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Instructions for Dancing
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fiction (2021)In this romantic page-turner from the author of Everything, Everything and The Sun is Also a Star, Evie has the power to see other people's romantic fates--what will happen when she finally sees her own?
Evie Thomas doesn't believe in love anymore. Especially after the strangest thing occurs one otherwise ordinary afternoon: She witnesses a couple kiss and is overcome with a vision of how their romance began . . . and how it will end. After all, even the greatest love stories end with a broken heart, eventually.
As Evie tries to understand why this is happening, she finds herself at La Brea Dance Studio, learning to waltz, fox-trot, and tango with a boy named X. X is everything that Evie is not: adventurous, passionate, daring. His philosophy is to say yes to everything--including entering a ballroom dance competition with a girl he's only just met.
Falling for X is definitely not what Evie had in mind. If her visions of heartbreak have taught her anything, it's that no one escapes love unscathed. But as she and X dance around and toward each other, Evie is forced to question all she thought she knew about life and love. In the end, is love worth the risk?
Evie Thomas doesn't believe in love anymore. Especially after the strangest thing occurs one otherwise ordinary afternoon: She witnesses a couple kiss and is overcome with a vision of how their romance began . . . and how it will end. After all, even the greatest love stories end with a broken heart, eventually.
As Evie tries to understand why this is happening, she finds herself at La Brea Dance Studio, learning to waltz, fox-trot, and tango with a boy named X. X is everything that Evie is not: adventurous, passionate, daring. His philosophy is to say yes to everything--including entering a ballroom dance competition with a girl he's only just met.
Falling for X is definitely not what Evie had in mind. If her visions of heartbreak have taught her anything, it's that no one escapes love unscathed. But as she and X dance around and toward each other, Evie is forced to question all she thought she knew about life and love. In the end, is love worth the risk?
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 3, 2021
1244 people are currently reading
99162 people want to read
About the author
Nicola Yoon
20 books18.9k followersNicola Yoon is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also a Star. She is a National Book Award finalist, a Michael L. Printz Honor Book recipient and a Coretta Scott King New Talent Award winner. Both her novels have been made into major motion pictures. Nicola grew up in Jamaica and Brooklyn, and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, novelist David Yoon, and their family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 10,614 reviews
January 17, 2025
Oh, my poor, broken heart! It hurts like hell! Don’t be fooled by the beautiful, vibrant, and inspirational cover that promises a sweet, lighthearted YA romcom. This book is so much more—it’s heart-wrenching, deeply emotional, magical, and thought-provoking, shaking you to your very core.
True love, epic dance moves, kindred spirits, quirky best friends, and a girl with the magical ability to see a kissing couple’s heartbreak—these are the first thoughts that come to mind after reading this book. I can barely string my words together because the author dropped an emotional bomb in my lap and ran away. Even after finishing it, I’m sitting here, staring blankly at the walls, with tears streaming down my cheeks. I think I’ll remain like this all weekend. Ms. Yoon has turned me into the statue of misery!
Yes, this book is magical! It’s sweet! It’s sensational! But it also delves into your heart and tears it apart. You’ll find yourself saying, What? What? What? No way! I must have read that wrong! This can’t be happening! No freaking way!
Without giving away spoilers, let me say this: this book is a masterclass in how to pick up the pieces of your heart after it’s been shattered. It’s about true love. It’s about falling in love—and falling out of it. It’s about the choices we make, the risks we take, and what it means to live boldly and fully.
A Short Summary:
After witnessing her father kissing another woman and watching her parents decide to divorce, 18-year-old Evie stops believing in love. She gathers all her romance novels to donate to the library. But on the way, she realizes it’s Saturday and the library is closed.
Frustrated, she wanders into a nearby park, where she meets an older woman running a small book stall. The woman accepts Evie’s books and, in return, gives her a mysterious book titled Instructions for Dancing. Though Evie takes the book out of politeness, things only get stranger. When she looks back to thank the woman, she has vanished.
Things take a turn for the bizarre when Evie returns home and sees her sister kissing her boyfriend. Suddenly, she’s struck by visions: how they met, fell in love, and eventually broke up. Evie soon realizes she can now see the entire arc of a couple’s love story—from the first spark to the final heartbreak—whenever she witnesses them kiss.
Desperate to rid herself of this curse, Evie decides to follow the address written inside Instructions for Dancing, which leads her to the La Brea Dance Studio. There, she reluctantly signs up for dance lessons and is paired with Xavier, the charming and talented grandson of the studio owners. Not only does she find herself learning bachata, salsa, West Coast swing, hustle, and Argentine tango, but she also starts falling for Xavier—a lead singer in a rock band with a heart of gold.
But as Evie continues to see heartbreak in others’ love stories, she’s faced with a difficult question: will she risk her heart for a love she knows could end in pain?
Final Thoughts:
This book has everything: beautifully developed characters, a creative and heartfelt story, and a meaningful, unforgettable ending.
Once again, Ms. Yoon has delivered an absolute gem. It’s a big hit that deserves all the praise, and I won’t be surprised if it’s adapted into a movie. You can bet I’ll be watching it—and crying all over again.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for sharing this powerful digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinion.
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True love, epic dance moves, kindred spirits, quirky best friends, and a girl with the magical ability to see a kissing couple’s heartbreak—these are the first thoughts that come to mind after reading this book. I can barely string my words together because the author dropped an emotional bomb in my lap and ran away. Even after finishing it, I’m sitting here, staring blankly at the walls, with tears streaming down my cheeks. I think I’ll remain like this all weekend. Ms. Yoon has turned me into the statue of misery!
Yes, this book is magical! It’s sweet! It’s sensational! But it also delves into your heart and tears it apart. You’ll find yourself saying, What? What? What? No way! I must have read that wrong! This can’t be happening! No freaking way!
Without giving away spoilers, let me say this: this book is a masterclass in how to pick up the pieces of your heart after it’s been shattered. It’s about true love. It’s about falling in love—and falling out of it. It’s about the choices we make, the risks we take, and what it means to live boldly and fully.
A Short Summary:
After witnessing her father kissing another woman and watching her parents decide to divorce, 18-year-old Evie stops believing in love. She gathers all her romance novels to donate to the library. But on the way, she realizes it’s Saturday and the library is closed.
Frustrated, she wanders into a nearby park, where she meets an older woman running a small book stall. The woman accepts Evie’s books and, in return, gives her a mysterious book titled Instructions for Dancing. Though Evie takes the book out of politeness, things only get stranger. When she looks back to thank the woman, she has vanished.
Things take a turn for the bizarre when Evie returns home and sees her sister kissing her boyfriend. Suddenly, she’s struck by visions: how they met, fell in love, and eventually broke up. Evie soon realizes she can now see the entire arc of a couple’s love story—from the first spark to the final heartbreak—whenever she witnesses them kiss.
Desperate to rid herself of this curse, Evie decides to follow the address written inside Instructions for Dancing, which leads her to the La Brea Dance Studio. There, she reluctantly signs up for dance lessons and is paired with Xavier, the charming and talented grandson of the studio owners. Not only does she find herself learning bachata, salsa, West Coast swing, hustle, and Argentine tango, but she also starts falling for Xavier—a lead singer in a rock band with a heart of gold.
But as Evie continues to see heartbreak in others’ love stories, she’s faced with a difficult question: will she risk her heart for a love she knows could end in pain?
Final Thoughts:
This book has everything: beautifully developed characters, a creative and heartfelt story, and a meaningful, unforgettable ending.
Once again, Ms. Yoon has delivered an absolute gem. It’s a big hit that deserves all the praise, and I won’t be surprised if it’s adapted into a movie. You can bet I’ll be watching it—and crying all over again.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for sharing this powerful digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinion.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium blog
May 16, 2021
Despite how it might seem, this is not a love story.
My friend had to convince me to read Instructions for Dancing. I've read both of Yoon's previous books and felt... incompatible with them. I felt like Yoon's cutesy starry-eyed romances were not for me, especially as someone who is super picky when it comes to the romance genre. But I was right to give this one a shot.
Figures I'd like the only one of Yoon's books to make me cry.
The opening quote is accurate. Though love is central to Instructions for Dancing, it is not a love story. At least, not in the way we would usually expect. It's more about the narrator, Evie Thomas, who has become disillusioned and cynical about love ever since her dad had an affair and left her mother for another woman, finding it in herself to take a chance on love (and heartbreak).
