Reviews with content warning for Grief - Instructions for Dancing

Please check content warnings before reading. Seven years ago, I picked up my first YA novel and it was The Sun Is Also A Star, and now seven years later Nicola Yoon’s writing is just as I remember it, memorable and leaving me in tears. Instructions for Dancing discusses the meaning of love, heartbreak, loss, and how to deal with it all. Evet, the main character, is raw as readers explore how she grapples her loss of faith in the institution of love. Through the divorce of her parents, a “Free Little Library,” a vanishing woman, a powerful gift, a dance competition, and a new chance for love, the following questions are looked into: Is there such a thing as unconditional love? Is love worth it even though it is bound to end in heartbreak? If you were given the chance to see how relationships around you end, even your own, would you take it? After being a slump for so long, this is exactly what I needed to kick off 2024. It is a quick read, with short chapters, that is bound to worthwhile experience. Nicola Yoon never disappoints.

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_thebookishbarista_'s review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted medium-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

4.0

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axel_p's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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

3.5

The pacing was a bit off and I wish there was more dancing.
I cried

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sweetsxrrxw's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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

3.5

most people who have read this book have loved it. and it is pretty easy to understand why: poc main characters, queer side characters, super short chapters and a bittersweet ending with including an important lesson.
i would be lying if i said i dislike the concept of this story because i really loved it so much. i am a firm believer that, no matter the ending, love is never wasted.

honestly, i struggled through the book. and, despite being a super emotional person, i couldn't get myself to experience the big emotions i often feel while reading. this may have happened because of me being in a reading slump for about two months now, because i may be in the process of outgrowing ya or both of these reasons.

of course, nicola yoon's writing was beautiful, evie's personal growth was good and the whole plot made sense

i despise cheating but she needed to forgive her dad in order to move on. and x's death was the trigger she needed to realize that loving, even if it is just for a short time, is always better than wasting your time.

overall it was not a bad book, but i just feel like i didn't pick it up at the right time.

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iamsammie27's review against another edition

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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? It's complicated

5.0

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danavos's review against another edition

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emotional funny 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

3.75

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