This Thing of Ours
Frederick Joseph
Candlewick Press
Published May 12, 2026
Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads
About This Thing of Ours
“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)
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.
My Review
I LOVE books that showcase how people are not only one thing. I feel like it’s one of those things that we intellectually know, but are often functionally quick to forget. Ossie’s identity as a basketball player and a writer invites readers to make space for both parts of who he is.
It’s also such a joy to read a book in which someone finds connection with peers in a deep, powerful way. I loved the way that Ossie’s relationships with Luis and Naima progress through the story. They encourage each other and validate one another’s experiences. I love that.
The story also includes essays and letters the characters wrote for creative writing assignments. I thought that was a neat aspect as well. I’ve seen poetry or short fiction included in other novels that include students in a creative writing program, so I thought it was really cool that Joseph chose to highlight the characters’ nonfiction assignments to show how powerful personal essays can be.
On the whole, this is a powerful, relevant story. It highlights the importance of seeing oneself on the page in the stories that make up the school curriculum, and the way that encountering those voices energizes students.
Readers who enjoy books by Renee Watson or Angie Thomas will want to check out this book.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 14 up.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used fairly frequently.
Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.
Spiritual Content
None.
Violent Content
Some instances of racism and homophobia. A protest turns violent, and an adult hits a teen boy, injuring him severely enough to need hospitalization. Ossie recalls details about his father’s death, which some call a drug overdose. He experiences another personal loss in the story.
Drug Content
None.
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