Nicola Yoon is an author that I absolutely adore. I will read any and everything she writes. I am a hopeless romantic and her books just speak to my soul and brings so much joy to my inner teen/young adult. This book left me absolutely gutted yet incredibly. As someone who seat with my parents divorcing when I was in high school, I could not help but to empathize with Evie. It’s complicated trying to navigate change and grieving. Not just in death but relationships and for those still loving. I couldn’t believe I read this book in a few short hours although I sent the last quarter of the book reading through my tears. The complex and honest relationships in this story were touching. Evie and X’s relationship was incredible. So much tenderness and vulnerability. Black love. Sigh... I’m starting to tear up mentioning it. This story definitely gave Tom Hanks Big vibes mixed with a bit of That’s So Raven in a heartfelt and nuanced way. I did feel things wrap up or resolved a bit to quickly which is why my actual rating is 4.5 but the third time is definitely the charm. This book is a worthy read and one that will stay will me for a long time.

I didn’t receive this book in time, but this did end up getting selected for one of our boxes! I’m so excited!

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

As soon as I saw that Nicola Yoon had a new book coming out this summer, I knew it would be high on my TBR! I loved The Sun is Also a Star and Everything Everything, and this one definitely lived up to my expectations. Yoon has such a beautiful way of telling stories that always draws me in and keeps me thinking about her characters long after I've finished.

More than just a love story, this is a story of Evie learning to believe in love again. Evie and X had such wonderful chemistry, and I also enjoyed the dynamics between Evie and her friends and family. This is a coming of age story that I would wholeheartedly recommend to teens and adults alike.

Add this one to your TBR if you enjoy:
💕 forced proximity
💕 slow burn
💕 coming of age YA
💕 strong friendships
💕 complicated family dynamics

Thank you Delacorte Press and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

First of all I love X . I did not expect this book to be so bittersweet and the ending crushed me 😭 however Evie grew and learned a lot in this book and the overall message was beautiful ! The writing was amazing I laughed out loud and felt every emotion possible for these characters. Evie was a bit annoying to me at first but I grew to understand why she was so stubborn and how hard it is to forgive sometimes. This book was amazing.

The last several YA books I’ve read led me to believe that I was kind of over the genre, but honestly this one turned it around. Instructions for Dancing is a sweet book about Evie Thomas, who is navigating through growing up, first love and separating parents.

Evie’s voice wasn’t as immature as some YA main characters and I really appreciated that. She develops complex emotions and her struggles give great depth to her character. Her romance with X was sweet, and not unrealistic.

I would have liked a little more interactions with Evie’s friends, but I thought there was a good balance between the group. The focus on healthy relationships with her parents was good but I did feel that she maybe matured a little too quickly in her interactions with them than was realistic.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

I haven’t read Nicola Yoon before, although her books have been hyped in the YA book community, especially with both her previous books having been adapted for film. So, I didn’t have much of a frame of reference for what to expect with Instructions for Dancing, although it looked like a great mix of fun and heartfelt. What I didn’t expect was that it would be a balm for my soul coming out of a particularly challenging couple weeks, complete with a min-reading slump.

Evie is immensely relatable, being a formerly romantic soul whose heart has been hardened by her parents’ divorce. Where once she could catalog her love of romances by genre and trope, she now sees doom and gloom everywhere, even in the “gift” given to her where she sees the trajectory of entire relationships before they happen, or while they’re in their early stages.

There were moments when I feared the turn this would take, especially when she saw the potentially dark fate of her own relationship. But while many people dwell on the idea that love is always doomed, those people will fail to see the beauty in love itself while it happens. While the book still has a happy ending (and I would have broken things if it didn’t), I think it’s much sweeter when reinforced by the fact that endings aren’t the sole thing worth dwelling on.

But ultimately, this is super sweet, and X is a great love interest who is totally perfect for Evie, even though she spends most of the book being a pessimist toward the idea of their relationship.

This is a cute book that hits the essential romance plot beats while also tugging on your emotions as it unpacks those essential elements. Anyone looking for a sweet YA romance will love this.

Engaging characters whom you root for, dancing lessons, and the fun twist of the ability to see the future of relationships (good and bad) made for a delightful story from Nicola Yoon. She always has a wonderful sense of romance instilled in her stories.

this book was everything i wanted and more. the premise was so interesting. the main character evie can see what happens to people’s love stories when they kiss. isn’t that the coolest plot point ever? the love interest x was amazing. i couldn’t put this book down. this book made me so happy, but also broke me. please read this masterpiece!

