When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“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.”
I have read and loved both of Jandy Nelson’s books. But the last one came out ten years ago when I was reading more Young Adult so I wasn’t sure I would love this one as much.
But I am so glad to say that I was completely wrong.
The thing that’s so amazing about this book is that on the surface, there’s nothing special about the book. It’s about a family with three kids. They are each struggling in their own way. The dad has left. The kids are struggling. And then one of them has an accident.
That’s pretty much the story.
But of course that’s not it. Because Jandy Nelson wrote this book and she’s nothing short of magic. Her writing is nothing short of magic. This book is poetry. It’s weaves into your soul just the same way all her stories do. It makes you feel deeply and it makes you fall in love with each of the characters. It makes you realize people are complex and so beautiful and so flawed all at the same time.
“I do believe now that when the world tips over, joy spills out with all the sorrow. But you have to look for it.”
And it gives you hope. It always gives you hope.
Yet again, she made me love her book with all my heart and soul. It was worth the wait.
with gratitude to netgalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
