The Morning After the Book Arrives

Yesterday was the official release of This Thing of Ours. I should have sent a message then. Some sort of celebration, call to action, something smart or moving. But I didn’t.

The truth is, I stared at the screen for hours and couldn’t find the words. Not the right ones. Not the ones that might convince you—among the tens of thousands of you who will open this—to do what so few have done so far: buy the book.

That silence, my hesitation, came from a place of fear. Fear that maybe people just aren’t interested in a novel by me. That maybe the algorithms and the timelines and the noise of the world would swallow a book that feels urgent and alive to me. So I said nothing.

But I woke up at about 5am this morning knowing what I needed to say.

The words are simple. And they are true.

This Thing of Ours is out in the world now. And I believe it matters. Not just because I wrote it, but because we are living in a time when stories like this are being silenced, banned, and buried. Because this book is for the young people who rarely get to be soft or scared or complicated. For anyone who’s ever lost a dream and had to find a new version of themselves on the other side.

The novel follows Ossie Brown, a promising Black high school basketball star whose future is upended by a torn ACL. As he navigates life without the sport that defined him, Ossie confronts the complexities of identity, privilege, and systemic injustice within his predominantly white, affluent school. Encouraged by a Black teacher to join a prestigious writing program, he discovers a new passion and purpose while flanked by new friends, Naima and Luis. However, when a viral “anti-woke” video threatens the very foundation of this newfound path, Ossie must find the courage to stand up and speak out.

This story delves into themes of grief, self-discovery, and the power of words. It’s set in the real places—locker rooms, school hallways, car rides—where many of us first grappled with who we are and who the world expects us to be.

Writing this book was a journey that challenged me deeply. But I believe in its message and its potential to resonate with readers navigating similar questions of identity and purpose.

If you’ve ever connected with my work… if you’ve ever believed in me or believed in the power of stories to make us feel less alone, I’m asking you to support this one. Not just for yourself—though I hope you read it—but for a young person in your life, a teacher, a local library, a school that needs it more than they know.

Books like this don’t rise without people like you. So today, I’m asking: help this one rise.

With love and hope,
Fred

P.S. If you want a really good option to donate copies to:

The Lisa Libraries
Ellen Luksberg, Executive Director
77 Cornell Street, Room 109
Kingston, NY 12401

---

PRAISE

A thought-provoking exploration of storytelling dynamics in a social media–driven society.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

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)

Frederick Joseph constructs a true roller coaster of a narrative in?This Thing of Ours, painting Ossie’s complex struggles in language that is both poetic and engaging for a young adult audience. Impressively, the plot’s momentum stays strong even when dipping into the stories of the other characters. . . .Readers will be moved by the thoughtful, unexpected ways in which Joseph develops Ossie and his journey to be heard.
—BookPage (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 rich view into the many ways oppression marginalizes people and a loving portrait of an urban Black community, recommended for high school collections.
—School Library Journal