Don't judge it by my review, it's just not a book for me.

As a person that keeps to herself (i've been called arrogant and cold for this before), I find it hard to think that one would unload all of the baggage in front of someone who barely met, based mostly on a connection of 180 seconds, no matter how those seconds ended. And why would that person would be interested on your dark bits at that point? (maybe after quite a few meetings I would understand)

I did enjoy the part about the male character's "job". He surely made the world a better place one second and one person at a time. Still, with this being a romance and me not connecting with their story I had to put this un hold (at around 45%) and I don't know when or if I'll get back to it.

The summary for this book had me thinking that this would be about someone who'd slowly, reasonably, learn to trust again. Having been in the foster care system since being abandoned at a safe haven as an infant, Allison's trust issues were to be expected and I was curious about that, enough to request the book.

The first, say, quarter of the book wasn't bad. Allison getting settled into her third year of college, the reader being introduced to the one person she does constantly open up to and trust, a former foster care housemate named Steffi, and her idiosyncrasies with regards to navigating life with as little interaction as possible.

Once Allison gets roped into the 180 Seconds social experiment, however, things started going downhill. That whole part of the story, staring into a stranger's eyes and then having a passionate kiss/embrace made me really uncomfortable. I don't know much about experiments like this, but it felt weird.

After Allison is properly introduced to Esben, the stranger she stared at for 180 seconds, she seemed to change almost too quickly for words. It felt like she trusted him far too quickly given her history and that part of her story became almost unimportant to the rest of it. Considering it was a core tenent of her being, I didn't like how her and Esben's relationship progressed.

Esben was an alright person, but for a social media star he seemed really naive about how people behave on the Internet. His sister and partner in crime, Kerry, usually deletes nasty comments from Esben's videos and posts, but when she stops due to a relationship, he gets his first taste of the reality of Internet trolls. That didn't ring true of someone in the 21st century who is, as described in the summary, a social media star. Even if he never saw the comment section of his own videos, he never came across any on other videos or Facebook posts or even Twitter messages? I couldn't believe that.

Steffi was my favorite character for most of the book. She was Allison's best friend ever since they met at a mutual foster care home and remained so, even after they were separated and moved, not only to different homes but different coasts for college.

I got frustrated when the book went from, what I gathered by reading the summary, a fairly light-hearted contemporary novel to a heartbreaking story of loss when it's revealed that Steffi had cancer as a child, it's returned, and now it's terminal. Her reaction to the situation felt out of character (pushing Allison away), then once she's changed her mind the sheer amount of luck involved in getting Allison and Esben to L.A. during an airline strike and Spring Break was unbelievable. Plus, the foster parents that supposedly said their time as foster parents was over when Steffi turned eighteen are suddenly golden because of a misunderstanding. Everything got wrecked and then tied up in a neat, if depressing, bow.

There didn't feel like any tension or action between Allison and Esben getting together early on in the book and Steffi's health crisis, which was an enormous chunk of the book. This made for a very dull read that I wasn't enjoying. The first few chapters were good, which is why this isn't rated one star, but it was close.

I can't pinpoint what it is, but I literally loved every second of this book. I want more from this author immediately.

I have been waiting so long for a book like this to come along! First of all, the topics covered in this book (dealing with illness, grief, family problems, and facing issues head on) made the perfect ratio of heavy to lightweight topic matter. The romance and love (family and friends) throughout this book made me so so happy. It made my heart warm every time. I don't want to say much about this book because I went in not knowing much about it and I'm so glad I did. Therefore when you read it, I think you should too! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

180 Seconds was a fast and gripping read. The plot initially seems a little cliched - quiet, awkward girl adopted by single gay dad meets super-popular charismatic guy, however the tragic twist and interesting elements including Esben's social media presence and social experiments make this unpredictable and unputdownable.

Allison does not want to let anyone breach the walls she has built around herself, over the years she spent bouncing from one foster family to another. It comes as a shock to her when Esben Baylor, the social media sensation seems to truly understand her in a 180 seconds long social experiment. This is the first time something like this has happened and she is very confused and suspicious.
I like the writing style, the character growth and the growth of Allison's connection after so many years of turning inward.

I am seriously in love with Jessica Park's writing. I adored her Flat Out books, and now I have so much love for this new offering. Park has a unique voice, one which makes reading her books a complete joy. I love so many things about it, but one thing that really resonated with me was the realism of Allison's awkward anxiety. I completely fell into Allison as a character - I lived her and breathed her for the length of the book.
Then there's the fairy tale aspect, the love story that made me swoon, the gentleness combined with intensity that makes for a truly unforgettable read. There is absolutely nothing about this book that I didn't at least like, if not love. Thank you, Ms Park, for a wonderful experience.

