I was very excited to read Nicola Yoon’s new book, as I absolutely loved her debut, Everything, Everything. Instructions for Dancing did not disappoint. It was sweet and heartbreaking, and I sobbed like a baby. Here are some favorite quotes...
“Given enough time, all love stories turn into heartbreak stories. Heartbreak = love + time.”
“I don’t know why we lose the people we love and how we’re expected to go on after we lose them. But I know that to love is human. We can’t help ourselves. The philosopher-poets say love is the answer, but it’s more than that. Love is the question and the answer and the reason to ask in the first place. It’s everything. All of it.”

This was a really touching story. There were definitely some sad parts but heartwarming ones as well. There was so much discussion about the concept of love and happiness such as the question of whether happiness in the moment is worth heartbreak in the future. It took such an in-depth view of relationships and vulnerability that felt so impactful. I forgot that I was reading a YA novel during most of it because, while there were cute parts for sure, a lot was about questions I’m sure people ask themselves throughout their whole lives. It was ultimately all about love; the beginning and the end but mostly all the moments in between.
This was so poignant and moving, I had all the feels while reading this. Although it had a magical element, it was also extremely realistic and taught some important lessons: live in the moment and love while you can.

Evie used to believe in romance, in fate, in true love, in the stuff her parents had and that she would read about in books. But not anymore. Not since her father cheated on her mother and left. Now, Evie is so done with romance. Especially when she realizes she can suddenly see relationships any time a couple kisses in front of her. She sees how it started, how it’s going, what it will be, and, ultimately, how it ends. Because that’s just it, all relationships end.

In an attempt to make it stop, Evie finds herself led to at La Brea dance studio. By chance Evie finds herself learning to waltz, tango, fox-trot and more. And her partner is X. At first, she is annoyed with the boy because he is her opposite. But soon, the two find themselves connecting as much off the dance floor as on, building a relationship that just may be able to convince Evie that love is not futile. And that yes, relationships end, but it isn’t the ending that matters as much as what happens along the way.

Nicola Yoon does it again with this BIPOC book about a two teenagers who find each other and themselves through ballroom dancing. Yoon has always been able to write so well that her content appeals to readers of the YA and Adult Fiction genres. Yoon incorporates real struggles into her books. Struggles that are personal, political, spiritual, familial, friendship, and romantic. There is also always this slight air of magic and destiny that underlies her strong characters. It is this message that serves to push her plots by showing life is both a series of choices combined with chance.

Both Evie and X have their own heartache to deal with, but they each find that it is easier to accept and recover when you share it with someone else. This is a lesson we can all learn from, and Yoon uses her captivating and intuitive writing style to teach it to us. Yoon always seems to have such strong BIPOC female characters who deal with real world struggles, and often still find some romance along the way. Her characters are strong but not in a cliche way where they are hardened by life. Yoon creates a perfect blend of innocence, fierceness, power, and willingness that brings hope to young readers (and old).

Another Nicola Yoon masterpiece! That’s it. That’s the review. Read this book! You will not be disappointed!

Definitely different than what I was expecting. A romance with a hint of supernatural. After giving up on love and touching a magic book, Evie can suddenly see how everyone's romantic relationships will end. She meets X and realizes she the joy in not always getting the ending spoiled. All while dancing in an amateur ballroom dance competition...? Like I said, not what I was expecting. A good book overall though. I love anything Nicola Yoon does.

Oh boy, this book threw me in for a spin. In the beginning I didn’t know if I was going to like it or if it was just another cheesy YA romance but the further I got into the book the more I fell in love. This book hurt my heart but also made me smile with how adorable it was.

Evie is our main character and I really enjoyed her character. She’s a little cynical about love which made me think about myself as a teenager. Reading about Evie’s journey coming to terms with love and how even though relationships may end that doesn’t mean you close yourself off to love forever made my heart ache and smile. I just really love Evie Thomas.

I liked the slight fantastical element to the story. It was just the right amount to not feel like the book was trying to hype up the magical part of what Evie was going through. As I got closer to the end of the story, I kind of guessed how it was going to end and when I ended up being right, I shed a single tear. The ending was good though and left me satisfied with what happened to the characters.

This book reminded me of why I still read YA contemporaries. I absolutely adored it and if I’m ever in the mood to read something cute yet heartbreaking I will be picking this up.

