cute best friend crushes! sibling relationships! let's get milkshakes and plan murder!...okay maybe not the last one but still). Plus it, of course, had a murder mystery t In a word, this was...addictive. I flew through it and kind of didn't realise I'd read for an hour and half the book was gone already?! The writing is easy to be absorbed in and it felt easy to fall into rhythm with Cassidy Pratt's voice. I'm a big contemporary lover and it had a lot of normal contemporary aspects (highschool! cute best friend crushes! sibling relationships! let's get milkshakes and plan murder!...okay maybe not the last one but still). Plus it, of course, had a murder mystery that Cassidy feels compelled to play detective for. Why?

Because 1) she might have heard the victim's last moments and been too afraid to speak out.
And 2) she might have accidentally planned the murder.

Thrilling And Chilling
The mystery had so many red herrings and left a complicated knot of clues to untangled. The suspect options were kind of slim though, so I admit I guessed right a few chapters in. But then I had to get to the end and see if I was right, so I don't think the predictability lessened the enjoyment. Cassidy losing her mind and freaking out as the mystery and clues got worse, the threats started, and her own flashbacks from her traumatic past messed with her, all made the story super compelling.

Little Bit o' Romance Too
Like, okay, but I am a sucker for best-friends-to-lovers romance and ahhh I really didn't know if this would work out! Gideon has always been there for Cas, but then she starts lying and he can't take it. He is the softest™ and I really adored him.

There's also unlikely friendships, Cas has a close relationship with her older brother Asher, and there's a few maybe-crushes who turn out to be maybe-villains.

Small Town Drama
It has the small-town setting with slack cops. Forests and gossipy highschools. Tight knit communities and whispering and pointed fingers. I really love this kind of setting!

Is Little Creeping Things a little creepy?
yessss. I do recommend this one! It's also a good gateway book if you haven't read many YA thrillers, because it's intense but it also has everyday quiet moments and great friendships. ...more

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Apr 07, 2020 Ari rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-arc, 2020-reads

Blog | Instagram | Twitter

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

This novel has a solid premise. It might have been meant to be full of twists and turns, a heaping amount of mounting evidence, and a few leads to whoever might have been responsible for Melody's disappearance. The reality, however, is most of a novel full of teenage angst and a lead that spends most of her time either blaming herself for this disappearance, stressing over the loss Blog | Instagram | Twitter

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

This novel has a solid premise. It might have been meant to be full of twists and turns, a heaping amount of mounting evidence, and a few leads to whoever might have been responsible for Melody's disappearance. The reality, however, is most of a novel full of teenage angst and a lead that spends most of her time either blaming herself for this disappearance, stressing over the loss of a friend who she is so obviously actually in love with, and not a lot of sleuthing happening save for a few random bursts here and there.

Cass is not the most likable of leads. She's rather unpleasant, actually. She's selfish; she might berate herself with guilt after the fact, but she's very much okay with pushing others down a few pegs; and she impulsively jumps to conclusions that are incredibly detrimental to other people. She spends most of the novel rushing from one suspect to the other, while dragging poor Gideon around—best friend sidekick and the only good person in this story aside from poor Emily, sister to one of the wrongfully accused people—until the guy appropriately tired of her antics.

And you would think that someone who gets bullied—which only adds another ingredient to the angsty feel of this tale—would attempt to rise above doing it to others, but rather deplorably, she instead turns around and does the same thing to someone else.

After Cass has gone around to blaming Brandon, her brother Asher's friend, for Melody's fatality, she sets her eyes on Seth. Seth, the loner that everyone thinks is a stalker of girls after a rumor was started by Cassidy . So it baffles me that Cass then goes after Seth as the culprit in this story because he's creepy and a stalker and therefore, so very obviously, the “bad guy”...even though she herself was the one who started this rumor! The reasoning to this path that the novel takes and sticks to for quite a while makes no sense to me. And just before we find out who the actual criminal is, Cass, of course, goes on and hysterically accuses yet another person due to the gut instinct that has been leading her so clearly up to this point.