Not everybody can dance good, but everybody can dance.
Sorry if this is a bit cheesy, but it struck me as appropriate that a book dealing with these issues was also about dancing because it reminded me of that Garth Brooks song 'The Dance'.
And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end, the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
But I'd have had to miss the dance
It's really all about saying, yeah, sure, you might get hurt and it might all end up in flames but, hell, maybe it's worth it for all the love and joy?
I did not know this until the author's note at the end, but Yoon was dealing with a lot of pain while she wrote this book and I think she channelled a lot of that heartache into her writing. It's a very bittersweet story, and maybe that's why it felt truer to me? Sometimes love ends, doesn't work out, falls apart, dies. But, then again, sometimes it doesn't.
January 26, 2022
this was fine. i was actually really enjoying it until it started to go in a direction i didnt like.
i understand that grief and sadness can be powerful emotions for prompting life lessons and conveying messages in stories, but i didnt like it for this particular one. could i have understood the message of this story without the sad ending? yes, for sure. which is why i would have preferred it to end on a happier note.
i think readers who dont mind a sad ending will appreciate it for what it is. but, for me, i want my YA contemporary to be a little lighter.
↠ 2.5 stars
i understand that grief and sadness can be powerful emotions for prompting life lessons and conveying messages in stories, but i didnt like it for this particular one. could i have understood the message of this story without the sad ending? yes, for sure. which is why i would have preferred it to end on a happier note.
i think readers who dont mind a sad ending will appreciate it for what it is. but, for me, i want my YA contemporary to be a little lighter.
↠ 2.5 stars
February 4, 2022
Ew, I have tears in my eyes. And my heart feels somewhat broken.
It’s a happily ever after but with an ending to the happy. It’s annoyingly and obviously real. Life can be a pile of shit, but there are plenty of joyous moments and I like that this book emphasised the importance of living in the moment and appreciating them right there and then.
I don’t care how cliche this sounds.
But these characters have experienced losses in different ways and naturally, that has changed them. Xavier seizes life as much as he possibly can. Evie’s world seems to have shattered because of it. Her pessimism was all too relatable.
The characters (and story) were fleshed out enough to where I could paint a picture in my head though I wanted more. I think there’s an element to reading where your imagination runs away in a direction that allows you to fill out the rest of the story for yourself.
Not to say what we got wasn’t enough, but I’m greedy and when I enjoy a story, I guess I’ll always want more.
It was bittersweet. And all too real.
It’s a happily ever after but with an ending to the happy. It’s annoyingly and obviously real. Life can be a pile of shit, but there are plenty of joyous moments and I like that this book emphasised the importance of living in the moment and appreciating them right there and then.
I don’t care how cliche this sounds.
But these characters have experienced losses in different ways and naturally, that has changed them. Xavier seizes life as much as he possibly can. Evie’s world seems to have shattered because of it. Her pessimism was all too relatable.
The characters (and story) were fleshed out enough to where I could paint a picture in my head though I wanted more. I think there’s an element to reading where your imagination runs away in a direction that allows you to fill out the rest of the story for yourself.
Not to say what we got wasn’t enough, but I’m greedy and when I enjoy a story, I guess I’ll always want more.
It was bittersweet. And all too real.
June 1, 2021
I finished this book in one day. And although my first reaction to it was a total delight, I closed it with my heart a little broken. This story is cute and tender, but it will also leave you in tears.
Essentially, Instructions for Dancing is about this - how do you allow yourself to love, when you know this love will almost always leave you miserable?
Evie is already skeptical about love when she finds out her parents' marriage ended because of her father's infidelity. But when she miraculously acquires an ability to see any kissing couple's future, her belief in love wears out even more, because she witnesses every love story's end. The same miraculous fate leads Evie to a ballroom dance studio, and there she meets X, who, somehow, is destined to teach her a lesson about love, but what lesson is it?
There are many aspects of this story that I loved - for one, how no one in YA has had dance lessons in a plot before? How? That's a gold mine right there. Dirty Dancing-redux! Secondly, the touch of magic was just right - the replays of people's love stories was a tremendously successful gimmick.
All in all, Instructions for Dancing is a touching YA story, which you can tell, came deep from Nicola Yoon's heart (just read her afterword). I personally would have shuffled some parts around for a better story flow, but you know me, I always have something to complain about.
This will be a great companion to E. Lockhart's Again Again.
P.S. I liked this novel, but I think it has a terrible title.
Essentially, Instructions for Dancing is about this - how do you allow yourself to love, when you know this love will almost always leave you miserable?
Evie is already skeptical about love when she finds out her parents' marriage ended because of her father's infidelity. But when she miraculously acquires an ability to see any kissing couple's future, her belief in love wears out even more, because she witnesses every love story's end. The same miraculous fate leads Evie to a ballroom dance studio, and there she meets X, who, somehow, is destined to teach her a lesson about love, but what lesson is it?
There are many aspects of this story that I loved - for one, how no one in YA has had dance lessons in a plot before? How? That's a gold mine right there. Dirty Dancing-redux! Secondly, the touch of magic was just right - the replays of people's love stories was a tremendously successful gimmick.
All in all, Instructions for Dancing is a touching YA story, which you can tell, came deep from Nicola Yoon's heart (just read her afterword). I personally would have shuffled some parts around for a better story flow, but you know me, I always have something to complain about.
This will be a great companion to E. Lockhart's Again Again.
P.S. I liked this novel, but I think it has a terrible title.
August 17, 2021
This book has issues.
I know that lots of people are in love with this book and I believe that to a certain extent it does deserve the love that it's getting because it doesn't have many major issues. But the one major issue that it does have was enough for me to notch down the rating significantly.
Instructions for dancing starts off with the lead, Yvette, donating her contemporery romances after she stops believing in love, keep in mind that by the end she's deeply in love and the transition is not at all subtle.
She goes from
To
Within
Like most books with similar premises this one also falls prey to unbelievable, almost insta love with the main character trying to deny her feelings due to a certain past incident.
This would've been fine if, atleast, the characters were likable. They weren't, and after the 60-70% mark it became unbearable. They had absolutely zero personality. In fact I can define each character in one sentence.
Yvette→Doesn't believe in love
X → Hot and exciting (I for one didn't find him hot or interesting, but the book certainly believes him to be)
Martin - Nerd in love with Danica (Again, the book is obsessedd with calling him a nerd)
Danica→Not so sexy Yvette's very sexy sister (Dare I say that the book is in love with Danica and X's sexy auras)
Sophie → Gentle & timid friend? ( I don't really know what she's like)
The other friend→ rude & bitchy friend? (Lol. I don't even remember her name.)
Yvette's daddy → Don't even get me started on him. He's part of the major issue.
Yvette's mommy → The kids needed a mommy so the book gave them a mommy.
Shirley and co. →Another part of the major issue.
Now, let's talk about my favorite part of this review, the major issue.
(Spoilers below)
The major issue was cheating and indirect appreciation of cheating.
Yvette's father cheated on her mom with a lady called Shirley. Mr Father wants Yvette to attend his wedding with whom she caught him cheating. Eventually when Yvette's belief in love is back she agrees (There's lots of "I'll attend," and, "I won't attend.")
Till this point everything was bearable but then the bridal shower happened. And it really pissed me aff, everybody is happy about how Shirley fell for a married man and found her knight in shining armour in him . What family does that ? What family tells you,"You love that married man? Go for him, my child, make him yours." If I did something like Shirley, you know what my family would do? They'd kick me out of the house and disown me, they definitely won't plan a grand wedding for me and be happy for me me and invite everyone and tell everyone how I'm in love with a man who I helped cheat on his wife. And that is what would be right, what Shirley's family did was wrong . If this was mentioned atleast once I would've felt better.
But guess what? This isn't it. The last straw was Shirley's moms speech, part of which I'm going to quote for you.
A good man, a family man is not someone who cheats on his wife and breaks his family's trust.
Only thing that Shirley's mom and I agree upon, a woman like Shirley does deserve a partner with no loyalty.
To me this sounds an awful lot like ,"I'm so glad you broke a family."
You can make your own judgements from that, I believe I've made mine clear enough. Shirley's mom, shirley & Yvette's dad are 3 people I hate with passion, I've never wanted to murder anyone else so bad.
Also, I didn't like & Yvette's reaction to the speech either.
