Emma Pattee's Tilt is a brilliant debut that combines fast-paced storytelling with deeply emotional undertones, leaving me both breathless and reflective. Following Annie's harrowing journey across a post-earthquake Portland, the novel captures the rawness of survival, the fragility of human connections, and the weight of motherhood. As a climate scientist, I was super impressed by the meticulous research that anchors the story in a plausible reality, making the disaster feel all the more immediate. Annie's resilience and her bond with her unborn child, Bean, are beautifully rendered, pulling the reader into her fears and hopes. Pattee’s background in journalism shines through in the tight, compelling prose, and the book's ability to keep you hooked while navigating themes of marriage, career, and self-discovery. This is a must-read for anyone who loves stories that blend emotional depth with gripping action!

I really loved the beginning and middle of the book—it definitely felt like the story continued to develop and build and the grueling journey of a woman who wasn’t sure she wanted to be a mother but grew into her survivalist nature was inspiring. But the closer to the end it got, the more the story felt unfinished, and rushed, and it just lost me.

I think with a little more refinement at the end with a really solid conclusion it could have been a great story. Everything after she abandons her new friend, and all of her potential safety and resources…it just didn’t make sense to me. The ending was especially underwhelming.

@simon.audio @simonbooks | #partner I have to admit that I was initially skeptical about 𝗧𝗜𝗟𝗧 by Emma Pattee, but I’m happy to report that I was completely wrong. This story is about a woman, nine months pregnant, who’s shopping at an IKEA in Portland, OR when a massive earthquake hits. Miles from home and with no other options, Annie sets off to walk the miles it will take to reach her husband. So, why was I skeptical? There was a book published in 2016, 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 by Elizabeth Percer, that had a very similar set up. I worried this might be a story I’d read before. It wasn’t!⁣
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I loved what debut author Pattee did with her story. It took place in the present or near future, but climate issues were even worse than we have now and that played a role in Annie’s journey. I also very much like how she told Annie’s story, alternating between her journey toward her husband and her relationship with him, their history and her mixed feelings about having a child. She became more and more sympathetic as her story evolved and I so appreciated the way she grew on me over the course of the book. Pattee also did an amazing job imagining all the consequences of a massive earthquake in a city ill-prepared for one. ⁣
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I can’t conclude this review without giving kudos to the audiobook’s narrator, Ariel Blake. She did an incredible job bringing Annie to life, conveying terror, hope, exhaustion, love, fear and so much more to the character. Between Pattee’s masterful storytelling and Blake’s performance 𝘛𝘪𝘭𝘵 is a story I won’t soon forget. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

This book was really a page turner for me. Does the Annie get through the day of this earthquake? Does she make it home? Does she find her husband? The author wrote this is a way that made me really want to know what happened. I could picture the story taking place and really wanted to know the outcome. Compelling reading.

What a scary premise. A major earthquake in Portland, OR and a pregnant woman walking across the city in search of her husband.

Annie was shopping for a crib at an Ikea store when the earthquake hit, she tried to stay safe by crawling under a rack. When the shock ended she was rescued by an employee realizing that her purse with her phone and car keys were under a pile of boxes as she headed for the exit. There is a lot to make me very afraid of an earthquake as Annie deals with no food or water and fires start in the city.

Annie also finds out that her husband had been less than honest about where he was going to be that day. Will she find him, will she stay safe? Will she make it to safety before her baby is born? You have to read to find out.

Solid four stars. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

It’s one of those books that sneaks up on you—not flashy, not overly dramatic, but it gets under your skin in this quiet, thoughtful way.

The whole story has this slightly off-balance feeling (which, I guess, fits the title perfectly). It’s about grief and identity and memory, but it never feels like it’s trying too hard to be deep—it just is. The way Pattee writes is subtle and sharp at the same time. Her sentences are simple but pack a punch, and there’s this underlying tension that keeps you leaning in, even during the quieter moments.

What stood out to me most was how human it felt. The characters weren’t overly polished or dramatic—they just felt real, in all their messiness and contradictions. There were moments where I caught myself thinking, “Oh... I’ve felt that before,” and that kind of connection is always a sign of a solid read.

The plot isn’t super fast-paced, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s more about the slow unraveling, both of the story and the characters. By the time I got to the end, I was just sitting there like, “Huh. That hit harder than I expected.”

Tilt by Emma Pattee had me completely hooked from the very first page. The story follows Annie, nine months pregnant, shopping for a crib at IKEA when a devastating earthquake hits Portland. With no way to contact her husband and chaos unfolding around her, she makes the bold decision to walk home. The novel takes place over the course of a single day, and it pulls you along with an intensity that makes it nearly impossible to put down.

As Annie navigates the wreckage—both physical and emotional—she’s forced to make one tough choice after another, and you can’t help but ask yourself, “What would I do in her place?” The pacing, the tension, and the emotional depth kept me fully invested. I was ready to put this book at the very top of my list… until the final chapter.

The last chapter felt like a sharp shift in tone and perspective, almost like it belonged to a different book entirely. It jolted me out of what had been such an immersive and gripping story, and left me a bit unsettled. That said, I know not everyone will feel the same—and I would love to sit in on a book club discussion to hear other perspectives on that ending.

Despite that one hiccup, I still highly recommend Tilt to readers who enjoy fast-paced, emotionally charged stories, especially those with a “what would you do?” kind of hook. It’s a quick but intense read, perfect for book clubs—especially if you’re ready to debate that final chapter.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

Wow! This book blew me away. Annie is 9 months pregnant, shopping in Ikea, when a major earthquake strikes, destroying the entire town of Portland. She walks across the city, trying to find her husband and get back home. Along the way, she meets people, reflects on her life and relationships, and tries to avoid danger. This is an interesting character study, but it will also make you think: what would you do when the world collapses and all rules of society are broken? What would you do if your town was destroyed? I do wish there had been just a bit more to the ending, as the reader is left with a lot of questions. But I flew through this and absolutely loved the writing.

I really liked this book. It was almost like reading two books at once - a woman struggling to find her place and come unstuck in her job, her relationship, and her life - and a woman who is desperate to survive and return to the life she realizes she loves so much. I thought it was great - and I especially loved Annie's journey across the city/to find Dom. I realize it's done intentionally, but I also wanted more. Was it Dom who found her in the park? What happened to Taylor and Gabby? Will she have a home to bring Bean to - she was so close but I don't think we ever found out if she actually saw it? A super quick read that I'd definitely recommend.

While I don't think this is a book that high school students will necessarily enjoy, I certainly did. This is my favorite book of the year so far. Cli-fi with heart. I loved the reflections on motherhood and marriage while we follow our main character who is navigating the terrifying aftermath of an earthquake. I have been telling everyone I know about this book. Short, but packs a huge punch.

Tilt felt very realistic in a lot of ways, a mom-to-be could be stuck at an IKEA during an earthquake. Someone can easily have to make their way through this situation. This was a great examination of the myriad of ways people react when face to face with an acute disaster and everything that was going on in the MCs head felt really relatable. Overall I found this to be really well written. I knew going in that it would be set in a single day but I would have been ok with this one at triple the length because I just wanted to know more.

This was a fun read. Reads like a thriller, but a little deeper with a lot more backstory into Annie's relationship and growing up on Portland. The story begins as a story told to her unborn child. She's 9 months pregnant and shopping for a crib at her Portland IKEA when a powerful earthquake strikes. Amid the rubble and destruction, she decides to walk to her husband to check on him. Along the way, she meets many other survivors as she muses over her life and how she got to this point: broke, not following her dream, and struggling in her marriage. I was invested and needed to know what was going to happen. Annie's not particularly likable, but I was hoping for the best for her. One star off because I didn't like the ending. I like my novels wrapped up more. But I think many readers will enjoy this one!

A seamless blend of character study, social commentary, and survival story. Full review posted at BookBrowse: https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/reviews/index.cfm/ref/pr319168

Love this book!! Can't wait to have Emma on my New Hampshire Public Radio show, Check This Out. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or live Saturdays at 3pm.

A natural disaster strikes in Portland, Oregon and a woman is trying to make her way to her husband. She is nine months pregnant and shopping for a crib at Ikea when the world is turned upside down.

Annie talks to her unborn child, calling him Bean, explaining what is going on, what her life is like. More often says, your father instead of my husband or his name, Dom. Annie has unfilled dreams of being a playwright, only had one play produced while Dom is still exploring and trying to get famous working as an actor. This adds tension to their relationship, as he is still trying and she has effectively given up her dream.

The book is told in alternating timelines, the now then the past leading up to now, such as 17 years ago, 9 years ago, up to yesterday and earlier this morning.

The overall book is okay, not as engaging as I thought it might be, the subject matter wasn’t compelling to me as I hoped. The format of alternating time lines does work okay. The ending is somewhat open ended as the book really only takes place over one day.

4 stars
Tilt
Emma Pattee
Simon and Schuster

Tilt by Emma Pattee was a definite page-turner for me. I love that feeling of "just one more chapter," because I have to see if she...finds him, finds water or just survives. I have been reading more climate fiction this year and I find it fascinating. This novel revolved around The Big Earthquake in Portland in current times. The plot involves a very pregnant Annie and her determined search to find her husband under insurmountable challenges. The story includes her current struggles to navigate her body through this disaster, along with flashbacks to high and lows of her life with her husband and her career. Annie does a lot of reflection on her journey by talking to her baby-to-be, nicknamed Bean. The story flows quickly and I was in awe of Annie's resilience and determination. The ending is emotional and fits with Annie's personality. But not all questions are answered. And I think that fits with the storytelling too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the eARC of Tilt. My opinions are my own.

This was an engaging and compelling read. Thank you to Net Galley for an advance copy. I don’t want to say too much about what happens but her descriptions are quite vivid. Interestingly with the back/forth in time I actually found the pre-earthquake backstory more interesting… more thoughtful and emotive vs the very detailed (and seemingly quite realistic) experience of being in an earthquake. The book seems to get positioned as dystopian as she navigates the aftermath, butit just felt quite true to what that would be like. (And for me- not dystopian is a positive)

A heart-pounding novel that follows a pregnant woman (37 weeks) as she tries to reunite with her husband after a devastating earthquake. SPOILER ALERT: My biggest disappointment is that there is not really any resolution to any of the open threads at the end of the novel.

Talk about the kind of book that has you constantly holding your breath! That is Tilt. Annie is 9mo pregnant and is shopping for a crib at the Portland IKEA when the Big One hits. Chaos ensues and she’s making her way through miles of earthquake damage to get to her husband who she’s been unable to reach. Chapters flip-flop between her present day journey and past memories, allowing her to reflect on her life.
This was terrifying to read because I live in Portland and don’t want to think of that happening in my lifetime. Excellent job on the author for bringing a very real danger to the forefront as well.
Thank you to Simon Element for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetyGalley for the ARC. The book is set in 1 day. Annie is 8 months pregnant and at IKEA when an earthquake hits. The book follows her as she tried to survive and reunite with her husband.