Excellent pacing and strong debut. There was definitely a wild ending that I definitely did not see coming. I loved the metaphor of this Black young woman taking on everyone's burdens and trying to fix all problems, and how this eventually leads to burnout and ignoring personal and mental health needs in Black women.

A really intriguing premise and an innovative idea! The writing was also excellent. I did not finish in time but I thoroughly enjoyed what I did read! Really looking forward to finishing this.

Channell Desamours does a great job introducing three issues at once. First, a super ability to hear the needs of others. While this gets a little confusing as to how Sariyah's ability works, it does assist with exploring her struggle and other characters' struggles with anxiety and depression. I feel like her special ability allows Sariyah to really relate to others and support them. The second and third issues go hand in hand. Disappearances of youth especially children of color are both tragic. Sariyah's friend's disappearance brings to light her childhood friend's disappearance which got inadequate coverage in comparison to a Caucasian child who disappeared during the same time period. Overall, I enjoyed the journey and the exploration Sariyah's story took me through.

Needy Little Things was an excellent read. The writing was propulsive and the character development was rich. I would read more from this author.

I loved the special power that the MC possessed in Needy Little Things. The ability to hear someone else's needs is so creative. I've read or watched lots of books, manga, anime, or TV shows with special powers, but this is the first time I've heard of this one, and I love what the author did with it. The audiobook is also enjoyable, BTW. I'm sometimes picky about narrators, but the narrator did a fantastic job. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.

This book is filled with friendship and family relationships, mental health representation, chronic illness and teen disappearances. Which is so mind blowing one person can touch on many need topics that the black community doesn’t address.

I enjoyed her personality & learning how her Brain works. It helps with the world building & character development. The narrator Alaska Jackson adds so much more depth to Sariyah’s character.

Just know you will get lots of twists & turns even some tears posssibly. At some points I was laughing like I was on the school bus with them😂

From this debut novel I’m excited to see what this author creates next & the worlds she will take us to.

I absolutely loved this book! It gripped me right away. Soriyah is pragmatic and has a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. She was such a relatable main character. I was really intrigued by her powers and the guilt that she feels about her ability to hear other people's needs. I loved the exploration of whether her abilities meant she owed others the fulfillment of their needs. I also loved the discussions about how racism affects the criminal justice system and how quickly cases with Black victims get solved. The mental health representation was portrayed with a great amount of nuance (her mom suffers from depression). The mystery had me hooked and the topics the book brought up were dealt with so thoughtfully. I'm hoping that there will be more books in this series because that ending left me wanting to spend more time in this world.

The narration was absolutely fantastic! I wanted to listen to the whole book on audio because the narrator pulled me into the story so effectively. I didn't want to put it down once I started. This is definitely one to listen to with your ears!

I am now on an ALA committee and cannot leave a real review. Thank you for your patience. Sorry for the inconvenience This is NOT a rating. This just a place holder because I had to.

Sariyah Lee Bryant has the ability to hear the needs of others. She spends a lot of her day providing people with these needs to stop the voices in her head, while also trying to care for her ill brother, and depressed Mother. Years ago, Tessa, her best friend Malcolm's twin sister went missing. When her best friend Deja goes missing, she refuses to let her become another statistic and so she decides to use her powers to make some extra cash, in the hopes of finding her.

I think this book did a great job with blending social commentary with mystery and magical realism. This was a slow burn story, but I really liked the overall message of this story. It tackles the topic of the unequal treatment of minority victims in missing people cases. I listened to this on audio, and the narrator did an incredible job bringing Sariyah to life. I really enjoyed Sariyah as a main character, and I was so intrigued by her power. It almost felt like her power was an analogy for OCD with the constant intrusion in her thoughts, and the compulsion to help meet the needs of others - but I could be wrong. I do think the topic of mental health, especially with her mother's depression was well done. The ending was interesting, and took a turn I really hadn't expected. It almost felt like we were left on a cliff hanger, so I am hoping there is another installment!

Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours

Imagine you’re walking down the street, minding your business, when a random girl hands you something—a rag, a whistle, maybe even a paperclip—and says, “Hey, I think you dropped this.” You know it’s not yours, but before you can even say anything, life hits you with a plot twist, and suddenly, you need that item. That’s the reality for Sariyah Bryant in Needy Little Things—except her ability to sense people’s future needs isn’t just convenient, it’s a gift... and a burden.

