So this was magical and incredible, just like everything else Jandy Nelson writes. This is a coming-of-age story with great queer representation and topics that speak to both teens and adults. There's romance, young love, betrayal, history, magic, cooking, you name it! Now THIS is a fully-fleshed out YA story, one that makes you forget you're reading YA. It was whimsical and golden, heartfelt and sincere. If you've read Jandy Nelson's other hits, you'll love this one too. I can't recommend this enough!

Thank you so much to Penguin Young Readers Group/Dial Books and NetGalley for the eARC, and for the opportunity to leave an honest, voluntary review.

I absolutely adored I’ll Give You the Sun, Jandy Nelson’s last novel. I devoured it over just two days. I was so excited that Nelson was back with a new novel, but I was a little concerned that my taste might have changed too much in the past decade for me to enjoy this one. Unfortunately, that seems to be the case.

If you loved previous novels by Jandy Nelson, or books like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, this book is absolutely for you. It’s a melancholic, multi-POV novel about a family. There’s a touch of magical realism, and a lot of feeling.

The Fall siblings live in Northern California, deep in the heart of wine country. Dizzy, an eternally optimistic 12-year-old, is whimsical and the glue that holds the family together. Miles is the perfect child, the one that is stunningly gorgeous, a gifted athlete and true brainiac. Wynton is the oldest brother with a true talent as a violinist.

Each uniquely navigating through a world that seems to be fracturing…until a rainbow-haired girl shows up.

Who is this stranger? Is she an angel? Or just a normal teenager? Upon her entrance, the Fall world is tipped over…

This book has it all - tension, pain, love, family lore, secrets, love, generational legacies, and love. It captured my heart so unexpectedly. I rooted for all the members of this family and, when I finished, I felt like I’d read the most enchanted story of the year. I give it all the stars and feel like I need a reread of I’ll Give You the Sun asap! Jandy Nelson is phenomenal and I’m really happy I took a chance on this one. It will quite possibly land on my favorites list at the end of the year!

4.5 - This story was so beautiful!! I was someone who LOVED I'll Give You the Sun when I was younger and it still remains one of my favorite YA novels. So I was beyond excited for Jandy to release a new novel and to have the privilege of reading it early!

I was so moved by the characters, the family dynamics, the platonic and romantic love!! Jandy's writing was stunning as per usual and had me tearing up multiple times!! I loved the representation and how special and different each character was, where each character really stood out to me. The way that Jandy always manages to craft such a special story, with characters who feel real, and the way she writes both platonic and romantic love at a young age is so beautiful.

When the World Tips Over is a book of rainbows, magic, queerness, and family. Wyton, Miles, and Dizzy have been left behind by their father when they were younger and all are scarred. Cassie is a rainbow haired girl, trying to survive with just her mother, living a nomad life, when she just wants to be a normal girl. Cassie appears in each of the children's lives as a sort of positive reinforcement, friend, and confidant when things get hard. At the beginning of the book it is really difficult to see how all of these characters are connected, but things slowly work themselves out as you piece together the different relationships.

This book had a tone of magical realism with it and really focused on the history of this family. Most of all, I loved each of the children. Wynton really broke my heart into pieces and I connected with his soul so much. Dizzy and Miles each had their own struggles but truly were such unique and soulful characters. Seeing this family break down their barriers and grow to love each other again was so beautiful.

