An intense, addictive read that lingers long after the last page 🖤. Needy Little Things dives into obsession, desire, and the dark side of love with unflinching honesty. Channelle Desamours writes with razor-sharp prose and emotional depth, creating characters who are raw, flawed, and utterly fascinating. The tension simmers throughout, with twists that shocked me in the best way. It’s as much a character study as it is a psychological thriller, exploring vulnerability and how far people will go to feel wanted. I couldn’t put it down and can’t stop thinking about it. A dark gem for fans of intense, character-driven fiction.

Magical supernatural powers. I’m
Sold. Needy little things was a super quick read, loved it. East 5 stars for this talented author. Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the arc.

A thriller dealing with social justice issues - if you like ace of spades this will work great too
Her friend has disappeared and her psychic ability is needed to help find her

A gripping YA thriller with a good hook, for fans of Karen MacManus and Holly Jackson. The main character feels authentic and the tension is palpable.

My first read from this author but definitely not my last. Full of intrigue, intensity and mystery, this was a truly fascinating read and has made me want to read more from this author.

Representations: https://trello.com/c/YGB0bVYh/134-needy-little-things-by-channelle-desamours

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Very good, slightly predictable but not fully (at least for me), pretty damn good characters too!

Was slightly underwhelming at the end, it came slightly out of nowhere and I get it, but also it just fell a little flat I think. The very end was a bit anticlimactic as well a little after everything, especially the ending but honestly it didn't really ruin anything at all.

Mostly centered in reality with a touch of magical realism from the gift, honestly worked quite well. The struggles and the boons from it, learning how to live with it, etc. I think it mirrored the disability aspect well from her brother's sickle cell disease (which was quite well done imo).

Needy Little Things is a unique and emotionally thoughtful YA mystery that brings something fresh to the genre. Sariyah’s ability to sense what others need is a fascinating concept, and I loved how this “gift” tied into deeper themes of community care, generational responsibility, and social invisibility — especially when it comes to missing Black girls.

The book does a great job spotlighting the emotional labor often expected of young Black women, and Sariyah’s struggles with her family dynamics, friendships, and mental load were very relatable and sensitively portrayed. The writing was lyrical in places, and there were some powerful moments that really stuck with me.

That said, I struggled a bit with the pacing. The middle of the book felt slow, and some threads — especially the mystery around Deja’s disappearance — got a bit lost in the emotional weight of everything else. I wanted a bit more urgency and clarity as the story progressed, particularly toward the resolution.

Overall, this is a heartfelt, socially conscious debut with a memorable premise. It didn’t fully land for me in terms of structure, but I’m really excited to see what Channelle Desamours writes next.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This was a really engaging story in the vein of The Hate U Give (which I loved) but with added fantasy elements. The main plot is played out against the background of racism in the media, the justice system and society at large, which feels very real and truthful. I did question the 'twist' around Deja's disappearance a little but overall a strong entry into the YA canon.

Needy little things by Channelle Desamours
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Needy little things follows Sariyah, a teenage girl who lives a normal life with her mum and younger brother. But the unusual thing about her is that she can hear other peoples needs- except those who are close to her. When her friend Deja goes missing at a music festival during her birthday, Sariyah feels guilty for not having heard her needs to keep her safe. Five years earlier, another girl of colour went missing in town, leaving Sariyah frustrated. With the lack of support from the police, Sariyah is determined to find out what happened to Deja.
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I went more or less blindly into this book, as I saw it being compared to AGGGTM and thought I simply need to read it. Following Sariyah’s story, I quickly found find myself drawn into her world, wanting to find out what happened. The book isn’t only about what happened to her friend Deja, but more importantly about societal issues related to race and culture. With this topic being woven into a story, I found it enjoyable to read. Other themes such as friendships, family responsibilities, mental health and isolation are also present throughout.
Overall, I’d definitely encourage you to read it! A solid four stars 🌟
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A thank you to NetGalley for providing an early proof!

I enjoyed this book. as it's well plotted, fascinating world building, and entertaining. . I liked the good storytelling, the tense plot, the surprising twists and the solution
Due to health issues cannot write a proper review now even if I enjoyed this book. A proper review will follow
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This book was a miss for me I was bored for most of this book it was very high school focus and I feel like there could have been more focus on what our missing girls went through. It does highlight how the media doesn't focus on certain people. Do I think this would be other people's cup of tea yes but this wasn't for me.

