I finished this book in one day. I have always loved Nicola Yoon’s writing and her characters so much and this book definitely has the same charm and appeal as her other novels. It’s such a heart wrenching, extremely emotional, and, thought provoking story!

This started off as a cute light YA rom-com and I really enjoyed the female MC's snark and sass, and the male MC's say-yes-to-everything attitude. There were so many hilarious moments where I couldn't stop myself from laughing out loud, but then my emotions took a 180 degree turn during the second half of the book because things started to get deep. IMO, this is definitely the author’s best work so far! It was a beautiful story with the right amount of everything…and it was so full of laughter and life! I would definitely recommend this!

Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars

3.5 stars - thank the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of Instructions for Dancing for my honest review. I went out and purchased a copy this morning as well.

After her father cheats on her mother and ruins their marriage Evie no longer believes love exists. She drops off her beloved romance books at the local little library and receives a book from a mystery woman. Where she ends up going to a dance studio and meetings the book's love interest. Yoon doesn't disappoint in this great summer read for 2021. Sweet, beautiful writing and a quick weekend read that, of course, answer the long old question of if love is worth all that pain.

Overall, I felt kinda meh about this book. Not necessarily bad, but not particularly memorable either. Giving it 2.5/5 Stars.

Would you want the ability to see the future? Evie Thomas stops believing in love after her father leaves her mother for another woman. She even goes so far as to give all her beloved romance novels away only to come across a book that leads her to a dance studio. There she meets X. The interest and attraction is instant but is X convincing enough to change Evie’s views on love and romance?

This is a sweet and thought provoking book. The writing flows well and the chemistry and characters interactions believable. While this story has definite angst I really felt for Evie as a young adult who has been changed by her parents divorce. I could totally see why she would be wrapped up in young love while at the same time be slightly afraid of the hurt that May result.

This is a story about living in the moment and appreciating what you have while you have it. It’s about being thankful for those you love and who love you back. I really enjoyed this one as the author puts her heart and soul into the story and it shows. Nicola Yoon continues to be a must-read for me.

Evie Thomas doesn’t believe in love. She’s become jaded in life after finding her father cheating on her mother and causing her life to implode. She’s become miserable in life - can’t read the books she’s always loved, can’t connect with her sister or mother and is sad. One day she’s annoyed with her sisters never ending train of new boyfriends when she catches a glimpse of their love story. She sees how it started, the good parts in the middle and then the end. She is shocked by it but then is shocked when it all happens just as she saw it.
Such a good concept and how love can come and go but also can be everlasting. Like usual Nicola Yoon shows a side of life that is real and heartbreaking and I couldn’t put the book down.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

//Synopsis
After her parents' divorce, Evie no longer believes in love. As she is dropping off her formerly beloved romance books at a local free little library, she encounters the owner of it, who encourages her to take the only book inside: "Instructions for Dancing." After meeting that woman, Evie discovers that when she sees a couple in love kiss, she has visions of their meeting, special moments, and ultimately how they will end. This further reinforces her belief that all love stories end with a broken heart.
In trying to discover how and why she has this ability, her best friend suggests she go to La Brea Dance Studio, which was the name inside the LFL book she took. There she meets X, whose grandparents own the studio. The two of them become ballroom dance partners in hopes of winning a local competition to boost the studio's enrollment. Evie finds herself falling for X, and she must decide if love is worth the risk of heartbreak.

//Review
Yoon has yet to disappoint me with any of her books and this one is no different. This story is both heartwarming and heart wrenching, and Evie's conflicting emotions towards her father and relationships are portrayed so well and realistically. The chemistry between X and Evie was immediate and did not feel forced at all. Evie's friends, although definitely periphery characters to X and Evie, added to the story and demonstrated how lifelong friends are unique but how those relationships also change. Yoon truly drives home the point that it is important to cultivate and embrace love in all its forms in the moment, without fear of its potential end.
I loved the self-awareness that this book had and how it pointed out the standard tropes through Evie's commentary and knowledge of romance books. I also loved the incorporation of the LFL, as people on bookstagram know the magic available within them. The ending of this story really threw me for a loop and I don't really want to give anything away by hinting at it, but just know that I am suffering from serious book hangover.

I was planning on having Instructions for Dancing be my last book of May, and a happy, upbeat, contemporary romance. I read and loved Nicola Yoon's other two books, but I think I forgot how sad they really are. Or maybe they just aren't as devastating as this one.

I loved every second of Instructions for Dancing. It's a beautifully written book, with amazing characters, wonderful representation and diversity, and an engaging plot.

