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13 Little Blue Envelopes
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13 Little Blue Envelopes
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13 Little Blue Envelopes
Ebook297 pages4 hours

13 Little Blue Envelopes

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this ebook

New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson’s funny, heartbreaking, and utterly romantic tale gets a great new cover!

Ginny Blackstone never thought she’d spend her summer vacation backpacking across Europe. But that was before she received the first little blue envelope from Aunt Peg.

This letter was different from Peg’s usual letters for two reasons:

1. Peg had been dead for three months.

2. The letter included $1000 cash for a passport and a plane ticket.

Armed with instructions for how to retrieve twelve other letters Peg wrote—twelve letters that tell Ginny where she needs to go and what she needs to do when she gets there—Ginny quickly finds herself swept away in her first real adventure. Traveling from London to Edinburgh to Amsterdam and beyond, Ginny begins to uncover stories from her aunt’s past and discover who Peg really was. But the most surprising thing Ginny learns isn’t about Peg . . . it’s about herself.

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

Look for the sequel, The Last Little Blue Envelope!

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperTeen
Release dateOct 6, 2009
ISBN9780061973802
Author

Maureen Johnson

Maureen Johnson is the bestselling author of several novels, including 13 Little Blue Envelopes, the Truly Devious series, the Suite Scarlett series, and the Shades of London series. She has also written collaborative works such as Let It Snow with John Green and Lauren Myracle and the Bane Chronicles with Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan. Maureen lives in New York and online on Twitter @maureenjohnson or at maureenjohnsonbooks.com. 

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Reviews for 13 Little Blue Envelopes

Rating: 3.943231441048035 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Read on the nook. Very sweet, easy-to-read book about Ginny, a girl whose dead aunt has sent her thirteen blue envelopes. Each letter contains instructions on a task to complete, which means Ginny is traveling abroad all alone. While I was interested in this book from the start, I initially thought it was just a nice story. The closer I got to the end, I realized how much it actually impacted me. It's very sweet, yes, but also very telling. It made me want to give up everything that wasn't important and necessary, just to travel and learn more about myself.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    2.5 stars rounded up to 3

    I’ve seen 13 Little Blue Envelopes a few times around the blogosphere, so when I was browsing my library and saw it, I decided to pick it up. Of course, I then proceeded to procrastinate on reading it for a while, but I did finally pick it up.

    I felt like 13 Little Blue Envelopes really started off at a good pace. Ginny receives a letter from her dead aunt telling her to pack one backpack, travel to New York to pick up a package, and to fly to London. From there, she is to open one envelope at a time, and only when she is instructed to by the previous note.

    As interesting as this concept seemed, it also kind of lost me as a parent. Ginny is 17 and instructed to leave the country by herself with no extra money and no means of electronic communication with anyone in the states. No cell phone, email, IM, nothing. She can write letters however. But as a parent, I cannot imagine EVER letting my teenage daughter travel internationally by herself with no way to contact me if she needed help. I just found this to be extremely far-fetched, especially since Ginny’s mom found her sister to be a little crazy (not the exact words used, but close enough sentiment) and encouraged Ginny while she was growing up to NOT be like her aunt. This whole scene is glossed over in the book, though. She says “…she had to convince her parents of the same thing. Major international treaties had been negotiated in less time.” Seriously, this is a conversation I would have liked to see. How on earth did Ginny convince her parents to let her go?

    After she opens envelope #3, I felt like the story slowed down a bit. Honestly, I found myself not even caring that much about Ginny or her adventures. I kept reading only because I was curious more about what the letters said than how Ginny fulfilled them. I just never really connected to Ginny, so I just didn’t really care that much about her story. However, after a few twists at the end, I’m dying to know what the last envelope said, so I will probably be reading the sequel anyway.

    Overall, I thought that 13 Little Blue Envelopes was an okay story, but I’ve seen several people love it. So if you like art, nerdy, insecure girls, and travel, you’ll probably like this book. It just wasn’t really for me. (I’m giving it an extra half a star only because it made me want to read the sequel.)