I'm a huge fan of Ms. Park. And I was taken back by the fact when I finished this book, the end result was a 3 star. The concept was terrific, the beginning was intriguing but as time went on it had the "Predictable Factor'. I LOVED Flat Out Love, with it's mysterious component and this is where 180 Seconds lacked.. I found myself not connecting with her cast of characters. Ms Park has an unbelievable talent of writing unique story lines and I look forward to future works but this one didn't work for me.

I am a huge fan of Park’s Flat Out Series and after seeing the synopsis for 180 Seconds, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read her work again. The premise is interesting and early on, I was impressed. However, the further I read into the story, the more overwhelming and predictable it became. I have mixed emotions after finishing. There are certain aspects I loved but others left me somewhat disappointed. In the end, I don’t regret reading it but wouldn’t consider 180 Seconds a recommended read either.

Allison is a charming heroine, and I adored her immensely. She is no doubt the shining star of the book. It’s the type of character I’ve come to admire from this author. The scenes with her adopted father Simon are the most heart-warming and well developed moments in the book. I could have read just their story and have been pleased. Esben is likable, but I but never became fully invested in the social media aspect of his character. In the later half of the book, there are so many storylines and events, I felt Allison's journey became lost and watered down. By the end, it felt predictable and tedious. I was saddened because it wasn't how the story began.

This is one I think some readers will have massive love for and others will not. Sadly, I’m in the minority. I wouldn’t discourage anyone from trying it and won’t hesitate to read more from Park in the future.

Allison bounced around foster care for most of her life. Finally adopted as a teenager, she has struggled to open herself up to anyone besides her former foster sister. Back at college, she has a hard time connecting or making friends with anyone, until she is roped into a social experiment on campus. Esben is a social media genius, forever doing experiments and performance pieces trying to make the world a better place one hashtag at a time. When he meets Allison, he falls in deep, drawn to her sad past. Allison can't help but let Esben in, but a trauma from his past and a tragedy in her present seem destined to tear them apart.

This one is really sad but sweet.

Do not waste another second! Pick it up and read this book immediately; you'll fall in love with a beautiful and heartwrenching story. The characters felt so real to me I forgot for a moment that I was reading a book. Instead, I felt like I was living in the story. You won't regret it, don't miss out, don't doubt even for a second as this will become your new favorite!

I received this book from Netgalley after a friend practically begged me to request it.

Boy she wasnt kidding!

I liked the book since the start, but i just want to be clear with something, this is what i like to call a confort read. things happen in a certain order you expect ,but it doesnt end up bothering you.

So Girl has had a troubiling past, her childhood in foster care sucked, and she carries those demons in the palm of her hand,. Girl has best friend Steffi, which she adores and i found myself wishing i could get to know her better.

Then we meet Boy, Boy is a social media star, he makes good things happen to people, and makes social experiments to tell the world that not all is lost, there is some goodness left in the masses.

Girl meets Boy in one of those experiments and OH MAN i loved it. so refreshing and unique,

Afterwards the turns and twists takes us on a path were Girl has to conquer her demons, and give love and parenting a chance.

I cried , i laughed,i loved

Oh wow. What a stunningly beautiful, emotional and unexpected 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 couldn't recommend this book more!

Wow! It's a JESSICA'S BEST WORK EVER! I'm serious!
I'm not a big fan of Jessica's lovestory, but this romance so... angst, sad and touching.
The story of Allison's life before she meet with Esben - i'm crying. She so raw and at the same time so strong. I like her. And I really like watching the change in her character and her views on life after meet with Ebsen.
She's like a flower. She blossomed when she felt the sun warm, special care and love. Special love.
What a such beautiful thing.
Oh, man. oa. man. Esben stole my heart. He just pretty perfect. A man who knew how to let down walls and let go of past, and live in the present.
This story is so much more that a lovestory. This is a LIFE. The Life of many girls who needs support and help.
thank you VERY MUCH for my sleepless nights.
I re-read this book three times
I'm waiting for paperback <3

And I apologize for I have not written before - I re-read. And wiped snot and tears

I received an e-book galley of 180 Seconds for review purposes from NetGalley. This in no way influenced my review.

180 Seconds broke me into a million pieces on an airplane. I don't remember the last time a book brought tears to my eyes. I've been reading so much lately that I have such a high bar for emotion (and for fiction in general) but holy heck. This broke me, and I loved every minute of it.

