Jandy, how I’ve missed you!!! I still think about IGYTS on a regular basis, so after YEARS AND YEARS, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her newest story. While I didn’t love this quite as much as IGYTS, it was still so magical and beautiful. Nelson is a master at capturing emotion and the beauty of the world. There were times I found the pacing off or a little slow, but at the same time, there were even more moments that took my breath away. I fell in love with the Fall family and all of their oddities — I’d love to see this play out on a screen, actually. I’m not sure this book will be for everyone, but that’s okay. I know I will be thinking about it for a while.

Bumping this up to a 4.5 for the ✨magic✨

When The World Tips Over
Jandy Nelson
The Falls live in Paradise Springs, California. The Falls lost their father in a drowning accident. The wound in their heart is still healing. Dizzy is twelve years old. She has a unique personality and talent; she has synesthesia, she sees voices in color, and she sees spirits. Dizzy is learning to bake cakes A girl with rainbow colored hair, Cassidy, came to town in time to save Dizzy’s life; she pushed her out of the way when a truck came speeding at her. The Cassidy saved Dizzy and then disappeared. Dizzy thinks the girl is an angel.
Cassidy appeared again, this time to Miles; he is the genius of the family, the perfect student, the athlete and depressed. Miles is gay but has only told his gay dog, Sandro. He spended time talking to Cassidy; he confided in her concerning his brother Wynton (the bully).
Eighteen-year-old Wynton is struggling with the death of his father. Wynton is a violin prodigy. He is in trouble more often than not. He and the rainbow-colored hair girl had met previously and had already formed a special bond.
This book is confusing. The curse gave the adults an excuse for their behavior. Most of the story was told from Miles and Dizzy’s point of view. The characters were well fleshed out. However, they were not likable. Dizzy was twelve years old. On the one hand she comes across as much younger on the other why mention sexual experience or lack of concerning a twelve-year-old child. Cassidy was interesting. Sandro stole the show! He was my favorite character. The ending left a lot to be desired.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy for review.

Read When the World Tips Over if you . . .
- Get fully immersed in stories
- Can see words or sounds in color
- Believe food can instantly transport you
- Savor the books you love
- Create playlists for books
- Enjoy multiple perspective books
- Find unique writing style to be your jam
- Wouldn’t mind living in an RV
- Have sibling rivalry

This is my favorite Jandy Nelson book yet—which is saying a lot because I LOVED I’ll Give You the Sun.

A book fully worth the wait!! thank you to NetGalley for the arc! truthfully a more perfect coming of age novel could not have been written here! the characters are so complex, the plot twists so insane, and the storyline is so sweet there is just TOO much to love! This is one of the only dual POV books where I have cared equally about each of the characters and thought that each POV added tremendously to the story. I cannot wrap my head around the complexity and beauty of this book! Highly HIGHLY recommend checking it out when it comes out on September 24th, 2024!!

Infused with magic and braiding together multiple timelines, Jandy Nelson's When the World Tips Over is a rich, complex story about family. Apart from Nelson's gorgeous prose, the story really shines thanks to its characters. Dizzy's and Miles' POVs are especially great. Did I love it as much as Nelson's other books? Not quite. But fans of those books will definitely enjoy this one.

When the World Tips Over tells multiple stories over several generations leaving the reader wondering how all of the characters are connected. It took me a while to “get into” this story as I wasn’t quite sure where the author was taking us with unconnected character and supernatural sightings. Ultimately I really enjoyed it and how the stories intertwined at the end.

I absolutely adored "I'll Give You the Sun" so I was excited to get an arc for this book. This author is such a good storyteller developing complex characters and plot lines that make you feel something. This one was no exception. Some parts feel a little younger than YA, but other parts make more sense for why it's a YA vs. middle school/high school vibes. I really enjoyed the magical realism aspect of this book though the back story was a little drawn out.

This book had a large goal, and accomplished most of it, some parts more than others. There's something for almost everyone and I guarantee you'll find someone you relate to or know someone similar to one of the characters. These are my favorite type of books.

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and author for this arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: It’s Jandy Nelson’s world and we’re just living in it. If you like magical realism, family bonds, secrets, identity, and loss—love and devastation revealed via the most intricate and intimate storytelling—she’s your gal. I’ve been waiting for this book for literally eight years, and it was worth my patience (even if, sorry, nothing will ever compare to I’ll Give You the Sun)!