    This review is also posted on my blog, Mommy's Reading Break
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Little BookwormGinny received 13 blue envelopes from her deceased aunt with specific instructions on what to and what not to pack in her backpack and how to follow the instructions in one letter before opening another. These letters lead Ginny on a trip around Europe and to the greatest adventure in her life so far. This is my second read. I read this about when it came out around 2006 and had positive memories about it. The sequel is coming out this month and I decided to re-read this one in order to have a fresh memory about the main character and her travels. And, while I like this book and I like Ginny, it struck me on this read-through how passive Ginny is about the whole thing. She doesn't question anything and doesn't seem to have much emotion about it. She just goes along with whatever happens. She does what the letters tell her to and anytime anyone suggests something, she goes along with it too. I don't want to spoil the book, but the boy in Italy, anything Keith says, the family in Amsterdam, Ginny just goes along. I wanted her to take some active interest in what was going on. Maybe show a little emotion or something. It is a charming book and I enjoy Ginny's trips around Europe following her aunt's letters and trying to figure out her aunt's life and why she ran away from New York before she died. The settings are beautifully written and it (kind of) makes me want to go out and visit Europe with just a backpack and a vague idea of what I'm doing. There are some really funny scenes and a few touching moments as well.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I need to admit I am a huge fan of Maureen Johnson's Twitter, but had not, until this point, read any of her books. When this came along as a freebie on Kindle as a promotion to reel you in for one of her newer titles, I grabbed it. I admittedly rarely dip into YA, so this seemed like a good gateway drug.Erm.Not terribly sure what I read but I'm having a hard time reconciling the erudite, witty, and hilarious MJ could write such a bland book. There is no character development, no setting, no plot movement - it's just all action. Ginger follows these steps to get to this point. The problem is the underlying premise of the book is about the growth of Ginger when her favorite aunt dies, because who else would push her to developing into something that was not just a dependable, reliable old hag. But you don't really see any growth going on with Ginger as she flits about Europe chasing after her dead aunt.A couple of other reviewers pointed out some major flaws of the book, such as the Mysterious Parents who apparently had zero problem letting Ging flitter her way across Europe with not a single contact to them. In fact, we never even meet the parents The second criticism has to do with the money spent by Ginger, given to her by her Aunt, which was such an exact number, £1826, that the travelling she does, even on the cheap, is not necessarily going to cover it all. Even more importantly when she has to give £500 away and ends up being charged £500 for a weeks room / board while in Amsterdam. She's apparently crossed EU several times, via plane and train, ate, and got rooming for under £800? There is suspending belief and there is being so fucking arbitrary it's kind of ridiculous.I'll give ole MJ another go a later time, but overall the only positive thing about this book is that I finished it in 1.5 hours.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Really, what would you do? I like to think that I would be adventurous enough to take the envelopes and go, but in reality I know that I wouldn't be able to.
    Maureen had me hooked from the first letter. I couldn't put the book down, and at first i was reading it on a tiny little ipod screen through the kindle app. I knew that I wouldn't get the whole effect, so I went out and bought the book. I loved how the letters from Aunt Peg were obviously set apart from the rest of the book text and I was anxiously waiting to see what adventure Ginny would get into next. From landing in London and finding Richard to buying out all of the seats to Keith's shows; I felt like I was right there with Ginny.
    I may never get to do the traveling that I really want to, but through this book I have seen so many different places. Loved visiting Rome and the Vestal Virgins, the little Cafe in Paris and Greece were among my favorites.
    I have read a few reviews of this book were people don't really believe that parents would let their child roam another country with no contact, but I believe that with Ginny being 17, most parents might be ok with that; looking at it as taking time before college to explore. I like to think that i would let my daughter go, especially if I knew that her Aunt had planned most of it out.
    I was worried for Ginny during some of her trip and my heart broke for her at the end of the book. I can't wait to read the sequel to know what else Ginny can get into.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Ginny receives thirteen envelopes from her aunt that leads her on a wild goose chase around Europe. Along the way she meets a wide array of characters who influence her in some way.

    As the story unfolds, we travel with Ginny from New York to London and then hop on trains, planes and various forms of transportation to other European cities. As Ginny's travels unfold we are given glimpses into the mind of the aunt who wrote her the 13 letters. We face the perils - and freedom - of traveling alone in foreign cities. We feel Ginny's despair when she needs to figure out what to do next, as well as her triumph when she's overcome an obstacle, or solved a riddle.

