I don't normally read YA but I really loved NEEDY LITTLE THINGS by Channelle Desamours! I thought the psychic element was really well thought out and different - not your "run of the mill" psychic power. The character growth was executed perfectly, and the layers of complexity were all woven together in a way that made you really feel for Sariyah.

Although Sariyah's voice was distinct, her logic and thought patterns were more like an adult. I understand a big plot point was that she had to grow up before she was ready, but I do think in most instances she rationalized and explained in a manner that was much more mature than she would realistically be. I also had a hard time with the ending - tensions were glossed over fairly quickly between Sariyah and Malcolm after a pretty big betrayal. It was hard to stay on board with that.

Overall I loved this book and would highly recommend!

Wow!

This book took me on a journey that I wasn’t expecting. I’m not a fan of the fantasy genre, so I had to force myself to be open minded. Sariyah’s “super power” was very unique. It also sounded like it was overwhelming. The story really picked up when her friend Deja disappeared. Throughout the book, there was a lot of social commentary on the lack of urgency when a Black girl goes missing compared to when a white girl is missing. It stirred up a lot of emotion in me. I was also touched by Josiah’s struggles to get medical care for his sickle cell disorder outside of the city of Atlanta. That’s an issue that has been near to my heart for a long time.

As the truth started to come out about Deja’s disappearance, the pace of the book really picked up. The plot twist had me reeling. I didn’t expect the outcome nor the perpetrator. The reality of what Sariyah and her friends were dealing with at home was very heavy. They each had challenging familial relationships that broke my heart. This book touched on so many deep topics. It was all done so well. The title Needy Little Things made so much sense. I really enjoyed diving into this story.

This was an unforgettable five star read. Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and Channelle Desamours for this advanced copy for me to review.
#NeedyLittleThings #NetGalley

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for a review.

NEEDY LITTLE THINGS was a fantastic YA mystery/speculative debut. It tells the story of a girl who has the ability to hear others' needs — and the mystery she must solve when one of her friends goes missing under suspect circumstances. This was a very engaging story, and it kept me guessing until the very end. Highly recommend.

Sariyah Lee Bryant, baby, you are taking being an empath to a new level! She has the unique ability of foresight but it's more than that—she can sense what is needed often before they do, but lives under fear that this information will ever see the light of day. Luckily her family and best friend, Malcolm, keep her secret and help her stay as "normal" as she can. However, when their friend, Deja, goes missing, Sariyah grapples with her gift and her adamance that no missing Black woman or girl ever becomes forgotten.

The twists and turns, heartfelt moments, deep scenes, and development throughout this story is masterful. Over time, I grew to see Sariyah's gift as a gift, and not an unfortunate curse she has to live with and navigate the world with. The social commentary throughout was just right; it wasn't heavy-handed, nor did it feel like Desamours was pressuring us as readers to do anything except see things exactly as they are, even when they're not pretty. I feel like this is the YA thriller of the year, and Desamours is an author I'll be watching for a long time!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing an ARC!

5 ⭐️s

Loved the experience reading this one with my eyes, that I’m venturing into a re-read via audio!!! 🎧📖 Thank you to @macmillan.audio for the gifted audiobook of this wonderful book #MacAudio2024

This book made me feel 5000 different emotions (which I personally love in a book) and the main character, Sariyah, was such a gem of a character that you can’t help but feel for deeply and root for. This story was beautiful, original, and dealt with deep topics with ease, grace and even some humor at times. @elledesamours is truly a voice in literature that I can’t wait to read more of!!

5.0⭐️

⭐️NEEDY LITTLE THINGS, out FEBRUARY 4th⭐️

Thank you to Macmillan Audio #MacAudio2024 for the
g i f t e d audiobook and FlatIron Books for the g i f t e d ARC of this book!

This is my first book by this author and I'm genuinely excited to read MORE. I thought this was interesting from the blurb that I read, but after finishing this one up, I immediately went on to Goodreads to see if there was any more of her work, I could completely lose myself in. I thought this was a good YA Thriller/Mystery and would for sure recommend it to a friend.

For Fans Of: The Lilies, The Blonde Dies First, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕
Genre: 💥 Speculative Teen Thriller
Violence: 🔪🔪
Spice: 🔥

Premise: Sariyah “Ri” Bryant has an unusual talent—she can hear the needs of people around her for tangible objects—though it feels more like a curse than a gift. When her friend Deja vanishes shortly after she fulfills a need for a concerning object, Ri wonders if she is somehow to blame for her disappearance.

