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180 Seconds
Some people live their entire lives without changing their perspective. For Allison Dennis, all it takes is 180 seconds…
After a life spent bouncing from one foster home to the next, Allison is determined to keep others at arm’s length. Adopted at sixteen, she knows better than to believe in the permanence of anything. But as she begins her third year in college, she finds it increasingly difficult to disappear into the white noise pouring from her earbuds.
One unsuspecting afternoon, Allison is roped into a social experiment just off campus. Suddenly, she finds herself in front of a crowd, forced to interact with a complete stranger for 180 seconds. Neither she, nor Esben Baylor, the dreamy social media star seated opposite her, is prepared for the outcome.
When time is called, the intensity of the experience overwhelms Allison and Esben in a way that unnerves and electrifies them both. With a push from her oldest friend, Allison embarks on a journey to find out if what she and Esben shared is the real thing—and if she can finally trust in herself, in others, and in love.
After a life spent bouncing from one foster home to the next, Allison is determined to keep others at arm’s length. Adopted at sixteen, she knows better than to believe in the permanence of anything. But as she begins her third year in college, she finds it increasingly difficult to disappear into the white noise pouring from her earbuds.
One unsuspecting afternoon, Allison is roped into a social experiment just off campus. Suddenly, she finds herself in front of a crowd, forced to interact with a complete stranger for 180 seconds. Neither she, nor Esben Baylor, the dreamy social media star seated opposite her, is prepared for the outcome.
When time is called, the intensity of the experience overwhelms Allison and Esben in a way that unnerves and electrifies them both. With a push from her oldest friend, Allison embarks on a journey to find out if what she and Esben shared is the real thing—and if she can finally trust in herself, in others, and in love.
300 pages, Paperback
First published April 25, 2017
About the author
Jessica Park
18 books4,224 followersJessica is the author of 180 SECONDS, CLEAR, The Left Drowning Series (LEFT DROWNING and RESTLESS WATERS), the New York Times bestselling FLAT-OUT LOVE (& the companion novella FLAT-OUT MATT), FLAT-OUT CELESTE, and RELATIVELY FAMOUS. She lives in New Hampshire where she spends an obscene amount time thinking about rocker boys and their guitars, complex caffeinated beverages, and tropical vacations. On the rare occasions that she is able to focus on other things, she writes.
Please visit her at jessicapark.me and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorjessic... and Twitter @JessicaPark24
Please visit her at jessicapark.me and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorjessic... and Twitter @JessicaPark24
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,411 reviews
February 14, 2020
Allison is walking back to her dorm room one day when someone pulls her over to sign a form. With her headphones in and need to minimize socializing she goes to sign it and is roped into a social experiment video being conducted by a social media star, Esben, where people sit at a table staring at one another for 180 seconds straight. The intensity of it cause Allison to drop her guard and they end up kissing before Allison panics and runs away. The video blows up and goes viral and Allison's best friend Steffi flies out from LA to get her into talking to Esben. As Alison starts to spend time with Esben she learns to let down her walls and let go of her past.
I would have given this 4.5 stars if we had 1/2 stars but we don't so now I'm just being petty and rounding down but that's because of goodreads and has nothing to do with this book. Granted at times it can be cheesy and sentimental, all of that still seemed to work for me. The romance was sweet and things unfolded slowly and watching Allison grow as a person was really heartening. Sometimes you just need a feel good story where the character grows and learns to live a more open and vulnerable life style because all of us could use a little help with that. I did cry a lot reading this though but I do tend to get ten times more emotional when reading, and I'm pretty emotional to begin with. Also the last scene was a little too saccharine for me but it was nice how everything circled back around in the end.
So if you're looking for a feel good romance to curl up with or if you just are in an emotional mood and need to cry and then come out feeling better regardless this is a good choice.
I would have given this 4.5 stars if we had 1/2 stars but we don't so now I'm just being petty and rounding down but that's because of goodreads and has nothing to do with this book. Granted at times it can be cheesy and sentimental, all of that still seemed to work for me. The romance was sweet and things unfolded slowly and watching Allison grow as a person was really heartening. Sometimes you just need a feel good story where the character grows and learns to live a more open and vulnerable life style because all of us could use a little help with that. I did cry a lot reading this though but I do tend to get ten times more emotional when reading, and I'm pretty emotional to begin with. Also the last scene was a little too saccharine for me but it was nice how everything circled back around in the end.
So if you're looking for a feel good romance to curl up with or if you just are in an emotional mood and need to cry and then come out feeling better regardless this is a good choice.
January 4, 2019
Apparently, I'm the only one who doesn't love this book. Huh.
*Unpopular opinion, alert!*
I want to start off by saying that I'm a HUGE Jessica Park fan. Flat-Out Love and Flat-Out Celeste are both 5-star reads for me and total comfort food. I adored the quirky, fun humor of those books, and I was fully on board trying any and all Jessica Park stories. However, 180 Seconds was nothing like I was expecting.
My overall feeling after finishing the story was that I was emotionally manipulated. Now, of course it is the author's job to make the readers feel, but that all has to happen organically. It is the author's job to get the readers so immersed in the story, so in tune with the characters that they can't help but feel what the characters are feeling. However, that takes skill and effort. It is far simpler to use tried and true "heart-tuggers" as easy ploys to get the reader to experience emotion, but that isn't how I like to read a story. Don't try to manipulate me with plot twists that have been done time and time again and expect me to feel strong feelings.
I'm pretty surprised at the overwhelming love that I've seen so far for this story. Truth be told, the basic plot is one that I've read many times in different forms. I've read a lot of romances about former foster kids, and more stories about homeless teens, foster kids, and adoptees than I can count. However, this one was... different than most.
I was expecting a lot of angst and pain due to Allison's past, but I'd even go so far to say that this book was... cushy. Though Allison ended up in foster care and was bounced around a lot, the emotional effects of which I could never begin to comprehend, the Allison that we see in the story has a great life. She goes to an elite private college, is objectively pretty, and has access to all the trappings of life. Allison's adoptive dad is patient, loyal, handsome and RICH. In fact, he is an example of one of the MANY "golden figures" in the story. 180 Seconds suffers from a rash of characters without flaws, characters who are portrayed as perfect and don't waver from that ideal throughout the book.
I've been putting off discussing Esben, whose name I mistakenly read as Esteban at first (but, no, no persons of color in this lily-white story). I really didn't get Esben. He is a god-like combo of Brandon from Humans of New York and any other of the "do-gooders" portrayed on Instagram. While Esben's motivations are revealed more and more throughout the story, I didn't get him as a character at all. He is this unrealistic combo of patient, loving, kind, devoted, and smart, and Jessica Park never falters from that portrayal. He can literally do no wrong. His character hearkens back to flawless fairy-tales heroes, and goes so far away from a nuanced, full-bodied portrayal that I had trouble even engaging in his parts of the story. To top it off, he is a because, OF COURSE he is. Truth be told, there is nothing that magical about Esben being a good person for his hundreds of thousands of followers. He isn't working with refugees in Syria or bringing water to people in Somalia, and in today's world, that is what would have impressed me.
The book was almost syrupy sweet, and I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. In fact, I had a very good inkling as to what was going to happen, and it turns out I was right. Which was... anticlimactic. I know that we, as readers, were supposed to feel a lot by the twists and turns at the end, but I felt, as I said before, manipulated and jaded.
While this book is undoubtedly well-meaning and will please a lot of readers, it was a disappointment for me. I was expecting something witty and clever, and I got something that felt very done before. Also, it felt surprisingly YA for a story set at the tail end of college. Actually, if these characters had been 16, the tone would have fit better and I might have been impressed with the story. All in all, though I know some Jessica Park fans will be thrilled by this one, I think many seasoned romance readers will find it lack-luster. Bummer.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
goodreads|instagram|twitter|blog
*Unpopular opinion, alert!*
I want to start off by saying that I'm a HUGE Jessica Park fan. Flat-Out Love and Flat-Out Celeste are both 5-star reads for me and total comfort food. I adored the quirky, fun humor of those books, and I was fully on board trying any and all Jessica Park stories. However, 180 Seconds was nothing like I was expecting.
My overall feeling after finishing the story was that I was emotionally manipulated. Now, of course it is the author's job to make the readers feel, but that all has to happen organically. It is the author's job to get the readers so immersed in the story, so in tune with the characters that they can't help but feel what the characters are feeling. However, that takes skill and effort. It is far simpler to use tried and true "heart-tuggers" as easy ploys to get the reader to experience emotion, but that isn't how I like to read a story. Don't try to manipulate me with plot twists that have been done time and time again and expect me to feel strong feelings.
I'm pretty surprised at the overwhelming love that I've seen so far for this story. Truth be told, the basic plot is one that I've read many times in different forms. I've read a lot of romances about former foster kids, and more stories about homeless teens, foster kids, and adoptees than I can count. However, this one was... different than most.
I was expecting a lot of angst and pain due to Allison's past, but I'd even go so far to say that this book was... cushy. Though Allison ended up in foster care and was bounced around a lot, the emotional effects of which I could never begin to comprehend, the Allison that we see in the story has a great life. She goes to an elite private college, is objectively pretty, and has access to all the trappings of life. Allison's adoptive dad is patient, loyal, handsome and RICH. In fact, he is an example of one of the MANY "golden figures" in the story. 180 Seconds suffers from a rash of characters without flaws, characters who are portrayed as perfect and don't waver from that ideal throughout the book.
I've been putting off discussing Esben, whose name I mistakenly read as Esteban at first (but, no, no persons of color in this lily-white story). I really didn't get Esben. He is a god-like combo of Brandon from Humans of New York and any other of the "do-gooders" portrayed on Instagram. While Esben's motivations are revealed more and more throughout the story, I didn't get him as a character at all. He is this unrealistic combo of patient, loving, kind, devoted, and smart, and Jessica Park never falters from that portrayal. He can literally do no wrong. His character hearkens back to flawless fairy-tales heroes, and goes so far away from a nuanced, full-bodied portrayal that I had trouble even engaging in his parts of the story. To top it off, he is a because, OF COURSE he is. Truth be told, there is nothing that magical about Esben being a good person for his hundreds of thousands of followers. He isn't working with refugees in Syria or bringing water to people in Somalia, and in today's world, that is what would have impressed me.
The book was almost syrupy sweet, and I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. In fact, I had a very good inkling as to what was going to happen, and it turns out I was right. Which was... anticlimactic. I know that we, as readers, were supposed to feel a lot by the twists and turns at the end, but I felt, as I said before, manipulated and jaded.
While this book is undoubtedly well-meaning and will please a lot of readers, it was a disappointment for me. I was expecting something witty and clever, and I got something that felt very done before. Also, it felt surprisingly YA for a story set at the tail end of college. Actually, if these characters had been 16, the tone would have fit better and I might have been impressed with the story. All in all, though I know some Jessica Park fans will be thrilled by this one, I think many seasoned romance readers will find it lack-luster. Bummer.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
goodreads|instagram|twitter|blog
September 4, 2017
4.25 stars!!
I anxiously await every new release Jessica Park puts out. After she wrote one of my all-time favorite reads, Left Drowning, she has become an auto-read author for me. When I read the blurb for 180 Seconds and saw the gorgeous cover, I knew I had to have it. I preordered that paperback the very second I saw it live on Amazon. I guess what I’m trying to say here is that I was hyped up for this release and had very high expectations. I was expecting a book that made me FEEL, one that made me FALL IN LOVE. I am happy to say I got both of those things from this book.
Allison Dennis spent most of her life in the foster care system. She is starting her third year of college and is one of those people who keeps to herself. The only two people she has in her life is the man who adopted her at 16, Simon, and her best friend, Steffie. Steffie and Allison have a beautiful friendship. They are each others person and more like family than anything. Steffie is the only family Allison has ever known and the only person she’s ever truly let in.
Things start to change one day when Allison is minding her own business and gets pulled into a social experiment of sorts. It’s here she meets Esben. Esben and Allison sit across from each other for 180 seconds. Those seconds, those moments, they are so powerful. Honestly, reading that was so moving. I thought it was such a brilliant way to introduce the main characters. You felt their spark, the strong connection they shared. You felt everything.
When Allison gets to know Esben and slowly lets him in, she starts to change. Watching the change in her was such a beautiful thing. Allison was a real and flawed character. I felt for her. I loved how raw and real she was. Esben was pretty perfect. Almost too good to be true. As was Simon. I just adored him. I loved a lot of the characters in this one. I loved the romance between Esben and Allison, but I loved even more that it wasn’t the entire focus of the book. This story is so much more that a romance. It’s an epic journey for Allison. It’s her finding who she is and embracing it. It's her learning to let people in.
180 Seconds has all the things I love in a book. A broken character, emotion, heartbreak, and heartwarming moments. It was’t a sad book per se, but boy did it bring out the tears for me. But there weren't only tears, there was also a lot of laughter and love. Park’s writing is fantastic and her stories are always unique and beautifully written. Allison’s story was genuine and from the heart. I recommend for anyone looking for an emotional NA read.
I anxiously await every new release Jessica Park puts out. After she wrote one of my all-time favorite reads, Left Drowning, she has become an auto-read author for me. When I read the blurb for 180 Seconds and saw the gorgeous cover, I knew I had to have it. I preordered that paperback the very second I saw it live on Amazon. I guess what I’m trying to say here is that I was hyped up for this release and had very high expectations. I was expecting a book that made me FEEL, one that made me FALL IN LOVE. I am happy to say I got both of those things from this book.
Allison Dennis spent most of her life in the foster care system. She is starting her third year of college and is one of those people who keeps to herself. The only two people she has in her life is the man who adopted her at 16, Simon, and her best friend, Steffie. Steffie and Allison have a beautiful friendship. They are each others person and more like family than anything. Steffie is the only family Allison has ever known and the only person she’s ever truly let in.
"Hold on to your one. Remember? I have you, and you have me. And when you’re lucky enough to find one—just one—person in this unforgiving life who makes everything worth it, who you love and trust and would kill for, then you hold on damn tight, because that’s probably all you get.”
Things start to change one day when Allison is minding her own business and gets pulled into a social experiment of sorts. It’s here she meets Esben. Esben and Allison sit across from each other for 180 seconds. Those seconds, those moments, they are so powerful. Honestly, reading that was so moving. I thought it was such a brilliant way to introduce the main characters. You felt their spark, the strong connection they shared. You felt everything.
When Allison gets to know Esben and slowly lets him in, she starts to change. Watching the change in her was such a beautiful thing. Allison was a real and flawed character. I felt for her. I loved how raw and real she was. Esben was pretty perfect. Almost too good to be true. As was Simon. I just adored him. I loved a lot of the characters in this one. I loved the romance between Esben and Allison, but I loved even more that it wasn’t the entire focus of the book. This story is so much more that a romance. It’s an epic journey for Allison. It’s her finding who she is and embracing it. It's her learning to let people in.
180 Seconds has all the things I love in a book. A broken character, emotion, heartbreak, and heartwarming moments. It was’t a sad book per se, but boy did it bring out the tears for me. But there weren't only tears, there was also a lot of laughter and love. Park’s writing is fantastic and her stories are always unique and beautifully written. Allison’s story was genuine and from the heart. I recommend for anyone looking for an emotional NA read.
May 3, 2021
This amazing, smoking hot love story is a metaphor for hope (and universal love.)
The description of Allison and Esben's 180 Second "silent eye contact only" social media experiment was riveting! Jessica Park held me spellbound with Allison's tortured interior monologue. And by the end of this very beautifully written story, I had succumbed to every emotion: laughter, sympathy, unendurable tension and suspense, joy, horror, incredible grief and then downright euphoria. What a great read!
Esben Baylor was a hero in every sense: he transformed a horrifically tragic event in his young life into a reason to be better, kinder, and just generally embrace all the goodness still left in his life.
Instead of dwelling on the bad things clouding their lives, Esben encouraged his social media followers to shift their focus from their troubles and to reach out and trust that there are good people in the world who will lend a supporting hand when it is most needed. We don't all get the silver spoon and the easy ride. Most of us are left on the sidelines watching while others bask in the limelight of fame and glory. But there are still many truly good people out there, and in this very well written story, we watch Eben prove this to Allison - who was so very lost and alone when we first meet her.
How very life affirming this book's message is! I know it isn't fashionable to be hopeful. It is so much easier to be pessimistic, to believe we are all too steeped in selfishness and greed to ever overcome our inhumanity.
Social media is certainly becoming a powerful instrument of change, but there is a Yin and Yang to everything in this Universe and as Esben comes to realize, you cannot please everyone. Esben is often discouraged by the "haters" who sneer at his belief in the basic decency of human beings. There will always be pathologically negative people who choose hate over love, and who embrace despair and doubt instead of serenity, peace and faith.
Life throws a lot of obstacles in the way of Allison and Esben's powerful love story. Their relationship builds slowly - it was truly a pleasure to watch it unfold from that first fateful meeting. The writing was so good that I actually felt like I was watching the action unfold on Youtube. I so highly, highly, highly recommend this book. (This gem is on sale for 99 cents on Amazon - grab this deal while you can!)
The description of Allison and Esben's 180 Second "silent eye contact only" social media experiment was riveting! Jessica Park held me spellbound with Allison's tortured interior monologue. And by the end of this very beautifully written story, I had succumbed to every emotion: laughter, sympathy, unendurable tension and suspense, joy, horror, incredible grief and then downright euphoria. What a great read!
Esben Baylor was a hero in every sense: he transformed a horrifically tragic event in his young life into a reason to be better, kinder, and just generally embrace all the goodness still left in his life.
Instead of dwelling on the bad things clouding their lives, Esben encouraged his social media followers to shift their focus from their troubles and to reach out and trust that there are good people in the world who will lend a supporting hand when it is most needed. We don't all get the silver spoon and the easy ride. Most of us are left on the sidelines watching while others bask in the limelight of fame and glory. But there are still many truly good people out there, and in this very well written story, we watch Eben prove this to Allison - who was so very lost and alone when we first meet her.
How very life affirming this book's message is! I know it isn't fashionable to be hopeful. It is so much easier to be pessimistic, to believe we are all too steeped in selfishness and greed to ever overcome our inhumanity.
Social media is certainly becoming a powerful instrument of change, but there is a Yin and Yang to everything in this Universe and as Esben comes to realize, you cannot please everyone. Esben is often discouraged by the "haters" who sneer at his belief in the basic decency of human beings. There will always be pathologically negative people who choose hate over love, and who embrace despair and doubt instead of serenity, peace and faith.
Life throws a lot of obstacles in the way of Allison and Esben's powerful love story. Their relationship builds slowly - it was truly a pleasure to watch it unfold from that first fateful meeting. The writing was so good that I actually felt like I was watching the action unfold on Youtube. I so highly, highly, highly recommend this book. (This gem is on sale for 99 cents on Amazon - grab this deal while you can!)
June 27, 2017
3 Stars
180 Seconds is the first Jessica Park novel that I've read. The intriguing blurb was the one that pushed me to read this. In a word, this book was captivating. However, it didn't go where I thought it was heading and I kind of expected something a little different.
Allison Dennis left the foster care system at the tender age of 16. She has lived with seventeen different families and transferred from one home to another, but nobody seemed to adopt her permanently. Until the gentle, kind-hearted gay Simon. Her situation allowed her to become aloof and unwilling trust anyone but her childhood best friend Steffi. When she began her third year in College in Andrews College, she didn't plan to make new friends. One day, she was involved in a social experiment led by the famous social media icon Esben Baylor and found herself sitting in a chair, face-to-face with him, for 180 seconds.
The book started out, well, amazing. There were cute and sweet scenes that made me swoon. And I can't deny it, I was wowed by the intense way the 180 seconds interaction was written. Simon and Allison's heart-to-heart talk also made me bawl my eyes out, as well as Allison's hardcore friendship with Steffi.
I loved Jessica Park's writing style. It wasn't that perfect and flawless for me, but it was good. The things that I didn't quite like in this book include the romance which moved way too quickly and the predictable twist in the near-end. I saw that twist coming right from the beginning so when the bomb dropped, I wasn't shell-shocked at all.
The last remaining chapters were kind of a let-down. Somewhere around 80%, the scenes went unrealistic for my taste and hard to believe. And is it just me or there was something off with the writing from this part? When it comes to the ending, it was satisfying but I'm not sure if I liked the cheesy parts.
If there is one thing that I am most grateful for in this book, it's the absence of bullying. I kind of expected the worst kind of cyber bullying here knowing that Esben is a social media star and all that. But thankfully, there was none.
The message in this book was deep and heart-wrenching. It dealt with subject matters in a balanced, real-world way. There were unrealistic scenes, but to be fair, the book had its cute, sweet, and beautiful moments.
“Sometimes, the unexpected happens. Sometimes, someone makes you break your own rules.”
180 Seconds is the first Jessica Park novel that I've read. The intriguing blurb was the one that pushed me to read this. In a word, this book was captivating. However, it didn't go where I thought it was heading and I kind of expected something a little different.
Allison Dennis left the foster care system at the tender age of 16. She has lived with seventeen different families and transferred from one home to another, but nobody seemed to adopt her permanently. Until the gentle, kind-hearted gay Simon. Her situation allowed her to become aloof and unwilling trust anyone but her childhood best friend Steffi. When she began her third year in College in Andrews College, she didn't plan to make new friends. One day, she was involved in a social experiment led by the famous social media icon Esben Baylor and found herself sitting in a chair, face-to-face with him, for 180 seconds.
“It's going to hurt until it doesn't anymore.”
