Let me get right to it...it was AMAZING. Sariyah, Malcolm,Jude , their parents...all fully realized and complex character. Sariyah having a gift for finding physical things ties wonderfully into a tale about Black gorls missing make a great vehicle for telling ithis story of the too often unheard. It also discusses autonomy and when to protect your mind when necessary. Mental health is also a theme and how it affects your capabilities as a parent. The Black community coming together to find a Black girl was beautifully realized. It's probably one of the favorites of my year so far. I didn't even mind that it was YA 😉 I want to thank Elle Desamours for sharing this story with the Black young adult community because I think the message is that they should be heard and they can use their voices to find justice for the lost.

Wow I knew that I would love this book but I didn’t know that I would love it this much!
This audiobook was done so well and the narrator did a fantastic job and really brought the story to life.
I loved that the focus stayed on highlighting all of the Black girls and boys that have gone missing. Oftentimes in books, it’s briefly mentioned and then forgotten but that was not the case in this book.
Also, I loved the ADHD, mental health, and sickle cell representation. Those that struggle with any of these issues will feel validated and seen throughout this book.
Although the mom frustrated me at times, I think that her character highlighted the shame and irritability that often comes with mental health issues and that is important representation.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book and I hope that we get a second book because that ending had me screaming lol

Loved the story. Main character was intriguing and compelling. Overall, the story was believable and thought out.

3.75 stars

Desamours did a wonderful job of having the audience understand what it may feel like to lose someone you care about or what would you do if you were in the same predicament. All the characters have their flaws and not once did I think they’re unrealistic. Sariyah is only seventeen and yet with her mother’s depression, her little brother’s disease, and carrying the pain of her best friend’s disappearance she has dealt with many struggles. And now, she has to go through another: Deja, Also Sariyah’s friend, is now missing. Sariyah is doing what she can to find her and it may help that she has the ability to hear the needs of others in her head.


I really enjoyed reading this story. The pacing was good and in the end, it got suspenseful, and at one point I was fidgeting wondering what was about to happen. Overall, I’m curious about how the next one will pan out, and will be looking forward to the sequel.

Also read this via audio and the Alaska Jackson did amazing. I love her different voices between characters and she did the south accent very well. I could feel all the emotions she tried to convey and it was a joy to listen.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a wonderful job. She really brought the characters and the story to life. I really enjoy mysteries/thrillers and this one has a great premise - a Black teen girl who can hear the needs of those around her. In order to silence the voices and needs in her head Sariyah constantly gives to strangers the things they need, until a few incidents lead her to believe perhaps her gift is a curse and ends up hurting those around her. It was a great start, I loved how this book was set up and getting to know Sariyah in her day to day life. This book has a lot of social commentary about racial disparities, especially in relation to how the public treats missing persons differently based on race. The way the story weaves in these heavy topics with levity and magical realism and without being over the top, was so well done. We have placed an order for this book and I would recommend it to my students.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC to preview.

Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours

This is probably the closest to fantasy I enjoyed that did not overpower the plot. The magical realism in this book with a main character who has the gift of ESP I could connect to made it the perfect debut novel in my opinion. I listened to this audiobook in one day, so you can definitely consider it as a “page turner.”

When the main character’s best friend disappears at a music festival she is faced with the unsettling reality that another friend of hers has gone missing, and she did not do enough to protect her. During her mission to find her friend the main characters struggle with racism, a depressed parent, and the absence of missing black girls in the media. The author did a great job of representing all of these themes.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this Audiobook

Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025

I read this book before listening to the audiobook, and I found the reading experience to be far more enriching. I admire how the story addresses mental health and highlights the disparities in how society perceives missing persons based on their skin color. It raises a compelling question: how far must one go to make a point?

Overall, this is a remarkable YA novel, and my favorite takeaway comes from Jude's words to Sariyah: “What you do, that’s nature. You can’t impose morality on nature. It just is. All you can do is respect it, be gracious when it blesses, and humble when it doesn’t.” This message resonates deeply and encapsulates the essence of the book.

