I really loved Needy Little Things! Highly recommend picking this one up! I thought the narrative style was engaging and approachable, especially as a YA novel. Channelle Desamours writes about complex social issues in a way that was relatable and showed the imbalance how the world treats a missing girl from a Black community. It wasn’t preachy, it was just plainly stated as how it is. I really valued that perspective as I read the book.

I particularly loved the dialogue in this. I felt like I could hear these conversations happening around me. The characters were well fleshed out and their struggles were not their entire personalities. They made mistakes and stupid decisions exactly the way teens would.

The magical element in the story was a nice surprise. It often feels like authors over index on the magical element and it colors everything about the characters. Channelle Desamours takes a “yes, and” approach to Sariyah’s ability. She treats it the way a young adult would, with skepticism, distrust, and eventually an acceptance and understanding of what makes her so incredible.

I can’t wait to read more from Channelle Desamours!