The book started out, well, amazing. There were cute and sweet scenes that made me swoon. And I can't deny it, I was wowed by the intense way the 180 seconds interaction was written. Simon and Allison's heart-to-heart talk also made me bawl my eyes out, as well as Allison's hardcore friendship with Steffi.
"And when you're lucky enough to find one-- just one-- person in this unforgiving life who makes everything worth it, who you love and trust and would kill for, then you hold on damn tight, because that's probably all you get.
I loved Jessica Park's writing style. It wasn't that perfect and flawless for me, but it was good. The things that I didn't quite like in this book include the romance which moved way too quickly and the predictable twist in the near-end. I saw that twist coming right from the beginning so when the bomb dropped, I wasn't shell-shocked at all.
The last remaining chapters were kind of a let-down. Somewhere around 80%, the scenes went unrealistic for my taste and hard to believe. And is it just me or there was something off with the writing from this part? When it comes to the ending, it was satisfying but I'm not sure if I liked the cheesy parts.
If there is one thing that I am most grateful for in this book, it's the absence of bullying. I kind of expected the worst kind of cyber bullying here knowing that Esben is a social media star and all that. But thankfully, there was none.
“It is allowed, I remind myself, to be wholeheartedly in love.”
The message in this book was deep and heart-wrenching. It dealt with subject matters in a balanced, real-world way. There were unrealistic scenes, but to be fair, the book had its cute, sweet, and beautiful moments.
May 25, 2018
4/5 stars
This was such an emotional contemporary, I went in expecting some cheesy and cliché college love and although it did have a lot of that, this was full of hard and painful subjects. I read this in two sittings (work got in the way or I probably would have finished it in one) and shed so many little tears. I wouldn’t consider this book sad but it was emotional and tugged at my heart.
I loved the premise that is two strangers could be connected and understand each other without even speaking, just 180 seconds of eye contact.
Allison Dennis had lived an incredibly hard life, having been pushed around the foster system from birth to sixteen she only believes she has one person she can rely on, Steffi, her best friend that she met while in the foster system.
After college one night, Allison takes a walk around Maine and gets roped into a social experiment, one that is commonly known as the eye contact experiment. Allison must keep eye contact with a complete stranger for 180 seconds and when Esben sits down, she immediately hates the happiness and calm aura that he emits.
In the 180 seconds the two have a vey strong reaction to the experiment and make a connection that can’t be forgotten. Allison has a hard time dealing with the after effects of the experiment, the video having gone viral and discovering that Esben wasn't a normal college student—he’s internet famous and hell bent on proving there are beautiful people in this world.
This book is filled with Allison’s personal growth and although I felt like the cliché 'love cures all' occasionally made an appearance, I think the majority of Allison’s growth happened because of the influx of new and beautiful people into her life, not just Esben. Allison had spent years segregating herself away from the world and Esben brought a group of people that accepted and loved her simply because he did. The flow on effect of her allowing people to support and love her was realistic and extremely interesting to read about.
This was one of those stories that had a vivid and striking backdrop of characters, the side characters that filled the story had as much importance in how the sequence of events went as the two main characters.
My only issue was with Allison’s inner monologue throughout the eye contact experiment(s), she acted like her eyes were windows and he could understand her every thought and in her mind, and it came across as too much. I feel like the author occasionally missed the mark on making her a tough but vulnerable character, and she came across as irritated and irritating. There is a difference between being sad and wanting to make other people sad. Allison in the beginning seemed to want to make the world sad and cruel, just to make a point.
Originally Allison wasn’t a character who I connected with, I have lived a sometimes difficult life and I have seen some horrible things but I am a person who choses to live and not wallow. I am not one of those continuously happy people don’t get me wrong, I whine and bitch like the rest of the world but can’t stand people who whine and complain constantly, only to make themselves more miserable. In the beginning of this book Allison chose to wallow in her pain, but as the story went on and she began to notice the good in the world I loved the way she reacted. I think she was a realistic character; she was ultimately flawed but kind and loyal.
My favourite relationship throughout the entire book was between Simon and Allison. Simon adopted Allison when she was sixteen and Allison had been distant with him for a long time, feeling as if she wasn’t a good enough daughter and that he might regret adopting her. The way their relationship developed and the absolute love and dedication Simon had for her had me shedding lots of happy emotional tears.
Also on a personal dislike (as I know this may appeal to other people) there was a lot of current slang or what ever you want to call it, like slay. Current but I doubt, lasting terms.
side note: if you're curious about the eye contact experiments, click the link in the beginning of the review and it will take you to one of my favourite videos of the experiment in real life!
“We are not statistics.”
This was such an emotional contemporary, I went in expecting some cheesy and cliché college love and although it did have a lot of that, this was full of hard and painful subjects. I read this in two sittings (work got in the way or I probably would have finished it in one) and shed so many little tears. I wouldn’t consider this book sad but it was emotional and tugged at my heart.
I loved the premise that is two strangers could be connected and understand each other without even speaking, just 180 seconds of eye contact.
Allison Dennis had lived an incredibly hard life, having been pushed around the foster system from birth to sixteen she only believes she has one person she can rely on, Steffi, her best friend that she met while in the foster system.
After college one night, Allison takes a walk around Maine and gets roped into a social experiment, one that is commonly known as the eye contact experiment. Allison must keep eye contact with a complete stranger for 180 seconds and when Esben sits down, she immediately hates the happiness and calm aura that he emits.
“After another few seconds, I resent him. I resent everything about him. Because as his eyes are locked on mine, I feel as though he sees more than the blue of my irises.”
In the 180 seconds the two have a vey strong reaction to the experiment and make a connection that can’t be forgotten. Allison has a hard time dealing with the after effects of the experiment, the video having gone viral and discovering that Esben wasn't a normal college student—he’s internet famous and hell bent on proving there are beautiful people in this world.
This book is filled with Allison’s personal growth and although I felt like the cliché 'love cures all' occasionally made an appearance, I think the majority of Allison’s growth happened because of the influx of new and beautiful people into her life, not just Esben. Allison had spent years segregating herself away from the world and Esben brought a group of people that accepted and loved her simply because he did. The flow on effect of her allowing people to support and love her was realistic and extremely interesting to read about.
This was one of those stories that had a vivid and striking backdrop of characters, the side characters that filled the story had as much importance in how the sequence of events went as the two main characters.
My only issue was with Allison’s inner monologue throughout the eye contact experiment(s), she acted like her eyes were windows and he could understand her every thought and in her mind, and it came across as too much. I feel like the author occasionally missed the mark on making her a tough but vulnerable character, and she came across as irritated and irritating. There is a difference between being sad and wanting to make other people sad. Allison in the beginning seemed to want to make the world sad and cruel, just to make a point.
“For the first time, I look at him as I am. I give him me. I’ll feel everything that I do on a daily basis and send it his way. We’ll see if he can take it. Wordlessly, I can slay him with my anger and pain.”
Originally Allison wasn’t a character who I connected with, I have lived a sometimes difficult life and I have seen some horrible things but I am a person who choses to live and not wallow. I am not one of those continuously happy people don’t get me wrong, I whine and bitch like the rest of the world but can’t stand people who whine and complain constantly, only to make themselves more miserable. In the beginning of this book Allison chose to wallow in her pain, but as the story went on and she began to notice the good in the world I loved the way she reacted. I think she was a realistic character; she was ultimately flawed but kind and loyal.
My favourite relationship throughout the entire book was between Simon and Allison. Simon adopted Allison when she was sixteen and Allison had been distant with him for a long time, feeling as if she wasn’t a good enough daughter and that he might regret adopting her. The way their relationship developed and the absolute love and dedication Simon had for her had me shedding lots of happy emotional tears.
Also on a personal dislike (as I know this may appeal to other people) there was a lot of current slang or what ever you want to call it, like slay. Current but I doubt, lasting terms.
side note: if you're curious about the eye contact experiments, click the link in the beginning of the review and it will take you to one of my favourite videos of the experiment in real life!
June 19, 2017
4 cried my eyes out stars
“It’s going to hurt until it doesn’t anymore.”
180 seconds is about a college junior Allison. After sixteen years of being tossed around the foster care system, unwanted, she was adopted by her father. Now years later in college, she still lacks social skills and would prefer to spend her time studying or in her room. While talking a walk one day, she gets roped into a social experiment where two people stare into each others eyes for 180 seconds, no breaks. The person she does this with is another college junior named Esben, and the experience has a profound effect on the both of them.
“We are engaged in a form of intimacy that scares the absolute hell out of me. It’s as if there is a weight on my chest that I want to shove off, and I’ve never been this terrified before.
Or this whole and hopeful and connected.
My body starts to tremble. I want more of what I’m feeling, and I also want none of it.”
I went into blind and it was wonderful! It was on the sweeter side and more emotional than I usually like my books, but I still really enjoyed it all the same. I love heroines that aren’t the norm, and Allison wormed her way into my heart very early on in the book. This is a story not just about love, but friendship, family and kindness to others. But what I loved most actually was this was a new adult college read: I really missed reading that kind of book, it feels like no one is writing them anymore.
Anyways, if you are up for an intensely emotional novel, this book is the one for you! I really liked it and look forward to more that Park has to offer readers in the future.
“You can't reach what's in front of you until you let go of what's behind you.”
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“It’s going to hurt until it doesn’t anymore.”
180 seconds is about a college junior Allison. After sixteen years of being tossed around the foster care system, unwanted, she was adopted by her father. Now years later in college, she still lacks social skills and would prefer to spend her time studying or in her room. While talking a walk one day, she gets roped into a social experiment where two people stare into each others eyes for 180 seconds, no breaks. The person she does this with is another college junior named Esben, and the experience has a profound effect on the both of them.
“We are engaged in a form of intimacy that scares the absolute hell out of me. It’s as if there is a weight on my chest that I want to shove off, and I’ve never been this terrified before.
Or this whole and hopeful and connected.
My body starts to tremble. I want more of what I’m feeling, and I also want none of it.”
I went into blind and it was wonderful! It was on the sweeter side and more emotional than I usually like my books, but I still really enjoyed it all the same. I love heroines that aren’t the norm, and Allison wormed her way into my heart very early on in the book. This is a story not just about love, but friendship, family and kindness to others. But what I loved most actually was this was a new adult college read: I really missed reading that kind of book, it feels like no one is writing them anymore.
Anyways, if you are up for an intensely emotional novel, this book is the one for you! I really liked it and look forward to more that Park has to offer readers in the future.
“You can't reach what's in front of you until you let go of what's behind you.”
Follow me on ♥ Facebook ♥ Blog ♥ Instagram ♥ Twitter ♥
May 3, 2018
hightime skimmed from 55% onward
this book had so MUCH POTENTIAL imo but really got dragged down with the overwhelming romance plot line, like idk i just found it lowkey cringey at how in luuuuuurrrveee these kids were
could have been such a good read otherwise 😔
1.5 stars!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buddy read with this cutie
honestly this book cover itself deserves 5 stars
May 12, 2020
Jessica Park won me over with Flat-Out Love which was written back in 2012; consequently, I expected more from her recent releases except she seems to have adopted the overly emotive (aka purple prose) method that consistently litters the YA literary space.
