Needy Little Things is a wonderfully suspenseful, mysterious story which will keep you reading and on the edge of your seat the whole time! Although a young adult novel, this adult was engrossed from the first page. It's imaginative, poignant and heartfelt. But also filled with peculiar characters and relatable family issues.

Sariyah Lee Bryant is a "hearer". What does that mean? Well, she is able to hear what some people need by somehow listening to their thoughts. For example, as she walks by a school mate she may hear pencil, candy, tissue. She actually carries a bag she calls the Santa Claus bag in which is packed with things she feels she will need to distribute.

She can read most people, except for her family and best friend Malcolm. She does not understand this. But feels it's perhaps for the best. Her family life is difficult. Her younger brother is ill, and her single mother is always depressed. Sariyah tries desperately to keep the family together. That is her main goal. She worries about everyone but herself. But suddenly her mother has lost her job and won't come out of her room which now Sariyah feels she must once again become the mother and provider.

Worst of all her friend Deja disappears at an outdoor concert which Sariyah was supposed to be watching her friend knowing she had asked her for pepper spray. This hits too close to home for her and Malcom as his sister Tess disappeared years ago never to be seen again. She was Sariyah's best friend whom she still dreams about.

Now Sariyah feels she must figure out what happened to Deja as the police are not very interested, as well as make some extra money as her mother has taken to her bed. She begins to sell her services in a bad part of a bad city.

As she begins to put the pieces together as to what could possibly have happened to her friend, what she discovers makes no sense. This information will put her life in jeopardy. But she will not allow what happened to Tess to happen to Deja.

The ending is shocking but will make Sariyah realize what is important in life as well as reevaluate herself and her future plans.

Needy Little Things is an inventive, creative story with a wonderful mystery, which addresses many present-day issues but also takes a somber look at life and family issues but gives a spark of hope, togetherness and friendship.

Thank you #NetGalley #WednesdayBooks #ChannelleDesamours #NeedyLittleThings for the advanced copy.

This is the author’s debut novel & let me tell you this: I am putting her on my must read list. This book is amazing! All of the characters feel so real & fleshed out, the plot kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. She even made the main character’s special power of knowing other people’s needs feel real.

Everyone needs to check this book out, especially if you think you’ve outgrown YA fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

*Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I don't think I had any idea what I was getting into here. But a YA mystery with a paranormal twist? It was dang good. Beyond being empathetic, Sariyah literally *hears* peoples' needs. The way Channelle Desamours described the sensory overload associated with this supernatural gift felt so accurate to my neurodivergent experience. I wish I'd listened to this because I feel like it would've taken it to the next level. The mystery itself is nuanced and shines a light on the racism in society (both in policing and in whose stories gain traction in news outlets, to name a few). I also think that the foreshadowing was subtle, feeling very planned without needing to be overt in clues.

And the ending?? That last line blew me away. Here's hoping we get a follow-up.

Oh my god! I could not put this book down! And then I listened to the narration on the audio book and loved it even more. Sariyah is a seventeen year old with a special gift; she can hear people’s needs in her head. Sometimes she sees it as a gift while other times, she sees it as a burden. Everything seems to be going well, until one day she notices a teacher in trouble and hands her an item that helps her save her life. Then, longtime friend Tessa goes missing without any evidence of her whereabouts. Then, at a music festival, her best friend Deja vanishes without a trace. While dealing with troubles at home, she tries to spread the word of her missing friend across social media in hopes someone will help her bring her home. This is a nail-biting, thought provoking novel that everyone should add to the top of your TBR immediately!

Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours had me hooked from the start! is a unique and thrilling YA mystery that centers on 17-year-old Sariyah Bryant, who has an extraordinary ability—she can hear what people need. Only her family and her best friend, Malcolm, know about this gift. But things get serious fast when she uses her gift to help her friend Deja, and Deja suddenly disappears. Sariyah and her best friend, Malcolm, are determined to find her before she becomes another forgotten Black girl.

Determined to find her Sariyah and Malcolm dive into a tense search for answers. The story is gripping, emotional, and filled with unexpected twists. The sense of urgency and high stakes had me hooked from the very beginning.

Tropes:
YA mystery/thriller
Secrets
Found family

I gave Needy Little Things 5 stars because of it;s fresh, fast-paced, has strong characters, is full of twists, and the way it weaves real-world issues into the narrative. The ending left me absolutely stunned—it’s a must-read for anyone who enjoys mysteries with heart and depth.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

In Needy Little Things, Channelle Desamours mixes strong characters with an intense plot and social commentary on the inequity of coverage when Black girls go missing. Sariyah Lee Bryant, our protagonist, is left wondering if her ability to ascertain what people want is a gift or a curse, but she knows she must use her powers when Deja disappears.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

Needy Little Things! Wow, author Channelle Desamours knocked this one right out of the park! I stayed up all night reading this original captivating thriller.

Aptly-timed mystery with the perfect blend of magical realism and cultural truths.

Guys, this was so, so good! I was hooked from the first chapter! Sariyah is such an interesting, complex character with a good heart who is always looking out for those she loves. I was riveted following her story as she navigated the burden of her "gift" while trying to be a somewhat normal teenager, complete with complex friendships, responsibilities to her mother and brother, and real-world pressures. Author Channelle Desamours artfully weaves magical realism into culturally-relevant current issues that will keep young adults turning the pages. Being a YA book, it naturally includes the trope of adults-who-can't-be-trusted-or-relied-on, which (as an adult) was a bit frustrating at times, but I recognize that I'm not the intended audience and I can respect that many young adult readers will identify with this situation. I also felt like Sariyah deserved a best friend who cared about her as much as she cared about him (sorry, Malcolm, I get that you're still grieving but dang, are you mean to Sariyah for no reason sometimes!). But those two points aside, this was a very interesting read that had me holding my breath for what was coming next. Definitely for HS level but aside from the mention of pot twice, it could be appropriate for grades 8+.

