If your children love adventure stories then this a must read. It is fast paced and full of suspense. The main child is told that she has inherited a fortune but to have said fortune she needs to solve a puzzle. That puzzle leads her to form friendships in a new town and learn to follow advice that her grandma once told her. The cliff hanger was a shock but I’m excited for the next installment.

#IsleofEver #NetGalley

Everly Benedict, known as Benny drifts through life with her mum who struggles to hold down a job and is feeling even more adrift since the death of her grandmother.. They are surprised when a lawyer tracks them down and tells them that Benny will inherit a huge estate if she can solve a puzzle set by a long dead relative. The catch is that she only has 12 days to solve the puzzle including finding and working out the clues.

It was a fun tale but I was disappointed by the abrupt ending.

An interesting book for teens.

A fun middle grade adventure with great characters and exciting puzzles. I was a bit disappointed with the sudden ending but excited to read more.

Thank you NetGalley and DK Children for this eCopy to review

I just finished reading Isle of Ever by Jen Calonita, and I’m absolutely enchanted. This book is everything I love about middle-grade fantasy, mystery, adventure, and a dash of magic that lingers long after the final page.

The story follows Everly “Benny” Benedict, a twelve-year-old girl whose life takes a wild turn just days after her birthday. She learns she’s the heir to a mysterious fortune left by her ancestor, Evelyn Terry. But there’s a catch: to claim the inheritance, Benny must win a game that involves finding a legendary island that vanished centuries ago. She has only two weeks to solve the clues, locate the island, and break a 200-year-old curse. The stakes are high—not just for the fortune, but for the secrets the island holds and the danger that lurks in the shadows.

What I loved most was Benny herself. She’s clever, determined, and full of passion. Her journey is not just about solving puzzles, but about discovering who she is and what she’s capable of. The pacing is perfect fast enough to keep me hooked, but rich with detail and emotion. Calonita’s writing is vivid and immersive, and the world-building around the island and its history is magical without being overwhelming.

There’s also a subtle but powerful theme of legacy, how the past shapes us, and how we can choose to shape our future. Benny’s connection to Evelyn Terry and the unravelling of family secrets added depth to the adventure.

Isle of Ever is a brilliant start to what I hope will be a long-running series. I’m already eager for the next book!

Firstly to be given the opportunity to read this early I want to say a massive thank you. This book was gripping from the first page, the way to story evolved as the mystery unravelled. The character building and hopping between past and present was fantastic, it really helped the story aswell as me the reader understand! I read this book in one sitting and all I can say is if you love adventure and mystery then this book is for you.

I received an ARC (UK) from NatGalley for this wonderful, magical, engaging story. A lovely introduction to split time narrative and magical realism for the younger reader. I’d recommend this for confident readers from Y6 and I’ll be recommending this for our school library - especially as it’s a series! Who doesn’t love a series?!

The narrative is plot driven, though the characters of Benny and Zara are great counter-balance. Benny is thoughtful, quiet, and brave whereas Zara is sassy and bold. The riddles and mysteries are great fun and I’d definitely have been gripped as a child reader - given I read this in two sittings suggests I haven’t changed much!

If you like a magical mystery solving read with a dash of pirate and a good twist then this is for you! I’ll be reading book 2.

We really enjoyed reading this book together as a mixed age family reading group. The plot was strong and although it is set in different times, it is never confusing , being sure to let you know exactly where you are. We now await the next instalment.

What a brilliant book this is! I’m just sorry I have to wait for the sequel.

I read this in little over 24 hours and loved every minute for it. I love a good treasure hunt story, following clues to get to the treasure and the clues in this one were very cryptic. The main character, Benny, and her friends are searching for a missing island said to hold the lost treasure of Jonas Kimble, a pirate from the 1800’s. Benny’s great x5 grandmother left strict instructions to give the clues to Benny only in 2025, with the proviso that they must be solved by 12 June or she loses her inheritance. Is there a significance to the date and will Benny solve the clues in time?