Thank you Netgalley for this audio arc. If you like the book Ace of Spades, I would recommend this audio. I rated this a 5 stars.

I definitely enjoyed the narrator of the book. The storyline started out strong and at times were confusing, but overall it was a solid read. I can only imagine the struggle the main character has to deal with when she feels the need to fulfill everyone's needs.
So we find out through a social experiment project to see if a missing Black girl will get the same exposure as a missing White girl. The Suspense is amazing and the reason for doing the experiment falls a little flat with all the other events that happens within the story.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and MacMillan Audio (#MacAudio2024) for the ALC!

Well-written and with a unique plot, “Needy Little Things” pleasantly surprised me! I was expecting a YA thriller but what I got was a very original plot with mature YA characters. Immediately, our FMC drew me in. Sariyah isn’t like normal teens; she can telepathically hear people’s needs. Example: friend needs gum, teacher needs a paper clip, her brother needs dinner. Round and round she goes, often wondering if her gift if more of a curse, especially after her friend goes missing. Not trusting the media and police to truly find her friend, Sariyah takes matters into her own hands.

The blend of magical realism and suspense in this book was the perfect combination! Also, the pacing was spot on; as Sariyah became more desperate to find her friend, the pacing matched her feelings and the tension was palpable. As I said, I was very impressed with Sariyah’s maturity too. Sometimes with YA books, I have trouble relating to a the character (because I’m not exactly a young adult) but I could relate to Sariyah…not for the telepathy so much as her caretaker role of the people around her. The twist of who the “bad guys” were truly blew me away! And after all that, I was moved to happy tears.

This author pulled it off all while very deftly working on the very present topics of privilege and racism.

It truly surprised me to see this was a debut, and I can’t wait to see what this author comes out with next!

“Needy Little Things” releases February 4, 2025! This review will be shared to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

There are some really great aspects about this book--the unique element and burden of Sariyah knowing what other people need, the touch on sickle cell, the mental health struggles of a parent, and the lack of urgency around black teenage girls who go missing. I have mixed feelings about the ending, but I think the story is engaging and will appeal to fans of Monday's Not Coming. Definitely a discussable book!

First, Alaska Jackson is swiftly becoming one of my favorite narrators working today. Her performance adds another dimension to this fantastic debut. Highly recommend the audio. I was switching between the eARC and the ALC and stuck with the audio for most of the book because the performance added so much!

I really liked these 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 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣:
The narrator was a perfect choice for Sariyah. I loved listening to the audio for this.

Alaska Jackson was an excellent narrator! I think she’s talented in bringing each character to life. She kept things interesting, and I loved her upbeat tone and flow. She did a great job in developing the relationships between the characters friendships through her tones and voice acting.

I thought the concept of this book was unique. A YA Mystery with a hint of magical realism. The MFC Sariya Lee Bryant had a special gift in that she heard peoples needs. Cool concept. It’s unique and I think that the idea could be potentially be developed into an amazing series.

I was a bit confused on the book’s audience. It could’ve made an awesome children’s series, like a Nancy Drew But there were mature issues sprinkle throughout that made it inappropriate for A young teenage audience. Drug use, mental health issues, adult language were all addressed to the point where it wasn’t appropriate for teenagers, but the rest of the content, in my opinion, felt to juvenile for an adult audience so that left me with mixed feelings. This is definitely a New Adult, for ages 18-30 and not a YA.

There was a very low-key romance plot. I don’t know if I missed what happened or if nothing ever developed, but I would’ve loved to have seen that blossom. I also thought the supporting characters could’ve been developed more. I would’ve loved to known what happened to her family! I was rooting for them.