If you want to read it then read it at your own risk but if you despise cheating I'd recommend skipping this one.
________________________________________
Shirley's mom says, "He's a good man. A family man."
Can someone please explain to me how a person who cheated on his wife is a family man. Like, how the fuck!? And how can Evie be so chill after hearing that.
________________________________________
There are spoilers below.
70% done.
I want to dnf this book so bad. Until this point I was really enjoying this book but then, this is a personal opinion, Evie almost forgave her father for cheating and everybody's happy for the lady who broke a family and the man who cheated on his wife and broke his family. I'm sorry, but I cannot bear this, I get that this is the reality for a lot of people and staying away from family regardless of their heinous mistakes is damn hard, but I do not condone forgiving people who cheat on their partners and I do not support people who support cheaters and who support the person with whom people cheat.
I know that lots of people are in love with this book and I believe that to a certain extent it does deserve the love that it's getting because it doesn't have many major issues. But the one major issue that it does have was enough for me to notch down the rating significantly.
Instructions for dancing starts off with the lead, Yvette, donating her contemporery romances after she stops believing in love, keep in mind that by the end she's deeply in love and the transition is not at all subtle.
She goes from
To
Within
Like most books with similar premises this one also falls prey to unbelievable, almost insta love with the main character trying to deny her feelings due to a certain past incident.
This would've been fine if, atleast, the characters were likable. They weren't, and after the 60-70% mark it became unbearable. They had absolutely zero personality. In fact I can define each character in one sentence.
Yvette→Doesn't believe in love
X → Hot and exciting (I for one didn't find him hot or interesting, but the book certainly believes him to be)
Martin - Nerd in love with Danica (Again, the book is obsessedd with calling him a nerd)
Danica→Not so sexy Yvette's very sexy sister (Dare I say that the book is in love with Danica and X's sexy auras)
Sophie → Gentle & timid friend? ( I don't really know what she's like)
The other friend→ rude & bitchy friend? (Lol. I don't even remember her name.)
Yvette's daddy → Don't even get me started on him. He's part of the major issue.
Yvette's mommy → The kids needed a mommy so the book gave them a mommy.
Shirley and co. →Another part of the major issue.
Now, let's talk about my favorite part of this review, the major issue.
(Spoilers below)
The major issue was cheating and indirect appreciation of cheating.
Yvette's father cheated on her mom with a lady called Shirley. Mr Father wants Yvette to attend his wedding with whom she caught him cheating. Eventually when Yvette's belief in love is back she agrees (There's lots of "I'll attend," and, "I won't attend.")
Till this point everything was bearable but then the bridal shower happened. And it really pissed me aff, everybody is happy about how Shirley fell for a married man and found her knight in shining armour in him . What family does that ? What family tells you,"You love that married man? Go for him, my child, make him yours." If I did something like Shirley, you know what my family would do? They'd kick me out of the house and disown me, they definitely won't plan a grand wedding for me and be happy for me me and invite everyone and tell everyone how I'm in love with a man who I helped cheat on his wife. And that is what would be right, what Shirley's family did was wrong . If this was mentioned atleast once I would've felt better.
But guess what? This isn't it. The last straw was Shirley's moms speech, part of which I'm going to quote for you.
"When Shirley first told me she met a man...let's just say I was skeptical."
Another round of mm-hmms and laughter.
I sit up straighter. It's weird hearing someone else talk about Dad like he belongs to them.
"But I said to Shirley that I would keep my mind open when I met him. And when I did meet him, I told him I was going to be hard to please." She smiles down at Shirley. "But, miracle of miracles, he pleased me. First of all, he's a good man. A family man. I'm so glad to have two new grandchildren to fuss over."
A good man, a family man is not someone who cheats on his wife and breaks his family's trust.
She smiles over at our table and raises her glass to Danica and me.
I raise my glass of sparkling cider, and Danica raises hers too.
It's only been a few minutes, but I can already tell that Shirley's mom is the kind of person who loves big. She's proud and fierce and sweet too. It's obvious how much she loves Shirley. It's obvious that she'll love me and Danica big too.
Shirley's mom keeps going: "And you should see the way he looks at my Shirley, like she put the sun and the moon and all the stars in the sky. It's almost embarrassing the way he loves her. But a love like that is what she deserves."
Only thing that Shirley's mom and I agree upon, a woman like Shirley does deserve a partner with no loyalty.
"And you know my Shirley loves with her whole heart. She just dotes on him and his ten-dollar English-professor words. So now I want everybody to raise those glasses high. Yes, yes, get them up there." She looks down at Shirley. "Sweetheart, you are the love of my life. I'm so glad you found the love of yours."
To me this sounds an awful lot like ,"I'm so glad you broke a family."
Tears are streaming down Shirley's face, and she doesn't try to wipe them away. Her face is so full of love for Dad, it's almost hard to look at. I've thought a lot of awful things about her over the last year. I've called her a liar and a cheat. I blamed her for taking Dad away from us. And for making things awful between Mom and me and Danica and me. I've been angry. So angry.
But looking at her now, I see how much she loves Dad. Of all the things I expected to feel today, understanding for Shirley wasn't one of them. It's hard to completely hate. someone who loves someone you love. She loves Dad. I can't deny that.
You can make your own judgements from that, I believe I've made mine clear enough. Shirley's mom, shirley & Yvette's dad are 3 people I hate with passion, I've never wanted to murder anyone else so bad.
Also, I didn't like & Yvette's reaction to the speech either.
If you want to read it then read it at your own risk but if you despise cheating I'd recommend skipping this one.
________________________________________
Shirley's mom says, "He's a good man. A family man."
Can someone please explain to me how a person who cheated on his wife is a family man. Like, how the fuck!? And how can Evie be so chill after hearing that.
________________________________________
There are spoilers below.
70% done.
I want to dnf this book so bad. Until this point I was really enjoying this book but then, this is a personal opinion, Evie almost forgave her father for cheating and everybody's happy for the lady who broke a family and the man who cheated on his wife and broke his family. I'm sorry, but I cannot bear this, I get that this is the reality for a lot of people and staying away from family regardless of their heinous mistakes is damn hard, but I do not condone forgiving people who cheat on their partners and I do not support people who support cheaters and who support the person with whom people cheat.
June 6, 2021
She did it again yall. Nicola Yoon FUCKING destroyed me.
When TSIAS came out I was in a long term relationship with my high school sweetheart. I read the book in a day. Cried abt it. Made videos on it. 2 yrs ago at BookCon I was so blessed to tell Nicola in person how much I resonated with her book because it displayed a love that looked like mine. About a Caribbean girl and an Asian boy from NY with limited time who loved each other despite it not making sense and the odds stacked against them Then the movie came out. Me and my boyfriend saw it on our anniversary. We LOVED it. We cried in the theaters when we saw that they filmed some of it in our favorite part of the City. We even went to the same restaurant afterwards which was where we had our first date 4 yrs prior.
Here we are 4 yrs after the book release date and 2 yrs after the movie. As I write this, I realize today would’ve made 6yrs for me and my now ex boyfriend. like Evies mom, I ended things with him. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I wasn’t okay for a very long time. And tbh...sometimes I’m still not. But this book reminded me of one of my favorite quotes “Just because it wasn’t forever doesn’t mean it still wasn’t magic”. Heartbreak truly is indescribable and I remember feeling just like Evie when I went through it. I looked at my divorced parents and all the other broken couples around me and questioned how they’re still standing when literally all I felt was pure agony. I find myself still mourning both the past AND the future. Sometimes I cry at 4am, beating myself up for allowing someone to affect me that much. But like Evie said, the worst thing abt heartbreak is that it DOESNT kill you. We’re all just learning how to deal with that ache in our chests day by day.
This book made me hopeful again. It made look back on my relationship and still be able to see the beauty in finding a connection with someone. It made me realize just how fucking brave I was to give all of me to someone knowing a happy ending wasn’t promised. So as I sit here on my would be 6 year Anniversary, I’m deciding to still celebrate the love that I had, and lost.
When TSIAS came out I was in a long term relationship with my high school sweetheart. I read the book in a day. Cried abt it. Made videos on it. 2 yrs ago at BookCon I was so blessed to tell Nicola in person how much I resonated with her book because it displayed a love that looked like mine. About a Caribbean girl and an Asian boy from NY with limited time who loved each other despite it not making sense and the odds stacked against them Then the movie came out. Me and my boyfriend saw it on our anniversary. We LOVED it. We cried in the theaters when we saw that they filmed some of it in our favorite part of the City. We even went to the same restaurant afterwards which was where we had our first date 4 yrs prior.
