REVIEW: The Last Little Blue Envelope - Maureen Johnson

The Last Little Blue Envelope (Little Blue Envelope #2)
by Maureen Johnson
Publisher: HarperTeen
26 April 2011
288 Pages

Ginny Blackstone thought that the biggest adventure of her life was behind her. She spent last summer traveling around Europe, following the tasks her aunt Peg laid out in a series of letters before she died. When someone stole Ginny’s backpack—and the last little blue envelope inside—she resigned herself to never knowing how it was supposed to end.

Months later, a mysterious boy contacts Ginny from London, saying he’s found her bag. Finally, Ginny can finish what she started. But instead of ending her journey, the last letter starts a new adventure—one filled with old friends, new loves, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Ginny finds she must hold on to her wits... and her heart.

This time, there are no instructions.


R E V I E W :
In this sequel to 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Ginny's aunt sends her on a crazy road trip back to places she's been before and to places she hasn't, with two new travelers.

We again meet Richard, her uncle, and Keith. Richard is still pretty much the same guy and hasn't changed much but I don't remember Keith being so rude. We also meet Ellie, Keith's girlfriend, and Oliver. Ellie seems like a chipper spirit and overall, a good person. Oliver seems to be decent as well, although he's more like the brooding, mysterious guy. This story doesn't give much depth into anyone but Ginny so I didn't really connect with the others, although I liked Ginny better in this one than the first book. But even so, I really wanted Ginny to be more... warmer to Oliver and to stop obsessing over Keith. He has a girlfriend, a very nice girlfriend. And how can she love him already? She kept saying she did but I never saw it.

It's been a while since I've read 13 Little Blue Envelopes but once I started The Last Little Blue Envelope, the story came back to me. Ginny is still pretty much the same angsty teen we met in the first book, except now she's a bit more confident with herself and not as lost. Unlike in 13 Little Blue Envelopes, this story isn't as fast paced. It's a bit slower with more meaning but it's a light, breezy read.

I love this quote spoken from guess-who:

"People would say that it’s impossible to have a
private pool in the city, unless you were
some kind of mogul and had it on the roof of
your penthouse or something. But it’s not illegal
to have a really clean Dumpster, and if
you want to fill it with water, and if you want
to get in it . . . well, that’s your prerogative.
People always say they can’t do things, that
they’re impossible. They just haven’t been
creative enough. This pool is a triumph of
imagination. That’s how you win at life, Gin.
You have to imagine your way through.
Never say something can’t be done. There’s 
always a solution, even if it’s weird."

That's right! Aunt Peg! Even dead, she's my favorite character. One can learn a lot from her.