This Thing of Ours
By Frederick Joseph
Published by Candlewick Press
Mom's Review
Well I've finished my coursework for the term, so now I can get to reading for pleasure. And what a pleasure it was to read This Thing of Ours! Painful. Powerful. And therefore a pleasure. The premise of the story is a Black teen athlete at an elite primarily white prep school sustains an injury that removes him from the basketball team. This necessitates his redefining himself (and everyone else's consideration of his place at the school). With the guidance of a teacher, he discovers his talent as a writer and finds new friends who value him for himself and not what he can do for them, though real problems arise and are dealt with believably and honestly. I won’t spoil the plot, but I will say that the the novel is compelling to the utmost
This Thing of Ours examines book bans, racism, and finding one's place. I particularly like how Ossie is written; his screwups and attempts at repairing the damage he has caused ring true to the teenage years. Teens make major mistakes - it's a part of their development - but rectifying the wrongs is hard, and I like how Ossie is shown to struggle with mending what he has broken. The intergenerational relationships and found family are a beacon of hope when he is at his lowest, and I feel like this functions as a reminder to teens that there are people to whom one can turn, even when one is without hope. I absolutely love This Thing of Ours and highly recommend it to teen readers.
Mom's Review
Well I've finished my coursework for the term, so now I can get to reading for pleasure. And what a pleasure it was to read This Thing of Ours! Painful. Powerful. And therefore a pleasure. The premise of the story is a Black teen athlete at an elite primarily white prep school sustains an injury that removes him from the basketball team. This necessitates his redefining himself (and everyone else's consideration of his place at the school). With the guidance of a teacher, he discovers his talent as a writer and finds new friends who value him for himself and not what he can do for them, though real problems arise and are dealt with believably and honestly. I won’t spoil the plot, but I will say that the the novel is compelling to the utmost
This Thing of Ours examines book bans, racism, and finding one's place. I particularly like how Ossie is written; his screwups and attempts at repairing the damage he has caused ring true to the teenage years. Teens make major mistakes - it's a part of their development - but rectifying the wrongs is hard, and I like how Ossie is shown to struggle with mending what he has broken. The intergenerational relationships and found family are a beacon of hope when he is at his lowest, and I feel like this functions as a reminder to teens that there are people to whom one can turn, even when one is without hope. I absolutely love This Thing of Ours and highly recommend it to teen readers.
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