Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Finally found a damn romance I actually liked holy shit. Okay so this was an EXTREMELY quick read for me. Like, an evening, a simple singular evening type of read. I read it spouts while I was cleaning some of my mother's house (and over an exceedingly long call with my grandma, love the woman).
I'm usually a modern romance hater, the books are usually just shit I'm not going to lie to you (and I really hate the inaccurate way that both women and men are usually described in them), but I found myself liking this one. It isn't immediately jumping to my favorites but reading it was nice. It was a book I kind of wished was actually longer. When, for most books, I find myself turning to see how many pages are left.
The plot with the dad set me off a little bit (cheating is... extremely taboo for me FUCK that shit), but it is important to remember that every single person is capable of being forgiven. (and that just because I would never let that slide against me there are more people more empathetic than me) I got a little miffed by the speech Shirley's mom gave for the wedding but... it had me thinking. There are so many people in the world who are good people but they have made a horrible or embarrassing life decision in their life, but as long as we move on to be better people than those decisions can be looked past. (That's not saying we should forget them however.)
I just liked it I guess, didn't love it but I liked it.
I'm usually a modern romance hater, the books are usually just shit I'm not going to lie to you (and I really hate the inaccurate way that both women and men are usually described in them), but I found myself liking this one. It isn't immediately jumping to my favorites but reading it was nice. It was a book I kind of wished was actually longer. When, for most books, I find myself turning to see how many pages are left.
The plot with the dad set me off a little bit (cheating is... extremely taboo for me FUCK that shit), but it is important to remember that every single person is capable of being forgiven. (and that just because I would never let that slide against me there are more people more empathetic than me) I got a little miffed by the speech Shirley's mom gave for the wedding but... it had me thinking. There are so many people in the world who are good people but they have made a horrible or embarrassing life decision in their life, but as long as we move on to be better people than those decisions can be looked past. (That's not saying we should forget them however.)
I just liked it I guess, didn't love it but I liked it.
sad
fast-paced
This was a fast-paced yet riveting read. I loved the complex dynamic between the main characters Evie and X. The playful exchanges sauced into their developing relationship helped me to root for them til the very end. Often times in YA novels, the introduction of several friend characters tend to blend into one generalized or similar-sounding character; that’s what happened while I was on Evie’s journey. It’s great that she had loving and supportive friends to confide in, but I couldn’t differentiate most of these characters because they all felt the same…one-dimensional even.
The ending was a predictable twist I throughly enjoyed reading. As always, Yoon never disappoints in this genre.
The ending was a predictable twist I throughly enjoyed reading. As always, Yoon never disappoints in this genre.
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
With a nice concept and message, Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon is about a teenage girl who becomes cynical about love but learns to appreciate its importance and meaningfulness despite the potential ending.
Summary: 17-year-old Yvette "Evie" Thomas becomes cynical about love after catching her father cheating on her mother. When she receives a book titled "Instructions for Dancing", she suddenly gains the ability to see the past, present, and future of relationships by witnessing couples kiss. She follows an address written in the book and finds La Brea Dance, where she meets Xavier "X" Woods and learns to dance with him.
Tropes/Genres:
• dancing
• young adult
• romance
• family
• contemporary fiction
• set in LA, California
Review: This is a nice book with a nice concept, but I couldn't emotionally connect with Evie and her experiences. Apart from that, I did enjoy the message of the book. I also liked her character growth.
Evie is an interesting protagonist. She used to believe in love, but seeing the breakdown of her parents' relationship made her question her beliefs. She became highly pessimistic about love and romantic relationships. Even when she gained the ability to see the past, present and future of relationships, she easily focused on the ending instead of the other parts. I think this experience is realistic, and I understand her feelings. I just couldn't feel them. I think the writing didn't convey the emotions adequately.
I felt angry when people kept invalidating Evie's feelings, but I couldn't quite connect with her journey of becoming less cynical about love. I liked that she learned not to focus so hard on the ending but to enjoy the process too. I also liked the idea of her learning to hold on to love and not be afraid of it just because she's afraid of the ending. I think it's a meaningful message, but I was unable to emotionally connect with her journey. It's probably a writing issue. Some aspects felt too dramatic for the context.
Anyway, I actually love the concept of Evie's newfound ability to see the past, present and future of relationships. I also love how the author developed Evie's character and this concept throughout the book, especially the ending. It was so poetic.
X seemed like a nice guy. I don't think romance was a very huge aspect of this book, but their relationship was cute, albeit forgettable. The part about dancing felt a bit random, though. It felt more like a tool for Evie and X to get closer and eventually fall in love rather than a vital part of the plot. It would've been great if the author related dance more intricately to Evie's view on love. Either way, the romance was a nice inclusion in the story, especially since it contributed to the message.
Overall, this is a nice book with an interesting concept. I think the author did a great job of integrating magical realism with the overarching message of love in the story. The characters are likeable, though some scenes may feel overly dramatic for the context. I still recommend it to YA readers, though! Regardless of the minor issues, this book has a beautiful message about love.
Summary: 17-year-old Yvette "Evie" Thomas becomes cynical about love after catching her father cheating on her mother. When she receives a book titled "Instructions for Dancing", she suddenly gains the ability to see the past, present, and future of relationships by witnessing couples kiss. She follows an address written in the book and finds La Brea Dance, where she meets Xavier "X" Woods and learns to dance with him.
Tropes/Genres:
• dancing
• young adult
• romance
• family
• contemporary fiction
• set in LA, California
Review: This is a nice book with a nice concept, but I couldn't emotionally connect with Evie and her experiences. Apart from that, I did enjoy the message of the book. I also liked her character growth.
Evie is an interesting protagonist. She used to believe in love, but seeing the breakdown of her parents' relationship made her question her beliefs. She became highly pessimistic about love and romantic relationships. Even when she gained the ability to see the past, present and future of relationships, she easily focused on the ending instead of the other parts. I think this experience is realistic, and I understand her feelings. I just couldn't feel them. I think the writing didn't convey the emotions adequately.
I felt angry when people kept invalidating Evie's feelings, but I couldn't quite connect with her journey of becoming less cynical about love. I liked that she learned not to focus so hard on the ending but to enjoy the process too. I also liked the idea of her learning to hold on to love and not be afraid of it just because she's afraid of the ending. I think it's a meaningful message, but I was unable to emotionally connect with her journey. It's probably a writing issue. Some aspects felt too dramatic for the context.
Anyway, I actually love the concept of Evie's newfound ability to see the past, present and future of relationships. I also love how the author developed Evie's character and this concept throughout the book, especially the ending. It was so poetic.
X seemed like a nice guy. I don't think romance was a very huge aspect of this book, but their relationship was cute, albeit forgettable. The part about dancing felt a bit random, though. It felt more like a tool for Evie and X to get closer and eventually fall in love rather than a vital part of the plot. It would've been great if the author related dance more intricately to Evie's view on love. Either way, the romance was a nice inclusion in the story, especially since it contributed to the message.
Overall, this is a nice book with an interesting concept. I think the author did a great job of integrating magical realism with the overarching message of love in the story. The characters are likeable, though some scenes may feel overly dramatic for the context. I still recommend it to YA readers, though! Regardless of the minor issues, this book has a beautiful message about love.
kinda boring for me but still love some parts of it
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes