Book: INSTRUCTIONS FOR DANCING by Nicola Yoon
____________________________________________________________
Release Date: June 1, 2021
Publisher: Delacorte Press
ISBN-13: 978-1524718961
Position in Bibliography: This is Nicola Yoon’s third novel.
Numbered Pages: 289
Chapters: 60
Word Count: Approx. 61,000 words
Jacket Design: Neil Swaab
Jacket Lettering: Jyotirmayee Patra
Interior Design: Ken Crossland
Text Font: 12-point Adobe Garamond
Audiobook Run Time: 7 hours and 48 minutes (Unabridged)
Audiobook Narrator: Narrated by Bahni Turpin
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Setting: Los Angeles
Tense: Present Tense
Point of View (POV): First Person
Themes/Subjects: Love, Heartbreak, Infidelity, Divorce, Trust, Forgiveness, Racism, Relationships, Endings, Choices
Triggers: Grief, Death
Purchase: Bookshop I Barnes & Noble I IndieBound I Amazon
Add it to Goodreads: Here
____________________________________________________________
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?
____________________________________________________________
Dedication: “For my mom, who is still smiling despite it all. And for my father-in-law, who smiled through it all.”
Find the Acknowledgements: End of Book
____________________________________________________________
Cover Blurb:
“Nicola Yoon knows how to make you fall in love.” – Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author
Jacket Copy Blurbs:
“Beautifully crafted.” – People
“Gorgeous and lyrical.” – The New York Times Book Review
“Fresh, moving.” – Entertainment Weekly
“Vibrant, thrilling, and, ultimately, wholly original.” – Bustle
“Heartwarming and inventive.” – Mashable
“Powerful, lovely, heart-warming.” – Jennifer Niven, #1 New York Times bestselling author of ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES
“Extraordinary.” – Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author of SMALL GREAT THINGS
____________________________________________________________
Characters + Identifiers (In Order of Named Appearance):
Yvette “Evie” Antoinette Thomas – High school senior, warm complexion, high round cheeks, full pink lips (p. 20)
Mom – Single Mom, ER Nurse, short Afro (page 3), tall and straight (p. 200)
Dad / Larry Thomas – Afro with some gray in it, mustache with some gray in it (p. 153-154)
Danica “Dani” – Evie’s Sister, Jamaican (p. 5), enormous Afro, bright glittery makeup and vintage clothes (p. 9), same warm complexion, high round cheeks, full pink lips as sister but more dramatically on her (p. 20)
Martin – One of Evie’s Best Friends, 18-years-old, white, curly blond hair that grows faster than he can cut it (26)
Sophie – One of Evie’s Best Friends, Mixed – Black French Mom & Korean American Dad (p. 54)
Cassidy – One of Evie’s Best Friends, White (p. 54)
Grandma
Grandpa
Ben – Danica’s Boyfriend, white, tall, muscled, long and messy blond hair (p. 10)
Dwayne – Evie’s First Boyfriend
Shelley – Sheldon’s Girlfriend
Sheldon – Shelley’s Boyfriend
Dwight – Joel’s Boyfriend
Joel – Dwight’s Boyfriend
Mr. Armstrong – U.S. History Teacher
Archibald Johnson – La Brea Dance studio co-owner, Maggie’s husband, Black (p. 37), tall, thin, bald head, salt and pepper mustache (p. 40)
Maggie Johnson – La Brea Dance studio co-owner, Archibald’s wife, Black (p. 37), regal, thick gray dreads, bright brown face (p. 40)
Jess – X’s Ex-Girlfriend
Xavier “X” Darius Woods – Archibald & Maggie’s Grandson, 18 years old (p. 223), Guitarist & Singer for X Machine, Brown skin, dark eyes and cheekbones, gratuitously tall, long skinny dreads dripped in blue, giant hands (p. 44), tattoo on the back of his biceps (p. 45), small gap between his front teeth, hipster-hot (p. 46), nice calves that are wide and muscular with just a modicum of hair(p. 67), eyes are bright black (p. 159)
Archer – Danica’s New Boyfriend
Fiona “Fifi” Karapova – Dance Instructor, White, tiny, severely cut jet-black bangs (p. 38), heavy Eastern European accent (p. 39)
Clay – X’s Late Friend, Former Bassist for X Machine
Jamal – X’s Friend, Drummer for X Machine, taller than X (p. 101)
Kevin – X’s Friend, Keyboardist turned Bassist for X Machine
Ricky – Owner of Ricky’s Club, thick English accent, white, short, mohawk, covered in tattoos (p. 98)
Shirley – Evie’s Father’s Fiancée, short and curvy, big & wild Afro (p. 200)
Bob – Mom’s Date, Oncological Pediatrician
Aunt Collette – Dad’s Older Sister
Denise – Evie’s Cousin, Collette’s Daughter
Ms. Gene – Shirley’s Mother
Dr. Bob – Mom’s New Boyfriend
Kevin – X’s Friend
Jamal – X’s Friend
Olivia Cortez – Valedictorian
Principal Singh – Bevshire High School Principal
Uncle Allan
____________________________________________________________
Fun Facts:
There are pop culture references to Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Big, Swing Time, Mad Hot Ballroom, Alicia Keys, Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allan Poe, Abba, The Roxy, Whisky a Go Go, Bob Marley and the Wailers, George Benson, Jane’s Addiction, The Doors
1 Comment