Clements, Andrew. Things hoped for.

CLEMENTS, Andrew. Things hoped for. Penguin, Philomel. 176p. c2006. 0-399-24350-X. $16.99. JS

Gwen, age 17, has come to live with her grandfather in Manhattan so she can prepare for violin auditions at the top music schools there. Then her grandfather mysteriously disappears, leaving her a message not to tell anyone he's gone, and she meets Robert, a teenager who is also in town for music auditions. Out shopping one day, they see the shadow of a man without being able to see the man himself, and Robert tells her it's an invisible man; he himself has had experience being invisible (related in Things Not Seen), he finally explains. Meanwhile, Gwen's great-uncle, desperate for money, is trying to contact her grandfather, to get him to sell the house, and the unscrupulous invisible man sees an opportunity to profit. A discovery in the basement freezer brings events to a surprising climax.

Those who enjoyed Things Not Seen will want to read this sequel, but it can stand on its own. It's not quite as gripping or successful a tale, since the invisible person isn't the narrator this time around and it doesn't entirely revolve around the always-fascinating idea of what it might be like to be invisible. However, there is considerable suspense, and Gwen's strong feelings for music and her family are clearly conveyed. Paula Rohrlick, KLIATT