12) 13 Little Blue Envelopes

Original Title: 13 Little Blue Envelopes
Turkish Title: 13 Küçük Mavi Zarf
English Title: 13 Little Blue Envelopes
Author: Maureen Johnson
Pages: 277
Rating: 3/5

Applicable Challenges: 50 Books A Year, The 50 Books Challenge

WHY THIS BOOK?

It is the choice of our book club for March 2010.

THE STORY:

It is the adventurous Euro-trip of a 17 year-old girl named Ginny. Her beloved, eccentric aunt passes away because of a brain tumor and Ginny goes through hard time trying to face reality. Then, she receives a package containing 13 envelopes/letters that invite her to a journey in Europe. The letters enable her to follow the path of her aunt, better understand her aunt and discover her very own self. Being a shy girl, Ginny has to face challenges during her travels and manages to deal with each of them in her own ways.

MY COMMENTS:

I gave it three starts for three reasons: Firstly, it was a really quick read. Secondly, I really liked the last parts of the book. Lastly, I am already in love with most of the charming places Ginny visits. I was lucky enough to see most of those places. I was taken away to my own memories while I was reading. Although the way Ginny’s story was told was really shallow, the old memories that came to my mind were really deep.

From the beginning to end, Ginny was in a hurry to do what she is told to do. I was kind of annoyed by that rhythm. What was more annoying for me is the fact that I felt like the author was in a hurry to finish off the book. I couldn’t connect myself with the main character because of that rush. That said, my friend’s 16 year-old daughter read the book and felt totally connected with Ginny so maybe the problem is my age.

What I really liked is the ending of the book. Maybe it was the only part I was really involved in the story. I was able to feel the grief of Ginny for her aunt. I think the author did a good job in only that part of the book.