Special thanks to the author & @wednesdaybooks for my gifted copy and to @Macmillan.audio #MacAudio2024 for my gifted ALC‼️

Sariyah Bryant isn’t a normal teen she’s a Black girl who inherited the ability to telepathically sense people’s needs from her grandmother. With this type of ability comes great responsibility but it could also lead towards danger. When her friend Deja disappears from a music festival without a trace it opens the door for hidden secrets and the harboring truth that society doesn’t care as much when a Black girl goes missing.

This book was everything I thought it would be. I love when a mystery keeps you guessing and has you pointing the finger at everyone. That’s how great of a job the author did with creating the whodunit suspense amongst the characters.

The danger surrounding Deja’s disappearance had me on edge until that unexpected reveal left me like WTF. I really wished the author went in a different direction honestly. But I thought the book had an interesting premise and I liked the shift in Sariyah’s perspective before and after she discovered the truth about everything.

Overall, the book was great but the ending felt rushed and I was still left with unanswered questions. It explored themes of systemic injustices within the Black community, the lack of media coverage given to missing Black girls , and the trauma of dealing with a parent with mental health issues. If you’ve read One of Us is Lying, Ace of Spades or A Good Girl's Guide to Murder you might enjoy this book.

Oh my goodness! The ending really got me. I loved all of the twists and turns. The way different mental health issues were handled were refreshing.

This story was not what I expected at all! I really enjoyed how mundane Sariyah's powers seemed but how in the end (as she said) all these little ripples came together in the end to help save her own life! I was kind of pissed at Malcom and Deja for what they did though especially since Sariyah was actively putting herself in harms way to try to find Deja. I was glad that they found each other in the end but it felt unnecessary for them to make her worry and fret like this. I think it's also very interesting that Sariyah couldn't sense Jude's needs at all, even though they barely knew each other, but she could sense Deja's. To me, it read that since Deja wasn't being as open with her about everything in her life that Sariyah would sense her needs and because Jude wanted to be open with her, she didn't get much of a sense from him at all. I'm not sure if that's it though. Overall I did really like the narrative and the characters and I'm wondering what's going to happen in book two!

A YA speculative fiction thriller new release book.
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Sariyah can hear what people need before they even sense it sometimes. It’s a power she got from her grandmother and wishes she didn’t have, especially since she can’t hear the needs of those closest around her, just acquaintances and strangers. On the night of her best friend, Malcolm’s, 18th birthday celebration at a music festival, their other best friend, Deja, goes missing. Like thousand of Black girls before her, Sariyah and Malcolm, whose sister disappeared years ago with no resolution, realize it’s up to them to find her. The police and media won’t help so Sariyah tries her best to use her powers to find Deja before she she, too, goes missing.
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This was a gripping debut by CD that uses magical realism with thriller elements to point out a huge flaw in our judicial system, which is when girls and women of color go missing, they’re not given the same media or police attention as those who are white. I’d love to host a book club with teens for this one. Also, the audiobook is fire!

CW: sickle cell disease, depression, migraines, racism, microaggressions, grief, kidnapping, violence, blood, mental illness, medical content, hospitalization, death, toxic friendship, gaslighting, alcoholism, murder, physical abuse, child abuse, adult/minor relationship, forced institutionalization, drug abuse, injury, ableism, confinement, abandonment

This book started off with very cute banter and I liked the idea of her special ability. I also appreciated the storyline shedding light on something that happens far too often concerning the plight of missing Black women. However, even with all that, this book did not hold my attention. It was hard to get through for me and I don’t think it was because it’s YA. It wasn’t the best, but it certainly was not the worst. I still completed the read and think that this author is worth another try for future books. Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Boos for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

✨Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours✨

The premise of this book was really interesting! Sariyah has premonition-like powers, and she senses items that people need most, but doesn’t know when or why they will need them.

When she starts fulfilling the needs of people in her life like her boss and her best friend, and things start to happen, her boss stabbing a man with the nail file Sariyah gave her, and her best friend disappearing after she gives her pepper spray at a music festival, Sariyah starts to wonder how much she is at fault for what happens after she gives people the items they don’t really realize they need until the moment comes.

This is a YA mystery thriller, a super quick read, I read it in about two days I was so invested in finding out what was going on, and the twist at the end was unexpected!

One thing, and I may have missed this detail, but Sariyah carried around a bag with items in it to give people. I didn’t really understand how she always had the items they needed at the ready, was she buying these things? Did she just have them? Usually it was random stuff that you might have in your bag, but other times I didn’t get how she had the items.