Evie is struggling to believe in love after her parents split. She used to love to read romance novels but decides that they no longer serve her so she drops them at a little free library. After a strange encounter with an old woman Evie begins receiving visions. Whenever she witnesses a couple kiss she sees the story of their relationship from beginning to end.. 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. With all of them having bad endings it doesn't bode well for her struggle with the concept of love.

On the advice of a friend Evie follows a lead that takes her to a dance studio. She is immediately swept up in competing in an amateur dance contest and is paired up the the studio owners grandson X. Unexpectedly she begins to feel for him despite her efforts not too... because love obviously doesn't last right?

This was a cute quick read. I love stories with elements of magical realism in them. Yoon wrote a lovely story of struggle and growth.

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After her parents divorce (she caught her dad cheating), Evie doesn’t believe in love. One afternoon, she witness a couple kissing and she sees their love story - how it started, how it’s going, and how it will end. In an attempt to find out what is going on, Evie ends up at La Brea Dance Studio. When Evie agrees to partner with X to enter a ballroom dance contest, she finds herself falling in love.

This was a fun young adult romance. I listened to the audiobook, and I enjoyed it. Evie is a former romance reader, so I loved the shoutouts to my favorite genre. I don’t want to say too much about the book - I don’t want to give away the ending - but it had an unexpected but perfect ending. It’s a quick read!

Thanks to @NetGalley and Random House Children’s for my ARC!

Instructions for Dancing is a poignant novel that balances serious topics such as divorce and cynicism with teenage romance. It handles the emotional aftereffects of divorce on children with thoughtful care through the protagonist. It also explores friendship at the crossroads of senior year. Each character has history and depth to their traits. I would highly recommend this book to those looking for an emotionally rich, satisfying romance.

Like other books by this author, Nicola Yoon has combined a swoon-worthy romance with some very real issues. Evie is still processing her parents' divorce, and X is dealing with the death of a close friend. The two of them together are working to learn ballroom dancing for a competition. Meanwhile, Evie is having visions of couples entire histories, which she sees when she witnesses them kissing. Because of this, and because of her parents' divorce, she has become very jaded about romance. She begins to learn to trust X, but is that enough to get her to trust in love?

I’ve forced myself to read 49% and simply cannot go on because this is one of the most boring books I’ve ever read. I have loved Nicola Yoon’s other books, so to say that this is a disappointment is a vast understatement.

Nicola Yoon returns with a sweeping novel about love, fate, and the journey in between it all.

Evie used to be a true believer when it came to true love, but then her dad’s infidelity came to light and her parents’ seemingly perfect marriage fell apart. Her newfound cynicism is only confirmed when she develops a strange new ability: When Evie sees two people kiss for the first time, she sees a brief history of their relationship, including the often bitter future ending.

This new twist of fate leads Evie to the doors of La Brea Dance, where the elderly owners convince Evie to participate in an amateur ballroom dance competition that could help save the studio from financial collapse. Evie’s dance partner is the owners’ grandson, X, a charismatic musician who’s open to try anything once. He’s also the exact person Evie knows she should stay away from if she’s serious about staying out of a relationship and avoiding potential heartbreak.

Day in and day out, Evie and X practice together and soon begin to spend time together besides. It’s not long before she has to choose between being happy and being safe from the perils of love that haunt her elsewhere.

Nicola Yoon has always been a winning author for me with heartfelt contemporaries that explore relationships and the human condition. Despite a small paranormal element this time, Instructions for Dancing is no different! I really enjoyed Evie’s character and seeing her growth throughout. I loved X’s joie de vivre and quiet persistence. The two characters have great, realistic chemistry together that made me grin whenever they shared a page.

The novel does a great job digging into the complexities of Evie’s relationships outside of X, particularly with her immediate family. She loves her family despite not always wanting to-- reluctantly participating in her dad’s new life at her own mother’s insistence, cautiously watching her little sister bounce between boyfriends, side eyeing her mom as she considers dating again. There’s a bittersweet tension there that never feels like forced or fabricated “family issues.” Evie’s three best friends also play a sizable role that felt a little more chaotic, but still hit the right note in this story about accepting the things you can’t control.

I can’t say that I was fully, head-over-heels invested until the second half of the novel but man, that second half! Without spoilers, the ending of this novel was a five-star gut punch, equal parts breathtaking and haunting. It made me feel all the feelings, which is exactly what I want from a Nicola Yoon novel.

