15 Minutes (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: 15 Minutes Loretta Gaffney Young, Steve 15 Minutes. HarperCollins, 2006172p Library ed. ISBN 0-06-072509-5$16.89 Trade ed. ISBN 0-06-072508-7$15.99 Ad Gr. 3-6 Fifteen minutes isn't a lot of time, but it's enough to fail a pop quiz, say something really stupid to a girl, fumble a pass, or get dunked headfirst into a boys'-room toilet by a popular jock. It's also the amount of time that the Go-back machine embedded in Casey Little's watch can rewind, and after discovering the time-traveling properties of his watch, Casey begins rewinding time on a regular basis in order to fix his blunders. Once Casey goes back to a quiz and a football practice with foreknowledge of the answers and a crucial play, respectively, he also discovers that the Go-back can lead him to academic and football glory. His newfound status as a football hero and his knack for knowing exactly what to say gains him the attentions of the popular and pretty Danielle but leads him to avoid the tomboyish (but, of course, equally pretty) Nina, who knows about the Go-back machine and disapproves of Casey's ill-begotten popularity. With its dorkily clever asides, accessible self-referentiality, and goofy humor, this is likely to appeal to the middle-grade fans of Captain Underpants and the Time Warp Trio (in fact, both Pilkey and Scieszka receive in-text shout-outs). The glib quippiness soon begins to wear, however, and there's not enough energy in the predictable plot to reinvigorate things. Nevertheless, fans of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure will appreciate the corny and frenetic humor, and they'll revel in the guilty pleasures of rewinding time. Copyright © 2006 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois