This book starts with Evie, our main character, doing the unthinkable for many of us book lovers...Getting rid of her books. In particular, her contemporary romance books. Love is a lie and her parent's recent divorce has taught her exactly that. When she takes the books to a free little library near her house, she meets the owner, an elusive woman who insists she takes the only book in the library that isn't hers. It's a non fiction book called the Instructions for Dancing and it ultimately leads her to a small dance studio near her house where she finds a new passion. Not only this, she also starts to see visions of the start and the end of every couple she sees kissing...Can these visions make her believe in love?

"It was beautiful. But it was sad too. Both things, and at the same time. I don't know why much of life is like that."


This quote above summarises this book perfectly. I enjoyed this book, it was lacking the weird instalove or weird love triangles that usually ruin YA contemporaries and I loved our main characters, Evie and X. X added a whimsical, just say yes, energy to this book that brought a lot of life to it. This book made me laugh and cry and it will definitely stay with me in the long run.

I loved all of Nicola's other books, but it took me until 40% to really get into this one and I couldn't really tell you why.
I understood Evie's anger, outrage and disillusionment, I even understood her not wanting to talk about it, but I couldn't get over her stubborn attitude towards her family (who are entitled to feel they way they do), and her friends who support her through everything she is going through and I don't understand why it takes her so long to understand and appreciate she is their support, too.
There were some instances where the author throws in a comment referencing racism or homophobia, but they were more of a nod to the current social climate rather than a valid character or plot point, which was just distracting.

I loved the paranormal element, the dancing, the slow romantic build, the musical references and our heroes' contradictory life paths. The supporting characters were brilliant, too.

I understand other critics' comments about the lack of a definitive ending, but I like the vagueness. That's life, after all, and isn't that the whole point of the story? Enjoy the journey.

Such a cute and lovely story. Heartfelt, I love Evie so much, her story was one which gripped me and made me continue reading! Got through it in one sitting.

I always love Nicola Yoon's books so seeing this, I HAD to read it! And it did not disappoint.

This was my first Nicola Yoon book, despite her already having two previously published novels. But the premise of this one definitely intrigued me.
Over all I think this had a really good message, albeit if a hard one to learn. About the importance of learning to let yourself open up again after experiencing grief. And to not shut out future love and joy.

THE WORLD:

I loved the world of this book! Although it’s set in modern day America, it was so colourful and vibrant. Nicola Yoon has a way of creating a world that seems even just a bit more magical than our own, a bit brighter than the real world. Add to that the magical realism aspect of this book and it really did feel like a different world, but one that was close enough to our own to be relatable.

I also just want to mention the dance studio. The dance studio plays such a huge part in this story and I love how it becomes a space of growth and change as the story progresses. It’s the base that holds the whole world and setting and story together.

THE CHARACTERS:

Evie:

Evie is the protagonist of the novel. A girl whose view of love has been scarred by the affair her father had with another woman that led to the divorce of her mother and father. She used to be a lover of romance novels and childhood sweetheart stories, but now that view is coloured. What I really loved the most about Evie in this book was how realistic her mindset was. She grows throughout this book, she learns about love and the reality of love, but she never loses her realistic outlook. Even with the magical realism thrown in of her being able to see the end of people’s relationships, she’s very level headed.

X:

X is Evie’s complete opposite. He is impulsive and has a rule of saying yes to everything! I really loved how X’s character contrasted with Evie’s, despite them both dealing with a loss in some way. I can’t really say too much about X without giving away a lot of information about the book. But, he really is the life of the book, the one who drives everything.

THE PLOT:

The plot of this book was really interesting. It’s a classic style romance plot. Boy meets girl. They end up doing something together, going out on dates that aren’t dates and then somehow in the middle finding out they really like each other. But the magical realism in this book really added to the plot. It became not just a romance story but also a story about Evie finding out about herself and about what it meant to love someone. I think if that hadn’t been there, the plot would have been quite lost. But with it, the plot is really magical.

WHY IT WAS A 5-STAR READ FOR ME (SPOILER WARNING):

This book made me feel things I both haven’t felt in a long time and have also been suppressing for a long time. If you read my tweets about this book you would know that I lost my Papa to cancer very quickly two years ago this month, and I lost my granny suddenly in February. Both of their passings were incredibly quick and incredibly shocking. When you lose someone you love so quickly, the easiest thing to do is to focus on the loss itself, the steps that brought you to the loss, the hurt that it leaves behind. This book summed up everything about love and heartbreak and loss that I have struggled with since my Papa’s passing. It’s about focusing on the important things, about living for every single moment like X does, and appreciating the love we have like Evie learns to. When Evie saw how her and X’s relationship ended (with X’s death) it really put into perspective that whole thing of: ‘if I had only known when my grandparents would die I would have lived every day like it’s their last’. It made me realise that I do that anyway, that I savour every second I get with those I love. I got to the end and felt as if something in my chest had settled. I still struggle with the loss, but this book really put into words what it means to truly love someone, even when they’re gone.

“It doesn’t matter that love ends. It just matters that there’s love.”

TW: Divorce/Grief/Cheating/Death of a close loved one

I couldn’t resist requesting this when I saw it come up on The Write Reads set of upcoming tours. I adore books about dancing, especially romances, because that forced proximity between characters just lends itself to intimacy, especially when the characters don’t want it to happen (read: enemies to lovers). God, it’s good.
Instructions for Dancing is not an enemies-to-lovers dancing romance at all, but it is between a romance-cynic and a do-whatever-life-throws-at-you character. It made for a really interesting dynamic because each played off each other and gave the other another way of looking at the world. I loved Evie and X’s relationship – their friendship and their romance. The friendship felt just as important as the romance in this, which I really liked; it didn’t feel halfhearted and I liked how X slotted into Evie’s life with her friends and her family. The romance felt really genuine and I was 100% invested in it.
By the end, my heart ached. (It feels weird to discuss the end of the book at the start of a review, but this is apparently where this review has taken me.) This book should come with tissues and chocolate to cope with the end. But, to make this point make sense, it’s because the author so effectively wrote a relationship I rooted for that the end hit me so hard. I could empathise with exactly what the main character was feeling, given it’s a fear I often have.
I really enjoyed Evie as the main character. I think she was funny and relatable and loved the people around her with so much force that it justified a lot of her choices, even though it made her frustratingly stubborn at times. Is it weird that I liked how she enjoyed books in this? Some contemporaries where the main character likes books, I kind of find cringy but Evie made me laugh in this with her analysis of her ex-favourite romance books, applying each cliché to her own life.
Each of the side characters felt fleshed out, too, meaning that Evie’s relationships with her parents and her friends were as interesting as her romantic relationship – and just as important. There’s the flamboyant dance teacher, the loved-up grandparents, the romantic sister, the nerdy best friend and the lesbian side romance that wasn’t just for show. The love interest is every romance book cliché rolled into one, but the book plays off that and made it fun.
Evie’s magical power/sudden ability was really the only thing that wasn’t fleshed out – just appearing one day and becoming a bit of a nuisance the next – but I didn’t find it bothered me. Maybe I read so many fantasy romances that a girl seeing a bit into the future really wasn’t the weirdest thing I’ve read.
But honestly, I loved this book. Despite hurting me, I also really enjoyed it. It made me laugh, I fell in love with the characters, and I’ll be recommending it a lot. Oh, and I bought it literally the minute I finished it.

In Instructions for Dancing, you follow Evie Thomas, an avid reader of contemporary romances who falls out of love with love. With her parents' divorce and her family shattered, Evie has a hard time dealing with her new reality and accepting that sometimes love ends, which turns her into a cynical and pessimistic person regarding romance.

In true 00's teen movies fashion, Evie is then cursed to learn the past and future of a couple's romantic relationship if she sees them kissing. So there's a small aspect of magical realism, although it's only there to add drama and teach an important life lesson present throughout the book: it's not about the ending, it's about the journey.

The absolute highlight is the writing. This is my second Nicola Yoon book since I read The Sun Is Also a Star back in 2019, but I listened to the audiobook, so this is the first time I had her writing in my hands. And it's such a unique experience. The way she can keep you hooked to the story, making you care and root for the characters, and lead you to laughs and tears in barely 300 pages is masterful. The chapters are very short, and it works in a way where you don't follow Evie in every single moment of her day. You catch the most important glimpses that give you the gist of what's happening, what she's feeling, and what makes the story special. And believe me, it's enough.

