13 Little Blue Envelopes by: Maureen Johnson

This book is about a seventeen year old girl named Ginny.  Ginny is almost a perfect girl because she has good grades and is very nice, but she is shy.  Ginny's aunt, Aunt Peg was a good girl too, but right before she was going to go to Mount Holyoke college (on a full scholarship) she decided that she wanted to do something more interesting with her life.  She then ditched Mount Holyoke and transferred to a tiny college in Vermont where she majored in painting and minored in performing arts.  Everyone in her family was very angry with her, and started to think she was crazy.  Ginny knew what everyone thought of her aunt, but she still loved to visit her.  When Ginny went over, she and Aunt Peg would play "today I live in".  They would do activities, go to shops, and eat at restaurants that had something to do with that country.  When she was with Aunt Peg, Ginny felt more interesting and special than she was before.  Then one day Aunt Peg disappeared.  No one was worried, though, because they assumed that Aunt Peg just wanted to go on a little adventure, like she usually did.  Aunt Peg was gone for a very long time, but sent post cards that she was doing well.  Then three months from when the story began, Aunt Peg died.  Ginny missed being with her aunt a lot, but she got on without her.  Then a little blue envelope came from Aunt Peg giving her instructions to pick up a package at their old favorite restaurant and take a plane to Europe.  Ginny followed these instructions without a doubt because she thought that even though Aunt Peg was dead, somehow doing this would connect Ginny with her.  Throughout the book I wondered why Ginny would do this because she knows that her Aunt is dead and she could be getting herself in a lot of danger. The package that Ginny gets at the restaurant contains more little blue envelopes.  In each of the envelopes are instructions with tasks that she has to follow.  Once she has completed a task, she can open the next envelope.  I am on envelope number four.  In envelope number three, Ginny was instructed to give 500 euros to an artist of her choice.  Ginny picks a young performer named Keith.  She was intrigued by his energy in directing Starbucks: The Musical.  She ends up really liking Keith and they even go on a kind-of date.  Ginny thinks that Keith might like her back, but she seems to always mess it up when they are having a romantic moment.  This is a really great book with all kinds of twists and turns.  It has some romance and adventure, which are two genres that I like to read.  I really suggest that you read it!