13 Little Blue Envelopes (2005)

Review originally posted at: RJ Does Books!

Before Ginny's Runaway Aunt Peg died, she began writing letters to the niece she left behind which she places in little blue envelopes. When her time came, the package yielding these letters are sent to Ginny and she sets out on a mission to complete the 13 little tasks in honor of her late aunt. What follows is the story of a girl taking a risk to travel Europe alone and encounter many different people and explore the world and have an adventure, much like her aunt did.

I remember when I was a freshman back in high school nearly six years ago, I picked up this book at my library and took it home. Due to time constraints and a fear of having to pay a late fee, I never got around to reading it. Fast forward to 2012 and I buy the ebook for my new(ish) kindle.

What interested me then AND now was the synopsis. A girl traveling Europe and having an adventure while she completes these tasks. It's fun and fresh, and I could totally see it as a movie. Hello? Doesn't that sound fun? I would have loved to have spent a summer doing that! (deceased family member to make it happen aside that is) Ginny is an interesting character. Even though I never really got a full understanding of her, she still held her own in the story, and I couldn't help but find myself rooting for her and Keith. Yes, there is romance in this book. It wasn't one that quite quenched my romance junkie thirst, but it was cute.

13 Little Envelopes was a very cute, fun, and fast read. Definitely perfect to escape with and have a little temporary vacation alongside Ginny. I really enjoyed it. ( )

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. ( )

Children's Literature
Everyone dreams of adventure: traveling the world, doing crazy things, and meeting interesting people. Ginny's adventure starts the day she received the first blue envelope. Shortly after her eccentric aunt, who disappeared over two years ago, suddenly dies, Ginny receives the first letter instructing her to travel to the Chinese restaurant below her aunt's old apartment in New York. There she receives a packet of twelve other letters. These letters send Ginny on a whirlwind tour of her aunt's last few years. Each one contains instructions (get on the night train to Paris or ask an Italian boy to eat cake with you) as well as insight into to why Aunt Peg left. As Ginny faithfully follows the instructions, she slowly comes out of her shell and begins to understand Aunt Peg. This is a fascinating novel. Ginny, although a little too pure and naive for a modern high-school grad, is a likable character and readers will be envious of her trip. The letters are intriguing and propel the reader through the novel; you want to know what she will have to do next. This is a girl's book, though. Boys will find the males in the story a bit silly, but girls will find it delightful. 2005, HarperCollins, Ages 14 to 18 ( )

Seventeen-year-old Ginny was pretty close with her flighty aunt Peg, who suddenly took off to Europe without warning. When Ginny’s family gets word that Peg died, Ginny’s understandably sad. When Ginny gets a package with thirteen little blue envelopes from her deceased aunt, she’s understandably confused. Each envelope has a challenge, and the challenge begins in England. As Ginny travels all around Europe trying to piece together the mystery of her aunt, she might just discover some things about herself, as well.

As a fan of Johnson’s Scarlett series, I approached this book with a basic understanding of her tendency to be a tad quirky. With a dubious premise to begin with, I had some misgivings about how much I would enjoy this novel. Of course, if one is able to suspend disbelief re: a seventeen year old being allowed to travel around Europe with no parent, no money, and no telephone or email contact to people back in the United States, the book’s plot becomes much easier to swallow. If you feel like you can’t do that, readers, this book is not for you.

Although Johnson is a good writer, this book didn’t have the spark I was looking for. Johnson’s particularly adept at subtle humor, but even this isn’t enough to save the book from a heroine who’s bland, underdeveloped, and ultimately not easily-connected-with. Everything about Ginny as a character falls just short of working. For example: she travels to these fantastic locations because she’s been told to do so but she doesn’t seem to really enjoy them (Ginny doesn’t seem to take pleasure in anything she experiences: not the food, not the sights, not the people she meets). Her budding relationship with Keith has not a hint of smolder or spark (though props to Johnson for not making it a situation of love-at-first-sight). In fact, it seems that Ginny is pretty apathetic about everything that happens to her, which doesn’t make for a very exciting read.

That’s not to say that the book is without its charms. There are a few minor characters who have some personality, and they help move the story along. It’s fun to trace Ginny’s journey across Europe, and this will be especially significant for people who have traveled to some of the locations Ginny visits. It’s a fast, light read, and fans of armchair travel are probably the most likely to enjoy this book. The sequel to this novel, The Last Little Blue Envelope, was just released.

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson. Harper Teen: 2006. Purchased Kindle edition. ( )

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 ( )