If you cry when you watch Facebook videos of dogs meeting their new family or parents coming home from overseas to surprise their children or, really, any video that's remotely heartwarming, this book will probably break you, too. If you're skeptical, that's OK. I was too.

Be aware of spoilers from here on. They're kind of hard to avoid.

The writing

If I were going to complain about anything, it might be that sometimes, the writing was a little too... cheesy. Some moments were a huge Costco container of cheese balls. Esben and Kerry and Allison and Steffi all had moments of dialogue where I would be like, what? No college student talks like that. But then again, all four of these characters had been through so much — after a while I got used to it and decided they were just products of their environment, more mature and emotionally composed because of all they had overcome.

The characters

Allison is, easily, the best main character in a contemporary YA fiction that I've encountered in a long time. I can't think of one I loved better than her. She is so deeply hurt, so flawed, so guarded, but she is also desperate to be loved. I love her inner turmoil and I love the joy she finds. Everything that she felt, I felt. I cried for her when she cried for Steffi, I cried for her when she pushed Esben away, I rallied for her when she got him back.

Oh, my god, ESBEN. What a treat. His social experiments are, in real life, are my favorite thing about the internet. Seriously. And he is truly, truly, truly good. Not fake, not a snot, not vain, not horrible. He was so, so, so good.

The other characters, like Esben's sister Kerry and Allison's best friend Steffi, were incredibly deep, powerful, beautiful people, too. And I loved them all. No buts. My heart broke when we learned that Steffi had pushed away her potential adopted family, but they showed up at the hospital to be with her. I broke for Kerry and her pain and her artwork.

And, last but not least, my favorite character. Simon.

Simon was great. He was giving, real and whole. He was probably too perfect, maybe everyone in this book was, but he was what Allison needed to be whenever she needed it. He knew her inside and out. I cried real fat tears when Allison opened the first care package from Simon — a coffee pot, and a note that explained how he knew she wasn't opening the packages and didn't mind — and the second — a teddy bear, because every dad should buy his daughter a teddy bear. He was beautifully selfless. He never asked more of Allison than she could give.

The plot

Warning: The cheese starts early. But stick through it, OK? I was entirely skeptical about what could happen between two people in 180 seconds of unbroken eye contact. I was annoyed when Allison and Esben connected the way they did. I was ready to put this book down. Keep going.

Keep going, because if you are in love right now, if you are in the kind of happy, comfortable, good love like I am, you will begin to understand Esben and Allison so much. I loved watching their love unfold. I love the ways Allison gets involved in Esben's life — when she helps him save a little girl's birthday party, when she comes up with the idea to help senior dogs find homes. I cried during both of those scenes.

You will understand because they did not really fall in love when they made eye contact for the first time... but at the same time, they did. It just took some time to become what it was.

And then, the cross country adventure. Steffi's cancer. The fight to get to her. The way the world worked together to get Allison to her side. That was beautiful. And we say it would never happen in real life, that people would give up their seats on a plane home or speed away from the police to help a girl say goodbye to a dying friend, but at the same time, we hope that it would.

I wish I could experience 180 Seconds again. And again. And again. It was that book for me. Well worth the read.

Jessica Park is a name I feel mildly comfortable with. Two of her previously released books are among some of my favorites, however, it has been nearly four years since I’ve read (or reread) any of her works. Despite the considerable time spent away from her books, as soon as I saw the cover for 180 Seconds I knew it was something I wanted to read. Then, after taking in the synopsis, I was absolutely sold and hoped that Ms. Park would again bring about a story that would leave me emotionally drained in the very best way.

I absolutely fell in love with pretty much everything found in the first half of 180 Seconds. I got roped in pretty quickly by the skilled writing and the loveable yet terribly inaccessible Allison. Her character was written SO well. It was easy to understand her personal choice to remain disconnected to others while still finding humor and lightness in her personality. Allison is the kind of character that you pray will have one of those epic transformations. I very much enjoyed the other characters Steffi, Esben, and Simon and thought the dialogue was cute and funny. This read very much like an upper YA actually, and I had many “first-love” feels in response to Esben and Allison’s romance.

Once the relationship between Allison and Esben becomes established I lost interest pretty quickly. The writing was still strong, the characters never acted out of turn and the pace seemed to remain with a nice momentum but my interest was just…gone. Somehow every element of the story line became exceedingly predictable and corny and I ended up skimming the majority of the remaining half.

I had some really high expectations based on my previous experiences but this one was just okay. I’d recommend it if you are looking for something endearing and hopeful and light on emotional havoc.

"Those one hundred and eighty seconds with Esben somehow threw me into a whirlwind. Either I get slammed to the ground by the force or I soar."


