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The powerful and timely YA novel debut from two-time New York Times bestselling author Frederick Joseph is a deeply heartfelt story—and a rallying cry against book banning.
In an instant, Ossie Brown's entire future is in jeopardy when a torn ACL ends his promising basketball career. Now that basketball is no longer a major part of his identity, Ossie—a Black teen who doesn't come from wealth and privilege—must navigate his new place in the social and academic ecosystems of his affluent, predominantly white school. When a Black teacher encourages him to join her highly regarded writing program, Ossie begins to find a new purpose, buoyed by not only the rich works of literature by marginalized authors he's now reading, but also by new friends who see him as something more than an asset to the sports program. Everything changes when some students' viral "anti-woke" video puts the teacher's job, the writing program, and even Ossie's friends' safety at risk—and Ossie must find his true voice. This unflinching novel confronts critical issues like racism and classism, the treatment of student athletes, homophobia, and book banning while weaving together a moving testament to family, romance, friendship, and the power of words.
"Both heartening and heartbreaking, this richly layered, sensitive YA fiction debut from Joseph unflinchingly confronts systemic racism, classism, and homophobia via a powerful story of self-discovery and social justice that aims, shoots, and scores." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"The central characters' relationships will engage readers, and Ossie's dilemma will resonate with anyone whose good intentions have gone sideways. A thought-provoking exploration of storytelling dynamics in a social media–driven society." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Readers will be inspired by how he learns to stand up against the disguised race-class fissures that have long existed in his school." —Booklist
"Joseph makes his fiction debut with the powerfully empathic, deeply emboldening young adult novel This Thing of Ours." —Shelf Awareness
"A triumphant exaltation of the redemptive power of family, friendship, and community, This Thing of Ours is a fast-paced, emotionally rich attestation to the fight for the dignity and humanity of all Americans. It should be celebrated in classrooms across this country. With an ear for lyrical beauty as much as an eye for social critique, Joseph reminds us why caring about the truth matters and that the time to stand up for it is now." —Brendan Kiely, New York Times bestselling coauthor of All American Boys
"With a cast of naturally diverse characters you will root for, This Thing of Ours beautifully explores the awkward, anxiety-inducing, beautiful reality of growing up. All while reminding us that nothing is worth doing alone—not sports, not grief, not standing up and fighting for your people, and, most importantly, not life. This Thing of Ours is a must-read!" —Keah Brown, author of The Secret Summer Promise
This information about This Thing of Ours was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Frederick Joseph is an author, activist, philanthropist, and marketing professional. Two of his nonfiction titles, The Black Friend and Patriarchy Blues, were instant New York Times bestsellers. He is the coauthor, with Porsche Joseph, of Better Than We Found It and the author of the picture book Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: The Courage to Dream, illustrated by Nikkolas Smith. A recipient of both the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award and the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Vanguard Award, Frederick Joseph was named to the 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 list and was selected for the 2018 Root 100, an annual list of the most influential African Americans. He lives in New York City with his wife, Porsche, and their dog, Stokely.
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