I wasn't expecting the big reveal, which was at least one good thing to this book, even if I found the reasoning for “bad guy” to do what he did very weak—albeit psychotic, so at least he fits the bill. But after the insufferable long time that it took for this to build, while having to read through pages upon pages of Cassidy's anxiety and teenage moping because she was losing her Giddy—and fairly so, mind you, since she has no backbone and fed into her fear rather than attempt to do the right thing—the mystery was completely lost for me in this one. ...more

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Jun 17, 2020 Cortney LaScola - The Bookworm Myrtle Beach rated it liked it · review of another edition

The synopsis (and that cover!) made this book sound so cool... unfortunately, it was pretty mediocre. I didn't particularly like or care about any of the characters. I feel like too much of the book was about how angsty the main character was, as opposed to actually building the suspense and both mysteries. It all just fell flat for me. ...more

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May 07, 2020 Lisa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

My thanks to Sourcebooks, the author Chelsea Ichaso, and Netgalley.
This isn't my usual kind of book. I kind of had a clue from the beginning about what was up. Still, I really liked this book. A lot, really! The fire girl was my type of gal..at that age! I also had a best friend named David, and he loved me no matter what!
This book was also a palate cleanser for me. I have found that I am in love with YA books. This was a good one.
I don't read crap. At least my definition of crap! This is a go ...more

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Sep 12, 2020 Angela Staudt rated it liked it · review of another edition

Thank you, SourceBooks and Early Reads, for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The cover of this book is what immediately drew me in, I mean I am not a fan of dolls at all so it was extremely creepy. After reading the synopsis I was super excited to dive right into this book. I did enjoy the plot of this book and really loved the twist. Honestly, did not see the ending coming and it had me quite shook. The main character had me not loving this book, she was ve Thank you, SourceBooks and Early Reads, for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The cover of this book is what immediately drew me in, I mean I am not a fan of dolls at all so it was extremely creepy. After reading the synopsis I was super excited to dive right into this book. I did enjoy the plot of this book and really loved the twist. Honestly, did not see the ending coming and it had me quite shook. The main character had me not loving this book, she was very angsty and just over the top annoying throughout the entire book.

Cass, the main character, is called the Fire Girl, because when she was a young child she accidentally caught a tree house on fire while her friend was in it. She survived but her friend did not. Now as a teenager in high school, she gets bullied and definitely isn’t the most liked person. She has an enemy, Melody Davenport, and writes some very bad things in her notebook about this girl she hates, and then one day she ends up dead. She can’t go to the police with the evidence because someone stole her notebook and the murder happened exactly like how she wrote it. I just could not stand Cass whining throughout this entire book, and coming up with come far fetched conclusions on who murdered Melody and immediately calling them the killer. It hurt a lot of people and she lost her only friend in the process. She will find some small clue about who she thinks the real killer is and she doesn’t care who it will hurt she just tells everyone her theory. Not to mention she gets bullied her entire life, but now it seems she is the one doing the bullying, which hello you should be rising about that and not stooping to that level.

While the twists in this story did surprise me and as I said before the ending shocked me, I was left just feeling meh about this book. I feel as though the entire book we are very slowly leading to a shocking twist, which does happen, but it happened so fast it felt rushed. Little Creeping Things is your average YA thriller, it has its faults but it does the job of making me rethink who I thought the murderer was.
...more

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May 03, 2020 Dianne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: x20-4-read, own, arc-read, ya, netgalley

My rating: 3.5 Stars

Thanks to a deadly accident when she was just a child, the town bully never let her forget the nightmare she survived, never failed to let her know she was blamed, but when Melody went missing, Cassidy knew she could help find her. The only problem, she also had joked about the perfect way to get rid of Melody, herself and someone may have acted on it.

LITTLE CREEPING THINGS by Chelsea Ichaso has a heroine who isn’t easily likable, doesn’t seem to want to make real friends and ...more

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Jun 01, 2020 Kristie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller, netgalley, 2020, ya

I enjoyed this book, but I didn't love it. I felt like it had potential to be really great, but just slightly missed the mark.

