This book... I dont even know where to start.
Nicola takes you on a full, beautiful, bittersweet journey that I will never forget. I love these characters so much and see myself in them in so many different ways. I laughed, wanted to shake these characters so many times and of course shed some tears. Because an amazing book gives you all those feelings, but makes you love it and want to return again and again.

OMG, my poor heart. This was an amazing book that broke me and put me back together at the same time. I love Nicola Yoon’s writing and her characters so much and this book definitely captures the same charm as her previous novels.
Instructions for Dancing follows Evie, a high school senior, who used to swoon over romance novels, but she doesn’t believe in love anymore after finding out her father cheated on her mother. When she decides to rid herself of all her romance novels, she encounters a mysterious elderly woman and suddenly develops a special power. She can now see visions of a couple’s full romantic relationship from beginning to end. Determined to discover what’s happening to her, Evie finds herself at La Brea Dance studio, where she learns ballroom dancing with a boy named X. A boy who might just be the key to finding answers and opening her heart up to love again.
Nicola Yoon’s writing is so good! It’s vivid and descriptive without being too fluffy or drawn out. It’s so beautiful and keeps you so engaged with the story. I loved that she chose to add a magical realism element to this one. It definitely made things interesting and set up some important plot points. It made for a quick yet extremely meaningful read.
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.

I adored this book. The characters are realistically flawed and have space to grow throughout the events of the story. What a gut punch of an ending.

I was so excited for a new Nicola Yoon book! Instructions for Dancing is a perfect beach read that's full of Nicola Yoon's signature style. It's a cute romance that also promises some emotional punches.

Instructions for Dancing has a unique hook that will keep you reading! Evie visits a little free library and finds a mysterious old book. Suddenly, she finds herself with the ability to see the future for how romantic relationships will end--and she's also entered a dance competition with a super cute boy. On top of everything else, Evie is dealing with her parents divorce and discovering that her father cheated. Evie definitely has a lot going on.

Read this one if you love quick reads with lots of interesting characters and a unique plot! Be ready for some tears though!

After her parents' divorce, Evie Thomas doesn't believe in love anymore. One day, she discovers that she has a "power" of sorts: if she sees a couple kiss, she can see how their romance started and how it will end. At the same time, Evie begins frequenting a dance studio where she meets a boy who challenges her stance on love.

I though this was super cute! Definitely YA but the story includes quite the shocker. I think that this book was much more plot-driven than character-driven; the characters didn't really seem to be fully fleshed out but I don't think that was necessary to move the plot along. I enjoyed the writing but I wish we could've gotten to learn more about the mysterious woman. This would be a great option to adapt as a movie!

I really enjoyed Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also a Star, but for some reason this one just didn't have the same magic for me (even though it did have some LITERAL magic).

After her parents divorce, Evie has nothing but cynicism when it comes to love. When she finds a strange book and can suddenly see the past, present, and future of the couples around her, she doesn't have much hope, either...because most of those relationships end in heartache.

When Evie finds herself taking beginner dance classes, she also finds herself falling for her charismatic dance partner--something she wants nothing to do with. But X is hard to resist, and she begins wondering if love can work out sometimes. She even begins trying to repair her relationship with her dad.

But when Evie's new powers turn themselves on HER, she has a huge decision to make: is love about the ending, or the journey? And is it worth it?

“Time passes. People change. Lives move on.” Heartbreak is inevitable. So, embrace the moment and grab all the love and joy that you can.

That about sums up Nicola Yoon’s latest novel about a girl, Evie, whose belief in love and commitment is shaken after her dad cheats on her mom. Her disillusionment solidifies when, witnessing several couples kissing, Evie “sees” that all but one of those relationships will end in rupture and heartbreak. Thankfully, her visions don’t prevent Evie from falling in love with the irrepressible X, whom she meets after a strange woman gives her a book (Instructions for Dancing) that directs her to a dance studio, where Evie is persuaded to take lessons and enter a ballroom dance competition partnered by X.

I loved Nicola Yoon’s The Sun is Also a Star and was anticipating this book. It has Yoon’s trademark wit and appealing characters and is a quick, enjoyable read if you just roll with it and don’t think too much. But thinking about it, and even accounting for the magical realism, some plot points, for me, need more development: Who is the mystery woman; what’s her story? Why is Evie suddenly a visionary? Why aren’t Evie’s parents concerned she’s dating a high school dropout? Why is she, a new student and a total novice, chosen to represent the dance studio in a ballroom dance competition? In any case, the dance competition seems more of a metaphor than a driver of the story (though I did enjoy learning about the dances.)

