Jandy Nelson is in a league of her own. I always make sure to sit down with a box of tissues anytime I am reading one of her books. This was a phenomenal multi-generational story about the Fall family and kept me engaged the entire time, needing to know where each individual member ended up.

A bit of a slow read for me but Jandy Nelson's writing is quite beautiful. I loved the magicalism in this one. Wasn't overdone and added to the story. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

I’m still thankful to have read IGYTS a few years ago and it immediately became one of my favorites. I think about it often. I jumped at the chance to get an early look at Jandy’s new novel and it didn’t disappoint. Her writing is exquisite and I love her ability to capture emotions and the beauty of the world in such an incredible way. The ✨magic✨ makes it that much more…magical.

4.5/5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I was unable to complete reading this book. The characters were unlikable and sad. The setting was depressing and the further I read the sadder it became. This title was definitely not for me.

If I could rate this above five stars, I would! Jandy Nelson's new book was worth the ten year wait. It is one of those books that will embed itself in your heart and stick with you. This is a story about family, love, secrets, sacrifices, and the power we all have to rewrite our own stories at any time. I am jealous of every person who gets to read this book for the first time. Readers of all ages will lose and find themselves in this enchanting story.

Another great book from Jandy Nelson! As a big fan of "I'll Give You the Sun", I was excited to get an advance look at her newest title, and it did not disappoint.

The pacing of the story is done really well, and it keeps the reader interested. This is especially important as Nelson writes from multiple perspectives, divulging more details with each change in POV. The characters were introduced in turn, and then there was a slow but steady build up that emphasized the growth each person experienced over a relatively short period of time in the story. The setting was good, and the family curse added just the right touch of magic to the story to help move it along.

Satisfying ending and overall good message/feeling to the book. Highly recommend.

If I could give five stars to Sandro, I would. Oh my god, how I wish I could have a talking dog! I am fully aware that was not a huge part of the story, but oh I loved him so much!

Many times things are described as "magical" these days, but the word applies in its literal sense in When the World Tips Over. From the talking dog to Cassidy the perceived angel (at first) and so on, the story weaves in and out of magical realism. I liked some parts more than others, it started slowly and at times seemed long, but at other points it flowed beautifully and I was so engaged.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars

I vividly remember picking up I'll Give You The Sun in a Barnes & Noble, the summer before college, expecting it to be a good companion in the cafe. Little did I know that I would have my first public crying experience as an adult just a few hours after. I don't remember specifics, other than it was a story about family, but I do remember how it made me felt—warm, sad, hopeful, and even giggly at times. Six years later, When the World Tips Over left me feeling much the same (I do remember all the details this time, however! I just finished it minutes ago).

Squeezed into my subway commute, When the World Tips Over was a slower start for me. The different points of view and many names confused me when I would pick up the book a day later. Cassidy in particular had much more backstory than the others, and it was difficult to understand how it would tie back to Wynton, Miles, and Dizzy in a way that prevented me from turning the next page. But once I hit the 40% mark, once the characters all wormed their way into me, it was difficult to put down. The magical realism is weaved so naturally into the story; the past and present came together so beautifully as well. This book was a pleasure to read—I'm sure there are better comps, but in the moment, I would describe it as a cross between The Raven Cycle and Miss Little Sunshine.

Wow, that was a journey. This book was a story of family and how the way you grow up influences who you become—including generational legacies and mistakes made. The different points of view are well written and there is so much whimsy in the writing. Is Sandro the dog the best character? Maybe.

The Fall family, which includes a mother and her three children, live in California wine country. They are all damaged by the disappearance of their father/husband years ago. A mysterious rainbow-haired girl appears out of nowhere, and each sibling has a separate amazing relationship with her. This was a beautiful story. Complicated, fantastical, full of love and pain and misunderstandings and ultimately a desire to set things right.

A while ago now, I read ‘I’ll Give You the Sun’ and adored it, and I was so glad I got the chance to read this latest book by Jandy Nelson. This was such a joy to read - I love Nelson’s writing, and her characters have always felt three-dimensional and engaging. I’ve struggled with some YA reads recently, but didn’t have the same problems here, in large part due to how well the characters were written and how well their issues were dealt with. I haven’t read much magical realism before, but I enjoyed it throughout the book – and I think ‘magical’ would be a good way to describe the story overall.

The only reason why I wouldn’t rate this five stars was the length – over 500 pages is a lot for YA, and I felt like it could have been cut down in places – and how busy the plot is. I got confused occasionally, but it didn’t cause me to dislike the book overall.

