Things Hoped for
Penguin Young Readers Group · Paperback · April 17, 2008
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.
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- Who it’s for
- Audition pressure and family uncertainty give this city-set story its restless pull.
- Themes
- Music and ambition, Family uncertainty, Independence and friendship
- Pacing
- Mixed
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For older readers: Return to Me, Will Grayson, Will Grayson, Soundtrack: a Novel
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Start with this bookAbout this book
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.
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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. . . .
Music, Mystery, Partnership
Audition pressure and family uncertainty give this city-set story its restless pull.
Come here for
- Music-school auditions and the nerve of navigating the city unsupervised
- A new partnership formed amid family secrets and uncertainty
Expect
- A young-adult story balancing musical ambition with mounting tension
- Friendship growing alongside a mystery about Gwen’s missing grandfather
Where it sits
| Music Stories | 73% |
|---|---|
| Multigenerational Families | 56% |
| Growing Up | 47% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Multigenerational Families
- Music Stories
- Friendship
- Authors
- Andrew Clements
- Publisher
- Penguin Young Readers Group
- Published
- April 17, 2008
- Format
- Paperback
- Theme
- Music and ambition · Family uncertainty · Independence and friendship
- Reading lane
- Multigenerational Families