**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.**

I half listened and half read Needy Little Things and unfortunately this book didn't really work for me. I saw so many rave reviews for it online that I thought it would really work for me. I did enjoy supernatural element with Sariyah's ability to hear needs from the majority of the people surrounding her. I also stand with the message brought throughout the book that society focuses too much on the missing white girls than they do of the women and men of color that go missing. It's sad that our society hasn't learned to prioritize all lives, whether missing or dead, and not just the lives of white women. If I didn't want to know how it ended I honestly would have DNF'd it. For me the reading experience felt tedious. It could easily be because I'm an adult reading a YA novel. The storyline felt very stagnant for the majority of the novel and it wasn't until close to the end that movement actually happened. The ending leads to the possibility of a second book, but I'm not sure if I'd continue with it.

I’m giving this story three stars largely on the strength of the protagonist. She’s smart, compelling, and has a power set which used and explored in unique and interesting ways. I would happily read more books featuring her.

But the book is hampered by the mystery, not so much the nature of it, but how it’s resolved. I won’t go too into detail about it, but the whole thing just seemed to reek of Deus Ex Machina and required too many people to suddenly become idiots for it to work with so many ways it could have been foiled.

4.5/5 stars

Tropes:
Mystery
Amateur sleuth
Secrets/Betrayal
Magical realism
Supernatural premonition
Mental health rep
Social commentary

Even though I had my suspicions about what was going on I was still shocked about the details of the plot twist. Really enjoyed the magical realism in this story. It was subtle but held a lot of impact for everyone that Sariyah helped. I love a good amateur sleuth story and how things unfold with logic and persistence. The social commentary is so important in this book and will continue to stay relevant until it's properly addressed in the real world.

Highly recommend for fans of mystery, black stories, social justice, and magical realism.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I really enjoyed this book. I liked our FMC, Sariyah, and the concept of her and this instinct to feel and hear someone’s needs. I think Chanelle did a great job of showing us how cumbersome it probably is for her having to deal with hearing things from so many people and feeling like she had to fulfill their need to relieve herself, just for it to be replaced with more needs, and the guilt it made her feel in having to always put other needs before her own. I didn’t expect some of the twists throughout. And I think the reason behind what happened does make a lot of sense from an anger standpoint and grief standpoint, I just don’t agree with how it was executed. However the point definitely hit home. I think this is a powerful read for all ages.

Good book but not great. I would say 3.5 rounded up. It’s a ya book that I feel can be read by others. I love how our main characters had such unique abilities.

Although this had a unique premise, I didn't have the best time with it. I would recommend this to its target audience, but this wasn't a YA that transcended its genre and impressed me. The same point was being repeated over and over and the ending was almost unbelievable in how convenient it was. I am not gonna fault it for other things such as the characters, tone, and themes because I think this will be a good read for most teens.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Wednesday books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! I was hooked from the blurb, but man, did this book deliver! I couldn't put it down.

This book was a quick and impactful read. Our FMC's power is unique. I like how, on the outside it sounds cool to want to know everyone's needs but the impact it has on our FMC, it can be debilitating. The twist, didn't see coming I'll be honest. But, it made sense. For a YA thriller this was a pretty good read. It reminds me of Tiffany D. Jackson YA thriller books!

Channelle Desamours' debut novel, Needy Little Things, masterfully intertwines supernatural elements with pressing social issues, delivering a compelling narrative that resonates deeply. The story centers on Sariyah Bryant, a Black high school senior endowed with a unique ability to sense others' needs—a gift that becomes burdensome when unfulfilled desires trigger debilitating migraines. Armed with her "Santa Bag" of essentials, Sariyah navigates a world that often overlooks Black girls' experiences. The plot intensifies when her friend Deja vanishes during the Afro Alt Music Festival, propelling Sariyah and her close-knit circle into a relentless quest for answers. Desamours adeptly addresses themes of racial inequality, media bias, and mental health, all while maintaining an engaging and suspenseful storyline. The authentic portrayal of friendships and family dynamics, coupled with unexpected twists, makes this novel a standout in contemporary YA literature. Needy Little Things is a poignant reminder of the resilience required to combat systemic injustices and the power of community in the face of adversity.

4.5 stars rounded up. This was a great book. Though geared toward YA, I was totally engrossed in this book. Sariyahs gift was intriguing. I understood her conflicted feelings about how and when to use it.

When Deja went missing, I was in my feelings. Too often found black girls go missing, and no one notices. This book dealt with that issue, but there is also a twist that made my mouth drop. This is an amazing debut!

I understand why everything in this book happened, and it made me very angry. In this way, the message that the author was trying to get across was super effective. On the other hand, I don't understand why the magical elements are there. Everything could've happened without Sariyah's powers, and I don't think it makes her character more compelling.

Really enjoyed this book! The "powers" that the MC had and the struggles that she had using them. I emphasized with her because of her mother's mental health and then her dad's physical health...the MC felt like she had to carry the world on her shoulders and then one of her best friend's disappears. The media and people in general don't pay close attention to black girls when they disappear, so I really appreciated the way that this author brought that to light. I'd read more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.