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 arrangements in New York city. ( )

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 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. ( )

Still trying to make sense of Things Hoped For ( )

Still trying to make sense of Things Hoped For ( )

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 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! ( )