Published: 2021
Author: Nicola Yoon
Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy
Audience (Grade Levels): Grades 9-12
Number of Stars: 4-Star
Goodreads Link: Instructions for Dancing
Triggers: Divorce and Loss of a loved one
Review By: Heather Kent
Publisher’s Summary:
In this romantic page-turner from the author of Everything, Everything and The Sun is Also a Star, Evie has the power to see other people’s romantic fates–what will happen when she finally sees her own?
Evie Thomas doesn’t believe in love anymore. Especially after the strangest thing occurs one otherwise ordinary afternoon: She witnesses a couple kiss and is overcome with a vision of how their romance began . . . and how it will end. After all, even the greatest love stories end with a broken heart, eventually.
As Evie tries to understand why this is happening, she finds herself at La Brea Dance Studio, learning to waltz, fox-trot, and tango with a boy named X. X is everything that Evie is not: adventurous, passionate, daring. His philosophy is to say yes to everything–including entering a ballroom dance competition with a girl he’s only just met.
Falling for X is definitely not what Evie had in mind. If her visions of heartbreak have taught her anything, it’s that no one escapes love unscathed. But as she and X dance around and toward each other, Evie is forced to question all she thought she knew about life and love. In the end, is love worth the risk?
Review:
Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon is a poignant and heart-wrenching Young Adult contemporary romance aimed at readers in grades 9 through 12. The story centers on seventeen-year-old Evie Thomas, a former romance-novel enthusiast who has completely lost her faith in love following her parents’ painful divorce. While donating her beloved book collection, Evie encounters a mysterious woman who gives her a book on ballroom dancing—and a strange, overwhelming power. Whenever Evie sees a couple kiss, she is struck by a vivid vision of their entire romantic trajectory, from their sweet beginning to their inevitable, heartbreaking end. To make sense of this magical burden, she signs up for lessons at La Brea Dance Studio. There, she meets X, a free-spirited, adventurous boy who convinces her to enter a ballroom competition with him. As they tango and waltz together, Evie finds herself falling for X, forcing her to confront a terrifying question: is love still worth the risk if it always ends in heartbreak?
Yoon’s writing is as lyrical and emotionally resonant as ever, blending a whimsical touch of magical realism with raw, grounded adolescent grief. The character growth is a major strength; Evie’s journey from cynical isolation to brave vulnerability is deeply moving and relatable. The chemistry between Evie and X is electric, built on witty banter and the physical vulnerability of learning to dance. However, readers should be prepared for a major tonal shift in the latter half of the book, which transitions from a lighthearted, competitive dance romance into a devastating exploration of terminal loss and grief. Some readers may find this sudden tragedy jarring, but it serves the book’s central theme perfectly: that love’s brevity does not diminish its value.
I highly recommend this novel to high school librarians, educators, and young adult book clubs, particularly for readers who enjoy emotionally complex romances like those by John Green or Yoon’s previous works. The vibrant cover art, featuring diverse leads caught in a dance, is highly appealing and will easily attract contemporary YA fans. It serves as an exceptional tool for social-emotional learning, highlighting how we navigate grief, family transitions, and the courage to live fully in the present moment. It is a beautiful, four-star addition to any high school collection.
Classroom & Curricular Connections:
- English Language Arts (Magical Realism and Tone): Teachers can utilize this text to analyze how magical realism is used as a metaphor for real-world emotional struggles. Students can discuss how Evie’s supernatural visions represent her subconscious fear of vulnerability and abandonment following her parents’ divorce.
- Social-Emotional Learning (Navigating Family Transitions and Grief): This novel provides a safe, empathetic space for students to discuss the emotional fallout of divorce and the loss of a loved one. It serves as a great discussion starter on healthy coping mechanisms and the importance of open communication during times of grief.
Diversity & Representation:
Instructions for Dancing continues Nicola Yoon’s commitment to centering diverse voices by featuring a Black female protagonist. The book provides essential representation by allowing Black teenagers to experience whimsical magical realism, universal teenage struggles, and deep romance without their racial identity being treated as a source of trauma or conflict.
Readalikes
- The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
- Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds
- You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
