Isle of Ever by Jen Calonita

Isle of Ever
Author: Jen Calonita
Published March 25, 2025 by Sourcebooks Young Readers

Summary: Bestselling and beloved author Jen Calonita delivers the first in a brand new series featuring a girl who will inherit a mysterious fortune if she can break a centuries-old curse!

Days after her twelfth birthday, Everly “Benny” Benedict learns she’s the heir to a fortune! But to collect the inheritance, she first has to play—and win—a game. Following clues that her ancestor left, Benny must locate a small island that vanished long ago, according to legend.

She has only two weeks to play the game and find the island. If she’s successful, she’ll break a two-hundred-year-old curse. If she fails, the fortune will be forfeited. And if she’s not careful, she’ll cross paths with someone else who is after the island’s secrets, and who will stop at nothing to get them. Because, as it turns out, there’s far more than a fortune at stake.

“Isle of Ever will keep you guessing till the last page, then begging for a sequel immediately.” ― Melissa de la Cruz, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of The Isle of the Lost

“This book has everything…I couldn’t put it down!” ― Stuart Gibbs, New York Times bestselling author of the Spy School series

“Calonita leaves us breathless as Benny races to save the day and her family. Young readers will love it!” ― James Ponti, New York Times Bestselling Author of City Spies

“The Isle of Ever is a gripping game and grand adventure. I loved it!” — Chris Grabenstein, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mr. Lemoncello’s Library series

About the Author: Jen Calonita is the author of the Secrets of My Hollywood Life series and other books like Sleepaway Girls and I’m with the Band. Fairy Tale Reform School and Royal Academy Rebels are her first two middle-grade series. She rules Long Island, New York, with her husband, Mike; princes, Tyler and Dylan; and their two Chihuahuas, Captain Jack Sparrow and Ben Kenobi. The only castle she’d ever want to live in is Cinderella’s at Walt Disney World. She’d love for you to visit her at jencalonitaonline.com and on Twitter @jencalonita.

Review: Isle of Ever takes the idea of a game to win an inheritance and moves to the next level–adding in a fascinating fantastical element that brings in history as well. This genre-bending aspect of this book makes it truly a stand out in this type of book.

I also loved the cast of characters. Everyone was so interesting and played their perfect part in the story. Benny, specifically, is a character that all readers will connect with because she truly just wants to do right by her mom who has struggled and tried the best for her. It is a lot of pressure for her, but it adds suspense to the read because you are rooting for her the whole time!

Publisher-Provided Educators’ Guide:

Book Trailer:

Read This If You Love: The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates series by Caroline Carlson, Lola Reyes is Not Worried by Cindy L. Rodriguez, The Mystery of Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie, The Liars Society by Alyson Gerber, Conjure Island by Eden Royce

Recommended For: 

 

**Thank you to Sourcebooks for providing a copy of the book for review!**