Sariyah is a young black teenager who can anticipate the physical needs of others. She’s often the hero in people’s lives and provides small but crucial items to those in her community like phone chargers and water. The power to know these things is often overwhelming. When she tries to help a friend that goes missing, things get worse. This isn’t the first friend of Sariyah’s that has gone missing so she doesn’t trust the police to help and relies on her gift with the help of friends to figure out this mystery before it’s too late.


This young adult novel is riveting. It touches on the lack of media for missing Black girls, the strain on children when parents lose their jobs, sickle cell disease, depression and ADHD. It has fun dialogue between the best friends and even a little romance. It’s a good balance to the tough topics. I recommend this book to anyone who loves mysteries with many twists, realistic plots and characters, and fresh takes on social commentary and illnesses (physical and mental).

Excellent audiobook for teen readers with outstanding narration! Desamours mixes a perfect amount of parnormal abilities with teenage struggles and nationwide racial inequality. Highly recommend!

Needy Little Things by Chanelle Desamours is a powerful Black girl, YA mystery and there’s something about this genre that’s really been pulling me in for the last year. Mystery is not usually my thing, but if you add in teens trying to uncover a crime, then sign me up! Add a semblance of magic and I’m hooked!

Sariyah has a premonition-like power to sense people’s needs and in order to quiet the voice in her head, she tries to fulfill as many as she reasonably can. When her friend Deja disappears after Sariyah gives her the pepper spray she sensed was needed, Sariyah fears the worst.

I loved the multifaceted characters in this book; Malcolm is eccentric and rejects the financial support of his well-off parents. Jude is a new kid who bonds instantly with Sariyah and Malcolm, but clearly has a past. Deja plays it close to the chest. Even the side character parents and siblings in this book all have their own nuances; they are fully fleshed out people.

I also really loved the questions this book brings up in regards to how missing Black girls are treated vs. white girls. Without being too spoilery, it is apparent that modern social media has brought people closer together in spreading awareness and searching for missing people of color than mass media and authorities previously had. I wonder if there will be a sequel based on the subplot of Malcolm’s missing sister, Tessa, who disappeared five years before the events of the book. I really hope there will be! Needy Little Things was absolutely five stars, I highly recommend this book!

This was fantastic! I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook and had a great time! Alaska Jackson did a fantastic job on the narration and had me engrossed in the story. It moves at a quick pace and is intriguing start to finish. I really enjoyed this and would recommend this! Special Thank You to Channelle Desamours, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sariyah’s powers (or curse - you decide) of hearing/knowing the tangible needs of those around her was really interesting to explore - feeling both fresh and yet deeply relatable as you watched her put in the position of needing to always put the needs of others above her own while navigating some really challenging life circumstances. And while her powers might have made it feel a bit outside the norm, the story highlighted the sad reality of far too Black girls going missing and the disparities of how those disappearances are treated (or ignored) in comparison to when it’s a white girl who disappears. Good story with an unexpected ending that had me feeling a bit conflicted, but worth checking out. Also, really enjoyed the narrator - made it easy to get pulled into the story and get a feel for all the different characters.

I love a good mystery and being left in the dark until the end. I got just that with this novel, it was so good. There were a lot of twists and turns but even until the end I kept getting surprised with where the story was going. There was some magical realism with the main character being able to hear people’s “needs”, which played an interesting part in this story. This ability added a lot of whimsy to an otherwise very serious story.

I would definitely recommend this story. I’m so curious to see what this author turns out next.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book kept me entertained until the very end! It has mystery, supernatural abilities and some romance. The first half was a bit slow for me but it got really good.

Thanks to the author Channelle Desamours, Bloomsbury Publishing, and NetGalley, for providing me with this free ARC!!

This book had kind of a lot going on from both a genre and plot-point perspective, but being that it's YA, I think it worked well and would actually be engaging and a good fit for a YA reader (which is something I can't say for all "YA" books!). I usually award bonus points for a unique premise, and the magical realism element ("need-sensing") in this book was not just unique, it actually added some intentional internal conflict for our protagonist, Sariyah. Despite the magical element, the characters and situations felt realistic (though I know I am in no way the correct person to judge of whether the author accurately captured life as a Black teenager living in Atlanta). The second half of the book had plenty of surprising twists and turns. All in all I think this was a great debut, and I think it would be perfect for a book club!

I read this book (both as an e-book and an audiobook) as a NetGalley ARC. I really liked the audiobook narrator and the way she immediately gave the readers a sense of Sariyah's personality, but would have preferred the audiobook handled the "need-sensing" differently to help them stand out a bit more, like they did in the text version.

What would you do if you had the unique ability to discern the needs of others just by being around them? Do you think that is a skill that you would want to possess? Well, the FMC in this book, Sariyah, believes this ability is a blessing and a curse!

