13 Little Blue Envelopes (13 Little Blue Envelopes, 1)

This isn't my first time reading this, and I liked it as much this reading as I did the last. It was different reading it as an adult versus a teenager though because as a parent, I kept wondering why Ginny was allowed to travel without a chaperone. The focus of the story was on Ginny's adventures and the relationship between her crazy aunt and those around her, but it was still shocking to me how little was said about the rest of her family. I don't even remember who Ginny's aunt was actually related to (Ginny's mom, I believe, but again, I'm not positive. It was something that was only mentioned once near the beginning of the book, and then never mentioned again.) I had to wonder what kind of relationship Ginny had with her parents that they would agree to this crazy traveling scheme, and why she never thought about them during her travels. She made a point of contacting her best friend once in an internet cafe, but not her parents? It was strange to me. Still, I loved the book and how Ginny found herself new friends and companions as they traveled together.

Didn't know it was YA until I finished it! Shouldn't there be some sort of label or warning? Or maybe not, because then I wouldn't have read it. It was very cheap, too, on Kindle. It was very good. An intriguing story, kept me always wanting to know what happened next. Chaste. Maybe I should always read YA novels. I like travel, too, and traveling vicariously. I've been to France and England and Greece, so it's like visiting again. It's given me the beginning of the sequel, and now I'm hooked and must get it!

Bought this book for myself. I may be an adult, but I am unapologetic about my love for young adult books. This book caught my eye because it is about travel. Ginny is about to begin her final year of high school when she receives 13 envelopes in the mail from her adventurous Aunt Peg who disappeared to Europe a few years earlier and recently died. The envelopes send her on the adventure of a lifetime across Europe. I definitely enjoyed this book and would recommend it to other travel lovers.

I loved this book! But what's not to love? It had everything; tragedy, triumph, romance, crime, action, adventure, travel and it was down right fun.Ginny is our main character. She is not a risk taker by any means. Her Aunt Peg has died and she has been given an envelope with some cash, a list of rules and a quest to fulfill. She has left for Ginny some envelopes. They are numbered sequentially and the number of the count is 13. Thou shall not count to 12, unless thereby thou proceed to 13. 14 is right out. Sorry. Coincidentally, the envelopes are also all blue...and on the small size, hence the title of the book.Now Ginny could cheat and open all the envelopes and read them, but Aunt Peg's rules were very specific. She had a plan and the envelopes were not to be read except in order and at the ordained location or time frame. Ginny never having been anywhere, is understandably nervous about undertaking this trip.She really has no idea what to expect not having seen her aunt in a long time, never even knowing she was sick and again, she's not a risk taker, but she undertakes the journey and follows her aunt's instructions. She is to take one backpack only and only what will fit in the backpack. She is to only take the money her aunt left her. She is to take no travel books and nothing to record her journey in. And she is not allowed to use phone, computer, camera, Internet or any other electronic devices or tools. And she cannot contact anyone back in the States. Oh yeah! She's going to England!!!But alone is an intimidating prospect, especially for a 17 year old who has never been out of the country. I personally would have reveled in the experience, but I have family from the UK and became obsessed from an early age. I also did do just that. I went off to England by myself, but I was 29 at the time. Got off the plane, rented a car and just drove for 2 1/2 weeks. It was quite an adventure, but I have a travelling heart.But back to our story. Aunt Peg has very explicit instructions for Ginny. She has to go find some strange man who is expecting her and she is going to stay with him while in England. But she has other things she has to do as well, like find an artistic stranger and support their artistic vision with 500 pounds. She also has to go find some artist in Scotland Aunt Peg was friends with.If you didn't guess before, Aunt Peg was what we call a unique individual. Some might say flighty. She gave up the rat race and just went off to pursue her dreams and follow along wherever the wind would take her. Eccentric? Perhaps, probably. A hippie? Definitely, but she lived each day of her life to the fullest and she was trying to teach Ginny how to do the same.So Ginny follows the instructions in the envelopes to the letter, ends up traveling all over Europe in some less than ideal circumstances at times and has the time of her life. Talk about life changing events. Well, this one is one of the big ones. Hello, life!If you think you would enjoy a story about a girl who ends up finding herself on the back roads of Europe, this would probably be a good book for you. So, go out there and grab that book by the cover and don't stop reading until the end. You won't be sorry!

I really enjoyed this book the first time I read it, and I didn't dislike it this time, but I had a hard time connecting with it now that I'm many years older than Ginny. The adventure is fun, if really unrealistic, but I did like the message of pushing yourself outside your comfort zones. This is a great "how the other half lives" story, in that I would NEVER do this, and especially not at 18, but it's kind of fun to watch someone live a life you never would or could.