It's not everyday that I adore a book from the first page of it but I became utterly hooked to this book from the very first page. There was something about Simon and Allison's relationship in the first chapter that made me adore them so much. I did not know too much going into this book. I knew that Allison was a college student who had been adopted at the age of sixteen. That interested me so much because one I had never read a book with a character that had been adopted at such a late age and was very interested to see what would happen. Her interactions with Simon (her adopted father) are so beautiful and I adored them immensely as characters.

This is the story of a girl named Allison who has major social anxieties caused by her life in the foster care system. She has a hard time trusting anyone including her foster father, a man that really is the best parent for her. She is in her junior year of college. Shortly into the novel she meets this guy named Esben, who is popular around campus and she does not realize why. After participating in a social experiment with him, she realizes that maybe they might have some sort of connection. With the encouragement of her best and oldest friend, Steff, Allison navigates this friendship with Esben as the become closer. It is a story that focuses on her relationships with others and the trust that she needs to have with them and herself.

I thought it was interesting to see the focus on internet presence and also just social networking in general. I had never read a book before that focused on this aspect so much that was as good as this. It really hooked me in and would not let me go. I should have never started reading this at 10:30 at night because I literally kept reading it into the early hours of the morning so I could finish it. It's just that great. Each of the characters and relationships in this novel were so genuine and so relatable, that I could not get enough of them. Allison grows a lot throughout the novel and it was a joy to see her learn about herself and others. Simon was the funniest character in the novel and I am so glad we got to see his relationship with Allison throughout. Esben was such a sweetheart and had the heart of gold. Steff is a great addition to this story and I just could not get enough of her personality. She is the best friend that Allison could want and an amazing girl.

All and all I can say without a doubt that this is my favorite book that I have read so far this year. I loved every single character and the story as a whole. Esben's use of social media as a way of helping people is inspiring and I could only wish that more people would use it for that use instead of in horrible ways. This has become one of my favorite books ever and I can honestly say that I am so happy that I spent the time to read this book. It was a real wonderful story.

"He shifts the box to rest on his hip, freeing up a hand. His voice elevates. 'Grab everything you can and run! Only take what you need! Run like the wind!' He yanks a small duffel from the car and dashes to the sidewalk, calling out over his shoulder, 'Come on, Allison! There's no time to waste!' " - The amazing Simon. God I loved him so much.

Nobody writes these complicated, quirky, multi-faceted characters the way Jessica Park does. While I admittedly have not read her entire back catalog, each book of hers that I've read has revolved around these unconventional characters who are completely unlike any I've ever read before, and they always manage to steal my heart. With 180 Seconds Miss Park delivers more of the same and yet with a fresh twist ensuring that it's completely new and completely different.

I loved Esben and Allison so much. From their unique meet-cute to the slow but steady burn between them - they're story is just beautiful. There were moments that took my breath away. Moments that left me with the biggest smile on my face. Moments that made me ache for each of them in turn, and sometimes together. This collection of moments added to a mostly fantastic reader experience.

My problem? I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. I sensed a whole lot of foreshadowing that kept me from fully losing myself in Esben and Allison's story. When the shoe did finally drop - it felt like a bit of an anvil. I was a little angry about it. I skimmed over a bunch of it. And then...it pulled me back in. I cried way more than I was expecting to cry - but I was ultimately able to find the beauty even in the parts that didn't feel great.

Allison's growth over the course of this story was tremendous and so rewarding to read. Not just her growth in her relationship with Esben, but in her other relationships as well. Allison's father is maybe one of my favorite book dads ever and their secondary storyline was a thing of beauty.

And Esben? Lord, hold on to your hearts with this one. He's steady and strong - but also very very human. He's not perfect, but somehow his imperfections make him even more lovable. His heart is true and I loved the heck out of him.

In all - I did enjoy this book very much. It was very emotional, but not always in dark ways. It's littered with these wonderful joyous moments packed into this sort of "ripped from the headlines" storyline. It delivered on the happy ending and even with a few bumps in the road, I walked away feeling warm, fuzzy and satisfied. Definitely worth the read! ~ 3.5 Stars

5 table-throwing stars

This book has blown me away from a slowish, ground-building start, to being all encompassing at 20%, to the intermittent crying from 75% onwards. It truly deserves the 5 stars because whilst it might only make you feel a little good, most importantly it made me feel......everything.

The concept for this story and the title smashed through my preconception from the blurb, into something that epitomised a truly great connection. A connection can be momentary, it's not always long-lasting or something that comes later down the line, it can manifest straight away. Therefore, this wasn't a case of insta-love, it was about depth, friendship, healing, hurting and connecting.

