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This Is It: A Novel in Stories
Giovanni Zappacosta-O’Hara suspects that there’s more to his family’s legacy than he’s been told. His parents recount the history in devastating, scandalous, and rollicking tales, while Gio and his boyfriend joke that there must be lies woven into the details.
When his boyfriend is struck with cancer, the laughter stops. Gio can’t bear watching the disease eat away his life, his sanity, and the person he loves. Full of shame, he flees to New York, using his family history as a feeble excuse—he’s going to get to the bottom of it.
What happens next forces Gio to confront his cowardice and find a different motivation for his book: redemption. As he retells the stories, he discovers family secrets that make him question his identity. The hilarious and heartfelt characters he finds along the way give him surprising chances to get over himself—but will he take them?
“Matthew Fox’s THIS IS IT—about the stories and secrets that bind families and lovers—is nothing less than a modern masterpiece. Gut-wrenching, sharply observed, and deeply funny, the novel excavates generations of Zappacosta family lore to take the reader on an emotional journey unlike any other. Each sentence is a gift, wrapped in Matthew’s gorgeously dry wit. A tour de force that will leave you breathless!”
— Carley Fortune, #1 New York Times bestselling author of MEET ME AT THE LAKE and THIS SUMMER WILL BE DIFFERENT
When his boyfriend is struck with cancer, the laughter stops. Gio can’t bear watching the disease eat away his life, his sanity, and the person he loves. Full of shame, he flees to New York, using his family history as a feeble excuse—he’s going to get to the bottom of it.
What happens next forces Gio to confront his cowardice and find a different motivation for his book: redemption. As he retells the stories, he discovers family secrets that make him question his identity. The hilarious and heartfelt characters he finds along the way give him surprising chances to get over himself—but will he take them?
“Matthew Fox’s THIS IS IT—about the stories and secrets that bind families and lovers—is nothing less than a modern masterpiece. Gut-wrenching, sharply observed, and deeply funny, the novel excavates generations of Zappacosta family lore to take the reader on an emotional journey unlike any other. Each sentence is a gift, wrapped in Matthew’s gorgeously dry wit. A tour de force that will leave you breathless!”
— Carley Fortune, #1 New York Times bestselling author of MEET ME AT THE LAKE and THIS SUMMER WILL BE DIFFERENT
338 pages, Paperback
Published October 15, 2024
5 people are currently reading
949 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Fox
2 books11 followersMatthew Fox is the author of the novel THIS IS IT and the story collection CITIES OF WEATHER. He grew up in Ontario, before moving to Montreal, London, and New York, where he received his MFA in Creative Writing from The New School. His work has appeared in GRAIN, THE NEW QUARTERLY, BIG FICTION, TORONTO LIFE and MAISONNEUVE. He lives in Berlin.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 11, 2024
I devoured my early copy of this book, laughing and crying in equal measure. Some novels are so wonderful that I find it incredibly difficult to write a blurb that does it justice. THIS IS IT is one of those books.
My official blurb:
Matthew Fox’s THIS IS IT—about the stories and secrets that bind families and lovers—is nothing less than a modern masterpiece. Gut-wrenching, sharply observed, and deeply funny, the novel excavates generations of Zappacosta family lore to take the reader on an emotional journey unlike any other. Each sentence is a gift, wrapped in Matthew’s gorgeously dry wit. A tour de force that will leave you breathless!
My official blurb:
Matthew Fox’s THIS IS IT—about the stories and secrets that bind families and lovers—is nothing less than a modern masterpiece. Gut-wrenching, sharply observed, and deeply funny, the novel excavates generations of Zappacosta family lore to take the reader on an emotional journey unlike any other. Each sentence is a gift, wrapped in Matthew’s gorgeously dry wit. A tour de force that will leave you breathless!
January 20, 2024
✰ 3 stars ✰
There were 14 hours and 51 minutes of music on that playlist, the entire soundtrack of his life up to 2001—that year that neatly divided our lives between “maybe” and “yes,” between “ante up” and “all in,” “dithering” and “definitely,” “cowardly” and “committed,” “is this it?” and “this is it.”
