Today’s my stop for the blog tour of Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon with The Write Reads blog tours, and what a story it was! It’s got everything – a sweet love story, grief and betrayal, yet healing as well. It’s a story about how life can’t really ever be a fairytale, but it’s what we experience along the way what makes it real – what makes it worth it. Loving someone enriches you, and that’s what Instructions for Dancing was all about for me. The real question is – will it heal your heart or break it? It kind of did both for me!

Instructions for Dancing had such an interesting premise. Evie doesn’t believe in love anymore, ever since her Dad betrayed her Mom, and in her eyes – her and her sister too. She’s as bitter as she can be, and yet – she stumbles upon a “gift” – poor Evie now has an ability she’s never asked for. Imagine just starting to see everyone’s romantic history, past and future, one day – and it happens every time they kiss. Is it something you’d feel is romantic? Or would you freak out, because it’s unnatural and maybe you’re going nuts? (You can probably see where that took Evie.) Certainly a great plot point for a book though! I couldn’t resist.

Evie was an avid romance reader – but that was before her Dad left her Mom, and before she found out that he did it because he found another woman on the side. That truly did a number on Evie – she can’t trust anymore, and she doesn’t believe in love anymore. So much so that she’s dropping off her favorite and well-loved romance novels anywhere she can find a place for them.

And that’s precisely where she meets a mysterious woman who gives her a booklet with, literally, instructions for dancing. After which she starts seeing these weird visions… And wants to get rid of them as soon as possible. Which leads her to the dance studio the booklet belongs to. And so, Evie takes a dance class.

I have to say, it was fun to read about dance classes. I’ve taken many, and I’ve danced most of the dances that were mentioned in this book. It was nostalgic to read about this! It’s all described very genuinely. (Apart from maybe the fact where complete beginners are able to dance well enough to earn money after just a few classes, which I’ve never really seen happen – after so few classes people usually struggle to dance long enough and keep their moves varied enough for their partner, much less any spectators, because they know so few moves. But hey, it’s a fictional story. You have to make cuts in order to let the story flow – and the author admitted she took liberties with the dancing to facilitate the story.)

Another thing I liked is that since Evie is an avid romance reader, she knows all the typical romance plots and tropes, and often references them in the story. So we get this narrative that sort of breaks the fourth wall – it’s almost as if Evie knows she is in a romance book, and will inevitably fall in love with the love interest, and is constantly commenting on it, but at the same time, she’s living it and so she knows it’s the real thing for her. It’s a really unique format and I haven’t really read anything like this before. It was quite a cool way to tell a story!

This book was mostly chill and lovely, despite dealing with some really tough topics and this is a huge spoiler BUT also a huge trigger, so proceed at your own peril and click the blur if you want to find out. This is not a happy ending book, not really. There are many death topics. If you are looking for a happy book, this is not exactly it. It is comfortable, and sweet for the most part, but it’s not a happy-making romance. That’s the least spoilery way I can say it.

Despite that, it was beautiful. It’s about letting go, living in the now and realizing that it’s not the endings that matter, and not even the beginnings, but the experiences. Life is messy and hard and unpredictable, and the only thing we can hope to keep are our experiences that we had going through things, and that’s why we should treasure them.

Overall...

Instructions for Dancing may heal your heart, or break your heart – or actually both, but either way you won’t forget the story. It’s a very gentle YA with an incredible book boyfriend and a deep message.
I thank the publisher and The Write Reads tours for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.

☁ Took My Heart, Made Me Fall, and Broke It ☁

There are just some authors whose writing style meets exactly what would get me going. Nicola Yoon is one of them. When the opportunity to get an advanced copy of this opened up, I jumped in blindly--and now I'm extremely satisfied.

Instructions for Dancing is (not a) love story in the way you would expect, but it hits all the right notes in how it portrayed the different facets of love. I was hoping for something light and sweet, basing on the cover, but I should have known that Nicola Yoon will be able to deliver some heartwarming (and heartbreaking) within a few hundred pages.

As I read the book, it felt light and fluffy. As much as there was prose, many chapters of this book was told uniquely, in your usual Nicola Yoon way. The dynamic beats the boredom one can have with some pacing. Overall, it was so enjoyable that I read it in one sitting!

However, I do admit that though that cover teases a lot about dancing, it didn't felt like it was the focal point of the story. I love all of the bits featuring dance and music, but a lot of the real-life personal issues and the magical realism part took over.

Now, the characters all drew me in. Aside from Evie and X, our main couple, all the side characters were fascinating for me, and I loved knowing bits of them. In a way, I kinda felt like the book was cut short and I wanted more. In particular, X is extremely lovable and if I could've had a hundred more pages of him, I would've eaten that up!

☁ FINAL THOUGHTS & RECOMMENDATIONS ☁

Instructions for Dancing is a surprisingly emotional story with profound lessons scattered within its pages. I highlighted so many quotes on my Kindle that I want to do a compilation page just about it!

Nicola Yoon, you're still very much amazing. The way you design stories and tell stories are truly unique, charming, and special! I will surely carry the story with me (particularly, the ending) for a very long time.

I have been kindly gifted an electronic copy of this book by Netgalley and Penguin Random House SA in exchange for an honest review.

“Sometimes I wish there were a weather report for your life. Tomorrow’s forecast is for routine high school shenanigans in the morning, but with dramatic parental betrayal by late afternoon, ending with wild emotional despair by nightfall. Details after the next commercial break.”-- Evie Thomas

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. Instructions for Dancing is the first book I have read by Nicola Yoon and definitely not the last. I'm not familiar with her other books, Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also a Star, but after reading this wonderful book I need more from this author. Instructions for Dancing is one of the reasons why I love books. This story is beautifully written; it is captivating and romantic.

When discovering that her parents are heading for a divorce, Evie Thomas stops believing in love. So much so that she donates all of her romance novels to her nearest Little Free Library. Here she meets the owner of the library who insists that she takes the only book from the library, Instructions for Dancing. Everything changes after Evie takes the book. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but all I'm saying is that Evie realises that love doesn't have a 'happy ever after' ending. After taking her best friend's advice, Evie finds herself at La Brea Dance, a small dance studio, where she meets X (Xavier) and even though she doesn't believe in love, can't help seeing him as the Classic Romance Guy type. She lists a few characteristics which I found so cute and typical bookworm behaviour. It's little details like these that makes this book remarkable.

Evie and X are assigned as dance partners to compete in the yearly LA Danceball. They hang out after dance practice and while spending time together Evie learns about the heartaches X has suffered. He meets her friends and they have fun, all of them oblivious to what the future holds. Until the most dreadful thing happens and makes Evie hate love even more, and because of this, she ends up avoiding X and her friends altogether.

Books, dancing and music are themes in this story and it all fits together perfectly. The characters are fun and realistic, each with their flaws which makes them so relatable. I wish I had such a close group of friends. The chapter headings are fun and unique and with the short chapters, the story has a steady reading pace to it. The reader is left wanting more. Many readers will be able to relate to the main character since everyone has experienced the disappointment of love in some form in their lives. What makes this story beautiful is that the author highlights the brokenness caused by love, but also the beauty of it. Love isn't always a disappointment.

"To love is human. We can't help ourselves."

This book is suitable for readers 15-17 years old and is perfect for anyone who has ever experienced disappointment when it comes to love, which is almost everyone, so basically I'm saying that you have every reason to read this book.

Synopsis:
The recovery of a heartbreak takes a long time. Evie learned about it when she caught her dad cheating on her mother. After the divorce, she couldn’t bring herself to forgive him. His actions destroyed her belief in the magic of love. She closed herself on anything that is connected to love. She gave away all her romance books and didn’t allow anyone to get closer to her besides her long-time friends. It wouldn’t change if one day when she met a woman with a little library shelf in front of her house. Evie was on her way to the library two give a few of her books away and decided to leave them there. The woman insisted for her to take the one book that was placed on the shelve “Instructions for Dancing”

However, she would never expect that the book, and meeting with a woman will give her the ability to see couples’ future. By seeing one kiss, she sees a vision of their whole love story.
To understand how it happened, she decides to find the owner of the book. It leads her to the small dance school, where she meets X, a boy who will bring hope to her life.

Review:

I think I read three books by Nicola Yoon before, and I loved all of them. However, I think this was the first one that surprised me. I would never think that there will be a drop of magic in this story. I liked the idea of giving Evie the ability to have visions of people's love moments, and how big of an impact it had on her. Firstly, she understood this gift as a curse of seeing people’s love ending. She couldn’t understand how special love is if there is always an end to it. Before she couldn’t believe in love because of her parents’ divorce, however, this ignited the hate even more. I think it’s the first book I read of how much of the impact the divorce of parents has on their kids. This book was her journey of recovery and finding her way back to have an open heart for people she cares about her.

The book started for me when she met X. From the first conversation, I could feel the sparkle between them. Even if he just had stolen her bike, I knew that this is not the end of their story. Their relationship started with a cute friendly fling when they became dance partners. Thanks to one day of getting to know each other outside the classroom, they went a step further as something closer than friends. Their little meetings, and then dates were my favorite scenes of this book. However, the moments they were dancing together were even better.

I always liked books with a good moral. It made this book special, and even if I was annoyed many times with the first character, I still adore her recovery and a completely new view of her life, and the future. I think it’s a great read for the people that lost their hope for a happy ending, and those who don’t believe in love anymore. This book shows perfectly how special and magical love is, even if it isn’t forever, it has an impact on our lives and brings happiness to our lives.

I would like to thank The Write Reads, Nicola Yoon, and Penguin for inviting me to join this book tour. I cannot wait to get the physical copy of this book soon. Hopefully, I will find it soon in my bookstores.

Thank you to Turningpagesnz and Penguin books nz for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Instructions for dancing by Nicola Yoon via Netgalley.

I've previously read and enjoyed both The Sun is also a star and Everything, everything (and seen the film) by this author and I don't think I even read the blurb on this book before signing up to read this novel so I was surprised to discover it was contemporary magical realism rather than a standard contemporary.

Because this is a Nicola Yoon novel it was diverse, it had relatable characters going through challenging experiences. It made me think, it surprised me. . It made me laugh and it made me CRY.

I have also posted this review to my Instagram and Good reads accounts.

Jenthebookishbakernz

Having read and enjoyed both of Nicola Yoon’s previous YA books, I was very intrigued by her latest release. Her books always promise a very intense, all-consuming teen romance but I wasn’t quite prepared for the tears that came with this one!

Since the dramatic end of her parents’ relationship, Evie doesn’t believe in true love anymore. After she gives away all of her beloved romance novels, whenever she sees a couple kiss, she has visions of their whole history and their break-up. She has no idea why this is happening but then life leads her to La Brea Dance Studio, ballroom dancing and the handsome musician, X. But she knows that every romance eventually ends, so how can she save herself the inevitable hurt and stop herself from falling for X?

My heart went out to the Evie at the beginning of the book. Her instant rejection of the existence of everlasting love rang particularly true for me. I remember feeling the exact same way the first time I experienced heartbreak. I know it’s really quite dangerous to hold that belief for the long-term though and I couldn’t wait to see how Evie would eventually realise that good, true love is available to her.

Evie’s younger sister Danica jumps from boyfriend to boyfriend and it’s safe to say that their parents’ divorce hasn’t affected her as much as it has Evie. However, Evie has knowledge of the catalyst for her parents’ separation that Danica doesn’t have and this seems to be the difference between the two sisters’ reactions. I couldn’t help but feel quite protective of Danica though. Perhaps it was because I was reading from Evie’s perspective but I really wanted Danica to slow down and find herself before picking a nice suitable guy -preferably Evie’s wonderful friend Martin!

In some ways, Evie’s skepticism about the existence of true love makes her seem like a wise old soul. She has a very level head on her and I wasn’t worried that she’d fall into any major trouble at any point. However, perhaps I wanted her to let go and behave a little more like a teenager sometimes. I was a little concerned that she wasn’t really enjoying life in the way that she should have been and I was really relieved when she began to focus more on dancing. The freedom, discipline and transporting nature of dance is possibly the best thing that could have come into Evie’s life.

‘People don’t come back, Evie. The time we get is the time we get.’

Meeting X really seems to shift Evie’s perspective, not only on love but on how to live life fully. X has experienced deep loss in his life and it’s through this that he encourages Evie to just throw herself into every day. Again, he is a very wise, mature soul and the more I got to know him, the more I felt that he and Evie were the perfect match. Luckily, she starts to realise this too!

Watching the fog in Evie’s mind lift and the light start to shine through was so beautiful. She builds bridges that I wasn’t sure she would and I felt a huge sense of pride for her by the end of the book. She manages to put a lot of her own feelings aside for the sake of other people’s happiness, which is perhaps one of the most touching, grown-up things we can do.

Instructions For Dancing is a moving, magical contemporary story about a young girl rediscovering romance and her passion for life amidst a huge life change. The ending was bittersweet but I couldn’t help but smile through the tears. Instructions For Dancing manages to portray more than one very realistic depiction of young love while possessing a whimsical aura that is fantastically enchanting. It’s definitely my favourite of Nicola Yoon’s books, so pick it up if you’re a fan of hers!

Ouch. I was not expecting this book to break my heart! This is such a cute, thought-provoking, emotional, and heartbreaking story. There’s some magic realism mixed in too. I was expecting a cute rom-com type book and got a lot more from it.

I could see this book playing out on the screen. The fact that our main character, Evie, is obsessed with romance novels and frequently points them out in her life, is quite entertaining. Evie is jaded. Her parents have gone through a divorce and she knows an ugly little secret about it. It’s ruined the idea of what her father was to her. In addition, it’s ruined her to love. She’s completely closed off and doesn’t believe it’s worth it if everyone just ends up in heartbreak.

Then we meet X. Oh gosh, wasn’t he such a great character! I loved how open he was to life but it’s not just on the surface. He has his own tragedies in life and I think he ran into Evie at the perfect time.

One of my biggest issues with this book is the pacing. The dancing was rushed and we jump time so quickly, it was hard to remember why it was important to the story. I would have loved more of their relationship unfolding in the dance room. One of the most important elements of this book, the visions, are just pushed to the side as well. It was such an interesting aspect and I would have loved a lot more of that. She was supposed to learn her lesson from it and it was kind of minor.

The plot itself was very enjoyable. It’s rather touching and I love that we explore whether or not love is worth it. Is it better to love and have lost than never loved at all? There’s a lot that Evie has to figure out, in regards to her dad and her love life. I think this is such a relatable book for teenagers. I remember thinking similar things with love at that age and not knowing. The answer is yes. It’s always better to live in the now and love while you can (IMO). ❤

Overall, I had a fun time with this book and had a hard time putting it down. Although there are some character and pacing issues, it didn’t take away from the message. It has some very sad moments. Nicola Yoon talks about how she was going through a lot of pain when writing this book. You can feel her heartbreak coming through with this one.

I will be upfront with you. I am a Nicola Yoon newbie. I’ve not read one of her novels nor seen any of the movie adaptations. However, after reading Instructions for Dancing, I will not be a newbie for long. Nicola grabbed my heart with her pen and won’t let go. I know I will never be the same again. This book is something you can’t forget.

When Evie learns a terrible secret about the one person she felt she could trust with her life, she shuts down. Nothing can penetrate her broken heart until she meets X. X is everything Evie needs, but nothing she wants. She doesn’t want to give her heart to anyone only to let it break again. Love always ends, doesn’t it? Evie thinks so. But, no matter how hard she tries, Evie falls in love with X, only to run away when she learns a truth she doesn’t want to face. Will Evie ever learn to trust in love, even if it means another broken heart?

Evie is one of those characters that you love yet want to scream at her at the same time. So many times, I wanted to shake her to get her to come to her senses. I understand her defenses. But her need to run away from heartache causes even more damage to her heart. She needs to stay and deal with the outcome. X is a good influence on her and is wise beyond his years. I thought he would be her guiding light, but maybe not.

I must tell you that this book got me. I read it in one sitting, and the tears never stopped. I can’t count how many tissues I went through while reading. I didn’t have those pretty gentle tears that sometimes leak from your eyes. I was full-on ugly crying, and it got to the point where my daughter thought I had a mental breakdown. But, I will also tell you that I wouldn’t change my reaction to this book at all. The tears made me realize how much I wanted to scoop Evie up and hold her. I needed to tell her everything will be okay, and she can let down her walls. The poor girl was so broken, and I wanted to put her back together.