Over the years, Sariyah has learned to quiet the needs in her head with the help of her “Santa bag” filled with random things like chapstick, tweezers, and nail files. Some of things she carried I was thinking, “Girl, how did you know to carry that around? Who really needs that?”

But anyway, things go South when Sariyah senses the need of her best friend, Deja. Why would Deja need an item that has the potential to really hurt someone? To make matters worse, Deja goes missing shortly after Sariyah supplied her need.

For the rest of the story, the reader becomes consumed with what happened to Deja? Where is she? Debut author, Channelle Desamours, did an excellent job making all of the characters look guilty, and I think trying to determine who kidnapped Deja was the most exciting part of the book.

I have to say I was a little disappointed when I found out what really happened to Deja. I don’t understand the reasoning, and I feel like the incident did more harm than good. I could say more about this, but I don’t want to spoil for the story for you!

Finally, I need the author to come out with a Part 2 because that cliffhanger is where the real story begins!

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillian.audio for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4/5⭐️ A debut author…this was an interesting read following a young woman Sariyah and her gift of being able tell what a person needs. And when her friend goes missing now she must find her and secrets are revealed! This book explores not only the magic but racism, injustice and mental health issues within families and how that can affect other members in the family but the person who’s actually going through it themselves. It definitely all came together in the end and that’s what I like! Give me a beginning, middle and end story and that’s it! Well done!

I don’t really read much YA these days, and the ones I do read, I’m pretty picky about. (Zero shade to anyone who loves it!) I am a sucker for magical realism though, and the premise of this book had me hooked!

Our protagonist has what could be considered a gift or a curse, depending on the day. She can sense what little things other people need and spends her days fulfilling those needs, not really knowing a lot of the time how she’s impacting the people around her. But when the whole world seems to be collapsing around her, she’s uses that gift in a variety of ways she never saw coming.

Some things I enjoyed about the book:

🎧 There is a huge focus on missing people, and the disparity in resources and focus when it comes to trying to find them, particularly regarding race.

💼 There are a variety of social, medical, and mental health issues addressed in the book. We see how these impact families in their everyday lives. Some of these include chronic illness, depression, drug/alcohol impacts, complicated family dynamics, the cost of health care, and long term grief.

🎧 The characters had depth and layers to them, which I definitely always appreciate. They often made dumb decisions, but those dumb decisions felt realistic to the age and experience they each have had.

💼 The magical realism element of the main character’s fulfillment of needs was unique and intriguing. And it was also interesting to see how she acted as a carer both with her gifts and just generally in her life. She constantly put others above her own self, and I think that’s why the very last page was as shocking as it was. Normally I don’t love an abrupt ending, but this one felt fitting!


If you enjoy YA, magical realism, and mysteries, this is the book for you!

I went back and forth between the ebook and audio, and the narration for the audio was fabulous.

I’d like to start by saying I need book 2 like… yesterday.
Listen I know the book was published last week… I meant what I said.

I got this as an audiobook ARC through Netgalley, so a big thank you to the publisher and Netgalley, and the author.
Originally I got this back toward the end of December. I was in a huge reading slump and could not get my head to wrap around anything other than bland nonsense holiday reads.

Finally I picked this book up today. Like this morning. And read it all in one go. I could not put it down. I was so caught up in this story feeling like I was really living in the moment with our MC, Sariyah, that I fully did not see that twist coming at the end. I was floored by the reveal of who our “villain” was. Maybe to others it will be obvious but I was so genuinely swept up in the story that it felt like I was figuring things out in real time alongside Sariyah.

An incredible debut YA mystery for Channelle Desamours. I loved how she blended complex family dynamics, between Sariyah’s younger brother living with Sickle Cell, her mother dealing with depression, and Sariyah’s own OCD and impulsive thoughts. Then also showing us the complexities of friendships, relationships, and the experience of being a black teenager trying to figure out what they’re going to do with their lives. Beautifully done.

I wish I could find more words to say about how much I enjoyed this book.
I’m grateful I finally picked it back up, at a time where I’m able to genuinely enjoy it. I look forward to the next book.

Read If You Like:
🎧 Young Adult Mysteries
🎧 Disability and Black Character Identities
🎧 Supernatural/ Magical Realism Vibes
🎧 Social Narratives
🎧 Racial Injustice and Media Bias Discussions
🎧 Missing Persons Cases

In her debut novel, *Needy Little Things*, Channelle Desamours absolutely crushed it! This story centers around Sariyah, a high school senior endowed with a unique ability: she can sense the tangible needs whether they are aware of the need or not of those around her. This gift, is something she tried to hide and to not act on, but if she doesn’t the needs start to overwhelm her forcing her to comply.

