Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Review: The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

Series: Little Blue Envelope (#2)
Pages: 304
Publisher: HarperTeen
Published: April 26th, 2011
IBSN: 9780061976797

Source: NetGalley







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.


[Synopsis by Goodreads]



The Last Little Envelope reopens Ginny's story as she gets an email from someone who has the last letter from her dead aunt that was stolen while completing the tasks on the first twelve letters in the first book, 13 Little Blue Envelopes.

Much like in 13 Little Blue Envelopes, the situations are still bizarre. The characters too, for that matter. And that's the main reason I love this series - hell, all of Maureen's books. She won the Shorty Award in weird, and it's reflected in her books.

Her writing style is versatile - humorous at times, and heart-wrenching at others. Though, one thing is constant in her prose: it is always entertaining. She writes the kind of books that I could read over and over again without ever getting bored.

Ginny's voice shines through the third-person narration. She's a protagonist with depth that's interesting to read about. All of the characters are all well fleshed out, and have personalities that jump from the page. I'd find myself wanting to make friends with them all - Ginny, Keith, Ellis, Oliver - while reading.

I give the Last Little Blue Envelope a 5 out of 5, and recommend it to people who people who've read her other books (and, of course, liked them. I'm fairly certain the venn diagram of People Who Have Read Maureen Johnson's Books and People Who Have Liked Maureen Johnson's Books is a circle.)