Rookie: My Public, Private, and Secret Life

by Joshua Bassett

A love letter to the rookie in all of Singer-actor Joshua Bassett's fearless memoir in verse about surviving the darkest moments of fame, addiction, and mental health struggles—and finding hope on the other side.

"We're all figuring it out as we go along. Even the 'pros.'"

This brutally honest collection reveals what it's like to have your most private moments become public—what really happens when you give a broken teenager the world at his fingertips, then watch him nearly lose everything.

"This is, to date, my most vulnerable and terrifying piece of work."

From the depths of addiction and suicidal ideation to the hard-won lessons of recovery, Bassett shares his journey with raw vulnerability and courage. Along the way, he discovers that even in our darkest moments, we can choose to keep moving forward.

"The only way out of fear is to face it again and again until it loses its grip."

More than a memoir, Rookie is a movement celebrating the sacred space between who we've been and who we're becoming. A hopeful roadmap and practical wisdom for anyone learning that your worst moments don't define you, even when the whole world is watching.

"I keep waiting for the sea to settle when I need to learn how to surf."

For anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider, struggled with self-doubt, or wondered if things can get better, this book is for you.

 

240 pages, Hardcover

Published May 5, 2026

Reviews

[lauren ౨ৎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

joshua bassett deserves an apology from the whole world😭🫂 you really never know what a person is going through behind closed doors / behind the scenes. he really let us into his life and also offered the reader some advice and life lessons that he learned through his experiences- so it also offers some self help in this.

very good read, but don’t go in expecting some literary masterpiece tell-all! also don’t read if you’re expecting him to name drop about a certain situation.



°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ — preread:

as a person who used to be the #1 joshua bassett defender, i am so curious and excited to read his book. the good, the bad, the ugly- im ready to know what went on behind the scenes the past couple of years in his life 😅🫂

[Abby Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

The chapter where he comes to know Jesus? I literally wept.

So honest and raw and intimate. I think this book portrays the path to Christ and the struggles even after finding him really well. I really appreciated him talking about how hard it is to grapple with past sins once you become a believer. He never admits to having all of the answers, but continually points back to the one who does. You can tell how much Jesus changed this man’s life!!

[abs · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you netgalley for the audio e-arc!!!
i am a joshua bassett defender to my core, ever since hsmtmts. this was such a quick listen & the fact that he narrates it is even better.
i loved being about to hear his story and even when it got a little ‘godly’ at times, it was a bit refreshing to hear him work through everything & be in a better place.
call him crazy all you want, but my guy went through some rough times. even though i really don’t like when parents kinda force or worm their religion into their children at a young age or even say they are being, ‘rebellious’ when they are just being kids, i’m glad joshua was able to get away from it, have some time to himself and actually find his way in the world & what works and what doesn’t for him.
honestly, if i was him & the doctor told me my heart was failing & i was going to die then i got rapidly got better, i would take it as a sign from SOMETHING (god, universe, etc) that i belong here even if i didn’t believe it.

[That One Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I sat and read this in one sitting. Not because I loved it and couldn’t put it down, but I think because the substance was at some points so shallow, I flew through it quickly. It may sound harsh to say, but a good chunk of this memoir reads like a fortune cookie. Basic advice given from a place that never feels all that deep.

Joshua claims this is his most vulnerable art of his life, and yes, there are some things he discusses in the book that are deeply personal like sexual abuse, addiction and depression. Yet, each topic always has a sort of surface level approach to it. Bassett never really gets all that deep into the trenches with anything here. I didn’t leave this memoir feeling like I knew him any better at all. The most I can say is that I know he found God, and much like many people who do, has used that to stop seeking out healing and joy within, instead allowing faith to sort of blanket cure all.
He dos talk about deep things, but without a deep connection to it. When he discusses his depression, I’m left as a reader asking, why is he depressed? Help me understand you more, otherwise, why do I need to be reading this? For your advice on life? Is this a self help book, or a memoir? It’s sort of failing at both.

There are so many moments in here where Bassett will mention in passing things from his life, and then quickly move on without insight, explanation, or nuance. How is that vulnerable? What is the point of the memoir?
One example of this, Bassett eludes to his strained relationship with his mom, even recalls a time where she proclaims to her friends he’s a liar. Here, are two instances where we could potentially feel the vulnerability as Basset explains why he and his mother have a strained relationship and why she has to announce he’s a liar. Instead, he goes on to give the reader more advice we could find anywhere and offers no further insight into either. I don’t know what he’s lied about and why he and his mother have a poor relationship.

I suppose anyone can be as forthcoming as they want in a memoir. It’s their story to tell. Why market it as being vulnerable though, if what it really is, is a way to try and preach to your reader about life, and love and faith, from what appears to be all put into the bucket that God is the answer to all life’s pain. Find God, and you’ll be okay, and you won’t have to do any more work on yourself or search any deeper into what is happening in your life.

This review is harsh, and maybe it’s just that the memoir is not for me. Bassett shows us a glimpse into his private life, but the glimpse is deluged with preachy and flowery advice, it reads more like a pamphlet I’d get handed to me at a bible table in a mall than an actual, deeply vulnerable memoir. A let down for me….but take it with a grain of salt, as maybe I’m blinded my total lack of faith in the God he’s so focused on in here.

[Emma Griffioen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the typical celebrity memoir. He didn't even mention Drivers License by name lol!

[Hayley Mazeika]

If you know me you know I adore Joshua, and I HATE giving a memoir anything but 5 stars… however. This read much more surface level “self help” than memoir, and the slight lean toward toxic positivity “Jesus is the answer!” fell a bit flat. But I am so so so glad he is doing well, and I will be first in line to read what he writes about his life in 15-20 years!

Until then, you can find me listening to “Smoke Slow” on repeat, because duh

[Lilian Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Josh🥺
I love him with all of my heart. I'm so glad I got to read this.
I'm so proud of him for being brave enough to write this and put it out there!
I was lucky enough to meet eyes, share smiles, and a high five with Joshua at his concert in Detroit in 2024💞
Read this book! Even if you don't know anything about Josh, I think you'd benefit from reading his story🤍
This was so quick and easy to read!
I usually don't rate non-fiction, but I HAD to give this a 5⭐️

[Maria Hood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah I’m gonna be talking about this for awhile

[Olivia Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love you so much Joshua Bassett. This was incredible. Even if you are not a Joshua fan you better read this! Absolutely moved to tears.

[kaitlyn (taylor’s version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

as a day 1 joshua bassett defender, i love seeing an extra glimpse into his life and what he was going through, especially during hsmtmts. i loved him in that show and i had no idea how hard it was for him behind the scenes. there were a lot of self help components in here as well which i liked. some of the writing was not my favourite, but the point of this was to share his life, not to be the most expertly written piece of literature. overall i really liked the poetry format as well and the little drawings included too! can’t wait to see what he does next ❤️

[hayley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars- i listened to the audiobook on my study break out of curiosity bc i found out it was free on spotify premium uh. i won’t lie - i used to be a joshua fan at the start of hsmtmts but i have gradually fallen out of the fandom loop over the years due to personal reasons and our misalignment of views. for what it is worth, i am glad he has the courage to express his traumatic experiences in this outlet and i am glad that he managed to survive those incidents. however, i feel like i walked away from this audiobook the same person i was before this book. this is not to say a memoir should be life changing per se, because it is a personal experience. i also feel bad for giving people’s memoirs ratings because i am not trying to reduce someone’s trauma to mere ‘entertainment value’. however, i feel like this book tackles a lot of HEAVY topics which joshua kind of blazes over with Bible verses here and there instead of treating it with more care/caution that it feels a bit jarring and the advice for it disproportionate at times (like it is too generalised?😭). on top of that, this book is more like a collection of different journals? i wish it was more organised. i feel like i was able to understand his journey bc i had some prior knowledge of joshua’s background but for the general public - the placements of the message/ quotes/ his experiences are all over the place. hopefully this review doesn’t come across as rude i really tried being as respectful as possible but yeah unfortunately this was not it for me. this is not to say it won’t resonate more with other people though😭🙏🏻

[Nada Fahmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 ⭐️

We truly never know what’s going on in other people’s lives. This is a plead for people to be nothing but kind to each other.

“I was so lonely for so long, I’d give anything to belong.”
“Love is worth living for.”

[Katelyn MacGray · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went into this book with an open mind, but this was unbearable. This book had no narrative and opted for a “If you know you know” approach. In this book, the author talks about several near death experiences without laying any of the groundwork to describe how he got there. Unless you are a huge Joshua Bassett fan, you will be very confused by the chain of events.

[Lydia Maxwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting more depth from this. I think I would’ve enjoyed this more if I actually read it versus listening to the audiobook. However, I’m so glad to hear the growth that has occurred in Joshua’s life and the faith in Christ he found along the way!

[Lacey Tilley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mmmmm, I really try not to judge anyone’s memoirs. But this was rough. It was like, “here’s a small snippet of
Something terrible that happened” followed by 7 quotes that came from Google about said topic -over and over and over again.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josh, my friend and my brother in Christ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

All I have to say is that everyone should read this book. It’s truly heartbreaking and beautiful and so so powerful

[Samantha Hayden · Rating 1 out of 5]

WHY does every memoir become so fucking jesus-y. i dont care that you found god. i want to know what happened between you and olivia rodrigo

[pucksnspine · Rating 4 out of 5]

spoiler alert before people start their bs: joshua doesn't claim to be a writer. this is a book to share his feelings about becoming known of the public eye and, frankly, being mistreated by idiots. he expresses his trauma so people who struggle with their own demons aren't as afraid of speaking up and can see the light of the end of the tunnel.

with that being said, rookie made me smile, laugh, shed a few tears and fucking feel joshua's pain and struggles.
im mad at how the people treated him and still continue to treat him for stupid teenager stuff. im mad at all the people who hurt him and talked him down.
i hope people outside of his fanbase will give it a read, even if it's out of misplaced curiosity. people need to understand the impact of their words and actions on celebrities. we think they're out of reach, but they're aware of what's being said about them, and people are CRUEL.
i knew joshua lived through tough times but didn't know the extent of it. im grateful he shared his vulnerability, his experiences, and his lessons learned. I hope he knows that no matter the amount of hatred, there is a lot of love for him. we will keep fighting for him and love him.
im happy he found peace and that he is a good place now, healthy, happy, and free. all in due time 🫰

[Isabella Capranica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book in 2 hours.
It’s so inspiring seeing Josh’s journey not only to faith but through faith. And through all of the mental health struggles. I’m glad he shared as much as he did, his vulnerability is inspiring and a lot of what he went through and had to say about it was so relatable and really spoke to me. I’m so proud of how much he shared about his faith and weaving scripture throughout the memoir. It takes a lot of guts for someone so famous to share that so openly.
A lot of what he said really spoke to what I’m going through right now, and a lot of the wisdom and insight he shared I think is going to be helpful to me where I’m at right now.
I can’t wait to reread this book and annotate.


Content Warnings: Child abuse, abuse, sexual assault, eating disorders, suicidal ideation

[December · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the way things have been going politically speaking, it is a bit hard to not have reservations as the book devles into religion as it approaches its end, especially considering his younger audience, but I'm happy Josh found some peace. Gods know he needed it. I still think he goes about his ideas in such a compassionate way that I can't help but be captivated, and I'll keep supporting him as long as it feels comfortable to me. Who knows how I'll feel about him as the years progress, though. As of right now, he deserves so much better than what he got at the hands of the public. There's a reason I don't like a certain artist even though politically speaking she would be much more alligned with my beliefs. Oh, well.

