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readwithtanyab 's review for:
180 Seconds
by Jessica Park
***This book review may contain spoilers.***
I didn't love it. With such a high rating, I thought I would be completely engulfed in feels and would be thinking about this book days after I've read it. It didn't happen that way. Don't get me wrong. I had the feels. I was crying like a baby while my boyfriend was playing video games and he's staring at me like, "You good?" Mind you, I told him someone was dying, I just know it. So when he sees my crying, he's all "You called it though!" Yeah. So it gives you the feels. I feel like you are heartless if you didn't cry. But then again, I'm a sensitive type of gal. Maybe if I weren't, it would justify the rating I'm giving it.
It just didn't take. Allison was an okay character. As was Esben. I just couldn't take Esben for some reason. It's like he could do no wrong. He embodied qualities/personality traits that mirrored a do-gooder samaritan but with no flaws whatsoever. It annoyed me. I don't look for flaws in characters. Trust me, I don't. But Esben's personality was engorged all over the pages and was such a big distraction to me. It was too forced and fake to my liking. Also, Allison's and Esben's instalove. The author even brought it up within the story. And I'm a-ok with instalove. I am. But I'm a sucker for build-up. Complete sucker for build-up. So to me, their relationship was fast-paced for the different stages every relationship goes through. And sometimes it works for me. Sometimes it doesn't. It didn't work for me. Their relationship was way too much to the point where it had me thinking somebody was going to die. Made me already guess where the story was going.
Another issue I had. I read the characters younger than they were. Allison and Esben are supposed to be juniors in college!!! College. I'm over here thinking they're in high school. Maybe I can just pretend they're in high school but an elite private boarding school. The only reason I didn't forget altogether they were in college is because of the beginning. Book started off with so much promise and belief that characters were in college. Then the minute 180 seconds occurs, it just goes downhill. I felt like I regressed into the teenage years. But I guess maybe that's Jessica Park's point. Allison didn't really get the childhood she wanted, and with her walls building, she also took away the emotional growth aspect. So it's reading childish because she hasn't emotionally grown yet or isn't at the level that she should've been.
I loved Allison's and Steffi's friendship. Steffi was a solid character and had so many more depths to her than Allison. No offense Allison. I wish I could see/read Steffi's version of events. I feel like it would have been more entertaining and also more heart-wrenching. This friendship was the only reason to keep reading. I didn't know who was dying until Steffi said she was going on some 3 week cruise for Christmas break. Then I knew. It's her best friend dying. Steffi. So sad. I wished many things for her. The way she went? Very peaceful. Very much in a room filled with love.
When I figured out it was Steffi who was dying, I also predicted that Allison would blame Espen in some sort of way. It was a reach and irrational to state that because she fell in love with Espen, they took away Steffi. THANK GOD that Simon has a good head on his shoulders to set her straight. Simon was another character I loved. Him as a dad for her? Lovely. I kind of just wish it was some different story where it was Steffi, Simon, and Allison. I would have loved to see all those dynamics.
The book ended predictably. It was a good read. Just not really my cup of tea to give it a five. There was distinct flaws in my opinion to warrant not rating it a 5.
My Star Rating:3 out of 5 Stars
I didn't love it. With such a high rating, I thought I would be completely engulfed in feels and would be thinking about this book days after I've read it. It didn't happen that way. Don't get me wrong. I had the feels. I was crying like a baby while my boyfriend was playing video games and he's staring at me like, "You good?" Mind you, I told him someone was dying, I just know it. So when he sees my crying, he's all "You called it though!" Yeah. So it gives you the feels. I feel like you are heartless if you didn't cry. But then again, I'm a sensitive type of gal. Maybe if I weren't, it would justify the rating I'm giving it.
It just didn't take. Allison was an okay character. As was Esben. I just couldn't take Esben for some reason. It's like he could do no wrong. He embodied qualities/personality traits that mirrored a do-gooder samaritan but with no flaws whatsoever. It annoyed me. I don't look for flaws in characters. Trust me, I don't. But Esben's personality was engorged all over the pages and was such a big distraction to me. It was too forced and fake to my liking. Also, Allison's and Esben's instalove. The author even brought it up within the story. And I'm a-ok with instalove. I am. But I'm a sucker for build-up. Complete sucker for build-up. So to me, their relationship was fast-paced for the different stages every relationship goes through. And sometimes it works for me. Sometimes it doesn't. It didn't work for me. Their relationship was way too much to the point where it had me thinking somebody was going to die. Made me already guess where the story was going.
Another issue I had. I read the characters younger than they were. Allison and Esben are supposed to be juniors in college!!! College. I'm over here thinking they're in high school. Maybe I can just pretend they're in high school but an elite private boarding school. The only reason I didn't forget altogether they were in college is because of the beginning. Book started off with so much promise and belief that characters were in college. Then the minute 180 seconds occurs, it just goes downhill. I felt like I regressed into the teenage years. But I guess maybe that's Jessica Park's point. Allison didn't really get the childhood she wanted, and with her walls building, she also took away the emotional growth aspect. So it's reading childish because she hasn't emotionally grown yet or isn't at the level that she should've been.
I loved Allison's and Steffi's friendship. Steffi was a solid character and had so many more depths to her than Allison. No offense Allison. I wish I could see/read Steffi's version of events. I feel like it would have been more entertaining and also more heart-wrenching. This friendship was the only reason to keep reading. I didn't know who was dying until Steffi said she was going on some 3 week cruise for Christmas break. Then I knew. It's her best friend dying. Steffi. So sad. I wished many things for her. The way she went? Very peaceful. Very much in a room filled with love.
When I figured out it was Steffi who was dying, I also predicted that Allison would blame Espen in some sort of way. It was a reach and irrational to state that because she fell in love with Espen, they took away Steffi. THANK GOD that Simon has a good head on his shoulders to set her straight. Simon was another character I loved. Him as a dad for her? Lovely. I kind of just wish it was some different story where it was Steffi, Simon, and Allison. I would have loved to see all those dynamics.
The book ended predictably. It was a good read. Just not really my cup of tea to give it a five. There was distinct flaws in my opinion to warrant not rating it a 5.
My Star Rating:3 out of 5 Stars