I found myself annoyed at the main character's decision making, though she is a teenager so maybe on some level it's more realistic. She generally doesn't know what she thinks or believes and changes her mind a lot. I also was bothered by some of the reactions of other characters. Their relationships seem to come and go.

I found the story to be interesting, except I knew ...more

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Sep 25, 2019 Dana Mele rated it it was amazing

Apparently I never updated my review, but my opinion is above :) Breakneck pace, twists around every corner, and a delightfully unreliable narrator who I rooted for from the first sentence. Enjoyed this one so much, and I've read it several times now! Really a treat for thriller lovers. This is a fabulous debut, not to be missed. ...more

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Apr 06, 2020 Reading Reindeer 2021 On Proxima Centauri rated it it was amazing

Shelves: a1-netgalley, a1-i-own-books, 2020_reads, 2020_a-z_h-a, 2020_arc_apocalypse, 2020_mystery, 2020_horror, 2020_netgalley, 2020_fire, 2020_latino-latina

Wow! LITTLE CREEPING THINGS is a totally engrossing mystery which gripped me from Page One. Yes, it's YA, but let me tell you, Cass, Gideon, and others deal with issues many adults would fear to take on. The author ramps up the psychological input throughout, and continues to also view it sociologically (peer constraints, public opinion, family favoritism), and there was not a boring moment to be found.

In addition was the "CLUE" type of scrolling through villain possibilities: Is it--? Or is it ...more

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Feb 04, 2020 Kat rated it really liked it

Shelves: e-arc, dark, 2020-published

#LittleCreepingThings
#YA2020
A must read debut that will give you the freebie jeebies. If you love suspense then this book is for you!

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May 25, 2020 Tricia rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, not-interested, mystery, arcs, thriller

I'm not going to lie, I struggled to get through this one. I don't really have a problem with unreliable or unlikable narrators but when they whine all throughout and are constantly seeing everything through their self serving pity-me glasses, that's where I tend to draw the line.

I've LOVED books with a narratives from villains, from characters I didn't like one bit. I wish this could have been the case here but it just wasn't. The plot could have at least helped the story along but honestly

To me it was kinda like everything was rather one dimensional, the characters, the plot, and the mystery. The synopsis offered things I don't think the story ever delivered on. The big reveal at the end felt somehow predictable and easy, which was WEIRD because the one thing I can think of that I guess you could say is positive is that I didn't figure it out till right before.

But once it was revealed it felt like OF COURSE and only because no one should guess that for any other reason than it would seem the least likely and you were just supposed to accept it in the end for nothing more than because sometimes people are just evil or crazy or whatever. It felt very simplified.

Give me a breadcrumb or two along the way. I love to be surprised don't get me wrong, but it cheapens it to me when you did nothing along the way to give even miniscule clues or make it understandable how you got there or why things ended this way until literally right before, and even that is shakey at best. Maybe the fact that I'm reading such an emotionally complex grand series as well right now didn't help.

This just felt incredibly immature and unsatisfying to me. If major teen angst is your bag, or maybe you want to dip a toe in a light mystery, you might enjoy this one. To be honest I felt like the Scooby-Doo gang solved more indepth cases, but to each his own.

I received an arc of this book from Sourcebooks Fire via Netgalley and this is my honest review.

...more

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Apr 29, 2020 Chelsea Ichaso added it · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

UPDATE 5/16/20: Pre-order promo for LITTLE CREEPING THINGS is happening now! Pre-order before 6/1 and I'll send you a swag pack! https://www.chelseaichaso.com/news--e...
...more

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May 30, 2020 Kris - My Novelesque Life rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: blog-tour, publisher-invite, young-adult, america, arc-netgalley, mystery, fiction

RATING: 2 STARS
2020; Sourcebooks Fire

Little Creeping Things has a creepy cool cover that drew me instantly to the novel. The summary was right up my alley with suspense and teenage drama. However, there was just too much petty selfish drama than fun drama. I am probably being a bit too generous with the two star rating for how I feel about this story and writing. I would HIGHLY recommend you read other reviews as this is just my opinion. Honestly, it was a difficult novel to get through. I had t ...more

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Jul 03, 2020 Melissa rated it it was ok

Shelves: z-2020, arc-bk-netgalley, ebk-kindle, arc-bk-from-publisher

I really wanted to like this book. The premise sounded amazing. It was promising. But Cass is an insecure and selfish teen who acts like a kid. The twists and turns are incoherent. I felt like the story was going everywhere at once, it was dizzying. One good thing: I really didn't see the end coming. I don't know yet if it's a good thing or not...

