First published 2025
Ossie Brown's basketball dreams shatter when he tears his ACL. Without sports defining him, this Black teenager struggles to find his place at his wealthy, mostly white school. A Black teacher invites him into her respected writing program, where Ossie discovers books by marginalized authors and makes friends who value him beyond athletics. He starts building a new identity around words and literature. Then some students create a viral "anti-woke" video that threatens his teacher's job and puts his new friends in danger. The writing program faces elimination. Ossie must decide whether to stay silent or speak up, risking his fragile new position at school. His choice will determine not only his own future but the safety of people he cares about. Frederick Joseph crafts a story about finding courage when everything familiar disappears.
Genres: african-american, coming-of-age, contemporary, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: United States
Period: 21st-century
384 pages · Hardcover · Candlewick
Content warnings: racism