The Last Little Blue Envelope

April 18, 2011
In 13 Little Envelopes (2006), 17-year-old Ginny was sent on an all-expenses-paid scavenger hunt of sorts through Europe, via a series of envelopes from her late aunt. Johnson efficiently recaps the events of that book in a prologue (Ginny plans to use her European tour as fodder for her college application essay), before moving onto the plot point on which this sequel turns: the fact that Ginny never opened the final envelopeâit was stolen before she had the chance. After a mysterious e-mail shows up in Ginny's inbox with a scan of partial contents of envelope 13, Ginny returns to Europe to find out what was in the rest of the note and carry out her aunt's last assignment. Johnson's prose is as fluid and assured as ever, and extortion, heartbreak, and a host of entertaining British boys all play their parts as Ginny and friends venture from London to Paris, Amsterdam, and Dublin. Readers who, like Ginny, are on the edge of adulthood, will be drawn in by this winning mix of globe-trotting adventure and romance. Ages 12âup.

August 1, 2011

Gr 6 Up-In 13 Little Blue Envelopes (HarperCollins, 2005), Ginny Blackstone followed the instructions contained in the little blue envelopes written by her recently deceased aunt. But before she could read the 13th letter and finish her adventures that sent her all over Europe, her backpack was stolen, with the envelope in it. In this book, Ginny is contacted by a London teen who bought her backpack. She decides to return to England, collect the last letter, and finish what she started. Once she is there, though, things don't turn out quite the way she expected. Paul knows that she is selling her aunt's art and wants a cut for returning the letter. Thus begins a wild and tense journey through the British Isles as Ginny, her former boyfriend, his girlfriend, and Paul try to solve the clues and get along. Ginny, a practical and level-headed girl, is likable and easy to root for. With its blend of life lessons and a dash of romance, this sequel is sure to appeal to fans of the first book-Jessie Spalding, Tempe Public Library, AZ

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2011

Ginny Blackstone returns for another delightfully madcap adventure in Europe in this follow-up to Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes (2005). Seemingly out of nowhere, Ginny receives an e-mail containing a scanned copy of the never-opened 13th and final letter from her deceased aunt, stolen along with her backpack while she hopped from country to country in the first novel. The person in possession of the letter instructs her to respond if she's interested, leading her back to England, where she gets another chance to see her not-boyfriend Keith, with whom she has a relationship that they've agreed is "kind of something." Inevitably, they embark on another trip encompassing France, Belgium, Holland and, eventually, a messy, drunken New Year's Eve in Ireland, though this time with the addition of two new, not altogether welcome traveling companions. Ginny's narrative, told in an intelligent, third-person voice, establishes her firmly as a sympathetic, often hilarious everygirl, whose efforts to understand herself and who she'd like to be are fraught with moments both romantic and heartbreaking. Johnson's skill in creating secondary characters that are unusual, realistically flawed and utterly believable is again on display here. While there are no big surprises in this oft-told story of a teen's growth through travel and new relationships, this is an appealingly smart and honest read that fans of the first will find deeply satisfying. (Fiction. 12 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

May 1, 2011
Grades 8-11 In 13 Little Blue Envelopes (2005), Ginny never finishes the European scavenger hunt, created by her late aunt Peg, which ends when her backpack is stolen in Greece. Now home in the U.S., Ginny gets an e-mail from Oliver in London, who claims to have the letter that will continue her hunt. Spontaneously, Ginny travels to England and connects with Oliver as well as her old flame, Keith, who surprises her with his new girlfriend. Once again, Johnsons legions of fans will happily follow Ginnys European adventures for the humor, realistic dialogue, and delicate journey through the grieving process.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

Starred review from May 1, 2011
Readers who finished 13 Little Blue Envelopes and wondered what was in the thirteenth envelope finally have an answer -- and it's a good one. Five months after Ginny's late aunt's last letter was stolen from a beach in Greece, Ginny gets an e-mail from an English guy named Oliver, who's found the letter. Anxious for a break from college applications, Ginny regards the message as "the universe...demanding that she return to England...and finish what she had started" -- and okay, also see her "kind-of-something non-boyfriend" Keith again. The universe -- in the guise of the thirteenth letter -- responds by sending her on another multi-city European scavenger hunt. As in 13, the setting is vivid and the situations are hilariously absurd -- breaking into a Parisian caf, sleeping in a Belgian cat shelter/hostel. But this time, Ginny has a posse: she's accompanied by Oliver, an extortionist (albeit a dashing one); Keith, alluring as ever; and Ellis, Keith's girlfriend, who, to Ginny's chagrin, is kind of nice. The group's dynamic is always authentic, usually funny, and occasionally heartrending; Johnson excels at conveying emotions through natural-sounding dialogue. New readers and old fans will find much to like, right down to the final life-altering kiss, in this celebration of growing up, moving on, and embracing (sometimes literally) the unexpected. rachel smith

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)