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Fire for the complimentary e-copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. ...more

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May 30, 2020 Stacee rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-in-2020, physical-arc, netgalley, title-in-the-story

2.5 stars

Unreliable narrators are my favorite and I was so excited for this premise.

I sort of liked Cassidy? She means well, but jumps to conclusions and spends the entire book accusing various people of being the murderer. There are a lot of mean girls and one or two characters who deserve to be hugged. {Emily and Gideon, I’m looking at you.}

Plot wise, it was okay. Cassidy’s inner monologue of guilt did get repetitive and the constant sneaking around didn’t add the tension I was expecting. Mos ...more

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Apr 25, 2019 Madeline Dyer rated it it was amazing

I read an early copy of this book and it's so tense and chilling. Really well written and great characters! ...more

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Jun 27, 2020 Gayatri Saikia | per_fictionist rated it really liked it

Shelves: net-galley, physical-arcs, books-owned, 2020-releases, thrillers, ya-thrillers

An addictive and chilling YA thriller that I obviously enjoyed a lot because well, I am a sucker for YA mysteries and when there is a high school setting in it haaah considered the deal sealed! First, of all the cover is GORGEOUSLY CREEPY and I APPRECIATE IT A LOT. THANK YOU. Cassidy Pratt, known as the fire girl is most often the talk of the school for an incident that happen in her childhood and well years later she finds herself haunted by her past and in the midst of another terrifying incid ...more

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Mar 17, 2020 Tara T rated it it was amazing

Just finished this book and AAAAAH! I was in such suspense trying to figure out what would happen by the end! The creepy atmosphere, the unreliable narrator, the hairs on my arms sticking up! A fantastic YA thriller that I'd highly suggest. ...more

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May 11, 2020 Natasha | readwithnatasha rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Cass is pretty sure she overheard her bully, Melody, call for help while in the woods behind her house, but when she tries to show her best friend the evidence, it's not there. And she can't really go to the police because she was just telling her brother's best friend the perfect plan to get away with murder and she wrote it in her notebook that's now missing. Then she gets a text from an unknown number - "I'm so glad we're in this together."

Cass feels like she's the only one who can solve this ...more

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Jun 04, 2020 Chandra Claypool (WhereTheReaderGrows) rated it liked it · review of another edition

First off, this cover! I love it... and I HATE dolls. I have an ever living fear of dolls. When I was a kid I decapitated all my barbies and threw their heads and bodies away in trash cans blocks away from each other. Not sure my parents letting me watch all those scary movies at such a young age was the greatest of ideas (but I'm oh so happy that they did!) So of course, this cover drew me right in. "I'm so glad we're in this together." BUT, man I expected something MUCH creepier out of this re ...more

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Mar 07, 2020 Maureen rated it really liked it

At age 7, Cassidy accidentally set a fire that killed her childhood friend. Through the years she has been forced to live with the tragedy. Her main source of comfort is her older brother Asher, who saved her from the fire and vows to keep her safe. When Cass masterminds a plan to kill her nemesis Melody, who then ends up dead, Cass and her best friend Gideon try to find the murderer. There are twists and turns and it’s a little far fetched, but still a good read. Thanks to NetGalley and the pub ...more

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Jun 03, 2020 PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps rated it really liked it · review of another edition

3.5 STARS

The cover of LITTLE CREEPING THINGS is one of my all time favorites, even though it has very little to do with the story. At age seven, Cassidy accidentally starts a fire that kills her best friend. Ten years later she’s having psychotic visions about the day she can’t remember. Then her nemesis is killed in the exact way Cass fantasized and she’s determined to find the real killer, though danger lurks around every corner of her small town.