I would rank this one below The Sun Is Also A Star and above Everything, Everything. It focuses on a message we could all use and tells a beautiful story.

3.5/5 stars

That's So Raven meets Dancing With The Stars with a dash of family drama and lots of kissing.

Instructions for Dancing is a cute and heart warming contemporary young adult romance about love, forgiveness and dancing.

After catching her dad cheating on her mom, Evie becomes disillusioned with love. Once a big romance reader, she decides to get to get rid of all of her romance books. After stumbling upon a free little library and a strange woman who insists Evie takes the only book in her little library, Evie begins to have visions when she sees couples kissing. In order to make the visions stop she sets out to find where the book comes from and ends up taking part in a dance competition with a very hot guy named X. Will Evie give love a chance?


I loved that friendship and family were a central theme to the book. Definitely would recommend to young readers looking for a cute summer read or looking to learn more about the complexities of love.

I also love that this center on a POC / POC romance.

What a great story! Yoon is a master of upper-YA, creating characters with heart and sass and real problems but also fantastic love stories with twists and turns. I appreciated the magical realism elements of this story, though I do feel like ballroom dancing got forgotten in the middle for a bit.

I'm writing this after having finished reading this book in tears. I don't cry while reading books or watching films very often but this one hit me hard. I wasn't expecting to revisit the pain of my own loss and my fractured relationship with my dad. It seems as if this book and Legendborn came to me at a time when I needed to release my grief.

Evie is a sweet girl who is learning that sometimes loving people is worth it despite how painful ending those relationships can be. She must learn to live in the moment. X makes one of the best romantic interests I've read in a while. He's open, creative, silly, smart, quick, and passionate. I love that X can talk to Evie about his own pain and loss just like she can be honest about her feelings about her dad. X and Evie's chemistry throughout the book is undeniable. They're easy together.

Martin is a wonderful friend. I was relieved when the typical love triangle situation didn't play out in the book. There's no jealous boyfriend or manufactured drama. This feels real and so does Evie's emotional growth. Her mother's strength surprised me until I recognized my own mother in her. She wants to protect her children from her own pain but, in doing so, she somehow makes them feel as though she is unaffected. This isn't helpful because these moments are exactly when it's best to be open about it. That's much easier said than done, of course.

There's something about the first child's experience with their parents that makes divorce more heartbreaking. They've witnessed the love and the end, along with their sibling(s), but they feel like they have to be the strong child for their parents and more. They can't break or let their siblings know the depth of these situations because, like their parents, they feel responsible for holding the family together. I feel for Evie.

On a happier note, I feel like this book should be adapted into a show. I'd love to see Danica's fashions and makeup, Evie and X's dance classes and this That's So Raven type program on a streaming platform.

Side note: When was homegirl getting her homework done? How did she graduate? Lmao I don't remember any homework scenes in the entire book. It's okay, I loved it anyway.

Basic and very commerical. Reads like a YA novel from 2012 where there's individual pretty lines in a mediocre plot. Anyone who has already read a decent amount of YA will find this boring. The power isn't very fleshed out either.

This is a captivating YA read. It’s mostly a YA romance but with a unique premise, that Evie can see the entire past and future of the relationship of any couple she sees kissing. She doesn’t tell anyone about this, which leads to some inevitable weirdness.
So this part takes some suspension of disbelief, but once you do that, it’s a great story. It’s also based on a ballroom
Dancing competition, which wasn’t my favorite, but maybe appealing to some. Sweet and a little bit sad .

This was a cute funny rom com (3 or 4 stars) until that ending. 💀I should’ve known better with Nicola Yoon. The twist has to be heart wrenching. Black boys deserve happiness too! Teens do not need to be reading this crying their eyes out. We need happy books and this book should come with a trigger warning. I think writing a YA book like this is very irresponsible of her.

wtf that book got so dark so abruptly???

I am torn on this one. I was a HUGE fan of Everything, Everything and find Yoon's writing so lovely. However a lot of this book felt pretty fluffy and meh. The forced enemies to lovers trope felt very silly as there was absolutely no reason for them to be "enemies" aside from our main character being angsty. The dancing element had potential to be fun but kind of felt unnecessary and secondary. The twist in the end is... wow. Unexpected. Overall not my favorite but a quick and easy read. Don't be fooled by thinking this will be purely lighthearted YA, you will cry.

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.