If you were a fan of Jandy's I'll Give You the Sun or are looking for a magical realism/YA novel, please check this out!! Such a beautiful story. Thank you to Penguin Teen for the free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

WHEN. THE WORLD TIPS OVER by Jandy Nation was heartbreaking, immersive, heart touching joy. The story of the three Falls siblings, each uniquely and exceptionally talented is well-written, absolutely captivating beauty -- beginning with the youngest sibling being rescued from death by a rainbow-haired girl who changes each one of the siblings, challenging their assumptions about themselves and the way the world works. There was magical realism, the physical reality of hard California sun, the ever-present family wound of the father who left. There was the beautiful writing, the poetic descriptions that made the story so vivid. A marvelous read for anyone at any age. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

THANK YOU penguin teen for entrusting me with a physical ARC of this book. I feel so lucky to have had the chance to read it early. it has been ten years since I first read i'll give you the sun, one of my favorite books of ALL time, and to have a new jandy nelson novel to read and to cherish is still a pretty surreal feeling for me.

when the world tips over follows the fall family, descendants of the founder of paradise springs, a northern california town that has hidden itself from the rest of the world. siblings dizzy, miles, and wynton - all named after their absent father's favorite jazz trumpet players - are all growing up in a big white house on their family's vineyard, and when the novel opens, we learn that wynton has done something unforgivable, and found himself ostracized by miles and their mother. only dizzy still believes him to be good. when tragedy strikes, and only a girl with rainbow hair can (hopefully) fix it, every member of the fall family finds out what forgiveness truly looks like. what follows is a family saga for the ages.

this is honestly the perfect book to welcome autumn in with. when i read it i pictured a world full of yellows and reds and oranges, a place where birds whizz past you singing their song, violin accompaniment in the distance, and chocolate soufflés cool on windowsills.

it is a beautiful story about hope, love, endurance, family (the one you choose and the one you're born into), and what it means to reject the fate laid out for you, and try a new one on for your own. the magic that winds itself through these pages makes the falls' story that much brighter - a talking dog? a boy who glowed so bright at birth it warmed an entire town? are any of these things real, or are these the truths we tell to keep ourselves afloat?

i loved this book. it's a vibrant triumph of a novel, and i couldn't recommend it more!

I audibly screamed when I saw that Jandy Nelson was coming out with a new book. I absolutely adored I'll Give You the Sun and couldn't wait to read this one. There were so many things that I liked - each POV was so beautifully done, the storytelling aspect was an awesome way to explain past events, the magical realism was perfection, and the story itself was equally heartbreaking and hopeful. It was a beautiful look at just how hard it is to be a kid and grow up navigating how your world and relationships can be ever changing.

I've always loved how lyrical Jandy Nelson's writing is, even though it does make the start of this book a little slower. For me, I was really enraptured by all the characters so I didn't mind the slow build at all. Would absolutely recommend this one!

As my first dive into Jandy Nelson’s writing, When the World Tips Over was a delightful surprise. The book is a stunning blend of complex characters and emotional depth, and what I enjoyed the most was how Nelson masterfully wove together themes of family, love, and identity. Each character, from Dizzy to Cassidy and Miles, felt like a real person with relatable struggles, making their intertwined stories even more captivating.

Nelson's storytelling pulls you in like a whirlwind. The emotional intensity kept me hooked as the plot unfolded, full of twists and turns that I didn’t always see coming. By the time I reached the end, I felt completely immersed in their world. The book explores the bonds between family and friends, and how love, in all its forms, can both heal and complicate life.

If you’re a fan of beautifully written stories about self-discovery and deep emotional connections, this is one to pick up. I'm glad I gave Nelson a try—definitely a memorable read!

The way Jandy Nelson details each character in her books and focuses on their quirks is stunning. This book drags you in and makes you feel like part of this town, this family. You immediately feel each character's pain and wonder about their mysterious history. This is another fantastic release from Jandy.

This is one is tough to rate. The writing is beautiful, whimsical, mystical, and imaginative. However, sometimes the author's indirect writing hindered my ability to understand the plot or the point of a sentence. There is a lot of reading between the lines and interpreting which had me confused at points. I loved the magic, mystery, and whimsy of this story. Characters with powers, wine and soufflés full of magic, a setting out of a fairy tale. For such unrelatable plot points, they also felt so connected to the character's development that the magic felt relatable in a way.