    Maureen Johnson did a wonderful job in describing the essence of each location, making it feel as though I was traveling along the streets with Ginny. The story progresses quickly and while there were many funny bits, it was also a story of grieving and acceptance. I appreciated that the reason for envelopes were explained in the beginning of the novel, while still allowing for the mystery in their contents.

    The one thing I did not completely understand was the seemingly tangential revelation of Olivia; while it was good to get to know her I didn't see the usefulness of her reveal nor of the Knapps to the storyline.

    Overall it was a great story with fun characters. I'm looking forward to it's conclusion.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I picked this up on a whim at Target (as I have been doing a lot of these last few weeks since I moved. lol) anyway, as a quick read, it isn't bad. I call it a quick read because I read most of it in one day on a couple of flights. It's likeable enough that it's hard to put down once you get going. And if you're traveling while reading a book about traveling, things get trippy man. I loved the idea of this journey she had to go on to push herself to be bold and that she trusted her aunt enough to not lead her astray. I was bummed how the book ended, so imagine my surprise when I found out there was a sequel. great! (I read that one just as quick)There were times I got frustrated with Ginny's personality for being a kind of shy pushover. I chalked that up to her just being a sheltered teenager. And then I was a little envious that I couldn't go on an adventure like that (at least not right now. One day though.) Overall, it was a good read and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a day read to chill with.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book sat on my shelf unread for far too long. This is a great adventure story of coming of age, getting out of one's comfort zone and the beginnings of love and loss. I tore through 13 Little Blue Envelopes as if I was on the adventure myself.Having just taken a vacation I found this book refreshing. I felt adventurous and as if nothing can stop you from seeing or doing anything. Is the kind of book that helps you realize that your restraints of your own making. Ginny makes for a good main character. She is likable and relatively easy to relate to. In the beginning of the novel she is a bit shy and inexperienced, but the adventure that envelopes sent her on help her grow and the experience really changes her. I can understand why Ginny likes Keith. He is exciting and different, and at times a little weird. He is up for adventure so it is easy to like him. He's the kind of guy that makes you think anything is possible. I could see myself dating someone like Keith because it is a relationship that is filled with excitement. The ending of the book happens at the perfect time. This isn't the type of book that I would pick up the rest of the series. After an adventure like this one returning to normal life would seem dull. However I did really enjoy the story, so I would pick up another book by Maureen Johnson. I was surprised to see that she did make a series out of this one.I really enjoyed reading this novel as I found myself relating to Ginny (I would have hated traveling with the Knapp's). My only regret is that I didn't pick this one up sooner. I would suggest this novel for fans of YA or for anyone starting a new beginning.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A treasure hunt for 'Little Blue Envelopes' takes a young women around Europe and helps her find her voice. Coming of age story in a fun and flirty format.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Fun story about travel and finding oneself. Ginny receuves a package with 13 envelopes from her aunt who passed away earlier that year. The first asked her to buy a plane ticket to London, the second told her where to go when she got there. Through the story as she travels from London to Amsterdam to Greece, Ginny learns about her aunt and herself.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    13 Little Blue Envelopes is a Young Adult book that teens will have fun reading and picturing themselves in the main role. How would you cope traveling across Europe alone using instructions left for you in numbered envelopes?Ginny is seventeen years old and her aunt Peg has left her instructions to travel to Europe, opening a new envelope at each stop along the way. She has no clue where she will be going or where she will end up, but wants to take this trip both to honor her aunt’s wishes and for the adventure it offers.Is it realistic? Having never backpacked across Europe myself I couldn’t say, but it was entertaining. Ginny is much quicker to trust strangers than I would have been, but maybe that is because I’m not seeing things through a teenager’s eyes anymore.This is an easy, fast-paced read that I raced through. I started reading it on my treadmill and kept reading it after my workouts were done because I didn’t want to wait to find out where the next envelope would send her. This enjoyable Young Adult story will appeal to teens and adults looking for a light read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Sent on a mysterious European road trip by her recently deceased Aunt Peg, Ginny finds herself following her Aunt's directions left in 13 letters-- not knowing what country she'll be headed to or what task she'll be assigned until she finishes the previous envelope's instructions.The quest-like plot keeps readers turning pages, and neither Ginny nor the reader can predict what the next envelope will hold. Johnson creates a likable, but realistically flawed, character in Ginny-- her desires to follow her Aunt's wishes and become more outgoing are balanced by her frustration with Peg's flightiness and the challenges of being constantly thrusted into new and intimidating environments. Highly recommended for all teen literature collections.