I read the synopsis of this book months ago, when I first requested it, but I never went back to it, so when I started reading, I went into the book completely blind, with no idea of what the plot really was. That ended up being the best way for me to read it, as I wasn't anticipating anything, just going along the journey of the characters.

Evie, the main character is a brutally realistic and raw person. A teenage girl going through her own struggles, falling out of love with books, and is struggling to find joy in her life, especially with her parents' divorce, which happened prior to the events of the book.

"I grab my bike and head out and tell myself I’m not in a romance novel."

Dancing, specifically ballroom dancing becomes really important to Evie, and as a teenager who loves to dance, I really felt how it could be an escape for her, and how it gave her something to focus on with her life.

I think one of the most painful parts of the book for me was how through her parents' divorce, Evie was falling out of love with her books, most specifically her contemporary romances (a genre I live for). With her parents splitting up, Evie has trouble believing in any love. She even at one point says she no longer believes in OTPs (one true pairing) something I was deeply offended by. Percabeth, Kanej, Wesper, Solangelo, Helnik, and Zoyalai are mine, and those couples are true soulmates. Argue with me if you want, but they are all meant for each other. Especially Percabeth.

"Books don’t work their magic on me anymore."

Evie's relationship with her sister, Danica, made me so happy!! It's not perfect, but nothing is, and how they worked through their differences, and really came together made me so happy, no matter how minor a part of the book it was.

Evie's relationship with her best friends, Sophie, Cassidy, and Martin also made me so happy to read. The four first became friends in middle school, and I loved learning about their history. They don't always get along perfectly, but that's what makes reading about their friendship so fun, and so realistic.

Nicola Yoon's writing in this book is so beautiful. Poetic at times, and at others, straight up making fun of teen texting.

"Cassidy: Lemme get this straight. The v hot rocker invited u 2 c him play his guitar & sing his songs with his band @ his v first gig in LA?
Martin: Jesus, Cassidy, would it kill you to write the words out? I just had to read that five times
Cassidy: F U"

I mean it's not wrong so I can't really complain. But the writing is truly incredible. A more eloquent example would be this passage.

"It’s hard to completely hate someone who loves someone you love. She loves Dad. I can’t deny that. Just like I can’t deny that I still love him."

I loved this book, and recommend it to every single person out there. From the writing to the plot, to the characters, Nicola Yoon nails every aspect of the novel.

All in all, Instructions for Dancing broke me in all the right ways, and although any I review I write could never do it justice, I hope that it is enough to convince you to pick up a copy.

Such a touching YA story, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I definitely flew through it!

This book is perfect for the audience - when you’re young and moving through various seasons of your life (friendship changes, graduation, first heartbreak, etc). The message of taking a chance even though the ending may not go as you hope is prevalent throughout.

The plot itself centered around a similar premise to “That’s So Raven” but with a mix of dancing thrown in. It’s a really memorable read!

The wait is over: Nicola Yoon's new novel 'Instructions for Dancing' is here.

Evie Thomas is through with love. She's sick of it. Down with love! Evie's parents have recently divorced, and now Evie is going to get rid of all of her favorite romance novels. Distraction leads Evie to a chance occurrence that involves a trade: her romance novels for a book called 'Instructions for Dancing.' This book leads her to a ballroom dance studio and into the arms of X, a mysterious stranger. Sounds like something ripped from one of Evie's romance novels, doesn't it? Not so fast! Evie is through with love, remember? Sick of it.

Opportunities to read a novel in a single sitting are in short supply these days, but I would have gladly done so with 'Instructions for Dancing.' I liked the characters, and I appreciated what Yoon had to say about love and loss. One of the most difficult things in life is feeling absolutely certain that you know what's coming up around the corner; another is realizing that you actually have no idea what's ahead. Then, once you get there, you realize that there's another corner. And, should you try to tell a younger person that, they won't hear you—just like you wouldn't have heard them once upon a time. With the help of a bit of magic, Evie skips a step or two so that she can learn this lesson over the course of the novel. Her relationship with her parents, her friends, and X are all filtered through the shifting ways in which she views love.

A little over halfway through the novel, I realized that Yoon was pacing the story in such a way that some elements of the novel were not going to be as developed as I would have hoped. Of course, on the one hand, that just means that I enjoyed the characters and the story so much that I wanted to spend more time with them! However, there was a plotline involving minor characters that I really wanted to understand better. There is enough story, ultimately, to understand this plotline's role in the overall novel, yes, but it felt incomplete.

