Some of this author’s titles I have enjoyed, but this one seemed a little disjointed. I felt like the story was all over the place, and the plot didn’t really stick.

Jandy Nelson has a brilliant way of navigating the complexities of family, relationships, and the burden of secrets in her newest novel, When the World Tips Over. From the moment a strange girl with rainbow hair shows up in town, each of the Fall siblings finds themselves confronting the demons of their past and the secrets of their present. As tragedy brings them all together, long-buried truths and betrayals must surface for them to find a way forward.

This one is a YA book, it’s also told from multiple perspectives. That was a bit confusing at times the amount of characters is hard to grasp with the many plots going on also. I’ve read other books by this author and they were good. This one was a 3 star for me because it was hard to keep track.

Oh boy! This was one of my longest reading adventures because I went back and reread some chapters that were like music to my ears, a healing touch to my soul. I absolutely devoured each chapter, each heartfelt moment, including resentments, unexpected revelations, pure magical realism, nonstop sobbing, shedding tears, heart-bursting angst, and true happiness appearing like a sunrise after the dark. The dreamy notes of jazz music, the aphrodisiac taste of chocolate soufflés, the innocence of young hearts, and the four betrayals that may rip the heart but lead people to their destiny!

This book is a lyrical symphony! The most delicious meal! The most heartbreaking family saga where the curse of Abel and Cain may incarnate in two brothers, and the curse can only be broken by facing the truth and seeing things with your heart!

This is one of the best books I’ve read this year! It has already taken its honorary place in my library, and I plan to give it as a gift to anyone who is still soul-searching, tarnished by family history, lost in the dark, and needs something inspirational to find their path again!

The story starts with a rainbow-haired young girl’s appearance in Paradise Springs, a dreamy town in Northern California. This mysterious teenage girl touches the lives of three siblings. Is it a coincidence, a divine intervention? Who is this girl? Is she a guardian angel, a young student searching for the Fall family roots? A vagabond, running away from home?

Firstly, she saves the life of Dizzy Fall, a 12-year-old quirky girl who sees voices in color and also sees spirits. Dizzy is learning to bake cakes like her chef mother, Bernadette, and misses her drowned father, Theo. The rainbow-haired girl, Cassidy, pushes her away from a high-speed truck and disappears, making Dizzy think she’s an angel. But neither her family members nor her estranged best friend, Lizard (aka Tristan), whom she only talks to via voicemail, pay her any attention.

Then the rainbow-haired girl meets Perfect Miles: the brainiac, golden boy of the family who never does anything wrong. He’s a great athlete, an A-student, the most popular boy at school, but he has secrets. He’s gay but hasn’t come out, he’s depressed, and he only shares his feelings with his also depressed queer dog, Sandro, who has a sarcastic sense of humor and suicidal tendencies.

His meeting with the girl and talking about his troubled relationship with his brother Wynton, who has bullied him for years, and his secrets from the family create a special bond with her.

Then there’s Wynton, the 18-year-old older brother who cannot deal with the loss of their father. He sleeps with his father’s trombone next to him, is a violin virtuoso, and the black sheep of the family who never stays out of trouble. He was kicked out of the house for selling his mother’s ring to buy a special bow to play at a jazz club. He and the rainbow-haired girl met before, at the lowest time of the girl’s life, and already shared a special bond, more profound than the other siblings’ bond with her.

But a tragedy strikes, and the entire family falls to pieces, with their secrets, betrayals, lies, regrets, and fears. As the cursed family story starts unraveling, the Fall siblings slowly realize nothing is as it seems, and maybe the rainbow-haired girl, Cassidy, is the key to unlocking the case that carries their hidden family history! Could the truth hurt, tear you apart, but also save you as well?

Overall, the characters in this book were amazing. The gold-hearted Dizzy, who only wants her brother to see her as she is: quirky, goofy, and eccentric; Miles, who wants to shed the perfect boy skin to be himself; Wynton, who burdens the family secrets that ruin his life, and pours his hatred, resentments, sadness, and grief into playing his viola; and Cassidy, who wants to have a family besides her free-spirited, also troubled nomad mother, Marigold. Bernadette, the talented chef who can compose lyrical feasts with her culinary skills, still leaves food outside in case her drowned husband, Theo, decides to come back.