Here we are 4 yrs after the book release date and 2 yrs after the movie. As I write this, I realize today would’ve made 6yrs for me and my now ex boyfriend. like Evies mom, I ended things with him. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I wasn’t okay for a very long time. And tbh...sometimes I’m still not. But this book reminded me of one of my favorite quotes “Just because it wasn’t forever doesn’t mean it still wasn’t magic”. Heartbreak truly is indescribable and I remember feeling just like Evie when I went through it. I looked at my divorced parents and all the other broken couples around me and questioned how they’re still standing when literally all I felt was pure agony. I find myself still mourning both the past AND the future. Sometimes I cry at 4am, beating myself up for allowing someone to affect me that much. But like Evie said, the worst thing abt heartbreak is that it DOESNT kill you. We’re all just learning how to deal with that ache in our chests day by day.
This book made me hopeful again. It made look back on my relationship and still be able to see the beauty in finding a connection with someone. It made me realize just how fucking brave I was to give all of me to someone knowing a happy ending wasn’t promised. So as I sit here on my would be 6 year Anniversary, I’m deciding to still celebrate the love that I had, and lost.
July 29, 2021
I WAS COMPLETELY BLINDSIDED BY THIS BOOK.
I loved it so much that I read it in less than four hours.
Nicola Yoon once again reminding me the reasons why I love reading YA despite being 21 years old.
I loved it so much that I read it in less than four hours.
Nicola Yoon once again reminding me the reasons why I love reading YA despite being 21 years old.
December 6, 2021
It has been a while (read: months) since I read this book along with my friends from our book club, so for that reason I will keep my review on a shorter side (as some parts of the book are blur now).
I wish I didn't read any reviews for Instructions for Dancing before going into it, because I read the main spoiler and it ruined my whole reading experience.
I understand people write spoilers in their reviews, but I don't appreciate it wheb they do it in first sentence or without any warnings.
This is contemporary ya with magical realism and at first I wasn't a fan of it, even though it was obvious the way it would turn to from the very premise, but as the story progressed and we came to the end, I appreciated it and am glad the writer decided to spice her story with little magic instead picking the chliche she could have gone for.
I love the way we saw the LOVE from many angles and how it got it's own personality through the story.
The writing was beautiful. The very first sentence was capturing and it reminded me how I fell in love in the first sentence from the author's previous book called Everything, Everything.
Characters were good to follow, I really loved X. Evie was good although some things I wanted for her to deal differently with.
Some other side characters really got on my nerves and overall all the interactions between them reminded me about how unfair life can be.
Overall, this was a quick read that I am glad I had an opportunity to enjoy and I recommend it to people who enjoy ya contemporaries and don't mind splash of magic in their stories.
I wish I didn't read any reviews for Instructions for Dancing before going into it, because I read the main spoiler and it ruined my whole reading experience.
I understand people write spoilers in their reviews, but I don't appreciate it wheb they do it in first sentence or without any warnings.
This is contemporary ya with magical realism and at first I wasn't a fan of it, even though it was obvious the way it would turn to from the very premise, but as the story progressed and we came to the end, I appreciated it and am glad the writer decided to spice her story with little magic instead picking the chliche she could have gone for.
I love the way we saw the LOVE from many angles and how it got it's own personality through the story.
The writing was beautiful. The very first sentence was capturing and it reminded me how I fell in love in the first sentence from the author's previous book called Everything, Everything.
Characters were good to follow, I really loved X. Evie was good although some things I wanted for her to deal differently with.
Some other side characters really got on my nerves and overall all the interactions between them reminded me about how unfair life can be.
Overall, this was a quick read that I am glad I had an opportunity to enjoy and I recommend it to people who enjoy ya contemporaries and don't mind splash of magic in their stories.
June 17, 2021
Finished this in one sitting. Such a delightful and heartfelt read. I thought this was just going to be just another cute YA contemporary romance, but there is more than meets the eye with this. My heart hurts, yet I am happy.
August 3, 2023
I feel like Nicola Yoon has an uncanny way of speaking on one major life issue per book all while giving you a beautiful love story. This one hit me pretty hard because it talks about love and loss in a way that truly resinated with me. She has such a beautiful way with words and this book was incredible in both the good times and bad. I genuinely feel like I've learned something about how to look at both love and grief.
September 21, 2021
3.25 stars
Ugh two books in a row were ruined for me because of their ending! I just didn’t see it coming. For this book with that gorgeous cover to make me feel sad. Just didn’t see it coming. And normally I won’t mind, but it took a strange turn towards the end. Kinda out of the blue? That ending is usually used as a whole plot, you can’t just throw it at me like that in a couple of pages and that’s it.
This is probably a me thing and don’t get me wrong, I liked the book. It was cute and enjoyable to read. Something different indeed. It took me some time to like the main character, but I totally got her. This wasn’t a bad book, and you’d probably enjoy it a lot if you didn’t mind the ending. Also, the cover is too pretty to look at!
Ugh two books in a row were ruined for me because of their ending! I just didn’t see it coming. For this book with that gorgeous cover to make me feel sad. Just didn’t see it coming. And normally I won’t mind, but it took a strange turn towards the end. Kinda out of the blue? That ending is usually used as a whole plot, you can’t just throw it at me like that in a couple of pages and that’s it.
This is probably a me thing and don’t get me wrong, I liked the book. It was cute and enjoyable to read. Something different indeed. It took me some time to like the main character, but I totally got her. This wasn’t a bad book, and you’d probably enjoy it a lot if you didn’t mind the ending. Also, the cover is too pretty to look at!
February 19, 2022
4 stars
“The problem with broken hearts isn’t that they kill you. It’s that they don’t”
Oh wow, this one sure did hurt my heart by the end. But the good kind of hurt where it burns a little bit.
After her parents break up, Evie doesn’t believe in love anymore. Her romance books have been plucked off the shelf, no longer holding any interest. One afternoon, something strange happens and Evie can now see a couple’s entire relationship, beginning and ending, flash before her eyes when they kiss. All this happens as she begins to fall for her new dance partner, X.
Nicola Yoon is one of my favorite young adult authors out there. She takes such complex human emotions and writes them in a way that everyone can understand or empathize even if they haven’t experienced it. Compulsively readable, this cute book sucks you in until you soon realize it’s not just a cute little book but one jam packed with raw feelings and emotions. It’s a very bittersweet story but one that I am really glad I read.
“The problem with broken hearts isn’t that they kill you. It’s that they don’t”
Oh wow, this one sure did hurt my heart by the end. But the good kind of hurt where it burns a little bit.
After her parents break up, Evie doesn’t believe in love anymore. Her romance books have been plucked off the shelf, no longer holding any interest. One afternoon, something strange happens and Evie can now see a couple’s entire relationship, beginning and ending, flash before her eyes when they kiss. All this happens as she begins to fall for her new dance partner, X.
Nicola Yoon is one of my favorite young adult authors out there. She takes such complex human emotions and writes them in a way that everyone can understand or empathize even if they haven’t experienced it. Compulsively readable, this cute book sucks you in until you soon realize it’s not just a cute little book but one jam packed with raw feelings and emotions. It’s a very bittersweet story but one that I am really glad I read.
October 14, 2021
Pocas veces leí un libro con un final tAN FAKING BUENO AMIGO POR FAVOR. La dosis perfecta de felicidad, realismo y corazones rotos.
Este libro me sorprendió y muy para bien. Esperaba que me gustara, pero nunca me vi venir aMARLO. La historia es hermosa y atrapante, con un poco de magia inesperada.
Me encantó la atención y profundidad que se le dio a tODOS los personajes secundarios. Eran super completos y aportaban todos a la trama. Siento que me voy a acordar de todos toda la vida (lo que es mucho decir siendo que a penas me acuerdo mi propio nombre con la memoria chota que tengo).
La autora demostró que se puede hacer in libro iMPECABLE en menos de 300 páginas. No tiene fallas. No le falta nada. Te rompe el alma un poquito con una dulzura que te da ganas de pedirle que siga. No hay problema señora, usted píseme la cara a gusto.