Getting a feel for Cassidy was extremely diffic ...more

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Feb 28, 2020 Amanda McHugh rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I haven't read much YA in the genre since my foray into Pretty Little Liars, but the cover and blurb for Little Creeping Things sold me.

Cass is haunted by her past. Assuming the blame for a horrible fire that took the life of her best friend, scarred her brother, and almost killed her, Cass embraces the identity of Fire Girl, believing anyone who gets close to her is doomed to be burned. Unfortunately, she finds herself in a precarious situation when she overhears the murder of her sworn enemy. I haven't read much YA in the genre since my foray into Pretty Little Liars, but the cover and blurb for Little Creeping Things sold me.

Cass is haunted by her past. Assuming the blame for a horrible fire that took the life of her best friend, scarred her brother, and almost killed her, Cass embraces the identity of Fire Girl, believing anyone who gets close to her is doomed to be burned. Unfortunately, she finds herself in a precarious situation when she overhears the murder of her sworn enemy. Spiraling deeper into the mystery and suspect pool, Cass must confront her demons to overcome her tormented history and solve the case before it's too late.

Little Creeping Things was a wonderful blend of murder and mystery. As an MC, I really liked Cass. Her reflective nature and anxiety about the past was endearing. She never absolved herself from blame, and with the severity of the event, it made sense that something of that nature would follow her. A small town where everyone knew each other, it was interesting to see how the fire affected the rest of her life. From taunts to bullying, Ichaso did a superb job of structuring the plot so that the weight of responsibility she felt didn't seem hyperbolic or unwarranted.

While I don't often care for romantic subplots, I found Cass' relationship with Gideon refreshing and adorable. Exploring the nuances of friendship, how childhood friendship can blossom into romantic entanglements, their friendship was never perfect or cut and dry. They fought, held differing opinions, attacked problems in two completely different ways, and yet when things got scary or difficult, their instincts were always to protect each other.

I think the only thing that got repetitive was Cass' suspicion of literally every male character in the book at some point or other. She jumps from one to the next, producing "proof" for all of her rationale into why this person was *definitely* the killer. I wouldn't say she's an unreliable narrator, but you're supposed to question her ability to critically think about the information she's giving to us as the reader. I had to suspend some disbelief on this part, one because she's a teenager inserting herself into a murder investigation, and two, I didn't understand how she was so sure of everyone else's guilt; but, comparing it to a show like House or, yes, Pretty Little Liars, where all the wrong answers are exhausted before the truth comes to light, her approach to solving the mystery worked. I wasn't shocked by the ending, but I didn't dislike it either.

Overall, I'd highly recommend this to anyone looking for a psychological YA thriller with a dash of romance thrown in. I really enjoyed this read.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for providing an arc in exchange for review consideration. ...more

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Jun 07, 2020 Juli rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-review-copies-2020

She never meant to kill anyone. She doesn't even remember setting the fire, or anything about that fateful day. But the town Cassidy Pratt lives in has never let her forget that the fire killed her neighbor. She is labeled a murderer, and has to live with it. When a local who bullies her about her past disappears, Cassidy's life is once again thrown into chaos. She had just joked about the perfect way to rid herself of Melody before the disappearance.... She can't go to the police. She will just ...more

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Feb 21, 2020 Cassie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Thank you, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an arc of this suspenseful page-turner by Chelsea Ichaso. Hooking me from Chapter One with nicknaming the main character and voice of the story "Fire Girl," I had a hard time putting this book down and stayed up way too late one evening too many to finish it. I regret nothing.

Ichaso's portrayal of high school life, of the way a nickname and identity you perhaps never wanted nor asked for yourself can follow you around like a bad, reoccurring dream w ...more

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“I stand helpless, a familiar desire seeping into my veins. That desire to watch something burn.” — 0 likes

“I've spent the past ten years trying to erase this image. Fire Girl.

Trying to convince everyone - trying to convince myself - I'm not a killer.” — 0 likes

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