Review: 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

13 Little Blue Envelopes (Little Blue Envelopes #1)

Maureen Johnson

Publisher: Harper Collin's Publishers

Release Date: August 23, 2005

When Ginny receives thirteen little blue envelopes and instructions to buy a plane ticket to London, she knows something exciting is going to happen. What Ginny doesn't know is that she will have the adventure of her life and it will change her in more ways than one. Life and love are waiting for her across the Atlantic, and the thirteen little blue envelopes are the key to finding them in this funny, romantic, heartbreaking novel.

I've heard a great deal of great things about Maureen Johnson and 13 Little Blue Envelopes. I absolutely loved Girl at Sea and was looking forward to 13 Little Blue Envelopes. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to. It was a cute coming-of-age-story, but I just wanted more.

Ginny, in the beginning, is a very quiet and reserved. Her life isn't very interesting. That all changes when she receives the letters and directions to take a trip to Europe from her late aunt. Ginny changes a lot over the book and grows a lot. 

Ginny always admired her aunt and her aunt's exciting life. We got to know Ginny's aunt Peg through the letters. Peg has always been flaky. Ginny learns a lot about her aunt and in the end, Ginny finds the courage that her aunt was never able to do. 

When I first started this book, I thought (in a way, hoped) that it would be more romantic than it was. But, even though I wouldn't deny more Keith, I'm glad it wasn't. This is the story of Ginny and how she finds herself. 

One of the things I was looking forward to in this book was the fact that it took place and traveled around Europe. I wanted all of the places to come of alive through the pages. They didn't. I still enjoyed the setting, but for the most part the book just lacked that extra something to make it come alive. 

In the end, I enjoyed 13 Little Blue Envelopes, but not as much as I hoped. I am looking forward to more adventure in The Last Little Blue Envelope, however.