Needy Little Things, the debut young adult novel by Channelle Desamours is not to be missed! Mystery, suspense, real life topics - it's all here!

In this Young Adult mystery, we meet high school senior, "Sariyah Lee Bryant [who] can hear what people need—tangible things, like a pencil, a hair tie, a phone charger—an ability only her family and her best friend, Malcolm, know the truth about. But when she fulfills a need for her friend Deja who vanishes shortly after, Sariyah is left wondering if her ability is more curse than gift. 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.

Not trusting the police and media to do enough on their own, Sariyah and her friends work together to figure out what led to Deja’s disappearance. When Sariyah’s mother loses her job and her little brother faces complications with his sickle cell disease, managing her time, money, and emotions seems impossible. Desperate, Sariyah decides to hustle her need-sensing ability for cash—a choice that may not only lead her to Deja, but put her in the same danger Deja found herself in."

Narrated by Alaska Jackson, the characters comes to life, each with a distinct voice and personality. We follow Sariyah's point of view and hear how the she views her friends' voices and mannerisms. Very entertaining and kept me hooked from the first few lines. The writing and narration felt seamless. The pace and flow were on point. The narrator clearly provides chapter breaks for the listener, which were the only times I paused because the story was so addicting.

As a multicultural woman in her 30's from Atlanta, the places, phrases, and mannerisms are very familiar to me. It may be a little harder to follow for older readers and those unfamiliar with Black culture. This is definitely something I will be re-listening to/reading and recommend. I'm even going to buy a print copy for my daughter. Looking forward to reading more from Channelle Desamours in the future (and looking up other books narrated by Alaska Jackson in the meantime).

What do you do when life is hard every way you look? You try to do something to make it better, but does it? And what about those secrets that people are keeping from you?
Sariyah is working so hard to keep everything together with her friends, her family, her schoolwork, etc. Sometimes she is a little short sighted and a little self absorbed, but so are those around her. The portrayal of teens trying to grapple with big difficult traumatic issues while also trying to be teenagers is good. I also really liked that the parents were there are flawed. They learn things alongside the kids. I think that makes the book feel more realistic.
Sariyah's special abilities with knowing what people need is well done. We see it affecting so many parts of her life, but it doesn't take over the book. So this is a good mystery/thriller with just a bit of magical realism.
I enjoyed the characters and the investigation and the resolution.

I experienced this book via audio, with Alaska Jackson as the narrator. The book took 8 hours and 6 minutes, so it was a quick listen. While I did like her matter-of-fact storytelling, I didn't like her voicing one of the characters, Malcolm. I needed a less flamboyant or even a male voice actor for his character to embody his parts, but overall, Alaska Jackson made the story vivid.

The story focuses on Sariyah and topics that include missing kids, mental health, drug abuse, and racial equality. Sariyah has an interesting gift of knowing what people need and tends to fill the quests as best as possible. Throughout the story, it starts to take a toll on her when the things she's providing for people turn out to be the thing that harms others. One of those items became the cannon event towards her missing friend who disappeared at a music festival.

I appreciate how the author introduced each topic without forcing the issue. Desamours blended everything she wanted to make light of and made it sound natural. While the story did become slow at times, the climax and ending were all worth it.

Macmillan Audio ALC
What a thought provoking debut. I loved how the author used magical realism to explore the concept of needing things of others - it gave me a lot to think about. Sariyah just wanted to live her life, but she can hear what others need in her head, and if she ignores it, she ended up feeling unwell. I liked how this made her examine the consequences of helping others and how you can't be responsible for everyone. I also liked how the author used the central mystery to explore how BIPOC persons are less likely to get the same amount of attention when missing compared to white people. This was such a solid debut that expertly balanced the heavier topics with growing and forming new relationships. I will definitely be checking this author out again.
Alaska Jackson brought Sariyah to life. I could feel the tension through her performance. Highly recommend the audio!