I am also not sure what to make of the magical realism element of 'Instructions for Dancing' either. Of the novels that I have reviewed in the last year, Yoon has done the best job of introducing the fantastical element, developing it, and resolving it. That said, Yoon's fantastical contrivance reads as just that—a contrivance—rather than a fully integrated element of the novel. Neither of these critiques detracted from my enjoyment of the novel. I mean, Yoon writes about ballroom dancing in one scene and a rock show in the next; to do that well is something special

Before closing out this review, I want to acknowledge Yoon's note at the end of the novel. I teach a course about adolescent literature at my university, and I work with pre-service English teachers as they prepare to enter the classroom. Those teachers will put novels like Yoon's in the hands of their students. In her note, Yoon is candid about her writing journey between 'The Sun Is Also a Star' and 'Instructions for Dancing'; that made me appreciate this novel even more. I wonder, too, whether that candid discussion of her own struggles to create will resonate with some of her adolescent readers.

Read 'Instructions for Dancing.' Read it now. When you're finished, go find someone you love and tell them how you feel.

Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon is a YA romance about Evie Thomas. Ever since her parent's divorce, Evie doesn't believe in love. But, one day she is given a gift: the gift of seeing a couple's future. Then, she starts taking dancing lessons on a whim and is paired up with a boy named X. Between her special gift of seeing people's futures and her falling in love with X, will she change her mind about love or will she keep pushing love away? I loved this book and thought it was absolutely delightful. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

*4.5 Stars

"Isn't it always better to know the truth, to live without illusions?"

Nicola Yoon continues to be one of the best contemporary writers in young adult. Instructions for Dancing follows Evie as she debates who she is and how certain situations change who she is. I had to wait to write this review because the ending of the book had such an impact that I had to gather all of my thoughts.

Evie lives with her mom and her sister and loves to spend time with her friend group. However, she is currently in the process of donating or getting rid of all of her romance books because Evie no longer believes in love and happily ever afters. After her parents got a divorce and her dad cheated on her mom, she stops believing in happy endings. As she is donating some of her books, she gets Instructions for Dancing in return.

She accidentally catches her sister Danica and her boyfriend kissing and has a vision of their moments together and how their relationship will end. Evie has the ability to see the end and begging of a relationship. Would you want that ability? What emotions or pain would it cause seeing how the ones you love break apart?

The book, Instructions for Dancing has an address to return it to if misplaced, and she listens to her friend Martin's advice and follows the book where it leads her. Evie ends up at La Brea Dance, where she meets several people, including Fifi and X. Evie and X become dance partners to help the studio gain some spotlight, and they end up growing closer together, even dating.

"I'm mad at whatever force created a world where we are born to love and also to watch the people we love die."

As they begin to fall in love with each other, they learn more about the other. X is in a band and has grown distant since something has happened. Evie opens up about her dad. Evie and X encourage each other every step of the way, and it is so wonderful to see how they grow closer both in the relationship and opening up old wounds.

With several characters and their personal lives impacting Evie, so much happens one after the next. From her mom getting back out and dating to her friends having their moments. Evie also finds out how her relationship with X will end.

This book was absolutely wonderful in so many ways! Martin, Fifi, X, and so many more characters were my favorites. Martin, with his unrequited love, Fifi, being an amazing dance teacher, and X, providing new hope for Evie. The big plot twist in this book was something I never saw coming, and 100% threw me for a loop.

Nicola Yoon's writing makes us realize that while our happy endings might not be at the moment, we should enjoy what we have now for what it's worth. Love is something to be cherished, not taken for granted, and this story definitely conveys that. Also, the acknowledgments at the end really hit home with never knowing how quickly something can change. This is hands down my new favorite Nicola Yoon book, and I look forward to reading more by her in the future.

"Love is the question and the answer and the reason to ask in the first place."

Review posted on Goodreads on 5-17-21: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3806871436?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Yoon nailed it with this YA romance. It's a heartbreaking and wonderful dance through a relationship that mirrors the ballroom dancing so prominent to the plot. Evie doesn't believe in love anymore after her parents' divorce, so why should she try being in a relationship? Why does she have to be okay with all the people around her being in relationships? Even meeting X, a boy she can't help but notice, doesn't change her mind. She doesn't want to give love a try.

Remeniscent of Freaky Friday or Big, where the protagonist needs to learn a life lesson, Evie runs into an older person who gives off kind of creepy vibes and is suddenly granted (read: cursed?) a life-altering superpower. Evie can now see couples' love stories in a sort of vision. This is brought on by a kiss when the couple is in love, and the only thing Evie can do to stop it is to close her eyes before she witnesses their PDA. Meanwhile, she's picking up ballroom dancing as a side hobby to help her break the curse.