My other problem is this book felt way to long. The story is told through different POVs, letters, dreams, flashbacks, stories. The mixed media, while creating a full story, felt really long, and drawn out. I found myself having to go backward to remember a plot point or character story to try to fill in the holes or connect different parts of the story.

Overall, this was a very unique story, especially for YA. If you are looking for something interesting and willing to put in the work and really dedicate yourself to being immersed in this story, then I recommend it.

When the World Tips Over isn’t a light and easy-going mainstream read. It’s strange and mystical and rather winding. But if you’re looking for something different, you’ll find yourself caught up in the magic and mystery—and passions—of the Fall family.

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery.

<i>I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and Penguin Group in exchange for an honest review. </i>

It’s been a minute since I struggled so much with a star rating for a book— it’s simultaneously two stars and four stars but three just doesn’t seem right.

Jandy Nelson writes my absolute favorite kind of character to read: sad yearners. Her work is imbued with a kind of heartache and melancholy that speaks to me on such a deep level while at the same time taking me on a journey of appreciation of the things in life that make all those heavy feelings worth experiencing. The way she writes romance is so swoony and this is the second time I’ve stayed up to finish one of her books so I can have that late-night romantic catharsis.

That being said… I have a real issue with what let’s call the Shadowhunter Problem. It’s a frustrating issue because I feel like it’s the one thing standing in the way of me really enjoying this book. I really loved the writing and the magic and the way food and wine and nature and love are all described. In so many ways it was such a joy to read. But I just can’t fully give myself over to it.

When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson is one of the best books I've read in a long long time.
This was such a well written family drama with multiple POVs.
She has just written such a beautiful and magical story that I just devoured.

Thank You NetGalley and Dial Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

When the World Tips Over is a magical, character-driven novel from the other of I'll Give You the Sun. 

WHAT I LIKED 

- The characters were so raw and genuine and special. I adored them all. 

- I loved threads of magic that were woven throughout the story, and I was so happy with the way everything connected in the end. 

- There were so many sensitive and insightful lines of writing that made me go back and reread. The emotion behind the narrative was incredibly strong. 

WHAT DIDN'T WORK FOR ME 

- The story was told through multiple viewpoints and in a variety of methods (storytelling, letters, dreams, emails, family histories, inner monologues, etc.) It all jumbled together a bit for me, making the book feel slightly repetitive and as if it was much, much longer than it was.

The intricate plotlines, retrospective sequences, and enduring romantic themes contribute to the story's depth and complexity.

When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson is a lengthy young adult family drama.

The Fall children, twelve-year-old Dizzy, seventeen-year-old Miles, and nineteen-year-old Wynton have all dealt with their father’s disappearance in different ways. Dizzy, who never met her father, is struggling with the loss of a dear friendship. She also sees ghosts, but no one believes her. Miles is the perfect child who is successful academically and in sports. But he is faltering under the weight of family expectations and depression. He also has a wonderful telepathic relationship with a neighbor’s dog. Wynton is a gifted violin player but he also drinks too much and gets into trouble. His latest antics landed him in jail temporarily much this their mother Bernadette's dismay.

Mysterious rainbow-haired newcomer Cassidy alters the three Fall children’s lives in different but uplifting ways. Her story is beautifully interwoven throughout the novel as she helps the kids in different ways. Cassidy’s story arc is a little sad as her chapters detail her tumultuous childhood and unexpected intersection with the Fall family.

When the World Tips Over is a marvelous young adult novel. The characters are interesting with unique traits and background that add to their appeal. The storyline is engaging but is sometimes a little slow. The magical realism elements are subtle and quite enjoyable. Jandy Nelson brings this charming young adult novel to a satisfying conclusion.

This one took me awhile to get my bearings. It felt sort of chaotic, and at first I didn't know what kind of book I was reading: fantasy, contemporary YA, etc. The changing narratives also just put me really off-kilter. I did ultimately get into it, maybe around the 1/3-50% point. I enjoyed it, and liked the story. At times I thought, "This is amazing!" and at others, I just wanted the (very long) book to be over. I've had "I'll Give You The Sun" on my list forever, and I do still want to read that one. I think this could use a little more editing.

Stories and more stories. Nelson invokes biblical stories (Cain and Abel--and the town is named Paradise Springs and the family's name is Fall), Sheherazade's Arabian Nights, fairy tales (Sleeping Beauty) and Steinbeck's East of Eden in her story of pairs of brothers and the women (and men) who love them over several generations of a wine-making family in Northern California. She uses a heavy dose of magical realism here as well. At its heart though, this is not a love story, though the tone is romantic, but rather a story about the power of love and hope to thrive despite secrets, betrayals, and even death. The story provides multiple points of view but primarily those of four teenagers, three siblings, Dizzy (a nerdy and awkward adolescent who is dealing with being rejected by her childhood friend), Miles (called Perfect, who is gay but closeted and whose outward achievements hide a miserable and lonely teen) and Wynton (a genius on the violin who can't help but screw up) all named for famous jazz trumpeters, and the resilient and brave Cassidy Snow (raised by a neo-hippy single mother who has her own issues). Cassidy ends up changing the lives of everyone she meets while on her own search for who she is..

Nelson's book is long (maybe a bit more editing to keep the flow) but well-written and it takes its time in working out the many secrets, betrayals, and conflicts between the various characters. Except for the couple of truly evil characters (they seem right out of fairy tales), Nelson encourages the reader to avoid judging any of the characters--as in real life, people often surprise us. The book was a joy to read and she wrote characters who are flawed but whom you care about. I think I would have liked it better without the magical elements (certain characters have a glow, various characters have synesthesia) and coincidences abound. The success of the story depends on the reader buying the concept of destiny/fate/beshert. That said, the ending feels earned and realistic and leaves you wanting chocolate souffles and pinot noir!

My thanks to NetGalley and Dial Bools/Penguin Random House for the ARC of "When The World Tips Over" in exchange for an honest review.
I don't think I've ever used the world 'overwhelming' in a posted review, but I might as well start with this one. What a sprawling, wondrous, heartfelt, saga Jendy Nelson conjures up here. It's a lengthy but fascinating feast of star-crossed love, painful truths told as fabulist tall tales and family histories afflicted with biblical-level tragedy. I don't know when I've come across a novel whose richly imagined storytelling and prose makes you ache for every character in it.
In Northern California's wine growing country, the three siblings of the Fall family have come asunder, torn by their beloved father's unexplained disappearance from their lives. Quirky 12 year old Lizzie, a social outcast, sees ghosts sometimes. 17 year old 'Perfect' MIles is so secretly miserable, he's ready to resign the role of his family and community's 'Golden Boy'.. And 19 year old Wynton, brilliant musician and self destructive bad boy, seems destined for a path of either great fame or total doom......maybe both.
Into each of their lives, comes a beautiful, almost other-worldly girl with rainbow colored hair. The two Fall brothers and their little sister find themselves entranced and enchanted by their encounters with her. And they will indeed be forever changed when the rainbow girl's backstory unfolds for the reader, an epic road trip filled with joy, cruelty, heartbreak and a stunning reveal which I certainly won't breathe a word about here.
While I realize that the dives into magical realism may not be to everyone's taste, there's so much to absorb, experience and savor in this book that you can't help but surrender yourself to it and let all the emotion wash over you. Anyone searching for a read to lose themselves in totally.......I'd say look no farther.

Wow. What a compelling read.
This story reminded me of an 80's or 90's coming of age film. There was so much imagination, character growth, allegories, and of course the awkwardness of growing up in a confusing and sometimes painful world. I was so invested in these characters. I could not wait to find out what was going to happen and how it all connected. It was a great read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

TW: child loss, sexual assault, neglect, abuse