Thoughts: When I first read this book’s premise, I thought Sariya’s gift was about wish fulfillment. But the world-building around Ri’s power is so much more dynamic & suited to creating suspense. The story’s central mystery also interrogates a key theme: whether the disappearance of a young Black girl like Deja will garner the same police, media, and public attention as a missing white child, a fear that makes Ri and friends sleuthing more believable. All Desamours characters feel authentic, with complex backstories and messy emotions. The plot meanders a bit in the middle. While its focus on Ri’s experience with her power adds depth to her and the people around her, preventing the book from dragging, it does feel like the mystery comes in and out of focus. That being said, Needy Little Things is a great read. I did not see the final twist coming and I will definitely pick up the sequel.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press & Wednesday books for the gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Needy Little Things is the debut YA novel from Channelle Desamours that is full of suspense, unique plot and wonderful storytelling

High schooler, Sariyah has a gift of being able to hear what people need. But they tend to be smaller things. Scissors, gum, tape, clothespin...she can hear the voices of people's small things in her head. Only her closest friends and family know about this ability. This "gift" tends to hold her back in school and sometimes even with her friends. When her and her friends go to a music festival, one of her friends (Deja) goes missing after she fulfills one of her needs. But Deja isn't the first of Sariyah's friends to go missing, so she knows they must do everything in their power to find her. They do not want her to be another Black girl that goes missing with little help from the authorities.

Told completely from Sariyah's POV, we follow along on their quest to find Deja while weaving other aspects of their lives into the storyline. The pacing was even and easily digestible and each character seem to have their place in the story. It's even mentioned in the novel, but it almost was like an episode of Scooby Doo where they are trying to find clues to a mystery and connect all the dots. Time's ticking and all they want to do is find their friend.

I loved really getting to know Sariyah throughout this story and how she fought for her friends and family in every way. She may not have the best grades in school, but that didn't show her true character and how far she would go to take care of those around her. Not only did we get a story of a missing girl, but Desamours combined that with the issues of Sariyah's family at home and the fact that a lot of responsibility was put on her shoulders. So many layers were woven into this speculative YA thriller that hit on some racial injustices, mental and chronic health and of course the whole journey of searching for Deja, her missing friend.

With twists and turns, a great cast of characters and an explosive ending and a message to its readers, Needy Little Things is a great debut book.
Lastly, if you get the chance to listen to the audio, Alaska Jackson rocked her performance. She captured the tense situation while keeping the audience engaged and anticipating what was going to happen next adding to the overall reading experience. I can't wait to see what Channelle Desamours comes up with next. And with an ending like she gave us, I wouldn't mind more in this world.

My first 5 star read of the year! I read very little YA anymore and even less magical realism/speculative fiction, but the blurb for this book sounded intriguing and Desamours knocked it out of the park. I can’t believe this is a debut.

Needy Little Things is pact with so much: friendship and family relationships, mystery and a teen’s disappearance, racial inequality, mental health, chronic illness, and the unique gift Sariyah has to hear people’s needs. Yet even with so much, it all fits and it is balanced perfectly. Nothing feels underdeveloped and it never feels like too much.

I loved getting to know Sariyah and being in her head. I felt for her. She was a multi-dimensional character that was extremely well-written. Each side character added even more depth to the story and their personalities were fleshed out and had stories themselves (even with this being first person).

The main mystery stays strong throughout but none of the side stories ever get lost or forgotten. Each one feels intentional and moves the story forward in some way. Again, I am so impressed at this being a debut, and cannot wait to see what Desamours writes next!

I really liked the blend of genres in this one: mostly young adult mystery but with a FMC that can sense other people’s needs. Sariyah can hear the physical items other people are in need of, which is a unique type of psychic ability to possess. (At least that I’ve read of before.) It also provided a unique way to help find her missing friend Deja, a Black teen whose need was for pepper spray before she ended up going missing.

This book brings to light issues with how the media, the police, and the country in general seem to care more about missing white girls than missing girls of other races. Will Deja garner as much attention as the last girl who went missing, who was white?

The mystery was a little easier to guess, but I didn’t see all the parts to it. Overall, an interesting read, and one I’d recommend to anyone who likes YA mysteries. Also, I absolutely adore the title.

A really stunning debut. The prose shines and the complex interiority of the main character is the true star of the show. I think tons of teens will relate to this deeply and I'm excited to see what Desamours writes next!

This was an amazing debut book! Sariyah has the gift to hear people need's and be able to fulfill them. When one of her friends goes missing sat a music festival in Atlanta, Sariyah is determined to find her. This book is YA, but the twists and turns made me not be able to put this book down.

"Needy Little Things" by debut author Channelle Desamours is an intense, unstoppable force that blends mystery and magical realism flawlessly. With themes of friendship, mental health, disabilities, secrets, and betrayal, readers are invited into a multidimensional world with relatable characters and an unforgettable journey.

Having supernatural abilities sounds great unless you are Sariyah Lee Brant, a teenager blessed (or cursed) with the ability to hear what people need. From little things like a hairbrush or a pen to something major like pepper spray, Sariyah can hear it all whether she wants to or not. When she fulfills a need for her friend Deja, who goes missing shortly after, Sariyah feels like she's to blame. It doesn't help that another friend from her group went missing years ago and still hasn't been found. She does not want Deja to become another forgotten Black girl.

Determined, Sariyah and her friends do everything they can to find Deja. But when problems arise at home and Sariyah finds herself short of funds, she must utilize her gift in a way that earns her money. Doing so leaves her open to people who want to abuse her gift for themselves and may lead her straight into the same danger Deja found herself in.

