When the World Tips Over is doing a lot - we get many perspectives, we get a story within the story - and it may have been too much for me. There were certainly aspects I enjoyed, like Jandy Nelson has a really punchy way of writing, which is fun to read. But this book was incredibly dramatic. It seems like it's meant to feel heartwarming, but I just felt the heaviness of it all.

This was a book filled with so much: magical realism, love, loss, abandonment, sadness, happiness, and more. There were points while reading where I thought this was just plain bizarre, but I made myself refocus and keep going. I’m glad I did, because it turned out to be a beautiful story for so many characters. I was ready for it to end, but wasn’t ready at the same time. I do feel like there were some loose ends I would have liked to be tied up, but I also enjoy imagining my own endings. Pretty good read if you can suspend reality a bit!

There was A LOT to this book. In fact I will share a secret... There is a family tree at the back of the book. However and that is a big HOWEVER, it is a spoiler... There is a part in the book detailing a bit of the family history that I kinda checked out. I really did enjoy this book and read by audio through Libby and the E-ARC through Netgalley. I am very glad I was able to get the ARC. This is a book where the cover pulls you in for a good reason. It reminds me of the whole family. The narration is a full cast of characters that you will fully appreciate and love. I re-read so much of this book because I didn't want it to end and because it was that good.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 stars)

Review:

When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson is a beautifully crafted and deeply emotional story that swept me up from the very first page. Nelson’s lyrical writing style shines through, delivering vivid imagery and poignant moments that make the characters feel alive. The story explores themes of loss, love, and healing in a way that feels both raw and authentic.

The characters are wonderfully flawed and complex, each struggling with their own inner turmoil as their lives intertwine. I especially appreciated the way Nelson handles the emotional weight of the narrative, allowing room for both sorrow and hope. There’s a sense of magic in how the characters’ personal journeys unfold, and I found myself fully invested in their growth.

While the book is beautifully written, there were moments where the pacing slowed, making it a little difficult to stay engaged at times. However, the emotional depth and the power of the story kept me turning the pages.

Overall, When the World Tips Over is a heartfelt and evocative read that will stay with you long after the final page. Fans of Jandy Nelson’s previous works won’t be disappointed, and newcomers will find much to love in this novel’s tender exploration of human connection.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Perhaps I was in the wrong mindset to read this book, but to me, this book felt like it was all over the place and the characters were hard to keep track of. I was dissappointed as this was one of the books I was looking forward to most in the fall of 2024. I will try this book again at a later date and see if it sparks my interest. It could just very well be that it didn't work for me as I was slightly older than the intended audience for this novel. I also don't think the book was awful...it just wasn't as good as I was expecting.

Many thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

Connect with me for more reviews and content:
https://linktr.ee/bookreviewsbyjules
(includes links to my Instagram, Goodreads, TikTok, Storygraph, blog, and Substack newsletter)
If you're an author or publisher with questions about my reviews, stats, reach, or engagement, feel free to email me. I'm also open to book review requests. Thank you for taking the time to read my review, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Children for the eARC.

What a unique heartbreaking book. I loved all of the POVs, I loved each of these characters and was so engrossed the entire time. Dizzy’s internal monologue may be the best of all time. What a book.

FIVE STARS
Ok wow this book. It started slow and ended up taking me a while to get through. The pace slowed and then would pick up. It was really interesting the way it was told. There were multiple POVs and one person who connected them all together.
I really just sort of fell in love with it and want to re-read asap.

When the World Tips Over is a young adult contemporary novel about siblings grappling with connection and acceptance, with elements of magical realism woven throughout.

Dizzy, Miles, and Wynton Fall are still dealing with the abandonment of their father, Leo, more than a decade earlier. Meanwhile, a young girl named Cassidy has been growing up on the backroads of California, traveling in a yellow RV called “Sadie Mae” with her free-spirited mother. As she enters her teen years, the challenges of being out of school, isolated from peers, and dealing with her mother’s mental health begin to weigh on her. She longs for stability and a true home. When Cassidy crosses paths with each of the Fall siblings, she brings them together in unexpected ways, becoming a catalyst for revealing long-held secrets.

When the World Tips Over explores a family cursed over generations by animosity between brothers, secrets, and betrayal. Yet, at its core, it is also about the deep love within families and how the universe can unexpectedly bring people together. I love Jandy Nelson’s writing—the depth and beauty of her characters truly shine through.

