Basketball, friendship and poetry? This was an enjoyable read for anyone who likes a good story with a good helping of social justice. Ossie was the next best thing in basketball in his private school—until he got injured. Cast out by his girlfriend, his teammates, and his social media followers, he has to figure out who he is outside of ball. What follows is a story of friendship and big feelings. A writing program leads to a ripped from the headlines situation with students getting a teacher ousted for daring to teach non traditional or white authors. Some of the conflict was a bit too tidy, but over-all this was an engaging read with some deep themes. I loved the layers of the main character as well as the fact that it was a guy-hard to find in YA literature!

This is a b0ok that I think my students will love because they will be able to relate to these characters. Ossie Brown has dreams of playing in the NBA; he's a scholarship athlete, but a career-ending injury changes those plans and he has to deal with the aftermath. What does life look like without basketball? There is a LOT here and it will keep you thinking each time you put it down (I wasn't able to put it down for long--this book just begs you to read it). Teens and adults should read this one.

I went through a range of emotions while reading this book. There were moments when I had to put the book down because of the actions of some of the characters. While Joseph's writing made me feel frustrated and angry, he never failed to find ways to pick me up and make me feel hopeful and inspired.

We are living in a time when book banning is prevalent in schools and their communities. Joseph did a great job showcasing the negative effects it can have on students, especially those who belong to marginalized communities. The way the main characters fought to have their stories told through a relatable lens was truly inspiring.

Ossie's relationship with his friends and family was so special and well thought out. His grandmother was such a pillar for Ossie and their community. Every time his grandmother was presented in the story, it felt like getting a warm hug. As for his friends, it was a representation of what it means to develop a genuine friendship. They were there for Ossie during his toughest times and even showed up when he made mistakes.

Ossie was such a unique main character. Being a student athlete can be a defining characteristic. When that all goes away because of an injury, he has to do some soul searching to find out what other passions he has. The journey he went on to becoming vulnerable in his writing was such a joy to read. His writing tapped into a different part of himself and unlocked a potential he always had.

All in all, I was fully engrossed in Joseph's story and his storytelling. It was thought-provoking and inspiring for this upcoming generation.

A story with quiet strength and loud meaning. I will think of this one for a long time. Just finished reading it so it is still resonating in my thoughts but I think it will continue to do so for a long time. Extremely well developed characters with an important message.
I absolutely loved this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

This Thing of Ours is a heartfelt and thought-provoking YA debut that truly resonated with me. As a longtime fan of Frederick Joseph’s nonfiction, I was curious to see how his voice would translate into fiction and he did not disappoint. Ossie’s journey from a sidelined athlete to a young man finding his voice through writing was powerful, honest, and incredibly relatable. The story doesn’t shy away from tough topics like racism, classism, and book banning, but it’s also full of hope, friendship, and self-discovery. I especially loved the way Joseph highlighted the impact of Black literature and the importance of representation in education. Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! I'm so glad I got to read this early!

This Thing of Ours is an exceptionally well-crafted, emotionally engrossing YA read—one that doesn’t shy away from hard-hitting themes and complex topics, and one that feels remarkably relevant and resonates deeply.

The story follows black high school student Ossie, whose once bright dreams of being the next big basketball star shatter in an instant, leaving him feeling hopeless, friendless, and isolated within the prestigious private school he attends on scholarship.

Luckily for Ossie, he happens to have some incredible women in his corner—from his strong-willed, powerhouse of a grandmother, to his inspiring English teacher Ms. Hunt, both of whom convince Ossie that his true talents actually lie on the written page and not on the court.

Entering an acclaimed writing course, led by Ms Hunt, gives Ossie renewed purpose, building his hopes for a collegiate future by helping him grow as a human being and, subsequently, as a skilled writer with a powerful voice.

There, he makes two new friends, Luis and Naima, both fiercely intelligent and talented artists in their own rights, quickly bonding over their shared experiences as three non-white students in an elite school environment that is ripe with racism and classism from the top down.

When Ms Hunt unjustly becomes the focus of major student and parent backlash for daring to teach a diverse coursework—a situation that continues to escalate with amplified public vitriol—Ossie and his friends find themselves in a focal situation that requires some major affirmative action on their parts, as they find the courage to speak truth to power about the injustices taking place within their school (and beyond).

In truth, this was no joyful read, with a lot of the injustices taking place over the course of the story making me feel incredibly anxious and upset at times, which just goes to show how impressively real and honest the characters were drawn and reflected back out again.

To be transparent (for those who like to know more about what to expect), the story deftly explored substantial themes such as classism, racism, loss and grief (of varying kinds), homophobia and toxic masculinity, to name but a mere few. It was the kind of story that, although not easy to read, was full of thought-provoking, self-analysing themes, and moments of discussion and dialogue that left me moved, reflective, and, ultimately, grateful for the experience.

The themes of censorship and misinformation in the media were also strong, and I particularly loved the subtle but loud battle cry challenging book banning on every level of the education system.

Beyond the great writing and powerful themes, I especially loved the characters and their relationships, which were the true heart and soul of this story. Ossie and his gran; Ms Hunt and her students; Ossie and Naima; Naima and her family; Ossie and Luis. Each connection and bond forged growth and positive change symbiotically within each character, providing some truly beautiful, sometimes heartbreaking, moments of human connection that will be hard to forget.

With precision and care—and pure intelligence, insight, and passion—Frederick Joseph has written an incredibly profound coming-of-age story with This Thing of Ours, which, quite frankly, feels like a must-read for all readers in this day and age.