In her endnotes, Yoon outlines the personal events that prompted the novel. That’s the book—a novel for adults about adults grappling with the decline and loss of loved ones—that I hope she’ll write next.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I am bawling my eyes out! Omg this book is so tragically beautiful I don’t know where to begin!

This story is so much more than a young girl finding her way! It’s about the beauty of life and how it’s nothing without LOVE! I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but what I got was soooo much more than expected!

The plot was unique and the story itself really flows! I love the growth of the main character and I didn’t want this book to end!

4.5 stars (when is Goodreads going to add half stars!) Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House publishing for this early advanced copy. This one will be released next month and it's being touted as one of 2021's most-anticipated books (huge tribute to Nicola Yoon who is already a New York Times Bestselling author).

I don't usually love romances but this one was cute and, though the two main characters are high school aged, there are enough other relationships to speak to readers of all ages.

About a week ago, I wrote a wedding ceremony speech that encouraged everyone to be present in every moment (rather than focusing on the ending, or what is going to go wrong). That is the exact message at the core of this book.

I liked all the characters, X was my favorite. Though I have a bone to pick with him about the ending of this story but don't want to spoil anything...

The only thing I didn't quite like is the title of the book and the whole dancing aspect (and I'm a dancer, too, I love it). Now, I realize that the dancing is what brought Evie and X together but meh... I am left to wonder if Yoon was going for something more metaphorical with the title, sort of like a: Yes, there are instructions for dancing and basic steps but THROWING yourself into dance, giving your all, and being passionate and PRESENT in the moment, during your dance, is what it's all about... Then okay. I hear ya Ms. Yoon!

A travel pack of facial tissue is not enough for this book. You have been warned. A fair amount of undignified blubbering may still be happening as I attempt to write this review. I guess I should have expected the tears, given my familiarity with Nicola Yoon's work. Nope. Not like this, anyway. Shoo. Alright, let me try to reign myself in. Instructions for Dancing is the story of Evie Thomas, a girl completely disillusioned with love after her parents divorce. When a strange vision of a couple's whole relationship unfolds before her eyes, Evie thinks she must have really lost it. Trying to figure out what is happening leads her to a tiny dance studio, where she meets X. X is tall and gorgeous, and a complication that Evie most certainly does not need at the moment. So why does she find herself agreeing to a ballroom dance competition with him? As Evie and X learn the intricate routines, and details about each other, will Evie be able to let go of her inhibitions, on the dance floor and with love?

It might sound cheesy, especially with my clumsy paraphrasing of the synopsis, but it's not. Instructions for Dancing has incredible moments woven in; lessons on anger, acceptance, friendship, and how every moment with someone you love really is a gift. Evie learns and grows a lot, and seeing her find a way to be comfortable in her new skin is really beautiful. I think this novel will be perfect for older teens and adults. This would be perfect for adaptation, and I'm already fan-casting Evie and X! Thank you to Delacorte Press and Netgalley for the chance to review this advance copy.

A well-told YA romance - this one will definitely become a movie just like Nicola Yoon’s two other books. It’s about love and loss, beginnings and endings. When Evie’s Dad cheats on her Mom leading to their divorce, Evie writes off love. Why fall in love if it will only end in heartache? In a riff on the movie, Big, she finds a magic book, starts having visions and enters a dance competition with a dreamy teen. It’s the last semester of senior year and everything is changing - from her family to her friends. This will be a fun movie that I can’t wait to watch.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Random House Children’s, for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Evie is struggling with believing in love after her parents get divorced. She throws out her romance books she once loved, critiques her friends’ relationships, and avoids a relationship of her own. To make matters worse, one afternoon she sees a couple kiss and suddenly she *sees* their entire relationship—a highlight real from the beginning to the end. There is always an end. Desperate to find out why this is happening, she curiously ends up at a dance studio and agrees to partake in a ballroom competition with the cute boy named X; it doesn’t matter that she’s never ballroom danced in her life...

When suddenly Evie finds herself entering into a relationship she didn’t ask for, she’s in trouble. Her views on love, life, and friendship are being questioned at every turn. This is a YA romance that will make you, the reader, question as well. We all know many relationships end whether it’s a break-up, growing apart, or death, but does that mean it’s not worth it?