I can’t wait for the next one, superb writing and plenty to keep you page turning to the end,

I received this e-ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is a good summer read for a confident young reader. The adventure is well paced, and this could easily be a young reader’s first foray into split time frame plots, as it was always clear which chapters were talking about which time frames.

It is more plot driven than character driven, with an interesting twist towards the end (before the cliffhanger) to keep things interesting. Hopefully the second book in the series will live up to this one.

mild spoilers!
an exciting story with some great riddles to solve. a mysterious island that only appears every 200 years, and Everlyn aka Benny, must discover its secrets before time runs out.
this was an exciting book with some good characters. maybe a few too many, but perhaps they become more important in book 2?
I really didn't expect this book to end on a cliffhanger, as until the end it felt like it was going to wrap things up, but it was a good twist and leads nicely to a sequel.

Isle of Ever is the first in a new series of books. We meet Everly Benedict (Benny) and follow her quest to solve the riddles left by her ancestor Evelyn Terry so that she can inherit what she has been left.
Along the way Benny enlists the help of Zara and Ryan.

This was a great book, a slow burn to start with as the story builds pace but a brilliant ending with twists and turns. The children in my class would definitely enjoy this one!

Thank you to Jen Calonita, DK Children, and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Isle of Ever is the first instalment in a new book series aimed at middle-grade readers. The book interweaves magical realism with a fun multigenerational mystery.

The characters were well fleshed out, the plot was great and well-paced. The writing style was engaging and highly accessible for younger readers too. Highly recommended for adults and children alike!

I really enjoyed this mysterious story. Benny is great main character - I was interested in her life, and how things would work out for her. Although it's a slower paced start, it's helpful to see her beginnings and the life she is coming from. I had mixed feelings about her mum, but I suspect that's intentional. I enjoyed the people that Benny makes friends with along the way too. They're an interesting mix of characters, and seeing her friendships develop is great, knowing how isolated and friendless she was previously.

The mystery is intriguing, and keeps the pace ramped up through the story, and although there is some jumping back and forth between timelines I found it wasn't confusing, and worked really well for the book. I liked the people we meet in the previous timeline, and the way that what's happening is slowly revealed.

My only quibble would be the cliffhanger ending...I had obviously fully committed to the book because when I got to the end I was insanely cross that it ended where it did! I know, it's part of a series, but I don't think I'd appreciated that at the start of reading, so it did leave me feeling incomplete. But I guess the strength of my feeling goes to show how good the writing was!

The first thing you need to know is that this is only half a story. You know the "and then I woke up" sort of endings? It had one of those. If you're prepared for that, you'll be ok. I was not prepared. I was ready for the end of the story. I'm walking away very disappointed in what, until then, had been an excellent read and for sure would have had almost five stars.

Benny and her mum are living hand-to-mouth,when a lawyer shows up, saying Benny has inherited a fortune if she can solve the riddles.

We then follow Benny at the new location, as she puzzles her way through. Just at the climax however , she's told there's more to be done...so maybe don't read book 1 until book 2 is out, because now I'm itching for book 2.

Superb adventure book that I found easy to read and really enjoyed. Another Jen Calonita book to recommend to our school librarian. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the early access.

I liked this to begin with and the twoing and froing from the past to the present.
It did get a bit slow but really picked up as it went on
The whole island adventure with Benny , Zara and Ryan was fun.
The whole mystery was an interesting read .
I'm excited for part two.

i’m not the target audience for this book however i still really enjoyed it. i liked the characters and the plot, overall it was a fun entertaining read

When a very special birthday brings the most unexpected inheritance, Benny finds herself plunged into a world of mystery and adventure.

All she has to do is to discover a long hidden Island, deal with a centuries old enigma, and do it all within a deadline - this too, whilst there are others plotting against a successful outcome for her!

An enjoyable adventure for book lovers belonging to the target group, this one is worth checking out.