Este libro me sorprendió y muy para bien. Esperaba que me gustara, pero nunca me vi venir aMARLO. La historia es hermosa y atrapante, con un poco de magia inesperada.
Me encantó la atención y profundidad que se le dio a tODOS los personajes secundarios. Eran super completos y aportaban todos a la trama. Siento que me voy a acordar de todos toda la vida (lo que es mucho decir siendo que a penas me acuerdo mi propio nombre con la memoria chota que tengo).
La autora demostró que se puede hacer in libro iMPECABLE en menos de 300 páginas. No tiene fallas. No le falta nada. Te rompe el alma un poquito con una dulzura que te da ganas de pedirle que siga. No hay problema señora, usted píseme la cara a gusto.
September 25, 2021
Lágrimas caen por mis ojos mientras escribo estas palabras.
Siempre he creído en que el destino tiene un humor muy peculiar. Cuando empecé a leer esta novela, deseaba desconectar y leer un romance con protagonistas negros que me distrajese del mundo real, pues estaba siendo demasiado difícil.
Escogí este libro como escape. Tenía la terrible necesidad de huir de aquello que no dejaba de atormentarme.
Y en cierta manera, me he sentido un poco como la protagonista.
A ella se le aparece una mujer que le otorga esa habilidad de ver el futuro de las parejas.
Yo sentí que una fuerza invisible me atrajo a ese libro. Y creo en este tipo de cosas. Como todo esta interconectado, y que nuestras decisiones afectan a nuestro rumbo en la vida y como estas conectan con los destinos de otros. Tal vez la portada tuvo mucho que ver en mí elección. Me parecía algo fresco y una novela que realmente podía divertirme. Y lo hizo, y estaba disfrutándola.
Hasta que ves que en la ficción también hay sufrimiento.
Durante un tiempo en mi vida, creí que mi capacidad de sentir todo de forma tan intensa era una maldición. Un castigo cruel del universo para hacer que el corazón me doliese a tal punto que pareciese que estuviese a punto de romperse, pero que nunca lo hiciese.
Y eso es precisamente lo que trata este libro.
Y cuan equivocada estaba. Pues más que una maldición, es un regalo que no todos tienen.
Este libro habla de como lo importante del amor no es el dolor que pueda causarte. Sino que el amor lleva a más amor. Es una creación contante de sentimientos que va moviéndose por el mundo; que dependiendo de cada persona y circunstancia, este amor perdura para siempre o, desgraciadamente, su naturaleza caduca lleva a su irremediable desaparición.
Pero aun así, este amor perdura. Y por supuesto que puede llevar al dolor. Por supuesto que puede llevar al odio, la rabia y a desear el no haber amado nunca a nada y nadie.
Y todo estos sentimientos son la otra cara de la moneda. Son la prueba de que ese amor era lo suficiente importante para que te importará y te formará y cambiará como persona. Lo suficientemente fuerte como para temer que las conexiones que haces con la gente se rompan o cambien y que esa nueva forma te asuste tanto y sea tan diferente a la que tu conocías, que temes no volver a ser la misma persona que antes. Pero ese es el poder del amor.
Nos nutre. Nos cambia. Nos hace crecer, conocer a otras personas y nos guía por el mundo.
Vivimos porque amamos, y amamos porque vivimos.
Este libro ha aparecido en mi vida en un momento muy difícil. Perdí a mi abuelo el mes pasado. Me he mudado a otra ciudad donde estoy prácticamente sola. He perdido parte de una novela en la que estaba trabajando. Me han decepcionado. Me he cuestionado muchas veces si seré capaz de cumplir esta aventura, pero jamás me he arrepentido.
Pues a veces se trata de eso. De que el camino será difícil, incierto, y que lo importante no es arrepentirse, pues tu yo del pasado y tu futuro se sentiría bastante decepcionada.
Se trata de, como bien dice Evie en este libro: resistir.
Pues amar/vivir puede doler. Pero, ¿Acaso no es el dolor una prueba más que directa de la felicidad y todo lo bueno que te otorgó?
En un principio pensé en no recomendaros este libro. Pero creo que es un libro que todos deberían leer.
Amad. Amad con todo vuestro ser y aprovechar cada minuto. Ya vendrá el dolor y los momentos difíciles.
Pero por los cielos, amad, que es algo que no todo el mundo se atreve a hacer.
Amad y vivid.
Y vivid el dolor. Pues del dolor, vendrá más amor, y más dolor.
Y seguiréis viviendo.
Y eso... eso es todo.
Un todo absolutamente maravilloso.
Siempre he creído en que el destino tiene un humor muy peculiar. Cuando empecé a leer esta novela, deseaba desconectar y leer un romance con protagonistas negros que me distrajese del mundo real, pues estaba siendo demasiado difícil.
Escogí este libro como escape. Tenía la terrible necesidad de huir de aquello que no dejaba de atormentarme.
Y en cierta manera, me he sentido un poco como la protagonista.
A ella se le aparece una mujer que le otorga esa habilidad de ver el futuro de las parejas.
Yo sentí que una fuerza invisible me atrajo a ese libro. Y creo en este tipo de cosas. Como todo esta interconectado, y que nuestras decisiones afectan a nuestro rumbo en la vida y como estas conectan con los destinos de otros. Tal vez la portada tuvo mucho que ver en mí elección. Me parecía algo fresco y una novela que realmente podía divertirme. Y lo hizo, y estaba disfrutándola.
Hasta que ves que en la ficción también hay sufrimiento.
Durante un tiempo en mi vida, creí que mi capacidad de sentir todo de forma tan intensa era una maldición. Un castigo cruel del universo para hacer que el corazón me doliese a tal punto que pareciese que estuviese a punto de romperse, pero que nunca lo hiciese.
Y eso es precisamente lo que trata este libro.
Y cuan equivocada estaba. Pues más que una maldición, es un regalo que no todos tienen.
Este libro habla de como lo importante del amor no es el dolor que pueda causarte. Sino que el amor lleva a más amor. Es una creación contante de sentimientos que va moviéndose por el mundo; que dependiendo de cada persona y circunstancia, este amor perdura para siempre o, desgraciadamente, su naturaleza caduca lleva a su irremediable desaparición.
Pero aun así, este amor perdura. Y por supuesto que puede llevar al dolor. Por supuesto que puede llevar al odio, la rabia y a desear el no haber amado nunca a nada y nadie.
Y todo estos sentimientos son la otra cara de la moneda. Son la prueba de que ese amor era lo suficiente importante para que te importará y te formará y cambiará como persona. Lo suficientemente fuerte como para temer que las conexiones que haces con la gente se rompan o cambien y que esa nueva forma te asuste tanto y sea tan diferente a la que tu conocías, que temes no volver a ser la misma persona que antes. Pero ese es el poder del amor.
Nos nutre. Nos cambia. Nos hace crecer, conocer a otras personas y nos guía por el mundo.
Vivimos porque amamos, y amamos porque vivimos.
Este libro ha aparecido en mi vida en un momento muy difícil. Perdí a mi abuelo el mes pasado. Me he mudado a otra ciudad donde estoy prácticamente sola. He perdido parte de una novela en la que estaba trabajando. Me han decepcionado. Me he cuestionado muchas veces si seré capaz de cumplir esta aventura, pero jamás me he arrepentido.
Pues a veces se trata de eso. De que el camino será difícil, incierto, y que lo importante no es arrepentirse, pues tu yo del pasado y tu futuro se sentiría bastante decepcionada.
Se trata de, como bien dice Evie en este libro: resistir.
Pues amar/vivir puede doler. Pero, ¿Acaso no es el dolor una prueba más que directa de la felicidad y todo lo bueno que te otorgó?
En un principio pensé en no recomendaros este libro. Pero creo que es un libro que todos deberían leer.
Amad. Amad con todo vuestro ser y aprovechar cada minuto. Ya vendrá el dolor y los momentos difíciles.
Pero por los cielos, amad, que es algo que no todo el mundo se atreve a hacer.
Amad y vivid.
Y vivid el dolor. Pues del dolor, vendrá más amor, y más dolor.
Y seguiréis viviendo.
Y eso... eso es todo.
Un todo absolutamente maravilloso.