There are also Felix, a young, humongous, bi, culinary chef who embraces life with full enjoyment; Sandro, the quirkiest, darkly humorous dog; grandfather Alonso, who brings light everywhere he goes; and his lover Sebastian, who puts rocks in his pockets to avoid floating away. Maria, the brave, free-spirited soul who has wings to fly over the vineyards, is an ancestor of the family, and these are remarkable characters you may never forget.

This is a long book, and the pacing at the beginning is a little slow, but you won’t want to put it down. On the contrary, you’ll keep devouring each chapter and find yourself in a magical wonderland that enchants your mind and soul! The writing is amazing! The conclusion is satisfying and heartwarming! Don’t skip this heart-wrenching but also inspirational and promising dysfunctional family saga! This is one of the best books you can read in your lifetime.

Many thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group/Dial Books for sharing this year’s greatest reading digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

When the world tips over is a delicate tale about family, relationships, and everything else that comes with love.

Dizzy Fall (12) is going through a messy divorce with her best friend. Always and forever herself and weird, she feels lonely. A rainbow haired, pretty girl saves her life when the girl pushes her out of the way of a moving car.

Miles Fall (17), can’t get out of the gloom room. Not permanently. Trying to be everything his older brother isn’t, he’s perfect, but hiding something important, he’s gay, and not out to anyone. A car ride with a rainbow haired, pretty girl changes everything when he finally finds someone that understands him.

Wynton Fall (19) is a talented violinist and the oldest sibling. He’s not Perfect Miles, nor the dreamer that Dizzy is. One night, he is saved, like his siblings, by a rainbow haired girl, when a car hits him and drives away. The difference is that he already has met the girl before, in a meadow, when they were seven, a few hours where they fell in love.

Cassidy (19), is the rainbow haired girl. Carrying secrets that are not hers, she finds all the Fall siblings and saves them, in different ways.

What will happen in Paradise Springs when secrets and lies start unraveling and stories are getting told aloud after so long a time?

This mesmerising and fascinating book will leave the readers with an empty feeling and bind them to the story.

A thing that I loved about this book was the many ways of writing that were in it. Pieces of the book are written in first person, as if someone is talking with a friend, and a chunk of it was written in letters, another as a diary or a fairytale.

The characters had a depth to them that is hard to find in books that makes them seem real, as if they are made of blood and bone.

I’d recommend this book to fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, The perks of being a wallflower, and Turtles all the way down.

I got this ARC for free from NetGalley and am voluntarily writing this review

I was so excited to read this, as I'll Give You the Sun was such an important book to me. This delivered--I was particularly invested and moved by Cassidy's story, by the unflinching way Nelson writes that narrative. The magical elements (the talking dog--though I did love him) didn't necessarily work for me entirely, but the story itself, this family and their lore, these kids and their heartbreaks and emotions, won me over fully.

I had a hard time following this book. There were to many plot lines and characters. I am not sure if I would recommend this book.

Before you read any further, I must confess that I love Jandy Nelson. Her writing is so good at creating stories that are both timeless and relevant at the same time. I absolutely loved 'I'll Give You The Sun' and she doesn't disappoint in this book.

The only way I can accurately describe Nelson's writing is that she is able to weave this large quilt. She takes each character and weaves them over and under in order to create a whole picture. In this book it is the Fall family. Each character has their own personality and characteristics and yet they are all related. Their histories and stories all woven together to create the story of a family. The past very much connected with the present.

I loved so many things about this book. Sandro is one of my favorite characters. I have often wished that I could communicate with my dogs! I loved all of the stories and learning about all the ghosts.

The only bad thing about this book was that it had to end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jandy Nelson and Penguin Teen for an advance copy of this book.

A beautiful YA story told from multiple perspectives. I loved the slow reveals, getting to know Dizzy, Miles, Wynton, and Cassidy, seeing the collision of their stories coming together. I also enjoyed the magical realism with ancestral ghosts and the telepathic dog Sandro. This novel is definitely older YA with some of the content and themes. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the digital ARC!

Lyrical and fantastic - as expected. Entirely worth the wait for this to come out from Ms Nelson - we absolutely devoured this ARC. Thank you for allowing us to review!

