Everything's Not Lost

A heart-wrenching yet vividly hopeful novel about a Black girl's struggle to find the quiet beauty in life and friendship amid the chaos of grief and mental illness by New York Times, USA Today, and Indie bestselling author Frederick Joseph.

As a sixteen-year-old Black girl with bipolar disorder, Ella Washington has plenty stacked against her. But following her beloved sister’s unexpected death and its turbulent aftermath, Ella is desperate to find any sense of normalcy. Worse still, someone at her school is determined to drive her deeper into despair.

It feels nearly impossible to find her way out of the fog of grief and loneliness, but through her love of art, some unlikely new friends, and the memory of her sister, Ella slowly learns that the pursuit of happiness and forgiveness is an endeavor that is more than worthwhile.

Told in Frederick Joseph’s perceptive and lyrical voice, Everything’s Not Lost is an achingly relatable story about finding points of light even in the darkest of times.

"Frederick is such a grounded and beautiful voice of not just this moment but all the moments. Everything's Not Lost cements him firmly as a much needed and stunning voice inside the world of YA literature." —Jacqueline Woodson, winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award

Frederick Joseph is an author, activist, philanthropist, and marketing professional. Two of his nonfiction titles, The Black Friend and Patriarchy Blues, were instant New York Times bestsellers. He is the coauthor, with Porsche Joseph, of Better Than We Found It and the author of the picture book Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: The Courage to Dream, illustrated by Nikkolas Smith. A recipient of both the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award and the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Vanguard Award, Frederick Joseph was named to the 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 list and was selected for the 2018 Root 100, an annual list of the most influential African Americans. He lives in New York City with his wife, Porsche, and their dog, Stokely.

• Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
  
• Publish Date: October 20, 2026
  
• Pages: 384
  
• Language: English
  
• Type: Hardcover
  
• EAN/UPC: 9798217040599
  
• Dimensions: 8.3 X 5.5 X 0.0 inches | 1.25 pounds
  
• BISAC Categories: Teens & YA, Popular Fiction