That was minor though and I could have missed it, and overall this was an engaging read that had me hooked from the beginning!

Thank you @netgalley and @wednesdaybooks for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

4.25 This book was so good! If you are a fan of Tiffany d. Jackson then this is the book for you. The plot twist that came was not one that I was expecting at all. There was also a great ending and it made me tear up. I look forward to reading anything that this author does next.

Needy Little Things is a wonderfully suspenseful, mysterious story which will keep you reading and on the edge of your seat the whole time! Although a young adult novel, this adult was engrossed from the first page. It's imaginative, poignant and heartfelt. But also filled with peculiar characters and relatable family issues.

Sariyah Lee Bryant is a "hearer". What does that mean? Well, she is able to hear what some people need by somehow listening to their thoughts. For example, as she walks by a school mate she may hear pencil, candy, tissue. She actually carries a bag she calls the Santa Claus bag in which is packed with things she feels she will need to distribute.

She can read most people, except for her family and best friend Malcolm. She does not understand this. But feels it's perhaps for the best. Her family life is difficult. Her younger brother is ill, and her single mother is always depressed. Sariyah tries desperately to keep the family together. That is her main goal. She worries about everyone but herself. But suddenly her mother has lost her job and won't come out of her room which now Sariyah feels she must once again become the mother and provider.

Worst of all her friend Deja disappears at an outdoor concert which Sariyah was supposed to be watching her friend knowing she had asked her for pepper spray. This hits too close to home for her and Malcom as his sister Tess disappeared years ago never to be seen again. She was Sariyah's best friend whom she still dreams about.

Now Sariyah feels she must figure out what happened to Deja as the police are not very interested, as well as make some extra money as her mother has taken to her bed. She begins to sell her services in a bad part of a bad city.

As she begins to put the pieces together as to what could possibly have happened to her friend, what she discovers makes no sense. This information will put her life in jeopardy. But she will not allow what happened to Tess to happen to Deja.

The ending is shocking but will make Sariyah realize what is important in life as well as reevaluate herself and her future plans.

Needy Little Things is an inventive, creative story with a wonderful mystery, which addresses many present-day issues but also takes a somber look at life and family issues but gives a spark of hope, togetherness and friendship.

Thank you #NetGalley #WednesdayBooks #ChannelleDesamours #NeedyLittleThings for the advanced copy.

This is the author’s debut novel & let me tell you this: I am putting her on my must read list. This book is amazing! All of the characters feel so real & fleshed out, the plot kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. She even made the main character’s special power of knowing other people’s needs feel real.

Everyone needs to check this book out, especially if you think you’ve outgrown YA fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

*Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I don't think I had any idea what I was getting into here. But a YA mystery with a paranormal twist? It was dang good. Beyond being empathetic, Sariyah literally *hears* peoples' needs. The way Channelle Desamours described the sensory overload associated with this supernatural gift felt so accurate to my neurodivergent experience. I wish I'd listened to this because I feel like it would've taken it to the next level. The mystery itself is nuanced and shines a light on the racism in society (both in policing and in whose stories gain traction in news outlets, to name a few). I also think that the foreshadowing was subtle, feeling very planned without needing to be overt in clues.

And the ending?? That last line blew me away. Here's hoping we get a follow-up.

Oh my god! I could not put this book down! And then I listened to the narration on the audio book and loved it even more. Sariyah is a seventeen year old with a special gift; she can hear people’s needs in her head. Sometimes she sees it as a gift while other times, she sees it as a burden. Everything seems to be going well, until one day she notices a teacher in trouble and hands her an item that helps her save her life. Then, longtime friend Tessa goes missing without any evidence of her whereabouts. Then, at a music festival, her best friend Deja vanishes without a trace. While dealing with troubles at home, she tries to spread the word of her missing friend across social media in hopes someone will help her bring her home. This is a nail-biting, thought provoking novel that everyone should add to the top of your TBR immediately!

Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours had me hooked from the start! is a unique and thrilling YA mystery that centers on 17-year-old Sariyah Bryant, who has an extraordinary ability—she can hear what people need. Only her family and her best friend, Malcolm, know about this gift. But things get serious fast when she uses her gift to help her friend Deja, and Deja suddenly disappears. Sariyah and her best friend, Malcolm, are determined to find her before she becomes another forgotten Black girl.

