I went into this thinking it was your average teen contemporary novel, a genre I rarely read, and instead I have been humbled by this being one of my absolute favourite reads of the year. Sariyah has a peculiar ability where Sariyah can hear the needs of other people, and it unfolded into an addictive and highly compelling mystery. The seeds are planted so well in this to bloom into a tense and completely unpredictable story that I could not put down. Wednesday Books is promoting this one hard and they are so right to. It deserves all the attention available to it.

Needy Little Things is such a fantastic story! It touches relevant themes while also serving a bit of whimsy realness. It's a great book to pick up if you want something with mystery that also makes you think but is also not too hard to digest as it is in the YA genre. There are some really strong characters between Sariyah, her friends, and Deja. And wow! What a twist!

The cover art is gorgeous! Sariyah Lee Bryant can hear what people need—tangible things, like a pencil, a hair tie, a phone charger. Her friend Deja vanishes. This isn’t the first time one of her friends has landed on the missing persons list, and she’s determined not to let her become yet another forgotten Black girl. The premise caught my attention and intrigued me. But I don't know, I just couldn't vibe with this book for some reason. I finished it in one day; it was a good read, but something was missing for me. I think it was the pace. The pace was slow, and it felt like nothing was happening. The magical ability was discussed in the beginning and rarely mentioned afterward. I just wanted more. The characters were likeable, and it addresses a real issue happening daily around the world: girls going missing. I would still recommend this book.

S|N: I was invested in seeing how Sariyah received her ability and the history behind it, but never got those answers.

The audiobook was good; the narrator did a good job. She was easy to listen to and follow along! Listened at 2x speed, increased to 2.5x at 83% of the book. I just wanted to finish.

Thank you, Netgellay, and MacmillanAudio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy! You can pick up Needy Little Things on February 4, 2025.

This was a really cool magical realism/YA thriller! Channelle Desamours did a fantastic job integrating a mysterious disappearance, superpowers, and current events into this story. The emphasis on the difference when Black and brown girls go missing vs. white girls was poignant and all too real, and I love how our main character, Sariyah, took it into her own hands to track down her missing friend.

Given how strong the beginning was, I was a little sad that the actual mystery-solving fell a bit flat in the middle. It wasn't quite as action-packed and suspenseful as the beginning was, though the ending had a ton happening. I would've liked a bit better pacing throughout the middle, but overall, it was still a fantastic story,

Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan audio for the free ALC. My opinions are being left voluntarily. This was such a compulsive intriguing story that kept me on the edge of my seat.i wish the messaging was slightly different to better highlight the need to find missing bipoc and not willingly going missing without a trace. I look forward to the authors next book.


4.5/5☆

Sariyah can hear what people need (like a. nail file or a clothespin, etc.). It can be somewhat overwhelming, leads to migraines, and makes her ADHD worse. But it becomes useful to help her find her friend Deja who went missing at an African music festival. This isn't the first missing friend she's had, and she's determined not to let Deja become another statistic. The mental health and disability rep in this is really good. Sariyah’s mom has clinical depression, and it’s really respectfully and empathetically portrayed. Her little brother has sickle cell, and she’s often in the role of taking care of him while her mother is overtaken by depression. This would be a good recommendation for a teen looking for a mystery thriller with a social justice bent. advocating for giving more attention to missing black girls.

I LOVED EVERY BIT OF THIS STORY AND THE AUDIOBOOK MADE IT THAT MUCH MORE AMAZING! WATCHING SARIA NAVIGATE THROUGH THIS GIFT THAT SHE HAD AND ALSO GOING THROUGH LIFE TRYING TO BE A TEENAGER AND CAREGIVER BASICALLY TO HER BROTHER AND MOM AT TIMES WAS INTRIGUING. THIS WAS MY FIRST YA MAGICAL REALISM AND IT WAS HONESTLY A GREAT INTRODUCTION INTO YA THRILLER AND FANTASY. THE AWARENESS OF MISSING AFRICAN AMERICAN AND WOMEN AND GIRLS OF COLOR WAS ABSOLUTELY NEEDED AND WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE HIGH LIGHTS OF THIS BOOK AS WELL AS THE WAY GRIEF WAS SHOWN IN DIFFERENT WAYS IN FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF THE MISSING GIRLS. THIS BOOK PLOT TWISTS WAS GREAT AS WELL BECAUSE I HONESTLY WOULDN'T HAVE EVER GUESSED THE TRUE CULPRIT. I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THAT SHE DID COME TO TERMS WITH HER GIFT AT THE END AND ACTUALLY SAW IT AS A GIFT AND NOT BURDEN ON HER ANYMORE. NEEDY LITTLE THINGS WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING AND I AM GRATEFUL TO NETGALLY AND THE AUTHOR FOR LETTING ME READ THIS AMAZING STORY!!

