How do you even describe a book like this? At its core, this is a multigenerational family story about bravery, about finding yourself, about survival, about betrayal, innocence and love. In this book we follow the three Fall siblings as they each come in to contact with a magical rainbow-haired girl and unravel the mysteries of their past amidst a personal tragedy. The story is complicated and full of heartfelt moments, lyrical and gorgeous writing, and even a sprinkle of magical realism.

I wish I could describe the way reading this book made me feel, but I’ll just say this: there’s something so uniquely special about this story. I devoured each and every word like they were candy. I took my time reading because I wanted to savor every word and drown in this story. I wish I could erase it from my brain and read it again for the first time.

Everything about this book from the characters (Dizzy’s innocence! Miles’ struggles! Wynton’s desire for love!) to the setting (a magical Northern California wine country town) to the magical moments (a dog that can talk directly into people’s heads!) was perfection.

Jandy Nelson’s first book in 10 years is a triumph and absolutely worth the wait. I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time and keep these characters in a special place in my heart.

Safe to say this book WILL be in my top 5 of the year!

Publication: September 24th, 2024

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson is a beautifully written, emotional story about loss, healing, and self-discovery. The characters feel real, and their journeys move, even if the pacing sometimes feels uneven. Nelson’s lyrical prose and exploration of family and love left a lasting impression, Overall, it's a touching, magical realism, and every theme. I can't wait for the audiobook

I think high schoolers will enjoy this story

Thank You Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was another wonderful story by Jandy Nelson. It is bold for a YA—touching on topics few would—and better for it. A delight that will be taking high schools by storm.

I am a big fan of "I'll give you the sun" and was excited to read Jandy Nelson's newest book. A lot of the themes were the same, but none of the characters felt rehashed or too similar to those from IGYTS. However, I felt that there were so many different threads and stories that tied together that I didn't get enough time with any one character to really get a sense of who they were, or to get invested in their stories. I think the book would have been stronger if one or two (or three maybe) of the threads was dropped and we could have focused more on fleshing out the remaining plots. This might be a book I would enjoy more on re-reads, when I have more of an idea what happened and focus more on the details, but ultimately I think the number of plot lines made the story a mit muddled as a whole and decreased my connection with any given character.

I really enjoyed this story. It was tender, raw and real while also being lighthearted and unique. It is a multi-layered story with multiple timelines and viewpoints. There seemed to be a lot going on at once but it was all blended well so it didn’t feel too overwhelming. The characters were interesting and unique and it was easy to feel compassion and love for each of them throughout the story. There is a bit of a magical thread through the story which isn’t always my favorite but it ended up adding to the story in this case.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

Jandy Nelson's When the World Tips Over is a beautifully crafted and deeply emotional exploration of family, loss, and the complexities of identity. Set in the scorching wine country of Northern California, the story of the Fall siblings—Dizzy, Miles, and Wynton—pulls readers into a world where the sun burns bright, and the winds stir not just the landscape but their fractured lives. Each sibling is compelling in their own way: Dizzy, with her cake-baking and spirit-seeing ways; Miles, the brilliant but lost 17-year-old; and Wynton, whose talent and ambition teeter dangerously close to self-destruction.

The arrival of a mysterious, rainbow-haired girl triggers a chain of events that forces the Falls to confront their unresolved grief and deep-seated fears. Nelson weaves together a multi-layered tale filled with road trips, family curses, and love in all its messy, magical forms. While the narrative can feel almost too intricate at times, it shines through with its luminous prose and emotionally resonant characters. When the World Tips Over is a hauntingly beautiful journey through a family's broken past and their desperate search for redemption, earning it a well-deserved 4 stars.

Whimsical, magical tale. Beautifully written family drama and heartache, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I’ll be ordering my own copy. Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advance reader copy.

🌈When The World Tips Over🌈
Author: Jandy Nelson
Pub Date: September 24, 2024

Thank you @penguinteen #partner for the gifted copy of this book!

This was a first time for me reading this author and I will definitely be back for more! In this book we learn that the Fall Father has disappeared which left their family in a state of despair. Dizzy fall, his daughter, is trying to move on with life. She’s a quirky 12 year old who is into baking and sees ghosts. Most of the time she’s lost in her own thoughts about becoming the heroine in a romance novel 😂. Miles, the son, is a handsome smart dog lover seems to have it all but deep down is feeling helpless. Wynton, the oldest son, is a talented violinist who quite possibly may be on the fast track to shattering his life. Then out of the blue a rainbow hair girl appears and changes the course of all of their lives.

This was such a well written family drama with multiple timelines and also POV’s. I think my favorite character was Dizzy as I just loved who she was and her ability to see spirits. Her one of a kind personality gave her a special place in my heart. 🫶This book was definitely a little complex at times and I mention that because I am not sure if audio would work as well here. I did enjoy all of the family secrets, lies and betrayals and felt like each of their stories was extremely entertaining and kept me engaged the whole way through! Can we also just talk about the cover?! 🌈 It’s so bright and happy! Makes me want to stare at it all day! I have more Jandy books on my shelf and this book definitely made me excited to read more!

A journey through time from the beginning of the Fall family and all the loss, grief, love, loneliness, and even a curse between the Fall's brothers that follow them until present day. A really great tale about family, forgiviness and love above all, even if it's not always both ways.

I’ve been trying to get into this one for a few days and it’s just not for me.
It’s very confusing in my opinion and I don’t have any attachments to the characters. I’m about 25% through and I won’t be finishing it..

I had really high hopes for this since I usually LOVE these kind of YA books but this one just fell flat to me,

Thank you for the opportunity.

I think whimsical is the perfect word for this book. Dual timelines, family, drama, heartache, love, it had all the feels. I’ve been waiting a long time for this authors next book and this one did not disappoint!

Thank you for the Advance reader copy provided by Penguin Group and NetGalley!

It’s been a while since Jandy Nelson’s last book, but believe me when I tell you, her newest book is well worth the wait. With When The World Tips Over, she weaves together a heartfelt and sometimes fantastical tale of family, identity, love and loss. I loved the multiple POVS, timelines and the generational saga that’s sprinkled throughout. I found myself loving every single character, but it was Cassidy and Miles who really stole the show. This is a VERY detail oriented book so you really do need to pay attention because in the end, it all comes together full circle is the most beautiful way. I’m just so blown away by this book and these characters. Stories like these are why YA will always be my favorite genre.
Mini spoiler: nothing bad happens to the dog!
CW: violence, mention of animal death, injury, mental illness, sexual assault, child abuse, child neglect

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I feel like Jandy Nelson shouldn't wait ten years before writing her next book because she is an excellent writer and I want to continue reading her work. This was another great book from her, covering a lot of heavy topics with a touch of magical realism that reminded me a bit of Sarah Addison Allen, another favorite writer of mine.

This book deals with the Fall family, who have been missing their father for years after he left one day and never returned. Each of the three Fall siblings have their own feelings about why their father left and how it has affected them, but also how it has affected their relationships with each other. You can easily feel for each character, and anyone who has dealt with something similar will be able to relate. The characters are all very well-written, and each have distinct personalities. As the story progresses, a tragedy happens within the family that causes them to reflect on how they got to the point they're at. And while there are lots of emotions and depressing moments, there are also a lot of laughs. There's a couple of side characters that steal the show at times and bring the story together. The magical realism is done very well - there's enough to help move the story and give it that magical sense, but not so much that it overwhelms the story or distracts from what's trying to be said.

There are other types of losses dealt with as well - the Fall siblings mother losing her brother, their ancestor losing the love of his life, others losing their mother or abilities or themselves. All these losses are dealt with in their own way, but they also bring the characters together. Almost every reader will be able to connect with one of the characters in some way, as everyone has dealt with loss of some kind.

Highly recommended, along with her other books.

This family saga laced with magical realism didn't work for me. Things were too over-the-top. In a way it felt like Nelson was trying to write a book like Dig by A.S. King but she tried too hard and missed the mark. I wasn't the right reader for this book but I am sure it will find an audience.

I read I’ll Give You the Sun and I remember loving it, (though that’s about all I remember) so I couldn’t resist downloading Jandy Nelson’s newest book when it was Read Now on Netgalley.
This book is lyrical and whimsical and beautiful but soooo sooo long and quite convoluted. I loved the different perspectives and the different characters. The reveal at the end was very drawn out though it did ultimately pay off.
I enjoyed this book and found many parts of the story lovely, however, even though this book is billed as YA I would never let a young adult of mine read it. There is a decent amount of gratuitous and weird sexuality (like the mentioning of the word penis numerous times in the first 3 pages of the book for absolutely no reason) that really took me out of the book and I think makes this book completely inappropriate for anyone younger than an older teen.
Thank you to Dial Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, so I love Jandy Nelson. Like... alot. I will be rereading <i>I'll Give You the Sun</i> until my death. This book was hectic, the plot was a bit difficult to follow, and it was a huuuuuge swing. And, amongst all the chaos, Nelson captures lots of heart. The cast is so incredibly lovable. Queer, touches on difficult topics including abandonment and assault, and does so in the magical world of a Jandy Nelson. If I were a young teen, I would be making diabolical tumblr posts about Miles and Felix... lol. So yeah... this is quite an epic return for Jandy Nelson! I will likely continue to read anything she writes...<3

Did I love this book? Did it drive me crazy wanting to know? Did the jumping between narrators, letters, etc, annoy me? Did it intrigue and entertain me? Oh my ALL THE FEELINGS!!! I think perhaps my biggest question at the end was how I would feel about a 14 yo child of mine reading this. There is a LOT of much more adult content (not porn, people) than I might want for someone who is 14yo. However, if my child were 14 and knowingly choosing to read a 500+ page book, they're probably mature enough to handle what is inside.

(The other lingering question......do these towns actually exist? As a resident of Northern California, I kept mentally picturing where each setting was in relation to the others. Jackson is a real town, but not in the county mentioned. And if I had to mentally place Paradise Valley, I would think about Sebastapol (my very own Brigadoon), even though it would have been bittersweet for it to be in Paradise, the city that burned. And yes, I recognize that part of the magic of the book was the mysteriousness of the town. For that, I'm still sticking with Sebastapol, but from the 1970s, where a little fog would make the whole place disappear! At least to the romantic tween that I was.)

End result is that I loved the characters! I loved the twisty turny connections and stories and feelings! I loved the weird and wonderful way the story is presented. And even when I was chuffed that the narration flipped at a really good point, I realized it was because I was so invested in this story! This is one of those books that I really think adults will enjoy as well, as long as they understand that it is written for a YA audience. Really well written for a YA audience.

POSITIVELY IN LOVE!

When The World Tips Over is like magic or sunshine captured in a bottle. The story was simply stunning and even the sadness, betrayal and heartache was beautiful. But, the flawed characters! The descriptions! I could wholly picture each bit of this story that felt like rays of sunlight.

Advance reader copy provided by Penguin Group and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publishing team and PRH Audio for the review copies of When the World Tips Over. As a longtime fan of Jandy Nelson, I was excited to dive into her latest work.

I loved this book. Despite its length, it never feels drawn out—a richly layered family drama told through multiple perspectives, each character thoughtfully developed with their own distinct identity and journey of self-growth. The audiobook, in particular, stood out with its nuanced narration, capturing tone and emotion beyond the words, perfectly conveying the author’s style.

Highlights include the balanced exploration of hope and grief, the complexity of sibling and family dynamics, vivid imagery, and Nelson's brilliant weaving of love and storytelling. This is a remarkable book, not just for YA readers, but for anyone who appreciates family dramas and coming-of-age stories.

I loved I’ll Give You The Sun but this one wasn’t for me. I found the writing style really challenging to get into, and I found myself lost at times with all of the moving pieces. I think there will definitely be plenty of readers who love this one but unfortunately I am not one of them.