Oh, my heart. Sariyah will forever live in my memory. This story was so beautiful and touching. It was nostalgic in that it reminded me of one of my favorite books ever: Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson. This one had me feeling ALL the feels and is a perfect YA mystery for Black History Month. It had all the elements including the importance of the coverage of crimes against minorities, children and teens included. What a debut!!!

4.5⭐️

ok this book is INSANE. the plot is unique, the characters are so well developed, the twists are TWISTY, and the narration was SO good.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for my review copy. My opinions are my own.

I binged listened to this debut over the course of a single day, hanging on the edge of my seat as I listened to Alaska Jackson tell Sariyah's story. Gifted/cursed with the ability to know what people need, Sariyah is trying to deal with her brother's illness, her mother's depression, and then one of her friends goes missing at a major music festival, and things spiral out of control.

Loved the characters, and the idea of knowing what people need without them saying things, and how quickly that gift could be turned on its head and become a curse. I also loved the deep south location, I could feel the humidity of Atlanta in the words.

Alaska's narration was perfect, hitting all of the right tones, emotions, and delivery. I may have screamed at the end, and stared off while going "what?... what?..." I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

Highly recommend for those who enjoyed A Good Girl's Guide To Murder, Blood At The Root, The Poisons We Drink, and Blood Debts.

I was really intrigued by Sariyah and her power of knowing when someone needs something before they even know it themselves. You'd think that would come in handy but while listening to the audiobook I found how difficult that must be. To not be able to turn this power off and hear thousands of needs a day.

This story took me on a wild ride. After her friend goes missing her and her friends try to figure out what happened. There were many twists and I didn't know what to expect. The ending WOW.

Thank you to Macmillan audio for the gifted audiobook.

Thank you to publisher for the ALC!

I loved listening to the audiobook when I couldn’t sit and read my eGalley. I binged this book because it was So good! The narrator did a wonderful job and brought this book to life.

4.5⭐️

This was the definition of unputdownable! Needy Little Things was so much more than a mystery/thriller as it deftly weaves storytelling alongside discussions of race and socioeconomics that are incredibly thought provoking. While fictional, this story felt all too real at times, especially as highlights the lack of attention and resources that are employed when it comes to missing person cases.

The audiobook was brilliantly done and the narration was particularly gripping. I found myself unable to tear my attention away from this story and my heart ached for Sariyah and her friends and family.

I thought Sariyah’s use of magic was very intriguing and it further drew you into the story - wanting to know what item(s) those around her might need and how others’ needs for these items might help her as she endeavored to save her family, friends, and herself.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc and alc.

Let me start off first by saying that this book is in no way a bad book. As I am 26 years old, it seems that YA is now either a hit or a miss for me. I personally had a hard time connecting with the characters and the plotline, but just because I had trouble connecting with it just makes me think that this book is really meant for teenagers. I am sure that if I had read this book when I was a teen I would've enjoyed it more. And just because this book wasn't my cup of tea, it doesn't mean someone else won't love it. Furthermore, I am still interested in checking out more books by the author as I did think she was a good writer and I was impressed that this was her debut novel.

Needy little things, so named for the lead character, Sariyah, being able to hear the tangible needs of others in a touch of magical realism was not entirely what I expected. It is an ambitious combination of supernatural ability, social justice issues, and mystery. It reminded me of recent #mmiw books. It’s like if “Looking for smoke” had a baby with “Monday’s not coming”. The overarching theme is that missing BIPOC girls get less media attention than missing white girls.
I like the message. I like the lead character. There were some details about the mothers mental health and brothers blood disorder that didn’t do much to enrich the story other than to show the lead as having complex concerns. I’m torn between appreciating the multiple realities that are trying to be represented such as a drug addicted mother with frustration that there were too many things vying for value. Again, maybe it helps propel the complexity of factors muddling up the search for the missing girl but I worry a little about some stereotypical characterizations as well.
Overall, I liked it but I didn’t love it the way I loved the two books mentioned that have some similarities.

At the center of this story is Sariyah, a girl with a unique gift for sensing what others need by hearing their thoughts. When one of her friends disappears from the music festival their attending, her and her friends (distrusting of the police when it comes to the disappearances of black girls) take it upon themselves to try and find her.

Along with the mystery aspect of this story, this book also tackles issues of racism, mental illness, drug abuse, and difficult family dynamics.

The story starts very focused on the mystery, with the characters doing a lot of investigative work. The ending was very suspenseful, and I found it hard to stop reading at a certain point because I wanted to know what the heck was going on! I could kind of guess the twist ending, but I still thought it was executed well.

Alongside Sariyah, there were many well rounded side characters that added so much to the story, from family members, to friends, to acquaintances; they each felt like real people.

I had a great time with this book, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a YA Thriller with a heavy mystery/true crime aspect to it, as well as a bit of magic.

Audiobook notes: Alaska Jackson was great! I thought she brought a youthful voice, for Sariyah and really portrayed the emotional moments well.

Thank you @macmillan.audio for providing me an advanced audio copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

What this book is giving:
✅ YA Thriller
✅ Magical Realism
✅ Need Fulfillment ESP
✅ Missing Black Girl
✅ Mystery
✅ Suspense

NEEDY LITTLE THINGS by Channelle Desamours

Thank you @wednesdaybooks and @macmillan.audio for my #gifted copies (and cute pouch for all of my *little things*). #macaudio2025

It's been a hot minute since I've read a YA novel, but I'd been seeing early rave reviews of this beauty... so when it arrived at my doorstep, I decided to drop everything and read it along with the audiobook. I'm so glad I did!

📖 Needy Little Things is a debut novel blending speculative fiction and mystery. The story follows Sariyah, a high school senior with a unique ability: she senses what people need. Little things, like a pencil or a hair tie, but also big things, like an EpiPen or insulin. Her gift is both a blessing and a curse, as it's hard to be a normal teen when you can hear people's needs. When her friend Deja disappears, Sariyah is determined to find her, especially since missing Black girls rarely receive the same attention as their white peers.

💭 Needy Little Things is a gripping, imaginative story that explores themes of racial inequality, mental health, and the overlooked struggles of Black girls in the US. Desamours crafts an authentic, emotional narrative with a diverse cast of well-developed characters. Sariyah’s journey is layered with personal challenges, including her mother’s depression and her brother’s chronic illness. Needy Little Things is both a thrilling mystery and a powerful reflection on societal neglect and injustice.

🎧 Narrator Alaska Jackson is fantastic! This book has a fairly large cast of characters, and Jackson voices them all uniquely, showcasing her incredible range and talent. Loved this as an audiobook!

📌 Available 2/4

Teen suspense meets magical realism in this powerful, modern mystery. Topical and timely, there is a message in this story, one that needs to be heard again and again until the world understands. The main character, even with her supernatural ability, is one of the most true-to-life I’ve encountered in a while. What a wonderful book.

3.5/4

Being able to hear what everyone needs, and having that need repeated in your head over and over and over (and over and over and over) until the need is met sounds like a sure way to drive someone up the wall. And being a teenager having to go to school where you are surrounded by hundreds of people, and hundreds of needs, sounds like a nightmare!

Sariyah is a 17 year old with this ability who starts to wonder if her secretly helping people meet their needs is the best thing. One of her good friends has gone missing and it isn't even the first time this has happened. Five years ago, her best friend went missing and was eventually found dad.

This book explores the disparity between how the police and media handle White vs Black missing persons. It isn't just subtly hinted at, but called out directly with direct comparisons. There is a lot of diversity shown in the characters- Black and Afro-Latino characters, LGTBQ+, depression, ADHD, sickle cell disease.

Overall I liked the book, though it was a bit predictable and the pacing wasn't my favorite. My biggest criticism is I would have preferred a different ending. It's the author's debut and I'm interested to see what her next book will be!

