The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson
HarperCollins, 2011
288 pages
9780061976797
Note: This was an advanced reader's copy from NetGalley.com. The release date is April 26, 2011.

This is the sequel to Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes. If you have not read it yet (and why is that?), I suggest you stop reading this instant. Spoilers may be found below.

Ginny has been stressing about her college entrance essay question, "Describe a life experience that changed you..." How can she possibly sum up what happened over the summer? Just as she has decided to procrastinate the essay just a little bit longer, she receives a mysterious email quoting a letter. Could it really be the thirteenth letter that was stolen, along with her bag, in Greece? Her instructions are to go back to England and help the sender find the three sections of Aunt Peg's last piece. She takes the opportunity to hop on a plane and jet back to England,to see Keith and hear her aunt's last words to her. What she finds is another European adventure, blackmail, and a little bit of romance.

Judging by the cover...: Much more appealing than the last cover, but not at all how I pictured Ginny.

Favorite Elements:

• World Travel - Never ever have I envied those who live in London so much. Paris would be a wonderful place, and Amsterdam is nothing to scoff at, but London is where my heart is. I'd move there in a heartbeat (provided I had a way to make a living, of course). I'm already preparing by watching as much BBC as possible.
• Best British Mate - Ellis is spectacular, considering everything. I'd love to have a best girl friend to pal around London with. Imagine the shopping frenzies we could have!
• Awesome Aunt AND Uncle - Aunt Peg continues to be one of the best aunts in history (apart from mine), even when suffering from the hallucinations. Keith is probably the coolest adult in y.a. lit, allowing Ginny to crash at his place and gallivant around Europe. Not to mention he works at Harrod's.

Overall (out of 5): 4
I'm so glad that I didn't have to wait so long to find out what happened to the last envelope. I can't imagine the torture if I had read the first book in 2005! Johnson fulfills our need to know effortlessly; you'd never know that there are six years in between books. The story picks up just six months after Ginny returns from her first whirlwind tour of Europe. She has the same concerns that every high school senior has: college applications, boyfriends, and appearance. Last summer's trip, though, has matured her in realistic ways, and it's interesting to see how she handles her new trip. Oliver is deliciously underhanded, and it's so much fun to hate him, even though his delightful posh accent is very tempting.

Recommendation: If the cliffhanger ending of 13 LBE left you craving more, have no fear! You only have to wait two more months to get your answers. If you haven't begun your European adventure with Ginny as your tour guide, then you have plenty of time to get going!