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Instructions for Dancing

Nicola Yoon (Goodreads Author)

4.43 · Rating details · 171 ratings · 135 reviews

#1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything and The Sun is Also a Star Nicola Yoon is back with her eagerly anticipated third novel. With all the heart and hope of her last two books, this is an utterly unique romance.

Evie Thomas doesn't believe in love anymore. Especially after the strangest thing occurs one otherwise ordinary afternoon: She witnesses a ...more

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Kindle Edition, 304 pages

Expected publication: June 3rd 2021 by Penguin (first published June 1st 2021)

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Average rating 4.43 ·

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· 171 ratings · 135 reviews

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Feb 16, 2021 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it really liked it

Ohhhh my poor, broken heart! It hurts like hell! Don’t get fooled by this beautiful, vivid, inspirational cover promises you sweet, soft, entertaining YA romcom!
It’s heart wrenching, extremely emotional, magical, though provoking story shakes you to the core!
True love, epic dance moves, kindred hearts, quirky best friends, a girl’s magical ability to see the kissing couple’s heartbreaks !

They’re the first words come into my mind when I read this book. I’ll barely gathered my words because th ...more

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Feb 15, 2021 Tatiana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: those who want to swoon and cry and like stories about dancing

Shelves: ya, 2021, romancelandia

I read this book in one day. And although my first reaction to it was a total delight, I finished it with my heart a little broken. This story is cute and tender, but it will also leave you in tears.

Essentially, Instructions for Dancing is about this - how do you allow yourself to love, when you know this love will almost always leave you miserable?

Evie is already skeptical about love when she finds out her parents' marriage ended because of her father's infidelity. But when she miraculously a ...more

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Jan 28, 2021 Warda marked it as to-read · review of another edition

I didn’t even need to know what it was about to preorder it.

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Jan 27, 2021 ❀ Alex ❀ (The Scribe Owl) marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, arc-tbr

February 12:
GUYS GUESS WHO JUST GOT AN ARC OF THIS? NETGALLEY, I LOVE YOU 😂

January 27:
OH MY GOSH A NEW NICOLA YOON BOOK

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Feb 12, 2021 tiffany marked it as to-read

me when i see i’ve been approved for the arc:

p.s. NETGALLEY I LOVE YOU.

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guys, i just did some math. the last time nicola yoon published a novel was in 2016...that was FIVE YEARS AGO. how can i NOT BE EXCITED ?????!!! how i have survived the last five years, i have no idea.

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my children, let’s all gather and acknowledge this beautiful cover.

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OMG, HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS UNTIL NOW ???!!!

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I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalle ...more

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Jan 27, 2021 Katie ♡ marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Nicola Yoon has just announced the cover for this book and I am 100% here for it!!

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Feb 13, 2021 jesse📚 rated it liked it

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an Advanced Reader’s Copy for this book in exchange for an honest review.

RATING: 3.5 STARS

But I’ve seen the ground. It is covered in lethal spikes fashioned from the bones of other jumpers. The fall is not at all survivable.

While I’m not particularly a huge fan of Everything, Everything, I read this book on the same day that the ARC was given to me simply because Nicola Yoon is a wildly popular Young Adult author and Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an Advanced Reader’s Copy for this book in exchange for an honest review.

RATING: 3.5 STARS

But I’ve seen the ground. It is covered in lethal spikes fashioned from the bones of other jumpers. The fall is not at all survivable.

While I’m not particularly a huge fan of Everything, Everything, I read this book on the same day that the ARC was given to me simply because Nicola Yoon is a wildly popular Young Adult author and this is her newest work in nearly five years!

Instructions for Dancing is a light but heartfelt tale of Evie, a girl dealing with her life in the aftermath of her parents’ divorce and her father’s betrayal. Just when she decided to change her entire view on love and dating and after a strange occurrence with a ‘library’ and a strange woman, she suddenly discovered she had a newfound ability to see glimpses of relationships; what happened, what is happening, and what is going to happen, whenever a couple kissed.

This book made me feel a bunch of emotions. There were times when I was left smiling at me e-reader and there were other times when I mouthed ”oh no!” to certain scenes. It’s a special kind of book; there’s an element of magical surrealism in it and yet Evie’s journey of tackling her own demons take the center stage.