It isn’t rare for me to cry while reading a book. In fact, I cry a lot, not just at books, but movies, tv, even commercials make me tear up. But, never in all the books I’ve read has a character broken me. Evie did.

I award Instructions for Dancing a full 5 out of 5 stars. There is no way I couldn’t after the connection I had to Evie. I know I don’t make the best argument for reading this book, but you need to trust me. Please, read it.

When your family shatters around you it’s easy to see how you might feel somewhat disillusioned about love and relationships.
Evie Thomas has struggled to accept the breakdown of her parents’ relationship. She knows her father had an affair and she wonders if falling in love is worth it if it’s going to end badly. This book offers an alternative way of looking at things.
Evie finds herself picking up an unusual book, Instructions for Dancing, and it sets her on a path that is not expected but which offers her a more positive way of engaging with the world. She finds herself learning to dance and entered into a competition that involves her opening herself to new opportunities.
From the start, I loved this. There’s a genuine optimism to some potentially difficult subjects and I found myself desperate to see how things resolved.
Huge thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this before publication in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Once again Nicola Yoon has written a book that has made me both incredibly happy and incredibly sad and heartbroken at the same time.

I loved this book so much. I think out of Nicola Yoon's three books, this one is definitely my favourite and is one of my new favourite books of the year. It was just so good. I read the whole thing in a few hours because I could not put it down and I was obsessed.

I loved Evie as a main character and I loved seeing her growing relationship with X throughout the book, but I also loved seeing Evie with her friends and her family and her learning to forgive people and learning that love is important no matter what.

This book has a sort of magical element to it, which I didn't know about going into it, but I loved it so much. I loved the little chapters seeing other peoples entire love stories in a few scenes. Nicola Yoon's writing is so amazing and the way she weaves in other characters stories within the book was one of my favourite elements of this book and of 'The Sun Is Also A Star'.

'Instructions For Dancing' is going to be one of those books I will love and think about for a long time. I already can't wait to reread this book as I know this is going to be one of those books I find myself rereading in the future.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Children's UK for providing me with an advance copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Evie used to love romance books. That was before she stopped believing in love; ever since she caught her Dad cheating on her Mum, things haven't been the same. On a bike ride one day, she finds a book in a Free Little Library and follows its instructions to a dance studio downtown. Not only does she unwittingly enter into a dance competition with the boy who tried to steal her bike, she realises she has special powers: the ability to see how a relationship starts and ends, whenever a couple kisses.

This cute but bittersweet novel tells the story of opening up to love, and seeing life for what it truly is. Evie is a relatable character, getting too in her head about the negativities of life; why should we even try to fall in love if we always get hurt and lose people? With the help of her friends and family, Evie opens her heart up again to love and loss, getting hurt along the way but learning the important lesson that it doesn't make the love you felt anyway less real, or worth it.

I really enjoyed X's character, finding his happy go lucky and enthusiastic nature extremely contagious. Evie's friends are sweet too, and her difficult but slowly re-blossoming relationship with her Dad is heart wrenching to read. Overall, this novel is sweet, with bountiful amounts of love, but equal amounts of pain - exactly like real life.

Thanks to Penguin Random House Children's and Netgalley for my arc copy! I loved it!

It's time to get your dancing shoes with this highly addictive and exquisitely emotional read...

Instructions For Dancing is beautifully and tenderly written, with some of it waxing lyrical, amongst the emotional rollercoaster of joy and heartache of life and dance - sometimes it's soaring and other times, pounding and grinding down.

Instructions For Dancing is the title of an instruction manual on how to dance many styles of this art form, that inspires Evie. The title, not only means the physical act of dancing at the dance studio, but also perhaps a metaphorical meaning of dancing the steps of life as there are break-ups and make-ups and life in general to deal with and issues to walk through.... So any readers who have come across Don't Forget To Dance, would also appreciate this, although certain themes differ.

There's fun in Evie's life with waffles and brownies and hanging out with her friends, but also her homelife is in a bit of crisis. There's also music and some romance in the air in the maze of teenage life, but also the breaking up of her family that changes and complicates things and an unexpected romance that also changes everything. It shows so much of the highs and lows of life.

Readers will get a real feel for Evie's personality and the inclusion of texts that also carry the story along is a fun addition in being immersed into her life.

This is highly addictive, exquisite book that I highly recommend. It is one of those perfectly conceived books for teens/young adults.

First thing I wanna say about this book, I absolutely love the writing style. I love how fluent it was, how great the pacing. It was just the right amount of funny withough being too much and the right amount of emotion without being too dramatic. It made the book a fast and enjoyable read.

I liked how the characters made each other better, how they were there for each other and how they were helping each other with their own personal struggles.

In general, this book is great. Likeable characters, excellent writing style, and a wonderful realness. There was one (unfortunatly big) thing that I didn’t like about this book: It was terribly predictable. About 25% in I sent a message to Sammie to bounce some ideas off her concerning where this book could go. What would happen to this and this character and plotpoint. Almost everything I predicted came true. It made the book a bit boring.

There was, however, something I didn’t really foresee. (But I guess I should have.) I don’t wanna get too much into it, since this review is to be kept spoiler free, but I can say, that it made me a bit heartbroken. It fit well with the overall message of the book though: About love and how grief can make you focus only on the loss you are experiencing. And how you should value what you have for as long as it lasts, being it love or people or life in general.

In the end, I really liked the book. I can definitely see myself reading other books by Nicola Yoon and encourage you to try this one yourself.

After the long gap between the publication of The Sun Is Also A Star and Instructions for Dancing, I went into reading this book expecting much of what I had read in Yoon's previous two titles - an easy, yet enjoyable, first love/romance with strings attached. And that is what, ostensibly, Instructions for Dancing is, however I was pleasantly surprised by Yoon's inclusion of a previously unused idea in her novels - magic! At first, I was sceptical after Evie's first vision of a couple's love story. I wasn't sure how it was going to work. But using the visions of the future that Evie sees, her interpretation of the "sight" as a curse and her overwhelming need to get rid of these visions as the catalyst for her to then go to the dance studio, meet X, learn to dance and trust and love again. For me, the only thing that let this book down, was the moment that Evie kisses X and sees their own future. Throughout the novel, it was established that in order for a vision to occur, she needs to see the couple kiss and it cannot be a first kiss. However, how can she see her own kiss with X? It made no sense to me. However, it was obviously needed in terms of plot devices in order to have Evie come to the realisation that even though her relationship with X may not last forever and would cause her pain eventually, the joy and happiness that their love would bring her in the time before that moment, is worth it. I must admit that on occasion Evie and her attitude towards her dad and his new partner really annoyed me. She came across as much more immature than she really was. Overall though, an enjoyable summer read for those who like romantic stories with some teenage angst thrown in for good measure.

With any Nicola Yoon book, I have been sat on writing this review for days, because every time I come to write it, I end up sitting in front of a blank screen, all of my emotions consuming me. I don’t even know where to start. I don’t know how I’m possibly going to encapsulate the utter joy and heartbreak that Evie and X caused me, because truly, all I want to say is, “I just want to sit and hug this book forever” and “This book will make you scream and cry, go get it now!!“, but this masterpiece and Nicola deserve so much more than that, so here we go, let’s attempt putting this stunning novel in to words.

Going in to ‘Instructions for Dancing‘, I believed this to be a cutesy romance between two teenagers, after meeting at a dance studio – WRONG. This is in fact, not a love story as such, because Evie does not believe in love. Evie’s parents are no longer together and have destroyed every bit of faith she had towards romance. Goodbye to all of Evie’s beloved romance books, goodbye to taking a chance on love. At a time where Evie needed to believe in love more than ever, she was granted the powers to foresee the future of all couples she caught kissing. Whilst the visions of their past and present were delightful and promising, their futures told a story that would devastate both involved, making Evie realise that no one was ever capable of having a happy ending. All happy relationships were eventually set to end. So, when a mysterious woman passes her on a dance manual, with a studio address, Evie is thrown in to a whirlwind of either taking a chance on love once more or allowing this new curse to affect her life forever. Or at least until she learns her lesson, that’s usually how these things go, right?

As mentioned prior, this book is not the lovey-dovey storyline the book cover gives off and strongly explores grief, not necessarily for death as such, but more for love. Throughout the story, Evie is grieving the father she had once admired and loved, before he left the family and moved on to another. Her anger exudes from witnessing her father’s betrayal first-hand and having to keep the secret from her youngest sister, which no one at Evie’s age should have to carry by themselves. We also see the impact and grief one can feel from the loss of friendships. Nicola really does an incredible job within exploring the many aspects of grief that people can experience throughout their lives, and also the many aspects of love. Nicola is sure to portray how wonderful love can be, whilst also showing the messy side that many of us try to avoid or are afraid of.

I absolutely adored following the blossoming friendship between Evie and X, along with the many beautiful characters woven within their lives – they bonded in many ways that had me smiling from cheek to cheek and knowing how devastated Evie currently is, X appeared at the most perfect time. He showed her what joys can come out of life and that love is worth risking, no matter the heartache that may come out of it in the end. X experiences some tragedy of his own within the book and not only does he teach Evie, but he also teaches the readers, that life is too short to hold grudges against those you love, because in certain circumstances, you may never get a second chance to make amends – forgiveness is extremely important.

There was a moment nearing the end of the book, in which I had an idea of where Evie and X’s story was heading, however, it punched me in the gut harder than I ever thought it possibly could. In fact, when I had finally clicked on to what was going to happen in the near future, I had to slowly put my kindle down, take a breather and wipe a few tears that had managed to escape. When I got to the final page of this book, I pretty much just wanted to stare at a wall and cry for the entire evening and even still, my mind hasn’t comprehended those final chapters. For readers who are familiar with Nicola’s work, you will know not to expect rainbows and sunshine’s, so for the new readers, this is just a heads up to prepare for what is about to come your way and I pre-warn you to also try to protect your heart as much as possible, because it will break!

Instruction for Dancing is an enchanting and captivating read, that will end up consuming your entire mind for days after you have finished it. In fact, I bought a paperback copy and will honestly admit, sometimes I just pick the book up and hug it because I just can’t get over it. This is truly a masterpiece, that deserves all the love and attention it can possibly get, including a movie… give me a movie version now!! Not that physically watching Evie and X go through all that they go through is going to be any less painful, I will absolutely sob my little heart out seeing it all come to life, but this is what we deserve!!

That's So Raven meets Big (film) in this irresistible love story!

Um. It's not every book that makes me sit in the car and scream after I finish reading it. That really hurt.

Yoon has perfectly captured the Young Adult voice that I adore in all of her novels and Instructions For Dancing is no exception. I loved this book with my whole being. I completely understand people who have complained about the ending feeling rushed and whilst I did also feel like "HELLO, COMMUNICATION IS NOT THAT HARD!", this book is so deserving of 5 stars because of how it made me feel, and knowing Yoon wrote it during a hard time in her life, it made it even more authentic. My heart soared, crashed, burned but most importantly, it shone.

My favourite thing about reading is noticing the little details and in IFD, we have a complicated marital relationship, magical realism, friends who have known each other since little kids, a hilarious dance instructor, siblings, school, the beach and so much more.

The dancing aspect was one of the best things about this book. I LOVE dancing and every time, X and Evie danced, whether it was bachata or salsa, I felt it in my blood! I felt so at home.

Talking about X and Evie, I'm not a big fan of insta-like but this WORKED, I truly believe in their chemistry and connection. It was well-written, vivid and descriptive. I loved the incredible concept and diverse characters. Xavier Darius Woods is the best character in it. He's one of those characters that leave a mark on you. And although I can' t relate to Evie, I thank Yoon for making her cynical and sarcastic.

In less than 300 pages, Yoon highlighted the importance of perspective. There are so any valuable things to take away from this book. It's a quick and meaningful story about love; the good and the bad. "Love is the question and the answer and the reason to ask in the first place. It's everything. All of it."

After you read this, you won't be afraid to live every day like it's your last. Love fiercely and fearlessly. Go hug your loved ones.

Alexa, play X by Prince Royce ft. Zendaya (this song is so perfect for some many reasons).

Books do not really make me cry anymore but Instructions for Dancing made me sob like a baby. It is beautiful, heart-breaking and full of hope! Nicola Yoon has yet again proved that she is a spectacular author who writes vivid, inspirational and entertaining novels. I highly recommend this one.

Evie and X are two of the sweetest characters I’ve read about in YA. Evie loved romance books but after finding her father cheating on her mother she has grown skeptical. She is a loveable character who I adored straight away. I mean, any character that lists their favourite romance tropes is up there for me. X is caring, sweet and a guy I think so many people will adore. Individually the characters are incredible and as a pair they are outstanding. Also, the side characters in this book are well-rounded and unique. I particularly loved Evie’s best friend and the dance instructor X and Evie have.

There is a magical realism aspect to this book which I enjoyed. Evie can see a couples fate and future when she sees them kissing which was a really interesting addition to the book. I would have liked to see this in a little bit more detail throughout the book but when it was there I adored it. There is something about seeing a couples relationship pan out over a couple of pages that brought me a whole lot of emotions. It was a really unique take on romance for me.

Why has no other author made dance lessons a part of a book plot before? This book made me want to learn how to dance and I have two left feet. I adored the dance storyline of this book and all the characters that the dance studio brought. If you know nothing about dance do not fear because it is so easy to understand and not confusing in any way.

This book managed to bring me so much joy and destroy me at the same time. One minute I was laughing and then the next I was sobbing. I think that is a skill that Nicola Yoon has with her writing. She manages to break your heart and fix it whilst you read such a beautiful story. I already want another Nicola Yoon book in my life.

I read this book in a couple of sittings and loved the pacing of it. It kept me engaged, slowing down when it needed to and quickening the pace when necessary. It never breezed over the important aspects and it just read really easily. It is the perfect book to read this summer.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to all contemporary YA loved and fans of magical realism. Just be prepared to have your heart broken and glued back together again. It is beautiful, hopeful and an inspiring story that I will not be forgetting quickly. Nicola Yoon has done it again and I would highly recommend it.

At the very end of this book you can find a chapter called Acknowledgements. In contrast to my normal reading behaviour I read them this time. In them the author says: „I am very proud of it {the book}.“ And this pride is absolutely justified.

The story of the book is a love story but it is not your typical young adult romance novel. It is kind of quite the opposite. I expected to get a nice and easy-to-read love story. What I got was something far deeper. It is not a romance novel. It is a novel about love and why everyone needs and deserves it. But it doesn’t tell you that as the title suggests in form of an instruction but it lets you figure it out for yourself.

Going through a separation myself at the moment I thought it might be too hard for me to read but it was not. I also think that it is not only a book for young adults but adults of all ages as it is written so nicely. The characters are also very relatable and it was nice to be a part of their lives while reading. There is a character to like for everyone: the mum, the grandparents or of course the main character Evie.

I can not recommend reading this book enough.

For me the main message of the book is that there is always something good about/in a thing, even if it ends badly. And -as trivialized as it may sound- that everything has a reason and a time in life.

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.

This is an easy, quick read that can be done in one or two sittings. A good story overall.

I went into Instructions for Dancing thinking that it will be a light tale of a young Black couple finding love through dancing. Clearly I had no clue what I was in for because I was not expecting this book to also shatter my heart to pieces, but that it did.

The story follows Evie, who has become disenchanted about love after learning that her parents are getting a divorce due to her dad's affair. In the process of donating all her romance novels, Evie ends up discovering she has been given a magical ability to see a couples entire relationship history play out before her eyes. This gift makes her even more doubtful of love, in seeing so many endings she questions why people even love when we know its going to hurt?

This is an incredibly beautiful story, that reflects on the vulnerabilities of love. It is sure to make you re-evaluate how you view love and what makes it worthwhile. There are so many fully developed lovable characters throughout. My favourites have to be Fifi and X, Fifi simply made me smile every time she was on the page, she is so fun and outrageously flamboyant. Tell me where to sign up for dance classes with her and I'll be there! I loved X's say yes positive attitude, the relationship between him and Evie was so natural and well-paced.

This is definitely a book to recommend far and wide, I hope it joins Nicola Yoon's other books in being adapted into a movie.