When the World Tips Over - Review and Inspired Playlist

I don’t want to write a long review for When The World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson. Mainly because I fell in love with this. I knew I would within the first few pages of read that this was going to be a 5 star read and am so happy that I was proven right (I remember a few years I read another Jandy Nelson novel, I’ll Give You the Sun, and I gave it three stars but I think, if I reread it, I would change my thoughts on it). 

But When the World Tips Over, I fell in love with. I think it helped that I didn’t rush reading this (the original plan was the read it over September, but it spilt into October [very similar to last year when I read Cassandra Clare’s Sword Catcher. I didn’t rush reading it and I need to do this more!) and I savoured. 

Anyway, let me tell you a little about the book and this post as it’s different from my normal. 

Title and Author: When The World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson

Publisher: Walker Books

Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by the UK publisher in exchange for an honest review/reaction

Buy From (Affiliate): https://uk.bookshop.org/

The Fall siblings live in the town of Paradise Springs, where you can get drunk on the air, the devil winds blow so hard that it can blow sense out of the head, and the Fall family is a family divided. 

The eldest, Wynton, is a powerhouse on the violin and is on track for fame or self-destruction of himself and his family. His brother, Miles, is smart, beautiful, perfect, but he feels lost and alone, and not even his dog whispering gift can pull him out of his darkness. And the youngest, Dizzy, can see ghosts, bakes beautiful soufflés and wishes to be a lead in her own romance. 

But when a mysterious girl with rainbow-coloured hair saves Dizzy from a car accident, the Fall family finds their world tipping over. Is the mystery girl an angel? A normal girl? Whoever she is, she becomes important to each of them and soon, her stories of family curses, betrayals, love stories within love stories within love stories might bring the Fall together.

Like I said at the start, I can’t really do a review as, well, I adore this book and plan to attack Jandy’s other books in the coming months (and I think I will do musical posts for them!), but listened to loads of music while reading this and it felt perfect to a musical post - an me-inspired playlist (Walker Books have one on Spotify - check it out, some choices are wonderful!). But I don’t want to list EVERY SONG as some are odd choices. So, gonna pick three and show: 

“Lavender” by Two Door Cinema Club

This, to me, became one of the book’s theme songs. This book is very whimsy and dream-like and, after hearing this randomly on Radio X one day, it just fitted beautifully!

“Good Grief” by Fancy Hagood

This is a song about grief and it just works with the Fall siblings. They are all grieving and this fits the first half of the book. This, like Lavender, became one of this book’s main theme song for me.

“Escapism.” by Raye & 070 Shake

This is very much a character song, mainly Wynton but there is overlay with other characters, one being his brother, Miles. As you smart music listeners know, this song is about tackling heartbreak through unhealthy coping mechanisms such as drugs, alcohol, sex and other ways.

I’m tempted to do this with the rest of the Jandy Nelson books. This was fun. So, if you have read When the World Tips Over, tell me what song (in any genre) fits the book. Or tell me an song/artist I need to check out!