9/10

Emma Pattee comes out swinging with this debut novel.

I loved this book.

Here’s the premise:

Annie is 37 weeks pregnant and is at IKEA in Portland to buy a crib when the big earthquake hits. The city is in chaos. Annie’s goal is to get back home to her husband, but in the process she learns a lot about who she is, what she’s capable of and, most importantly, what it means to be a mother.

The entire book takes place in one day. It’s gripping, from one scene to the next.

Emma is a damn good writer too. Her mastery of words has me in awe.

This might be the best book I’ve read this year. Granted, it’s only April, but still.

#netgalley #tilt

I received a complimentary copy of this book through the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions in this review are completely my own.

The writing of this novel is fantastic. It is gritty, and honest - I felt everything that Annie did. I related to Annie in many ways. I feel like saying anything else will be considered a spoiler. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Tilt (or: "The Most Stressful Trip to IKEA Ever")
Annie is nine months pregnant and doing what all expectant parents do—getting way too invested in Swedish furniture. But just as she's picking out a crib, a massive earthquake rocks Portland, Oregon, leaving her stranded with no phone, no money, and no idea how to get home. So she does the only thing she can: she walks.

Sounds thrilling, right? A high-stakes survival story? A post-apocalyptic-style scramble through a crumbling city? Not quite.

What Tilt actually is though...
Despite being marketed as a thriller, Tilt is less edge-of-your-seat disaster story and more introspective journey through one woman's life choices (with added seismic activity). The earthquake isn’t really the main event—it’s just the backdrop for Annie’s existential crisis.

As she trudges through Portland, she flashes back to the choices that led her here: her struggling marriage, her unfulfilling career, and the fact that she sort of accidentally ended up having a baby. (Not by trying, but by "not not trying"—a phrase that should be printed on a warning label somewhere.)

What Worked for Me
- The Earthquake as a Metaphor
The idea of an actual earthquake mirroring Annie’s inner turmoil? Very cool. Her life is shaking, crumbling, and forcing her to reevaluate everything. Love the concept.

- Some Thought-Provoking Moments
The novel touches on themes of control (or lack thereof), regret, and the slow unraveling of expectations. At its best, it makes you think about your own life choices.

What Didn’t Work for Me
- Annie is... a Lot
Look, I don’t need to like a protagonist, but Annie's whole "life is just happening to me" attitude was frustrating. I kept waiting for her to have some major realization or moment of growth, but it never really came.

- The Ending. Just… The Ending.
I get that some books go for ambiguity, but this one felt like it was building toward something and then just… stopped. Like someone ripped the last few pages out and said, "Eh, you get the idea." No, I do not get the idea. I need closure!

Final Verdict
Would I recommend Tilt? Maybe. If you go in expecting a disaster-thriller, you’re going to be disappointed. But if you’re in the mood for a slow-burn, introspective novel about a woman figuring out her life while also surviving an earthquake, it might be worth a read.

⭐ 3/5 stars – Just like assembling IKEA furniture, I kept waiting for the final piece to snap into place… and it never did. ⭐

I know many people will enjoy this book, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me. I struggled to connect with the main character's choices (yes, she might have been in shock after an earthquake but I wanted to shake her myself half the time.) I also just wanted more explanation of SO many things. I know the ending will infuriate many readers. This was a short book and beautifully written so definitely worth a try for those who like literary books with propulsive narratives and dramatic premises.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.

This book was very good if you love natural disaster books but the issue that I had was the back and forth from present to today and her feelings about what got her to this point. The other issue that I have was that this book was very open-ended at the end and didn't give a very good conclusion. The narrator was talking to her unborn child the entire time which was very interesting way to tell the story but at the same time she was making horrible decisions which after the first half of the book you hope that she could have made a better decision. Overall it was an interesting debut for this author but there needed to be some more plot and some more conclusion to the story for me to give it a higher rating.

Apparently, Oregon is due for a catastrophic-sized earthquake, anytime between now and the next hundred years. The author takes this supposition and runs with it. The novel starts off with Annie, who is nine months pregnant and in IKEA shopping for a crib, when the big one hits.
She spends the day traveling through the wreckage of the city, mostly on foot, searching for her husband. It was definitely no fun for her, but an engaging experience for the readers.
Thanks to #netgalley and #marysueruccibooks for this #arc of #tilt by #emmapattee in exchange for an honest review.

Fans of Day After Tomorrow, San Andreas, and Don’t Look Up, this one is for you.

It’s a fast paced read coming in under 250 pages.

It follows 9 month pregnant Annie, after a devastating earthquake in PNW. Without any means of communication and chaos around her, it follows her journey to try and get home.

