13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Summary:
Here’s the deal: Aunt Peg, the New York artist and the person Ginny Blackstone depended on to make her life interesting, took off to Europe without a word three years ago. Aside from a few postcards, Ginny hasn’t heard much. Then she gets a horrible phone call that changes everything.

But the story is only beginning. Soon after, Ginny receives one little blue envelope from Aunt Peg containing a thousand dollars and some very strange instructions…

Review:
I feel like I have written nothing but glowing reviews lately and I don't really plan on stopping now. I read 13 Little Blue Envelopes in afternoon of sitting by the pool and I truly enjoyed it. Ginny is a great protagonist and she leads the reader on an incredible journey through the letters. She has enough courage to go on this incredible journey through Europe but it still naive enough to do some dumb things that you can't help but relate to.

I would love if I had the opportunity to go on the adventure that Ginny does but I don't envy that all her adventure comes only from losing her Aunt. However, the people she meets on the journey are just as amazing as the Aunt she is missing and the relationships with these people create some of my favorite moments in the book.

Ginny's Aunt is actually the best character in the book, this woman is so amazing and complex that even though you only read her letters you love her and get frustrated with her and understand why she was so important to Ginny.

I was very frustrated at the end of the book, I didn't get the closure I had hoped for and yet I didn't feel like there was enough of an open ending for a sequel. It wasn't that there was anything in particular left out but everything was not wrapped up in a neat little package how I would prefer everything. It was more a personal preference than an actual knock on the book. But imagine my happiness when I was on Maureen Johnson's website today and saw that there will be a sequel. SO EXCITED.

I recommend this book for sure, especially for the summer by the pool. It was a great read for the day and now I can't wait for the Spring 2011 sequel.