4 stars

This is a strong YA debut with a compelling m.c. and an intriguing mystery. I enjoyed it and will definitely recommend it to my students.

Sariyah, the m.c., has an interesting skill: "hearing" the needs of those around her. She can stand in a crowd and know exactly who needs ear plugs, who needs a snack, and even who needs a pillowcase. This comes in handy in some cases, but like any unusual powers/skills/difference, there's another side to this uniqueness, too. While sometimes Sariyah feels powerful in her ability to support her younger brother who has a long-term physical ailment, she feels equally powerless when she is not around to anticipate his needs. This situation hits a new high against a troubling backdrop: missing Black girls and young women.

I really like the spin on telepathy here along with the approach to this major social issue. The coverage feels effectively targeted to the audience (discussions about the role of social media, for example), and the characters have varied, complex relationships to the issue and to each other.

I will be on the lookout for more from this author and will definitely look forward to sharing this recent effort with my students. And when and where accessible, I'll be recommending the audiobook specifically since it features stellar narration.

I didn’t really think I would enjoy this book in the beginning because it started off a little slower. The more I read the more intrigued I became. Sariyah, a seventeen year old who was determined to please everyone. This book hit on so many topics that teenagers deal with daily like friendship, wanting to be a people pleaser, social issues and just overall struggles that teens deal with. The plot twist was very well written and kept me wanting more.

Needy little things
-the descriptive writing had me CAPTIVATED
-I feel so connected and like I’m bestie’s with Sariyah
-loving the fantasy vibes with her powers (can see what people need) but also thriller / murder mystery vibes with a friend’s disappearance and trying to uncover stuff
-the culture showcased in this book was refreshing
-if you like ace of spades and a good girls guide to murder you’ll eat this up
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This is one of the best debuts I've read. I'm honestly shocked it's a debut, it's that good. I read the audio ARC of this book, and the narrator (Alaska Jackson) did a fantastic job!!

I loved Sariyah as a main character. She has a magical ability to hear what people need, like chewing gum, a pencil, etc. She gets migraines if she doesn't fulfill people's needs, so she carries around what she calls her "Santa Bag" full of random objects. Sariyah gives her friend, Deja, pepper spray. That night, Deja goes missing. Just like Sariyah's best friend, Tessa, went missing five years ago. Sariyah refuses to let Deja become another forgotten Black girl.

Sariyah really grapples with HOW people use the things they need. In the beginning of the book, she gives her boss nail clippers, which her boss then uses to do something more nefarious than trim her nails. She feels like she is to blame for what other people do with the objects she provides them, even though she doesn't know what they will end up using them for. But what if they are used for harm? Is she morally, even if not legally, at fault?

I love so much about this book. The characters are all complex. They had flaws that had me rooting for them. But even more than that, I love the discussion of Missing White Woman Syndrome: how Black girls (and other girls of color) are not given the same media attention as white girls when they go missing. Sariyah and her friends try to counteract this and keep the conversation about Deja alive, even if it feels futile.

I did NOT anticipate the twist(s). No spoilers here, though, so you'll just have to read the book to find them out ;)

ALSO that ending???!! How dare. I am not okay. You can't do me like that! There BETTER be a sequel coming or I will not feel peace.

I received this audio ARC from Netgally and St. Martin's Press.

The premise of this YA mystery was original and pulled me in immediately. Sariya is a black teen who carries around a 'Santa Bag' to fulfill premonition like request that she gets from any and everyone she passes.

Her friend Deja goes missing and her and her friends stop at nothing to find her. Soon Sariya realizes that things are not as they seem and she falls into a dark and twisty situation no one expects. I enjoyed this audi book for its originality.

This is an amazing debut novel and I can't wait to see what else this author comes out with in the future.

I received the audio as an arc and I consumed it all in one sitting. The narrator was perfect, it was really easy to tell which character was talking, even at increased speeds. I thought I'd get tired of the premonition aspect but it didn't feel overdone and really added to the plot. All of the characters felt real. You could really picture them and their personalities.

This book touched on a real issue and it was done well. Yes the mystery and the twists were great but the bigger message of the book was heard loud and clear.