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillian Audio for the advanced audiobook.
I don't read much YA, but the cover of this book and synopsis piqued my interest!

This is the author's debut book. It is a wonderful debut! This speculative YA mystery, follows Sariyah , a young Black teen with a unique ability, she has premonition-like powers. She can sense someone's "needy things", and her Santa bag can deliver. She is faced with the mystery of the disappearance of her best friend. And this is not the first time someone she knows has disappeared. Now she must solve her friend's disappearance before she finds herself in the same danger.

This book covers mature issues, such as the lack of media attention given to missing Black children, and the pain associated with sickle cell disease. The author covers these important issues with care, and maturity appropriate for YA readers. Plus with a mystery to keep the readers engaged.

This is a great YA book, with substantive social issues, done appropriately for YA readers.
I enjoyed the narrator and her portrayal of the characters. The story is well-paced and truly enjoyable.

The audio was very enjoyable.
Sariyah, Malcolm, and Deja are their own little crew. Sariyah has special “powers” that allow her to hear the needs of strangers. So she carries around a bag of trinkets to pass out to strangers. She cannot hear the needs of the ones she loves, unless they’re in distress.

Excited to go to Afro Alt Music Festival, the teens have a night of fun until Deja goes missing. Just like Malcom’s twin went missing 5 years ago. The theme throughout this story is “When white girls go missing vs. when Black girls go missing.”

A lot of the middle of the book was repetitive and the explanation for the Santa Bag worked my nerves. Sometimes reading about the day to day life and activities of the teens felt pointless to the story. We got nervousness from a lot of people who ended up not being important to the story. And the people who were important to the mystery, we didn’t get to see their actions at all and that took away a lot for me.

I was really excited about this one, however, I was a little let down.
You can honestly read the first 20 pages, skip to 75% of the book and not miss a beat in between and the case will be solved for you.

▪️Missing Teens
▪️Racism
▪️YA Mystery

I am now a huge fan of debut author Channelle Desamours!  I had so much fun with this fast paced, captivating novel and could not stop listening to the absolutely remarkable audiobook narrated by Alaska Jackson.

Needy Little Things (Pub Date: Feb 4, 2025) follows Sariyah Bryant, a teen who has a very unique super power that only her family and best friend, Malcolm know about.  This story is concise and very well-written with unforgettable, lovable and not so lovable characters. 

Sariyah and her friends, Malcolm, Jude, and Deja attend a music festival where they later realize they have lost sight of Deja.  They continue looking for Deja but eventually leave the festival to alert the police because she is nowhere to be found.  Sariyah and Malcolm are equally terrified due to Tessa’s (Malcolm’s Twin) disappearance five years ago.  The unbelievable twists and turns will keep you engaged with uncertainty, curiosity and shock as they attempt to uncover what really happened to Deja.

This speculative YA Mystery creatively looks at an ongoing issue regarding the lack of urgency and attention black and brown people receive when they go missing.  The author responsibly tackles heavy subject matter, such as depression, racism, mental health, addiction, and sickle cell disease that’s appropriate for the young adult audience. 

Overall I loved how Needy Little Things used magical realism to bring awareness to the lack of attention given to missing people of color in our society.  The characters, writing and storyline was phenomenal and I feel readers young and old will enjoy reading this book.  There was also a huge cliffhanger that has me hoping this novel will eventually become part of a series!  

I’d like to give special thanks to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed how this YA mystery dove into social issues surrounding missing people and how the police, society, and the media prioritize who matters. It's a sad reality which leads the main character Sariyah and her friends to take matters into their own hands when their friend Deja goes missing. Sariyah has a special ability to hear people's needs telepathically, except those closest to her, and I liked how the gifts she gives others played a role in how the events unfolded in the book. I also appreciated the real-life circumstances she faced and how real the characters felt. I read this one mostly on audio and the narrator, Alaska Jackson was great to listen to.