The concept for 180 Seconds was intriguing but the execution and characterisation were lacking. DNF @ 50% and sent back to KU.
March 30, 2021
This book did not renew anything to me, but as a YA book it was really sweet. 😍
The book refers to the annoying Y-Generation, the one who is busy all day with himself and social networks... only that in this book - the author turned these networks into something positive - as a tool to help others. 📲
The hero, Esben, is kind of a social media leader who tries (and succeeds) in helping strangers through his social media - to express support, to present diversity as positive and most importantly - to really help... and it was definitely nice to read. 💪💪💪
📚 “𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹?” 𝗘𝘀𝗯𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲. “𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜’𝗺 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂.” 📚
The love story was sweet, but there were too much dramas towards the end in my opinion. 😬
However, since the book is not erotic, my nephews sat with wide eyes listening to me tell them about the plot - and that, to make a difference and open their eyes with this book, was worth everything to me. 😭❤👑
📚 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗖𝗔𝗡’𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗖𝗛 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧��𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗟 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗘𝗧 𝗚𝗢 𝗢𝗙 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧’𝗦 𝗕𝗘𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗗 𝗬𝗢𝗨. 📚
• I listened to the AUDIO version. 🎧
▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️
📖 ᖴOᒪᒪOᗯ ᗰE Oᑎ IᑎᔕTᗩGᖇᗩᗰ: https://www.instagram.com/the_romanti...
📖 ᐯIᔕIT ᗰY ᗷᒪOG ᖴOᖇ ᗰOᖇE ᖇEᐯIEᗯᔕ: https://books-romance.com/
📖 GOOᗪᖇEᗩᗪᔕ: https://bit.ly/3acMRMP
💕 לקריאת הסקירה בעברית, כנסו לבלוג: https://books-romance.com/ 💕
August 16, 2018
This story and these characters are very meh. It started off promising enough and I related a lot to the main character actually. She suffers from some bad depression and anxiety and is socially awkward because of it and I was relating to her a ton. But then once the love interest is introduced it’s almost like her anxiety disappears because she falls in love and she keeps telling herself to be brave and her anxiety just goes away. It’s just not realistic to me that romance solves all your problems - especially with something like anxiety and feeling socially awkward (I should know lol).
This story is about these two characters who meet during a psychology study about staring a stranger in the eyes for 180 seconds. She meets Esben, who is another student at her college who also happens to be a huge viral social media celebrity and also the most optimistic, most nice person in the planet..? Esben was a little too perfect and too optimistic for my taste. He’s someone that I think I would be annoyed by in real life, but that’s just a personal me thing, not really an issue with his character but more of a personal pet peeve.
Overall, this story was okay? Very forgettable plot and characters. My favorite character in this whole book is Simon, our main characters gay adoptive Father.
This story is about these two characters who meet during a psychology study about staring a stranger in the eyes for 180 seconds. She meets Esben, who is another student at her college who also happens to be a huge viral social media celebrity and also the most optimistic, most nice person in the planet..? Esben was a little too perfect and too optimistic for my taste. He’s someone that I think I would be annoyed by in real life, but that’s just a personal me thing, not really an issue with his character but more of a personal pet peeve.
Overall, this story was okay? Very forgettable plot and characters. My favorite character in this whole book is Simon, our main characters gay adoptive Father.
August 1, 2018
OKAY SO. how do i even review this book. obviously i loved it because i gave it 5 stars but it's been sitting unreviewed on my shelf for a while now.... BUT i just have to say this book made me smile so much my cheeks hurt and it also made me ugly cry. so much. it's more than just a fluffy, cheesy contemporary and it touches on so many heavy subjects and doesn't shy away from them. i'm going to write an actual review, i promise.... just let me like, be coherent first and also i love allison and esben with my whole heart, they have the epitome of a Healthy Relationship and thanks for listening
note: this was a buddy read with may, she didn't think as highly of the book as i did and you can read her review here
note: this was a buddy read with may, she didn't think as highly of the book as i did and you can read her review here
March 3, 2019
I adored 180 Seconds so much! This novel was unique, beautiful, poignant and romantic. I swooned. I laughed. I cried. This book really gave me all the feels. I couldn’t stop reading. I loved every single character and the progress. The odds of me ever rereading this book are huge.
Esben is the popular guy at college. He’s outgoing, kind and passionate. Esben is very close to his sister. His sister can count on him. Allison is quite the opposite of Esben. She’s closed off, lonely, smart and kind. Her past has left her a little damaged, but she has finally found a family she can count on. Allison prefers to go unnoticed, so she isn’t too happy when Esben puts her in the spotlight.
Neither Allison or Esben ever expected that only 180 seconds would change them so much. Allison’s life will never be the same after those 180 seconds with Esben, but it will be better. Allison and Esben spend a lot of time together and slowly grow closer. I adore them as a couple. They deserve that love and I’m glad they have each other.
Esben is the popular guy at college. He’s outgoing, kind and passionate. Esben is very close to his sister. His sister can count on him. Allison is quite the opposite of Esben. She’s closed off, lonely, smart and kind. Her past has left her a little damaged, but she has finally found a family she can count on. Allison prefers to go unnoticed, so she isn’t too happy when Esben puts her in the spotlight.
Neither Allison or Esben ever expected that only 180 seconds would change them so much. Allison’s life will never be the same after those 180 seconds with Esben, but it will be better. Allison and Esben spend a lot of time together and slowly grow closer. I adore them as a couple. They deserve that love and I’m glad they have each other.
April 16, 2017
4.5 stars
About a year ago, some videos conducting social experiments between strangers went viral. These videos had complete strangers kiss, hug, look into each other’s eyes, and their reactions were filmed. 180 Seconds centres around one such experiment, one with huge consequences for the two people involved.
I really loved this book. It was an anxious person’s dream – or rather, it was my dream. The story feels a bit like Fangirl in the beginning, where the protagonist has major anxiety and starts college on their own. Cue scenes of them trying to avoid people as much as possible, and generally feeling like they’re not a part of anything.
I felt like Allison’s anxiety was written really well. In my eyes, it felt really realistic. It was a perfect portrayal of how excruciatingly difficult it can be to open yourself up to the world out there, when it’s in your nature to distrust everyone and everything.
So then this experiment happens, and it tears down all her walls in three minutes’ time, it scares the crap out of her. Because – and I know this from experience – feeling things can be one of the most daunting things in the world. The idea of a relationship when you’re so jumbled up? It’s the worst. So this love interest has to be pretty damn special. And he is. Esben is so respectful of her anxiety, he’s patient and doesn’t judge. He’s considerate when she’s fragile – like I said, it’s the dream.
Esben has become kind of a social media sensation by uploading these videos. He’s all about random acts of kindness, spreading the love, and putting people in unexpected situations to see how they respond. Especially these scenes made me smile, because it felt so heart-warming to see him believe in all the good in the world, and I’m an absolute sucker for these kinds of articles. Riling up the internet to make sure a six-year-old has the perfect princess birthday party is just one example of all the amazing things he does.
And supportive parents who are actually in the picture! Simon is Allison’s adoptive father, and he might have been my favourite of all. He was adorable, and his relationship with Allison was really emotional. Their scenes gave me happy tears because she felt so unworthy of love and Simon’s exactly what she needs in a father and it’s amazing.
I also really liked the friendship between Allison and Steffi. Especially in YA, best friends don’t always feel like best friends, but 180 Seconds radiated some truly powerful girl vibes. So when everything with Steffi went down, I couldn’t stop myself from tearing up. I won’t say too much, just that I’m usually an insensitive monster who only cries when something happens to animals, but my damn eyes would not. stay. dry.
This book talks about some pretty powerful and sad stuff and will therefore make you emotional for all the right reasons, but it will also give you mad happy feels until you’re smiling like an idiot. It’s the perfect college contemporary about a late bloomer who’s finally allowing herself to open up to everything, with awesome friendships and a few cute dogs.
Thank you NetGalley / Skyscape for providing me with a copy
About a year ago, some videos conducting social experiments between strangers went viral. These videos had complete strangers kiss, hug, look into each other’s eyes, and their reactions were filmed. 180 Seconds centres around one such experiment, one with huge consequences for the two people involved.
I really loved this book. It was an anxious person’s dream – or rather, it was my dream. The story feels a bit like Fangirl in the beginning, where the protagonist has major anxiety and starts college on their own. Cue scenes of them trying to avoid people as much as possible, and generally feeling like they’re not a part of anything.
I felt like Allison’s anxiety was written really well. In my eyes, it felt really realistic. It was a perfect portrayal of how excruciatingly difficult it can be to open yourself up to the world out there, when it’s in your nature to distrust everyone and everything.
So then this experiment happens, and it tears down all her walls in three minutes’ time, it scares the crap out of her. Because – and I know this from experience – feeling things can be one of the most daunting things in the world. The idea of a relationship when you’re so jumbled up? It’s the worst. So this love interest has to be pretty damn special. And he is. Esben is so respectful of her anxiety, he’s patient and doesn’t judge. He’s considerate when she’s fragile – like I said, it’s the dream.
Esben has become kind of a social media sensation by uploading these videos. He’s all about random acts of kindness, spreading the love, and putting people in unexpected situations to see how they respond. Especially these scenes made me smile, because it felt so heart-warming to see him believe in all the good in the world, and I’m an absolute sucker for these kinds of articles. Riling up the internet to make sure a six-year-old has the perfect princess birthday party is just one example of all the amazing things he does.
And supportive parents who are actually in the picture! Simon is Allison’s adoptive father, and he might have been my favourite of all. He was adorable, and his relationship with Allison was really emotional. Their scenes gave me happy tears because she felt so unworthy of love and Simon’s exactly what she needs in a father and it’s amazing.
I also really liked the friendship between Allison and Steffi. Especially in YA, best friends don’t always feel like best friends, but 180 Seconds radiated some truly powerful girl vibes. So when everything with Steffi went down, I couldn’t stop myself from tearing up. I won’t say too much, just that I’m usually an insensitive monster who only cries when something happens to animals, but my damn eyes would not. stay. dry.
This book talks about some pretty powerful and sad stuff and will therefore make you emotional for all the right reasons, but it will also give you mad happy feels until you’re smiling like an idiot. It’s the perfect college contemporary about a late bloomer who’s finally allowing herself to open up to everything, with awesome friendships and a few cute dogs.
Thank you NetGalley / Skyscape for providing me with a copy
February 21, 2021
2,5 Sterne
Die Geschichte war nicht schlecht würde ich sagen, nur leider war sie nichts für mich bzw. auch nicht das, was ich mir erwartet hatte.
Aufgrund des Klappentextes hatte ich mit einer intensiven und tiefgründigen Liebesgeschichte gerechnet, aber die hab ich leider nicht bekommen.
