13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Book review #27
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Rating: Four stars (refer to the rating system on the right)
Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

When Ginny receives thirteen little blue envelopes and instructions to buy a plane ticket to London, she knows something exciting is going to happen. What Ginny doesn't know is that she will have the adventure of her life and it will change her in more ways than one. Life and love are waiting for her across the Atlantic, and the thirteen little blue envelopes are the key to finding them in this funny, romantic, heartbreaking novel.

Whew I'm pretty exhausted from the wacky adventure I just took along with Ginny traveling through  London, Denmark, Greece, Paris, Rome, and even Amsterdam. 13 Little Blue Envelopes isn't the shortest book, but it was a surprisingly quick read. It flowed so easily, I found myself reading it one sitting. It was definitely different and unique. I can definitely say travel mixed in with humor and romance resulted in one awesome book.

Ginny's crazy Aunt Peg is gone due to cancer and the only thing left of her are thirteen blue envelopes.  The journey begins with the first letter  instructing Ginny to go to New York to pick up the rest of the envelopes. After retrieving the rest of the letters, she's off to London with everything she has stuffed inside a big backpack. Ginny begins the craziest adventure she's ever experienced. The only guide she has are the letters, which she may not open until her current task is completed. With twists and turns on the way, new scenery and interesting people Ginny almost becomes a whole other person.

There were so many awesome things about the book, but I would have to say the traveling and adventure was my favorite. Ginny traveled to so many different places, and got herself into the funniest situations. Ginny goes through almost everything- from sleeping on a park bench to staying with a random creepy family in Amsterdam. I learned a lot  about places I knew nothing about which was just an added plus.

 I loved all the characters Ginny met along her journey.All the characters were so different and unique. Ginny also meets the adorable Keith, who helps her along the way. The only information given about Aunt Peg were mainly in the letters, but that was enough for me to fall in love with her. She was such a cool interesting person. I also loved Ginny's personal transformation. Ginny is an ordinary likable person, who goes an a crazy journey that helps her discover who she really is.

Who wouldn't want to read about a real life scavenger hunt? An adventurous, romantic, light, and very fun read, are just a few words to perfectly sum up 13 Little Blue Envelopes. I know I definitely finished this book with a smile on my face. I had so much fun traveling with Ginny! I think everyone should check this one out :)

Girl At Sea by Maureen Johnson

Book Review #21
Girl At Sea by Maureen Johnson
Rating: Four stars (refer to rating system on the right) 

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

Sometimes you have to get lost. 

The Girl: Clio, seventeen, wants to spend the summer smooching her art-store crush, not stuck on a boat in the Mediterranean. At least she'll get a killer tan. 

The Mission: Survive her father's annoying antics. Oh, also find some underwater treasure that could be the missing link to a long-lost civilization. 

The Crew: Dad's absentminded best friend Martin, his scary girlfriend Julia, her voluptuous daughter Elsa . . . and then there's Aidan, Julia's incredibly attractive, incredibly arrogant research assistant. 

What's going on behind Aidan's intellectual, intensely green eyes, anyway? 

As Clio sails into uncharted territory she unveils secrets that have the power to change history. But her most surprising discovery is that there's something deeper and more mysterious than the sea—her own heart. 

I'm almost exhausted from the crazy choppy journey I took along with Clio filled with mystery, adventure, humor, and of course romance. It took me some time to finally get into Girl At Sea, but once I did I sure wasn't disappointed. Aside from the usual teenage drama, there is an actual mystery throughout the book.The boat and crew actually have a mission, that you don't find out about just yet. Every few chapters, there are random peeks of the history of the mission. The need and desire to discover what this mission actually is will keep you on edge. Girl At Sea is a one of kind book that definitely left me wanting more.

Clio's parents are divorced, and she lives with her mother. Girl At Sea starts with Clio being forced to spend her vacation with her dad sailing on a yacht in Italy. She has a dream summer vacation all planned out. She got a job at the art store with her handsome co-worker Ollie, who is mentioned a bit too much throughout the book. Clio definitely not looking forward to spending time with her dad stuck on some boat especially since her dad is known to be unpredictable and frankly irresponsible.To her surprise she won't be spending her summer with just her father, but a crew made up of four other people. Julia- her dad's new girlfriend , Elsa- her daughter, Martin-her dad's best friend, and Aidan-Julie's assistant (who is kind of cute) become shipmates for the summer and maybe even more. 

I loved all the characters in this book. They were all very well developed and definitely realistic. I loved the crew who set aboard the Sea Butterfly. At first, no one really got along. Clio obviously didn't like Julia, the girlfriend she had never meant. She didn't really no what to think of Elsa either. Then there's Aidan who comes across as arrogant and annoying. The only person she didn't have a problem with was Martin, who was an almost better "father" to her than her dad was. In the end, Clio never expects to make a lifetime best friend and maybe possibly a boyfriend? Aside from the crew members, Clio was a very likable main character. I liked that she actually had talent and didn't let the little fact that she's seventeen and never been kissed overtake her life. One could easily relate to her motivates, desires, and weaknesses. 

The setting of Girl At Sea is what made it so different. Most of the books takes place on a big beautiful yacht that is sailing across the Mediterranean Sea. You would be surprised at how much action and drama can take place on a yacht. Some of the scenes were so powerful and vibrant that I can still picture them in my mind right now. I loved all the wacky things that happened along the ride. Without giving anything away, I have to say there were painful jellyfish involved, diving, and even attacks involved.  

There were a few tiny things that I didn't love so much about this book. First off, the beginning of the book was sort of slow. I feel like all of the major events happened near the end of the book. I wish the mystery of why they were actually on the yacht was revealed sooner. Then there was Ollie, who was constantly mentioned- Clio was kind of obsessed with him when she barely even knew him. Thank goodness Clio eventually realized that it was crazy to obsesses about someone who she wasn't even in a relationship with. The last thing, that I just wasn't used was the fact that the book was in third person. By the end, I did get used to it, but it took some time.  

Despite the minor negative sides of the book, it was definitely worth the read. I loved the ending, it was full of twists and turns. Overall, it was really nice to escape the winter blues to take a trip along with Clio and her crazy shipmates. If your looking for a book filled with just about everything, pick this one up. I'll be looking out for more of Maureen Johnson's books.