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A review by martachbc
Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
The plots of Nicola Yoon books have never really gripped me. It feels heavily emotional but in that uniquely adolescent way. I just didn’t think that in my 30s, I needed to go there. But I kept hearing such good things about Instructions for Dancing, and the library hold list was surprisingly short.
In Instructions for Dancing, teenaged Evie is reeling from her parents’ divorce following her father’s infidelity and she’s lost faith in love. When a mysterious woman gives her the gift (or curse) of being able to see a couple’s love story when they kiss, it creates some real problems for Evie. She hopes to get rid of the curse by signing up for dance classes, where she meets and instantly connects with X. But because of her visions and her experiences, she thinks all love ends in heartbreak, and she wonders if it’s worth the pain.
Ultimately I enjoyed this more than I thought I was going to. Did I think it was unnecessarily depressing at times? Did the characters (especially X) feel very YA dream types? Yes and yes. But teenagers like that kind of thing, I think. Nicola’s paints deeply layered portraits of her characters in an economy of words, and it’s easy to connect with them, even in their petulant adolescence.
This was a fast, easy, moving read, and I recommend it - even if it’s totally out of my normal comfort zone.
In Instructions for Dancing, teenaged Evie is reeling from her parents’ divorce following her father’s infidelity and she’s lost faith in love. When a mysterious woman gives her the gift (or curse) of being able to see a couple’s love story when they kiss, it creates some real problems for Evie. She hopes to get rid of the curse by signing up for dance classes, where she meets and instantly connects with X. But because of her visions and her experiences, she thinks all love ends in heartbreak, and she wonders if it’s worth the pain.
Ultimately I enjoyed this more than I thought I was going to. Did I think it was unnecessarily depressing at times? Did the characters (especially X) feel very YA dream types? Yes and yes. But teenagers like that kind of thing, I think. Nicola’s paints deeply layered portraits of her characters in an economy of words, and it’s easy to connect with them, even in their petulant adolescence.
This was a fast, easy, moving read, and I recommend it - even if it’s totally out of my normal comfort zone.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Grief, and Death