This is my 2nd book I've read by Nicola Yoon. I remember reading everything everything for the 1st time and thought this is such a wonderful story I cant wait to read the stories she creates.

This is a magical heartbreaking finding who you are and what you can trust type story.

This is a beautifully written story this story shows Evie and her family and friends. She one day starts seeing visions of relationships from start to end when she sees people kissing. She doesn't understand why she sees it. With being able to see peoples relationships she starts questioning everything. During this it leads her to a dance studio where she learns the art of dance. Where she lets herself start opening up to new experiences and to new and old people in her life.

Evie meets X and he's a yes man and she starts to open up about her pain and angry and he does to her and a great friendship starts
I dont want to give anything away on this story but there was so many strong moments in this story. Of just understanding life and you need to stop running from what hurts you and your past and the fear of tomorrow and just live. No matter how hard it is no matter if you know the outcome. You need to live

This has probably been one of my favorite stories of the year. I'm so happy I read this it made me laugh and cry and just really made me think. I will come back to this story and once it out in the world add more details to the review. 5 stars!! Go read this trust me its a must read Beautiful and Nicola Yoon stories just keep getting better as she writes. ❤❤

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Childrens Delacorte Press For Sharing this reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions

Nicola Yoon always knows how to pull at my heartstrings with her books. I have to say that this is my favorite book of hers so far. I loved how the majority of the book was very lighthearted, and there wasn't a lot of time spent on Evie denying her true feelings. The only thing I really have an issue with was the ending. It just seemed pretty abrupt. I felt like Yoon had been preparing the reader for Evie to have one of the happily ever after romances she always dreamed of, but what happened was the complete opposite. I understood the message that love is something that we should always hold on to, no matter for how long we have it, I just wish some things were flushed out more. Like who was that lady and how did Evie even start seeing people's relationships in the first place? I really enjoyed the pace and the tone of the book, but I still have so many questions, and I'm just left wanting more.

4.25/5 Stars

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with early access to this book. This in no way influences my thoughts or opinions

"The problem with broken hearts isn't that they kill you. It's that they don't."

For a book that I didn't have high hopes for, this absolutely stole my heart and then broke it. I'm not a huge fan of romance but this book is so much more than a love story. It's a beautiful blend of magical realism and great banter and relationships. You can't help but to relate to the main character and her journey is one that'll stick with you for a long time.

Nicola Yoon is never afraid to talk about hard topics and does it in a way that pulls at your heartstrings while still giving you hope for better.

I truly think that this book is a great one to pick up and read in one sitting. It's so easy to read and I think it's one of those quick ones that'll get you back into reading or out of any reading slump. It'll help so many people rediscover their love for books and reading once they give it a chance.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of this book.

I did not expect this book to destroy me as much as it did, nor did I expect to finish it in only a few hours. But both of those things happened.

Instructions for Dancing is the most beautiful surprise I could’ve ever asked for in a contemporary book. Everything about this book—the romance, the friendships, the family, the side plots, the magic—is, simply put, breathtaking. In fact, I had a hard time catching my breath from a certain point to the end of the book. Even now I’m struggling to breathe while writing this. But in the best way (also the most painful way).

Funny how a book about putting yourself back together after hurt and the possibility of hurt could destroy me so much, but I’m thankful for it. This book taught me a lot of things that I know I’ll carry with me forever.

I don’t want to get too much into the actual contents of this book, even in summary, because I feel like everyone should go into this book without knowing much of anything about it. It’ll be worth it in the end, trust me.

A beautiful book and lovely second novel from Yoon’. I adored The Sun Is Also a Star and this story did not disappoint. ALL. THE. FEELS! Evie was a precious character to follow and the dancing subplot was fantastic. Content warnings for death of a loved one and infidelity.

Gosh. I needed to take a minute after reading this book to write a review. And I must write a review. I did not think I would love another book by Nicola Yoon as much as I loved The Sun is also a Star. Oh, oh I was wrong. I am in love with these 2 kids and their story. There was some sadness in the this fiction that just screamed reality. I totally bought into the story line and could.not.put.it. down! This is the amazing story of Evie and X. Evie suffers a devastating even and somehow gains the ability to see how peoples' love stories end. Add what she see to her already disillusioned heart, and she is NEVER falling in love. Ever. Um, then there's X. She resists him with all she's got, but we just love him at first sight. We know she will too... right? I was not sure this was going to be an HEA or even a HFN... to tell you the truth. So, I just blew the after and night reading to find out. Ah-mazing story! I am a true fan!!!