However, although you get everything you need in such a fast-paced story, some sections could have been more deeply explored. One of them is the ending, where a new source of drama comes in near the end, and its resolution, although satisfying, deserved a little more depth.

But don't let this deter you. As I've tried to portray in this Instructions for Dancing book review, this is a very moving story about the special moments in life, what it means to love, living in the moment, and it will go straight to your heart.

Instructions for Dancing does well when it comes to relationships and their changing dynamics. Whether it comes to mending broken relationships, or the anxiety of new ones, the emotions are true to the nature of the characters. It is perhaps this that lends life to the characters in Instructions to Dancing. Evie's journey and growth in this book has been a delight to read.

Narrative and Plot



 

 



Instructions for Dancing is a beautiful story about love and the strength to endure love. It is a heartwarming coming of age tale. We follow the main character Evie who is still processing her parents' divorce and is trying to make sense of everything she ever believed. The narrative has all the innocence and angst of a teenager.




The plot isn't the strongest suit of the story. The ebb and flow of the story is choreographed in a way that it has slow moments as well as fast ones. The element of surprise and heartbreak keeps you interested.























Characters and Conflicts 



Evie seems like a relatable every day character. What she is going through is relatable to everyone. We all reach a point where we need to humanize our parents.

X is as much outlandish as Evie is real. He is your typical romance hero and the book calls it out. I loved that part. The chemistry between the main characters, the whole dance dynamic and the friend dynamics is amazing. It really gives out a dance movie vibe.




Now, here comes the tricky part. The conflict. To be honest, I saw it coming since the first act but didn't think that it would take the obvious route. Guess what, it did!! There are two more things that kind of dimmed the otherwise bright book. First, using a character who loves classic references in YA books is becoming a pet peeve of mine. When I read a YA book as an adult, I want to read about their world and their references. What they grew up with. This is no comparison, but the perfect example is Katie in Waiting where she mentions how she grew up watching Disney's Rapunzel. It is a reference that I get and a GenZ kid would get as well. Just because we want to use adult references doesn't mean we have to impose that on the characters.

Secondly, the use of the same plot point to invoke a similar and even harsher emotional response from the reader doesn't really work for me. You used it once and I fell for it as a reader. You try that a second time and now you have me pulled out of that magical world and back to thinking that is a repetition in the most pivotal moment of the story.

So yeah, if a book makes me feel so strongly then there is no doubt the writing impacted me deeply.



















Conclusion



 




Instructions for Dance is a one time choreography for me. There are many reasons for that. I am not a fan of tragedies and heartbreaks. You see, I read books to escape them. I no longer condone the idea of romanticizing the pain that comes with love. Here it is justified but I'm afraid it will give the wrong impression that the pain and heartbreak caused by a toxic relationship is worth it because of how romantic and poetic. it is. Then again, these are the opinions of a particularly cynical adult. So take it in that sense, and never give up hope.

Instructions for Dancing book just took my heart and broke it into a million pieces. I am not even exaggerating, maybe a little bit but well the second half of the book did break my heart.

The story starts with our main character Evie who has stopped believing in love and has given up on romance. And then she discovers a book called Instruction to dancing. She ends up joining the dance class and participating in the competition with X who is in the band and believes in saying yes to everything as life is short.

I loved the two characters very much, there are times when you just feel like telling Evie to take the chance. But she was the most relatable character. And the friendship shown in this book was absolutely amazing.

The story has a bit of a magic power element. But it was what made the story. Loved how the story was set up and the arcs of the characters. This book was different from the books I have read. And I absolutely loved it.

I honestly feel like I’m on an emotional knife-edge at the moment, it’s been a while since I’ve felt this invested in a story and gotten so emotional especially one that managed to strike such an incredible balance between being lighthearted and easily readable but also exploring the evolving nature and breakdown of relationships. This is the kind of story that I got so engrossed in that time moved a little differently and I really didn’t want to put it down and I don’t know if I went in with too many expectations but I certainly wasn’t anticipating feeling all my big feelings in the course of one book.

I loved the magical element of the story, even though it has a mostly negative impact on Evie it was a really interesting aspect of the story and I quite enjoyed seeing how the relationships evolved even though they didn’t always last and I liked how this helps Evie work through some of the things that hold her back in relationships.

I really appreciated the way the relationships were handled in this story, it was great that the time was taken to look at Evie’s Dad’s relationship from different perspectives, to show that we are more than our mistakes and that there is sometimes room for forgiveness. I also liked that that was echoed in the changing dynamics of her friendship group and that Evie learns that love is also an evolution.

I found Evie wonderfully relatable and loved getting to take this journey with her, especially when it came to X and getting her a little out of her comfort zone. X is so sweet and his joy in life was definitely contagious, I had big smiles every time X and Evie were bantering together. I have to say though special mention goes to Fifi, some of her one-liners had me laughing out loud, she was a perfect catalyst for X and Evie’s budding relationship.

The little interludes were also a lot of fun, the messages between the group of friends, the funny extra insights that made me laugh but let me get to know the characters better.

Honestly, I feel like I had so much I want to gush about with this book but I’m finding it so hard to get the words out, all I will say though is that I would highly recommend reading it because it has everything you could hope for, a little bit of magic, a sweet romance, secrets and betrayals and characters that you can’t help but love.

Wow. What an absolute beaut of a book. And I mean that with all my heart. With Instructions for Dancing, Yoon has crafted a wonderful, intricate novel, full of hope and strength and heartbreak. For as much as I cried reading this – right from the very start – I still got the warm, fuzzy feeling I read Romance for, even it was tinged with a bit of sadness.

I connected with Evie instantly. She’s a teenager who no longer believes in love after her parents’ divorce. Her own experiences and situation resonated with me, and Yoon really gets the reader right into the character’s head. It’s hard not to feel for her, as she gets rid of the Romance novels she used to love. But when she gets struck with a strange ability, Evie searches for answers. When she witnesses a couple kissing, she sees how their romance began, key scenes from their lives together, and the end of it all.

For Evie, it really cements her idea that love is pointless and painful. And it’s hard not to feel deeply for her in her predicament. She’s at an age where she’s trying to figure things out, just about to see everything change for her and her friends, and the complications at home make this all the more difficult. Things change, however, when she finds herself at La Brea Dance.

It’s here Evie meets X, and they’re pulled into a partnership. X’s philosophy is to say yes to everything, and Evie starts to really reconsider her stance on love.

Yoon absolutely draws you in, each page bringing you deeper and deeper. I actually read this book fairly fast for me, devouring it in just a few days. It’s so heartfelt, with a lot of moments that are easy to relate to. Throughout the book you really see Evie’s struggle between her brain and her heart, and witness her growth as she grows closer to X. There’s a sense, too, of time being lost, a theme present throughout the book.

Evie’s life is completely different to how it was a year before, and although she gets all these hints that she should make the most of the time she does have with people, her own issues and worldview get in the way of that.

This is a Romance, but it’s not a love story as such. Although the story centres in part around Evie and X, it has more to say about family, friendships, and the bonds we form in life, how it really is worth, sometimes, taking a chance.

It’s a wonderfully written, heart-warming and heart-breaking read, with truly tender moments and a lot to say. So if this isn’t yet on your TBR, what are you waiting for?

Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon is set in Los Angeles in modern pre-covid times.

Evie used to love romance novels. Then when she caught her dad kissing another woman, she didn’t see the point of love or romance novels. So she takes her books to a Little Free Library.

While at the Little Free Library, Evie meets an old woman who suggests a book called “Introduction to Dancing.” Then the woman vanishes in thin air. After this incident, Evie has premonitions about the end of a couple’s relationship whenever she sees people kissing.

The book about dancing has a stamp that says it should be returned to La Brea Dance. Evie goes there to return the book and within two days, she has signed up for a dance class.

Evie also meet X, also known as Xavier. She’s definitely not looking for romance or love but they become dance partners and then friends. Of course, they enter a dance competition and fall in love. You don’t need a crystal ball to see romance and a dance contest in Evie’s future.

Fans of romance and dancing will probably enjoy this book.

People who don’t like romance, dancing or anything good will not enjoy this book quite as much as they should.

* I received this book from NetGalley and The Write Reads as part of The Write Reads book blog tour.

I read this book as part of the blog tour hosted by The Write Reads. Special thanks to Penguin for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 stars bittersweet stars!