3.5 stars:

I loved “I’ll give you the Sun” and so was excited to be able to read the Advanced Reader copy of “ When the World Tips Over”. While this is billed as YA – it may be too heavy for a YA reader but I think 17/18 and up would be fine. While the book is a little chaotic- I did love the magical realism and the characters. It is a little long and the first half went a little slower than the 2nd half. Even with all that- I would read anything that Jandy Nelson writes. Thank you to Dial/Penguin Group and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy!

Thank you so so much to Penguin Teen / Dial Books for the arc, this book is now out!
-
A tender and lovingly given 5 stars. This book was magical. I have memories of reading parts of I'll Give You The Sun back in late middle school and having really enjoyed it and overall with Gen Z I feel as Jandy Nelson's work particularly IGYTS was really important to those of us who grew up chronically online. This book will be no different to those same people should they pick it up as well as the young adults of today. At the beginning I struggled to really sink my teeth into the story but overtime in the most gentle manner these characters and their story really started to creep on me. I was a bit confused at first but the payoff was so so worth it. This story is so incredibly special and singular but also relatable to the overall human condition and how challenging it can be to be yourself, to show that you love your family in challenging situations etc etc. The characters were all so real to me and I feel as though every person who picks this up will find themselves in one if not multiple of the characters. How lucky are we to have such talented minds like Nelson that create such wonderful stories. I am just so over the moon about this one and I really hope it makes it into the hands of young adults who I know this will be a life raft for. This book and it's story for all the messy parts of life and how all in all there is beauty and love to be found.

As much as I loved, with all my heart, Nelson’s previous book I’ll Give You the Sun, this new one, after a ten year wait, was disappointing. Yes, it had the beautiful writing, the magical realism, compelling and wonderful characters, but geez, the plot meandered all over the place. It felt like there were multiple books in this one book, and it was at least 150 pages too long. It ended up being a slog, even tho the ending was beautiful.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for my honest feedback!

Not entirely sure how to say how this book made me feel… I had a range of emotions throughout this whole story!

The way all of the characters shined is something that stands out the most to me and the lengths they (Miles and Dizzy in particular) are willing to go literally for the sake of their family I found really touching.

I wish Marigold as a character would’ve had a more complete ending; while I understand why it wasn’t the case I (like Cassidy) would’ve preferred that for closure’s sake or to just understand Marigold’s perspective in her making that choice.

Wow. I don't think I realized how much I missed the quirky and emotional worlds of Jandy Nelson, but I did. I really did. The Fall family saga is a beautiful and delicate combination of heart and nuance. I would recommend this to anyone not just the demographic its directed towards. I might also have a bias because California is my home and I'm always in love with stories set there.

SYNOPSIS
- We meet the three Fall siblings (Dizzy, Miles, & Wynton) in Paradise Springs, California. They are raised by their mom, a chef, as their dad disappeared over 10 years ago.
- A mysterious rainbow-haired girl, Cassidy, appears & changes the siblings’ lives.

MY THOUGHTS
- Alternating POVs (Dizzy, Miles, Wynton, & Cassidy). I particularly loved Cassidy’s portions.
- Lots of back story & we get to learn about the past. We even get to learn about past generations to dig deeper into our characters.
- Excellent character development.
- Soo much I loved about this book. The writing is exquisite & lyrical, and I savored every word.
- Masterfully plotted & incredible story.
- Nelson is skilled at balancing serious and heartbreaking with humor and relief throughout the book.
- Magical realism, sibling rivalry, family secrets, complicated families, generational trauma.
- The dog is such a good character 🐶
- Loved the areas this book touches on - grief, coming of age, coping with loss, connections
- After finishing, I was shocked to see this book is marketed for YA! I’m in mid-30s, and I think the book is excellent at any age.
- The characters are all flawed, but extremely endearing.
- This book captures how truly messy & beautiful & heartbreaking life is.
- Incredible ending.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️wow, that was one hell of a book… in the best of ways.

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Dial Books for this digital ARC in exchanges for an honest review. This book is out now.

I definitely liked some parts of the book, but in the end, it doesn't even matter because this didn't really stick with me. I liked the writing a lot, the many run on sentences and endless paragraphs full of questions, the gorgeous descriptions of the different settings. I liked the characters, though I feel like some of them take up more than their fair share of time (Cassidy). I also feel like some of the character arcs weren't finished properly? Like Miles, who was shown to have pretty debilitating depression, suddenly felt better after talking to a stranger for one afternoon and then falling in love with a guy that he has known for two days? I guess I just wished his journey had more to do with accepting himself than by being saved by these two perfect, quirky beings. Even Dizzy's ending with her friend felt a bit unsatisfying, and I wished she would define herself beyond her relationships. Did meeting her father and reuniting with her friend somehow cure her anxiety? I really wish the connections between the siblings were explored more, considering all that was set up (the romance book, feeling like they are the wrong "species", synesthesia, their unique magical abilities, how incredibly horny they all are). I loved catching these similarities while reading but it feels like these ideas were dropped by the end without proper resolution.

