A huge thank-you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for this e-arc of Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon.
Instructions for Dancing is about to do an argentine tango right into your heart.
Do you ever hear about a book release, find yourself getting so excited about it, and then begin to worry that it won’t actually live up to the hype you’ve created for it in your own head? That’s what I did with this book. I adored both The Sun is Also a Star and Everything, Everything by bestselling author, Nicola Yoon. When I found out that she was releasing another book, I immediately put in a request to review it on NetGalley. I found myself a little nauseous with anticipation and excitement when I was approved for the ARC. There were high expectations involved with this particular read.
Thankfully, I had absolutely nothing to be worried about because Instructions for Dancing was phenomenal. I read the first half of it in one sitting – barely able to keep my eyes open because it was way past my bedtime, but I was hooked! It was a very easy read but it contained a lot of depth, especially in the second half of the story. It comes out on June 1st and I’ve already pre-ordered it!
I’ve honestly been looking forward to writing this review since the moment I added the ARC to my e-reader and flipped to the first page. Let me tell you just why you should read Instructions for Dancing.
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Here’s why Instructions for Dancing is the young adult romance novel you need to pick up this summer.
“Evie Thomas doesn’t believe in love anymore. Especially after the strangest thing occurs one otherwise ordinary afternoon: She witnesses a couple kiss and is overcome with a vision of how their romance began . . . and how it will end. After all, even the greatest love stories end with a broken heart, eventually.
As Evie tries to understand why this is happening, she finds herself at La Brea Dance studio, learning to waltz, fox-trot, and tango with a boy named X. X is everything that Evie is not: adventurous, passionate, daring. His philosophy is to say yes to everything–including entering a ballroom dance competition with a girl he’s only just met.
Falling for X is definitely not what Evie had in mind. If her visions of heartbreak have taught her anything, it’s that no one escapes love unscathed. But as she and X dance around and toward each other, Evie is forced to question all she thought she knew about life and love. In the end, is love worth the risk?” (Goodreads Synopsis)
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 waist and pulls you close.
Instructions for Dancing
Each time I’ve picked up a book by Nicola Yoon, I’ve gotten to about the halfway mark and thought, “this is good. Probably about a 3-4 star read, for sure!” Then, without fail, I reach the final few chapters (or pages) and I’m ugly crying like it’s my job. After finishing Instructions for Dancing, I immediately called my mom to sob over tell her the story for an hour straight.
This story combined several elements that I absolutely adore:
– The protagonist, Evie, is bookish (despite the fact that we find her donating all her romance novels at the beginning) and I love that there’s even a dedicated chapter about her favorite romance tropes
– She signs up for ballroom dancing lessons (and a competition), which brings love and joy into her life, along with some fantastic secondary characters like Archibald and Maggie, Fifi, and of course, X.
– There’s a huge emphasis on family and friends and the way that those themes play into the rest of the story is really special and comes with several thought-provoking moments. I caught myself highlighting quotes on my Kindle over and over.
– MAGICAL REALISM. I think this may be one of my favorite sub-genres. When done well, it can really make a story spectacular. And Nicola knows how to do it very well!
Evie goes through some really challenging things throughout this story, but they’re handled with a lot of grace. I have a huge amount of respect for her mom and the way she cares for her daughters in the trying times. It took some time for her character to grow on me, but by the end, I was giving her a round of applause.
I’m looking forward to coming back to this book again and again. I can definitely see it becoming a comfort read. It’s bittersweet and poignant and taught me to treasure the now.
[CW: infidelity, divorce, death]
pre-order the book (release date: June 1, 2021)
Instructions for Dancing – Amazon | Book Depository | Bookshop | Target
https://rstyle.me/+I-EDl4MiMmYCjyBd0VIFGQ
Will you be reading Instructions for Dancing when it is released in June? Have you read anything else by Nicola Yoon?
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Lindsey says
What a glowing review!! I’ve had her other books on my list just because the covers are so gorgeous (don’t judge me, aha!) but haven’t got around to reading them yet. But having read your review of this and how you feel about the others, looks like they need to move up that pile! Great review.
