HarperCollins, 2006, 352 pp., $8.99, www.harperteen.com
Ginny is a 17-year-old girl who is sent to Europe after receiving a package in the mail from her aunt. There are 13 envelopes, each containing specific instructions on what to do, where to go, and what to see. Ginny isn’t allowed to open the next envelope until the task in the previous envelope has been completed.
Maureen Johnson does a great job at integrating humor into a book filled with the adventures (and sometimes dangers) in a foreign country. She uses her own experiences of backpacking through Europe to bring a sense of vividness and detail to the story that makes the reader feel as if he or she were there with Ginny.
There are some serious themes in the book, although they are discussed tactfully. There’s an almost-sex scene and a deep-kissing scene set in a graveyard. These topics could be good discussion starters for a youth group. All in all, this is a good book for mature teenagers.
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Review by: Josef Klam
