itsheatherfox's review against another edition
4.0
I haven’t read a YA book in a hot minute and I’m so glad this was the one I decided to pick up! It was a quick read full of emotion and while the ending broke my heart a little, I really enjoyed this book!
nikkihrose's review against another edition
4.0
This book was both inspiring and heartbreaking. From parental separation, loss, friendships, relationships, and discovering the truth, this book managed to cover a lengthy journey in a short span of time.
Evie no longer believes in love, but when she is given a unique ability to see how every relationship ends once witnessing a single kiss, her feelings about love are only amplified. The problem is, she’s recently met X, and meeting him has made her question some of her thoughts about love – until she witnesses yet another future ending.
But what she learns as she begins to open herself up to others, is that she might not always have the full story. That falling out of love doesn’t mean the people regret the love they once felt, or that it disappears altogether, either.
This book was insightful and I urge everyone to read it. You might just learn that love is worth the risk, and that there’s more to learn about loss than you might have anticipated.
Evie no longer believes in love, but when she is given a unique ability to see how every relationship ends once witnessing a single kiss, her feelings about love are only amplified. The problem is, she’s recently met X, and meeting him has made her question some of her thoughts about love – until she witnesses yet another future ending.
But what she learns as she begins to open herself up to others, is that she might not always have the full story. That falling out of love doesn’t mean the people regret the love they once felt, or that it disappears altogether, either.
This book was insightful and I urge everyone to read it. You might just learn that love is worth the risk, and that there’s more to learn about loss than you might have anticipated.
ianthereader0's review against another edition
4.0
4.25/5
Instructions for Dancing was shockingly good. I told myself when I got this e-arc on Netgalley that I would read it way later, and was convinced my reading tastes had changed to the point that I might not enjoy a Nicola Yoon book the way that I used to. What I failed to account for is the fact that Nicola Yoon is magic. There is something about her writing that casts a spell on me, and is so utterly compelling. I finished this book in about 24 hours, which is super rare for me. To be honest, this book blew me away.
I very rarely read YA anymore, and when I do, it is typically not contemporary. I loved Yoons first two novels (Everything, Everything and The Sun is Also a Star), which boded well for this novel, but still I had low expectations. I did not expect this book to be so packed full of emotion and power. Not to mention the fact that by the end of this story, I was so genuinely invested in Evie’s story, that I felt nearly as emotional as the characters did (okay, maybe not to that extent, but I was HOOKED).
This story felt very personal, beyond Yoon’s first two works. Evie starts off the story so rattled by the sudden separation of her parents, and is questioning everything about her previous understanding of love, happiness, family, and the future. I connected with her journey a lot, and thought the emotions she experienced were expressed so authentically. Sometimes, especially in YA, I find the characters to be unrealistic emotionally, but I really bought into everything Evie was feeling.
To be critical for a moment, I did find some of the fluff of the story to be a bit cheesy, and also would have liked to see a little bit more interaction between Evie and a few other characters (namely her sister, and the owners of the dance studio). But despite that, this book was excellent. There is a magical realism element that I wasn’t aware of for some reason, going in. I thought it was a really nice addition to the story, and added to the overall effect it had on me.
To wrap it all up, if you liked Yoon’s first two books at all, you are going to want to pick this up. I entered this book skeptically, and ended up being completely drawn in and moved by it. I think you’ll enjoy it, too!
Thank you to Netgalley, Nicola Yoon, and Penguin for an early copy of this book.
Instructions for Dancing was shockingly good. I told myself when I got this e-arc on Netgalley that I would read it way later, and was convinced my reading tastes had changed to the point that I might not enjoy a Nicola Yoon book the way that I used to. What I failed to account for is the fact that Nicola Yoon is magic. There is something about her writing that casts a spell on me, and is so utterly compelling. I finished this book in about 24 hours, which is super rare for me. To be honest, this book blew me away.
I very rarely read YA anymore, and when I do, it is typically not contemporary. I loved Yoons first two novels (Everything, Everything and The Sun is Also a Star), which boded well for this novel, but still I had low expectations. I did not expect this book to be so packed full of emotion and power. Not to mention the fact that by the end of this story, I was so genuinely invested in Evie’s story, that I felt nearly as emotional as the characters did (okay, maybe not to that extent, but I was HOOKED).
This story felt very personal, beyond Yoon’s first two works. Evie starts off the story so rattled by the sudden separation of her parents, and is questioning everything about her previous understanding of love, happiness, family, and the future. I connected with her journey a lot, and thought the emotions she experienced were expressed so authentically. Sometimes, especially in YA, I find the characters to be unrealistic emotionally, but I really bought into everything Evie was feeling.
To be critical for a moment, I did find some of the fluff of the story to be a bit cheesy, and also would have liked to see a little bit more interaction between Evie and a few other characters (namely her sister, and the owners of the dance studio). But despite that, this book was excellent. There is a magical realism element that I wasn’t aware of for some reason, going in. I thought it was a really nice addition to the story, and added to the overall effect it had on me.
To wrap it all up, if you liked Yoon’s first two books at all, you are going to want to pick this up. I entered this book skeptically, and ended up being completely drawn in and moved by it. I think you’ll enjoy it, too!
Thank you to Netgalley, Nicola Yoon, and Penguin for an early copy of this book.
tiallie's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
relaxing
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? No
4.5
heyitskai's review against another edition
5.0
Someone should've warned me that this was going to break my heart.
juniperdreaming's review against another edition
3.0
It took a while to gain momentum, but I enjoyed the story and the premise. I’d recommend it for young adult readers or people in need of an easy read or palate cleanser.
jen1505's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
nav_kaxr's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
BAD ENDING
maggie_mm's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
i love nicola yoons other books and characters but evie made me want eat nails. some of her decisions really annoyed me. however i thought the environment of the story was built really well.