Okay, I admit that I wasn’t feeling too confident when I opened by July 2020 book box (I had a BOOX subscription at the time) and saw the cover of Little Creeping Things by Chelsea Ichaso. The title and the layout leave little to nothing to the imagination: a thriller. The one genre that I tend to stay away from as much as possible. But the joy of a monthly mystery book consists of course of the element of surprise, so I jumped in this first novel by Chelsea Ichaso head first.

I have to say: maybe I have to rethink my attitude towards this genre!

Fire Girl

The main character of Little Creeping Things is Cassidy Pratt. She’s a high school student with good grades and a talent for volleyball. Your average girl next door it would seem. But in her village, Cass is known as the “Fire Girl”, a ticking time bomb who once started the fire that killed her neighbour. Although it’s now years later, the smoke and the empty doll eyes continue to stalk her to this very day. Luckily for her, she can count on the support of her best friend Gideon and her heroic older brother Asher.

However, some gossip girls simply do not know when to stop. Like the popular Melody Davenport, who always seems to find new creative ways to make Cassidy’s life a living hell. Until one day, Melody disappears and Cassidy believes she knows who is involved. But how do you tell the police what you know if they think you’re a murderer too? And what if you recently plotted the perfect murder on Melody yourself – as a joke of course. Before Cassidy can decide what she’ll do she receives a message from an unknown number: “I’m so glad we’re in this together“…

An unreliable narrator

As I mentioned earlier, Little Creeping Things definitely inspired me to pick up more thrillers (to be fair, more YA-thrillers. I don’t think I’m ready for the adult type 😊). The book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and I read the 313 pages in one day. It was a perfect combination of a fast pace, humour and suspense. And if I happen to have screamed when my phone rang right next to me – of course, right when the suspect sent another text – then I’ll count that as bonus points for the book.

The narrative is without a doubt what fascinated me the most about this book. The story is told entirely from the point of view of Cassidy, who fits the archetype of the unreliable narrator. Her perspective on the events cannot be trusted per se, so the reader is constantly left unbalanced. Does she speak the truth? Is she hallucinating? Is she lying? You simply do not know. And that’s what makes this book so interesting: nothing is as it seems.

The ending was not as strong as I would have liked, but I was nevertheless a page burner till the end. Not bad for a girl who dislikes thrillers and is terrified of fire 😊 Well done, Chelsea Ichaso!

Seeing that I didn’t leave the couch for the entire day: a well-earned 4 out of 5 gemstones:

Leeftijdscategorie: Young adult, suitable for 14+

Representation: Main character with PTSD

Trigger Warnings (click here, may contain spoilers)

Mild. Warnings for Trauma & PTSD, fire/arson and bullying.

Do you want to discover more?

If my review inspired you to pick up the book, don’t hesitate to check it out at Goodreads or at the below online stores. If you decide to buy it via one of the following links, I will receive a small percentage at no extra charge for you!

Amazon.nl: Paperback English Edition

Similar to this

Dead Girls Can’t Tell Secrets by Chelsea Ichaso will be released on the third of August. This new YA-Psychological thriller tells Savannah’s story, a girl ripped apart by guilt over her sister’s tragic accident. When she discovers that Piper was only at the place of the accident because she was invited to be there by one of her school’s clubs, she starts to wonder why. Was it maybe not an accident after all? In a dangerous attempt to discover the truth, Savannah joins the club…but who can be trusted? I for one put this book already on my TBR list, curious to see if Chelsea Ichaso can surprise me again! Note: My review can now be found here!

I have to admit that I find it difficult to recommend other books in this genre, seeing that I haven’t read many. Therefore, I decided to go about this differently and let myself be inspired by other readers. If you are into YA-thrillers, House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig also comes highly recommended. It’s about a mansion in which 12 cursed sisters reside and in which paranormal things seem to be happening…doesn’t sound too bad, now, does it? 😊 Edit: My review can be found here.

Recently, I read one other YA-thriller. Personally, I would not recommend it seeing that I had nightmares about it (my review can be read here): Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power. This is a disturbing story about the seventeen-year-old Margot who – driven by her dysfunctional relationship with her mum – starts looking for her grandmother. And then things start going south rather quickly. I have a somewhat weird relationship with this book: I really did not enjoy reading it, but, at the same time, I could not put it down. Are you into thrillers set in a horror-like dystopia? Then definitely look into this book. Stay far away from it if emotional abuse/neglect are triggers for you, though.