Gwendolyn Page (Gwen) has been blessed with great musical talent. She loves playing the violin and is thrilled to be living with her grandfather in his Manhattan brownstone. This arrangement allows Gwen the chance to study at a private high school for the performing arts and gives her family back home in West Virginia some peace and quiet.

THINGS HOPED FOR, the sequel to THINGS NOT SEEN, is a coming-of-age story that revolves around Gwen's dream of becoming a professional musician. Told in Gwen's voice, it takes place during her senior year in high school. She is just a few weeks away from her auditions at Julliard and the Manhattan School of Music. Gwen's grandfather cares so much about her dream that he had a special soundproof room built in the basement of his brownstone so she wouldn't have to stay late at school to practice.

Shortly after the novel begins, Gwen arrives home from school to discover her grandfather missing and a note explaining that he had to go away for a while. He left instructions on the answering machine telling her how to get money if she needs it and to keep his disappearance a secret. Gwen does her best to go about her daily routine, but it becomes increasingly difficult to keep her secret. Uncle Hank constantly drops by demanding to see his brother; he wants to sell the house, which they both own, to get money for his ailing business. Gwen doesn't know how long she can continue to fool her uncle.

This is where Robert, the main character from THINGS NOT SEEN, comes into the story. Gwen sees Robert at a cafe one evening and discovers she had met him the summer before at the Tanglewood Institute. Robert is a trumpet player and in town for his auditions. He becomes instrumental in helping Gwen deal with her situation with her uncle. The novel contains a subplot about a secret from Robert's past that he's been keeping from Gwen. This doesn't do much to further the story except to help build a level of trust between Gwen and Robert.

THINGS HOPED FOR is a story filled with passion, love and loss. Gwen is a determined girl who won't let anything stand in the way of her dreams. This is a literary departure for Andrew Clements, who is best known for his middle grade novels with school settings. Readers of THINGS NOT SEEN will enjoy seeing how Robert's life becomes intertwined with Gwen's. I recommend this book to anyone who has had a dream and has worked hard to make it come true.