Honestly, I cannot wait to see what else Frederick Joseph writes going forward, and you can be sure that I was personally taking notes on Ms Hunt’s reading recommendations throughout this story with keen interest.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! <3


***A special thanks to the author and publishers (via Netgalley) for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful writing and quite an emotional experience. I don’t read a lot of YA but this one drew me in immediately. A star basketball player injured and then has to return to school and find meaning beyond basketball? Yes. A black kid at an elite white school? Count me in. A lot of relevant discussions on what activism and community means (or to be in community) which was encouraging to read in these times. Highly recommend!

A really intriguing premise and an innovative idea! The writing was also excellent. I did not finish in time but I thoroughly enjoyed what I did read! Really looking forward to finishing this.

After Ossie Browns future is In jeopardy after suffering an irreversible injury, the basketball star mistakenly must find another way to prove his worth at his prestigious private school. Ossie is a talented writer and his English teacher presents an opportunity he cannot refuse. After earning a spot in the exclusive writing program and meeting two other students with a story to tell, his life begins to feel normal again. Just as they are finding their footing the writing program their favorite teachers job is placed in jeopardy, along with their spots in the program. Students align themselves with far right ideals that threaten the safety, security and rights of the students. When trying to push back against the unwarranted attacks, Ossie ostracizes his new friends and his family. He has to learn to use his voice to speak up against book bans, and find a way to connect with his family and community in order to prevail.

This book is a thought provoking read that explores current themes in todays society - as a teacher in this political climate the book hit very close to home. Frederick Joseph wrote an engaging and timely novel that both young people and adults will find riveting. The idea that tackling today's issues together as a community resonated. I thoroughly enjoyed and think many of my students would find the novel both compelling and see themselves in the characters.

On its surface, this is a story about Ossie Brown, a star athlete who finds his dream of playing ball in the NBA vanish after a career ending injury, and his two friends Luis and Naima as they navigate the turmoils of not just being in high school, but existing in bodies that our society deems less than. Much of the book is dedicated to following along as they form strong bonds of love and friendship, traverse complicated familial relationships, and endure bullying by their peers. Unlike your typical YA novel, though, This Thing of Ours delves into heavy and complex topics such as racism, classism, censorship, homophobia, radical misinformation, grief, propaganda, and toxic masculinity, just to name a few. The care and thoughtfulness with which the author executes these incredibly nuanced situations is truly exemplary, while reminding the reader that these are not unique issues. They are timely and accurate representations of what’s happening in the world around us, and stark reminders that we must encourage the youth of today to be the strong leaders of tomorrow that we will need to keep fighting the good fight.

Among the many important messages the author delivers in this book, I found two particularly inspiring. I firmly believe in not just telling our youth how we expect them to behave but instead to give them something to emulate. First, throughout the book Ossie shows us his vulnerability, that it is ok to feel, it it ok to cry, it is ok to tell your male best friend that you love him, even as a masculine-presenting 6’5” athlete. Ossie and Luis’s friendship is beautiful. It will hopefully be an inspiration to countless young men who need to learn this lesson, and in turn teach it to their sons and grandsons in the hopes that we can erase the damage the patriarchy has done to them for our future generations. Second, while we see the world through Ossie’s eyes as our protagonist, the star of the book is really Naima - a force so fierce, she had legions of racist white people working overtime to try to silence her. Ossie not only knows her power as a strong, intelligent and principled Black woman, he embraces and amplifies it. In fact, his big misstep in the book is trying to be her step stool, and in the end he realizes she never really needed (or wanted) it to begin with.

This is an important book for people of all ages, really, but especially for teenagers and young adults who don’t normally see themselves and their friends represented as anything other than the funny sidekick. Here, I hope they will see themselves in strong, lovable and richly woven characters who laugh, cry, stumble, and persevere.

Thank you, Holiday House / Peachtree / Pixel+Ink | Candlewick, for the copy of This Thing Of Ours by Frederick Joseph. It’s only February so it’s probably too early to choose my favorite books of 2025, but I already know this book will top my list! I loved Ossie from the first chapter; his predicament of being an injured athlete on an athletic scholarship was heartbreaking. Luckily his scholarship wasn’t taken away, so he continues to be one of the few non-white students and one without money among a wealthy population. How he navigates his new life, without basketball to define him, is an amazing study of how painful personal growth can be. Ossie’s relationships are so realistic I felt like I knew his family and friends. I cheered his triumphs and cried about his disappointments. Even if you don’t like YA books, you will love this one, so buy it now for a compelling read that will stay with you long after you close the book. 5 stars

As a longtime reader of Frederick Joseph, I was eager to see how his storytelling would translate into young adult fiction, and 'This Thing of Ours' drew me in and kept me engaged from page one. This powerful novel follows Ossie Brown, a talented basketball player whose dreams are shattered by a torn ACL. Stripped of the status that once defined him, Ossie faces a painful reckoning—navigating senior year without the perks of being a scholar-athlete, watching his ex-girlfriend date his biggest rival, and confronting the racial and class disparities at his privileged high school.

What makes this novel shine for me is Ossie’s growth as the main character. Encouraged by a Black teacher to explore his natural gift for writing, he discovers a new way to express himself and a deeper purpose beyond the court. His friendships with Luis and Naima become a lifeline, showing how true friendship makes us braver and how communal advocacy can challenge injustice, especially when an “anti-woke” video threatens their school community.

Joseph’s writing pays beautiful homage to Black literature, tying in themes of grief, persistence after defeat, and self-discovery through conflicts with others and our society at large. Through Ossie’s journey, Joseph reminds us that “each life is a poem” and urges readers to craft their own with intention and love. This is a must-read for those who appreciate stories about identity, activism, and the power of finding your voice.

This is a brilliant book that is incredibly timely with the state of our nation. I think it should be mandatory reading in schools.