Early in the book we learn about her best friend Malcom’s twin sister who went missing years prior and was never found, and now it appears history is repeating itself when her friend Deja disappears shortly after Sariyah fulfills a need for her of pepper spray at a music festival they attend together at the start of the story.

Determined not to let Deja become another overlooked missing Black girl, Sariyah, along with her friends, embark on a quest to uncover the truth behind her disappearance and to try to use sosical media to help bring awareness.

The story delves deep into pressing societal issues, notably the disparity in media attention between missing persons cases involving white individuals versus those involving people of color. Which is so timely in today’s world with the continued progress towards disbanding DEI efforts in America.

Needy Little Things is a truly well done debut that offers a a lot of important social commentary with the mix of supernatural alongside the mystery.

Thank you so much to Wednesday books for my ARC and my finished copy and to Macmillan audio for my gifted ALC!

This was a great speculative YA mystery debut that features a Black teen girl with premonition like powers who has inherited a family ability to hear what other people need. Sariyah tries to use her 'gift' sparingly as it often backfires on her and causes migraines. She has ADHD and is struggling at school, has a brother with sickle cell amenia and a single mother who suffers from bouts of depression. When her best friend goes missing at a concert, Sariyah takes it upon herself to try to find her when the police seem incapable. Suspenseful and moving, with great disability rep, this is perfect for fans of books like Ace of Spades or Chaos theory. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

What an amazing debut novel! A perfect YA supernatural-ish mystery! The content/theme is right on point with today's political climate. The characters are relatable and give different perspectives and dimensions to the problems that they're facing. The pace was great, and it was an easy and enjoyable read/listen!

narration for this one was good! there were good intonations for character changes & for individual emotions.

the book itself was WILD. what a rollercoaster of a story. we went from normal senior highschool drama to missing friends, to crazy schemes. so much happened to wrap it all up at the end. like these children just got too smart for their own good. this book touched on the different ways grief affects us all — some let grief consume them, some bury themselves in helping others and some come up with ways to change the past. it was interesting to see the dynamic between the young adults when it comes to missing friends and how it affects the youth versus how it’s handled amongst adults. very enjoyable quick paced mystery!

Needy Little Things kept me on my toes as I read/listened. I really enjoyed the premise as a speculative reader. and the narrator of the audio was amazing. I enjoyed Sariyah's power and wish there was an opportunity to explore how this was established in her bloodline; although the disruption in intergenerational knowledge is a realstic impediment of knowing for descendants of enslaved people. Beyond that, I enjoyed the book all the way to the last few chapters where the reveal of the villain somewhat cheapens the novel. While I was taken off guard by the villian reveal, the reveal and the parts after it left more to be desired for me. But, the end of the novel, and possible foreshadowing toward a second book, brought me back in. All in all, I'd rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

Incredible book! This concept of not reading minds but hearing needs is so unique and this is perfectly executed. I love the narration in the audiobook and am excited to recommend!

This book is deeply though provoking.

A book I will continue to recommend. The difference between media coverage of young white females versus young Black females... something I have always been aware of but wow, this really put it into perspective.

Eery and deep.

Narration is superb and added to the creepiness of it all.

I just finished Needy little things by Channelle Desamours and here is my review.

Imagine having the power of premonition.. Now understand that it comes in a way where the thing a person needs but they don’t know it yet, fills your mind all day like an itch on your brain….

This is what happens to Sariyah… When one of her friends disappears while at a music festival, she cannot leave the police to try and find her because black girls don’t get the coverage white girls do. She doesn’t want to use her gift to make money but that's where she finds herself. Her home life is a mess but finding her friend, after another friend went missing years ago without a trace, weighs heavily on her but will it lead her into the same danger her friend is now in?

One of the best debut novels I have ever read. YEEHAWW I was sucked right into this magical realism book and it spat me out the other end satisfied. I listened to and read the book as well. The narration is BRILLIANT!!!

I was drawn right into the mystery of what happened to her friend and I had so many questions about her gift!!! Did she get it because her grandma died before she was born or was she always gonna have the gift? Magical realism books often answer these kinds of questions but I can’t help thinking them haha

I loved Sariyah! Her whole persona was epic! Her parents are together but living apart because her little brother is sick and needs to be by the hospital but her dad makes more money further away and her mama is depressed so badly she is often left to mother her little bro. It’s a big mess but she has a tight knit friend group and when one goes missing, it is devastating.

The book highlights the point that POC tend to not get the same resources used on them and they are not wrong. I’ve seen it first hand here in Canada with indigenous girls. The reason why she goes missing was brilliant to be honest but the twist at the end was worth it.. Bit of a weird ending to be honest but it sure was different. It was a unique read for sure.

I will definitely be on the lookout for the author's next book. Highly recommend the audiobook!

4.5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my gifted copy and @macmillanaudio for my ALC