Sariyah has been dealing with this strange ability for years, but there’s one thing she can’t do—hear the needs of the people she loves most. And with all this power, she still wasn’t able to stop her best friend from going missing years ago, never to be heard from again. Now, it’s happening again. Another friend vanishes in the middle of the night, and Sariyah’s abilities are giving her nothing to work with.

So what does she do? She and her friends set out on a mission—not just to bring her friend home, but to figure out why young Black girls go missing, why their cases don’t get the same attention as others, and why the world only seems to care when it’s too late.

The mix of fantasy and mystery in this book? Chef’s kiss. The characters? Loveable, funny, and full of heart. The parents? Super relatable and written in a way that actually makes sense from a teen’s perspective (not just the usual “parents don’t understand” trope).

If you’re looking for a YA mystery with a unique supernatural twist, real-life themes that hit hard, and a cast of characters you’ll want to protect at all costs, Needy Little Things is a must-read. Perfect for the young adult in your life—or for you if you love a good light fantasy mystery.

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.

From the very beginning of 𝑁𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑦 𝐿𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠, I found myself constantly guessing what I thought was happening with these missing girls, coming up with all sorts of theories. It’s one of those stories that pull you in and keeps you engaged every step of the way because you are trying to figure out this mystery the entire time.

I couldn’t help but feel for Sariyah as she shouldered the responsibility of people’s needs with her ability that might seem like a gift but often felt like a burden to me. Adding to that, the struggles from her own home life and the pressure placed on her as a child made her story even more heartbreaking at times. I often caught myself wondering what it must have been like for her, juggling so much at once.

The book’s pacing was excellent, even with questioning and trying to solve the mystery. With the gradual and intense build-up that, it left me eagerly anticipating the resolution. When the ending finally came, I was definitely a complete a shock! Overall, I found this one to be an engaging experience and enjoyed the audiobook. It’s a story I am glad I had the chance to listen to. I would recommend reading this one as a buddy read because you’re going to want to chat about this one!

Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours is a gripping and powerful novel that addresses the unsettling issue of missing African American girls going unnoticed in society. Through a compelling narrative, Desamours shines a light on how the media often fails to prioritize the disappearance of Black girls, a reality that is crucial to acknowledge, especially for the age group the book targets. This theme is especially important, as it resonates with a young adult population who may not be fully aware of the systemic inequalities that shape these tragic events. The novel amplifies the voices of those who are often overlooked, making it both a poignant and necessary read.

What sets Needy Little Things apart is its unflinching honesty. In an era where many books seem to shy away from difficult conversations, this one embraces them, showcasing the nuanced and often messy nature of human relationships. It’s a book that understands what it means to be truly "needy"—not just for love, but for understanding, for empathy, and for acceptance. Desamours carefully constructs characters whose struggles feel not only relatable but deeply important. This is a work of literature that challenges the reader to confront the fragility of the human experience in a meaningful way.

At times, the book can be a bit confusing, with some shifts in perspective and plot details that may leave readers feeling disoriented. However, these moments of complexity serve to heighten the emotional impact as the story unfolds. Despite these occasional challenges, the ending is incredibly rewarding. It ties together the intricate narrative threads in a way that is both heart-wrenching and enlightening. Overall, Needy Little Things is a thought-provoking and important work that encourages reflection on a critical issue, offering a compelling and ultimately satisfying reading experience.

I had such a great time reading this book! The ability that Sariyah had, combined with this mystery, yeah, I had a really fantastic time reading it! This was such a great conversation too, about how certain people (mainly white girls) go viral when they're missing, vs. basically everyone else, like Sariyah's friends, the one currently missing, and the one that went missing years ago.

The idea of knowing what someone is going to need right before they do, it's not something that I've read from before. That she basically has this goodie bag of stuff, yeah, I wish that she had another way of being compensated for that, then what she comes up with the book, because she has to pay for this stuff that she's giving people, or else her ability would bug her. Which is not a fun position.

Adding the mystery with her ability, yeah, I had a really great time reading it! That there's stuff going on in her personal life with her mom's job, her brother's health, and the new guy in her life, yeah, this book had a perfect amount going on that kept me entertained beginning to end!

Once the pieces had come together, but they hadn't been assembled, at least, correctly, yeah, I was on the edge of my seat, I had to know who was behind it, what had happened, and I really enjoyed seeing how that climax played out! I'm really satisfied with where we left these characters, though if we see them again, I wouldn't mind that!

Loved reading this book and I'd love to read more by Channelle Desamours!

Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours is an engaging YA mystery with an important focus on racial injustice, mental health, and chronic illness. Sariyah’s ability to sense what people need is fascinating, and the novel highlights how missing Black girls are often ignored by law enforcement and the media. The speculative element adds an interesting twist, and I appreciated the exploration of depression and sickle cell disease.

That said, the more I sit with this book, the more frustrated I feel—especially with the actions of Sariyah’s best friends. The decision to stage Deja’s disappearance was immature, but what bothered me most was Malcolm’s attitude toward Sariyah. He acted like she was in the wrong for being distracted by her own very real problems, even though he knew the whole thing was fake. Worse, he didn’t seem to consider how their stunt would affect others. The moment that truly cemented my dislike for him was when Sariyah pointed out the danger her dad could have been in if the police found Deja on his property, and Malcolm straight-up admitted he didn’t care. I understand his trauma, but I couldn’t excuse his behavior.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Alaska Jackson, and the performance added depth to the story. The narration heightened the suspense and emotional intensity, making the mystery even more immersive.

Overall, Needy Little Things raises awareness of real issues, but the actions of certain characters left me frustrated. It’s an interesting read, but one that may leave you more upset than satisfied.

This book is such a unique YA speculative fiction/mystery that combines magical realism with commentary on race and class, has mental illness representation while also being so genuinely FUN to read!

This books follows Sariyah Bryant - a senior in high school with a super unique ability to- being able to hear other people’s needs! The story follows her and her closest friends as they try to piece together what happened to their best friend who went missing!

This book is so imaginative and creative and I loved it! Highly recommend checking it out!

Channelle Desamours has written a heavy but compelling debut novel with Needy Little Things. This one hooked me right from the start.

Sariyah has the ability to predict items that others will need. However, the need becomes louder and louder in her mind until she fulfills it. It makes school and a lot of her life difficult with these random needs always filling her head. I don't know how I would handle that. It definitely seems like more of a curse than a gift.

And then Sariyah's friend Deja goes missing from a music festival, her mom loses her job, and her brother's health condition takes a bad turn. Desperate to help with her family and finding her friend, Deja decides to use her "gift" for some cash. But doing this poses its own danger. There is so much going on here but it all blends really well to tell a cohesive story.

I think the author did a fantastic job weaving a compelling story together with a very real issue in our society today. Missing black girls don't get the same media attention as missing white girls. And even when they do, it's not the same kind of attention. Their education and background are highlighted differently. We see these things play out in the novel and it's heartbreaking. It left me thinking about this issue long after I put the book down.

The narration was very well done; I was immersed the entire time. The character voices were all distinct enough that I never got confused about who was talking. My mind sometimes drifts a little bit so this one matters a lot for me so I don't end up lost haha. I'd highly recommend this audiobook.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the ALC! I really enjoyed this one.

I received an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review, and can we say amazing?! I did not want to put this book down—every page pulled me in deeper with its twisty, unpredictable storyline. This felt like Nancy Drew meets That’s So Raven meets Scooby-Doo and the gang, but with a fresh, deeper, family-rooted twist. Just when I thought I had it figured out, another surprise would pop up, keeping me completely hooked.

We follow Sariyah, a young Black girl navigating life with a gift (or curse, depending on how you see it), while dealing with friendship, grief, and the realities of missing Black girls. The book doesn’t shy away from real-world issues, including injustices, policing, and the emotional weight of carrying the voices of the unheard. At first, some moments seemed unimportant, but Desamours masterfully weaves everything together, showing how even the smallest details matter.

Beyond the mystery and supernatural elements, the story also touches on sickle cell disease, which is such an important topic for young Black readers to learn about. Sariyah’s journey through high school, family struggles, and being a good big sister and friend felt authentic and deeply moving.

For a debut novel, Channelle Desamours absolutely delivered! I can already see more of her books landing on my TBR in the future. Alaska Jackson’s narration was fantastic—her tone, inflection, and pacing made the audiobook experience even more immersive.

Huge thanks to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and of course, Channelle Desamours for this ARC. I highly recommend Needy Little Things for anyone looking for a gripping, emotional, and thought-provoking read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners for this ARC audiobook for review. This thriller had me captured from the start and I couldn’t put it down. Magical realism and missing persons story combined. Definitely worth the read!

4.5 stars

A missing person mystery with a (mostly) loveable cast of characters that are so effortlessly real. This one will pull at your heart strings!