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Ginny is on a jaunt around Europe, following her (unusual) Aunt's direction via 13 sealed envelopes. What starts as a romp becomes rather serious when Ginny reveals that her Aunt is deceased and, in fact, never returned to the US after her quick and fatal illness. To this reader, the romance with "Keith" is a bit forced and some of the interactions with her fellow tourists seem veer from serendipitous to strange. Nonetheless, for people who love to travel and/or are curious about Europe, this is a pretty realistic view of the challenges/rewards of life out of a backpack. It also relays some pretty sound advice (be yourself; reach out to others; say what is on your mind).
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this book very much. (probably because I wish I was the one on a plane to Europe!) I loved the idea behind the story though I wish everything had been fleshed out more, especially the characters. I was a bit confused as to what purpose some of the characters served the story. Overall though it was a fun, light read that I would definitely recommend to any young girls who like to travel.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This novel was both very charming and very refreshing; it's a delight to read. It's not a great work of literature, but it excels at what it is: escapism. Pure fantasy, or perhaps pure day dreams come true; after all, who hasn't wished to backpack across Europe with no ties and be responsible for nothing? If you can suspend your disbelief at a seventeen year old girl wandering Europe unsupervised, it's a whole lot of fun to read. Ginny takes off, all alone on a whirlwind tour of her favorite aunt's favorite places on the Continent, using Aunt Peg's money and connections to do so.Yet Ginny's circumstances aren't perfect and may be a tiny bit unbelievable but her story is so damn fun to read, and the reader's and Ginny's desire to read the next envelope, to see what is driving this whole crazy escapade, is really what moves the story along. More than the love interest in London, more than the crazy tattoo artist in Edinburgh, or the perfect-English-speaking Dutchman (though these characters, and more are rich and diverse), it is the why of the thirteen envelopes that catches hold of your imagination and won't let go. Ginny is not obviously deficient in any way, like intentionally and goofily clumsy or shy to the point of extreme introversion. She's just a quiet girl who is restricted from most contact until her tour is over. She's smart, she has friends, and is not too morbidly obsessed with her favorite Aunt's departure. So the reader has to winder why Peg thought this solo adventure in Europe was necessary and what the lesson is for Ginny in the end. What's the lesson in all this for Virginia?All in all, this was a witty and engaging novel made of pure escapism and humor.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson follows Ginny as she goes on a European adventure outlined for her by her eccentric aunt. The rules also include: no ATM card, no electronic devices and no reading the letters out of order.The journey takes Ginny first to New York, then to London and finally around Europe. Each piece of the adventure is tucked away in one of the thirteen envelopes.The set up for the book requires some suspension of disbelief. But once the book gets going it's a fun but heartwarming and sometimes heartbreaking journey for Ginny. She grows through struggles and discoveries.The book was such a delightful read, that I have The Last Little Blue Envelope on hand and hope to read it soon
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I enjoyed this book but from the start there was one thing I couldn't get over. I just kept thinking that this book would have been better in first person narrative from Ginny's perspective. Instead it's third person which bugged me so much.
    Other than that it's a great summer read and I enjoyed it and will read the next one.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This book would be more aptly marketed as a book about what NOT to do on a trip abroad rather than a YA quasi-adventure/quasi-romance. The most common emotion it drew out of me was annoyance. What parent lets their 17-year-old child go to Europe alone WITH NO SUPPLIES? No parents, that's who. Ginny wasn't properly equipped to travel the way she did. She talks to strangers, goes back to apartments with random people, just walks around some places at night, and leaves her crap unattended like it is her job. I'm surprised she didn't end up in a child sex trafficking ring. No, seriously, I am.

    Her "romance" with Keith (who is named Keith these days? I think all Keiths should just be born into middle-age) is weak and pretty unbelievable. We find out basically nothing about the main character, she shows no growth, and the ending is lame. The best part about the entire book is the backstory of Richard and Peg. Richard was likable and seemed realistic.

