Customer Reviews

Things Hoped For

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the follow up to the amazing novel, Things Not Seen. This book is not nearly as good as the first one, but is still definitely worth the read. It is about 17 year old Gwen Page, who is an aspiring classical violinist, living with her Grandfather in New York City. One day, her grandfather disappears, leaving behind only a very mysterious phone message. Gwen then meets Robert (Bobby) the protagonist from Things Not Seen, and together they unravel this mystery. This book has a good set up, but the way it ends is disappointing. The main character is also not very interesting. I liked the way it connects to Things Not Seen, and if you haven't read that, you definitely should. Andrew Clements writing style is flawless, and though the plot is a little disappointing, it's still definitely worth reading.

"Things Hoped For" is a follow-up to Andrew Clements's amazing novel, "Things Not Seen." I won't say exactly how, or why, I'll let it be a surprise as to just how --- as it was for me.

If you haven't read "Things Not Seen," I recommend finding it and reading it before reading this book. It's a bit longer, but just as enjoyable, and you'll soon be done and ready to go onto this. This book can definitely be enjoyed without reading "Things Not Seen," but I highly recommend reading it.

"Things Hoped For" is about a girl who's approaching her final auditions for music school. She already has a lot to deal with in her life when her Grandpa drops a bombshell --- he's left the house that he's letting her stay in and he's left her a message asking her to watch over it without letting anyone know that he's gone. It's a lot to ask and the pressure starts to build, but then she discovers someone special and unique. He not only helps her out, but he also becomes a friend --- something that she hasn't made time for in her life recently.


For those who read "Things Not Seen," "Things Hoped For" is the sequel you've been hoping for. For those that haven't, now is the time to discover this series.

"Things Hoped For" by Andrew Clements (#039924350x)
is an exciting 'upper-level' novel by an author with those same qualities. Readers can thoroughly enjoy this book without first encountering "Things Not Seen" which preceded it. The author shares an unusual perspective on the intense performance jitters of music students, involving readers who hope for their success.

The tensions parallel more ordinary aspects faced by all high-schoolers, ones they wrestle with each day. With students at music prep schools, there are time restraints & practice goals to contend with as they try to make space for more normal elements of adolescence. Gwen Page comes from West Virginia to study violin and assess her skills against future opportunities. She teams up with Robert, a Chicago student who is also in NYC on track for auditions. Music permeates the background of a story in which ideas about study, concentration & motivation can be applied to the lives of many.

The characters are strong but even they find shocking some of what happens to them. They try to make sense of a situation created by the grandfather with whom Gwen lives. The way in which he fights for his old & valuable brownstone will make an indelible impression on readers. "Things Hoped For" has a storyline that may cause skepticism, yet can help young people learn to focus on their own more believable problems. Clements has a deft hand that draws readers in swiftly and carries them along until many pages later they are somewhat breathless. The possibilities in friendship, the 'sweats' of going through the maze of growing up and the sweetness of a trumpet honoring a slain musician, "Hey Jude" - - all contribute to a fantastical novel that reviewer mcHAIKU recommends highly.

Gwen is a driven musician. She is seventeen years old and a very talented violinist. As there weren't many opportunities for her to study music in her West Virginia town, she took her grandfather up on his offer to live with him in Manhattan and attend an exclusive private high school focused on music.

Every ounce of Gwen's being is concentrated on her upcoming auditions for music colleges. She practices for hours a day and tries to limit distractions. That is one reason she is so distraught by the fighting between her grandfather and his younger brother, who keeps showing up at their house and shouting about money.

Then just days before her auditions, Gwen's grandfather disappears. He leaves an answering-machine message for her, instructing her to go on as normal and not to let anyone know that he isn't at home. Of course, Gwen finds these instructions very difficult, and she is extremely concerned about her grandfather's welfare. But because she is brave and organized, she does her best to get through this difficult situation.