After Evie's parents' divorce, she no longer believes in the kind of love that lasts. But when dropping her formerly loved romance novels off at a little free library, a mysterious woman grants her the ability to see the story of a romance when she sees a couple kiss. When Evie attempts to follow the messages of the universe, she ends up at La Brea Dance studio, partnered with the handsome and engaging X. X is everything that Evie thinks that she doesn't want, but as they partner together for the upcoming ballroom dance competition, Evie has to question what she knows about love, romance, and relationships.

I thoroughly enjoyed this newest offering from Nicola Yoon. Her stories have a dreamlike quality to them - they are well told, well written, and I especially love the mysterious quality that they have. Like her most recent novel (The Sun is Also A Star), this novel also includes small tangents which allow the reader to see the story from a different perspective. These include chapters told through text, the love stories that Evie sees, and her own musings on her life. Through the narrative of romance, the family and friend relationships that Evie experiences are just as important. Evie is grappling with how to believe in love when she can see how much pain her parent's marriage ending has caused. Evie struggles with figuring out whether it's worth it to be hurt by these emotions, or whether it's better to be alone. Her emotional journey was sweet, believable, and absolutely made me tear up at the end. For those who like slightly magical and sweet stories, who love a good romance, I highly recommend this one! Just make sure you have some tissues too.

5 stars for Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon. A fresh Young Adult story with a Black teen lead who we LOVED. It calls back to classic romance novel themes like ballroom dancing and young love while also discussing themes such as divorcing parents and growing apart from your friends.

As always, Nicola Yoon creates a compulsively readable work of art that you can't help but read in one sitting. We were huge fans of "The Sun is Also A Star" and we are so happy to say that we loved this book just as much. If you liked Yoon's other novels or books like "Autoboyography" by Christina Lauren, we think you'll really enjoy this one too. Pick it up on sale 6/1/2021!

This book was so beautiful! I was crying for the last 20% of it. It gripped me from the start and never let go. Seriously the perfect romance. Complex characters with serious growth. The love story was believable and beautiful. I can see why they make sense for each other and it’s not like a ridiculously hot lead falls for a nerdy girl for no reason. This book had me crying at work!!! I could not put it down. This is my most incoherent review ever because the book BROKE me while filling my heart. The authors note about a family dealing with terminal illness while she was writing this explained the emotional depth of the story. Ahhhh I love this book so much I can’t wait for it to be shared with the world.

Instructions for Dancing is a Young Adult Romance/Rom-Com* novel by bestselling author Nicola Yoon. Yoon is an author I'd peripherally been aware of but never tried, and to be honest when this book turned up on NetGalley under the YA category, I requested it more on a whim than anything - I'd been on a run of good SF/F romance novels, saw this listed and figured it kind of counted (and featured a non white couple at its heart), so why not.

*There is a fantastical element to this book in that the protagonist begins to have visions after meeting a strange figure early on, visions that show her the past and future. So I guess this could sort of count as modern fantasy, but for the most part this is a YA Romance Story.*

And Instructions for Dancing is just tremendous, sort of half coming of age story, half rom-com, dealing with a high school age girl whose family heartbreak has caused her to stop believing in the idea of love. The protagonist, Evie, caught her divorcing father cheating on her mother, shattering her ideas of a happily ever after, and soon begins to have magical visions of couples getting together and then seemingly always breaking up in inevitable heartbreak, reinforcing her idea that love isn't worth it. But of course fate brings her and a guy together and.....well, the result is both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time in the end and will absolutely make you tear up as Evie realizes that love can be worth it for the moments in between, even if it may not last forever.

---------------------------------------------------Plot Summary------------------------------------------------
Evie believed in love - in romance - once, with her shelves filled with so many romance novels that she would open whenever she needed a pickmeup. She could go on and on about her favorite tropes in these stories, and how she loved them all (well most of them).

And then her dad, her loving father who made so many memories, told her that he was divorcing her mom - and when Evie went to ask him to come back, she found him with another woman.

Now Evie knows that all love ends in heartbreak, and the devastation she feels inside makes it clear it's not worth it. And when she goes to giveaway the last of her romance novels to a library, she's given in return a book called "Instructions for Dancing" and a strange horrible new ability - the ability to see the past, present, and future of a couple whenever she sees them kiss...an ability that only further confirms to her that it will always end in heartbreak.

