When Ginny Blackstone received 13 little blue envelopes last summer, she recognized them for what they were: a wild adventure laid out by her Aunt Peg — Ginny’s wildly interesting relative who could never do anything the simple, mundane way.

The envelopes led Ginny to England and on an adventure across Europe. Along the way, Ginny learned a lot about her aunt, and even more about herself  — until the last little blue envelope was stolen and her adventure was cut short. Even without that final piece, without that bit of closure, Ginny knows following the rules in the envelopes was the most exciting thing she has ever done. Too bad she can’t explain any of that in 1,000 words for her college application essay.

Months later, Ginny is struggling with those college applications. She is still wondering about that last blue envelope.

Then Oliver, an inscrutable English boy, offers Ginny the last little blue envelope — for a price. She doesn’t much like Oliver. She definitely doesn’t trust him. And she knows he has his own agenda. But she also knows she has to accept his offer. It’s what Aunt Peg would do, and now it’s what Ginny needs to do.

This last piece of Ginny’s adventure has no rules. It will lead her back to familiar sites and old friends. It will test Ginny’s mettle, and maybe even her sanity, when it comes to dealing with Oliver. In The Last Little Blue Envelope (2011) by Maureen Johnson, Ginny discovers this trip will be the stuff of a great college application (and a great story).

The Last Little Blue Envelope is the sequel to Johnson’s earlier novel, 13 Little Blue Envelopes (Want to know more about how it all began? Read my review on my other blog).

More than a wonderful sequel, this book is a delightful story in its own right. Realistically, The Last Little Envelope probably cannot stand alone, but Johnson does provide a good balance of summary and new content to make the book work well. Readers will find everything they loved about 13 Little Blue Envelopes here, along with a lot of new characters and more zany adventures across Europe.

The Last Little Blue Envelope answers all of the questions left unresolved in the first book and provides a satisfying conclusion to the myriad misadventures of Ginny Blackstone during her travels abroad. As always, Johnson brings her pitch perfect humor and excellent pacing to this story. The Last Little Envelope is definitely a book that will leave you smiling.

Possible pairings: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly, Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst, Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, and Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley.

Also, be sure to stop by Books are Wonderful to see her map of Ginny’s European Tour from 13 Little Blue Envelopes.