Matthew Fox's latest work is indeed a novel in stories - a work of literary fiction which offers glimpses into aspiring writer's Giovanni's family lives, significant moments that defined the persons they are and who they would become. how it gave Gio a chance not only to reflect on how his life came to be what it is, but also the way he could share something special with the man that he loved, whose love reminded him every day that even though This Is It, it's about making it count that matters. ✨
“I couldn’t take anymore Cher.”
He laugh-cried into my neck, sniffled up some strength, and said, “Fuck you. Fuck you from the bottom of my heart.”
I would have loved to have more of Gio and BF's story (yes, BF has a full name, but for the sake of anonymity, I shall refer to him as such). It --- the start really reels you in, the fear that gripped Gio when he realized there was a chance BF was aboard the planes that took off on September 11, 2001. It was raw and hard-hitting - the intense emotions that I felt brought back my own memories of that moment forever etched in everyone's minds. 😔 From there on, as we follow them through the hurdles of first meeting with Gio's parents, loving each other through the arguments, analyzing the best ways to approach his novel idea, and most significantly, the pain of loss when BF is diagnosed with brain cancer.
That heart-breaking realization of losing someone so very precious to you is one the main reasons why Gio is so fervently eager to document his family's lives - something to reflect back on, a shared project that he and BF could have. 'It’s not about the quality of the picture. It’s about the quality of the memory. It’s research. There is a certain levity to their conversations that I enjoyed; like I was a witness to their casual interactions, one that is still carrying the heavy burden of the uncertain future, but one they wouldn't allow to fall from their hands. 🥹 And as we are privy to their voice recordings through the years, conversations that document their thoughts on various family' members interesting stories - it's written in a way, that while you may miss a certain point of view, it gives you a chance to delve into another just as intriguing. Be it a mother or a father or a sister or even BF, himself - they each have a story to share.
“Yeah, love,” I said. “All those different kinds of love. That’s what I wanted to capture, because I was about to lose it. I wanted to trap it, so it wouldn’t go away.”
Gio's family is a character on their own - as a whole. Innately relatable and humorous to the point of endearing, the writing kept an even pace of making you privy to them. Admittedly, there were a few reflections that bored me and I could have done without, but the dialogue is so honest and sincere, the way Gio's mother scolds him with quick quips, but with the motherly affection that only wants what's best for her children was heartfelt. 'Look at what’s right in front of you, Gio. Know what it is. Because otherwise, everything is just a string of dead babies.' It's the beautiful sibling bond that carries so deeply with one another and how it's reflected onto their own bonds with their relatives. 🫂
Not ones without their flaws or foibles or share of pain, their stories were their own. I learned about their aches and grievances, the burdens and losses, and the way they worked hard to attain their happiness. It's the messy and complicated background of their family that is both entertaining and amusing that keeps the flow of the narrative steady, all culminating to a point that was perhaps never in the cards, but undoubtedly was one that could not be escaped. It was an emotional journey for Gio, one that made me even kinda tear up towards the end. 😢 Like a quiet sadness that creeps up on you. Love is such a beautiful thing, it should be celebrated and treasured and never forgotten - cherishing the moments that you were able to have. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
“Well, this is it—” Mom was saying.
It was her favourite phrase. Her four sisters used it as well, as if to say: we’ve arrived at the heart of the matter.”
