Fifteen Minutes

A magic ring turns a teenager into a body-switching psychopath in this unmemorable tale. Like most 16-year-old boys, Simon Druford, self-professed nerd, just wants to be cool and get laid (not necessarily in that order). On a trip to visit his grandparents in Seattle, Simon is surprised to discover that prim and proper Granny has dumped "deadbeat" Grandpa and gone grunge, complete with recreational drugs, magenta hair, and "enough makeup to spackle a bullet-ridden wall with." Unfortunately, Granny's health isn't up to her new lifestyle. On her deathbed, she tells Simon about her magic ring, which allows the wearer to temporarily acquire the body and memories of another person, and he saws off her fingers to take it. As Simon seeks wealth by mimicking an evil banker and a local gangster, the novel's initial promise is squandered on one-note characters and a dragging plot. (July)