    I just don't get it, though: The parents of this child allowed her to go "all over the world" with no cell phone, camera, traveler's checks, no money (until she gets some in London, but they would never know that because she can't make any phone calls home), and NO CONTACTS. And we are supposed to believe this? I can't get my eyebrows to come back down even while I write this review.

    The reason it gets 2 stars instead of 1 is because I love European adventures and it was mildly entertaining. But I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Back in 2008, when I had hit a bout of reader’s/writer’s block, I asked one of my online friends for reading suggestions. She mentioned Maureen Johnson. “…the chick from Rent?” I asked. But seeing as I was working on a road trip story at the time, I skipped off to the bookstore and picked up 13 Little Blue Envelopes.

    Compared to Key to the Golden Firebird or Bermudez Triangle, 13 Little Blue Envelopes doesn’t seem like it would have the same sort of emotional depth as Johnson’s earlier works. And yes, it’s a much lighter read than those two, BUT you do get to see Ginny dealing with her aunt’s disappearance and death and what that holds for Ginny’s future. One of the parts that I actually really like about this book is the scene wherein Ginny explains her aunt’s game to Love Interest Keith, who promptly replies “That’s a bit crap, isn’t it?” It’s a nice touch of the reality, that while the envelopes are supposed to send Ginny on this whirlwind journey to experience life (!), Ginny is still hurt and abandoned by Aunt Peg, and there’s still not even an explanation to every single detail.

    This is also what I want from a travelogue book. Most of the locations Ginny goes to does hit all of the big touristy spots, but I love the disjointed, weird feeling she has as she moves from country to country. I like that the whole concept of Europe being big and bright and full of languages and weird but sometimes tasty food. While Ginny’s time in Great Britain takes up the majority of the book, I do like that she does still feel out-of-place and while there’s some familiarity, it’s very foreign and different. And in concurrence with the notes, I like that not everything goes right, and Ginny is left wondering what she was supposed to learn from her dead ends. I also like that while most of the people she’s supposed to meet are mainly there to impart worldly wisdom, I like that she connects more with the ones she just happens on, like Keith and the Australian students. (The Knapps are just…weird. Well, the parents, at least.)

    Speaking of Keith, oh, I do love a man in a kilt. He’s someone who feels like Peg should have sent him to impart wisdom in Ginny, but he’s not, and yet, still has his own bits of advice of life and living. Mostly involving what not to do. I also like that he does mention that it’s more of infatuation he has with Ginny (something which comes into play in the sequel), but he worries about her in a very Keith-like manner.

    I do like Ginny. She is a bit bland and too suburban (if there’s one thing I dislike, it’s Peg’s extremely artistic viewpoint of suburbia), but I like that she does grow throughout her journey. There’s a nice moment near the end when she mentions that she doesn’t want to open the last envelope, not just yet, and you get the sense that she doesn’t want her journey to end, that she just wants to keep traveling with her new friends for just a little while longer. I would have liked to have seen more of connection with her life back home in the States, but aside from mentions of her mother and her best friend Miriam, we really don’t get to see who Ginny is when she’s not tromping across Europe. And while I do like that she’s not snarky and constantly throwing out one-liners, there are moments where it does feel a little bland and Ginny does come across as too typical American touristy.

    Aside from the slightly rushed resolution, I really don’t have too many complaints about this book. (Actually, my biggest issue with the cover copy synopsis. Yeah, there’s a romance, but it’s really not the main plot.) It’s a very solid coming-of-age travelogue that’s also very funny and has an engaging storyline, with a relatable heroine who’s not so bland and passive that anyone can project themselves onto her. As introductions to authors go, this is a good book to get started on.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really like the setup for the book. When Ginny's cool, artistic aunt dies after a mysterious absence. She leaves a mission for Ginny: travel across Europe on a series of small missions in envelopes with nothing but the backpack on your back and a little money on a bank card. Fortunately, for Ginny there are also a series of characters that she is instructed to find or discovers on own and the relationships are really the ultimate reward in this book (though the places are certainly magical). It was a very quick read and certainly enjoyable. I'll gladly pick up The Last Little Blue Envelope.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I really, really enjoyed this one. Leaving behind the fact that it was pretty far-fetched (I refuse to believe that a seventeen year old American girl would be allowed travel on her own to Europe with absolutely no money, and no real destination) it was a very good read. It had me gripped from the start and I found it impossible to put down. I enjoyed the character of Ginny, and all the interesting people she met. I felt it lost it's steam towards the end though, which was a shame.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The premise of this book is what drew me in the most; 13 mysterious blue envelopes sending you around the world? What could possibly go wrong? But as I started reading this, I realised that there were a few things that I didn't like so much. The author didn't really give the protagonist, Ginny, a lot of personality or background. As a reader, you find out very basic information, such as she is shy and is unlike her friends, but other than that, I didn't really learn that much about her. Also, I found it a bit unrealistic that she just took off around the world at the drop of a hat. Having said this, I did really enjoy this book, and the positives definitely outweigh the negatives.

    I absolutely loved the writing style. The quirky humour and mysterious plot made this a fun and fresh read. I really liked the slight romantic aspects of the storyline and think that it was introduced in a really natural way that didn't take over from the actual plot. The characters were lovable and I think that especially Ginny developed a lot throughout this novel. She was the same person at the end but I think that she understood herself better and this made her a lot more interesting to read about. Also the locations described in this book made me want to go travelling as soon as I had turned the final page.

    I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars, and although I was a little underwhelmed by the believability of some of the decisions made in this book, I think that I will be looking out for more opportunities to read Maureen Johnson's books and would recommend 13 Little Blue Envelopes as a fun, quick summer read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    this was supposed to be a throw away beach read for me in the middle of more complex books that I'm reading but I really enjoyed the book.

    I enjoyed the travel, the characters, the adventure, the anticipation of the next envelope. It is a flawed book - whole sections made no sense and had no purpose but at the end of the day the characters was great and I looked forward to picking it back up and reading it.

    It's not Dickens but it was enjoyable.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    First off, to any author who doesn't have a social media presence, let me just tell you, at this point? That's a big mistake. I'm not super-sociable, and tend towards the shy, so I can see how it would be intimidating to put yourself out there, but the ONLY reason I read this book is because I follow Maureen Johnson on Twitter. (And John Green, who also mention Maureen Johnson, etc) She is hilarious and weird and wacky, and I knew I should track down something she wrote. So: score points for Twitter presence, but don't worry if you're not as wonderful at it as Maureen at first - just be there, say hello, you'll figure it out, and people will find you.

    Now, on to the actual book: If you had a mysterious and flamboyant favorite aunt, who died suddenly, but left behind 13 little blue envelopes with clues that would take you who knows where (and the money to follow the clues), wouldn't you drop everything and go? I'm about ready for an adventure myself, and 17 year old Ginny decided her aunt's instructions were definitely worth following. And while she follows them, she finds out a lot about her mysterious aunt, the life she led while she was among the missing, and what it's like to not know what your next step will be until to you take it. Spontaneity was definitely the winner of the day, here. (I am not good at spontaneity, for various uptight-ish and health reasons, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it vicariously.)


