The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publish Date: April 2011

Source: Library

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.

The Last Little Blue Envelope had the potential to be an odd an unnecessary extra bit tacked on to a story ended nicely, but it so wasn't. I absolutely loved it. The adventure wasn't quite as grand as 13 Little Blue Envelopes, but was an enjoyably wacky journey all the same.

I loved all the little one-liners and understated jokes. It wasn't shoving hilarity in my face, but it also wasn't too serious. It's not often I find a book with such fantastic understated humor. The littlest things had me cracking up and I found myself bothering the Fiance more and more because I simply had to share the laughs with someone. It would have been rude to keep them to myself. (Instead of bothering people with snippets from the book you should just tell everyone you know to read it, though.)

I really enjoyed reading about Ginny. She was so easy to relate to and I found myself wishing I could just be in her shoes for a bit. Why can't I have such fantastic adventures? At times, I wanted to grab by the shoulders and talk some sense into her, but I'm pretty sure I would have acted the same were I in her shoes. Though Ellis and Oliver were both pretty integral parts to the story, I didn't really feel much for them. It just didn't feel like their personalities were quite finished making them easily blend into the background. I did feel something for Kieth, but let's just say they weren't really warm and fuzzy feelings.

My main complaint would be that it was a bit predictable. I'd figured out a major plot point within the first fifteen pages. The whole conflict was a little odd as well. It just kept getting shoved under the rug confusing me each time.

Final thoughts: This is a great book if you want to "see" the world. There's sexy British accents, beautiful green outdoors, and rain-soaked London streets. This is definitely one of the best follow-ups I've ever read.


Pages: 282
Series: Little Blue Envelope #2
Rating: 4 stars