I’ll Give You The Sun is my absolute favorite book of all time so I literally SCREAMED when I saw a new Jandy Nelson book was being released. I would say this book is the child of I’ll Give You the Sun and The Sky Is Everywhere - with a quirky set of characters and a story line driven by family and love. At some points this book did feel a bit slow to me and there was like five different story lines. It all wrapped up nicely in the end but it was a lot to keep track of. That being said I truly enjoyed this book and will honestly read anything Jandy Nelson writes - fingers crossed we don’t need to wait another ten years for the next one.

I'm so excited Jandy Nelson added a new book to the shelves. Intense and complex plot makes this a very engrossing read, but I don't think I'd add it to my middle school library collection. Story opens with 12 year-old Dizzy introducing her dysfunctional family's history. I read the 400+ page book in one day, so I was connected, but I fear if I had taken a break from the plot I would have gotten a little lost with the number of characters and time-shifts.

When the World Tips Over does not disappoint! Dizzy, Miles, Cassidy, Sandro, Wynton, Bernadette and more in this cast of characters are intriguing, unique, and worth spending your time with! I found that Nelson dropped us directly into their lives and made it so that we could really get to know not only them, but the family history that brought them all to this point in their lives, It was full of wonderment and mystery and I kept wanting to turn more pages, turn more pages, turn more pages to find out more about their circumstances and their paths. I highlighted quite a few quotes of significance that remind you what life is all about. I enjoyed spending a few days in their world, and think many other readers will too.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

When the world tips over by Jandy Nelson Publication Date of Sept 24,2024 by the Penguin Group young readers group dial books.
First book I’ve read by this author and let me just tell You it was delightful! The characters had me interested told from alternate points of view. Ivan definitely see why this would be a fave author of many. I’ll definitely be interested in more from this author in the future. Thank you for the opportunity to read this one early. It did not disappoint!!

Ten years ago, I read Jandy Nelson’s I’ll Give You the Sun. It was easily one of the most incredible books I’ve ever read. Four years later, I went back to read her debut, The Sky is Everywhere, and I loved that, too. But for a number of years, there’s been no concrete sign that a third Nelson book would be published.

Color me shocked when last week, I received an email from NetGalley with a “Read Now” opportunity—for Nelson’s new book! I couldn’t get to it fast enough.

Jandy Nelson doesn’t just write books. She creates dazzlingly beautiful, poetic masterpieces of words and images, with sparks of magical realism, which leave you breathless and shaken to your core, your mind spinning. That artistry is once again on display in When the World Tips Over.

This is the story of the Fall family, who live in Northern California wine country. The kids’ father was a winemaker who disappeared one day, leaving his family in disarray. Bernadette, his wife, is a celebrated chef. Their oldest son, Wynton, is a violin virtuoso with a talent for self-destruction. The middle child, Miles, is handsome, kind, smart, athletic, and lonely—and wants to find the perfect guy. And their youngest, Dizzy, thinks she’s ugly but dreams of being a heroine in a romance novel.

The appearance of a beautiful, tattooed young woman with rainbow-colored hair turns the Falls upside down. She changes the lives of all three children, but carries her own pain and sorrows. Is she an angel? A saint? A mirage? Simply ordinary?

This is one of those books where there are a lot of disparate threads that ultimately weave together. It’s a beautiful, emotional read about families, friends, love, hope, and a little bit of magic.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dial Books for the advance copy; the book will publish 9/24.

Burgess, a hockey player nearing the end of his career needs a live in nanny for his pre-teen daughter. Tallulah. takes the job even though she has issues with trust. Immediately, they start to have feelings for each and wow, are they ever steamy! I really enjoyed reading about their relationship and I also really liked how all in Burgess was from the beginnning. This book is all kinds of sexy.

This was a great book! I liked the inclusion of LGBT+ characters. And there were enough twists and connections to keep the story interesting. Jandy Nelson is good at writing interesting characters.

This was incredibly cute and moving. I can see why it took Jandy a couple years to write this. I love how every POV felt age accurate and how you could tell that three of them were siblings. It’s really hard to write authentic siblings in media. The ending was very moving and the mother’s unsent letters made me cry. Beautiful Beautiful Novel.

RATING: 5/5 STARS

This book was absolutely worth the wait. I am FLOORED! I don’t think there is a description or review that can accurately capture the world that Jandy Nelson created in this novel. It was whimsical, with the most endearing characters (love you, Sandro!)…. The story was profound and heartbreaking, but the threads came together beautifully at the end. I love magical realism and it was intertwined flawlessly into this book with themes of platonic, family, and romantic love.