Review - 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

TITLE:    13 Little Blue Envelopes
AUTHOR:    Maureen Johnson
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 368 pages
PUBLISHED:   HarperTeen, 2011
SOURCE:   Purchased

FROM GOODREADS:   Inside little blue envelope 1 is $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket.  In envelope 2 is directions to a specific London flat.


The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny: Find a starving artist.


Because of envelope 4, Ginny and a playwright/thief/ bloke–about–town called Keith go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous–though utterly romantic–results. But will she ever see him again?


Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it's all because of the 13 little blue envelopes.

MY TAKE:    I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this delightful book.  I don't know what I had expected, but I do know that I didn't plan on feeling such a wide range of emotions. Maureen Johnson has created a very likable and easily relatable character in Ginny.  The 17 year old girl fearlessly takes off on an adventure with only a backpack and 13 little blue envelopes.  Each envelope contains a letter with instructions from her aunt on what she needs to do next.  Some are relatively easy tasks while others put Ginny to the test.

Along the way we are introduced to other characters whom I found to also be endearing.  We meet Richard, the man who Aunt Peg last lived with.  There is a completely eccentric artist who was Peg's mentor, the young starving performer/vagabond Keith and several others who make appearances throughout the story.  Each adds an important piece to the puzzle or plays a part in the master plan, as we continue wondering "what's next?"

I purchased this book because I had read good reviews for it on book review blogs and I was in the mood for a light story.  While the story isn't exactly light, it was a definite page-turner that I admit to reading in one sitting.  I laughed, cried and grimaced right along with Ginny.  The ending answered a lot of questions, but the preview for the next book made me immediately get online and pre-order it.   I can't wait to read it: The Last Little Blue Envelope.  It'll be available on TUESDAY, 4/26!  Yay :)

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

 

WHERE TO BUY IT:    Amazon and The Book Depository

 
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