This book gripped me so much. It looks at the ways media reacts when someone goes missing and how colour of your skin and your hair can influence the amount of attention you receive. In the book. Malcolm is struggling due to the fact that his twin sister has been missing for years and no one seems to care. Meanwhile, a young girl, white and blonde, has recently gone viral after she disappears. This quite rightly infuriates Malcolm.

Malcolm's best friend, Ri, has her own problems. She is able to hear the needs of those around her and feels compelled to meet them. If someone needs a stick of gum for example, she must find the stick of gum for them. However, when she hears her boss needs a nail file, she doesn't imagine that it's going to result in the death of a man. The guilt she feels makes her question whether her compulsion to meet people's needs is actually harmful rather than good.

This book gripped me. The premise of Ri's ability to hear people's needs, but not the needs of those closest to her was fascinating to me. I don't want to say too much about the other storyline as I don't want to give any spoilers but that was equally well written, engaging and intriguing. There is some drug use in this book which is why I wouldn't recommend it to younger audiences but the late teens, I think the concept in the book would create some really interesting discussion opportunities. As always, I would recommend reading it first if you are considering using it in the classroom.

This was such a good read. Targeted to fans of AGGGTM, this is definitely up there with a good mystery story.

I loved the unique concept of the needs Sariyah hears and how they played a part throughout the story. There's definitely an intriguing element of mystery and fun about this book - the characters were really well balanced and the whole was just a really good read.

There is also a fair social commentary made surrounding the media coverage of missing girls which is such an important conversation to have and definitely creates a good starting point to catapult these themes further into the limelight.

Definitely will be one I'd be recommending to anyone and everyone.

Needy Little Things is a YA novel but definitely the older end of YA for me. Sariyah can hear people’s needs but only her family and best friends know about her power.

Shortly after filling a need for her friend Deja, Deja goes missing and the rest of the story follows the search and story of everyone involved. Sariyah is under a lot of pressure, her little brother is having a sickle cell crisis, her mum loses her job, the police and media aren’t doing enough to find Deja.

I enjoyed this book a lot but found it hard going in places to keep up with different characters being introduced. Really thought provoking with the constant reminders that if Deja was a young white girl people might be thinking differently about the search for her. At times I really felt for Sariyah, all those intrusive thoughts constantly being felt. A fascinating insight into the young woman’s mind.

Firstly, thank you so much for letting me read Needy Little Things early, I was hooked from the first page! I couldn't put it down, had to know what happend.
I hope there is another book following the story, it was just that amazing!

With a protagonist that senses people’s needs, the premise for this book really intrigued me. She is able to sense them for everyone except those closest to her. This would probably be enough of a plot on its own, but then there’s the mystery of local girls going missing.
There’s a lot to this book, it’s definitely not to be dismissed as just a light read.

I loved reading this, I felt invested in the characters and felt drawn into the mystery so I had to find out the truth, the twists and turns kept me guessing.

Gotta love a YA psychological thriller!
Sariyah, our FMC is a girl with a bit of a special power. Somehow she can sense the 'needs' of people around her, except those she is very close to.
It can be deafening, hearing random things in her mind, as she walks around crowds.
She does her best to help, but it can get overwhelming.
She and her friends are suddenly caught up in a missing person case, when one of their friends disappears at a music festival.
Sariyah's life turns upside down as they try to find out what happened to Deja, especially as she lost her best friend, as a missing person, never found, a few years previously.
What is interesting, on top of all the twists and turns, which are 100% page-turning, is the theme of how a white girl's disappearance and a black girl's disappearance are treated. Social media traction, hashtags, news going viral...
And, I was NOT expecting that ending!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an ARC.

I liked the idea of the story, with Sariyah being able to sense what people need, and the mystery itself. But for me there was too much other stuff going on, and it didn't quite work.

Set in America, Sariyah hears words in her head. If someone needs something she hears what it is and has a compulsion to provide it to them so she carries a bag with items in it wherever she goes. She cant choose who to help and often it is complete strangers who aren't aware of this need.
She lives with her mum, who has her own health battles and little brother Josiah who has sickle cell disease.
One summer, while at a music festival, her friend Deja goes missing. When the police don't seem to be make progress, Sariyah and her friends decide to spread awareness and investigate for themselves to find Deja before it's too late.