In World, we meet the Fall siblings, who live in CA wine country. Their lives are forever altered after a rainbow-haired girl shows up—is she an angel? A saint? A normal teenager? Regardless, her presence will disrupt their lives and simultaneously reveal a multigenerational family history that will dramatically impact their understandings of themselves and one another.

As with Nelson’s other books, the POV in World changes often, so although I was worried about a more Middle Grade vibe, it quickly veered into (and ultimately remained in) YA territory. There’s something so exquisite about her magical realism. I don’t know that I’ve read anything like it. It’s truly poetry, and it’s worth slowing down to read and digest each sentence. Her books are meant to be savored as much as Bernadette’s delicacies (read the book to get this reference lol).

In short, as with all of Nelson’s writing, this is a book where you have to jump in, fully committed, and let her magic take you somewhere you couldn’t possibly imagine. Personally speaking, World still won’t replace her first two novels in my heart, in part because I wanted more from certain characters, and because I felt like I was juggling a few too many narratives (even though the length helped with that, and even though they all came together beautifully). But if I’d never read her work before, it’d be a 6/5 star rating, so I guess I’ll settle with 5/5 stars.

While I still love Nelson’s writing as much as I remember, I found the plotting of this one to be a bit. . . all over the place. The introduction of Cassidy as a conduit for the stories and an additionally long backstory made it feel like there was way too much going on. The magical realism aspect of this book was really sweet and I did enjoy the family history, but it felt like a lot of it got muddled in the mother and father and uncle’s generation, because it kind of just felt like they sucked in ways that didn’t really relate to the curse? Or maybe the curse was just really well flashed out in the written historical parts and not in the present? There were just some things that felt a bit unforgivably cruel, both done to the parents and to the children that I couldn’t really get over and feel happy about the reunion? I know that was part of the point, but I just. . . didn’t feel bad for any of them so it didn’t work.

That being said, I loved all of the kids. Dizzy and Miles with Sandro were my favorite points-of-view and I really loved the inner turmoil that came from this inability to communicate between Miles and his brother, Wynton. I find myself wishing that Cassidy’s story, which honestly felt out of left field for a lot of the book to me, was less of a focal point and Dizzy, Wynton, and Miles’s story were more at the forefront. There was just so much that could be done with that family dynamic that I felt there was some wasted potential. Part of that may have been due to the fact that it felt as if I was dropped into the middle of the story instead of at the beginning of one. Even with that the case, I did find a lot of this book to be compelling and even grew to love Cassidy’s story, even though I do wish it didn’t fill up the majority of the book, but that could be an expectations thing. I probably would’ve liked it more if I knew she would be the main focus and not the thing that happened to the family.

When I liked this book, I really liked it, but there were a lot of times that I was just. . . eugh. While I enjoyed the curse in the history, I found that it felt like a way to excuse pretty much every adult of their terrible behavior in the present day and found their mother’s past to be just. . . weird in a way that wasn’t explained or justified well. Or really led up to in any way? I just wish it was more believable, because I was just left a bit annoyed instead of understanding. Additionally, I found that the curse was used a lot to talk about how one relationship was definitely not incest and I’m just at a point in life where if I have to listen to a long section of text about how them getting together isn’t incest, I’m not really interested anymore (sorry Clary and Jace, but you are a thing of the past). My last issue was that there was a really odd one off about a bisexual person’s past relationships that felt like it added to a pretty harmful bisexual stereotype and rubbed me the wrong way. I hope they change this part in the final copy, because it really was unnecessary and only added that being with a man and a woman is the perfect situation for a bisexual, which pissed me off.

While I really wanted to love this, the pacing was a little too off, and there were too many small issues that became bigger as the story went on. I did actually really like the ending and message of the book, I just wish that it was done a little bit better. I also loved the history of the town and was pleasantly surprised with the magic that filled the pages.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader’s copy
book release date: September 24, 2024

I have written many book reviews over the years, but none have been as hard to write as this one. How can you accurately put into words how beautiful, thought provoking, and poignant this book is? Truly, Jandy Nelson has outdone herself. This is one of the best books I have ever read.



My best piece of advice: go into this one blind and let it simmer.



When the World Tips Over has one of the best and most unique cast of characters I’ve ever met! There’s Dizzy (the youngest child who is always unapologetically herself); Miles (the middle child, feeling the pressure of being perfect while stifling his true self); and Wynton (the oldest and protector of the family, silently battling his demons all on his own). Finally, there’s Cassidy, the mysterious, rainbow-haired girl who comes into their lives at just the right time.



