Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
Beautiful story of love and loss! What would you do if you could see how relationships end? The pacing was kind of all over the place and I didn't know how I felt about Evie being able to see the future for a lot of the story, it felt like a weird plot device. But I ended up loving this book at the end! So many beautiful moments and the ending just ripped my heart out! Recommend!

Non-Spoiler Section 📕
I AM IMPLORING YOU TO READ THIS BOOK. I absolutely loved this book, it was my favorite book from Nicola Yoon. I have read all of her other books and I loved them both, but this book was truly fantastic. I want to first thank Net-Galley and the publisher for giving me and ARC of this book for an honest review. With that being said when I saw the description of this book I thought it was going to be a cheesy romantic comedy. I didn't think the book would hold much substance. However, I was completely wrong. This book shows so many life lessons and reasons to love that it's amazing. The theme is really similar to that of "They both die at the end." So if you liked that book I really recommend this book. It follows Evie this girl who has lost all faith in love. This book is her journey to figure out if love is really worth all the pain that it brings. It's a really great book and I highly recommend that you pick it up to read it. Now on to the spoiler section.

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Spoiler Section 📖
I loved this book. I loved the plot twist with X and I loved seeing how Evie deals with that as it comes. There's not much else to say. This book broke my heart and stitched it back together again. One thing that I also really loved about this book was showing Evie's relationship with her Father. I have a similar relationship to my father and Yoon does a fantastic job of portraying a relationship like this. Showing how you can still be angry at a parental figure but still miss them. That feeling of just guilt that you feel when you still love a parent that's wronged you was portrayed so well in this book. Now onto the characters and what I learned from each one of them.
Characters

Evie 💃🏾
I loved her character. She was so perfectly snarky and doubtful that I felt like she represented me at a time. There have been times where I have felt the same way. She just reflected so much of how I have been in the past that it was so interesting to read about her. She has a lot of internal struggles going on that reflected in her life. I think her character also brings up an interesting question. Would you choose to love someone that you know you were going to lose? When she saw how much losing X would do to her and she still choose to love him in the moment was something so pivotal for her as a character. I just really love her character. There's not much else to say about her. I loved watching her grow from a person who believed all love ended in hurt to seeing that it hurts because it was real.
Overall Rating- ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Favorite quote -
"Maybe the whole point of love is to make more of itself."

X 🕺🏾
I swear on my life his character led me to an existential crisis. In my English class the other day we were talking about Carpe diem. We were reading poems about seizing the day in our youth because we have so many opportunities to chances, that tomorrow isn't guaranteed. Then five minutes later I read this book where X's entire motto is basically Carpe Diem, say yes to everything. Then when I kept reading and his character eventually dies I was plunged into crisis. I took a look at my life and I thought about if I really was living everyday to my fullest potentials or am I living everyday for tomorrow. Which is the same thing I thought about after reading They both die at the end. His character was so good. I loved seeing him dancing and just being cute. He is SOOO SMOOTH. I mean like I don't understand why someone can't do this with me (Besides the dying part). He was so optimistic about life and so unapologetic for doing what he loves. I want to be like him one day.
Overall Rating- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Favorite Quote-
"People don't come back Evie. The time we get is the time we get."

Other favorite quotes
"You can miss the future with people who are still alive too."

"Happiness is tricky. Sometimes you have to fight for it. Sometimes, though--the best times-- it sneaks up behind you, wraps an arm around your wait and pulls you close."

"Here's what I think. If you get very very lucky in this life, then you get to love another person so hard and so completely that when you lose them, it rips you apart. I think the pain is the proof of a life well lived and loved."

Oh... so many tears. I love magical realism and this one balanced the magic with the realism really well. But, oh, there is some heartbreak in here. The premise of Evie being able to see couple's relationship stories is an interesting one and well-executed. How she got this skill was a little odd but since I can't come up with a better way, I won't criticize.

The ending is not expected. Of course, there are obvious plot paths that run in a typical literature fashion, but there are also twists that leave you breathless. I would have liked a couple of plot points to be explained a little better (Shirley's backstory for one), but all in all, I really enjoyed this book and read it pretty quickly as I was so engrossed in the story.

