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The Last Little Blue Envelope
The Last Little Blue Envelope
Author: Maureen Johnson
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 ...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780061976797
ISBN-10: 0061976792
Publication Date: 5/1/2011
Pages: 304
Rating:
  • Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
 11

4.1 stars, based on 11 ratings
Publisher: HarperTeen
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

skywriter319 avatar reviewed The Last Little Blue Envelope on + 784 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Ginny thought it was all overthat the last blue envelope containing the last letter from her dead artist aunt Peg, stolen along with her backpack when she was in Greece, was lost forever. But then a mysterious boy named Oliver contacts her, saying that he has her letters. Turns out that the last letter contains one final task for Ginny to complete, and Oliver insists that he wants Ginny to split the profits from this last piece of artwork with him. After all, he is the one who has the letter. How can she disagree?

To her shock, Keithand his new girlfriend, Ellisinsist on tagging along for this one last intercontinental adventure. Over the course of one Christmas break, Ginny, along with old and new friends, retraces her footsteps and discovers the ultimate lesson that Aunt Peg wishes to remind her of.

Ill be honest: I was one of those readers that was very happy with how 13 Little Blue Envelopes ended, and never thought to ask for a sequel. Nervously I began this sequel to one of my favorite books of all time, and happily I can say that TLLBE lived up to my expectations for a Maureen Johnson novel.

I was a little skeptical of how different Aunt Pegs thirteenth letter was from her previous twelve (in terms of length and vision), but it was insightful nevertheless. THE LAST LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPE focuses less, I think, on the excitement of a cross-Europe adventure and more on character development. All the characters, while not particularly deep, are still very likable, even if you feel like the situation should call for us to hate them.

THE LAST LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPE lightheartedly inspires us to question the permanence of adolescent emotions. Oftentimes YA novels make us believe that their happy endings will last forever: Ginnys second adventure beautifully illustrates how things can change unexpectedly but still wonderfully. And thats all I want to say so that I dont spoil anything!

My final thoughts? Worth reading if you loved the first book (and if you havent read that yet, you should). It takes on a different tone than 13 Little Blue Envelopes, but is still unexpectedly delightful, and will have you clamoring for a third book.
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GeniusJen avatar reviewed The Last Little Blue Envelope on + 5322 more book reviews
Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

After an amazing summer traveling around Europe, Ginny returned home to finish high school. Now, she's working on the dreaded college essay and wondering if it is truly worth the trouble. She is taken totally by surprise when a letter written by her Aunt Peg once again takes center stage in her life.

When Aunt Peg discovered she had incurable cancer, she wrote a series of letters that became a sort of scavenger hunt/vacation for Ginny. Following the instructions in the letters, Ginny went from one European location to another, learning more about herself through the words of her aunt. The catch was that the final letter disappeared when Ginny's bag was stolen. Now, a stranger has contacted Ginny with news of the lost letter.

Once again, Ginny heads to London hoping to retrieve the letter and read her aunt's final words. The mysterious stranger has other ideas. His name is Oliver, and he intends to use knowledge gained from the last letter to turn a profit. The information contained in the letter instructs Ginny to travel to three places - France, Belgium, and Ireland. At each stop, she will find a portion of her aunt's last piece of artwork. When all the pieces are assembled, she is to auction the art and receive whatever money it earns. Oliver intends to force Ginny to share the money.

What follows is a whirlwind journey taking Ginny, Oliver, and two others from one interesting place to another. Inclement weather, a rattle-trap car, and some less-than-cooperative people combine to make the trip a somewhat difficult adventure.

Author Maureen Johnson shows her true talent as she brings Ginny to life once again. Quirky characters and sassy dialogue make this a great read; however, be sure to read 13 LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPES first so you can appreciate the depth of Ginny's adventure.


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