I love the way the story leans more toward acceptance than anything else. I love how Nicola Yoon wrote the dynamics between Evie and her friends, and I could feel how deeply personal Evie’s journey in this book is. But most of all, I like the way this book wrapped: that people can fall in and out of love, but what matters is what is happening in the present, and that yes, people can fall out of love too, but that doesn’t mean that what they had wasn’t real or that the love they had was pointless or wasn’t worth it. It’s not all about how it ends; it’s also about the beginnings and the in-betweens.

One of the things I noticed about this book is how rushed some of the parts are, especially the competition scenes where everything seemed to happen in a blur. Though I do understand that this is an ARC and there might be changes with the final book. Evie’s newfound ‘powers’, I think, also didn’t take the center stage long enough. Though I like the openness of the story and the ending, I would appreciate it more if we’re given more background about where she got said ‘powers’ (I would love to know about the mysterious woman and the library!) and Evie’s realization of how the power changed her life and the way she thinks.

One of the other cons in this book is that in the end, we don’t get any solid ‘conclusion’ after all. We didn’t get to see what happened afterward to our characters. This book didn’t end with a “happy ending” but it wasn’t a “sad ending” either. But in a way, I do understand that it’s also how life works, and I like the ‘openness’ to the ending which also means the readers can make it what they like it to be, so in a way, it’s a thing that I felt a little skeptical about but eventually came to like. ...more

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Jan 28, 2021 ari marked it as to-read

Shelves: my-hopeless-romantic-ass-tbr, blurryeyes

you should’ve seen how fast i clicked that tbr button when i saw the cover and the face i made when i read the synopsis and realized this isn’t wlw 😭

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Feb 18, 2021 Anniek rated it really liked it

Shelves: author-of-colour, black-mc, mc-of-colour, 2-ya, 3-contemporary, black-author, 1-2021-releases

If you loved The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon, you're in for a treat, because I'm positive you're going to love this too.

It's a beautiful YA romance that delves into the question of if love is worth it if you know it will end - does the happiness outweigh the pain when it's over? I think this is a question a lot of people struggle with, and it's one that's raised for the main character when her dad cheats on her mum and they get divorced. Then she starts seeing the course of people's relat ...more

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Feb 28, 2021 Chaity marked it as to-read

I was willing to even read Nicola Yoon's grocery lists but
goodreads was like 'No.You finally get to read a new book'.

And, I smashed the green to-read button. ...more

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Feb 08, 2021 Sara ➽ Ink Is My Sword marked it as to-read · review of another edition

This cover! Gorgeous is not even enough to describe it. 😍😍

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Jan 28, 2021 ♠ TABI⁷ ♠ marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

yes please

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Feb 19, 2021 Elizabeth rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley-arc

4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published on June 3, 2021.

Nicola Yoon is one of my favorite YA authors. This is the third book I’ve read by her and I will likely read anything she writes.

This was a quick, fun, happy and sad read, all in one! 18 year old Evie finds our her parents are getting a divorce and shortly thereafter discovers a superpower (leap of faith here) that she can see how relationships ...more

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Jan 27, 2021 Ryan Bada marked it as to-read · review of another edition

1/27/21: YOU DONT KNOW HOW LONG IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS TO HAPPEN. "everything, everything" and "the sun is also a star" both capture the light-hearted romance filled with serious topics that i needed a few years ago. the cover! the premise!! this is right up my alley, an instant preorder! ...more

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Feb 02, 2021 Dallas Strawn rated it it was amazing

"The problem with broken hearts isn't that they kill you. It's that they don't." -Nicola Yoon

Nicola, why did you do this to me???

Oh, man. I loved this book. It was an extremely easy fast paced read, I was approved for this on NetGalley less than 24 hours ago and I’ve already finished. I couldn’t put it down.