[Farah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t think I’d sob while reading this tbh. I think writing wise some parts were slightly weak, but the content touched me deeply (esp considering it’s a memoir.) Aside from liking Joshua Bassett as a person and feeling upset that these things happened to him, it’s also just a good general reminder of things. Reminds you to give grace, to not be so quick to judge, to be empathetic, and also to go for what you want. I really liked the part where he talked about his “big break” and how he felt right before it. I feel like it found me at the right moment and I needed to hear it. I really loved this and I’m glad I read it.

[Hayley Andros · Rating 2 out of 5]

now that my frontal cortex is fully formed, i can say that yes, what he went through was terrible and no one should ever feel the pain that he did. BUT, it is very evident that he was not qualified to write this book. he literally starts off by saying he didn’t graduate high school and isn’t qualified to write this, so at least he was honest. but he contradicts himself so many times, and turns all of his stories into self help moments. it felt like he didn’t know whether he wanted to write a memoir or a self help book. and maybe it’s good for him that he found god or whatever, but the latter half turned into a sermon and it just wasn’t for me.

[Danielle Dauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish he went deeper! It was so short and I feel like he only touched the surface.
The letters he wrote to his parents made me cry.
The parts where he talks about finding God sounded nuts, but also he mentions how he knows it sounds crazy.
The public reticule and death threats he received (in addition to him almost dying) was hard to take in. Everyone who ever posted anything nasty online about him should be ashamed.
But overall, doesn’t feel like I learned anything I didn’t already know about him. (Other than his Ketamine addiction, but he doesn’t go into it that much.)
A lot of his writing was really beautiful though!

[Michael Memering · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers a raw, unfiltered look at the cost of fame through the eyes of a teenager caught in a media whirlwind. It explores the heavy reality of a relationship that fueled a multi-billion-stream album and a hit TV show, proving that public success often masks private devastation. By tackling critical themes of mental health, addiction, and suicidal ideation, the narrative serves as a haunting reminder: we never truly know the battles others are fighting. Ultimately, it’s a testament to the fact that in a world of scrutiny, what we need most is empathy and love

[lauren]

yes, I read this in one sitting! as an OG joshua bassett fan, I enjoyed reading about his growth and what he has learned in his life thus far. this felt like a self-help book to me, as it offers a lot of advice for improving your life. I don’t know if this would be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you have ever been a fan of him or are interested in his story…pick this up!!! ❤️‍🩹

(I don’t rate memoirs btw)

[Carrie Wilhite · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh joshua… the world is cruel.

my favorite line from this memoir has to be, “painful as it is, i’m sure glad that fire hurts. how else will you know that you’re burning?” although it was hard to choose.

his music is going to hit home even harder now i just know it. “dancing with tears in my eyes” is still my favorite off the golden years, and that, will hurt to my core now

(also listening to a memoir is always my favorite way to read them-highly recommend his)

[dmarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️!

This is a beautiful blend of memoir and poetic storytelling that’s both reflective and emotionally impactful. Joshua’s wisdom and introspection shine beyond his years, making this a meaningful read for almost anyone. Whether or not you’re already a fan or familiar with his work, this is absolutely worth reading—or listening to!

[Ari Garzon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shit, dude. I actually have no words. It’s been a long time since I’ve been stunned speechless. This masterpiece blessed me beyond what I can comprehend right now. I don’t even like poetry.

Praise God. He is good, He is Alive, He is Almighty, He is Sovereign, and He fights for His children. He alone is worthy.

Thanks, Joshua. May God Bless you and keep you.

[Kate Hodges · Rating 4 out of 5]

First half tries to be a self help book on success that I would just chalk up to pretty privilege. However, halfway through it switches gears, becoming much more vulnerable, raw, honest, in a way I wanted it to be. Then his testimony and the way he explains Jesus after is just beautiful and refreshing, to see someone in such depths of mental health struggle find true hope in Jesus.

[amelia buhl · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! Joshua Bassett defender forever and ever and this just solidified it. SO much to take away from this and a story everyone needs to hear. “It’s difficult for me to give meaningful advice without mentioning Jesus…peace is Jesus and Jesus is peace!”