Sassafras on Sutton

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I have waited for this book for 10 years. In 2014 I read I’ll Give You the Sun and it changed my life from the very first page. Since its release, I have patiently waited for the next book that I would adore from Jandy Nelson–When the World Tips Over is that book. The correct word does not exist for how incredibly beautiful this story is. Jandy Nelson’s talent for creating characters that feel like your own peers (even at the age of 26) is completely unmatched–throughout the progression of this story, I felt like I was traveling through Northern California as a close confidant to each of the Fall siblings. As a young reader, I’ll Give You the Sun felt like home to me (and it always will). I felt understood, adored, appreciated, and like there was a little bit of magic inside of me. When the World Tips Over now gets to provide all those exact same feelings to young readers today–though that does not take away from adult readers like myself, who are also incredibly touched, moved, and changed by this story. Told through many different perspectives, readers are able to latch on to and understand each character and what makes each individual story important for the narrative that is being told. Dizzy, Miles, Wynton, and Cassidy are characters that make sure they will never be forgotten even after the last page is turned.

When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson, (List Price: $21.99, Dial Books, 9780525429098, September 2024)

Reviewed by Abbie Cyr, Sassafras on Sutton in Black Mountain, North Carolina