I thought the plot climax moved extremely fast and would have enjoyed seeing that extended. The very end paragraph was clever and left me wanting to See how it played out. I’m not sure if that was a cliffhanger and there will be another book or if this is just a standalone and that was just surprise ending but it was good!

Overall I’d rate this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 Stars

Release date Feb. 4th 2025 The cover is stunning!

#arc #needylittlethings #yamysterybooks #yamystery #bookstagram #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookreccomendation

For this to be a debut, this was amazing. I was on the edge of my seat. Even crying at certain parts (if you read it. you know which parts. JEESH!) This may have been the first YA Mystery I finished in a day. I cant wait for more from Desamours

Wow, first 5 star read of the year. Needy Little Things really kept me guessing, I did not see that twist coming. And that ending, left me speechless. Looking forward to more books by Channelle.
The narrator for this did such a great job as well.
Thank you to netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to listen to a complimentary copy of the audiobook.
All thoughts are my own.

I find YA books to be very hit-or-miss lately and this one didn't hit the mark for me. The narrator did and wonderful job and the writing was good but I found all the teen characters to be a little immature and Sariyah's fantastical gift of knowing what people need was too easily accepted in this world that is otherwise based in our reality. I DNF'd this book at 15%.

3.5 ⭐️ I really love speculative mysteries/thrillers and this one has a great premise - a Black teen girl who can hear the needs of those around her. In order to silence the voices and needs in her head Sariyah constantly gives to strangers the things they need, until a few incidents lead her to believe perhaps her gift is a curse and ends up hurting those around her. It was a great start, I loved how this book was set up and getting to know Sariyah in her day to day life. Some found the set up slow and I was the complete opposite, I loved that part the most. Once her best friend, Deja disappeared it slowed down for me. It was a little too slow of a burn and the twists weren’t enough for me, it was just OK and fell a little flat for the build up. I have to remember this is why I don’t read too many YA thrillers, they sometimes aren’t twisty enough for me. But I LOVED the last line of this book and really hope we get a follow up. Even if we don’t it was brilliant writing.

This book has a lot of social commentary about racial disparities, especially in relation to how the public treats missing persons differently based on race, it truly breaks my heart and hope the message gets through to its readers. It also touches on complex family dynamics and relationships, teen friendships and complex teen emotions. I also really enjoyed its depiction of mental health and disabilities, as her mother struggles with depression and her brother has Sickle Cell Disease. The way the story weaves in these heavy topics with levity and magical realism and without being over the top, was so well done, especially for a debut author. I’d pick up another book by Channelle Desamours in a heartbeat.

I was gifted an advanced listeners copy of this book and enjoyed the audio narration for the most part. The narrator gives each character their dialect/accent, as the story takes place in Atlanta, Georgia, except our main character which made it stand out in a weird way (for me). These characters are poc and it made it more racially stereotypical for some and not all to have a local dialect when they are all from the same area. Perhaps I am being too sensitive but it was an odd choice. I still enjoyed the listen, even when it slowed down for me in the middle and end.

Book 2 of 2025
Format: Audio, #macaudio2024

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

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⭐️

The narrator in this book did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book and thought it was done in a very interesting way. Sariyah can hear the mundane needs of others repeating in her head whenever she is around them. Things like a tissue, a hair tie, a pencil. It’s no wonder she can’t concentrate and avoids crowds. She’s keeps a backpack with all necessities on hand to give them to the needy little things. When she fulfills a need of her best friend Deja at a concert one night, and Deja goes missing, she begins to wonder if her gift is really a curse.
I thought the story was interesting and really liked the way it was written, with Sariyah continuing to nonchalantly fulfill needs as she was breaking herself to hold her family together while helping her friends look for Deja.
I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this one and was pleasantly surprised. I did somewhat see part of the plot twist coming, but not the entire thing. I don’t know how to explain how I was shocked but not entirely surprised when I found out the reasoning behind everything. Sometimes people have good intentions deep down, but don’t really think out the execution of the plan.