Rating: 5 Stars

Oh man, I've been putting off writing this review because I haven't wanted to part with this book. Jandy Nelson is just... perfection. She manages to mix magic with very real relationships, and the result is a book that made me laugh, cry, yearn, and sing.

Truly, this book is all about the relationships. We jump back and forth in points of view and timeline, though the past timelines are told through stories and journals, so it's not difficult to keep straight. Each character is so unique and loveable, and I just wanted everyone to live happily ever after.

I will say that I fully recognize that Jandy Nelson's writing style is not for everyone - she manages to make books feel like fever dreams with her effervescent word choice and touches of magic. But I wanted to live in this hazy book forever.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book was so beautifully done. They never expected how important a rainbow haired girl would be to each of them, and it was such a wonderful story to watch unfold.

A multi-generational family saga, centered around the latest generation of siblings, full of fabulism. Fun in some ways, magical in some ways, but really, really melodramatic 100 percent of the time. A bit like a soap opera or telenovella—it's kind of weird how little a reaction the various young characters have to like, discovering the secret liaisons and affairs of their parents (and grandparents). Like I get that it was a while ago and we're all being cool, but, it would be pretty realistic to be upset about it at least once! The 12 year old was kind of absurdly precocious, and not like any 12 year old I've ever been or known.

I really really reallyyyy wanted to like this book, but man I just didn’t. It was so slow, pretty confusing and all over the place. Sooo many mundane details and things that I just couldn’t care less about. Nothing grabbed my attention and made me want to know more or what was going to happen. Once what happened to Wynton happened I basically figured out what the rest of the story was going to be and I was right. I’m so confused about the glowing reviews?? Maybe this just wasn’t for me, because it seems like a bunch of other people truly enjoyed this story.

The writing was very cooky, unique and jumped all over the place which I did not enjoy.

I did like the multiple POVs, and the random tidbits of newspaper articles & letters/diary entries of unsent letters but everything else just seemed so meh.

This is also my first book I’ve ever read by this author so maybe I’m just not used to their writing style and this type of genre. Is what definitely unique.

This is a tale about the three siblings of the Fall family and a rainbow hair colored girl (Cassidy) in hot NC.

First we are introduced to Dizzy Fall. She is a quirky 12 old year old who sees voices in color and sees spirits. Cassidy pushes her out of the way of a speeding truck and saves her life. Dizzy thinks she saw an angel. Whenever she gets home, everyone is too busy to be bothered to hear her story and as usual ignore her.

Next we are introduced to Perfect Miles. His name suits him.
He is the most popular boy in school, top athlete, straight A’s, and just PERFECT. Except he has secrets. He has not come out of the closest, he is depressed, and he communicates telepathically with a dog. He meets Cassidy and tells her about his relationship with his older brother, Wynton, whom has always bullied him. His new confident.

Then there’s 19 year old Wynton who is struggling with the missing of his dad. He is hurt and angered and always in trouble. He gets himself kicked out if the house because he stole from his mother. (Dizzy often sneaks him in the house). He pours his anger into his only release in playing the viola. He had met the rainbow colored hair before and a special bond with her

This is a long read (528 pages long!). HOWEVER, it is beautiful written with an emotional rollercoaster we ride with the Fall family through their curses and drama.

Nelson writes beautifully. I don't know that many other authors have the same gift with words. But the stories, for me, are often a little too much. Such is the case here. There is a lot going on with tons of characters and a little bit of magic. I think this would be so fun for my friend Jen, but it just isn't the right fit for me.

“When the World Tips Over” by Jandy Nelson is a beautifully written, emotional journey that explores the complexities of family dynamics, secrets, and the power of truth. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Northern California’s wine country, the story introduces readers to the Fall siblings—Dizzy, Miles, and Wynton—whose lives are forever altered by the mysterious arrival of a rainbow-haired girl named Cassidy. Nelson’s lyrical prose and magical realism infuse the narrative with a sense of wonder, drawing readers into the characters’ world of heartache, healing, and discovery. The novel’s strengths lie in its vivid characterizations and its exploration of themes like familial betrayal, identity, and redemption.

