Synopsis

In this debut speculative YA mystery, a Black teen with premonition-like powers must solve her friend’s disappearance before she finds herself in the same danger.

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. But 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.

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This book releases on 2/4/25, pre-order today

Review

This debut novel combines mystery, magical realism, and social issues that should be addressed.

Sariyah has a special gift: she can “hear” people’s needs. Because of this, she carries around a Santa Sack to hand out the items as she determines what they need. Now, how she knows what exactly to buy each time is a mystery. Granted, many items are generic enough, but some are more specific. Or maybe she just doesn’t fill the needs of those with items she doesn’t have. While this gift may seem like a blessing, it is also a curse. Imagine hearing thousands of needs in your head.

Five years ago, her best friend goes missing and is never found. Her family or Sariyah never forgets Tessa, and Tessa comes to Sariyah in her dreams. The conversations are ones they had in the past, but perhaps there are clues to help find her or at least what happened to her. Fast forward to today, and Sariyah’s friend, Deja, goes missing at a music festival. This sends Sariyah and her friends down a path trying to find her before the police give up hope. As the book points out, race determines how hard the police will look or for how long. Luckily, they won’t let the police stop until the truth is revealed.

This book was a surprise, and I enjoyed it immensely. I was invested in the characters, and just when I thought there wouldn’t be a new twist, we were hit with several. Everything you thought you knew will be turned upside down. I even liked her younger brother, Jojo. He was a hoot despite his illness, and I loved his passion for animals. They have a good bond and stick up for each other.

I thought that the characters also acted true to their age. They are teenagers, after all; they don’t necessarily do the right thing or think things through. And the ending? I hope that means there is another book because there are things that were not resolved, and it leaves us hanging.

The book also addresses mental health, sickle cell, and drug use/abuse. All crucial issues, and I felt like they were handled well.

About the Author

Channelle Desamours lives and writes just outside of Atlanta, Georgia, where she currently teaches high school science at a STEM academy. Her students motivate, challenge, and inspire her daily (and they’re always good for a laugh). She spent many years coaching lacrosse and even enjoyed a brief stint at Zoo Atlanta, where she taught children about wildlife conservation and handled all sorts of critters, from opossums to juvenile American alligators. Channelle has a BA in biology from Agnes Scott College and an MS in biological sciences from Clemson University. Beyond nerding out about life science in front of large groups of teenagers, Channelle enjoys listening to audiobooks, caring for her house plants, and plotting twisty novels with a touch of magic.

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