Gwen is a great character, a strong high school student who has goals and a plan to achieve them. I really liked the details of her relationship with her grandfather, and I liked her relationship with Robert. It was nice to see his character again, after reading about him in an earlier book by this author. It was really interesting to see him from inside a different character's head, and I liked the ways his history was incorporated into Gwen's story.

While I found it interesting to see Bobby/Robert from the eyes of a different character, those eyes were incredibly boring ones. Gwen was a flat character in a flat book serving as filler. The sole purpose of this book seems to have been the introduction of William. If the series continues, it'd be good to see Gwen again and have some growth for her character, but as the series stands so far, she seems pointless. This whole book seems pointless. Bobby and Alicia's story could have moved along with the first and third books alone. The very existence of this book makes no sense. I don't have much else to say--boring book, boring characters, the reappearances of Bobby and Alicia were the only reasons I kept reading.

Rating: 1/5

I have to say that this is a really good series. I am very disapointed at the endings for Things Hoped For and Things That Are,they just leave you hanging.It makes you wonder whats gonna happen.Then you try to turn the page to see whats gonna happen and you realize its the end of the book. As much as I loved the series and would recommend it to anyone,I just wish the ending for the last 2 books were better.

What would you do if you were living in New York City with your grandfather to study music? If you liked music it'd be awesome, right? Now imagine if your grandfather vanished and all he left you was a strange message. Gwen Page faces these challenges in the 176 page book, Things Hoped For by Andrew Clements.
Gwen Page comes to New York City to audition for a music school and is living with her grandfather. One night her grandfather suddenly just disappears and Gwen doesn't know what's happened to him. All that Gwen has is a message recording from her grandfather that is telling her that he is gone (not even telling her where he is) and telling her not to tell anyone or get anyone really involved. And most of all, the message said not to tell his brother he was gone or else his brother would sell the house. Follow Gwen as she tries to figure out what has happened to her grandfather and meets a friend to help her along the way.
My favorite part of the book was when Gwen came home and found the recording because it is so well written and it made me want to read more.
The most important thing I learned from this book is that even the bravest of people still get scared sometimes and when you reach an obstacle in your life all you have to do to overcome it is think ahead.
Other books by this author are Extra Credit, Report Card, Lunch Money, and Frindle.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good book that takes you on a journey.

Having read and loved the first book, "Things Not Seen," I found the sequel, "Things Hoped For," unimpressive. After the initial chapter and Alicia finding her grandfather missing, the first half of the book dragged on, about her fears and pressures. Only after she met Robert does it get interesting, but in the end, how has she really changed? She could play her music better, realized that her grandfather loved her, and learned about the existence of invisible people. Not exactly enlightening. Robert was the one who strategized to catch the antagonist, and that was quickly revealed in the story wrap-up. After the initial lull of the first half of the book, the action and twists in the last half seemed much too fast and unsatisfying. Even the antagonist appeared much too briefly and then was gone.

There is a girl named Gwen, who has a musical audition coming up and a guy named Robert, who also has a musical audition coming up. They are trying to get into the same school. Robert is going to stay at Gwen's house till their auditions are over. Gwen is staying with her grandpa, who leaves a message saying he is going to be gone for a few days. So they mostly just practice in Gwen's basement for their auditions. One day they wanted to have steak for dinner. Robert went down to the basement and when he opened the refrigerator, Gwen's grandpa was in there dead. Gwen called her parent's and they said they were going to come there. When they got there the next day, they went to the police station. Gwen's grandpa had left a letter. You will have to read the rest of the book to see what the letter said and to see what happens.

In my opinion, this book, Things Hoped For, is not as interesting as the first book in this series, Things Not Seen. One appealing and interesting part for me was when they talked about the instruments they played, since I like music and am learning an instrument. It was mysterious when the grandpa goes missing, and a little scary and creepy when he is found dead in the freezer. It turns out he died of natural causes, and he had gotten into the freezer himself, with a way to escape. I thought it was strange that no funeral was mentioned and there was not much about grief or sadness. In real life, when someone dies, there is always a lot of sadness to go around, and usually a funeral or some sort of ceremony. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in this series, or anyone interested in music and learning an instrument.