13 Little Blue Envelopes: Review

Title: 13 Little Blue Envelopes

Author: Maureen Johnson

Release Date: October 2006

Published By: HarperTeen

Pages: 336

Goodreads Rating: 3.69 stars

Review: Ginny's quirky, larger-than-life aunt leaves her thirteen little blue envelopes, each containing instructions for a wild trip across the Atlantic, beginning in England. Ginny knows that these instructions will make her step out of her comfortable boundaries and fall into situations and meet people she never would have before. But what she doesn't know is that this trip will teach her how to live, love, and accept loss, and forever change her.

THIRTEEN LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPES is the first novel by Maureen Johnson I've ever read, and after reading it, I can confidently say that it won't be the last. There were definitely flaws in this novel, but Johnson's voice was really there in all its fresh, witty glory. She showcased her ability to tell a compelling story that had me laughing at the funny moments and solemnly reading the serious parts, which made this more than fluffy chick lit.

Now, as for the flaws I mentioned, there were some believability issues. The biggest of these were Ginny's parents, who seemed to have no problem allowing their daughter to go gallivanting about Europe without extra money, a phone, anything. My parents barely let me go on school-supervised one-night trips with extra money and a phone, and so I can't imagine anyone allowing their child to do what Ginny did.

There were many, many other instances in this book that required the suspension of disbelief, and to go into them all would probably take forever. While this annoyed me a little bit, it didn't seriously detract from my reading experience. THIRTEEN LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPES was exactly what it was supposed to be: a fun, light book with some extra healing and love thrown in that made it a great rainy-day read. I will be looking forward to an opportunity to pick up the sequel!