Calypso’s Odyssey coming May 26th, 2026 from Avon a; 253 pages
Content Warning: Foul language, sexism, sexual content
About the Author: “Anna Ellison is the pen name of a lifelong storyteller. A hopeless romantic at heart, Anna has always been captivated by the magic of first love, late-night conversations, and the bittersweet excitement of growing up. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found with her nose in a book, wandering through a local coffee shop, or working on her next story idea” (Bio from HarperCollins’ website).
Calypso “Callie” Quinn has just graduated from high school, but instead of heading off to college like her best friend Pita, she’s staying on Catalina Island to help her dad run their family inn. Callie can’t help but feel lonely, until one night, there’s a shipwreck on the beach that leaves a boy drowning. After Callie saves him, she learns that his name is Odie, and he’s trying to escape his family in LA. Odie is incredibly secretive, and Callie feels guarded around him. As the summer carries on and Callie and Odie spend more time together, they learn more about themselves and each other. Can Odie keep his LA life separate from the one he’s building with Callie, or will their paradise be interrupted?
Calypso’s Odyssey had a lot of potential, but for me, it ultimately fell flat. There were a few aspects of the book that I adored, including the setting and the references to Homer’s Odyssey. Catalina Island was a great background for the story, and really gave me the summer vibes I’ve been craving. The references to Homer’s poem reminded me of the first time I read The Odyssey, so in a way, this felt like such a nostalgic read. It was fun to make connections between Homer’s original characters and the ones that Ellison crafted, and I thought it was super interesting how she spun the tale to be a love story between Calypso (Callie) and Odysseus (Odie), because it’s very different from the original. There was so much promise in this book, but the characters were my main issue. I completely understood Callie’s hesitancy to love again—it makes perfect sense after all the trauma she’s endured—so the fact that she fell for Odie almost instantly was truly confusing. Their relationship seemed purely physical, which made their bond feel shallow. It felt like Callie didn’t grow at all throughout the story, and the side plot with her father and their difficult relationship never really felt resolved, even though readers were supposed to feel like it was. I constantly felt like Callie was a bad friend to Pita and that Odie was just using Callie to escape his rough home life. To be honest, I think I would’ve preferred it if they didn’t end up together, which is so atypical of how I want young adult romances to make me feel.
Calypso’s Odyssey releases on May 26th, 2026.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Avon a for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Emersen Cooper, Pine Reads Review Writer, Editor, and Website Manager