Mixing so many delightful elements - first love, lasting love, romance novels, ballroom dance, rock & roll, longtime friendships, a magical book - this book hides several serious themes in a story that bounces along mostly joyously.

Evie’s parents got divorced and she isn’t adjusting well. She’s furious with her father and it seems like her mother and sister have just moved on smoothly. Even though she loves romance novels, she has given up on love having watched her parents split up.

Enter some new insights into the nature of love, a big ballroom dancing competition and a new partner, X, and Evie’s life takes a sudden tumble in new directions.

What I loved about this novel is it feels light and most of the action is fun while the undercurrents are serious. The characters are well-drawn and complex, even Evie’s perpetual friend pack that have been together through middle school. A small element of magical realism runs through the story in a way that helps Evie’s character grow and adapt.

This is an entertaining, well-written, thoughtful novel. Loved it!

I loved this book! As a huge fan of Nicola Yoon's other works, I was ecstatic to read this early, and it did not dissapoint.

Like Nicola Yoon’s previous novels, this books does not disappoint. It hooked me right away with its diverse characters and the connection between Evie and X. The plot of the story was an innovative one, and I loved the way that it began with a Little Free Library that led to a ballroom dance competition. Loved, loved, loved! Thanks to @negalley for approving this ARC! #InstructionsforDancing @NicolaYoon

Why do we love, when we know of the pain that comes with love? Infidelity, hard times, loss. It seems like too much to bear. This story focuses on Evie, who is a senior in high school and who is pretty cynical about love after her parents' marriage ended in divorce after her father's infidelity. She doesn't understand why you should put yourself out there and fall in love, when it's never going to last anyway. Cue the cute boy who is new to town. Yep. You know how this will play out, but you really want things to work out, despite the author (and yeah, if you've read her other books, you know to cautiously tiptoe into that ending). A great story and one that teens should love.

Let me first start off by saying, I love Nicola Yoon’s works. I read The Sun is also a Star a couple of years ago, I fell in love with the complete environment and I wanted more! I received Everything is Everything for my birthday shortly after and I also enjoyed that heartaching story. I’ve been waiting for her next book to be published, so I was tickled when I saw this come though my IG feed and even more so to see it available via NetGalley. I couldn’t wait until June!

This story was a welcomed escape and the best part is that it combined my love of reading and dancing! It’s a sweet teen romance, that’s smart, witty, and vulnerable. There’s a sprinkling of mysticism to make the story just a little magical. A former avid romance fan, Evie (Yvette) is no longer keen on the genre after discovering her father’s affair. She’s navigating new territory as her parents divorce and the fact that she’s about to graduate high school. There’s no way that she can take the heartache of love. As she purges her romance collection into a little free library (cute reference!), she comes across a mysterious woman and after this encounter, Evie discovers that she has the gift to see couple’s love stories. On this journey, Evie is led to the La Brea Dance school where she’s paired up with X (Xavier) to compete in a dance competition. In many fun and spirited scenes, Evie acknowledges that she may be living through one of her romance novels. But the big question is, can she allow herself to fall in love?

Nicola Yoon has a way with incorporating the culture and the atmosphere of the story’s location. While New York City played a big role in The Sun is also a Star, Los Angeles was a big part of Instructions for Dancing. During the current COVID conditions, where travel isn’t possible, seeing LA and the nearby beach scene through the characters’ eyes was a delightful adventure. I also appreciated her incorporation of cuisine into the storyline, although I was disappointed to learn that there is no big Taco Tuesday night in real life. (Not yet, anyways!) Yoon does an amazing job of humanizing parents and normalizing family dynamics from a teen’s perspective in her stories. Everyone’s family is different, but many have similar struggles. Yoon pulled at my heartstrings and evoked that gut wrenching feeling that is teen love and life. Especially the melancholy, excited, and restless feelings seniors experience as you approach a big inflection point, like High School Graduation. On a technical note, I’m not a ballroom dancer, but I feel like the story captured the essence and the feeling I get from watching Dancing with the Stars or other dance competitions. Both of Yoon’s previous books have been turned into movies, I would love to see this translated onto the big screen.