When I started reading Instructions for Dancing did I think I would find myself ugly crying at 1 am while staring at the wall wondering how this book managed to so thoroughly wreck my heart? No, I most definitely did not. As an emotional reader, I maybe should've anticipated it but judging by the book's cover and synopsis I really thought Yoon would just be dishing a giddy, love-filled YA romance to make a happy heart. Don't get me wrong, this definitely had heartwarming love story vibes, but it was also so much more than that and it wrecked me in the best way!

What didn't I love about this story? This was only my second book by Nicola Yoon (the first being TSIAAS) but I've come to realise that I really enjoy her writing because, despite its simplicity, it's so evocative. Her settings and characters so easily come to life and she manages to make you feel all the emotions they experience. She is one of those authors that have the ability to make me laugh with the humourous/sarcastic voices of her characters on one page and then in the next, make me a weepy mess. As cheesy as it sounds, and parts of this admittedly got pretty cheesy at points, this book made me nostalgic for the loves (both friendship and romantic) I've had in the past and yearn for the hopeful loves of my future.

Yoon also has a talent for making me fall for all her characters! I loved Evie, X, Martin and Fifi absolutely stole the show for me. I cackled so much whenever she was on page! I felt invested in Evie's journey. When we meet her she's disillusioned about love after catching her father being unfaithful to her mother. She becomes bitter when it comes to love and romance of any kind—and that cynicism is only strengthened when she starts getting visions of couples and seeing how all their 'in-the-moment' love and happiness come to tragic endings. Oh, how my heart hurt for Evie! I felt her pain and confusion in dealing with her father's betrayal and trying to make sense of her conflicting emotions. There was only one point where I found myself frustrated with how she dealt with and projected her feelings onto others but otherwise she was such an easy MC to root for. Then there's the enchanting X. That boy was smooth like butter and so wonderfully charming. I liked the friendship and romance that developed with Evie as they learned to dance together—their banter were swoontastic and I thought they brought out the best in each other with their opposite views!

As I mentioned, this was a romance but it was also about love between family and friends and how sometimes love lasts and it's forever while other times it ends—that's just the way it is. But even if it ends, it doesn't take away from the good stuff that was there or the memories you made. Starting over is always hard and doing it all again is terrifying but maybe knowing all the joy and magic that you can make out of new moments makes it worth it? I think that's what made this book hit harder for me because those moments are something we can all relate to. We've experienced the joy of being in love or loved, we've all experienced the pain of heartbreak, disappointment and loss; but we pick ourselves back up, process the sadness (though sometimes it never goes away), and we go on to find our happy again.

I will say that I wished we got more of the dancing and visions, especially a better explanation about the visions and why Evie got them (other than the cliche 'to learn a lesson'). Both are meant to be a big part of the story though I found they were often pushed aside. I also thought the conclusion felt a little too rushed and simplistic and though I loved the middle bits, I wished we got more time dedicated to that ending. That said, it wasn't too big of deal for me as I still loved the story and all the things it made me feel. I'm just a hopeless romantic and while this book took a bittersweet turn that I was hoping wouldn't be true, it still managed to evoke heartwarming, nostalgic, and giddy feelings.

Now let me tell you that I read this book in one go, only sleep prevented me from finishing it, in the end, I ended up taking my kindle with me to work… now let me tell you, crying at work is weird, everyone is asking what is wrong .. so yeah … anyways….. moving on.

My verdict…. is……. drum rolls please……

JUST READ THE FREAKING BOOK

4.5

Book source ~ TWR Tour

Evie Thomas is struggling with her feelings about her parents’ divorce. More, she’s mad that her dad cheated on her mom and she promised her mom she wouldn’t tell her little sister Danica. And finally, she’s down on love. Especially since a strange thing happened one afternoon. When she sees a couple kiss, she sees the beginning, the middle, and the end of their romance. She doesn’t know why this curse was bestowed upon her, but she blames it all on a book she found at a strange lady’s Little Free Library. So she decides to return the book, Instructions for Dancing, to the studio stamped inside. And that’s when her life takes a turn she didn’t see coming.

This is a story that I think we all can relate to. Love. The wonderful beginning. The steady middle. And sometimes, the painful end. Evie has been dealt a harsh blow and she struggles to get past her dad falling in love with someone other than her mom. She has decided she is never going to love someone. But life has other plans for her. Or the strange lady does. Who was that woman anyway? And why gift/curse Evie with the sight to see relationships from beginning to end with a kiss? Where did she come from? Where did she go?