August 31, 2021
CW//
Nicola Yoon is one of my favorite authors of all time, so I was expecting Instructions for Dancing to be a new favorite for me, but unfortunately there were just a couple things that I had issues with. It is still an amazing book though and I highly recommend it to everyone but you should be warned that Nicola Yoon has a way of tearing your heart to shreds with adorable romances mixed with tragedy.
This book was Nicola Yoon’s first book that wasn’t just contemporary romance. There was a dash of fantasy added into the story and it was done so well. It’s more magical realism than fantasy, but the magical element made the story that much more interesting.
X and Evie were perfect together in this book. They really stood out to me as very different than the characters in Nicola Yoon’s other two books, but they still had great chemistry that made me root for them from their first interaction. I truly believe in love because of this author and I hope that some day I can find someone to be the X to my Evie.
Now onto the two issues that I had with this book and warning that the next two paragraphs will have brief spoilers, but I’ll try to be vague in what I’m discussing.
Having cheating in the book at first was fine. Cheating is never acceptable, but instead of glamorizing cheating, you get an inside look into the harsh reality of how cheating effects people. It was hard to read some of the cheating parts, but I found that they were so eye opening and important. My issue wasn’t with the cheating, but with how Evie somewhat came to forgive the cheating. It didn’t feel satisfying for me. It felt rushed. It feels like numerous therapy sessions and long talks with family would’ve had to occur before any sort of forgiveness could’ve happened. I understand wanting a happy ending with the cheating story arc, but I wish this book were just 50 pages longer so that Evie could’ve had more time to really process and deal with the cheating.
And secondly, the lesbian romance. I was really excited to have lesbian representation in this book! This was the first one of Nicola Yoon’s books with any sort of LGBTQ+ representation, so at first I was so happy but the way that the relationship played out frustrated me. It was a toxic relationship filled with what seemed to be purely a desire for physical touch and it caused stress on friendships. I went through a somewhat similar situation in high school, so I really empathized with Evie’s response to the situation, but the whole situation irked me. I had just hoped that the first LGBTQ+ representation in Nicola Yoon’s book would’ve been written more like her main straight couples in her book.
Overall I did really enjoy this book despite my two issues with it. It was amazingly written and I love the pacing of it. It flowed so nicely and I never wanted to put the book down. I highly recommend this book to everyone, but be careful of the content warning that I marked earlier in my review as I know that that topic is one that some people find too uncomfortable to read about in books.
Nicola Yoon is one of my favorite authors of all time, so I was expecting Instructions for Dancing to be a new favorite for me, but unfortunately there were just a couple things that I had issues with. It is still an amazing book though and I highly recommend it to everyone but you should be warned that Nicola Yoon has a way of tearing your heart to shreds with adorable romances mixed with tragedy.
This book was Nicola Yoon’s first book that wasn’t just contemporary romance. There was a dash of fantasy added into the story and it was done so well. It’s more magical realism than fantasy, but the magical element made the story that much more interesting.
X and Evie were perfect together in this book. They really stood out to me as very different than the characters in Nicola Yoon’s other two books, but they still had great chemistry that made me root for them from their first interaction. I truly believe in love because of this author and I hope that some day I can find someone to be the X to my Evie.
Now onto the two issues that I had with this book and warning that the next two paragraphs will have brief spoilers, but I’ll try to be vague in what I’m discussing.
Having cheating in the book at first was fine. Cheating is never acceptable, but instead of glamorizing cheating, you get an inside look into the harsh reality of how cheating effects people. It was hard to read some of the cheating parts, but I found that they were so eye opening and important. My issue wasn’t with the cheating, but with how Evie somewhat came to forgive the cheating. It didn’t feel satisfying for me. It felt rushed. It feels like numerous therapy sessions and long talks with family would’ve had to occur before any sort of forgiveness could’ve happened. I understand wanting a happy ending with the cheating story arc, but I wish this book were just 50 pages longer so that Evie could’ve had more time to really process and deal with the cheating.
And secondly, the lesbian romance. I was really excited to have lesbian representation in this book! This was the first one of Nicola Yoon’s books with any sort of LGBTQ+ representation, so at first I was so happy but the way that the relationship played out frustrated me. It was a toxic relationship filled with what seemed to be purely a desire for physical touch and it caused stress on friendships. I went through a somewhat similar situation in high school, so I really empathized with Evie’s response to the situation, but the whole situation irked me. I had just hoped that the first LGBTQ+ representation in Nicola Yoon’s book would’ve been written more like her main straight couples in her book.
Overall I did really enjoy this book despite my two issues with it. It was amazingly written and I love the pacing of it. It flowed so nicely and I never wanted to put the book down. I highly recommend this book to everyone, but be careful of the content warning that I marked earlier in my review as I know that that topic is one that some people find too uncomfortable to read about in books.
June 9, 2021
i am terrified of love. i believe in it and i want it fervently but i am terrified of it. i’m terrified to fall and i’m cynical and basically what i’m trying to tell you is that i really saw myself in Evie as a main character. this book i think will be my comfort novel in all my heartbreak in my life. to remind myself that yes — that pain is real and that pain is a reminder that happiness existed, that it’s just love in a different form. my heart hurts and i’m going to go cry myself to sleep but i will carry these words with me, always.
September 7, 2021
“It doesn’t matter that love ends. It just matters that there’s love.”
This was cute and I ended up liking it more than I thought I would while reading it. Loved the message that one should live in present, give love a chance instead of thinking that it will not last, so should not give it a try.
What I didn't like was characters and pacing at times. They were rather dull and lackluster and somewhere in the mid story lost it direction before coming back to right track. But it was enough for me to lower down the rating.
This was cute and I ended up liking it more than I thought I would while reading it. Loved the message that one should live in present, give love a chance instead of thinking that it will not last, so should not give it a try.
What I didn't like was characters and pacing at times. They were rather dull and lackluster and somewhere in the mid story lost it direction before coming back to right track. But it was enough for me to lower down the rating.
January 28, 2022
Staring at the blank page for twenty minutes straight made me realize how much this story doesn't feel like belonging to Nicola Yool.
Am I saying this because I've already read - and loved - her other books or because it's not what I expected? I don't know. The only thing I know for sure is I would have liked it to go in a different direction.
Nicola Yoon is not famous just for her amazing writing skills, but also for her love stories.
You know, those kinds of stories where there is always the happily-ever-after ending because patience is key, and you must have faith in destiny, and doesn't matter how shitty life is, love is going to find its way back to you. Her stories are basically fairy tales for adults, and I mean it as a compliment.
But with this one in particular she's saying to us that love is the essence of life and what matter is the journey. Because, one way or another, love ends.
Besides Evie’s weird magical visions, everything was fine until she decides to forgive her dad - just an open window, but it's something - even she claims every two seconds how much she's mad at him and how she can no longer believe in love because of him. I get the situation: the man you've loved all your life betrayals your family, but it's still your dad so it's normal you still love him and you don't know what to do. What I'm saying is I’d have reacted in a completely different way about him, my mother and my sister; I’d have snapped long ago and I’d have been so mad with the world but like real mad not only miserable.
And then she meets X. It's so obvious how this is gonna end, but I think we all fell for it. So what I think Mrs Yool is trying to teach us is once you're in love you don't think about how it could end, you make great memories instead. Because love is worth to be lived, even if one day you wake up and realize is over.
There is a part of me tho who have liked a different way to tell us that. Instead, she chooses the harsher way without even telling us how to survive the pain.
Obviously love is worthy, otherwise we weren't here reading her book. But when you love someone you can't imagine the end of that love, and the idea of one day waking up and realizing you have survived it, it's one of the most painful things ever.
Even if it happens every single day.
If I should base my review on how much I've cried, well there's no need to tell you this is one of those stories. But, from my point of view, not for the right reason.
This is a love story between parents, siblings, friends and lovers.
And like love, it's sad and sometimes unfair.
↠ 4 stars
Am I saying this because I've already read - and loved - her other books or because it's not what I expected? I don't know. The only thing I know for sure is I would have liked it to go in a different direction.
Nicola Yoon is not famous just for her amazing writing skills, but also for her love stories.
You know, those kinds of stories where there is always the happily-ever-after ending because patience is key, and you must have faith in destiny, and doesn't matter how shitty life is, love is going to find its way back to you. Her stories are basically fairy tales for adults, and I mean it as a compliment.
But with this one in particular she's saying to us that love is the essence of life and what matter is the journey. Because, one way or another, love ends.