I highly recommend this novel. I was given access to an electronic copy via NetGalley for this honest review.

After her parents’ divorce, Evie no longer believes in love. When she suddenly gets hit with an ability to see a couples entire relationship from start to finish upon seeing them kiss, this idea is further reinforced. Love only ends in heartbreak. As all of this is happening, she finds herself taking dancing lessons with a boy who is her polar opposite. But despite her feelings about love, she finds herself falling for X and wondering if love is really worth the risk.

For a while there I thought I was going to get through a Nicola Yoon book without ugly crying. I was wrong. This story is so beautiful, but while I felt so happy for a while, it left me with a bit of a broken heart. As usual, Yoon’s ability to create story lines that make you feel so deeply is incredible. This book is truly stunning. The ending was a bit unresolved, and while I usually like everything to be wrapped up, this kind of messiness worked for this particular book. Also, I am really for a movie version of this one.

Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Instructions for Dancing will be released on June 1st.

I.LOVED.THIS.BOOK. I laughed and cried. Hard. The book was so sweet while dealing with some pretty tough yet relatable issues in the lives of teens (and everyone, really). There was love and loss, and it was beautifully written. This is my first Yoon read, and it definitely won’t be my last!

So glad to get a new title from Nicola Yoon! Evie used to be a major fan of romance novels but ever since her parents divorce, she's not so keen. A chance meeting at a little library turns her world upside down and gives her the ability to see the beginning, middle and end of a romance just by watching a couple kiss. It also leads her to a dance studio where she begins a romance of her own. A fun novel with a lot of heart and a little magic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this digital ARC!

When I was in high school/right after I graduated, I had the hardest time branching out from the YA genre. When I finally did, I had (and still have) the hardest time going back to it. Now that historical fiction is my favorite, reading YA romances is just sooo different. Also, it just ends up feeling too juvenile for me a lot of the time.

This book did not make me feel that way. I should have know because I loved Yoon’s The Sun Is Also A Star, but I was still skeptical. Nothing about the story was overly cheesy. The 17-year-old main character, Evie, was relatable. Reading through her POV transported me right back to senior year of high school.

Also, the ballroom dancing theme throughout was really interesting. I’m not a dancer, but I won’t lie, it enticed me to give it a try.

There’s also a slight “fantasy” aspect to it, but even that isn’t corny or eye-rolling. It’s actually a really interesting plotpoint. The main message that I took from it is that heartbreak (whether by breakup or death.. whether it’s friends, family, or romantically...) is just one small part of a great love, even if it is the final part.

This book was cute, it was funny, it was emotional, and it was very good.

This book was received as an ARC from Random House Children's - Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I needed a teen romance comedy and Instructions for Dancing was really the icing on the cake and the story was just so adorable and phenomenal. The relationship between Evie and the ballroom dancer was at first out of the box but then as the story progressed, its like they were meant for each other and they met at the right time. This story was so powerful and inspirational that a lot of our community members. Now from this book, I see the deeper meaning of the saying "Opposites Attract" and Evie and the teacher sure had that and more. I can't wait to share this title with our teen book club and hear the discussions from it.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Nicola Yoon does it again with INSTRUCTIONS FOR DANCING. another beautiful and emotional story about love and heartbreak. Rich characters with realistic dialogue imbued with warmth and humor make these characters leap off the page. A great addition to the contemporary YA genre.

Nicola Yoon has done it again 😃🙌🏽🎊!
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I automatically requested to read Instructions for Dancing from @netgalley without knowing the book's synopsis, because after reading Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also a Star, I just knew Yoon would not disappoint. And I was absolutely right! The talented Jamaican-American author has created another beautiful masterpiece of storytelling!
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Instructions for Dancing is a heart-warming and heart-breaking YA novel (even made me 😢). The plot line and creative style of writing is unforgettable and Yoon offers so many prized messages about love as we follow Evie's coming-of-age journey of navigating loss, friendships, love, and acceptance. The paranormal element was fun and intriguing, and I really enjoyed the descriptions of dancing scenes and all the characters.
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A must read!
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Thank you NetGalley and @RHCBEducators for an opportunity to read this lovely story.

