Book Review – 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Ginny, aged 17, is left 13 little blue envelopes by her free-spirited young Aunt Peg. Little does she know just how much they will change her life…• Inside envelope No 1 is money and instructions to buy a plane ticket.• Inside envelope No 2 are directions to a specific London flat• Inside envelope No 3 a note to Ginny says: Find a starving artist.• And because of envelope No 4 Ginny and a man called Keith go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous – though utterly romantic – results.

This book was recommended to me by a friend on Twitter and is the first book by Maureen Johnson that I’ve read. Right from the start, I thought the premise for 13 Little Blue Envelopes was really original. Virginia (Ginny) is sent a package by her eccentric Aunt Peg which includes thirteen envelopes and some instructions. The instructions are that Ginny must get herself a passport, a plane ticket and a backpack and prepare to go on a journey. She isn’t allowed to take any maps, guidebooks or money and must do what the letters say. Ginny does as she is told and finds herself on her way to London where her adventures really begin!

I have to say that I admired Ginny immediately for being up for the challenge set by her aunt. It takes a lot to pack up a bag and jet off under normal circumstances, but with the added complications that you don’t know where you’re going to be staying or who with and are only allowed to contact your family and friends by letter or postcard, I personally would find it challenging!! Ginny rises to the occasion brilliantly and this made me love her straight away.

Maureen Johnson captures the feeling of arriving in a new country and the strangeness even when the language is familiar very well. The descriptions of Ginny’s first forays into London were absolutely spot on and brilliantly written. I also loved the pace of the book and the fact that, as a reader, I was in the same situation as Ginny in not knowing where the story was going to go next. Peg sets Ginny a series of challenges which result in her meeting a wonderfully eclectic cast of characters and visiting a host of European countries. The descriptions of people and places really appealed to my sense of wanderlust.

At it’s heart though this is a book about love, loss and growing up. As Ginny works her way through the envelopes she finds herself in situations that really push her to her limits, and she learns a lot about herself and her wayward aunt. There is a quirky and truly romantic element to the book that I really enjoyed as Ginny meets student Keith and their paths cross in unlikely ways.

As the book reaches the last few envelopes there are a number of twists to the story that I wasn’t expecting and Johnson retains an element of secrecy and suspense right to the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it as an excellent read for young adult and adult readers alike. A sequel, The Last Little Blue Envelope will be out in April 2011 and I can’t wait!

5/5

You can find out more about Maureen Johnson and her books at: www.maureenjohnsonbooks.com