"Needy Little Things" is one of those novels that is not only hard to put down but also leaves an impression. Packed into the mystery of Deja's disappearance is a social exploration of how the media and public handle the disappearances of missing girls due to their appearance. Deja's disappearance feels all the more real and desperate in light of this glaring discrepancy. This explains the determination Sariyah and her friends have to take matters into their own hands and find their friend before the police and the public give up. While they put themselves in danger, clearly they have a lot of love for their friend and will do whatever it takes, even uncovering dark secrets, to understand what happened to Deja and where she went.

Even though the ending wasn't a big surprise, the events leading up to the end were gripping. It's easy to get caught up in the characters and the struggles they're grappling with, on top of the mystery of Deja's disappearance. "Needy Little Things" is a rollercoaster of emotions, causing laughter one moment before dropping into a tearful low. The story is a reminder that Sariyah's story, though infused with the supernatural, is also a painful reminder that there are people who go missing every day, people in our community, who are friends and children, who deserve equal chances of being found.

"Needy Little Things" by Channelle Desamours is highly worth the read for the humour, the powerful friendship, the heartbreaking disappointment from family members, the struggle with mental health and physical limitations, and the unflinching message delivered within the story. Make sure to add "Needy Little Things" to your TBRs and look for the book on its expected publication date of February 04, 2025!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (Wednesday Books) for providing me with a free copy of this e-arc and the opportunity to share my honest opinion in this review.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for the copy of Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours. This is an amazing debut novel and I loved every word of it. I loved Sariyah’s talent of being able to hear what people need, even if the people have no idea they need it. She goes a step further and carries around a bag of random items so she can supply the needs. It was so clever how her talent was woven into the story and the plot. Sariya is an engaging and relatable main character and I enjoyed learning so much about her family and friends. The characterizations were deep, especially for a short book. If you’re looking for a beautifully written and captivating story with an ending that will shock you and make you think, don’t miss this book. I will be anxiously awaiting Desamours’ next book. 5 stars

A Black Female Lead, who know what someone wants in the moment??? Sign me up!! i might be the friend that’s too woke, but being black and then everyone around you expects you to know what other people need is the parallel of this female lead. The suspense, there. Friendship? there. I want more of this, i had to hide under my covers because it was intense

This had such a strong start. I felt like the playful chemistry between the characters really made for an enjoyable read. It felt like it was written for✨ the culture✨. The banter is top tier and the spotlight on topics such as depression, adhd, sickle cell disease & racial bias was done well.

Unfortunately, once I reached the 70 percent mark, I could already see where the story was headed (which annoyed me) and the final twist just didn’t make sense to my adult brain. All and all, I loved how this book had an essence of fantasy tied to our main character. However, the ending landed flat for me and I was tired of reading the words “Santa Bag”.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

What a debut! This is a book that has a little something for everyone--fabulous suspense and twists, realistic depictions of the characters' lives and struggles, and a great deal of complexity. I will be adding this to my classroom library for sure!

Needy Little Things
by Channelle Desamours
YA Fantasy Mystery Speculative
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Feb 4, 2025
St. Martin's Press
Ages: 14+


Even if they don't know themselves, just like her grandmother, Sariyah can hear what people need. A pencil, a phone charger, a hair tie, etc. Hearing all of these needy things from a lot of people at one time can be overwhelming and if she doesn't give out the needs, she'll get a migraine.

After handing over a need, she hears it was used to protect a woman's life, landing another in the hospital, then after fulfilling her friend's, Deja, need, she disappears.

Five years ago another one of Sariyah's friends, the twin to her best friend, is still missing, but another girl was found within a few months after her disappearance, and her disappearance went viral.

Because of the past, Sariyah and her friends don't trust that the police are not taking Deja's disappearance seriously and will not investigate, so they start their own.


This story's plot is mostly focused on the disappearance of young girls and the lack of police and the public's interest, focusing on how not everyone is treated equally; and how money and race have a major influence. And I agree, this is an issue and one that should be addressed and fixed!

Sariyah's gift is a unique one, and being able to go to a store and fill a bag (called Santa Bag) full of things, then be able to hand what another needs before they need it, is very cool.

Two other plots in this story are mental health; how depression affects everyone, not just the one suffering, and sickle cell disease and the pain, physical and emotional, it causes.

Overall, this was a good story and all but the beginning of the book moved along at a great pace, but there were a few characters whose importance grew towards the end of the book and weren't really talked about or explained in enough detail to reflect on the ending and make it as dramatic as it should have been. But the ending of one of the side plots was a great conclusion!

A faster paced beginning, more about the other disappearances, and the development of those important minor characters would have earned this one more star!

3 Stars

I'd give Needy Little Things a 3.8. I enjoyed it but it didn't grab me as much as thought it would. However I would still recommend it to others and would definitely read more of the writers work.

Phew!! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this!

two sentence review:
some people say the teens sounded too old, but as a youth librarian, I’ve seen teens have hard conversations like these with eloquence and understanding. what an incredible novel; hoping there will be a part two.