Evie is done with Happily Ever Afters (or, HEAs, to romance fans). After her parents, who she believed were soulmates, get divorced, she gives up all her romance books and any faith she had left in love. On her journey, she’s met by a mysterious woman and ends up with a book called Instructions for Dancing. Inside the cover is an address and she figures she must return it. What happens when she arrives at the studio is far from what she imagines. All of a sudden, she’s enrolled in not only dance classes, but to compete for the studio with the owners’ maddening (-ly cute) grandson, X.
Evie starts having visions of couples and seeing how their relationships will end, and when her visions start coming true, she only loses more faith in love. This rom-com for teens is swoon-worthy, funny, and endearing. Yoon’s trademark knack for writing in a teen’s voice results in a fast fall for this couple, and will have you reading late into the night.

Nicola Yoon is an amazing writer.

Evie is reeling from her parents' divorce and slowly falling out of love with idea of love. When donating all her beloved romance books to a Little Free Library, she receives two surprises: a book about dancing and a magical power.. Evie is soon involved in learning to dance at a studio with the good looking grandson of the owners and trying to avoid her power at all costs.

This book was amazing. I fell in love with Evie and X, and I loved the writing. Young adults will easily identify with the main characters and enjoy the dialogue and plot.

I think Yoon is one of the best writers in the genre today.

I finished this book a couple of days ago, but purposefully didn't write my review immediately. I really needed to let this one sit with me. And I couldn't get it or it's characters out of my head - which should tell you right there what a wonderful book it was.

I admit I have a soft spot for YA literature. I think it's a combination all of the teenage angst, first love, figuring-out-who-you-are stuff that, even though it's pretty far removed in my own life, still somehow feels like it was only yesterday. Nicola Yoon really has a beautiful way of bringing such wonderful characters to life and I fell in love with her heroine, Evie. I related so much to Evie's anger over her parents divorce, the way she tried to protect herself from the pain of loss as well as the fierce way she loves and wanted to be loved.

This sweet story centers around seventeen-year-old Evie. Her parents, who she thought had a love of the ages, have recently divorced and she, her mom and her sister are living in a new apartment. She is angry at at love and at her father in particular, which she deals with by getting rid of all her romance novels that she once cherished. Upon taking them to a neighborhood "Little Library", she is set on a course of meeting a very special young man in X (Xavier) and learning what love is really all about.

I had free-flowing tears at the end of this novel - both over the story and because I didn't want it to end.

I read Yoon’s two other books three years ago and loved them more than I can put into words. Her writing is beyond fabulous and I have not so patiently been waiting for her next book. When I saw the ARC was available on NetGalley I knew I had to read it. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC and immediately began reading it. Instructions for Dancing is so beautiful. Yoon’s description of love, loss, and heartache are just so insightful and real. I wish the book didn’t end. Read it. It’ll make you laugh, cry, and appreciate love. Trust me.

Nicola Yoon just keeps getting better and better. This one follows Evie, who no longer believes in love. But then she finds a mysterious manual entitled Instructions for Dancing that leads her to a local dance studio. At the same time she begins to see visions of couples past, present, and future. She hopes the dance studio will help her understand the reasons behind these visions. That's where she meets X and is talked into a ballroom dance competition as his partner. As she begins to fall for him she has to ask herself is love truly worth the risk. What I love about this book is the main character's cynicism about love. I felt that as a teenager (heck sometimes as an adult) and I love seeing these feelings portrayed in a young adult book. I also love the family dynamic in this book. It's such a realistic portrays of family life and the bumps you hit along the road. I also love seeing a strong friendship group in a book. X and Evie's romance is adorable but at the same time I love the serious conversations they have about the risks you need to take in life. Overall, Nicola tackles issues of love and forgiveness with humor and heart. Make sure to pick this one up when it comes out in June.