At the heart of it all is the story: of love, loss, friendship, and above all, family. If there’s one thing I’ve come to expect from a Jandy Nelson novel, aside from beautiful prose, it is a deep reflection of familial and sibling relationships. This book has that in spades. It is slow-paced, poetic, whimsical, and kept me waiting in bated breath for what happened next.



I am honestly heartbroken that I cannot read this book for the very first time again.



Do yourself a favor this fall: preorder or request this book from your library. You can thank me later!



Thank you so much to Netgalley and Dial Books for the ARC!

Jandy Nelson writes the most engaging YA books. I was so excited to see her coming out with When the World Tips Over. I enjoyed the magical realism of the story, and while it definitely veered into cheesy at times, I overall enjoyed the story and characters. It probably could have been shortened by 50+ pages, but by the end I didn’t mind hanging with the Fall family a little longer.

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. 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. But a tragedy strikes, and the entire family falls to pieces, with their secrets, betrayals, lies, regrets, and fears. This is a long book, and the pacing at the beginning is a little slow, but you won’t want to put it down. Many thanks Netgalley!

This was the most unique book I've read in awhile! It was delightfully quirky a la Little Miss Sunshine. At first I wasn't really sure if I liked it that much because it was SO quirky but ultimate I enjoyed the oddities and all that the characters learned in their path to growth

I could not get into this one. I gave it 25% but I was completely lost and not invested in all. I didn’t know what was happening half the time, and the other half I just didn’t care?
I absolutely loved Nelson’s first book, so will give this one a try another time, but for right now unfortunately it’s a DNF for me…

When the World Tips Over is a beautifully written, long, meandering book about the Fall family. First, we meet Dizzy Fall. A quirky, lovable, uber-smart tween. Dizzy has two older brothers, Miles and Wynton, and the three live with their single mother, Bernadette, who is a renowned chef.

Turns out their dad skipped town years ago. No one knows where he went or has heard from him since. Each Fall seems damaged by this abandonment, processing it in very different ways. Miles has become Perfect Miles: handsome, athletic, great in school and all-around star. Wynton has become a drug addict. While Wynton plays enchanting music on the violin, his proclivity for trouble has prevented him from growing further. And then there’s Dizzy. Like a lot of youngest siblings, Dizzy is eager to be liked and cool.

I loved the writing. I highlighted a dozen passages for the richness of their description. And, the writing is slow. It’s a long book and even as I crept closer to the end, I wasn’t 100% sure where the story was going. Would there be a true climax? A point? Or was it just a family drama with a few elements of magic realism sprinkled in? It did get there, but not in a strong way, which is the reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5.

Overall, loved this book and have enjoyed other Jandy Nelson reads. Definitely recommend. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Like many, I have wanted to read Jandy Nelson’s third book for a DECADE. I can’t even describe how let down I feel. Nelson’s writing style is still as good as her first two, and her characters are BRILLIANT and very huggable, but the story…she completely lost me. It was too out there for me to fully immerse myself in. Still, I’m not giving up on this author because I still want her words to sing in my heart like no other can. It was just a one-off for me, and I hope to be in the minority.

WHEN THE WORLD TIPS OVER
by Jandy Nelson
published on 9/24/2024*
*THANKFUL to @penguinteen and @netgalley for the early access (all quotes from uncorrected proof)

•💅🏼💅🏼💅🏼💅🏼💅🏼 ( 5️⃣ manis) •

“I think it’s possible to live our lives without believing in destiny, without feeling it at work in the choices we make, or the choices that are made for us. But it feels impossible to tell the story of our lives without it. 
Stories give our lives structure, and that structure is destiny.”

Hi friends 👋🏻 — I am super excited about the phenomenal new novel from @jandy.nelson! WTWTO is an intricate and luminous look at a family’s complicated past (and present) framed through the power of storytelling, memory, & a touch of magic and mystery (swipe for a synopsis from the publisher). ✨⚡️💥

Nelson very cleverly explores these themes while challenging herself to bring us a dynamically structured & compelling narrative. The prose is gorgeous, the characters are complex & the plot keeps you flipping page after page after page. The WIDE variety of structural devices Nelson uses showcases the importance of storytelling to the overall arc, while never feeling convoluted. She brings us to connections without spoon-feeding the reader, which is a quality I adore in quality YA literature. 📚