Typical of all Nicola Yoon books, the writing is beautiful and captivating. I do wish I could have seen more of the dancing scenes! I thought that was such a unique angle and I wanted to see more of that passionate Step-up like chemistry! Instead, there wasn’t much description of those cute eye contact, heart pulsing, breath-catching moments, or even the dances themselves. If this ever got adapted into a movie, I’d love to see those shown.

But anyways...go and pre-order this one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This book was absolutely delightful and I loved it. Truly just loved it! I didn’t want it to end. It ended up wrecking me in the end but it was so well done. Highly recommend!

REVIEW FOR INSTRUCTIONS FOR DANCING

Thank you to @netgalley and @delacortepress for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars

So this was my first YA novel in a long time, and it reminded me why I miss them. The feeling of being young and free permeated throughout this whole book while still maintaining the sense of responsibility that age 17-18 kids have.

The story centers around Evie Thomas, a senior in Los Angeles, California who has written off ever finding love after her parents recent divorce (any kid who has experienced this can absolutely relate- still am unsure of it myself). She decides to donate all her romance book and drops them off at a “take one, leave one” roadside library. A woman shows up and convinces her to take this book called “Instructions for Dancing” and, against Evie’s better judgement, she does. What follows are powers beyond her imagination, an experience of a lifetime, and a love that defies all expectations, even if life is still as unkind as always.

Let me start by saying, this book was beautiful. From the cover artwork to the way it was written, Nicola Yoon did a great job of writing from the perspective of a young adult without it sounding too young adult-ish. The chapters were short, which held your attention, and the book discussed race, LGBT community, and other modern concepts without it being overly centered around those things (which was nice only in that it allowed the characters to grow without expectation or drama).

However, while it was a unique concept, I felt like the “old woman shows up and gives girl the gift of foresight” is a tired trope. I liked that it wasn’t the central focus of the story, but it was central enough to cause what I felt was unnecessary drama. I also felt like it put a lot of pressure on the protagonist, having to decide how to act when you know how things end. But, while I didn’t necessarily love that point, I did love how the author didn’t abide by the “happy ending” that many have for romance and YA novels. Life is messy- I’m glad she kept it that way.

A cute, easy read and would highly recommend for those who love YA and would like to remember how they felt the first time they fell in love too 💕

Oh my gosh! I cannot even begin to put into words how much I loved this book. I finished it in less than 2 days because I just couldn't get enough. Nicola Yoon has done it again, I was so emotionally invested that I started sobbing uncontrollably 2 or 3 times while reading. I am a daughter of parents that have an almost identical story as Evie's and this book brought back so many emotions and feelings I completely forgot I had. I relate to Evie in so many ways and I have never felt represented in this way before. I know that this book is going to mean a lot to other young girls that have these shares experiences because I absolutely adored it.

Nicola Yoon is very talented at both warming my heart and also ripping it out of my chest. I feel like I had a lot of expectations as The Sun is Also a Star is one of my favorite books of all time, but I was very much surprised by how much I enjoyed this.

I always love Nicola Yoon's books, and Instructions for Dancing did not disappoint! Cute, funny, yet emotional, it took me back to my teenage years and reminded me why love is so important in our lives. Loved it!

silly little romance book not supposed to make me cry this much??

this was super Cheesy particularly in the first half & i am not the biggest fan of Cheesy but it worked in this bc of the acknowledgement of the Cheesiness. but anyways,, slightly cheesy but super cute romance with an extra layer of sumn sumn to give you the feels — nicola yoon has done it again!

i started reading & rlly thought this was gonna be like your average cute fun romance but No it turned into something so sad but beautiful & just so good. the last bit (is it called the third act? unlike evie i am in fact Not a romance expert) was especially emotional; evie coming to terms with her past & soon to be future experiences with love & loss was rlly beautiful to read.

*review will be published to goodreads on 18 May 2021, link to review will be put on instagram on the same day*

Realistic Fiction with a touch of sight. Evie is angry at her father; she may never speak to him again. Then she comes across a book on dancing that causes her to change her life by including dance and looking at love's journey in a different way. There's also a young, handsome man added to the mix. Perhaps that little book possesses a bit of magic for Evie and a prescription for living that all of us could use.

Get hyped for June, because this is the best Nicola Yoon book as of yet! Instructions for Dancing is romantic, exciting, fun, and it's even sad. The bittersweet ending broke my heart, but it was so satisfying at the same time! And did I mention there's dancing?

If you like YA romance, you'll like this book. If you LOVE YA romance, you'll really like this book. Either way, it's worth reading.