Jandy Nelson writes beautifully but I had trouble connecting with a story with so many secrets. At some point people just need to speak the truth. I found the level of generational secret keeping to be an exhausting burden to bear, even as a reader. That said, even an exhausting Jandy Nelson is a rewarding Jandy Nelson.

I’m gonna say, right off the bat, I have complicated feelings about this book. Ultimately, I did enjoy it and ultimately my view of the book as a whole and the way I feel about my personal reading experience with it is positive. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have some capital-T Thoughts.

I think if you’re already a fan of Jandy Nelson’s work—as I am—you’re most likely going to enjoy this. Her trademark off-the-wall lyricism, surprising prose, and distinctive character work are once again on full display in this winding, heart-wrenching family saga. It is deeply emotional, as you might suspect, and I do think it really lands when it needs to. I also appreciate the journey this story takes the reader on as it progresses. Even though I cannot truthfully say that I was blown away by every single aspect of the story, I can say that it still feels like an unforgettable whirlwind of events. It’s a unique story that puts mystery, road trips, family curses, generational lore, and just a touch of whimsy on a strangely poignant collision course.

In a lot of ways, I think this is a heartfelt ode to the unlikeliest of roads that lead us back to ourselves, and how the most common family curse that most of us are contending with is our own inability and unwillingness to forgive. Not only to forgive people we care about, but more so to forgive ourselves.

All that said, I do think the story is far from perfect. For one thing, it’s absolutely too long. It’s over 500 pages, which is not in itself an issue, but I don’t think it fully earns that page count because I don’t think it successfully or satisfactorily sees everything though and I don’t think it closes the loop on some of the central character arcs for the all the main characters despite the fact that it has all that space.

There were also romantic subplots for all the main characters in the story that a) I didn’t love the power dynamics or social dynamics of and b) didn’t feel fully fleshed out and that I don’t think the story needed in the end. There’s also a main character—I won’t say who or why—who isn’t even active in the story for a majority of the book, which is kind of wild because I felt like they were the character who had the most growing and healing to do, and we didn’t get to see any of that development on page.

While the story as a whole is worthwhile and while I ultimately appreciate the project of the story and feel glad that I got to experience it for myself, I do think the book has its issues, and I think it somewhat falters in its execution. Jandy Nelson is the kind of writer who takes risks in her writing. Sometimes those risks pay off, sometimes they don’t.

Somewhat of a mixed bag for me, although I still enjoyed and appreciate the experience of the story overall.

A parent disappearing from a family is a popular theme and one I just don't understand. Also such big family secrets are questionable. The Fall siblings live in hot Northern California wine country, where the sun pours out of the sky, and the devil winds blow so hard they whip the sense right out of your head.
Years ago, the Fall kids’ father mysteriously disappeared, cracking the family into pieces. Now Dizzy Fall, age twelve, bakes cakes, sees spirits, and wishes she were a heroine of a romance novel. Miles Fall, seventeen, brainiac, athlete, and dog-whisperer, is a raving beauty, but also lost, and desperate to meet the kind of guy he dreams of. And Wynton Fall, nineteen, who raises the temperature of a room just by entering it, is a virtuoso violinist set on a crash course for fame . . . or self-destruction.

Then an enigmatic rainbow-haired girl shows up, tipping the Falls’ world over. She might be an angel. Or a saint. Or an ordinary girl. Somehow, she is vital to each of them. But before anyone can figure out who she is, catastrophe strikes, leaving the Falls more broken than ever. And more desperate to be whole.

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 !