Ich mochte Allison und konnte sie anfangs auch wirklich gut verstehen mit ihrer Vergangenheit. Auch mochte ich, wie sie diese Vergangenheit im Laufe des Buches versucht aufzuarbeiten und zu verarbeiten.
Esben mochte ich auch. Warum auch nicht? Er war ein herzensguter Junge und nie fies oder berechnend. Allerdings fand ich ihn... nunja sehr naiv? Diese Charaktereigenschaft passte irgendwie nicht ganz ins Bild.
Auch kam für mich die Chemie zwischen den beiden nicht so ganz rüber.
Mein größtes Problem mit dem Buch war aber, dass die Autorin zu viel wollte. Es wurden zu viele wichtige Themen aufgegriffen aber alle nur unzulänglich bearbeitet. Hier wäre weniger eindeutig mehr gewesen. So hat es nur dazu geführt, dass ich bei jedem neuen Thema und/oder Drama nur noch die Augen verdreht habe anstatt mit den Protagonisten mitzufiebern/mitzuleiden.
Die Geschichte war nicht schlecht würde ich sagen, nur leider war sie nichts für mich bzw. auch nicht das, was ich mir erwartet hatte.
Aufgrund des Klappentextes hatte ich mit einer intensiven und tiefgründigen Liebesgeschichte gerechnet, aber die hab ich leider nicht bekommen.
Ich mochte Allison und konnte sie anfangs auch wirklich gut verstehen mit ihrer Vergangenheit. Auch mochte ich, wie sie diese Vergangenheit im Laufe des Buches versucht aufzuarbeiten und zu verarbeiten.
Esben mochte ich auch. Warum auch nicht? Er war ein herzensguter Junge und nie fies oder berechnend. Allerdings fand ich ihn... nunja sehr naiv? Diese Charaktereigenschaft passte irgendwie nicht ganz ins Bild.
Auch kam für mich die Chemie zwischen den beiden nicht so ganz rüber.
Mein größtes Problem mit dem Buch war aber, dass die Autorin zu viel wollte. Es wurden zu viele wichtige Themen aufgegriffen aber alle nur unzulänglich bearbeitet. Hier wäre weniger eindeutig mehr gewesen. So hat es nur dazu geführt, dass ich bei jedem neuen Thema und/oder Drama nur noch die Augen verdreht habe anstatt mit den Protagonisten mitzufiebern/mitzuleiden.
June 18, 2017
3.75/5 🌟This book was so adorable y'all and it was exactly the kind of story I was in the mood for! I went into it with pretty low expectations but boy it had me tearing up every other chapter, whether it be from tears of joy or sadness. The plot was so sweet (although a bit toooo sweet at times) and the romance literally had me squealing from the first few chapters *sigh* The story did take on a serious undertone towards the end which was heartbreaking 💔 However I'll have to say that the last few scenes did seem pretty unrealistic and I found myself skimming through the second half but since I loved the first half so much, I would recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a sweet romantic contemporary with a unique plot and great characters!
April 23, 2017
I LOVED this book! Esben and Allison were perfect! This was such a beautiful and emotional story, I felt so many emotions while reading this. The writing was amazing, the characters complex and the story at times heartbreaking and heartwarming. This is a top pick of 2017 for me and going on my all-time favorites list. This book touched my heart and will stay with me forever! Highly recommend!
February 3, 2020
Inhalt: „180 seconds - Und meine Welt ist deine“ von Jessica Parker wurde am 20.12.2019 bei Lyx veröffentlicht.
Allison hat eine schwere Vergangenheit hinter sich. Sie wurde von Pflegefamilie zu Pflegefamilie geschickt bis Simon sie adoptiert hat. Trotzdem hält sie ihn wie auch alle anderen auf Abstand. Zurück am College wird sie ungewollt Teil eines Experiments. Sie muss einem Mann 180 Sekunden in die Augen schauen. Dieser Mann ist nicht nur irgendeiner sondern Esben, ein Social-Media-Star und ebenfalls in einem ihrer Kurse. Beide ahnen nicht, dass diese 180 Sekunden ihre Leben verändern werden...
Meinung: In das Cover habe ich mich sofort verliebt. Es ist dezent gehalten und gefällt mir deutlich besser als das Originalcover! Übersetzt wurde die Geschichte von Hannah Brosch. Der Schreibstil hat mir gut gefallen. Leider verlief die Geschichte nicht ganz so wie ich es erwartet hatte. Der Anfang hat mich wirklich sehr gefesselt. Ab einem gewissen Punkt wurde es leider zu perfekt und harmonisch. Es wurde regelrecht kitschig. Auch wenn es für mich noch eine angenehme Art von Kitsch gewesen ist, gibt es sicherlich einigen denen es wirklich zu viel ist. Das Hauptaugenmerk lag auf den beiden. Gerade am Anfang standen noch Allisons Vergangenheit und Gefühle im Vordergrund. Das hat dem ganzen die nötige Tiefe gegeben. Die Probleme haben genügend Raum eingenommen. Trotzdem hätte ich mir gerne später wieder etwas davon zurück gewünscht. Die Entwicklung von Allison ist wirklich toll, aber es ging mir ein bisschen zu schnell und glatt. Die Emotionen waren trotzdem da. Gerade gegen Ende musste ich einige Tränen verdrücken. Die Wendung der Geschichte habe ich kurz vor der Auflösung schon so geahnt. Esben war definitiv toll. Er hat mir gut gefallen. Bei ihm hätte ich mir ein paar mehr Ecken und Kanten gewünscht. Seine Vergangenheit konnte mich nicht ganz so überzeugen. Die Nebencharaktere haben mir gut gefallen. Ich hätte auch gerne einen Simon!
Fazit: Die Geschichte hat ein paar kleine Schwächen, aber gerade der Anfang ist sehr stark. Wer es gerne auch ein bisschen kitschiger mag, ist hier genau richtig!
Allison hat eine schwere Vergangenheit hinter sich. Sie wurde von Pflegefamilie zu Pflegefamilie geschickt bis Simon sie adoptiert hat. Trotzdem hält sie ihn wie auch alle anderen auf Abstand. Zurück am College wird sie ungewollt Teil eines Experiments. Sie muss einem Mann 180 Sekunden in die Augen schauen. Dieser Mann ist nicht nur irgendeiner sondern Esben, ein Social-Media-Star und ebenfalls in einem ihrer Kurse. Beide ahnen nicht, dass diese 180 Sekunden ihre Leben verändern werden...
Meinung: In das Cover habe ich mich sofort verliebt. Es ist dezent gehalten und gefällt mir deutlich besser als das Originalcover! Übersetzt wurde die Geschichte von Hannah Brosch. Der Schreibstil hat mir gut gefallen. Leider verlief die Geschichte nicht ganz so wie ich es erwartet hatte. Der Anfang hat mich wirklich sehr gefesselt. Ab einem gewissen Punkt wurde es leider zu perfekt und harmonisch. Es wurde regelrecht kitschig. Auch wenn es für mich noch eine angenehme Art von Kitsch gewesen ist, gibt es sicherlich einigen denen es wirklich zu viel ist. Das Hauptaugenmerk lag auf den beiden. Gerade am Anfang standen noch Allisons Vergangenheit und Gefühle im Vordergrund. Das hat dem ganzen die nötige Tiefe gegeben. Die Probleme haben genügend Raum eingenommen. Trotzdem hätte ich mir gerne später wieder etwas davon zurück gewünscht. Die Entwicklung von Allison ist wirklich toll, aber es ging mir ein bisschen zu schnell und glatt. Die Emotionen waren trotzdem da. Gerade gegen Ende musste ich einige Tränen verdrücken. Die Wendung der Geschichte habe ich kurz vor der Auflösung schon so geahnt. Esben war definitiv toll. Er hat mir gut gefallen. Bei ihm hätte ich mir ein paar mehr Ecken und Kanten gewünscht. Seine Vergangenheit konnte mich nicht ganz so überzeugen. Die Nebencharaktere haben mir gut gefallen. Ich hätte auch gerne einen Simon!
Fazit: Die Geschichte hat ein paar kleine Schwächen, aber gerade der Anfang ist sehr stark. Wer es gerne auch ein bisschen kitschiger mag, ist hier genau richtig!
April 26, 2017
180 Seconds
Jessica Park
Received from Netgalley
Holy cow! What a beautiful story 180 SECONDS is. I finished reading it with tears in my eyes, a huge lump in my throat, and a big stupid smile on my face. My emotions were all over the place and my heart broke over and over again. What an emotional story that is going to stay with me for a long long time. I've never read Jessica Park before, but she is now on my auto buy list of authors and I will read everything she writes. She blew me and my heart away with the this moving story of Allison Dennis.
Allison grew up in foster care and wasn't adopted out until she was sixteen. Her biological mother and father didn't want her, they were married to other people. She is very closed off and always anxious, but somehow she manages to go through the motions of going to college. While she is there, she is approached to do a social experiment that will change her life forever. The experiment only lasts for 180 SECONDS and happens to be with Esben Baylor, who is a social media icon, but Allison knows nothing thing about it or him. The video from the experiment goes viral and Steffi flies out from LA to get her to talk to Esben about what he did to her life. He has torn down her walls and she needs to understand why.
Allison only has one friend in her life, Steffi, and she plays a huge role in 180 SECONDS. She grew up in foster care too and has always been a very good friend to Allison. They are more like sisters and it warmed my heart that Allison had her as well as Simon, the man who adopted Allison, in her life. She needed them so badly, as she soon finds out. Simon won my heart from the very beginning of the story and never loses his love for her or his faith in her as well.
After reading 180 SECONDS I'm so excited to read more by Jessica Park. She captivated my heart from the very first page and never let it go. 180 SECONDS is going be that book that after you are finished, you are going to want to share it with everyone. Jessica puts just the right amount of humor in her writing so you aren't totally falling apart the whole time and will actually find yourself smiling like an idiot at some parts. Then the very next second, you are sobbing! I fell in love with all the characters in this heart breaking but also heart warming story. I love when an author does that to me. Talk about an emotional roller coaster ride..........I really have book hangover right now and I owe it all to Jessica Park!
Jessica Park
Received from Netgalley
Holy cow! What a beautiful story 180 SECONDS is. I finished reading it with tears in my eyes, a huge lump in my throat, and a big stupid smile on my face. My emotions were all over the place and my heart broke over and over again. What an emotional story that is going to stay with me for a long long time. I've never read Jessica Park before, but she is now on my auto buy list of authors and I will read everything she writes. She blew me and my heart away with the this moving story of Allison Dennis.
Allison grew up in foster care and wasn't adopted out until she was sixteen. Her biological mother and father didn't want her, they were married to other people. She is very closed off and always anxious, but somehow she manages to go through the motions of going to college. While she is there, she is approached to do a social experiment that will change her life forever. The experiment only lasts for 180 SECONDS and happens to be with Esben Baylor, who is a social media icon, but Allison knows nothing thing about it or him. The video from the experiment goes viral and Steffi flies out from LA to get her to talk to Esben about what he did to her life. He has torn down her walls and she needs to understand why.
Allison only has one friend in her life, Steffi, and she plays a huge role in 180 SECONDS. She grew up in foster care too and has always been a very good friend to Allison. They are more like sisters and it warmed my heart that Allison had her as well as Simon, the man who adopted Allison, in her life. She needed them so badly, as she soon finds out. Simon won my heart from the very beginning of the story and never loses his love for her or his faith in her as well.
After reading 180 SECONDS I'm so excited to read more by Jessica Park. She captivated my heart from the very first page and never let it go. 180 SECONDS is going be that book that after you are finished, you are going to want to share it with everyone. Jessica puts just the right amount of humor in her writing so you aren't totally falling apart the whole time and will actually find yourself smiling like an idiot at some parts. Then the very next second, you are sobbing! I fell in love with all the characters in this heart breaking but also heart warming story. I love when an author does that to me. Talk about an emotional roller coaster ride..........I really have book hangover right now and I owe it all to Jessica Park!
June 11, 2018
Allison is special, she is. Battling the demons of her past, being thrown from one foster family to another, she struggles to trust people. The only person she actually trusts is Steffi, her best friend. She doesn't let others in, not people she meets at school, not Simon, her foster dad. She's on her own, in her dorm and fights to survive.
This was so familiar to me since I've always had problems trusting people. I honestly still do and reading the way she copes with it was... heart-lifting because it gave me hope that it can change. That I can change. Yup, I definitely connected with Allison.
Then the 180 seconds happen. The influence of that social experiment is amazing, magical even and Esben makes an entrance that's simply as wonderful as he is himself. Now, Esben is the newest addition to my favorite contemporary characters! He's sweet, thoughtful and tries to fight his own demons while still helping others. It's beautiful to see and feel.
Oh the feels! Really people. I went from happy to fluffy happy to even fluffier happy to crying my eyes out. This book had me smiling, laughing, crying and bawling. It lifted me up, broke me down and ripped me to pieces in a way you cannot even imagine. Not unless you've read this book as well, that is. Which you should. You should read it.
I'm not even spending any more words on this review.
Just. Read. It.
5/5
Kathy
This was so familiar to me since I've always had problems trusting people. I honestly still do and reading the way she copes with it was... heart-lifting because it gave me hope that it can change. That I can change. Yup, I definitely connected with Allison.
Then the 180 seconds happen. The influence of that social experiment is amazing, magical even and Esben makes an entrance that's simply as wonderful as he is himself. Now, Esben is the newest addition to my favorite contemporary characters! He's sweet, thoughtful and tries to fight his own demons while still helping others. It's beautiful to see and feel.
Oh the feels! Really people. I went from happy to fluffy happy to even fluffier happy to crying my eyes out. This book had me smiling, laughing, crying and bawling. It lifted me up, broke me down and ripped me to pieces in a way you cannot even imagine. Not unless you've read this book as well, that is. Which you should. You should read it.
I'm not even spending any more words on this review.
Just. Read. It.
5/5
Kathy
January 19, 2020
3 Sterne
Grandioser Anfang, dann ging es für mich nur noch bergab.
Zu viel Kitsch. Alles zu gewollt.
Schade!
Grandioser Anfang, dann ging es für mich nur noch bergab.
Zu viel Kitsch. Alles zu gewollt.
Schade!
June 14, 2017
*2.4/5 stars*
“It’s going to hurt until it doesn’t anymore.”
180 seconds wasn't what I expected it to be coming into this book. This is not a story about college girl with anxiety, not really, at least not for me. Yes, Allison has anxiety, but it's mostly at the very beginning and then it pretty much dissipates into thin air mainly becuse of the romance. A few chapters after she meets the love interest - Esben, she just kind of decides to be more brave and start her life etc, and I cannot help but feel like there's no development, no slow change, no real struggle in her character. Something to make me connect to her more. And it's not realistic for me.
And the fact that it mostly changed because of the love interest aggravated me. Her mental health wasn't romanticized, not exactly, but it gave way too much credit to 'the power of love' in my opinion.
I also felt like Allison unloaded all her problems on Esben way too quickly, just the second time they met. And it felt unrealistic to me since she grew up in foster care system and had pretty hard trust issues, so the idea of her sharing so much of herself with a stranger doesn't click with me.
“Because he knows me well enough, he doesn’t step toward me expecting an embrace or some other emotional or physical display. Simon gets a lot of credit for respecting my boundaries. He knows that connection is not my thing.
People are not my thing.
Trust is not my thing.”
And after her rather sudden change, the story has kind of gone into a whole different direction. Some of the events that happened - or were mentioned - felt rather dramatic. I thought it would be a quiet story centered on a girl struggling with her anxiety, trust and family, but alas, not really.
The way this book was overstuffed with some dramatic events which didn't really suit the direction of the story I imagined reminded me of my former like-hate relationship with Hoover's Hopeless. It felt a lot like emotional blackmail to me, especially toward the end.
“Hold on to your one. Remember? I have you, and you have me. And when you’re lucky enough to find one—just one—person in this unforgiving life who makes everything worth it, who you love and trust and would kill for, then you hold on damn tight, because that’s probably all you get. We got this,” Steffi says with conviction.
It's also really cheesy. Though the romance was supportive and sweet and adorable for NA book. It's actually way better than most New Adult I've read. There are no annoying tropes from that genre. The love interest was pretty much perfect - supportive, joyful, open and kind but sometimes way too optimistic for me, and he had a reason for what he did.
There were some side relationships, like with Allison and her quirky adoptive father or her best friend Steffi, but nothing else really stood out and it was clear that the romance took precedence in this one to other relationships.
Danny stands and towers over us. “I’m gonna make a much better princess than you, Jase.”
“Yeah, good luck with that. Just you wait. I am going to rock this out so hard.”
Overall, it was actually pretty enjoyable book which lot of readers will surely enjoy, but it just wasn't written entirely for me. I don't know why, but I got way too hyped up when this book was coming out becuse I've heard that it's about anxiety and it has great romance, yet lot was missing for me to love this book and the direction of it was different then I wanted. This book has it's ups and downs, but for New Adult read, it's great nonetheless. I'd say that, maybe, fans of Colleen Hoover and such books will like 180 seconds more.
“Those one hundred and eighty seconds with Esben somehow threw me into a whirlwind.
Either I get slammed to the ground by that force or I soar.”
“It’s going to hurt until it doesn’t anymore.”
180 seconds wasn't what I expected it to be coming into this book. This is not a story about college girl with anxiety, not really, at least not for me. Yes, Allison has anxiety, but it's mostly at the very beginning and then it pretty much dissipates into thin air mainly becuse of the romance. A few chapters after she meets the love interest - Esben, she just kind of decides to be more brave and start her life etc, and I cannot help but feel like there's no development, no slow change, no real struggle in her character. Something to make me connect to her more. And it's not realistic for me.
And the fact that it mostly changed because of the love interest aggravated me. Her mental health wasn't romanticized, not exactly, but it gave way too much credit to 'the power of love' in my opinion.
I also felt like Allison unloaded all her problems on Esben way too quickly, just the second time they met. And it felt unrealistic to me since she grew up in foster care system and had pretty hard trust issues, so the idea of her sharing so much of herself with a stranger doesn't click with me.
“Because he knows me well enough, he doesn’t step toward me expecting an embrace or some other emotional or physical display. Simon gets a lot of credit for respecting my boundaries. He knows that connection is not my thing.
People are not my thing.
Trust is not my thing.”
And after her rather sudden change, the story has kind of gone into a whole different direction. Some of the events that happened - or were mentioned - felt rather dramatic. I thought it would be a quiet story centered on a girl struggling with her anxiety, trust and family, but alas, not really.
The way this book was overstuffed with some dramatic events which didn't really suit the direction of the story I imagined reminded me of my former like-hate relationship with Hoover's Hopeless. It felt a lot like emotional blackmail to me, especially toward the end.
“Hold on to your one. Remember? I have you, and you have me. And when you’re lucky enough to find one—just one—person in this unforgiving life who makes everything worth it, who you love and trust and would kill for, then you hold on damn tight, because that’s probably all you get. We got this,” Steffi says with conviction.
It's also really cheesy. Though the romance was supportive and sweet and adorable for NA book. It's actually way better than most New Adult I've read. There are no annoying tropes from that genre. The love interest was pretty much perfect - supportive, joyful, open and kind but sometimes way too optimistic for me, and he had a reason for what he did.
There were some side relationships, like with Allison and her quirky adoptive father or her best friend Steffi, but nothing else really stood out and it was clear that the romance took precedence in this one to other relationships.
Danny stands and towers over us. “I’m gonna make a much better princess than you, Jase.”
“Yeah, good luck with that. Just you wait. I am going to rock this out so hard.”
Overall, it was actually pretty enjoyable book which lot of readers will surely enjoy, but it just wasn't written entirely for me. I don't know why, but I got way too hyped up when this book was coming out becuse I've heard that it's about anxiety and it has great romance, yet lot was missing for me to love this book and the direction of it was different then I wanted. This book has it's ups and downs, but for New Adult read, it's great nonetheless. I'd say that, maybe, fans of Colleen Hoover and such books will like 180 seconds more.
“Those one hundred and eighty seconds with Esben somehow threw me into a whirlwind.
Either I get slammed to the ground by that force or I soar.”
April 25, 2017
4.5/5 stars
180 Seconds is a standalone New Adult contemporary romance.
The narrator is Allison Dennis. The book is told in 1st person POV. Allison is in her junior year at Andrews College in Maine.
I would categorize the book as NA because it takes place in college and deals with some difficult topics. But it's not steamy like most NA books.
I was very impressed with how Allison was written. She is not your average happy go lucky girl who wants to party at college. But rather she has had a very tough life. She grew up in foster care and was only adopted when she was 16 years old. She is damaged and does not trust people. She has anxiety. She is extremely closed off, very fragile and fearful about a lot of situations that most people would be able to easily handle. She is such a unique and amazing character. I really liked her.
This book is about so much. It is Allison's journey. The story features a lot of difficult topics. But at its core it is about the relationship between a father and daughter, the relationship between best friends, and a girl wanting to actually live vs closing herself off to the world.
180 Seconds is a very good title for this story. And it refers to a 180 second social experiment that is featured prominently in this story.
Social media is a very important aspect of this story. One of the main characters is Esben Baylor, who is a social media icon. I really enjoyed Esben, especially his relationship with his sister and what he did online. I was very impressed with his character and loved everything to do with the social experiments.
There were a few secondary characters that I loved. My favorite was Allison's adopted father Simon. He is is my favorite father character ever. I absolutely loved everything about him, especially his cooking, his care packages, and how he dealt with Allison and her issues.
I also really enjoyed Allison's friendship with Steffi. This was a very powerful friendship and I thought that it was written very well.
I read this book in one day. I could not put the book down. The characters were interesting and original. I wanted to see what would happen next. This is Allison's story. We see if she can learn to trust people. When the book begins she is arriving for her third year at college in a dark place. It was fascinating to see how she dealt with everyday things.
I really enjoyed this book. I was especially impressed by a very interesting development late in the story that I did not see coming. I love being surprised!
The story is emotional. At times it is heartbreaking. This book will make you feel. Some of it was difficult to read. And at times I had tears in my eyes. But overall it was touching, moving, and very beautiful.
I really enjoyed this book. I did not know what to expect. But I was very pleasantly surprised. This book was really good!
Thanks to netgalley and Skyscape for allowing me to read this book. I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
180 Seconds is a standalone New Adult contemporary romance.
The narrator is Allison Dennis. The book is told in 1st person POV. Allison is in her junior year at Andrews College in Maine.
I would categorize the book as NA because it takes place in college and deals with some difficult topics. But it's not steamy like most NA books.
I was very impressed with how Allison was written. She is not your average happy go lucky girl who wants to party at college. But rather she has had a very tough life. She grew up in foster care and was only adopted when she was 16 years old. She is damaged and does not trust people. She has anxiety. She is extremely closed off, very fragile and fearful about a lot of situations that most people would be able to easily handle. She is such a unique and amazing character. I really liked her.
This book is about so much. It is Allison's journey. The story features a lot of difficult topics. But at its core it is about the relationship between a father and daughter, the relationship between best friends, and a girl wanting to actually live vs closing herself off to the world.
180 Seconds is a very good title for this story. And it refers to a 180 second social experiment that is featured prominently in this story.
Social media is a very important aspect of this story. One of the main characters is Esben Baylor, who is a social media icon. I really enjoyed Esben, especially his relationship with his sister and what he did online. I was very impressed with his character and loved everything to do with the social experiments.
There were a few secondary characters that I loved. My favorite was Allison's adopted father Simon. He is is my favorite father character ever. I absolutely loved everything about him, especially his cooking, his care packages, and how he dealt with Allison and her issues.
I also really enjoyed Allison's friendship with Steffi. This was a very powerful friendship and I thought that it was written very well.
I read this book in one day. I could not put the book down. The characters were interesting and original. I wanted to see what would happen next. This is Allison's story. We see if she can learn to trust people. When the book begins she is arriving for her third year at college in a dark place. It was fascinating to see how she dealt with everyday things.
I really enjoyed this book. I was especially impressed by a very interesting development late in the story that I did not see coming. I love being surprised!
The story is emotional. At times it is heartbreaking. This book will make you feel. Some of it was difficult to read. And at times I had tears in my eyes. But overall it was touching, moving, and very beautiful.
I really enjoyed this book. I did not know what to expect. But I was very pleasantly surprised. This book was really good!
Thanks to netgalley and Skyscape for allowing me to read this book. I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 14, 2017
4 - 4.5 ★'s
"How can you be this everything?"
Addison and Esben meet at college when she drops her drink and then when they're in the same class. But that's not the best time they meet. That's when Esben is doing a social experiment of strangers having to look into each other's eyes for 180 seconds...and it was flippin' amazing!
See, Esben is a bit of a social media celebrity around school and town...and his popularity is growing. A lot of it has to do with all the "feel-good" things he blogs/tweets/etc.
Addison is not social at all. She grew up in foster care...it wasn't especially horrible but it wasn't great either. However, she was adopted when she was sixteen by the awesome Simon. She just doesn't know how to relate to him.
And she doesn't know how to relate to Esben so she stays away. Her best friend, Steffi, who lives in California and has heard of Esben comes for a visit. She knows Addison and she just can't let her miss this chance at happiness. So what's a best friend to do? She gets her drunk, gets her dolled up, riled up and sends her on her way to Esben.
Thankfully, it all works out. Esben takes it slow with Addison especially after she opens up about some things. And once Addison's eyes open to what she could have in her life, she allows more in.
The way Jessica Park writes, you feel like you are right there helping Esben with his causes. It was really heartwarming. And I loved that Addison even came up with some on her own.
Of course, some heart break is coming and it wasn't hard to figure out. What I was shocked about was how much I cried! I just loved how people came together to help Addison out.
And of course, after the fact...it's quite obvious what Addison is going to do. I just have to say that Simon is the best "Dad" ever!!
That ending? Amaze-balls...even better than the first if that's even possible.
If you want a feel good emotional read, then #Ihighlyrecommendthis #feelgoodlovestory #firstkissfirstkissx2!
"How can you be this everything?"
Addison and Esben meet at college when she drops her drink and then when they're in the same class. But that's not the best time they meet. That's when Esben is doing a social experiment of strangers having to look into each other's eyes for 180 seconds...and it was flippin' amazing!
See, Esben is a bit of a social media celebrity around school and town...and his popularity is growing. A lot of it has to do with all the "feel-good" things he blogs/tweets/etc.
Addison is not social at all. She grew up in foster care...it wasn't especially horrible but it wasn't great either. However, she was adopted when she was sixteen by the awesome Simon. She just doesn't know how to relate to him.
And she doesn't know how to relate to Esben so she stays away. Her best friend, Steffi, who lives in California and has heard of Esben comes for a visit. She knows Addison and she just can't let her miss this chance at happiness. So what's a best friend to do? She gets her drunk, gets her dolled up, riled up and sends her on her way to Esben.
Thankfully, it all works out. Esben takes it slow with Addison especially after she opens up about some things. And once Addison's eyes open to what she could have in her life, she allows more in.
The way Jessica Park writes, you feel like you are right there helping Esben with his causes. It was really heartwarming. And I loved that Addison even came up with some on her own.
Of course, some heart break is coming and it wasn't hard to figure out. What I was shocked about was how much I cried! I just loved how people came together to help Addison out.
And of course, after the fact...it's quite obvious what Addison is going to do. I just have to say that Simon is the best "Dad" ever!!
That ending? Amaze-balls...even better than the first if that's even possible.
If you want a feel good emotional read, then #Ihighlyrecommendthis #feelgoodlovestory #firstkissfirstkissx2!
April 15, 2017
4.5 stars!
Oh wow. What a stunningly beautiful, emotional and unexpected NA read! Sweet, heartbreaking and heartwarming with a romance that had me swooning, this little read took me by surprise and completely stole my heart!
I say this book took me by surprise, but it really shouldn’t have – it’s Jessica Park! And this book recaptures the feeling, the sweetness and the emotion of my favourite book of hers – Flat-Out Love. Big words, but there you have it. I loved it!
Allison is entering her junior year of College. After spending the first 16 years of her life being shunted around the foster system, she has completely closed herself off and lives a very solitary life. She has a best friend on the other side of the country who went through the system with her and she is the only person that Allison relies on – despite the fact that she was adopted by the world’s greatest single dad at the age of 16. She is unable to open herself up to anybody else, and she pretty much lives her life in hiding.
In the middle of embracing her solitude, she is literally dragged off the street and into a social experiment one afternoon where she is sat in a chair and asked to stare into the eyes of a complete stranger for 180 seconds. Sounds weird, right? But when Allison finds herself staring into the eyes of a gorgeous guy she has seen on campus, neither of them expect that those three minutes will change their worlds forever.
Allison is completely caught off guard, and not knowing how to deal with the intensity of the moment, she runs. She then discovers that the guy is Esben Baylor – a social media guru and internet sensation – and that their intimate moment has become a viral phenomenon. Again, she has no idea how to handle the vulnerability and anger that she is feeling, so she hunts down Esben to give him a piece of her mind. But when she meets him for real and actually gets to know him, she learns that he is nothing like what she had imagined him to be. He’s just a great guy who wants to do good in the world, and he is absolutely impossible not to fall for. And for the first time in her life, she wants to experience those feelings.
Oh Esben… the boy just stole my heart. He’s not your typical NA romantic hero - he’s not a bad boy or a manwhore or a sports star, he’s just a regular guy who is smart, funny and dynamic with a huge heart He's the kind of guy that every girl wants to fall for. And what develops between him and Allison is the sweetest romance. They learn each other, they open their hearts to each other, and they willingly and naturally fall, and every moment of it was beautiful to watch.
But this book is SO much more than just a love story. Allison has been so closed off for so long, that watching her not only come back to life, but embrace it, is gorgeous, and this book is her journey as she explores just how brave and strong she really is.
This book is not always an easy read. The feels in this book! OMG, the feels! The story is an emotional one - not overwhelming, and it’s not stupid, unnecessary drama, it’s real life and it’s incredibly emotional. The themes of family, friendship, loss and love are beautifully woven through every moment, and I felt it all, and there is a wonderful cast of supporting characters that add wonderfully to the story, and contribute so much, and I can honestly say that I fell in love with each and every one of them. And though the book does have its moments of cheesiness, given all that was going on, I was happy to embrace it.
I laughed, I cried, I fell in love and I ugly cried, and my heart ached for what the characters go through. But I healed, and I finished this book with a massive grin on my face and hugging my kindle tightly.
I loved it! 4.5 stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Oh wow. What a stunningly beautiful, emotional and unexpected NA read! Sweet, heartbreaking and heartwarming with a romance that had me swooning, this little read took me by surprise and completely stole my heart!
I say this book took me by surprise, but it really shouldn’t have – it’s Jessica Park! And this book recaptures the feeling, the sweetness and the emotion of my favourite book of hers – Flat-Out Love. Big words, but there you have it. I loved it!
Allison is entering her junior year of College. After spending the first 16 years of her life being shunted around the foster system, she has completely closed herself off and lives a very solitary life. She has a best friend on the other side of the country who went through the system with her and she is the only person that Allison relies on – despite the fact that she was adopted by the world’s greatest single dad at the age of 16. She is unable to open herself up to anybody else, and she pretty much lives her life in hiding.
In the middle of embracing her solitude, she is literally dragged off the street and into a social experiment one afternoon where she is sat in a chair and asked to stare into the eyes of a complete stranger for 180 seconds. Sounds weird, right? But when Allison finds herself staring into the eyes of a gorgeous guy she has seen on campus, neither of them expect that those three minutes will change their worlds forever.
We are engaged in a form of intimacy that scares the absolute hell out of me. It’s as if there is a weight on my chest that I want to shove off, and I’ve never been this terrified before.
Or this whole and hopeful and connected.
My body starts to tremble. I want more of what I’m feeling, and I also want none of it.
Allison is completely caught off guard, and not knowing how to deal with the intensity of the moment, she runs. She then discovers that the guy is Esben Baylor – a social media guru and internet sensation – and that their intimate moment has become a viral phenomenon. Again, she has no idea how to handle the vulnerability and anger that she is feeling, so she hunts down Esben to give him a piece of her mind. But when she meets him for real and actually gets to know him, she learns that he is nothing like what she had imagined him to be. He’s just a great guy who wants to do good in the world, and he is absolutely impossible not to fall for. And for the first time in her life, she wants to experience those feelings.
