13 Little Blue Envelopes    by Maureen Johnson Order:  USA  Can HarperCollins, 2005 (2005) Hardcover Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Lyn Seippel Shy and unassuming, seventeen-year-old Ginny Blackstone is on a quest, and even Ginny doesn't know why or what she'll gain when she is done. Her often mysterious and always exciting runaway aunt has sent her thirteen numbered envelopes. The instructions in each one must be followed before opening and reading the next envelope. Ginny's quest takes her to London, where she is directed to choose a starving artist and contribute money to his art. The artist she picks is a young playwright whose play, Starbucks: the Musical, is shown in the student union. He becomes Ginny's friend and love interest, but she must leave him when she is instructed to go to Paris. Aunt Peg's letters send Ginny all over Europe, following in the footsteps of her own final escapade. But when the last blue envelope is stolen in Greece along with her backpack, Ginny returns to London, sure she will never know whatever it was that her aunt had intended the quest to teach her. This book is as much about Aunt Peg, the artist, as it is about Ginny. As we follow Ginny's journey, we also follow the last two years of Aunt Peg's life. Ginny's own life has always been enriched by her aunt, and now from beyond her grave, Aunt Peg is encouraging her niece to go on an adventure without her. Now, having lost the last envelope, Ginny must seek her own answers to her aunt's exotic life and death. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews