I don't know where to start with this review. I started reading it when first offered and couldn't get into it. Then I picked it up recently and this time I connected with it. Until less than half way through the book when I couldn't figure out where in the world it was going. This was a perfect example of what writers refer to as the "muddy middle." It appears the author wanted to make sure she checked all the boxes and so put in myriads of stuff that added nothing to the story. I almost gave up completely at about 40% in. Hmm, how about a nudist camp? It has nothing to do with the story, but hey, why not? The backstory of the "Fall family curse," while intended to add a layer to the story was so ridiculous I had to skim through it. But I plodded on and finally it began to pull together. Still there were ridiculous scenes to delay the ending. I think if the book had been about half as long and didn't try to throw in all the extraneous stuff, including all the sexual talk and foul language this might have been a decent story. As it is I can only give it 2.5 stars rounded to 3.

I love Jandy Nelson, and I have loved everything Nelson has ever written. When the World Tips Over threw me for a loop at first because this book is a bit of a departure from Nelson's other YA works. It has magical realism mixed with a family saga, and while it was not what I was expecting, it was just what I needed.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

How exactly am I supposed to accurately write down, in words, how much this book meant to me? I’m not, I can’t. It’s impossible. For starters, fans of I’ll Give You The Sun Rejoice. The moment I heard of its announcement that Jandy Nelson was releasing a new novel, since the publication of my ( now, second ) favorite book, IGYTS — I knew I needed to get my grubby little hands on it before it’s release. And since I went down that rabbit hole, I came out on the other end as a member of the Penguin teen influencer program. So, I can thank them for the advanced reader copy- big time.
Holy shit, was this a doozy.
I don’t even know where to start. I feel like I need to take a nap and then attempt to write this review when I’m not so book hung over. I know that I’m being biased, and believe me, I am being super biased. I knew going into this that I would love “When The World Tips Over.” Essentially, I was not going to allow myself to be disappointed in this book. But, rest, assured, I can confidently say that anyone who hasn’t even heard of Jandy Nelson will absolutely fall in love with this story. It exceeded my expectations with colors that don’t even exist. It is everything that made Jandy’s previous novel so special, but with steroids injected into it - crack cocaine injected into its words.
There is a huge cast of characters here with so many overlapping and over arcing storylines and yet each one has a distinct voice, a distinct purpose, and their own dreams - their own development. I want so bad to introduce each and every single one of them to you, because I love them all in their unique ways, but I also want you to meet them for yourselves.
This is going to sound really selfish, so bare with me and brace yourselves, but I almost don’t even want anyone to read this book, because it was so personal and vivid and loud for me. I know that there is going to be criticism on it. I know it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but it was mine, mine, all mine.
Dizzy and all of her quiet insecurities and loud assuredness, Cassidy, and her whirlwind of a childhood— her whirlwind of a mother. Miles. Miles, and how he spoke directly at me, like he was me. And everyone else that I just can’t do justice right now. Their interwoven lives, and the mysterious family curse that has befell them. All of them.
You know that feeling when your binge watching your favorite show on Netflix and you’re getting close to the final episode and your hearts racing because you just can’t let it end ? So you put it off, because if you don’t watch the final episode then it will never end ? That was this book.
I describe “I’ll Give You The Sun” to people as summer in a jar. If that’s true, then “When The World Tips Over” is the universe in a jar. It is love, heartbreak, death, life, the stars, sun, and the moon. It’s everything. This is my favorite book, I fear. How exciting is that?

Sadly, When the World Tips Over came across as scattered and confusing. The comings and goings of the girl in the lives of the siblings helped tie things together somewhat, but that thread and the relationship between the siblings wasn't enough to tie the story together. And underneath everything else, I found it boring. I had to re-read a bit to write this review, even though I finished the book a couple of weeks ago.

I looked forward to reading this one, following Nelson's wonderful I'll give you the Sun, released 10 years ago. It was a long wait, and I am going to say, worth it. As typically happens, though, I will admit I preferred the first novel, even though I gave them both the same rating (perfect argument for a half star, right there).

I'm not sure exactly what I can say about this disfunctional, cursed family; thankfully I am not someone who summarizes plots in reviews because this would surely be a minefield of spoil alerts. There are actually two family stories here (at least), so plenty of opportunity for quirky, strange and downright terrible behavior. I'll leave that to you to judge. Nelson is a genius storyteller, so even though I didn't exactly love all the characters, I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with them on and off the road.

Really enjoyed this book and the writing was especially engaging. I don’t normally read YA but this book pulled me in and made me think. Loved it!

This was SO unique stylistically. It worked at times, but also worked against itself at times. I loved Cassidy, Dizzy, and the structure of the story, and especially how it all evolved. It was hard to keep straight sometimes & I think it is more of an acquired taste, but I adored it overall.

It is with deep sorrow that I have to report that this did not meet my expectations. Maybe I just need to stop having expectations, the best part of the entire book is that Miles in the audiobook is voiced my Crouch. There was just too much going on and I could not get on board. Regretfully -- 2.5 stars.

Thank you to the publishers for allowing me to read and review a copy of this book.

I enjoyed the beginning of the book and was looking forward to it being a magical read. Unfortunately it missed the mark due to all of the abuse and terrible things the children endured that didn’t feel necessary to the story. I did like how it all connected in the end, so I probably rated it a little higher than actually reflects how much I disliked the book overall.

The Falls family has been in pieces since the patriarch disappeared. Dizzy, Miles, and Wynton, along with their mother, are just trying to make their own way in the world. A rainbow-haired girl shows up, just when each of them need her, but who is she? When tragedy strikes, what will happen to the Fall family?

When the World Tips Over is a slow starter, not really gaining any speed as the book reaches its middle part. The book is too disjointed, with too many main characters with their own storylines. The novel is lengthy and might have been better with at least fifty less pages. Dizzy is the best character in the book, a young girl with so much going on around her, but she just wants someone to pay attention.

Overall, When the World Tips Over was a miss for me. The book just did not capture my interest, which was disappointing as I liked the author's other works. In the end, I think that the author just tried to do too much, to give readers the whole world instead of a snapshot of a family's life. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend the novel to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to read and review this novel was entirely my own.

This was my first experience in a Jandy Nelson world, and I loved the whimsy and the uniqueness of the characters. For me, I wasn't in the proper headspace to fully appreciate everything about this novel at the time I read it. I had difficulty keeping the characters straight at first and had to keep going back to figure out who was who. Even still, this was a 4-star read that I expect would have been a 5-star at a different time. I have this flagged for a reread. I plan to delve more into Nelson's backlist!

I am a Jandy Nelson superfan and was so excited about this book, but for whatever reason, I struggled to connect to it. Was it supposed to be middle grade? I see that some Goodreads reviewers are shelving it as that and I agree. Could also be that I am not generally a fan of magical realism OR long family sagas. So I will leave this to her other superfans and patiently wait for her next book...
The Goodreads reviews are strong so clearly it's a case of me, not the book and I am hoping that everyone else loves it..

The PERFECT magical-realism family drama! This writing holds so much emotion with each page, an amazing journey to be had by anyone who has ever had their own family woes or identity crisis. So many twists and turns with an unlikely friendship/found family plot line.

One of my longer reads this year, but each page felt so delicate to my heart. This was one of my first family sagas, and the magical realism additions made it so fun.

There were pieces of the story that I hoped tied together more smoothly, but the story in its entirety has a satisfying ending.

Years ago I picked up a Jandy Nelson book and it killed me. This author knows how to write a family drama, artistic, loving, losing story and every time it rips my heart out and stomps on it. This book was devastating and gorgeous and lovely.

Jandy Nelson is a MASTER. Incredible. So worth the wait. I highlighted so many lines. This is a class in human experience, and I will think about these characters for a long time to come.

2.5 stars!!!

I can't help but feel like I would've enjoyed this book soooo much more if it came out when I was a teenager. I've been patiently waiting for Jandy Nelson to release a new book since I read I'll Give You the Sun nearly 10 years ago, but I think that all that hype made this fall super flat for me. My biggest complaint is that this book is just so long and I don't think it needed to be. There was a lot of filler, but none of it felt like it was super important to the story, it was just the characters existing. I did enjoy the family dynamics and it was interesting to hear the story from multiple points of view and I had a good time connecting the dots every time we got a bit more information. I do feel like I'm in the minority for this, everyone else seems to have loved it! Teenage me would've liked it more.

Gorgeous. Soon it will be out in my country,really heartwrenching even tough full of hope. Love that. The pace of the story is kinda slow,but the characthers development make it all worth it. Thank you net galley !

I ended up listening to this book. It is very long, but beautifully written. Part fiction,, part fairytale I enjoyed this story about family and finding oneself. Be prepared to suspend disbelief.

This was a bit of a slow start for me, and it took a long time to win me over. However no one writes like Jandy Nelson does and regardless of the start, this was wonderful. Extremely character driven and really immerses you. Thank you for the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

4.5 ⭐️

When the World Tips Over is an epic story of a group of siblings. It follows their lives, their loves, their losses, as they grow and grieve and become. Full of complexity, and a touch of magic, it’s a lovely tale that, while lengthy, seems over too soon.

Thank you Jandy Nelson, Dial Books, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.