But following the book leads her to a dance studio, where Evie gets roped into training for an amateur dance competition...along with a boy named X. X is dazzling handsome and charming and unlike Evie, he's reacted to past loss by deciding that he will always say yes and make the most of every given moment. And against her better interest, Evie begins falling for him...but how can she commit to a relationship when she knows it will only end in more pain?
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Instructions for Dancing is a YA story that will naturally hit home for a large number of kids in America (and will hit hard even for those it doesn't). Evie's life has been upended by her parent's divorce (and her discovery her dad was cheating on her mom even before their separation) and it's made even harder by the fact that her mom and younger sister (who doesn't know about the cheating) don't seem to be hit as hard as she has been, with all of Evie's fond memories tainted. Evie's one solid pillar of support is her small friend group - Martin, Sophie and Cassidy - which she cannot even fathom losing at this point as the rest of her whole world has fallen apart, leaving her cynical and jaded.

The fantastical visions only make things worse, with her seeing seemingly that every couple she sees kiss may start in love and may have great times in the middle, but will always end up in heartbreak - even people she knows and would've thought otherwise about. But Evie cannot get away from the good memories of her dad in the past and everything else, which only makes it all harder.

So when Evie meets X, who charms her in all the ways she knows from her old favorite romance novels, it's a challenge to her very soul, as is when the visions start to show her things about her friends that make her absolutely dread the future itself. But X's philosophy is to live in the moment, to not worry about the future or what might happen negatively, because then you'll miss out on the good there is, and it dramatically contrasts with her own jaded perspective. And again X is so charming, so charismatic, so....hot that she finds it hard to resist that view...even as life begins to challenge both her old view and X's new one, as even X's view isn't so simple when you might see the future.

I'm going to stop there because I don't want to spoil anything - suffice to say this is a book about understanding that the pain in the future or present doesn't diminish the love and happiness of the past, and how it's worth making attempts to try for whatever joy you can make. It's a book that acknowledges that things will change, and that people may need to make second starts and that while it may be painful it's absolutely worth it....even if that requires forgiving some really heartbreaking things. Love is worth every moment, even if it may not, even if it cannot last, and that's the lesson of this book, which Evie's journey takes us through in tremendous fashion up till an ending that is simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming - I reread it again just to write this review and teared up for a second time as a result.

I suspect this won't be fantastical enough to have a shot at either the Hugo or Nebula YA awards (the Lodestar or Norton Awards) but this is a book that almost certainly will be on my ballot next year. So good.

Let me start by saying I love, love, love Ms. Yoon's books! Everything, Everything ended up being so very different from most romance, with a twist I wasn't expecting and it made me an instant fan. The Sun is Also a Star was told in such a unique way - again, romance, but with a little something extra.

And then came Instructions for Dancing and I couldn't have been more thrilled. Until I read it. It was romance with a light dose of magical realism, but really, just a romance, and I had come to expect more. I know that Ms. Yoon had an especially difficult year when she was writing this, so I feel like a bit of a monster wanting MORE because it's all about ME. It's still a good book, but not so much for me.

As always, the voices are authentic. I felt like I was listening in on my kids' and friends' conversations. Not at all like an adult trying to a) remember how kids talk or b) use hip language like all the kids are using these days. It just felt natural.

Evie and X have a wonderful relationship with one another. There are mega conflicts between Evie and her father, whom she caught cheating on her mother and who is now getting remarried. Now that Evie has discovered the ability to see a couple's past, present, and future, she fears the pain of the endings rather than reveling in the thrill of the now.

My thanks to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED this book. Nicola Yoon hasn't let me down yet, and this may be my favorite of her novels. Also, that cover is freaking gorgeous.

Evie loses all faith in love after her parents marriage ends and she goes as far as getting rid of all her formerly favorite romance novels. Fate intervenes, however, and she has to learn to find love again and to let herself love, even when she knows it may one day hurt.

The ballroom dancing she follows her fate to is wonderful (I say as someone who adores ballroom dancing movies) and teaches her a lot - as well as introducing her to X.

I cried buckets during the last 25% or so, which to me makes for an excellent romance.

It’s such a cute love story and has some really profound moments and takeaways and the dance instructor, FiFi, is hilarious with her bizarre insults. This would make an *amazing* movie. Someone get on that.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing an e-arc for review.