My interest in Cassidy definitely waned as the book continued. Although her story was heartbreaking to read at points, I just think it takes up way too much time. She's definitely the main character here, and I can't help but feel like the synopsis misrepresented what the book is about. I also kind of wish she was actually magical, because the way the Fall siblings are all captivated by her felt a bit over the top. Just because someone is technically your sibling doesn't mean you'll fell magically drawn to them. I would understand if it was just on Cassidy's side, considering she knew all along that they were related, but the way the three siblings are obsessed with her so immediately felt unwarranted.

There is not a single good adult in this book and I don't think any of them face the consequences they should. The mom being in love with both brothers (to the point where she was consistently cheating on the one she's married to with his brother) came out of nowhere and I hated every second of it: "...I revealed that there might be room in my heart in this new way for both of them." What the fuck. Why, just why. Marigold is awful, Dave's quasi redemption felt unnecessary, and Theo (who also cheats???) doesn't do anything to justify his years of abandonment. What is the message here? That people are imperfect? That love conquers all? That it's just destiny? I don't know, I just feel like they all needed to make more amends before being forgiven.

The family curse felt too drawn out, especially because we don't get much of how it's manifested in Wynton and Miles. Maybe it's just me but I feel like it should have been Dizzy, not Cassidy, who was ultimately able to bring the brothers together and break the curse.

Cassidy and Wynton, oh boy. I was rooting for them at the start because of their inexplicable, destined-to-be connection. But then the question of incest was raised? I know that they're not technically siblings and that they're not related by blood, but it's still weird. The author also just keeps bringing up the fact that DON'T WORRY THEY'RE NOT SIBLINGS over and over and over and I just wish this was not a question we had to ask. Having Cassidy begging that Wynton is not her brother and constantly reassuring him in his coma that no, it's okay they can still get married because they're not technically related was just weird: "I tell myself again and again: We are not related!". This is weird behavior, even if it's not illegal. I just think even the question of incest should be kept out of romantic relationships.

The pacing was off, there are too many characters, and the ending was so abrupt. I can't help but think of how tight of a story I'll Give You the Sun has compared to the scale and subsequent messiness found in this book. Definitely some cool ideas but unfortunately this did not do it for me.

This was my first book by the author but now I am very excited to read the author’s previous works.

This one started out slow for me but around the 15% mark, I didn’t want to put it down. The chapters on Cassidy really drew me in and made me feel invested in the story. I loved the magical elements in this books but if you don’t like magic in books, don’t let this detour you. They are minimal and don’t take up much of the storyline.

I just loved this book so much. It’s hard to put into words what I loved about it but it just really worked for me. I loved the characters and the writing and after finishing the ebook I immediately the ordered the physical.

I think if you like family dramas and great character development, you will enjoy this one. The alternating POV kept me turning the pages.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I’ll Give You the Sun is one of my forever favorite books, so I was really excited to read another from Jandy Nelson. This one didn’t hit the mark for me like I’ll Give You the Sun did, and I think it’s because it read (to me) more YA than I was anticipating. I still think this is a really solid YA novel that many people will love and cherish, just not me personally!

My first Jandy Nelson read, and I totally get the hype now. This heart breaking and inspiring magical realism novel is told through a mix of multiple POV chapters, letters, and news clippings.
I highly recommend this novel to lovers of contemporary fiction and fantasy alike.

Jandy Nelson’s novels are distinctively “Jandy Nelson” because of her voice, the poetic word choice, the rich sibling relationships, and the little sprinkle of whimsy she gives her stories. WHEN THE WORLD TIPS OVER is an epic family story. It took me a bit to settle into it and then I could not quit reading. I needed to know how all the pieces fit together—and several of them were unexpected. Saying too much about the book feels spoilery, so I won’t do that. However, I do have to say Dizzy is one of my all-time favorite characters. She stole the whole novel with her wholly original outlook and antics. I hope someday she gets her own YA novel.

This is a different kind of story that left me bewildered for a while until it started to make sense. It jumps around from a variety of points of view between the siblings in the Fall family and Cassidy. The Falls live in Paradise Springs in California wine country and Cassidy is roaming around in a mobile home with her mother. Theo Fall disappeared from the life of his family before the youngest, Dizzy, was born, and they have been coping with that ever since. This story is hard to write about without spoiling it.