While I found the book captivating and often reread passages that resonated deeply, the pacing was uneven at times, particularly in the beginning. The narrative opens through the eyes of Dizzy, a quirky 12-year-old with a unique perspective on life, which initially felt slow and somewhat meandering. However, as the story progressed, I became invested in the Fall siblings’ struggles and their complex relationships with one another and Cassidy. Nelson’s ability to weave together multiple perspectives, including letters and diary entries, added depth to the storytelling, though I occasionally found the family ties and backstories a bit confusing, necessitating frequent references to the family tree provided in the book.

Overall, “When the World Tips Over” is a poignant and moving novel that tackles heavy themes with grace and sensitivity. The magical realism elements are masterfully incorporated, enhancing the narrative rather than overwhelming it. Although the book’s length and slow start might deter some readers, the payoff is a richly textured story that captures the messiness of family and the beauty of finding one’s place in the world. For fans of Jandy Nelson’s earlier work, this novel offers another deeply emotional and rewarding reading experience, albeit with a few minor flaws that kept it from being an outright favorite.

A multigenerational YA spanning a family’s history in a town called Paradise Falls, the Fall family struggles to navigate family relationships, friendships, truth, and lies.

The good: No one can develop characters like Jandy Nelson can. I got to know each character deeply over the course of this novel, and I generally liked most of them. The relationships were complex and the writing was absolutely gorgeous. Her descriptions, particularly of feelings, really cut deep and resonated with me as someone who feels things really intensely. There was a lot to enjoy about this book.

The not-so-good: I changed my mind about five different times throughout the course of this book about whether I liked it or not. Truth be told, this book was just LONG. At almost 600 pages, it took me a while to get through it, and I wasn’t always super engaged. The plot moved at an uneven pace which made it hard to become invested in. There were some lies and family deceptions that became a little bit too much by the time it got to the end, and I was just kind of over it by that point.

I just wasn’t ready for this to finish. It didn’t end abruptly, but after so many quotes, and laughs, heartbreak, and tears, I just didn’t want it to end.

It’s so rare to read a book where you feel drawn to every single character. When we spend time with Wynton, you’re completely absorbed in his story, then Miles, and Dizzy. I spent the entirety of the book hungry. Hungry for food, and music, more books, and beauty. There was so much beauty.

“They were all just paper people in a burning world...”

This is such a beautiful book, in all the way fantastic books are.

DNF at 14%

I have loved Jandy Nelson’s books in the past, but I think I’m not in the right mood/mindset for this one. It’s difficult to keep track of all the characters and what’s happening. The story is told via multiple POV’s, diary entries, notes, letters, etc and the addition of magical realism is making the story all very chaotic and overwhelming. I might try this one again later, but I think it’s best to put this one down for now.

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

I love Jandy Nelson and it’s been so long since she released a new book. I was ecstatic to read When the World Tips Over. I’m not going to lie, this had such a slooooow start for me. It took me two full weeks to read and I usually can read several books in that amount of time. Once I got into it, past the halfway point, I did enjoy it, but I can’t fully get over that slow start. I like the three fall siblings, but where the story really shined was getting Cassidy’s pov as well as her stories. That was my favorite part of the book. I loved how the end came together and even though the ending was a little more abrupt than I would hope, I enjoyed the conclusion.

What a roller coaster! I love Jandy Nelson and was so excited to see she has a new book coming out.

Overall, I really liked this. I loved the ending and the message of the story, plus Jandy Nelson’s writing is incredibly unique and memorable. But ultimately, there are a few too many characters and things going on that it took me way too long to finish it. I wish the three main siblings stayed the focal point of the story.

When I loved this book, I LOVED it. But there were unfortunately some parts with pacing and plotting issues that lost me a bit more than I was expecting.

Thank you Penguin Teen for the ARC!

DNF @4%

This book just isn't for me. Maybe if I were in middleschool or a teenager, I would like it. But I feel like it wasn't written for adults. I have no interest in reading about 12 year olds thinking about sex.

DNF. This book was not for me. I’d enjoyed previous books by this author but could not get into this one sadly.

Okay so this is one of the first books in forever that I could NOT put down.

First off, everyone is a bit of a mess in this book, but kind of magical? Like manic pixie dream person, but you can see the mental health struggles underneath (overtly or covertly), however just about each and every one is deeply lovable in some way.

Every member of the Fall family is special. Talented at music, cooking, looks, synesthesia, can talk to dogs, etc. But they're also deeply messed up going back generations due to a curse, or really just plain old hate and lack of communication.

