Things Hoped For

Seventeen-year-old Gwen is preparing to audition for New York City’s top music schools when her grandfather mysteriously disappears, leaving Gwen only a phone message telling her not to worry. But there’s nothing more stressful than practicing for her auditions, not knowing where her grandfather is, and being forced to lie about his whereabouts when her insistent great-uncle demands an audience with him. Then Gwen meets Robert, also in town for music auditions, and the two pair up to brave the city without supervision. As auditions approach and her great-uncle becomes more aggressive, Gwen and Robert make a startling discovery. Suddenly Gwen’s hopes are turned upside down, and she and Robert are united in ways neither of them show more could have foretold. show less

Wait, what? Ok, this one does *not* stand alone. A slow (for me) start, exciting second half, and wtf ending. Upon serious, thoughtful reflection, I can figure out some themes and ideas, but only by remembering themes from the first. And the part about William, well, there had better be a revelation of the relevance of that, come the third book. Otherwise, too melodramatic, and also too random.

If you've been following my reviews, you know that I mistakenly read this series out of order. Having done that, I was prepared to dislike Gwen, the narrator of this book. However, I was unprepared for how very likable, relatable, and impressively strong and talented Gwen was going to be.

Gwen is originally from a small town in West Viriginia but now lives in New York City with her Grandfather where she attending music school. Gwen plays the violin with amazing devotion and is trying desperately to focus on her music to prepare for her college auditions at the top music school in New York (one being Juilliard), but some major interruptions prevent her from being able to do this.

For instance, she runs into Robert (yes, Bobby from Things show more Not Seen) who is in NYC preparing for his own music school auditions. Gwen has typically been so busy with her music that she hasn't made any time for friends, boyfriends, or even casual acquaintances. After just one trip to a jazz concert, Robert and Gwen's lives are linked to each other in ways neither of them had prepared for.

Gwen's grandfather has disappeared, leaving her alone to face her angry great uncle Hank who has been harassing her grandfather a lot lately. Not to mention the strange man she and Robert encounter while shopping one day who is unpredictable and somewhat terrifying. This would be too much to handle for some 17-year-old girls, but Gwen is "The Brave One," the one who left West Virginia to pursue her music career in the most exciting city in America. Through the ups and downs of the novel, Gwen remains extremely level-headed and practical, pretty impressive considering the stress she is under. With Robert, Gwen learns about the true meaning of friendship, family, and her own inner strength. Clements gives Gwen some impressive qualities, such as her Christianity that shines through, and some quotable quotes such as:

"I have my own story, and I love my story, but I know I can't tell it alone, not
now. Because stories have centers, but they don't have edges. No boundaries. And
I needed to learn that."
Overall, I enjoyed Things Hoped For much more than I thought I would. There were a few things that were a little too neat and tidy, and Clements' teenagers are some of the most responsible, well-behaved, non-hormonal teenagers I have ever read about, but I think that's why I like them.

I may not be able to use this series as classroom novels, but I would definitely recommend all 3 of the books to my students. Reading all three of the novels would be a great way to teach students about perspective and point of view. show less

A follow up to Things Not Seen, so it wasn't surprising that some aspects carried on, such as featuring Robert (Bobby, from the first book), though new characters are introduced. The story had a very strange set up regarding the missing grandfather. This part of the narrative developed weirdly, and felt contrived to add a mysterious situation. Hard to judge whether it was appropriate in the context of the intended reading audience.

Maybe I missed the point, but William was an additional complexity that was at odds with the story around the main characters. Readers might well wonder why introduce this additional drama which doesn't really add to the theme of Gwen and Robert pursuing musical careers and the difficulties around their living show more arrangements in New York city. show less

An interesting companion novel to "Things Not Seen". It takes a bit of a different direction, and I'm hoping the third book of this trilogy will tie everything together.

Gwen Page loves music above everything else; roaming far from her rural West Virginia roots, she's staying in New York with her distant but loving grandfather to practice for upcoming auditions. Big name schools are on the horizon, and Gwen wants to give her beloved violin music her full attention.

But the story Gwen imagines for herself quickly gets tangled up. Her grandfather disappears, leaving her with only a cryptic answering machine message as a clue. Her belligerent great-uncle is relentless in his demands for money. And now her only ally alone in a big city is a show more teenage trumpet player named Robert (also known as Bobby, the previous book's protagonist).

I liked Gwen okay as a narrator; her obvious passion for music and the way she learned to play and describe it was interesting. It was also good to see Bobby through someone else's eyes; I think a lot got added to his character here through his friendly interactions with Gwen. And a little bit more dimension got added to the "invisible" story. I'm looking forward to the final book. show less

Seventeen-year-old Gwen lives with her grandfather in New York City where she studies music. Right before she is to audition for college her grandfather disappears, telling her to tell no one that he has gone. Gwen manages to hold off her great uncle Hank and practice for her audition. She meets Robert who is also in town for auditions. Her grandfather is found rather dramatically, and another strange event occurs. The story ends right as she goes for her first audition.

I have enjoyed Clements' writing style in some of his other books, and I enjoyed his writing style in this one. I loved the emphasis on music, and reading about the musical thoughts and experiences that both Gwen and Robert had were a glimpse into another world. Don't we show more all read at least partly for that glimpse? That said, both the finding of the grandfather and the experience with the invisible man were downright creepy! show less

Susan says: I have always known Andrew Clements as the author of light books with a message, mostly about school. But this book was incredibly creepy and seemed to wrap up too soon. Gwen lives in New York with her grandfather and is finishing her senior year of high school. She is a talented musician and is getting ready for auditions for Juillard and other music conservatories. Then she meets Robert, who was the focus of Clements' Things Not Seen (where he is invisible for about a month). He is also a talented musician and is in town for his auditions as well. There is a mystery involving Gwen's grandfather, who disappears right before the auditions and turns up dead in their freezer. There is also a mystery involving an invisible man show more who is very creepy as well. This seems like too much for such a short book, but it is a good book, and the suspense keeps it going. Might be a good book for book club? show less