Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the advance Kindle copy of this book. It’s out today! All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5, even though I’m super mad about the cliffhanger ending. Everly, who goes by “Benny” (her last name is Benedict), learns just after her twelfth birthday that she is the heir to a fortune. Every generation has had an Everly, and the original Everly named her - BENNY! - the heir to her fortune two hundred years ago. Now, Benny and a couple new friends must solve riddles in time to break a curse in order to win the fortune. It’s like The Inheritance Games for a slightly younger audience.

Every Benedict was fated to find a treasure- her great-great-great-great grandmother made sure of that.

12 year old Everly has finally been tracked down by the estate’s lawyer in Boston. She has 12 days to solve the riddle her 4x great-grandmother left behind for her in New York. If she can- the legacy, estate, and money become hers. She finds herself racing the clock with new friends and against enemies she doesn’t even know- reliving moments of Evelyn Terry in 1825 and finding herself along the way.

Be warned- this is book 1. Jack and I didn’t know until the last couple of pages and we were so bummed because we were soooo ready to know all the things!

This was so much fun. It’s great for any adventure seeker and my 10 year old lover of books would have loved this at 8 years old too. @jencalonita we can not wait for the sequel!!!

Jack- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mom- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @netgalley and @sourcebookskids for this #advancedreaderscopy it out now! Go grab it.

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#jackandmomnighttimechroniclesbook22
#theisleofever
#netgalley

The Inheritance Games for the middle-grade crowd (so much so that I felt like I was reading a knockoff). A fun and compelling read, although the diary entries slowed down the pace a little for me. The ending drove me crazy and felt uneven, but it made me want to read the sequel when before I didn't care, so that's a mark in its favor.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars

Isle of Ever is a new middle grade series full of mystery and adventure. Benny has inherited a fortune, but in order to keep the inheritance she must solve a series of riddles left behind by a distant ancestor.

Disappearing islands, pirates, and one-eyed cats make this a fun and magical read while also having a heavy emphasis on friendships. The reader is left with a cliffhanger at the end of this book so hopefully the next in the series isn't far behind.

I feel like the target audience is spot on, so pick this one up if you enjoy middle grade stories.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Young Readers for this digital Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley! 2.5⭐️ This book is reminiscent of The Inheritance Games. Classified as middle grade this is book #1 in the series with no anticipated release for any other book in the series. Everly Benedict is a 12 years old living in poor circumstances with her mother. Suddenly a man appears and claims she has a vast inheritance coming if she plays the game and wins. I had several issues with this book but the most glaring is the constant contradictions. They have no money but Benny (Everly) has hundreds in her possession. 175 years vs 200 years. Ryan Gale is terrified of everything yet is suddenly fearless in a boat on stormy seas. The idea that no one noticed or questioned how a woman (Benny’s 5X great grandmother) knew Benny’s name and addressed envelopes to her, over 100 years prior, seemed to cause no curiosity. A child, Zara, did notice this finally towards the end of this book. A bit too far fetched and presentation was predictable. Cute idea

What a wonderful book. I make book boxes for my grandchildren and for children who are sick. It is very difficult to find a children's book that is mature and holds your attention. This book did both and I looked forward to reading it every day. Thank you for the advanced copy, I could not recommend more highly and will.

This is a great middle school mix of Inheritance Games and Pirates of the Caribbean. It's perfect for those who love to solve puzzles.

I was hooked right away. Benny is told she can inherit a fortune and that would help her and her mom out a lot. But the catch is she has to solve puzzles and find a mysterious island by a certain date or she gets nothing. I was very intrigued as to why someone would leave what appears to be a perfect stranger their entire fortune.

However, about 60% of the way through, I started to get really slow. I struggled with that part a bit until it got to about 85%. It picked up quite a bit and everything started to come together

If you don't like books that end on a cliffhanger, wait to read this one until more of the series comes out. If you're okay with waiting, then dive right in!

I give this book a solid 4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Kids for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Isle of Ever is out March 25th, 2025.

Isle of Ever is the first book in a brand new series from author Jen Calonita (Fairy Tale Reform School). Filled with puzzles, pirates, maps, old newspaper clippings from the 1800s and diary entries, it’s an adventure mystery with a sprinkle of magic.

The story is told mostly from Benny’s point of view, which is interspersed with entries from Evelyn’s private journal. Benny is a strong, independent protagonist that will immediately appeal to readers. Supporting characters are equally as intriguing, although Benny’s mom feels a bit one-note.

Isle of Ever is sure to appeal to fans of mystery, and based on the cliff-hanger ending they’re going to be clamoring for its sequel. This one is lots of fun.

As a middle grade book, this story is great for younger readers. It was emotional and had me crying multiple times, as a grown adult. It has Pirates of the Caribbean vibes and Outer Banks vibes. I loved following Benny as she made new friends and embarked on the treasure hunt made by her great grandmother seven times. It ends with a cliffhanger and I need book two now.