I had the most fun with all the different narrators and their styles and the fact that each perspective is so different you get why the problems are existing. Mostly cause they just didn't talk about it and made huge assumptions.

A bit more resolution at the end, cause you KNOW it was messy messy messy following the events of the book.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I’ve heard good things about Jandy Nelson’s previous books, so I was interested in giving her a try. When the World Tips Over sounded promising, but I balked a bit, both at the length and the fact that this was a magical realism book, as the genre has continually frustrated me, as much as I want to like it. And while there are some good points here, both factors played a role in my issues with the book.
I really like the stylistic choices made here. The mixing of various narrative voices (including one character’s POV conveyed in second person), along with interstitials with letters and journal entries from both primary and supporting characters, helped to bring the story to life for me.
And I do like each of the primary characters for the most part. Each of them feels realistic in the things they’re dealing with, and I really liked seeing each of their individual arcs, as well as seeing how it all came together as a family saga.
But that’s also where the length kind of lost me. There’s so much ground to cover, and the siblings’ arcs are only tangentially connected until Cassidy gradually brings them together and the reader becomes aware of all the history. And there wasn’t a well-established through-line for the curse between the historical portions and the contemporary ones, so I found myself feeling rather lost there too, once again feeling disillusioned because I don’t get the hype around magical realism.
This was one of those “liked the idea, not a fan of the execution” books for me. But given my issues with the magical realism genre itself, I’m not surprised. In the event you happen to enjoy the genre, and are interested in a family saga in this style, I’d recommend this to see if it works better for you.

This has to be the most YA book I have ever encountered. Every emotion is magnified x100, every action is significant, every scene pulses with the possibility of either wonder or terror. Objectively speaking, the main characters get a little lost in all of the backstory. But that flaw isn't hard to overlook given the captivating plot that spans generations of everlasting love and tragic death.

We first meet precocious, annoying Dizzy Fall, 12, who experiences smells as colors and sees ghosts in her house. Reeling from a humiliating recess incident and recent “divorce” from her best friend, she is rescued from a near fatal car accident by an angel with rainbow colored curls. Her brother Miles, 17, is handsome, popular and well-behaved, but he’s cracking under the combined weight of trying to be perfect and hiding his sexuality. His synesthesia links words with colors, and he can see the souls of dogs. He meets Dizzy’s angel, who is drawn to Miles because she can tell that they share the same feeling of “inconsolable longing.” Oldest brother Wynton (yes, they’re all named after jazz trumpeters) is a fuckup whose womanizing, drinking, drug use, and stealing have led to incarceration and eviction from his own home. He doesn’t encounter rainbow angel until an event that was supposed to turn his life around only proves his worthlessness again.

It’s not an accident that one of the characters is reading Steinbeck’s "East of Eden." Wynton and Miles’s enmity, and brother-against-brother dynamics throughout the Fall family history, give the story its narrative force. Alice Hoffman’s brand of magical realism also feels a like major influence, especially the insta-love experienced by several major characters.

I’ve barely scratched the surface of the plot, and getting to the HEA is a long and sometimes confusing process. The story includes stark examples of abandonment, domestic violence and neglect that are all healed by the magical happy ending. When the World Tips Over may be doing a disservice to younger readers who are waiting for their own "love is all you need" resolution. On the other hand, it’s an earnest fantasy that offers hope, forgiveness, and the knowledge that it’s never too late to start over again.

Wow, what a triumphant return from Jandy Nelson! Don’t pick up this book expecting one like the previous two, though. This is full of magical realism, a tricky device that Nelson has mastered. My students will love this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher! I was so excited to get this ARC. Even though this is classified as YA, it felt like an adult novel to me.

I enjoyed the story and the sort of whimsical writing quality about this.

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read “When the World Tips Over” by Jandy Nelson and a huge thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Both of her other novels were both five star reads and this one came close. I love her style of storytelling and the multiple character viewpoints. My world has recently tipped over in a negative way so I appreciated the reminder that the world can also tip over in a positive way as well. While I enjoyed the story of the Fall family, the stories told by Cassidy about the Fall family ancestors were a little too long and exaggerated for my personal preference. And while it doesn’t impact my rating, the cover is absolutely beautiful. I strongly recommend reading this book as an adult or young adult.