In the month of January, I picked up a novel by Nicola Yoon called Instructions for Dancing. After reading and thoroughly enjoying both of her previous novels (Everything, Everything and The Sun is Also A Star), I had nothing but high expectations for this one. Now, I have to say, this is one of the most profound novels I have picked up in a while. So today, I wanted to share my thoughts and feelings about this book and convince you to read it.
Synopsis
Instructions for Dancing follows the story of a teenage girl named Evie Thomas as she copes with her parent’s divorce. While going through this drastic change, she realizes that she has the ability to see the beginning, the middle and the end of a relationship when she sees a couple kiss one afternoon. While understanding her newfound ability, she finds herself dancing with a boy named X at La Brea Dance Studio. X is adventurous, optimistic and believes in saying yes to everything. This leads the two to enter a ballroom dancing competition, forcing the two closer and closer together. However, as Evie sees the ending of more and more relationships thanks to her ability, she begins to question whether love is worth the risk.
My Thoughts
***spoiler free***
Upon reading the synopsis and looking at the cover, I truly thought that this was a light rom-com. However, this book is so, so much more than that. Not only does this book feature a relatable main character, a great writing style but it gives you a truly important lesson that I believe is vital in all aspects of life.
Characters
First of all, Yvette (who goes by the name Evie) is a teenager who is learning to cope with her parent’s divorce. As a result, she is closed off, hesitant and guarded in many aspects of her life. As a reader, diving into a story with the main character who had their own imperfections and struggles was truly refreshing. Evie was portrayed as a real individual who had her own struggles and conflicts with those around her. Not only was this relatable, it made for a more interesting and enriching read.
Furthermore, this book truly has great representation. This not only provided variety, but representation is an important aspect to any novel in my opinion.
Writing Style
One thing I adore about all of Nicola Yoon’s novels is her writing style. Her chapters are often short and in my view, more informal. For example, some chapters may be a page long while others may be several pages. Some chapters may consist of entire events while others will simply have a poem. This writing style provides variety and truly makes you want to keep reading. Not only did this make Instructions for Dancing a quick read, but it allowed me to get different perspectives into Evie’s life.
A Profound Lesson
This book teaches you a lesson that I believe is crucial in all aspects of life. As Evie learns to cope with her parent’s divorce, she has a pessimistic view on many things. She’s afraid of getting hurt once again and as a result, she is hesitant and guarded in many aspects of her life. However, by the end of the book, she learns that despite the heartbreak or outcome of an experience, the experience and the joy it brings you is what truly matters. Essentially, this book stresses the importance of the journey rather than the final destination. This is something that can blindside many of us, but is a vital lesson nonetheless. Therefore, this book truly taught me something I had forgotten and this combined with several other factors made this a truly profound and meaningful book in my eyes.
Final Thoughts
Thanks to its great character development, beautiful writing style and most importantly, the message it was trying to convey, this book has become one of my favorites. I truly hope that you give this book a chance and love it as much as I did!
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