The heroine of this piece, Allison is a little damaged and a lot insular but she crashes into Esban and her first description of him totally drew me in.

"His forearms are tan, toned, with leather cords and thin rope bracelets around each wrist. Like superhero cuffs or something. He probably thinks he can deflect bullets."

I initially thought Esban a little too perfect but I found him to be more reachable as the story progressed. The chemistry between Esban and Allison goes from kindling to fiery in a way I could invest in. Even with these two strong MCs, the side characters of Simon and Steffi made this book move from good to wonderful. Whilst I suspected where the story was going, the execution was so emotional and fantastically written, that I'm still reeling.

Jessica Park excels at a few things and some I know her for already, that is, great writing and characters that are unique and a little quirky. However, Allison is my favourite character she's written yet. I am more of a fan than I was previously and this book will sit on my favourites shelf for this year and in general.

#thiskissthiskiss

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through netgalley in return for a honest review.

Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.

When you’re a huge contemporary reader like I am, not many books have the possibility of surprising you so much. Ultimately, they all come down to the same things, whether it’s a character-development thing, a cute romance, or anything, really. They all got the same recipe, and it’s a matter of what the author does with this and the little twists he adds in it that makes it stand out. I’m still surprised as I am writing these words, to say that 180 seconds was one of these books that stood out and surprised me a lot, in an amazing way.

A VERY RELATABLE MAIN CHARACTER


Allison has been into a gazillion different foster homes before Simon decided to adopt her as she was in high school. Now in her third year of college, she is used to avoiding people as much as she can and would rather stay in her room than try and socialize with other people. Right from the start, you know that Allison is one of these characters having big anxiety issues and is basically a closed door – she won’t open to anyone, no matter how politely you knock. Being a very anxious person myself – not to Allison’s point, but still – I thought that this was very well portrayed, it felt realistic without being over the top, and it was so good to be able to RELATE so much to a character.

A SOCIAL EXPERIMENT & A DEEP CONNECTION

But this book isn’t about Allison’s anxiety and her struggles through college – she’s a pretty good student, by the way. This book is about the experiment that tears down her walls and makes her open up to the world, to love, to family, to trust. 180 seconds: that’s the name of the experiment, and it’s quite simple. One day on the street, she’s stopped by a girl she doesn’t know and has to stare into the eyes of a stranger for 180 seconds. Three minutes in which something, a connection, happens. With a complete stranger – handsome, obviously -, but still. A strong connection they both can’t deny.
Now, I get you, and I see you coming with all of your comments: this kind of feels like insta-love, doesn’t it? Well, that’s where I was surprised, and that’s where you’d be wrong to misjudge this right away. This is not insta-love, as they don’t fall in love in the matter of three minutes. This is a connection, this is something you can get when you see a person for the first time, talk, do something. A connection, a feeling – the way this thing was described was overall realistically handled and powerful, if you ask me, perfectly grasping the feelings of connection.

STUNNING CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

If there’s something else that the author knew how to describe, it’s the feelings overall as they develop, as Allison slowly gets out of her shell, slowly explores the world around her and discovers this stranger she met for three minutes, Esben. There is stunning character development in this book as we see the main character grow and change thanks to the people around her, but most of it all, to herself. This did not feel like a “love-saves” kind of trope, where the guy somehow manages to make her anxiety disappear. It felt like she motivated herself out of her funk every single day, getting stronger…Then falling down and getting up again on her own, with people to rely on along the way. Allison and Esben’s relationship developed rightly and at a good rhythm, especially for first relationships and first times, with love and respect for each other, cuteness and a whole damn lot of complications at times for sure. They were definitely a relationship I rooted for, and one that did not take away any of the characters’ development or took away Allison’s spotlight in the story.

Family and friendships were also a very strong suit in this story, taking as much place as the love interest, which I appreciated a lot. What we have between Steffi and Allison is real, honest, unflinching best friendship with support, pep talks and long distance calls. On the other side, Allison’s father Simon was one of the greatest father figures ever: I loved seeing his bond with Allison grow as the story got along, I loved seeing it evolve and it just made my heart burst with happiness and love for him. .

OVERALL

180 seconds surprised me by its honesty in everything it talked about, from “light” themes such as first love and family bonds, opening up and overcoming your fears, to more heavy ones like grief, loss and I won’t say more except that it had me crying like a baby. I also LOVED how the social media experience was included in this with Twitter, Facebook, Blogging, troll comments, Instagram and so many other things as well, making it feel even more realistic. It’s a book I would recommend for sure.