For at the end, the heart of the matter was that this was a novel in stories about a family and the lives they led. Told in multiple points of views, each of the characters felt real and connected; that's what left an impression on me. Each stage in their lives was at a different moment in time, but somehow, each moment was related to the other - each explained why and how they got to this stage in their lives. The simple memories that survived in their hearts - 'BF was wrong. These are love stories, not elegies.' 🤍🤍 All the annoyances, all the grievances, all the fears and the dreams and the relationships that were forged over the years played out in a believable way. I may have wanted more of one perspective over the other; but the story was about Gio cataloguing his family's legacy. It may not have been anything outlandish or scandal-worthy. But, it was theirs; it was theirs that he wanted to remember for BF - to not let their life or his family's be washed away from memory. 🙏🏻
*Thank you to Edelweiss for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
There were 14 hours and 51 minutes of music on that playlist, the entire soundtrack of his life up to 2001—that year that neatly divided our lives between “maybe” and “yes,” between “ante up” and “all in,” “dithering” and “definitely,” “cowardly” and “committed,” “is this it?” and “this is it.”
Matthew Fox's latest work is indeed a novel in stories - a work of literary fiction which offers glimpses into aspiring writer's Giovanni's family lives, significant moments that defined the persons they are and who they would become. how it gave Gio a chance not only to reflect on how his life came to be what it is, but also the way he could share something special with the man that he loved, whose love reminded him every day that even though This Is It, it's about making it count that matters. ✨
“I couldn’t take anymore Cher.”
He laugh-cried into my neck, sniffled up some strength, and said, “Fuck you. Fuck you from the bottom of my heart.”
I would have loved to have more of Gio and BF's story (yes, BF has a full name, but for the sake of anonymity, I shall refer to him as such). It --- the start really reels you in, the fear that gripped Gio when he realized there was a chance BF was aboard the planes that took off on September 11, 2001. It was raw and hard-hitting - the intense emotions that I felt brought back my own memories of that moment forever etched in everyone's minds. 😔 From there on, as we follow them through the hurdles of first meeting with Gio's parents, loving each other through the arguments, analyzing the best ways to approach his novel idea, and most significantly, the pain of loss when BF is diagnosed with brain cancer.
That heart-breaking realization of losing someone so very precious to you is one the main reasons why Gio is so fervently eager to document his family's lives - something to reflect back on, a shared project that he and BF could have. 'It’s not about the quality of the picture. It’s about the quality of the memory. It’s research. There is a certain levity to their conversations that I enjoyed; like I was a witness to their casual interactions, one that is still carrying the heavy burden of the uncertain future, but one they wouldn't allow to fall from their hands. 🥹 And as we are privy to their voice recordings through the years, conversations that document their thoughts on various family' members interesting stories - it's written in a way, that while you may miss a certain point of view, it gives you a chance to delve into another just as intriguing. Be it a mother or a father or a sister or even BF, himself - they each have a story to share.
“Yeah, love,” I said. “All those different kinds of love. That’s what I wanted to capture, because I was about to lose it. I wanted to trap it, so it wouldn’t go away.”
Gio's family is a character on their own - as a whole. Innately relatable and humorous to the point of endearing, the writing kept an even pace of making you privy to them. Admittedly, there were a few reflections that bored me and I could have done without, but the dialogue is so honest and sincere, the way Gio's mother scolds him with quick quips, but with the motherly affection that only wants what's best for her children was heartfelt. 'Look at what’s right in front of you, Gio. Know what it is. Because otherwise, everything is just a string of dead babies.' It's the beautiful sibling bond that carries so deeply with one another and how it's reflected onto their own bonds with their relatives. 🫂
Not ones without their flaws or foibles or share of pain, their stories were their own. I learned about their aches and grievances, the burdens and losses, and the way they worked hard to attain their happiness. It's the messy and complicated background of their family that is both entertaining and amusing that keeps the flow of the narrative steady, all culminating to a point that was perhaps never in the cards, but undoubtedly was one that could not be escaped. It was an emotional journey for Gio, one that made me even kinda tear up towards the end. 😢 Like a quiet sadness that creeps up on you. Love is such a beautiful thing, it should be celebrated and treasured and never forgotten - cherishing the moments that you were able to have. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
“Well, this is it—” Mom was saying.
It was her favourite phrase. Her four sisters used it as well, as if to say: we’ve arrived at the heart of the matter.”
For at the end, the heart of the matter was that this was a novel in stories about a family and the lives they led. Told in multiple points of views, each of the characters felt real and connected; that's what left an impression on me. Each stage in their lives was at a different moment in time, but somehow, each moment was related to the other - each explained why and how they got to this stage in their lives. The simple memories that survived in their hearts - 'BF was wrong. These are love stories, not elegies.' 🤍🤍 All the annoyances, all the grievances, all the fears and the dreams and the relationships that were forged over the years played out in a believable way. I may have wanted more of one perspective over the other; but the story was about Gio cataloguing his family's legacy. It may not have been anything outlandish or scandal-worthy. But, it was theirs; it was theirs that he wanted to remember for BF - to not let their life or his family's be washed away from memory. 🙏🏻
*Thank you to Edelweiss for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
September 27, 2024
Brimming with heart and humour, Matthew Fox's This Is It is an epic family drama that spans (and skewers) the generations. It's bold, clever, queer and sexy. The novel-in-stories moves at a clip and stings with its emotional honesty. A musical masterwork that examines the boundaries of love and bravery. Can't recommend it enough!!
Want to read
July 19, 2025added this to my TBR shelf as Carley Fortune recommended this title among others that she read while writing ONE GOLDEN SUMMER. I just hope my library will add this title to their inventory one day.
December 17, 2024
This Is It is a novel made up of a series of interconnected stories featuring an Italian/Irish/Canadian gay man, his family, and his fiancé. Overall, I found myself really impressed with this book. Matthew Fox is a talented writer. He has a good grasp of dialogue and created a wide range of diverse and compelling characters. I thought it was clever that as we read through the novel, we are given little traditions, quirks, and character traits that become more relevant, interconnected, and meaningful as we get to know the characters on a more intimate basis. For instance, we hear a character referred to as grandma "Footloose" due to her aversion to dancing, and it isn't until the end of the novel that we are shown that there is much more to the story.
As with most collections of short stories, some are more compelling than others. Though I appreciated all of the characters, I enjoyed the last story featuring Maeve and Fiona. Fox truly saved the best for last. I think that their story merits its own novel, and the book is worth reading for them alone.
I'm glad the author was kind enough to send me a copy of his book and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for his future projects.
As with most collections of short stories, some are more compelling than others. Though I appreciated all of the characters, I enjoyed the last story featuring Maeve and Fiona. Fox truly saved the best for last. I think that their story merits its own novel, and the book is worth reading for them alone.
I'm glad the author was kind enough to send me a copy of his book and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for his future projects.
March 15, 2025
Thank you Matthew Fox for this delightful novel in stories. The family is startling and wonderful and the arc with BF heartbreaking. It absolutely made me cry and I don't usually cry while reading. How do you continue after that story? By telling the backstory of Maeve and Fiona and what a marvellous way to end the book too. Also the family tree at the end was a terrific feature and I loved going through it. Love that it is set in Canada too!
December 28, 2025
I don’t remember how I stumbled across this book, but I’m so glad I discovered it. This is an absolutely stellar collection of interconnected stories recounting a family history. It will make you both laugh and cry. Each story has one or more tidbits that refer to things we’ve read in a previous section, so it really reads like a novel and not just a collection of stories. The writing is masterful and engrossing, and more people should be reading this book.
July 23, 2025
Fox expertly weaves different settings, generations and voices together into a compelling collection of stories. While focused on particular families, it invites reflection on the tales we are told and tell ourselves about our own. The writing could easily be transposed to the stage or screen.
August 4, 2025
-The book isn't about death.
+But it's not a potboiler is it?
-Maybe it should be.
+And it's not a love story
-Maybe it should be that too. 244
Mathew Fox, the renegade priest, is one of my early icons, so when I. saw his name on a book in the new arrivals section at the library, I didn't think twice before grabbing it. I was delighted to find that he had finally turned his hand to fiction. If he has, however, this isn't it.
- I want the whole story.