This novel is sweet and tender, but also defiant and heartbreaking. I found that although there was a lot going on, for the most part the book balanced itself out as it went along. Yoon has mastered the push and pull of a story with this novel, and I couldn't quite stay away from the book. I kept coming back for more, knowing there was likely to be heartbreak on the other side of it. There is, but it's so worth it. This is one of those novels that makes me want to live, explore, and create.

I don't know what I was expecting.... Maybe I was expecting a cute little romance read. Maybe I was expecting a beach read.... But I was not expecting to be totally wrecked when I finished reading this book.

This book is ultimately about love, but not in the way you expect. Evie is a high school senior and her life has been turned upside down. She found her dad cheating on her mom, and once her parents divorced, it left her cynical. Way more cynical than a high schooler should feel. She thinks if my parents who really loved each other can fall out of love then maybe this love thing isn't all it is cracked up to be. So she grabs all of her romance books and takes them to a Little Free Library, where a lady tells her that she has to take a book since she left a book. The only book in there is Instructions For Dancing. So Evie takes the book... And this book and the chance Evie takes changes her life.

"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."

I am not going to give any more of the plot away. Have your tissues ready, and be prepared to have all the emotions. Also, please read the author note at the end of the book, it explains everything. 4.5⭐

Thank you Netgalley, Delacorte Press, Random House Children's and Nicola Yoon for this amazing eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was such a lovely little read. It goes extremely quickly, with the plot moving super fast (honestly, there were a few places where I think some additional time/detail would have been nice). Evie, while sometimes frustrating to read about, was easy to connect with. I rooted for her the entire time. X is extremely suave and so much fun. I honestly wish the book was a little longer and allowed readers to see deeper into a few of the relationships. Regardless, Yoon manages to once again write a novel that gives you a hug and breaks your heart at the same time.

In this charming young adult novel, ever since her parents split up a year before, seventeen year old Evie no longer believes in love. Then one day, she somehow acquires a power where when she sees a couple kiss, she can see the arc of their relationship - how it began and how it is going to end, which only makes her more cynical. At the same time, while dropping off her romance books at a little free library, she finds a book titled Instructions For Dancing which leads her to a dance studio where she ends up taking dancing lessons, and a boy named X who she finds intriguing despite herself. The slightly supernatural element was well-executed in a subtle and realistic way, and all the characters and Evie’s relationships with her friends and family are well-drawn. And while it is a sweet book, it also gets pretty deep towards the end. I laughed, I cried, it gave me all the feels. 4.25 stars.

I loved this book. Looking at that cover didn't prepare me for the emotional journey it'd take me on. I expected a sweet, entertaining, charming, and soft romcom and I got that but with some heart-wrenching and thought-provoking revelations to the core! Even the author's note at the end made a mess out of me. I think so much of that heart truly went into this story that's why it's not simply a love story but also a story about healing, forgiveness, willingness, and acceptance. Evie is such a wonderful character to follow through. I was so happy that she got that kind of ending because it was fitting and adds meaning to the whole plot. Overall, Nicola Yoon did it again. What a touching YA story that will live in my mind rent-free.

This ARC was offered in exchange of an honest and impartial review:
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4,5*
Pros: A beautiful story showcasing the various stages of love relationships. Special focus on grief and healing. Gorgeous Black leads. LGBT+ representation. As the MC is a contemporary romance lover, I was a big fan of her lists of tropes and clichés, could not agree more. Been a while since a book made me tear up, so I definitely recommend this beautiful story.
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Cons: Although offering a fair amount of exposure on common clichés in contemporary books, it also includes many in the story.

This book wasn't what I was expecting. It was cute and very sweet and I loved the way love was interpreted in the different ways love could be. It pulled my heartstrings and I may have shed a tear or two, but I didn’t really enjoy it as much as I hoped I would. The ending was unexpected to me in a way that I don’t feel was good, but it does leave you with the lesson to cherish every moment of the life you are given and to not take anything for granted.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s for sharing this eARC with me!

Instructions For Dancing, which comes out tomorrow, is a story that I will continue to think about for a long time. Evie begins to see visions of how couples have met, how they will live, and how they will break up when she witnesses a kiss. She then learns to ballroom dance and falls in love herself, but she struggles to enjoy the present instead of focusing on the inevitable heartbreak. I felt her emotional journey throughout the book, and I ended up with tears in my eyes when finished. I highly recommend this one for anyone who wants to be reminded about what matters in love, life, and relationships.
Thanks to the publishers Random House Children's, Delacorte Books, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion! This was my first book of the author's and I can't wait to read her two previous ones.