“If people bear the trauma of their ancestors, doesn’t it follow they also bear their rhapsodies? …If there are family curses that drop through time, mustn’t there also be family blessings that do the same? …I do believe now that when the world tips over, joy spills out with all the sorrow.” 🌈🌪️😪🥰

There is so much emotional depth in this book. I felt very connected to so many of the characters’ experiences, & the queer representation and identities throughout the novel. I can’t wait to discuss this book with more of the bookish community when it’s published this September! It is highly recommended by moi. I think this would make for a superb audiobook experience if that’s made available! 🎧

If you haven’t read Nelson’s I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN, it’s one of my most beloved books, and I also suggest picking that one up while you wait for your world to be tipped over on 9/24/24 🌏🌈

Jandy Nelson’s new YA novel, When The World Tips Over, delivers all of the feels, fun, emotion, and magic that her readers expect. The Fall family reeks of dysfunction — a father who walked out on them years ago, a mother who cannot face the truth, always in trouble oldest brother, Wynton, perfect middle son, Miles, and nerdy youngest, Dizzy — but a difficult past haunts them. When a mysterious young woman enters their lives, the truth begins to crash in for all of them. Although at times the story drags a bit, Nelson’s writing and character development shine making it more than worthwhile. (FYI —Nelson tackles a lot of issues in this book, drinking, abuse, cheating, sex, etc., that may not be suitable for younger readers.)

Thank you NetGalley and The publisher for an eARC of this novel!

“No one could explain this. A real love story is not falling in love once, but again and again through all sorts of incarnations Theirs was a real love story”

If there is anything that Jandy Nelson can do, she can write a perfect world wind cacophony of characters. Her characters are anything but 1 dimensional or ordinary. They are alive and filled with life and bright bright color. She knows how to create live with words. You root for the characters and your heart stalls when something happens to your favorite. I think my favorite part is how anyone can find something to relate within her stories. Between Dizzy, Wynton, Cassidy, and Miles one can find a glimmer of relatability.

When the world tips of swirls family of the blood and found kind, friendship, parental support and unsupport, love of all kinds. I think this a perfect book for young adults who are trying to find themselves or have already done so.

Also post on Goodreads

Thank you NetGalley & Penguin for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This review can also be found on Goodreads.

A preface before my review: I'm always excited when a publisher gives me an ARC, but receiving this one in particular was an honor. I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson was the first book that ever truly stuck with me. Getting lost in between the pages of Lost Cove with Noah & Jude is one of my absolute favorite things to do. I read it multiple times a year, just to visit my old friends. That novel left an indelible mark ten years ago, and I have been eager for another Jandy novel since. When When The World Tips Over came across my dashboard, I was stunned and over the moon. I went in with extremely high hopes, given my deep love for IGYTS. Every. Single. Expectation. Was. Met.

Paradise Springs is a town so peculiar you can't find it on a map. But once you cross the town line, the magic wraps you up in a sun warmed blanket and brings you home. No one can explain what happens in this town, the magic that occurs. The magic isn't absent from the Fall family.

Meet the Fall's - Dysfunctional siblings Dizzy, Miles, Wynton, and their mother, Bernadette. Missing is their father Theo, who has a legend of his own within the town. As every family, there are secrets and embarrassments. The Fall's are not excluded in this.

Little sister Dizzy is going through a friend breakup, worships her tortured brother Wynton, and is desperate for a relationship with her brother Miles. "Perfect Miles" is struggling with The Gloom Room, his sexuality, and his direction in life. Wynton is consistently caught up in the law, is a violin prodigy, and faces a huge turn of fate. The one thing all siblings have in common, despite their last name of course, is they've all seen an angel. One by one, a mysterious rainbow haired girl covered in words appears to each Fall sibling, helping them find their true selves all while revealing the secret of a lifetime.

The same sense of magic and special that you find in IGYTS can be found in When The World Tips Over. Nelson's writing is SO vivid, dynamic, and simply beautiful. You don't read about the literary world, you are IN this literary world. The sights, smells, sounds, all of it is brought to you. Nelson's way of discussing important, yet sometimes difficult, topics shines yet again. You will find yourself floating with joy while reading, just as Sebastian and Alonso did in the forest.

Ten years felt like forever, but I will happily wait again for another Jandy Nelson novel (although I hope we don't have to). I felt like there were so many nods to IGYTS in this novel. And maybe I was imagining it, but let me live in my delusions! As usual, I am left completely in awe. I'll be dreaming of Paradise Springs just like Marigold, forever and always.