YA Friday take two: The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

Title: The Last Little Blue Envelope

Author: Maureen Johnson

Genre: YA

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2011

Source: NetGalley

I am writing two YA Friday posts this week because two of my recent reads are being released on Tuesday. So enjoy the extra YA this week!

The Last Little Blue Envelope, sequel to Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes, leads us to Ginny, senior year, Christmas break. Her European adventure led to some changes in her life and her style (who is this girl on the cover, and why doesn't she match Ginny's description of having shortish, reddish hair?). Despite the lessons she learned on her scavenger hunt through Europe, Ginny still has a lot of big decisions to make, and she isn't sure what to do. So when a mysterious message appears on her computer, its author claiming to have the last little blue envelope that was stolen from her at the end of her adventure, Ginny flies to England, eager to finish the adventure. However, her "benefactor" has some ulterior motives, and some of the people Ginny left in Europe have changed.

I had essentially the same experience with this sequel as I did with the first book - purely frivolous fun. I love Maureen Johnson's writing style. The woman is witty in a deadbeat way that fits in with how a teenage girl thinks (I include myself in this category, even though I am no longer a teenager). Par exemple:

Ginny had no idea what to say to this, so she made a noncommittal sound. Kind of an ohurggghhh. It was, perhaps, a little too noncommittal and perhaps a bit on the sometimes-I-am-Frankenstein side.

and also...

The thought would have been impossibly creepy before, but now... now it was kind of sweet. Oh, her brain was so broken.

I have said before, I am probably not really able to review this objectively just because of how completely I love Maureen Johnson's writing style. It blinds me to any flaws. But I will try.

I also enjoyed the changes in Ginny's relationships, because when you are a teenager, they usually do change, much as we hate the thought of any love not lasting forever. Johnson did a great job of contrasting the pain of disappointment with the desire to maintain self-respect and dignity. There were a few moments where my heart was aching right along with Ginny - I'd gone through similar situations, and I could feel exactly what she was feeling as if I'd been experiencing my dating dramas only hours ago. I did have one issue - it seems that Ginny's relationship later in the book (I won't name names to avoid spoilers) developed a little too quickly and lacked depth. I would have liked to see more interaction between those two to make their relationship more believable.

I also enjoyed Ginny's adventures more in this second installment. The first book, while enjoyable, sometimes felt a bit scattered to me. Granted, Ginny's aunt, who sent her on the adventure, was a pretty scattered individual. However, this book seemed to have more focus, and I liked that. There were fewer stops in their adventures, but they felt a bit more developed. I think the plot for this book was better overall than that of Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes.

So overall? This book was fun. I read a large percentage of it at work, and I always hated when my break ended because I didn't want to stop reading. I could relate to the book, the writing delivered just as it did in the first novel, and the story kept me entertained. This is a delightful, light read for a lazy day.

3.75 stars

YA Friday: 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Title: Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes
Author: Maureen Johnson
Genre: YA
Publisher: Harper Collins, 2005
Source: Provo Library

Ginny's Aunt Peg was always a little eccentric. Now she has sent Ginny a package of 13 little blue envelopes with different tasks for her to complete. The catch(es)? 1. Aunt Peg has recently passed away and 2. the tasks are in Europe, where Ginny is supposed to travel with no extra money, no guidebooks, no electronics, and only one backpack. The journey is eye-opening and at times very exasperating, but a journey Ginny will never forget.

Okay, guys? How did I never read Maureen Johnson before? This woman is my writing style soulmate. She writes the way I wish I could, being pretty straightforward but occasionally penning a sentence or two that is absolutely hilarious. Here is just one example, found by opening the book to a random page and skimming it to see if there was anything hilarious (something that should work on at least every other page in the book) -

She didn't want to ask a boy out. She was shy (thanks for bringing it up). Plus, the guy she liked was in London, and he thought she was crazy. Salt. Wound. Together at last.

Okay, do you see why I love her? If you don't, you clearly do not share in the delightful sense of humor Maureen Johnson and I both clearly possess. Okay, just kidding. But really, the writing was absolutely what I love to find in a book. Witty, clear, not over-the-top, but not too matter-of-fact either. After reading this book, I added every single Maureen Johnson book to my TBR on GoodReads, because I can't wait to read more of her style.

I liked Ginny. I liked that she was shy and that she missed her friends, and that she wasn't sure about being in Europe, following her madcap aunt's madcap instructions. She is on a journey of self discovery, and in the process has to do things astronomically outside of her comfort zone. I would have liked to see a bit more growth - while Ginny has done some new things in this novel, I couldn't tell if she'd actually changed as a person. The character I really loved was Ginny's Aunt Peg, who is never physically in the novel, but whose presence exists through her letters and the memories of the people Ginny meets on her adventure. Yes, she can be exasperating, but she was also original and fun, willing to follow her heart. In fact, I could see more personal growth in Peg than in Ginny, as Peg comes to terms with her runaway habits and fear of being tied down. I kind of wish Maureen Johnson would write a prequel about Peg and her adventures.

The plot was also good, although it wasn't the shining aspect of the book for me. Ginny does a bit of scurrying around, trying to figure out what she is doing, which was a little tiresome at times, but for the most part, her adventure in Europe was a delight. The many mishaps were amusing, and the different people she ran into were also interesting. I look forward to reading the sequel, which is waiting happily for me on my computer in NetGalley form. If you are looking for a light-hearted read with some fantastic writing, be sure to get this book!

Readability: Easy read.
Plot: 3.5
Characters: 3.5
Writing: 5
Personal response: 4
Overall: 4