Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Puffin Books (Penguin Group)
Pages
167
Description
Seventeen-year-old Gwen, who has been living with her grandfather in Manhattan while she attends music school, joins up with another music student to solve the mystery when her grandfather suddenly goes missing.
Description
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 could have foretold. . . ."
Series
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
167 p.; 7.75 inches
ISBN
014241073X / 9780142410738
Similar in this library
Lexile
770L
User reviews
LibraryThing member jnogal
What? Grandpa's dead in the freezer? What? He KNEW he'd soon be dead and he wanted to not be a bother to others, Gwen??? Didn't he think finding him dead in the freezer would be kind of disturbing? Also - what? A girl living basically alone in NYC invites a basic stranger to stay with her alone?
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What's that??? All the descriptions of the music - the rise and fall, etc.... I'm musical and understood it, but I would only care to read about it in much shorter pieces and fewer times. It felt like filler. I can't believe Grandpa knew he was going to die and put himself in the freezer. The addition of William seemed unnecessary and like filler too. I LOVE Andrew Clements books and have read: Frindle, The Landry News, Lunch Money, School Story, A Week In the Woods, Things Not Seen, and this one. The others are great, but this one's not. I'll try No Talking next and hope for better. Show Less
LibraryThing member JRlibrary
Gwen, an aspiring violinist, lives with her Grandfather in New York, so she can attend a prestigious music school, and practice. One day, when she returns home from school, there is a strange message from her grandfather on their answering machine explaining that he has to go away for a while, and
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that she should not tell anyone, and especially not her Uncle Hank. The uncle is pressuring her grandfather to sell the house so he can make money. Gwen has music auditions coming up and it is important that she concentrate. It's a bit tough with her grandfather missing. Later, she meets a character from a previous Clements books, Things Not Seen, and he eventually tells her a bit about his past. They accidentally discover the whereabouts of Gwen's grandfather, and she manages to deal with all of it, as well as pull off a great audition. It is possible that there will be a third book but not likely. Show Less
LibraryThing member MssJos
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
For instance, she runs into Robert (yes, Bobby from Things 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.
Gwen is
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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 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.
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LibraryThing member mochap
I didn't realize this is essentially a sequel to another book, so I realized toward the middle that I was missing some essential context. I didn't feel the book held together well--started out believable and interesting, then deteriorated at the mid-point into a quasi-mystery/supernatural story.
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Not recommended Show Less
LibraryThing member YouthGPL
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
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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 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
LibraryThing member emmaaa
A girl named Gwen lives with her grandfather in New York while focusing on becoming a wonderful violinist when one day she comes home and her grandfather is gone but has left a message for her. She is to keep the house running while he is gone and not to worry; everything will be okay. She is not
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to tell ANYONE that he is gone. This all happened a week before her big college auditions. Gwen is fine taking care of herself because she has done if for awhile now but there is one problem, her uncle Hank. He wants her grandfather to sell the house that he lives in because they share ownership. He keeps coming around and Gwen has to lie saying her grandfather is not there. Along the way, Gwen meets Robert. Robert stays with Gwen for awhile to help her practice and because it is scary living alone. After about a week, they astonishly find her grandfather dead in their large freezer downstairs. He knew he was dying but wanted Gwen to get through her auditions so she could get a college scholarship and not be distracted by her grandfathers death. He loved her so much and knew that she was a talented girl and left money for her to make it through college. She stayed strong but missed her grandfather. She finished her auditions even though her grandfather dies just a couple of days before. I would recommend this book to teens who might like music and mysteries. This book was full of surprises, especially the finding of grandfather. There are 167 pages. Show Less
LibraryThing member Lizzybeth23
Second in the series behind Things Not Seen. Very good, just as humorous, and quite mysterious.
LibraryThing member FrenchHornFroggy
So great. But that's considering I read it a long time ago. I liked it more than the first in the series, but that might be because it involved more music. xD
LibraryThing member FHFroggy
So great. But that's considering I read it a long time ago. I liked it more than the first in the series, but that might be because it involved more music. xD
LibraryThing member SilverKitty
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
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 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!
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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 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!
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LibraryThing member SandyAMcPherson
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
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 arrangements in New York city.
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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 arrangements in New York city.
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Awards
Call number
J4A.Cle