On June 1st, you’re all going to cry the tears I cried today. It’s been a long wait since Nicola Yoon published Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also a Star but believe me when I tell ...more

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Feb 16, 2021 Jamie rated it it was amazing

My heart is broken and I have all the feelings after finishing this book which I could not put down!
Evie is ripped apart after her parents get divorced, she decided to even give away her beloved romance novels.
Suddenly, Evie has the ability to see couples entire relationships from start to finish, confirming her beliefs love isn’t real.
Evie finds a dancing instruction book in a little free library, the book belongs to a local dance studio that Evie starts attending. She meets X, soon she star ...more

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Feb 22, 2021 Erica (storybookend) rated it really liked it

Shelves: cover-love, would-love-if-it-were-a-movie, netgalley, cute-covers, warning-f-bombs, 2021-reads, release-in-2021, really-liked, arc, to-buy-asap

I loved most of this book. In fact, before the ending, it was well on its way to being a 5 star book. Then, well.

I’m confusedly disappointed by the ending of this book. The very ending, I did love, but it was what led up to the ending that I didn’t care for. I wish it had played out differently. I understood it, especially after reading the author’s note at the end, but still, I didn’t like it 🥺

But! the rest of the novel I really really loved. It made me smile and laugh and I could not stop jot I loved most of this book. In fact, before the ending, it was well on its way to being a 5 star book. Then, well.

I’m confusedly disappointed by the ending of this book. The very ending, I did love, but it was what led up to the ending that I didn’t care for. I wish it had played out differently. I understood it, especially after reading the author’s note at the end, but still, I didn’t like it 🥺

But! the rest of the novel I really really loved. It made me smile and laugh and I could not stop jotting down memorable quotes. The writing! It was deep and meaningful, and light and fun. On that note, I really enjoyed Evie’s character and personality. She pretty much personified all of us book lovers, and she’s snarky, and loving, and lovely, and fun.

My favorite character, however, was Fifi. Fifi is life and gold and I want to know her in real life. Her sharp little jabs that aren’t really jabs, just her speaking truth, in a loving way. Her loving way. I just loved her. I’m sure I’m not describing her right or fully. There’s just one thing I wish. I wish there had been more of her in the novel! I need more Fifi! The beginning was perfect, and then she faded away a little in the middle to make way for other conflicts, which I also appreciated. I just missed Fifi and her humor!

And the dancing. I love dance, and it was described beautifully on these pages. I could envision perfectly the dances Evie and X performed, and their attire, and feelings between them.

I haven’t read many YA magical realism contemporary romance books, and while I really like them and the touch of magic infused into the stories, I feel like the magic sometimes gets a little lost along the way in order to focus more on the romance and other conflicts. I guess I just wish the magical realism aspect had a little bit more of a presence throughout the entire novel. Not to say it was lacking much here. I really liked the magic in this novel and how it was executed and woven in. Except the ending 😒

So, in the end, I loved most of the book and would have given it 5 shining stars if not for one particular plot point. Also, I think this would make a really fantastic movie.

𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑜 𝑁𝑒𝑡𝑔𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑛 𝑒-𝑎𝑟𝑐 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤! ...more

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Feb 12, 2021 Brinley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: february-2021, romance, netgalley-arcs

I loved this book! It was cute, fluffy, and the perfect read for a cold winter day.

For as long as I can remember, I've been watching Dancing With the Stars with my mom. Because of this, I absolutely loved the focus on dancing! I really wish that there had been more of it, because it disappeared throughout the entire middle of this book, but I still really loved it.

I also loved how little of the "magic" was in this. I'll admit, I was skeptical when I read the blurb, and Evie could see the end o ...more

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Feb 19, 2021 Kaz Brekker wife(we have kids together) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 05, 2021 alysa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, representation

silly little romance book not supposed to make me cry this much??

this was super Cheesy particularly in the first half & i am not the biggest fan of Cheesy but it worked in this bc of the acknowledgement of the Cheesiness. but anyways,, slightly cheesy but super cute romance with an extra layer of sumn sumn to give you the feels — nicola yoon has done it again!!

i started reading & rlly thought this was gonna be like your average cute fun romance but No it turned into something so sad but beautif ...more

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Feb 15, 2021 -`ˏ Galaxi Faerie ˎ´˗ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2021-arcs, 2021-reads

-`ˏ 5 stars ˎ´˗

Storyline: -`ˏ 10/10 ˎ´˗
What's worse than discovering that your parents are getting divorced? Witnessing your daddy's betrayal. That completely breaks down and changes Evie's view of love. How can you believe in love when the people you admire fall out of it? Still appalled, Evie meets a strange woman who hands her a book. .and the power to see a short timeline of a couple's relationship from the way it started to the way it ends unfortunately when they kiss. (Excuse me, but I thi -`ˏ 5 stars ˎ´˗

Storyline: -`ˏ 10/10 ˎ´˗
What's worse than discovering that your parents are getting divorced? Witnessing your daddy's betrayal. That completely breaks down and changes Evie's view of love. How can you believe in love when the people you admire fall out of it? Still appalled, Evie meets a strange woman who hands her a book. .and the power to see a short timeline of a couple's relationship from the way it started to the way it ends unfortunately when they kiss. (Excuse me, but I think we should all stop accepting random things from strangers without a valid and refundable receipt. . just in case).

Characters: -`ˏ 9/10 ˎ´˗
Sugar, Spice, and everything nice. These were the ingredients chosen to create the perfect romance novel, But New York Times bestselling author Nicola Yoon accidentally added an extra ingredient to the concoction - An exceptional male specimen name X (I’m sorry, I’ll see myself out). Evie and X have a nice balance. They both had their own personal battles to fight, but their support for each other is absolutely wonderful. All friends and family were well thought out and provided great emotional value. I appreciate the individual moments when they have discussions to better understand each other's feelings. Personally, I would never like the father because I’m a strong believer in “ Don’t cheat. Don’t lie. If you’re unhappy and your heart is leading you to someone else. Just leave.”

Atmosphere: -`ˏ 10/10 ˎ´˗
I’m glad I paid extra for a waterproof kindle. I don’t know why my eyeballs keep leaking. I should probably call a repairman, it might have something to do with my HEART CONSTANTLY BREAKING!
Trigger warnings: infidelity, grief, and death(mention).

Language: -`ˏ 8/10 ˎ´˗
Eloquent and thought-provoking writing. Just a little bit of magic enough to move the story along. I might be nitpicking but I would have loved more of the dancing portion of the story.

Enjoyment: -`ˏ 10/10 ˎ´˗
Is it too late to ask the repairman to bring me a box of tissues? maybe 10? If you're expecting a cutesy & adorable romance, this is not it.

e-Arc provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
-`ˏ Thank You ˎ´˗ ...more

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Feb 16, 2021 trishla ⚡ | YourLocalBookReader rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, 2021-reads

5 stars.

"Just because everything is different now doesn’t mean we didn’t love each other once. Maybe we will again."

Not only did this book make me stay up til 2 am to finish it, it also had the audacity to give me a puffy face from all my late night crying the next day. I desperately needed some help from Dr. Danica to get my face back together.

I surely did not expect this level of a pull from a romance book but Nicola is incredible at yanking at the heart strings where you least expect it. I ...more

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Feb 13, 2021 Danielle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book was an absolute binge read that I spent pretty much every waking minute reading until I was finished, save for the time I needed to take a break because the story gave me literal goosebumps.

Nicola Yoon wrote one of my all-time favorite YA books, The Sun is Also A Star,

About 3/4 of the way through the book I thought it was a solid read- a romance-reading teen loses her love of reading in the wake of her parents’ divorce. Then she finds a book that will change her life in more ways th This book was an absolute binge read that I spent pretty much every waking minute reading until I was finished, save for the time I needed to take a break because the story gave me literal goosebumps.

Nicola Yoon wrote one of my all-time favorite YA books, The Sun is Also A Star,

About 3/4 of the way through the book I thought it was a solid read- a romance-reading teen loses her love of reading in the wake of her parents’ divorce. Then she finds a book that will change her life in more ways than she could have imagined.
Then suddenly Yoon worked her beautiful heart-wrenching magic and it became clear that this was going to be so much more than a sweet romance or a coming of age story. It is both of those things but there’s so much exploration of love and loss and embracing life that really takes this book leaps above your average YA book.

Yoon writes characters with so much heart - I loved the family dynamics and male love interest in The Sun is Also a Star so much and this book nailed those aspects as well.

In Instructions for dancing X is charming and sexy- definitely nailing that "bad boy rocker with a heart of gold" that you can't help falling in love with.

Evie is a loveable and relatable heroine as well - she's a word nerd and bibliophile that- things that will resonate with many readers - and her insights into the romance genre were a lovely touch.

The dynamics between Evie and her father are strained, but I loved the journey of their relationship healing after she discovered him cheating on her mother. Evie's mom also had her own lovely arc and moment to become more than just a mother in the book, and Danica, Evie's sister was a fun character to read as well. Each of the minor characters in the book- Evie's family and friends have their own full storylines and I loved the thought the author put into these details.

Add this book to your TBR if you loved In Five Years, Oona Out of Order, and the author's previous works.

Many thanks to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the advance copy. ...more

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Mar 02, 2021 Kai the Gemini rated it it was amazing

Shelves: realistic-fiction, arc-netgalley, young-adult, author-of-color, main-characters-of-color, romance

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Evie is a teenage girl in LA who is dealing with the devastation of her parent's divorce. Through a series of (possibly fortunate) events she ends up joining a dance studio where she meets too-cool-for-school X, a high school dropout musician who is going to change her life forever. Nicola Yoon gives us a quick-paced heart-gripping romance that many of us have dreamed of at some point in time. Evie is effortlessly funny and X work ...more

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Feb 19, 2021 delilah ✿ rated it really liked it

This is the first Nicola Yoon book I've read. It was lovely! The story is simple, it's about falling in love and all the heartbreak that comes with it. I love the representation in this book and the cover is so beautiful. However, I don't think the title is a good match for what this book is about. Yes, Evie does dance in it, but it isn't the main plot of this story. Dancing helps start the plot but the true meaning of this story is love.

The main character, Evie, doesn't think of love in the sa ...more

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Feb 20, 2021 Bianca rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2021

I..... have so many feelings 😭

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Jan 31, 2021 Josh Newhouse rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 21jan

Brilliant and beautiful and sad and a book that has a simple but powerful message. You broke my heart Nicola but the trip was beautiful!

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Jan 30, 2021 Kloe marked it as to-read

Nicola Yoon is my favourite author and I’ve been waiting for this book since forever ago.

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Feb 28, 2021 Kathaleen Luangamath rated it really liked it

Non-Spoiler Section 📕
I AM IMPLORING YOU TO READ THIS BOOK. I absolutely loved this book, it was my favorite book from Nicola Yoon. I have read all of her other books and I loved them both, but this book was truly fantastic. I want to first thank Net-Galley and the publisher for giving me and ARC of this book for an honest review. With that being said when I saw the description of this book I thought it was going to be a cheesy romantic comedy. I didn't think the book would hold much substa Non-Spoiler Section 📕
I AM IMPLORING YOU TO READ THIS BOOK. I absolutely loved this book, it was my favorite book from Nicola Yoon. I have read all of her other books and I loved them both, but this book was truly fantastic. I want to first thank Net-Galley and the publisher for giving me and ARC of this book for an honest review. With that being said when I saw the description of this book I thought it was going to be a cheesy romantic comedy. I didn't think the book would hold much substance. However, I was completely wrong. This book shows so many life lessons and reasons to love that it's amazing. The theme is really similar to that of "They both die at the end." So if you liked that book I really recommend this book. It follows Evie this girl who has lost all faith in love. This book is her journey to figure out if love is really worth all the pain that it brings. It's a really great book and I highly recommend that you pick it up to read it. Now on to the spoiler section.

(view spoiler) ...more

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Feb 16, 2021 Veronica rated it it was amazing

(The following book contains explicit language, minor pop culture references, and LGBT characters)
Rating: 4.99999 stars because I'm a jerk and because I wish this were longer.

"Love stories are like fairy tales: you're not meant to believe in them forever."

As much as I make fun of cheesy rom-coms and formulaic love stories, underneath all that sarcasm and derision (like way, way deep down,) I'm a hopeless romantic, and I think that's a big reason why I think I loved Instructions for Dancing ...more

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About Nicola Yoon

Nicola Yoon

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Nicola Yoon is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also a Star. She is a National Book Award finalist, a Michael L. Printz Honor Book recipient and a Coretta Scott King New Talent Award winner. Both her novels have been made into major motion pictures. Nicola grew up in Jamaica and Brooklyn, and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, novelist David Yoo ...more