Amanda says
Sounds wonderful and like a great Summer read! Awesome review, thanks for sharing
Cristina Rosano says
This sounds absolutely like a must-read, just added it to my TBR and can’t wait for June! Really like the sound of Evie and I mean she’s a bookish, so it’s always a plus! I really like the sound of the story, the closeness of family and friends and magic realism. You really hyped me with this, thank you for sharing x
Jen says
This book sounds like so much fun! I’m going to have to pick up some Nicola Yoon books!!
Jessica Khater says
This looks like a great read. I practiced ballroom dancing for nearly 10 years and you got me at tango. I will definitely check it out once it’s released. Thank you for sharing.
Neely Moldovan says
Oh I will for sure add this to my list. I love finding new to me books!
Mariah says
I love when you can find an author who just keeps putting out book after book that you love! I think that is hard to do and never fully reliable. I’ll totally have to check out Nicole.
Lee says
Aw this sounds like such a sweet and fun read. Perfect for a day by the pool!
Jaya Avendel says
Ahhh! Another pre-order! I feel like all the books I want to read NOW in the glorious spring weather do not come out for a month to several months. That said, good books are worth waiting for so I will be adding this to my Amazon cart!
Instructions for Dancing sounded like a typical romance story . . . up until the magical realism. I am very curious to see the inclusion of it within this tale!
Thanks so much for sharing.
Kelly Diane says
I haven’t read anything from this author before but I feel like I NEED to read this book. I’m definitely going to add it to my TBR list.
Raji says
Great review! I’m super excited for this book, but a little unsure about the magical realism aspect. Glad to hear you enjoyed it so much, it sounds like a fun read!
Daniela says
Sounds like a great book! I’m a big fan of Nicola Yoon, I read Everything Everything, and The Sun Is Also a Star and loved them!
Can’t wait for this one to be released!!
Kait says
It’s such a great feeling when you are anticipating something and then it does live up to your expectations! I have never heard of Nicola Yoon or her other books, but this book sounds interesting for sure. The character if Evie sounds compelling and relatable, which I always like in a protagonist.
Lizzie says
This sounds like such a great story! I’m definitely interested in checking it out. Wonderful review as always! <3
Laura Leigh says
wow this sounds really good! I am so glad it lived up the the hype you had going for it. I know how that can be and it is truly the best when it does or exceeds those expectations! definitely sounds like a book I would enjoy this summer by the water!
xo Laura Leigh
https://louellareese.com
Jennifer Prince says
Oh wow! That’s great that your mom will listen to you, and I LOVE it when a book evokes emotion. I need to add it to my summer list for sure!
Adaleta Avdic says
This is such a great book, need to add to my list!
Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says
Once again, your review has me wanting to branch outside of my usual genre and try something new. This line: “Instructions for Dancing is about to do an argentine tango right into your heart.” did it for me. Haha! Well done!
Jennifer Passmore says
This sounds like such a great book to read! I will have to keep an eye out for it to read it myself!
Mariya says
You had me at ballroom dancing and romance lol. I’ve never read anything by this author before but will definitely give this book a try.
melissa major says
Sounds like a wonderful book to read, il have to get myself a copy soon! Great review!
Kelly Bolen says
I am going to have to put this on my reading list! It sounds fabulous!!!!
Genesis says
I fell in love with my husband through a salsa dancing class, so this story already sounds like something I will enjoy! I definitely agree with you, too, that characters who are bookish are a lot of fun to read about! I’m going to have to read this book myself 🙂
Ayanna says
I am a romance novel girl, so this sounds like a great book to add to my list.
Linda says
I’ve not read anything from Nicola Yoon, but I get your feels about Evie. I’ve come across a character like hers (probably more than once) when I really wanted to like them up front, but just wasn’t finding a connection…and then…there it is…that moment when everything turns around and you’re suddenly so attached. Love when that happens and this sounds like a good read!
Sarah Althouse says
Sounds like the perfect book for the beach!