I've never read anything of Maureen Johnson's before, and looking at reviews I really didn't know what to expect,so I guess my expectations were low.I loved this book.No it didn't blow me away like some books I have read. So why the 5 stars? I really enjoyed it. It didn't put methrough a huge emotional rollercoaster, but sometimes your emotions need a rest. I felt like I had made the journeywith Ginny, visited the places, experienced what she experienced. That is all I expect from a book like this.I wish I could just take off on a crazy, unplanned journey where you don't know what will happen next and afterreading this I feel a little like I have. It was really well written, genuinely funny and there were partsthat made me feel sad. So not a life changing event, reading this book, but thoroughly enjoyable. I am desperateto find out what was in the 13th envelope, and it just so happens I have "The Last Little Blue Envelope" sat onmy bookshelf, waiting. So I'm going to go read it ......Right Now.

My daughter, a college student in the US, told me I should read this (with an underlying MUST). I was enchanted with it, it is a truly amazing read. Both my daughter and I read it from different persepctives. I read it as a mother, she read it as 19 yr old 2nd year college student - in fact the epitomy of Ginny, the main character. The book says that Ginny, who has just finished school, changes because of the envelopes. As a mother of a girl the same age, this transition between school and life happens anyway. How it affects the teen girl (or boy) depends on what happens next. Some go on successfully to college, some choose a gap year, some "hang out" unsure and afraid of what lies ahead. Ginny falls into this lattr category. She is dealing with confusion about her life at this transitory point, when a dramatic event that changes her life's direction, is spring upon her.She is left 13 blue envelopes by a favourite, rather eccentric,deceased aunt. The instructions are explicit - open them at a specific time and follow the instructions contained within. Ginny could have open all of the envelopes at one time - she doesn't which in itself is curious but as she opens the first - she finds money and instructions to buy a one-way ticket to London. She must take only a back back, no ipod, mobile phone, laptop or the general trappings attached to the average teen. On the plane she opens no 2. That envelope tells her what to do and where to go initially. After that, there is a certain amount of strange free choice with each letter, which then makes Ginny's voyage into the unknown far more her own than her aunt's exact planning. This book (and its sequel , which is also a must read). The ending is not what you think it will be. This book is dramatically hitting the book charts in the US and I am really confused as to why this is not happening in the UK. For both parents and late teens this is a MUST READ.  13 Little Blue Envelopes ..Then read the last little blue envelope. 13 Little Blue Envelopes

I was a bit undecided on this book before I bought it. I thought at the very least it would be a fun, flirty read. And it was. What enticed me to the book was Ginny'a quest as she follows instructions from her deceased aunt. Ginny is led on an exciting journey that takes her from New Jersery to London, to Scotland, to Paris and Amsterdam, the Netherlands and the Greek Islands.The reader bit by bit learns about the nature of Ginny and her aunt and while all the scenerios are well written and exciting, it felt like there was something missing. The places all felt real, so well described it felt like I was right there. But to make this a brilliant read, I would have preferred some emotions.Ginny meets Keith, a struggling artist. The only indication we get that she likes him is her inability to speak, and the writer telling us she a crush on him...apart from that, there was no indication. No fluttery butterflies, no longing glances, nothing.The same with her travelling. It felt like Ginny was only going through the motions. I would have loved to read how scared or alone Ginny felt or how excited. A lot of the time it read more like an essay than a novel.Asides from this, it was a good book and a fun read.

I enjoyed 13 little envelopes and thought it was a unique offering in the YA contemporary genre. I read it in a matter of hours and enjoyed every page.The story follows Ginny as she goes on a mad and random journey following a series of instructions given to her in envelopes by her late aunt. It initially takes her to London then off further afield in Europe and beyond. The idea of doing something so impulsive without a real plan thought through is so fascinating as I could never see myself having the courage to do anything of the sort.For me the journey goes on it both very exciting and quite sad as she traces the foot steps of her aunt whom she never got the chance to say goodbye to.Along her journey she randomly meets Keith. I loved Keith and how his personality was completely mirrored in the type of tasks Ginny found herself completing and I loved the relationship they built up between them over the course of the book.A quirky offering from Maureen Johnson which I really did enjoy.

I know this booked is not aimed at my age group (near 50) but I highly recommend it and I really enjoyed it. I am not normally into what I would call "girly" books but this had the added extra of the intrigue of the envelopes. You could never second guess what was going to happen next as Ginny's Aunt was quite wacky. I have just finished reading the sequel as well which too is very enjoyable with lots of twists and turns. Thank you Maureen Johnson.