+You can't get whole stories, kid. And a good thing too because no one really wants the whole shebang
-I do
+Nah. You just wanna tell yourself what feels good. p17
Turns out, there are a few writers with this name. Happily, this MF is somewhat of a renegade too, given to overthinking about ethical matters perhaps but clearly concerned about the meaning of life and alert for clues. Meta-fiction along the lines of a memoir, this novel presentation of a novel zooms in on the life of a family from various times and perspectives. The constellation of trust/fear/commitment is thoroughly explored along with the corollary trinity of superstition/ambivalence/faith. The characters were so well developed and so cleverly introduced that there was a sense that we had just been waiting for the opportunity to get better acquainted.
Maybe there are no words for feelings. Words like that haven't been invented yet. p247
Just like that other Mathew Fox, this one has found his own creative way to express the tragic in context, light-hearted in tone but with enough gravitas to remain respectful to the truth. In conclusion, it might not be structured as a potboiler, but it is about death and it is a love story.
There were zones of realness, levels of realness, and it was bewildering that they existed in such shocking proximity. p238
It felt real, all of it, and if it did, maybe it was. p239
4/5
6/7
+But it's not a potboiler is it?
-Maybe it should be.
+And it's not a love story
-Maybe it should be that too. 244
Mathew Fox, the renegade priest, is one of my early icons, so when I. saw his name on a book in the new arrivals section at the library, I didn't think twice before grabbing it. I was delighted to find that he had finally turned his hand to fiction. If he has, however, this isn't it.
- I want the whole story.
+You can't get whole stories, kid. And a good thing too because no one really wants the whole shebang
-I do
+Nah. You just wanna tell yourself what feels good. p17
Turns out, there are a few writers with this name. Happily, this MF is somewhat of a renegade too, given to overthinking about ethical matters perhaps but clearly concerned about the meaning of life and alert for clues. Meta-fiction along the lines of a memoir, this novel presentation of a novel zooms in on the life of a family from various times and perspectives. The constellation of trust/fear/commitment is thoroughly explored along with the corollary trinity of superstition/ambivalence/faith. The characters were so well developed and so cleverly introduced that there was a sense that we had just been waiting for the opportunity to get better acquainted.
Maybe there are no words for feelings. Words like that haven't been invented yet. p247
Just like that other Mathew Fox, this one has found his own creative way to express the tragic in context, light-hearted in tone but with enough gravitas to remain respectful to the truth. In conclusion, it might not be structured as a potboiler, but it is about death and it is a love story.
There were zones of realness, levels of realness, and it was bewildering that they existed in such shocking proximity. p238
It felt real, all of it, and if it did, maybe it was. p239
4/5
6/7
November 11, 2024
A very good book. Quite enjoyable overall.
I thought that the development of the story through a series of stories was so well put together.
This book, dealt with some very deep concepts including death and how we deal with death.
An important read for everyone.
I thought that the development of the story through a series of stories was so well put together.
This book, dealt with some very deep concepts including death and how we deal with death.
An important read for everyone.
December 31, 2023
Sweet novel. I loved the vibe and i felt a lot for Maeve, Dot, Fiona, Gio, BF. they all felt real. thanks for the arc.
September 24, 2025
A beautiful & moving collection of stories about a search for identity.
October 7, 2024
Is it weird that I found a book with such a heavy premise to also be so funny? This novel in stories starts with a pretty heavy premise — Giovanni’s boyfriend is dying of cancer, which forces Gio to finally stop and deal with all the stuff he’s always run away from. Grief is a powerful force and in addition to all the sad stuff, it can also open you up to all of the joy in what it means to be alive right now. As Gio goes digging through the archaeology of his family tree, I found myself wanting to grab him by the shoulders and give him a good shake sometimes, and then give him a hug, and then get him a little drunk and get him talking — because he’s a natural storyteller. “This Is It” is one of those special books that reminds you why novels are so important, and it shows you what they can do when the writer is a true talent. I loved it!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews