Fifteen Minutes by Karen KingsburyReviewed by Angela D. Meyer
Fiction Addict Blog Tours
Genre: Drama
Publisher: Howard Books
Pub Date: October 29, 2013
Karen Kingsbury’s new book asks the question: What Would You Sacrifice For Fame?
(Synopsis from Amazon.com) Zack Dylan made a promise to God and his college sweetheart as he left his family’s horse farm in Kentucky to compete on the popular reality television show Fifteen Minutes: If he makes it, the fame won’t change him.
Overnight, Zack is the nation’s most popular contestant, a country singer with the looks and voice of a young Elvis. As his star rises, Zack is asked to compromise and quiet his beliefs, and also something more. Something Zack could never have imagined. Just as America is falling in love with Zack, just as he’s on the verge of winning it all, his choices lead him to the brink of personal disaster.
At the same time, Reese Weatherly, a therapeutic horse instructor, is no longer sure about her relationship with Zack, or the wedding they had dreamed about. While Zack advances from one round of the competition to the next, an offer comes to Reese—one that will take her to a home halfway around the world.
Then Chandra Olson—reigning diva pop star and one of the Fifteen Minutes judges—intervenes. Chandra has suffered so much public pain and private agony since her days as a Fifteen Minutes contestant. Now she wants just one thing: meaning.
Can Chandra’s private losses help Zack find his way, or will his fifteen minutes of fame cause him to lose the life he once loved? Fifteen Minutes is a story of character, compromise, and the cost of having it all. A story that raises the question: Who are the real winners?
My Review
Once again, Karen Kingsbury tells a story that takes us straight to the heart of the matter.
In 15 Minutes, Karen takes us straight to the question of; “where can our dreams take us?” Having a dream can give life purpose or it can suck our life dry of purpose.
That’s the challenge facing Zack. Unprepared for the onslaught of choices, the invitation to compromise, and the temptation of having it all, he flirts with things he never dreamed he would. Ultimately discovering who he really is and what he really wants.
Leading us directly into the competition of the show 15 Minutes, Karen paints a picture of the pressures and temptations facing those who pursue fame. A reality most of us couldn’t imagine.
She weaves together various perspectives of the effects of one person’s choices. Whether our dream is fame or some other pursuit, they are never just about us. With each choice that leads us closer or further away, those around us are touched as well.
A timely story well told. In a day when anyone can pursue almost any dream, it’s important to count the cost.
Fifteen Minutes is available to purchase from Amazon.com.
Note: I received this book as part of the Fifteen Minutes blog tour from Fiction Addict. I received no compensation for this review and only received a copy of the book for review purposes. Review copy provided by the publisher.
