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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
Great debut and very heartfelt had me tearing up a couple times.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved the way the characters interacted, I loved the insights about human nature that the author wove into the story and I loved the way both characters had to re-evaluate their assumptions about how they were being perceived by the outside world, and those closest to them.
This book left me in awe with its stunning beauty. It's a must-read for fans of opposites attracting, disability representation, found family, and singing/dancing themes.
I found this book to be a delightful and diverse read, and it was refreshing to see disability representation in the story. The dancing element added a fun and uplifting dimension, and the message that anyone can achieve anything, regardless of their circumstances, resonated deeply with me.
The characters, Nick and Hayley, were captivating, and the author's portrayal of Nick's experience with Cerebral Palsy was both authentic and moving.
Overall, this book was a truly beautiful and impactful read.
I found this book to be a delightful and diverse read, and it was refreshing to see disability representation in the story. The dancing element added a fun and uplifting dimension, and the message that anyone can achieve anything, regardless of their circumstances, resonated deeply with me.
The characters, Nick and Hayley, were captivating, and the author's portrayal of Nick's experience with Cerebral Palsy was both authentic and moving.
Overall, this book was a truly beautiful and impactful read.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hey so what the hell was that? Unfortunately this was a huge wasted opportunity considering it had a great premise. I’m so fed up with this story I didn’t even read the epilogue lol
How to Dance was a very mixed bag for me. I appreciated the disability representation and a dual pov but I didn’t like the characters that much and the plot left me cold. The characters don’t entirely feel fleshed out, why do they act this way, why are they attracted to each other? And the undercurrent of emotional infidelity through it all was uncomfortable to me, especially with it being egged on also. It was just not for me.
First thought: Such a great story! A beautiful capturing of the daily life with cerebral palsy and how to navigate the dating scene. I was shocked to find out this was a debut novel. Well done.
Nick is a math teacher by day and a karaoke singing legend at night. His personality is bigger than life but he has one issue. He thinks people only see him for his disability and treat him with kindness because of it. He doesn’t let his cerebral palsy hold him back but he does let his doubt of how others see him prevent him from living.
Haley is a professional dancer and with a degree in early education. The thing that makes her happy in life is sharing her love of dance with the world. Only issue is she has been having anxiety and emotional trauma is impacting her ability to do what she loves.
Nick sees Hailey for the first time at a bar where she’s dancing with her boyfriend. He can’t take his eyes off her but when they interact they get off on a rocky start as he think she’s mocking his disability. However as the story progresses they form a friendship and lean on each other to work through their issues. They learn that dancing through life doesn’t always require you to have two good legs to stand on and sometimes you need to change out your partner.
This is a great story about hope, inspiration, and finding love and a safe place amongst the craziness of life.
Literally Themes you’ll find:
* Opposites Attract
* Disability Rep
* Karaoke Singing Math Teacher MMC
* Professional Dancer FMC
* Learning to Trust
* Slow Burn
* Dual POV
Nick is a math teacher by day and a karaoke singing legend at night. His personality is bigger than life but he has one issue. He thinks people only see him for his disability and treat him with kindness because of it. He doesn’t let his cerebral palsy hold him back but he does let his doubt of how others see him prevent him from living.
Haley is a professional dancer and with a degree in early education. The thing that makes her happy in life is sharing her love of dance with the world. Only issue is she has been having anxiety and emotional trauma is impacting her ability to do what she loves.
Nick sees Hailey for the first time at a bar where she’s dancing with her boyfriend. He can’t take his eyes off her but when they interact they get off on a rocky start as he think she’s mocking his disability. However as the story progresses they form a friendship and lean on each other to work through their issues. They learn that dancing through life doesn’t always require you to have two good legs to stand on and sometimes you need to change out your partner.
This is a great story about hope, inspiration, and finding love and a safe place amongst the craziness of life.
Literally Themes you’ll find:
* Opposites Attract
* Disability Rep
* Karaoke Singing Math Teacher MMC
* Professional Dancer FMC
* Learning to Trust
* Slow Burn
* Dual POV
Fun fact: I have no rhythm at all, and I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket.
HOW TO DANCE, Jason B. Dutton's fantastically witty debut, follows Nick Freeman and Hayley Burke. Nick is a pretty big freakin' deal at the Squeaky Lion, his local bar where he's a karaoke legend. Hayley is a ball of energy whose first language is dance. They meet as she and her partner dance across the Squeaky Lion, and an awkward encounter leaves the two utterly disliking each other.
Naturally, a friendship blossoms!
Hayley is new in town, having moved to work at Vivez Dance Studio with her boyfriend, Kevin. She'd been miserable in their previous life, but couldn't put her finger on why. Hayley needed a fresh start, and Kevin needed to get back on stage with Hayley. Nick, on the other hand, is a local crowd favorite who seems to know everyone everywhere he goes. He's beloved all over town, but Nick often feels like that's because he has cerebral palsy and uses a walker. Do people truly care about him, or do they pity him? Do they like Nick, or do they think they get some weird societal brownie points for helping the dude who struggles to walk?