A fun trend I have adopted recently is that of reading a “palette cleanser” between heavier books (i.e.historical fiction and biographies, for example). A rock solid choice I have made for my palette cleansing reads has been YA/teen books, and so far, the best of these has been Jandy Nelson’s When the World Tips Over. Chock full of interesting characters and an incredibly fun storyline, Ms. Nelson has mastered the art of storytelling in the entertaining genre of magical realism. Sure to engage young adults and teens, this book is a great coming of age page turner for all ages. Being the first time I’ve read Ms. Nelson, I’m excited to discover her other works.

Oooh this book was such a long time coming, and I’m so grateful to have gotten a digital ARC from NetGalley and Dial Books, but… I didn’t quite love it. I definitely loved certain elements (the magical realism was fun, I adored a few of the characters, and Jandy Nelson’s writing style is still really sensual and engaging) but I really had a hard time with how much was going on in this story. It’s like the author tried to cram like three or four books into one, and it just didn’t make for the best reading experience. All that said, I would still recommend it! Especially to fans of Alice Hoffman’s “Practical Magic” series, Jaclyn Moriarty’s “The Spell Book of Listen Taylor,” and, of course, Jandy Nelson’s other books.

Extremely mixed feelings on this one. I love magical realism, and the big picture concept here is definitely intriguing. Some of Jandy Nelson's writing is very poignant and lovely. However, my biggest takeaway is just how long it took me to get through this book - I basically never wanted to pick it up. There are some real inconsistencies in tone and it still needs a whole lot of editing to come together. I wish I cared more about the family history and the "curse", but it didn't do enough to integrate into the present day timeline in a way that was satisfying to me. The most emotionally invested I felt was in Cassidy's story, which REALLY hit me hard on a personal level. I'm optimistic that there's a much more engaging and impactful version of this book, but in its current form there's too much going on that doesn't totally come together. 2.5/3 stars.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were three-dimensional and even when they weren't necessarily likable, they had redeemable qualities. The intersectionality of the stories kept me interested for the entirety of the book. This is definitely a book that I will recommend in the future!

After loving I'll Give You the Sun, I was very excited when I received this ARC from NetGalley. Unfortunately, I think I set my expectations too high. At first this reminded me a lot of Jerry Spinelli oddity that I find very charming, but there is a difference between quirky, odd characters and outright weird ones and I think this book crossed the line. I should note that I generally dislike magical realism and this is heavy into that with curses and talking dogs and such. But I was holding out because of the family saga, which I believe Nelson does well. This felt messy and confusing and unrelateble though. I didn't get feel a sense of love and belonging. It was just dysfunctional to the extreme. And some people are gonna like the mess. Just wasn't for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for letting me give it a chance.

My first read of a Jandy Nelson book, but definitely not my last. This book is magical and whimsical, yet tackles family drama and secrets. It started out with a degree of speed and intensity that made me think it was going to be a quick read, but turned out to be just the opposite. Longer than expected, it was never a chore; the way each character is developed, gave this reader so very many characters to care about.

Hard to describe. Just being in Dizzy’s head, with the way she associates and thinks was worth the read all by itself.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I enjoyed this book and think you will to.

The first chapter of this book is a home run -- charming, sad, funny, endearing. Then we're introduced to the Fall family one by one, as well as a mysterious rainbow-haired girl that youngest daughter Dizzy believes is an angel.

About a quarter of the way into the book something big happens and we realize the rainbow girl is NOT an angel, but has her own story to share. This shift surprised me. It also disappointed me a little since I also wanted to believe she WAS an angel and had very much fallen in love with the Fall family and wanted to stay focused on their story.

While we're learning more about the rainbow-haired girl, the book shifts gears again and begins to tell you the history of the Fall family and how the past is echoing in the current storyline. (For example, early in the book Dizzy mentions that she sees ghosts, later we learn their stories too.)

Then Fall family members go on a journey, and even more is uncovered that colors even more layers into what we know to be true.

This all seems like a lot, right? Well, for me it didn't FEEL like a lot because I loved, loved, loved these characters and I was deeply invested in them being happy. (If you don't, this book may instead feel like a slog for you). It didn't go in the direction I always wanted it to, but I ended up being tickled once I oriented myself to the new themes at play. It felt very much like real life.

I also enjoyed how the story played out circularly. There are moments touched upon in different timeframe, or by different characters that circle back around later. You don't have to follow all of these clues, but they do add something beautiful to the narrative when you catch them.

So, is this a perfect book? Nope. It's also not what I expected, but I highly enjoyed reading it and it touched my heart. Can't really ask for more than that.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I’d love to interview Jandy for my podcast Taise Your Wordss. When the World Tips Over is the perfect coming of age book for every teen to read.