Determined to find her Sariyah and Malcolm dive into a tense search for answers. The story is gripping, emotional, and filled with unexpected twists. The sense of urgency and high stakes had me hooked from the very beginning.

Tropes:
YA mystery/thriller
Secrets
Found family

I gave Needy Little Things 5 stars because of it;s fresh, fast-paced, has strong characters, is full of twists, and the way it weaves real-world issues into the narrative. The ending left me absolutely stunned—it’s a must-read for anyone who enjoys mysteries with heart and depth.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

In Needy Little Things, Channelle Desamours mixes strong characters with an intense plot and social commentary on the inequity of coverage when Black girls go missing. Sariyah Lee Bryant, our protagonist, is left wondering if her ability to ascertain what people want is a gift or a curse, but she knows she must use her powers when Deja disappears.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

Needy Little Things! Wow, author Channelle Desamours knocked this one right out of the park! I stayed up all night reading this original captivating thriller.

Aptly-timed mystery with the perfect blend of magical realism and cultural truths.

Guys, this was so, so good! I was hooked from the first chapter! Sariyah is such an interesting, complex character with a good heart who is always looking out for those she loves. I was riveted following her story as she navigated the burden of her "gift" while trying to be a somewhat normal teenager, complete with complex friendships, responsibilities to her mother and brother, and real-world pressures. Author Channelle Desamours artfully weaves magical realism into culturally-relevant current issues that will keep young adults turning the pages. Being a YA book, it naturally includes the trope of adults-who-can't-be-trusted-or-relied-on, which (as an adult) was a bit frustrating at times, but I recognize that I'm not the intended audience and I can respect that many young adult readers will identify with this situation. I also felt like Sariyah deserved a best friend who cared about her as much as she cared about him (sorry, Malcolm, I get that you're still grieving but dang, are you mean to Sariyah for no reason sometimes!). But those two points aside, this was a very interesting read that had me holding my breath for what was coming next. Definitely for HS level but aside from the mention of pot twice, it could be appropriate for grades 8+.

**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.**

I half listened and half read Needy Little Things and unfortunately this book didn't really work for me. I saw so many rave reviews for it online that I thought it would really work for me. I did enjoy supernatural element with Sariyah's ability to hear needs from the majority of the people surrounding her. I also stand with the message brought throughout the book that society focuses too much on the missing white girls than they do of the women and men of color that go missing. It's sad that our society hasn't learned to prioritize all lives, whether missing or dead, and not just the lives of white women. If I didn't want to know how it ended I honestly would have DNF'd it. For me the reading experience felt tedious. It could easily be because I'm an adult reading a YA novel. The storyline felt very stagnant for the majority of the novel and it wasn't until close to the end that movement actually happened. The ending leads to the possibility of a second book, but I'm not sure if I'd continue with it.

I’m giving this story three stars largely on the strength of the protagonist. She’s smart, compelling, and has a power set which used and explored in unique and interesting ways. I would happily read more books featuring her.

But the book is hampered by the mystery, not so much the nature of it, but how it’s resolved. I won’t go too into detail about it, but the whole thing just seemed to reek of Deus Ex Machina and required too many people to suddenly become idiots for it to work with so many ways it could have been foiled.

4.5/5 stars

Tropes:
Mystery
Amateur sleuth
Secrets/Betrayal
Magical realism
Supernatural premonition
Mental health rep
Social commentary

Even though I had my suspicions about what was going on I was still shocked about the details of the plot twist. Really enjoyed the magical realism in this story. It was subtle but held a lot of impact for everyone that Sariyah helped. I love a good amateur sleuth story and how things unfold with logic and persistence. The social commentary is so important in this book and will continue to stay relevant until it's properly addressed in the real world.

Highly recommend for fans of mystery, black stories, social justice, and magical realism.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I really enjoyed this book. I liked our FMC, Sariyah, and the concept of her and this instinct to feel and hear someone’s needs. I think Chanelle did a great job of showing us how cumbersome it probably is for her having to deal with hearing things from so many people and feeling like she had to fulfill their need to relieve herself, just for it to be replaced with more needs, and the guilt it made her feel in having to always put other needs before her own. I didn’t expect some of the twists throughout. And I think the reason behind what happened does make a lot of sense from an anger standpoint and grief standpoint, I just don’t agree with how it was executed. However the point definitely hit home. I think this is a powerful read for all ages.

Good book but not great. I would say 3.5 rounded up. It’s a ya book that I feel can be read by others. I love how our main characters had such unique abilities.