Besides Evie’s weird magical visions, everything was fine until she decides to forgive her dad - just an open window, but it's something - even she claims every two seconds how much she's mad at him and how she can no longer believe in love because of him. I get the situation: the man you've loved all your life betrayals your family, but it's still your dad so it's normal you still love him and you don't know what to do. What I'm saying is I’d have reacted in a completely different way about him, my mother and my sister; I’d have snapped long ago and I’d have been so mad with the world but like real mad not only miserable.
And then she meets X. It's so obvious how this is gonna end, but I think we all fell for it. So what I think Mrs Yool is trying to teach us is once you're in love you don't think about how it could end, you make great memories instead. Because love is worth to be lived, even if one day you wake up and realize is over.
There is a part of me tho who have liked a different way to tell us that. Instead, she chooses the harsher way without even telling us how to survive the pain.
Obviously love is worthy, otherwise we weren't here reading her book. But when you love someone you can't imagine the end of that love, and the idea of one day waking up and realizing you have survived it, it's one of the most painful things ever.
Even if it happens every single day.
If I should base my review on how much I've cried, well there's no need to tell you this is one of those stories. But, from my point of view, not for the right reason.
This is a love story between parents, siblings, friends and lovers.
And like love, it's sad and sometimes unfair.
↠ 4 stars
June 22, 2021
you should’ve seen how fast i clicked that tbr button when i saw the cover and the face i made when i read the synopsis and realized this isn’t wlw 😭
June 19, 2021
3.5 stars
Wasn’t expecting this book to make me sad but here we are. I will think about that ending for a while now. I should have known Nicola Yoon would hurt my soul after The Sun is Also a Star, why am I even surprised?
This is an incredibly cute story that reminds me of a Disney teen movie. It would be great if Disney actually picked it up because this would be an amazing match. It’s a feel-good breezy book that gives you all the feels. Also, it’s very hard to put down, it’s definitely a just-one-more-chapter book. I was so engrossed in the romance and the dance classes I flew through it. I love how X and Evie gradually fall for each other. Reading about them made me so happy; they’re so supportive towards each other I can’t 😭
Despite that, I feel like I could have liked this book way more. I certainly had fun reading it but I didn’t love love it. At this point it’s not surprising for me, this is actually confirmation that while I love Nicola’s writing, I don’t really enjoy how the characters are written and the pacing of her books. This book in particular was rushed but also slow at the same time. The dance competition plot and Evie’s visions were shoved to the side more than once, and that’s a shame because I wanted more. In particular, the dance competition is very rushed, while parts with family, romance and friendships are very drawn out. I’m not saying I didn’t like reading about those, but the pacing seemed a tad too unbalanced.
I also liked the characters, but apart from Evie and X, the others were too flat for me to actually care (this especially applies to the friend group and Shirley). I loved X to death though, so that kind of made things better.
I’m sure NY fans are going to seriously love this book. It has a lot of the same elements that lots of people loved in her previous books with the added fun of a sprinkle of magic. I would say this is definitely another step up from Everything, Everything.
I received an advanced reader copy through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Wasn’t expecting this book to make me sad but here we are. I will think about that ending for a while now. I should have known Nicola Yoon would hurt my soul after The Sun is Also a Star, why am I even surprised?
This is an incredibly cute story that reminds me of a Disney teen movie. It would be great if Disney actually picked it up because this would be an amazing match. It’s a feel-good breezy book that gives you all the feels. Also, it’s very hard to put down, it’s definitely a just-one-more-chapter book. I was so engrossed in the romance and the dance classes I flew through it. I love how X and Evie gradually fall for each other. Reading about them made me so happy; they’re so supportive towards each other I can’t 😭
Despite that, I feel like I could have liked this book way more. I certainly had fun reading it but I didn’t love love it. At this point it’s not surprising for me, this is actually confirmation that while I love Nicola’s writing, I don’t really enjoy how the characters are written and the pacing of her books. This book in particular was rushed but also slow at the same time. The dance competition plot and Evie’s visions were shoved to the side more than once, and that’s a shame because I wanted more. In particular, the dance competition is very rushed, while parts with family, romance and friendships are very drawn out. I’m not saying I didn’t like reading about those, but the pacing seemed a tad too unbalanced.
I also liked the characters, but apart from Evie and X, the others were too flat for me to actually care (this especially applies to the friend group and Shirley). I loved X to death though, so that kind of made things better.
I’m sure NY fans are going to seriously love this book. It has a lot of the same elements that lots of people loved in her previous books with the added fun of a sprinkle of magic. I would say this is definitely another step up from Everything, Everything.
I received an advanced reader copy through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
July 20, 2021
“Why are you always so mad at dad? Danica asks her sister, Evie?”
“He didn’t do anything wrong. They fell out of love and got divorce. It happens all the time”.
Evie Thomas is in her last year of high school. Her father had an affair with another woman—manifesting in Evie, Mom, and her sister Danica moving into an apartment.
Evie is angry and no longer believes in ‘happily-ever-after’ love.
Evie meets a mysterious woman at a neighborhood Little Lending Library box.
Evie was giving away her old favorite romance books.
The magical-type-mysterious-woman encourages Evie to take home the book called “Instructions for Dancing”— and take dance lessons.
Enter the studio in the world of ballroom dancing—
and…
there’s something else going on….
Evie has developed romantic sorcery powers.
“Instructions for Dancing” is an adorably bittersweet young adult - coming-of-age - endearing novel……
with supernatural romance,
tango dance competitions, inscrutable humor, (neon-purple spandex outfix?/!)…
and questions about love.
Why I read this? At age 69?/!
#1…. Nicola Yoon is an an author I respect. She writes meaningful-insightful-emotional-young adult novels….with irresistible characters. I enjoyed meeting her at a book festival in Berkeley…. and I have enjoyed all of her books.
#2….my friend Lauren inspired me. She was reading it. I joined her. (that simple)!
Glad I did. 💃
“Instructions for Dancing” reminds us that love is messy, complex — not about how it ends—but rather about the moments we spend together - what we choose to focus on.
“Love is too small, too singular a word for the feeling it’s trying to hold. Just one word isn’t enough, so I want to use them all. Sometimes I think love is the reason language was invented”.
Evie….
“I fall asleep thinking about the fact that even though I’ve been trying to deny it, I’m in love with Xavier Darius Woods, and I have been for a while now”.
Awwwww 💕
A little love never hurt anyone.
“He didn’t do anything wrong. They fell out of love and got divorce. It happens all the time”.
Evie Thomas is in her last year of high school. Her father had an affair with another woman—manifesting in Evie, Mom, and her sister Danica moving into an apartment.
Evie is angry and no longer believes in ‘happily-ever-after’ love.
Evie meets a mysterious woman at a neighborhood Little Lending Library box.
Evie was giving away her old favorite romance books.
The magical-type-mysterious-woman encourages Evie to take home the book called “Instructions for Dancing”— and take dance lessons.
Enter the studio in the world of ballroom dancing—
and…
there’s something else going on….
Evie has developed romantic sorcery powers.
“Instructions for Dancing” is an adorably bittersweet young adult - coming-of-age - endearing novel……
with supernatural romance,
tango dance competitions, inscrutable humor, (neon-purple spandex outfix?/!)…
and questions about love.
Why I read this? At age 69?/!
#1…. Nicola Yoon is an an author I respect. She writes meaningful-insightful-emotional-young adult novels….with irresistible characters. I enjoyed meeting her at a book festival in Berkeley…. and I have enjoyed all of her books.
#2….my friend Lauren inspired me. She was reading it. I joined her. (that simple)!
Glad I did. 💃
“Instructions for Dancing” reminds us that love is messy, complex — not about how it ends—but rather about the moments we spend together - what we choose to focus on.
“Love is too small, too singular a word for the feeling it’s trying to hold. Just one word isn’t enough, so I want to use them all. Sometimes I think love is the reason language was invented”.
Evie….
“I fall asleep thinking about the fact that even though I’ve been trying to deny it, I’m in love with Xavier Darius Woods, and I have been for a while now”.
Awwwww 💕
A little love never hurt anyone.
February 5, 2022
Enchanting, wistful, and lovely!
Nicola Yoon is such a gift. This book, at under 300 pages, proves that less can be more and quality always outshines quantity. This was a beautiful and heartbreaking read but ever optimistic, cheeky, and of course romantic. This book is a sweet blend of ballroom moves, first love, and loss, capped with just a tinge of magic!