This is a wonderful and yet heartbreaking tale about love, relationships, and life. How things never stay the same and don’t always go as planned. And about taking chances. Beautifully written, it will pull you in, twirl you around, and not let go until the final note fades away. It is a book that will stay with you for a long time after the last page is read. If you like an author who puts their characters through the wringer then this is the book for you. Have a hanky ready because there are parts that would make a stone gargoyle bawl.

When I first saw this book, I assumed it was going to be a cute YA romcom but I was so far off the mark!

Evie was an avid romance reader but she doesn’t believe in love anymore, especially after catching her father cheating and her parents subsequent divorce. She packs up all of her romance books to donate but stumbles across a free “little library” where she meets a peculiar old woman. The woman insists that Evie take a book called Instructions for Dancing, despite her polite protests. Shortly after, Evie discovers a very strange new talent… if she sees a couple kissing, she can see their entire relationship play out.

I’m not going to lie, I didn’t love this book. It was just ok for me. I found it hard to get in to at first, there was just something about the writing style that I didn’t love but I can’t quite put my finger on what it was. I also didn’t like that Evie went from not believing in love to Insta-love fairly quickly. I did like some elements of the story but the plot needed to be stronger for me to give more stars.

2.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

How much did I adore this book.
I wasn't 100% sure it was going to be for me, I have started reading more and more ya and romance does get mixed in but this was just beautiful. Beautifully written, I felt every bit of what Evie was going through. I have been where Evie is, thinking love doesn't exist and it all ends in disaster but we should all believe in fate and love. Enjoy and cherish each moment. Its heartfelt, beautiful, has some life lessons in there too but put delicately that at times it takes you a second to realise. The perfect YA for summer reading this summer.

This lovely novel is endearing and highlights that perspective is key when it comes to love, that love can be full of heartache but more than anything it is glorious.

Evie’s views on love have become disenchanted ever since her dad walked out on her mum for another woman, leaving Evie and her sister Dani behind. Evie is struggling so much with the idea of love being forever and true that she’s given all her once beloved romance novels away. Dani however is much more settled and is always forever in love with someone.

When Evie donates her books she is given an old tattered, worn out book titled Instructions for Dancing where a note inside leads her to an almost run down dance studio. But that’s not the only thing she has been given. When Evie see’s a couple kiss in front of her a vision of their relationship plays out from those sweet beginnings to the bitter end, the moment they break-up. That confirms to Evie that love doesn’t last. It didn’t with her parents, it hasn’t with this couple so what is the point of love? As the visions continue Evie is certain love is not worth the effort or struggle, especially as it always ends in heart ache.

At the dance studio Evie is cajoled into participating in an amateur competition, Evie is partnered with X, – attractive, tall, dark – and together they learn to dance. X’s positive outlook on life and love piques Evie’s interest, but can X really break the spell she is under?

What I loved about this novel is the way it’s laid out in short chapters alongside shorter bursts depicting a single paragraph, or a mobile text conversation. These conveyed the emotions of Evie, X and her friends perfectly and added to the rollercoaster of emotions that love brings. It is simply delightful to read and although there are moments that tug at your heart this novel offers up the subject matter in a way that makes you feel that love is actually worth holding onto.

This book destroyed me and I mean full-on blubbering tears kind of destroyed. As always with Nicola Yoon's books, it had an irresistible love story at it's heart - one that will make every single partner you meet pale in comparison because they will never live up to the Xavier standard. But it was also heart breaking and had me in tears at 8:30am in the morning just before I started work.

Evie is reeling from her dad's betrayal of their family and her faith in love has been destroyed. As her sister, blissfully unaware of his infidelity, finds boyfriend after boyfriend, Evie begins her new life as a cynic and gives all her romance books away. But when dropping them off at the local post box library, she meets a mysterious woman who gives her the power to see a couple's future every time she witnesses a kiss. On her journey to attempt to be rid of this curse she learns how to dance, falls in love with a rock god and has her heart smashed to pieces. But Evie starts to learn the age old lesson - it is better to have loved and lost then never have loved at all.

Now excuse me while I go and try to emotionally recover from this book...