In this middle grade mystery you follow Everly Benedict (Benny) and some friends in her quest. I absolutely loved the mystery in this book. It was a fun, adventurous tale of solving clues to break a curse and obtain her inheritance. This is such a fun read for a young audience. Perfect for middle grade readers that like adventure and mystery. This book leaves you craving more!

Quick and lighthearted read. Story progresses nicely with a few twists and turns. Not rushed and good characters.

I truly enjoyed going into a new world with Jen Calonita. She is a master at creating a world that just sweeps you up as a reader and draws you in. Isle of Ever is no exception to this. Everly “Benny” is a dynamic character whose love of games and mysteries shines through the page. I love the friends that she gathers throughout her journey, and the twists that come are not totally detectable. I am so excited to continue to travel into this new world with the second book.
Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Kid’s and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

A great middle grade novel with mystery, intrigue, and magical realism. I liked the interwovenness of the different generations in the family. This book will leave you waiting with anticipation for the sequel!

When Benny turns 12, she learns that she will inherit a fabulous coastal estate IF she plays a mysterious game and manages to win. Benny is great at puzzles and games, so is sure she has a chance, and she and her single mom can really use a break. But there is more to the story - pirates, a curse, an island no one can find, and new friends to help Benny to success. Local history and family connections also come into play for a fairly intricate story full of adventure, danger, greed, friendship and perseverance. Benny is smart and irresistible, and the other characters engaging. The puzzles are fairly clever, and the fantasy elements add sparkle. Lots of fun. Highly recommended.

A huge thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for allowing me to read the early copy of this book for review! I absolutely adored this book, except for the ending mostly because I didn’t want it to end!! I adore the cast of characters and the storyline is wonderful. Greenport is a great choice to set the story in, as it isn’t a famous destination so there is enough of a mystery to the place. Also, this poor kid gets an inheritance tied to a game genre has really boomed and there are good versions of it like Mystery Royale that can’t really pull off the cliff hanger because they aren’t all consuming enough to really drag you in for as many books as possible, and there are books like Inheritance Games and this book that can absolutely drag this short game out into multiple titles because it is so compulsively great to read. I literally can’t wait for the next in this series!

Everly "Benny" Benedict inherits a fortune a few days after her twelfth birthday, but in order to actually get it, she must play a game. She has two weeks to follow clues left behind by an ancestor to find an island that vanished a long time ago. 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.

Twelve-year-old Benny and her mother bounced from one place to another, which gives her only two weeks to find the hidden island. She gets riddles and journal entries outlining what happened in Greenport during the whooping cough outbreak. The island itself was difficult to find, with a buried treasure in it. It's this treasure that led another person to the island two hundred years ago and is now the reason why someone else wants to reach the island before her.

We don't learn about the other person until the very end, and the book is largely about Benny meeting Zara and Ryan, and making friends as she searches for clues in the house and historical society. With moving so much and not having money, suddenly living on an estate with the lure of a fortune is a driving force. She also loves games and puzzles, so this entire premise is wonderful. Exploring the town and learning about the town gives her and the reader clues as the deadline draws near. It's a fun read for middle-grade children, and there will be another book where Benny will unravel the secret of the island.

A twelve-year-old girl inherits a fortune and must find a secret island. This story is magically wonderful and great for older children.

3/5 stars. Thank you NetGalley for this advanced readers copy of this novel and thank you to Jen Calonita for writing such a fun book!

This is absolutely a middle school age book… but I’m happy I gave it a read for my younger friends in my life.
This reminds me of Percy Jackson and very Disney influenced. I love the fun and youthful aspect of this story. I would have LOVED to have read something like this back in my younger days.

Would I recommend this to a 25 year old? No, probably not. But 16 and younger? Absolutely!

Published March 25, 2025!

Isle of Ever by Jen Calonita is an interesting middle grade novel with mystery, friendship, puzzles and supernatural aspects. I think this will appeal to a variety of readers. I wish there was more conclusion other than stay tuned for book 2.

I like both Evelyns. Evelyn "Benny" Terry is a young woman that lives with her mom and has a mystery to solve if she wants to enjoy the inheritance that her ancestor Evelyn Terry left to her. Evelyn "Sparrow" Terry is a young woman that is growing up in Long Island New York with her family and there's a mysterious island that calls to her and a pirate? That may live there. I love that both Evelyns have a distinctive voice because it makes distinguishing them better. Sparrow has friends and is a trying to hold onto the people she loves, Benny is making friends and is trying to hold onto the life that she has inherited. I love how both stories connect through Sparrow's letters to Benny and for me personally it's set in Long Island and that's my hometown. I love that Sparrow is putting Benny on a path that had been set up years before and Benny's nature of loving mysteries following the clues to solving the mystery.