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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
4.5⭐️
POR DIOS QUE BELLEZA ESTE LIBRO
los personajes, la forma que está escrito, EL FINAL
Por favor todos lean este libro
POR DIOS QUE BELLEZA ESTE LIBRO
los personajes, la forma que está escrito, EL FINAL
Por favor todos lean este libro
This book was... Ugh. I thought it was going to be a nice and cozy book, and it was - until a certain chapter where everything changed.
Evie is our self independent "heroin" who used to love romance book but can now see people's future when they kiss. Se starts to dance for no apparent reason except to do something fun and gets to know Xavier - a guy who's life motto is to always say "yes" when anybody asks anything of him.
I swallowed this book up in one day and honestly: I don't regret it. It was nice to just have it done with, but still sad that it wasn't like very other YA - chick-flik - romance novel. I liked the book, but it had that sad and serious undertone that every Yoon book has.
Evie is our self independent "heroin" who used to love romance book but can now see people's future when they kiss. Se starts to dance for no apparent reason except to do something fun and gets to know Xavier - a guy who's life motto is to always say "yes" when anybody asks anything of him.
I swallowed this book up in one day and honestly: I don't regret it. It was nice to just have it done with, but still sad that it wasn't like very other YA - chick-flik - romance novel. I liked the book, but it had that sad and serious undertone that every Yoon book has.
emotional
funny
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
Found the following review from 2023 (when I read the book) in my notes app, so I’m just going to put it here (I don’t know why I got all philosophically cringey near the end, but whatever). Here you go:
This book surprised me. I’ve read Nicola Yoon’s other books and was excited to pick this one up, and I knew pretty early on that I was going to like it. However, as I was reading, I couldn’t help but feel that something was missing within the book itself - that something wasn’t quite right. Something was stopping me from really loving the book (from “giving myself completely to the book)” and rating it high, but the book somehow managed to turn it around in the last 50 pages.
This book surprised me. I’ve read Nicola Yoon’s other books and was excited to pick this one up, and I knew pretty early on that I was going to like it. However, as I was reading, I couldn’t help but feel that something was missing within the book itself - that something wasn’t quite right. Something was stopping me from really loving the book (from “giving myself completely to the book)” and rating it high, but the book somehow managed to turn it around in the last 50 pages.
I’ve had issues with a lot of YA protagonists, but I found myself loving Evie! I also loved all of the side characters, especially Maggie and Archibald. Cute old couples are the best!
The writing flows really well, and it’s very easy to get immersed into the story because of the way Yoon nailed the main character’s voice. It’s very distinctive. All of the characters are unique and diverse, and I’m a real sucker for friendships comprised of people who have known each other for a long time.
The ending ripped my heart out and stomped on it - I didn’t cry, but there was definitely some burning happening behind my eyelids.
I’d say the only thing that felt lacking was in the character X for me. He seemed cool, but I didn’t feel like I got a strong enough grasp of his character. I feel like I should have, but sometimes he kind of felt like *insert generic love interest here.* Once again, I know he shouldn’t have, but he felt a tad undeveloped to me.
All-in-all, I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would! Cute characters, cute relationships, and heartbreaking relatability when it comes to failed relationships (familial, platonic, and romantic), “Instructions for Dancing,” is an unwanted slap in the face. It is a cozy log cabin in the middle of winter. It is simultaneously a funny note passed to you in the middle of class from your best friend and also a text message from your significant other telling you they don’t love you anymore.
Needless to say, “Instructions for Dancing,” was filled with lighthearted and funny moments, heartbreaking sadness that came out of nowhere, and more relatable moments than I expected.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Child death, Death, Grief
you should’ve seen how fast i clicked that tbr button when i saw the cover and the face i made when i read the synopsis and realized this isn’t wlw
I’m gonna be really honest, there was a lot that I was pretty bothered about in this book. I do think the overarching message of not focusing so much on a breakup at the start of a relationship is good, and I liked Evie as a character quite a bit. What I didn’t like was the entire divorce storyline with her parents. I felt that not only was Evie made to feel bad about her feelings towards her father, even though they were completely justified, but her entire character development for that theme was just “don’t make your dad sad, and please just get over it.” I also felt that the writing insinuated that this is how all children of divorce should handle the situation (with how X’s life philosophy was combined into it) and I just don’t agree. Evie wasn’t even allowed to tell her sister about her dad’s cheating, which was wrong because she should have been forced to lie for him, and it also caused tension and conflict between the two of them when her sister couldn’t understand why Evie was so angry. I also found X to seem much more like a plot device than an actual person/love interest, and didn’t feel great about the ending of the book with regards to him. I don’t want to say too much so I don’t spoil anything, but ultimately this just wasn’t quite the book I thought it would be.
emotional
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
I definitely needed a day to process the ending and review this one. My first thought at the end of the book was that the ending was totally unnecessary. However, after reading the acknowledgments it made sense why Nicola went in this direction. The book was heartbreaking and I would not reread it like I did with Everything, Everything. Evie was a difficult character to root for and like. I get how her trauma affected her, but I did find her to be selfish and a complainer.
This book WRECKED me and I read it in one day. Am I surprised? Absolutely not. Nicola Yoon is one of the best authors I’ve ever read. “Everything, Everything” left me speechless and it’s fair to say that Instructions for dancing did too. Although this may seem like just a romance novel, it’s way more than that. It’s about not only love, but also the beautiful life we live and how we can choose to view difficult times.
Thank you Nicola Yoon for writing such a beautiful book.
5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you Nicola Yoon for writing such a beautiful book.
5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really, really liked this one. It’s been a minute since I’ve read a YA novel and this was a great reminder about why I’d previously enjoyed the genre. The sweet, young romance that reminds you of your own, the wise women that remind you of the lessons you’ve learned and the ones still forming. The twist caught me by surprise and the ending is beautiful and thought provoking.