Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon

There’s something about reading a young adult fiction book in the summer that just completely captivates me. This one is no exception!

Thank you Delacorte Press for my gifted ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: 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?

THIS BOOK. ALL THE FEELS. I jumped into this one without having read the synopsis, and I think that made this book all the better. You’ll laugh, cry, swoon, and cheer throughout the whole book. It’s utterly beautiful and I wish more books were like this. I feel like Nicola is the Sarah Dessen of this generation! Also, be sure to read the Author’s Note at the end – it’s a tear jerker, but also wonderfully beautiful.

5/5 Stars

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

As of lately, I’ve been daydreaming about my high school days attending concerts and blasting music in the car with the windows down. Those were the days. It certainly brings me back to this gem.

Remy has had her fair share of boys, and honestly so has her mother. It’s almost as if she thinks she’s experienced enough until Dexter (the bad boy) walks into her life. Their relationship takes most people by surprise, Remy included, and she starts to figure out maybe she’s been following this romance thing all wrong her whole life.

Okay, this is most likely my all-time favorite book for so many reasons. Number one: the music scene in the novel is #goals. Number two: her personality is a little like mine. Number three: her taste in guys is divine. Number four: I first read this around the same age as the main character so I could relate to her troubles in life at the time (romance, family, college…). The list goes on and on. I had a huge crush on Dexter and I totally still do. She paints these characters so perfectly in this book. It’s all about taking risks and being open with others, something I think every high schooler struggles with at that stage in life. The romance is so perfect too…ugh I could go on and on. If you want a beautiful read, pick this one up now!

The next Sarah Dessen book I could talk about forever is Dreamland. WOW. That I will save for another time 🙂

5/5 Stars