When the World Tips Over

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. I have to admit that Miles is my favorite character. In a YA book of extreme emotions, Miles exudes rampant horniness in a hilarious, sweet way. [Redacted]'s shades were up again and his absolutely gorgeous eyes – let's just be honest – were gazing down at Miles sympathetically, causing the blood in Miles's body to switch directions.“No way,” Dizzy said. “Miles's face is perfect, if you haven't noticed.” “I've noticed,” [Redacted] said, and Miles briefly lost consciousness. For the briefest, boldest moment, Miles rested his trembling hand on [Redacted]'s, which was still on his shoulder, and when their eyes locked, he was certain all the doors in the all the world blew open. It's not an accident that one of the characters is reading Steinbeck's [b:East of Eden 4406 East of Eden John Steinbeck https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1639969375l/4406.SY75.jpg 2574991]. 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.ARC received from Net Galley and publisher in exchange for objective review. Excerpts quoted from the book may be different in the final, published version.