Hayley is having none of that nonsense, and what follows is a hilarious and witty tale about self esteem and the lengths people will go to tear themselves down--and the trust you have to place in others while they help you build yourself back up. It's a lesson in friendship, faith, and love, peppered with SO MANY POP CULTURE REFERENCES! You know I was hooked at an It's a Wonderful Life nod, but seriously, you can tell that Jason B. Dutton is one of us--this book was so funny while also being a deep dive into the human psyche, and how easily we can lie to ourselves about what others feel for us.
I often tell myself (and my friends) that negative thoughts and self-doubt are "your brain lying to you," and so often during this book I wanted to scream that at both Hayley and Nick. I wanted to wrap them each in big hugs and never let go because their brains could be so cruel to them, making them feel small and worthless when that absolutely was not the case. They question themselves, each other, and their loved ones in a way that is so relatable and real, while simultaneously breaking your heart in the process.
The idea of being "inspirational" comes up quite a bit when it comes to Nick. He's told several times, to his face, that he's an inspiration, which he always understands to mean that he is inspirational because he has cerebral palsy and still manages to exist in a world that is set up in a way to make life more difficult for him. (For example, handicapped parking being close to a door but the ramp to get up the sidewalk being down the street like WHY DO DEVELOPERS DO THAT?!)
Will Nick learn that he, himself, and his personality are what's inspirational, not his existence as someone with a disability?
I truly enjoyed this book--I read it in just two sittings! All of the characters are so likable and relatable that I felt like I was sitting in the corner watching my friends' lives unfold before me. I was content to see where their stories led me, until my friends started bullying themselves...then I wanted to throw hands! Jason truly knows what he's doing in crafting a story that will make you feel everything: joy, sadness, anger, frustration, embarrassment. It will make you question your own interactions with people with disabilities, and have you hoping that you've never, even unintentionally, made someone feel less than because of something out of their control. I laughed and cried in nearly equal measure.
Seriously, go read this book!
HOW TO DANCE, Jason B. Dutton's fantastically witty debut, follows Nick Freeman and Hayley Burke. Nick is a pretty big freakin' deal at the Squeaky Lion, his local bar where he's a karaoke legend. Hayley is a ball of energy whose first language is dance. They meet as she and her partner dance across the Squeaky Lion, and an awkward encounter leaves the two utterly disliking each other.
Naturally, a friendship blossoms!
Hayley is new in town, having moved to work at Vivez Dance Studio with her boyfriend, Kevin. She'd been miserable in their previous life, but couldn't put her finger on why. Hayley needed a fresh start, and Kevin needed to get back on stage with Hayley. Nick, on the other hand, is a local crowd favorite who seems to know everyone everywhere he goes. He's beloved all over town, but Nick often feels like that's because he has cerebral palsy and uses a walker. Do people truly care about him, or do they pity him? Do they like Nick, or do they think they get some weird societal brownie points for helping the dude who struggles to walk?
Hayley is having none of that nonsense, and what follows is a hilarious and witty tale about self esteem and the lengths people will go to tear themselves down--and the trust you have to place in others while they help you build yourself back up. It's a lesson in friendship, faith, and love, peppered with SO MANY POP CULTURE REFERENCES! You know I was hooked at an It's a Wonderful Life nod, but seriously, you can tell that Jason B. Dutton is one of us--this book was so funny while also being a deep dive into the human psyche, and how easily we can lie to ourselves about what others feel for us.
I often tell myself (and my friends) that negative thoughts and self-doubt are "your brain lying to you," and so often during this book I wanted to scream that at both Hayley and Nick. I wanted to wrap them each in big hugs and never let go because their brains could be so cruel to them, making them feel small and worthless when that absolutely was not the case. They question themselves, each other, and their loved ones in a way that is so relatable and real, while simultaneously breaking your heart in the process.
The idea of being "inspirational" comes up quite a bit when it comes to Nick. He's told several times, to his face, that he's an inspiration, which he always understands to mean that he is inspirational because he has cerebral palsy and still manages to exist in a world that is set up in a way to make life more difficult for him. (For example, handicapped parking being close to a door but the ramp to get up the sidewalk being down the street like WHY DO DEVELOPERS DO THAT?!)
Will Nick learn that he, himself, and his personality are what's inspirational, not his existence as someone with a disability?
I truly enjoyed this book--I read it in just two sittings! All of the characters are so likable and relatable that I felt like I was sitting in the corner watching my friends' lives unfold before me. I was content to see where their stories led me, until my friends started bullying themselves...then I wanted to throw hands! Jason truly knows what he's doing in crafting a story that will make you feel everything: joy, sadness, anger, frustration, embarrassment. It will make you question your own interactions with people with disabilities, and have you hoping that you've never, even unintentionally, made someone feel less than because of something out of their control. I laughed and cried in nearly equal measure.
Seriously, go read this book!
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes