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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
When I pick up this book, I thought it was going to be a cute romance novel. Boy was I wrong. Without spoiling as much this book took my heart. It was powerful and heart-wreathing. I concept that love is forever and love is know was a hit home for me. I recently lost someone dear to me and reading this book made me think of our time together and not of their end. I love the character and I want to hug Evie so much. Overall, a beautiful message with a beautiful story. Highly recommend to anyone that is stuck in a moment where they feel like the end is more important then the here and now.
Oh man. Nicola Yoon's Instructions for Dancing is everything I didn't know I was wanting in a book right now. It is so heartbreaking, yet so amazing and sweet at the same time. I flew through it in less than 24 hours and I honestly wish I could read it again for the first time, it was that wonderful. As a child of divorce, this book certainly struck a chord with me and I think others with similar family dynamics will find themselves relating to Evie in some way.
As the book started out, it reminded me of [a:Sarah Dessen|2987|Sarah Dessen|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1372181953p2/2987.jpg] in all the best ways (mostly because I race through everything she writes in a day too, and because I always feel such a strong connection to her characters). But as I got farther along, I had to stop reading to listen to Ed Sheeran's song "Supermarket Flowers" because it reminded me of that too - it has the same feeling of gut-wrenching sadness. I honestly haven't cried this much while reading a book since [b:The Fault in Our Stars|11870085|The Fault in Our Stars|John Green|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1360206420l/11870085._SY75_.jpg|16827462] and I say that as a huge compliment to Yoon for being so successful in making me feel all the feels.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Yoon's best book yet!
As the book started out, it reminded me of [a:Sarah Dessen|2987|Sarah Dessen|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1372181953p2/2987.jpg] in all the best ways (mostly because I race through everything she writes in a day too, and because I always feel such a strong connection to her characters). But as I got farther along, I had to stop reading to listen to Ed Sheeran's song "Supermarket Flowers" because it reminded me of that too - it has the same feeling of gut-wrenching sadness. I honestly haven't cried this much while reading a book since [b:The Fault in Our Stars|11870085|The Fault in Our Stars|John Green|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1360206420l/11870085._SY75_.jpg|16827462] and I say that as a huge compliment to Yoon for being so successful in making me feel all the feels.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Yoon's best book yet!
I highly anticipated reading Instructions for Dancing. Early reviews encouraged me to choose this as my BOTM pick and I was excited to download the audio when given the opportunity.
I can't really pinpoint what didn't resonate me. Thinking back, I enjoyed the little fantastical elements. I thought it was a clever plot device that influenced Evie's world view and how she navigated her relationships. I'm a fan of fantasy in general and YA as a genre. I know that they hype could have (most definitely) gave me extremely high expectations. Ultimately, I think my anticipation built it up to where it couldn't be met.
The narrator, Bahni Turpin, did a fantastic job with The Hate U Give, so I'm kind of surprised that I didn't love this narration as much as I expected. I think I just might give it a re-listen one of these days and see if that changes how this fits my mood.
Thank you to PRHA for the alc. All thoughts in this review are my own.
I can't really pinpoint what didn't resonate me. Thinking back, I enjoyed the little fantastical elements. I thought it was a clever plot device that influenced Evie's world view and how she navigated her relationships. I'm a fan of fantasy in general and YA as a genre. I know that they hype could have (most definitely) gave me extremely high expectations. Ultimately, I think my anticipation built it up to where it couldn't be met.
The narrator, Bahni Turpin, did a fantastic job with The Hate U Give, so I'm kind of surprised that I didn't love this narration as much as I expected. I think I just might give it a re-listen one of these days and see if that changes how this fits my mood.
Thank you to PRHA for the alc. All thoughts in this review are my own.
I'm a cynical reader with a tendency towards depression. I felt like my heart grew three sizes after reading this book. I was not prepared for how touching the story is. Evie is an excellent protagonist who experiences complex emotions. There is a dash of magical realism, which I always love.
Nicola Yoon does it again. I don't know what it is about her writing and her characters but I fall in love with everything.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oh how I love Nicola Yoon's writing. This was such a good story. It was a romance, sure, but it had such deeper lessons in here. I adored every bit of it.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I fully did not expect this book to hit me like it did. But I wasn’t ready for it apparently. A powerful look at relationships and how we can become cynical and not want to open ourselves to them because they will inevitably end. But it also explores how being in a relationship is still worth it because of the things we learn about ourselves. Beautiful and emotionally resonant. The perfect kind of YA book because it deals with mature themes in a way that feels engaging and doesn’t talk down to them. This was a welcome surprise.