If you’ve considered or enjoyed her books before, do yourself a favor and please pick this one up!
4.5 ⭐️
Nicola Yoon is such a gift. This book, at under 300 pages, proves that less can be more and quality always outshines quantity. This was a beautiful and heartbreaking read but ever optimistic, cheeky, and of course romantic. This book is a sweet blend of ballroom moves, first love, and loss, capped with just a tinge of magic!
If you’ve considered or enjoyed her books before, do yourself a favor and please pick this one up!
4.5 ⭐️
June 23, 2021
***3 stars***
DNFing this book because towards the end it takes a very sad turn, one I do not like and did not expect.
Read on if you don't mind having this story spoiled. But that is my issue, it does not mean the book is not good. It is! I actually enjoyed it very much up until that point and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I am disappointed it's not just "another cliché romcom".
If you're familiar with Yoon's other work, enjoy her writing style and don't mind crying, then this one might be a right fit for you.
Honestly, I think it deserves a higher rating and I might have given it 5 stars under different circumstances, had I read it last year or anytime before February. But today me is not up to have her heart broken - hence only 3 stars..
DNFing this book because towards the end it takes a very sad turn, one I do not like and did not expect.
Read on if you don't mind having this story spoiled. But that is my issue, it does not mean the book is not good. It is! I actually enjoyed it very much up until that point and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I am disappointed it's not just "another cliché romcom".
If you're familiar with Yoon's other work, enjoy her writing style and don't mind crying, then this one might be a right fit for you.
Honestly, I think it deserves a higher rating and I might have given it 5 stars under different circumstances, had I read it last year or anytime before February. But today me is not up to have her heart broken - hence only 3 stars..
December 8, 2022
so many thoughts......
4.5
this book makes me look at so many romance books differently, and how I enjoy romance novels and what I truly take away from them. I think a part of me likes having the feeling that all my favorite couples are somewhere right now madly in love and alive, but what if they are not and does that make the romance novel no longer good? omg.
4.5
this book makes me look at so many romance books differently, and how I enjoy romance novels and what I truly take away from them. I think a part of me likes having the feeling that all my favorite couples are somewhere right now madly in love and alive, but what if they are not and does that make the romance novel no longer good? omg.
July 8, 2021
thank you so much delacorte press for this arc!
5/5 stars!!
i know i’m a little late to the game, but this book was worth it. this story is like a calm roller coaster with a devastating twist almost. i wasn’t expecting the ending, and it’s very bitter sweet emphasis on the bitter but i really enjoyed the story. i like the realism of the story and almost magical realism as well i never really read books like that and i’m glad that this is the one that introduced me to it. the main character being black and having box braids, and having a love interest that also is black is so important to me, because you don’t really see that in contemporary romance is like ever which really needs to change. but the story has so many important meanings embedded in it and even though it did it end how i was expecting, or really wanted it too it was still a very good book. 10 out of 10, nicola yoon is at it again she’s everything i love her.
5/5 stars!!
i know i’m a little late to the game, but this book was worth it. this story is like a calm roller coaster with a devastating twist almost. i wasn’t expecting the ending, and it’s very bitter sweet emphasis on the bitter but i really enjoyed the story. i like the realism of the story and almost magical realism as well i never really read books like that and i’m glad that this is the one that introduced me to it. the main character being black and having box braids, and having a love interest that also is black is so important to me, because you don’t really see that in contemporary romance is like ever which really needs to change. but the story has so many important meanings embedded in it and even though it did it end how i was expecting, or really wanted it too it was still a very good book. 10 out of 10, nicola yoon is at it again she’s everything i love her.
October 31, 2021
Umm excuse me why did no one tell me I was going to sob at the ending?!?!? This broke my heart but it was so beautiful. It really shows the importance of letting yourself love even if it hurts you in the end. Every moment with the people you love is worth it.
"And then I do the thing you're supposed to do when you find love, I hold on."
excuse me while I cry for the next few hours
January 9, 2022
'its not you its me'
I was excited for this book. The premise seamed cool: Girl doesn't believe in love, boy makes her believe. But to me it turned out to be a total shit show: So here is my rant basically.
So we start of with how she stops believing in love after ONE COUPLE, her parents split up. Like that is normal, some people are just not made for each other. So now she has a pessimistic view on love. Which it total bull because even if you break up, you have the happy memories you made together.
So she goes to give up all her romance books because 'they don't work their magic anymore' Now that line terrified me because I never wan't the magic of books to be taken away from me.
Also can I put it out there that in this book there is a couple called Sheldon and Shelly, I don't know why that makes me laugh.
So overall I did not see any character growth, but I did see representation and that is great to see!
I was excited for this book. The premise seamed cool: Girl doesn't believe in love, boy makes her believe. But to me it turned out to be a total shit show: So here is my rant basically.
So we start of with how she stops believing in love after ONE COUPLE, her parents split up. Like that is normal, some people are just not made for each other. So now she has a pessimistic view on love. Which it total bull because even if you break up, you have the happy memories you made together.
So she goes to give up all her romance books because 'they don't work their magic anymore' Now that line terrified me because I never wan't the magic of books to be taken away from me.
Also can I put it out there that in this book there is a couple called Sheldon and Shelly, I don't know why that makes me laugh.
So overall I did not see any character growth, but I did see representation and that is great to see!
November 2, 2021
Evie Thomas, a high school senior, is so distressed by her father's cheating on her mother, and their subsequent divorce and his pending remarriage to his affair partner, that she's soured on the whole idea of love. She even empties her bookshelves of all her very favorite romances, giving them away to the library and a Little Free Library box.
But the old woman who owns the Little Free Library gives her the gift of another book, called Instructions for Dancing, that leads Evie to a dance studio and, possibly, a chance at love. Frankly, she's not even looking for love, but the dance studio really wants her to join this amateur competition coming up.
And Evie has also suddenly developed a magical ability (not really a spoiler since this is in book's blurb and in the first 20 pages) to see a vision of a couple's most important past and future moments when she sees them kiss. The problem is, this magical ability is causing Evie more distress rather than less. It seems like every vision she sees shows the relationship ending sadly, even with heartbreak. It just confirms everything she thinks her dad's betrayal of her family has taught her.
This YA contemporary romance, set in our world with a dash of Zoltar-type fantasy (the characters even talk about the movie Big), has some surprising depth and heart, and some important things to say about love. But don’t go into it expecting all sweetness and light. Tears were shed, I’m just saying.
Nicola Yoon has a really delightful style of writing, with some quirky in-between chapters that give us insights into Evie's mind. The author's afterword also gives you some fascinating but painful insights into what was going on in Yoon's life that helped inspire this book. Diversity representation here: The main characters are black, and two of Evie's best friends are gay.
Minus points for giving Evie’s cheating father and the other woman too much of a pass in the end. I’m not saying she shouldn’t forgive him, I’m saying, don’t justify cheating. It’s a non-starter for me.
Content notes: scattered F-bombs.
But the old woman who owns the Little Free Library gives her the gift of another book, called Instructions for Dancing, that leads Evie to a dance studio and, possibly, a chance at love. Frankly, she's not even looking for love, but the dance studio really wants her to join this amateur competition coming up.
And Evie has also suddenly developed a magical ability (not really a spoiler since this is in book's blurb and in the first 20 pages) to see a vision of a couple's most important past and future moments when she sees them kiss. The problem is, this magical ability is causing Evie more distress rather than less. It seems like every vision she sees shows the relationship ending sadly, even with heartbreak. It just confirms everything she thinks her dad's betrayal of her family has taught her.
This YA contemporary romance, set in our world with a dash of Zoltar-type fantasy (the characters even talk about the movie Big), has some surprising depth and heart, and some important things to say about love. But don’t go into it expecting all sweetness and light. Tears were shed, I’m just saying.
Nicola Yoon has a really delightful style of writing, with some quirky in-between chapters that give us insights into Evie's mind. The author's afterword also gives you some fascinating but painful insights into what was going on in Yoon's life that helped inspire this book. Diversity representation here: The main characters are black, and two of Evie's best friends are gay.
Minus points for giving Evie’s cheating father and the other woman too much of a pass in the end. I’m not saying she shouldn’t forgive him, I’m saying, don’t justify cheating. It’s a non-starter for me.
Content notes: scattered F-bombs.
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