Author: Channelle Desamours
Age range: teen
Genre: mystery
Similar book: To Whatever End by Lindsey Frydman
Summary (provided by publisher): Sariyah Lee Bryant 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.
What I liked: I love this variant of the psychic ability. I've seen a lot of restrictions on abilities but they usually are limits on the moment a person sees or a need for physical contact. Sariyah's ability and its intrusive nature make for an excellent plot device.
What I didn't like: The mystery here, while initially compelling, never made a lot of sense to me and that only deepened as the plot progressed. It goes in directions that are too extreme. While it makes an effort to highlight the unequal treatment of missing persons based on race, the plot follows dubious logic that ultimately harms its message.
More information: Needy Little Things releases February 4.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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