Those one hundred and eighty seconds with Esben somehow threw me into a whirlwind.
Either I get slammed to the ground by that force or I soar.
Oh Esben… the boy just stole my heart. He’s not your typical NA romantic hero - he’s not a bad boy or a manwhore or a sports star, he’s just a regular guy who is smart, funny and dynamic with a huge heart He's the kind of guy that every girl wants to fall for. And what develops between him and Allison is the sweetest romance. They learn each other, they open their hearts to each other, and they willingly and naturally fall, and every moment of it was beautiful to watch.
“I like you,��� he says. “…I think there’s something between us, and I’m very afraid that I’m going to do the wrong thing again and send you running. And I don’t want that. If you’re going to go running anywhere, I’d prefer that you come running to me.”
“You know what feels better than anything physical?” Esben looks at me for a long time. “How it feels to be falling for someone the way that I’m falling for you.”
But this book is SO much more than just a love story. Allison has been so closed off for so long, that watching her not only come back to life, but embrace it, is gorgeous, and this book is her journey as she explores just how brave and strong she really is.
You can’t reach what’s in front of you until you let go of what’s behind you.
This book is not always an easy read. The feels in this book! OMG, the feels! The story is an emotional one - not overwhelming, and it’s not stupid, unnecessary drama, it’s real life and it’s incredibly emotional. The themes of family, friendship, loss and love are beautifully woven through every moment, and I felt it all, and there is a wonderful cast of supporting characters that add wonderfully to the story, and contribute so much, and I can honestly say that I fell in love with each and every one of them. And though the book does have its moments of cheesiness, given all that was going on, I was happy to embrace it.
I laughed, I cried, I fell in love and I ugly cried, and my heart ached for what the characters go through. But I healed, and I finished this book with a massive grin on my face and hugging my kindle tightly.
I loved it! 4.5 stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 28, 2019
„180 секунди” имаше потенциал като сюжет, история, но... нещо според мен не беше както трябва. И не ме разбирайте погрешно, книгата ми допадна, прочетох я бързо и неусетно, но смятам, че можеше и да бъде доста по-добре написана и по-точно – с доста по-добре изградени персонажи.
Поведението на двамата главни герои на моменти м�� беше странно, нереалистично. Имам чувството, че независимо колко много ни беше дадено за драматичното минало на Алисън – главната героиня, аз така и не я опознах достатъчно добре, независимо че съчувствах и разбирах причините за липсата й на доверие в околните. Колкото до Ебсън – не мисля, че беше много доизпипан елементът с неговата „известност”. Любовтата история между тях не ме дразнеше, независимо че се разви за части от секундата. Може би успя да ме подазни единствено в края си, където (спойлер) разбира се трябваше да бъде включен задължителният елемент със скарването за нещо безкрайно глупаво (why?), а след това и сдобряването...
Връзката между Алисън и най-добрата й приятелка – Стефи, беше нещото, което наистина ми хареса в книгата. Самата Стефи ми се стори като по-интересен персонаж от Алисън, а историята около нейния персонаж внесе малко сериозност в иначе романтичната книга.
И пак казвам – харесах книгата, но не смятам, че беше нещо зашеметяващо, особено предвид потенциала си, свързан с темите, които разисква.
Поведението на двамата главни герои на моменти м�� беше странно, нереалистично. Имам чувството, че независимо колко много ни беше дадено за драматичното минало на Алисън – главната героиня, аз така и не я опознах достатъчно добре, независимо че съчувствах и разбирах причините за липсата й на доверие в околните. Колкото до Ебсън – не мисля, че беше много доизпипан елементът с неговата „известност”. Любовтата история между тях не ме дразнеше, независимо че се разви за части от секундата. Може би успя да ме подазни единствено в края си, където (спойлер) разбира се трябваше да бъде включен задължителният елемент със скарването за нещо безкрайно глупаво (why?), а след това и сдобряването...
Връзката между Алисън и най-добрата й приятелка – Стефи, беше нещото, което наистина ми хареса в книгата. Самата Стефи ми се стори като по-интересен персонаж от Алисън, а историята около нейния персонаж внесе малко сериозност в иначе романтичната книга.
И пак казвам – харесах книгата, но не смятам, че беше нещо зашеметяващо, особено предвид потенциала си, свързан с темите, които разисква.
February 23, 2021
Das Buch fängt sehr spannend an deshalb konnte ich es garnicht mehr aus der Hand legen.
Zum Ende hin wird es leider sehr traurig da die Geschichte eine traurige Wendung nimmt.
Euer Readandfit
Zum Ende hin wird es leider sehr traurig da die Geschichte eine traurige Wendung nimmt.
Euer Readandfit
July 2, 2017
***4,5 "Life- changing!!!" stars***
********************************
"Sometimes, the unexpected happens.
Sometimes, someone makes you break your own rules."
********************************
To be totally honest with you, i have almost two months that i have finished this book, but the circumstances didn't allow me to write my review sooner... But I still remember how this book made me feel!!!!
I liked every single moment in it and i couldn't stop reading!!!! It was such a wonderful story and although this was my first story by Mrs. Park, it won't be my last!!!
Can you imagine that your whole life can change in 180 seconds???
This book can prove you that it can happen!!!!
Allison was a very closed and strange girl... but she had her rights to be like that...
She was adopted in the age of sixteen but until that time, it was already too late to place trust to anyone than her best friend...
She preffered to keep others on arm's length and it was better this way...
But this year, everything are changing for her and the cause of that was a social experiment and one guy....
“Those one hundred and eighty seconds with Esben somehow threw me into a whirlwind.
Either I get slammed to the ground by that force or I soar.”
One afternoon, she was forced in a way to participate in a social experience with Esben Baylor, a social media star...
They have to interact with each other for 180 seconds, even though that they are totally strangers and for those two this experiment took an unexpected turn...
“We are engaged in a form of intimacy that scares the absolute hell out of me. It’s as if there is a weight on my chest that I want to shove off, and I’ve never been this terrified before.
Or this whole and hopeful and connected.
My body starts to tremble. I want more of what I’m feeling, and I also want none of it.”
At the beginning, Allison fought this pull toward Esben, but her couldn't let her go...
He had to try and God, he was so sweet with the way that he was coming closer to her and how he was pushing every wall of hers down...
She and he together discovered a new Allisson, an Alisson that she didn't know that was existed inside of her...
No, I won't tell you more... My lips are sealed...
“I like you… I think there’s something between us, and I’m very afraid that I’m going to do the wrong thing again and send you running. And I don’t want that. If you’re going to go running anywhere, I’d prefer that you come running to me.”
To be true with you, I'm not a fan of social media...
Yeah, I know that i belong in minority, but still.... I don't like them!!!
But through Esben, I saw a different side of social media and I loved the way he was using that power... It was so fascinating!!!!
Finally, i have to speak about two people in this book...
Firstly, there was Simon!!!! He was such a wonderful person... I loved him for what he was doing for Allison... He was the best dad, ever!!!!
And secondly, there was Allison's best friend, Steffi!!!
Honeslty, i don't know what to say about her, but her case was... unexpected and very heartbroken...
I loved the way she was loving Allison, but at one point, I'm not sure that I was agreeing with her actions...
That's enough....
Honestly, I can't say more about this story...
This was a heart wrecking but beautiful story about a broken girl, a generous guy and 180 life changing seconds!!!!
“You can't reach what's in front of you until you let go of what's behind you.”
***ARC kindly provided via NetGalley for the exchange of an honest review***
********************************
"Sometimes, the unexpected happens.
Sometimes, someone makes you break your own rules."
********************************
To be totally honest with you, i have almost two months that i have finished this book, but the circumstances didn't allow me to write my review sooner... But I still remember how this book made me feel!!!!
I liked every single moment in it and i couldn't stop reading!!!! It was such a wonderful story and although this was my first story by Mrs. Park, it won't be my last!!!
Can you imagine that your whole life can change in 180 seconds???
This book can prove you that it can happen!!!!
Allison was a very closed and strange girl... but she had her rights to be like that...
She was adopted in the age of sixteen but until that time, it was already too late to place trust to anyone than her best friend...
She preffered to keep others on arm's length and it was better this way...
But this year, everything are changing for her and the cause of that was a social experiment and one guy....
“Those one hundred and eighty seconds with Esben somehow threw me into a whirlwind.
Either I get slammed to the ground by that force or I soar.”
One afternoon, she was forced in a way to participate in a social experience with Esben Baylor, a social media star...
They have to interact with each other for 180 seconds, even though that they are totally strangers and for those two this experiment took an unexpected turn...
“We are engaged in a form of intimacy that scares the absolute hell out of me. It’s as if there is a weight on my chest that I want to shove off, and I’ve never been this terrified before.
Or this whole and hopeful and connected.
My body starts to tremble. I want more of what I’m feeling, and I also want none of it.”
At the beginning, Allison fought this pull toward Esben, but her couldn't let her go...
He had to try and God, he was so sweet with the way that he was coming closer to her and how he was pushing every wall of hers down...
She and he together discovered a new Allisson, an Alisson that she didn't know that was existed inside of her...
No, I won't tell you more... My lips are sealed...
“I like you… I think there’s something between us, and I’m very afraid that I’m going to do the wrong thing again and send you running. And I don’t want that. If you’re going to go running anywhere, I’d prefer that you come running to me.”
To be true with you, I'm not a fan of social media...
Yeah, I know that i belong in minority, but still.... I don't like them!!!
But through Esben, I saw a different side of social media and I loved the way he was using that power... It was so fascinating!!!!
Finally, i have to speak about two people in this book...
Firstly, there was Simon!!!! He was such a wonderful person... I loved him for what he was doing for Allison... He was the best dad, ever!!!!
And secondly, there was Allison's best friend, Steffi!!!
Honeslty, i don't know what to say about her, but her case was... unexpected and very heartbroken...
I loved the way she was loving Allison, but at one point, I'm not sure that I was agreeing with her actions...
That's enough....
Honestly, I can't say more about this story...
This was a heart wrecking but beautiful story about a broken girl, a generous guy and 180 life changing seconds!!!!
“You can't reach what's in front of you until you let go of what's behind you.”
***ARC kindly provided via NetGalley for the exchange of an honest review***
May 29, 2019
Уау! Тази книга е... Нямам думи! От два часа се мъча да събера мислите си, но единственото, което ми иде на ум да кажа, е че тази книга лекува. Това е от онези истории, които бръкват дълбоко в душата, а после нежно зашиват откритите там рани. Толкова много надежда, доброта и любов струи от страниците на тези 180 секунди, че неизбежно попиват и у читателя. Поне с м��н бе така 🙂
June 23, 2019
Review available at http://bit.ly/2Y6pzSP
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