    Now there's a certain amount of suspending disbelief that goes along with this book, because 1)if anybody (let's just say me, for argument's sake) attempted to do this in real life, there would be a certain amount of missed connections, a few more 'oopses' than occur in the book. and 2) It just seems like an 'only in a book' kind of thing, to this completely boring 34 year old cynic. But hey: that's just me, and maybe I lack the adventurous soul of Ginny, who drops everything and grabs her backpack and flies all over the world and back - Either way, I enjoyed being along for the trip, and I'm going to pick up the next book, see what secrets that last, lost, little blue envelope held.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a very interesting change from what I had read so far. I liked it a lot but I didn't realize how much until I was toward the end. The pace was new for me. I've been tempted to try my hand at writing about the books I'm reading. I may give that a try with this book - aside from this little blurb. For now it will suffice to say that I very much enjoyed getting to know Ginny. We had more in common than others I've met recently and I think I got to understand her well and felt close.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Ginny's crazy, artistic aunt has just died and left her with 13 letters, $1000 and orders to go to London immediately! The normally reserved and shy Ginny is thrown into her aunt's fast paced world as she follows the directions in the 13 letters. She falls in love, asks a boy out, learns what it is like to truely be on your own and discovers who her aunt really was. For the first time in her life Ginny is learning what it is to be independant and it is scary. A great book for anyone just graduating high school or heading out on their first road trip. The fear of the unknown drives this book and Ginny makes a funny and deep character to follow.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is a very nice story about Ginny who leaves all she knows behind when she follows the cryptic messages left in blue envelopes by her deceased favorite aunt. While all the impromptu travel is a bit unrealistic the story of growth and development, of taking on scary challenges and learning to see what’s right in front of you, is really fun and endearing.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Ginny's aunt died, but she isn't completely gone. She left Ginny 13 little blue envelopes. In these envelopes is an international adventure way beyond Ginny's wildest dreams.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I need to admit I am a huge fan of Maureen Johnson's Twitter, but had not, until this point, read any of her books. When this came along as a freebie on Kindle as a promotion to reel you in for one of her newer titles, I grabbed it. I admittedly rarely dip into YA, so this seemed like a good gateway drug.Erm.Not terribly sure what I read but I'm having a hard time reconciling the erudite, witty, and hilarious MJ could write such a bland book. There is no character development, no setting, no plot movement - it's just all action. Ginger follows these steps to get to this point. The problem is the underlying premise of the book is about the growth of Ginger when her favorite aunt dies, because who else would push her to developing into something that was not just a dependable, reliable old hag. But you don't really see any growth going on with Ginger as she flits about Europe chasing after her dead aunt.A couple of other reviewers pointed out some major flaws of the book, such as the Mysterious Parents who apparently had zero problem letting Ging flitter her way across Europe with not a single contact to them. In fact, we never even meet the parents The second criticism has to do with the money spent by Ginger, given to her by her Aunt, which was such an exact number, £1826, that the travelling she does, even on the cheap, is not necessarily going to cover it all. Even more importantly when she has to give £500 away and ends up being charged £500 for a weeks room / board while in Amsterdam. She's apparently crossed EU several times, via plane and train, ate, and got rooming for under £800? There is suspending belief and there is being so fucking arbitrary it's kind of ridiculous.I'll give ole MJ another go a later time, but overall the only positive thing about this book is that I finished it in 1.5 hours.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Ginny is an average girl. Quiet, shy and as normal as you could be. So when she sets off to London under the direction of her recently deceased runaway aunt, it takes her by surprise. This is completely out of the ordinary, but then again it's right in line with what she should expect from Aunt Peg, who ran off to Europe years earlier. Following the directions of letters in blue envelopes that her aunt wrote before she died, Ginny goes on a tour that starts off in London and takes her across the continent. Along the way, she meets some old friends of her aunt's, some new friends of her own, and a fun and funny English guy, of course.

    I loved reading about Ginny in all the different countries; in fact, I was swept away immediately when she first set foot in London. Having spent a semester there, I fondly remember many of the places and sites Ginny saw and visited. It's also great for people who haven't been to any of these places, since Johnson does such a great job at setting the scene. It's a European tour from your bedroom (or backyard, or wherever you're reading it).

    Johnson has a very gentle tone to her storytelling, and it was a nice change. Most of the YA I've recently been reading has been, for lack of a better word, tense. But the third-person narration (also a nice change) was unhurried and relaxing. That's not to say nothing exciting happened; it was just written in such a way that lacked urgency, which I found to be a good thing.

    All of the characters were great fun to read about, whether it is the mischievous Keith, the nutso artist Mari, or the houseboat-dwelling Knud. I found myself smiling a lot while reading about them all.

    Throughout, there is also the sadness Ginny feels about her aunt, who disappeared without so much as a goodbye. Because she was absent so long, her death doesn't quite feel real to Ginny at first, and we see the progression of her grief as she travels around Europe.

    I'm looking forward to the sequel, The Last Little Blue Envelope, which will be released on Tuesday. I'm eager to see what happens to Ginny in this last adventure her Aunt Peg will send her on.

    Also, for a limited time, 13 Little Blue Envelopes is a free e-book for both Kindleand Nook. I'm guessing it's free for Sony too, but I'm not sure where to look for that link.

    Disclosure: I got this e-book for free from bn.com.