13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson (a bit of a rant)

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Series: Little Blue Envelope #1
Source: Kindle copy
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: October 6th 2009
Age Group: Young Adult

Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket.
In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat.
The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny: Find a starving artist.
Because of envelope 4, Ginny and a playwright/thief/ bloke–about–town called Keith go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous–though utterly romantic–results. But will she ever see him again?
Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it's all because of the 13 little blue envelopes.

So, I'm going to be totally honest - I've been meaning to get 13 Little Blue Envelopes for a while now. I was always curious about this book, but I just... I really, really don't like the covers for this book. At all. So, being the shallow human being that I am, I pushed it back until... well, until it was on a kindle sale.

I will start with the good - the story is very cutesy. It's fun. It's a fast read. You'll be smiling with the characters. You'll be waiting to see what Aunt Peg's next task for Ginny will be. You'll be enjoying this trip as you cross countries and locations alongside Ginny. Plus, Richard is great. I wish we got to see more of the guy! (and I totally called the last "twist" with him the moment we met him)

Now, to the less good - Ginny is just so damn clueless and naive, I couldn't deal with it. She's supposed to be a 17 years old girl, right? But she reads much much younger to me in the way she acts. Case in point: 

 - She doesn't know what to do with the ticket for the Tube. Even if you've never been on one, logic dictates you at least keep your ticket in case of an inspection, right??

-She goes with a guy she doesn't know to his sister's apartment just because he tells her his sister will like her. Where is your self preservation instincts, woman?! You've literally just met him, in a foreign country no less! He might be a serial killer for all you know, or...

I have been looking for a chance to use this gif forEVER!

 -She let's another family "adopt" her for five days, going with them everywhere without question. Say that wasn't weird on it's own (which it totally was. It creeped me out), you just... let them pay for everything, never even asking for the prices? 

Umm, girl, money does not grow on trees and you do NOT have a limitless supply of it!  At the very least you should be aware of how much you've got and how much you'll have to repay, and put your feet down if it's too much, because that is also your only way to get back home!

I couldn't deal with all this! It's pretty much a miracle she doesn't get murdered on this trip...

Than, there is the fact she has no phone on her. I know, I know, Aunt Peg said no phones. But what kind of an idiot would go to a foreign country(ies) without a means to communicate with his family/the police if something were to happen? Take a phone, keep it closed the whole trip unless something happens, but at least have the option to call for help!

Maybe these things were supposed to make the story special. Maybe they do. But to me, they were too farfetched and too frustrating. I don't know if I'll read the next book; maybe I will, but probably not unless there is a sale.

  Nitzan★