It’s a page turner and will have you on the edge of your seat, while wondering what you would do in this situation.

This book effortlessly weaves the gut-wrenching survival story of a 37-week pregnant protagonist in the wake of an apocalyptic earthquake with the sensitive character drama that she was living before The Big One hit. The result is stunning and terrifyingly relatable for any parent.

Pattee's novel is one of those read straight through in one sitting book. Actually, this book is one of those where you have to physically restrain yourself from reading the last few pages to find out what happens! Tilt tells the store of one day in the life of Annie, who is 37 weeks pregnant and at IKEA alone buying a crib when a massive earthquake hits Oregon. As Annie tries to walk home through the destruction to get back to her partner, her interior monologue is a frantic, ripped from the headlines searing indictment of climate change, the staggering cost of American healthcare and dental care, the pregnancy industrial complex, urban real estate prices, and the futility of making art in a broken world. In a taut 240 pages Pattee accomplishes so much. What a debut! What a voice! Thanks S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books and NetGalley for the DRC.

Title: Tilt
Author: Emma Pattee
Publisher: Simon Element | S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
'Tilt' by Emma Pattee

My Insight:

'Tilt' was quite a suspenseful read, as was what happened to Annie during an earthquake in Portland, Oregon. While at the store, an earthquake occurred while Annie went shopping for a crib. Being pregnant in her 37th week, her first baby, while looking for her husband, what will happen after this disaster? Annie will have many flashbacks as we are given a story of what happened before the earthquake. Be ready for wanting more of this story after reading about what happens when a natural disaster happens, how it will be taken in with how people react, and especially what happens while one is pregnant. This was a good read, but an epilogue would have been nice at the close of this story.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Annie has finally gotten around to shopping for a much needed crib at IKEA in Portland when a massive earthquake hits. Left without her phone or purse, she must traverse the city to find her husband. Along the way Annie sees both desperation and kindness. Looting right along with offers of help. As Annie walks, she ruminates about her life, both the good and bad and if she can only make it home, she’s determined to change her life. This book was riveting! Taking each painful step alongside Annie makes us wonder what we would do in the face of a world alternating tragedy. Especially at 39 weeks pregnant. Traveling from Chehalis to Longview after Mt. Saint Helen’s erupted gave me a small taste as roads closed, logging roads were taken, being the last car through on more than one occasion, seeing the logs that looked like matchsticks flowing down the river, left me wondering if we would make it home or where we would end up that day. As I said, a small taste, but a taste nevertheless. This story is told in one compelling day. A day that will never be forgotten. My only regret was the ending … I wanted more! Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

An interesting and relatable debut which takes place in a day. Set in Oregon, this book is a cataclysmic experience/reminder of the aftermath of a natural disaster.

Told through flashbacks and present events, we follow pregnant Annie as she tries to find her husband after an earthquake.

This book is an ode to motherhood, humanity, inhumanity, survival and the resilience of humans.

It was candid and raw. I love that it was a short read and the author did not prolong the agony.

I didn’t like the open ending. I read it more than once to try to understand what the author was thinking but no luck.

If you love apocalyptic fiction with unlikely characters then you should read

I must say that I have never read a book like this before. It’s a tragic suspenseful survival story. Annie, the main character, is at IKEA shopping for a crib while being 9 months pregnant when an earthquake hits. The book is told through her voice relaying all that’s happened before and afterwards to “Bean”, her baby to be. Nothing like leaving it to the last minute and shopping at that point by herself. Never having lived through an earthquake and hopefully never to experience it, this was a story that you couldn’t look away from. The story details everything Annie experiences from her relationship with the baby’s father through all she encounters afterwards including all the people both good and bad as she tries to find her way home. #Tilt #EmmaPattee #NetGalley
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced e-arc of the book. All opinions expressed are my own.

“Tilt,” by Emma Pattee, S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books, 240 pages, March 25, 2025.

Annie, 35, is nine months pregnant and shopping for a crib at IKEA in Portland, Oregon. It is the first day of her maternity leave. Her dream was to be a playwright. Now she is the office manager at a technology company.

Her husband, Dom, 38, is a struggling actor who picks up shifts at a cafe. They had a fight the night before. She talks to the baby “Bean” in her thoughts.

Then a massive earthquake hits. Annie starts thinking back to when she and Dom met. She is trapped under debris, but another woman helps her get out. She’s lost her purse and can’t find her car keys or her phone. She and a woman named Taylor, who is trying to get to her daughter’s school, decide to walk.

As she walks, Annie reflects on her struggling marriage, her disappointing career, and her anxiety about having a baby. If she can just make it home, she’s determined to change her life. Will she make it to safety before going into labor?

The timeline of the book is one day. I struggled with this novel. Both Annie and Dom are immature and self-centered and some parts are just unbelievable. The ending doesn’t resolve the big questions.

I rate it three out of five stars.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Tilt is the page-turning story of a pregnant woman’s search for her husband after a devastating earthquake in Portland, Oregon.

Over the course of one day, Annie who is nine months pregnant survives a devastating earthquake (at Ikea) and sets out across the wreckage of Portland (Oregon) to find her husband.

One day in the life of an earthquake survivor.

This story takes place at Ikea initially. After the devastating earthquake, Annie sets out in search of her husband and navigates the destruction on the streets of Portland (Oregon). The story takes place in one (very long!) day.

The survival and search aspects of the story make it a page-turner. As you can imagine, Annie comes across some colorful characters and desperate situations. My concern for Annie’s safety and her situation had me reading compulsively.

Even though Tilt is page-turning, it is also heavily character-driven.

Is Annie a likable character? Well….Annie is a complicated character! She is determined to a fault. Her perseverance kept her going at two points when I thought she should stay. If I were in her situation at nine months pregnant, I might be a bit emotional and/or irrational as well. I might have been tempted to find safety for myself and the baby and let my husband find ME!

As she makes her way across the city she reflects on her career, her marriage, and motherhood. She has an opportunity to interact with a variety of people which results in an array of outcomes. We learn more about Annie as she reacts to offers of assistance and has her own opportunities to assist others.

Then we have the reason she was in Ikea in the first place: procrastination. She should not have waited nine months to buy the crib!

So, likable or not? Annie is unprepared for sure, but she has grit. How do any of us know what we would do in a disaster? I can imagine that her decisions and actions would make a great book club discussion!

Even though the conclusion is likely realistic, I need to alert you that I didn’t find the conclusion especially satisfying as I was left with a few questions. Has this earthquake wrecked her whole life? How will she pick up the pieces from here? If ever a story needed an epilogue, it’s this one!

Content Consideration: earthquake devastation and trauma

Fans of page-turning survival stories with sides of suspense will want to add Tilt to your spring/summer beach or pool bags! If you live on the West Coast of the U.S., you might be triggered or intrigued by the content. Residents of Portland, Oregon won’t want to miss a story set in their “home town”!

Thanks #NetGalley @SimonBooks for a complimentary eARC of #Tilt upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to the Simon Element, Mary Sue Rucci Books, and NetGalley access to Tilt in exchange for my honest opinion. Climate fiction isn’t a typical genre for me to read, but I was completely sucked into this book once I started it. It’s concise, at less than 230 pages, but the plot and writing are rich.
Annie is nine months pregnant, shopping at IKEA for a crib on her first official day of maternity leave. The Portland IKEA is northeast of the city, out near the airport (which I noticed when I flew out of PDX in summer 2023 - I grew up equating landing at the Newark airport with the IKEA in Elizabeth!). While shopping, a major earthquake hits, cutting off electricity and creating all kinds of panic. Annie abandons her car (who knows where her keys, phone, purse, etc. are?) and starts the long walk into Portland, where her husband is working at a cafe. She knows he must be panicking about her and the baby. She has some interactions with people along the walk, as she treks past infrastructure damage and people who have not survived. The chapters alternate between Annie’s current journey and glimpses from the past, starting with long ago when she was in college and going up until the night before and morning of the quake, following her pregnancy journey closely.
Tilt will publish tomorrow, and I recommend it - although I can understand if you live in the Portland or surrounding west coast area, this read may hit a little too close to home. When I visited Portland with friends in 2023, we did a lot of walking around in different areas, and it was neat to recognize some of the neighborhoods, streets, bridges, etc. while reading. But I’m glad I don’t live close to a major fault line!

This was an interesting story and honestly don't know what to make of it... Was it all a nightmare, was it real? lots of unanswered questions at the end from my perspective., I thought the beginning was far better from the end and I felt like I was wandering aimlesslessy with the character.

In Tilt, Annie is having a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. First, she is nine months pregnant and feeling it. Second, she is in IKEA, a giant store, looking for a crib with her feet and back killing her. Third, a major earthquake hits forcing her to walk home without her car or purse. The good news is that the coffee shop where her husband works is closer, but still miles away, so she starts walking.

The plot splits into alternating timeframes between her and her husband’s pre-earthquake left and where she is now. She and her husband have some financial issues but appear to be surviving at least. But Annie does not feel fulfilled in her office cubicle job while still dreaming of becoming a playwright. Conversely, she is convinced her husband needs to give up his acting dreams to get a real career.

The most compelling part of Tilt is Annie’s current journey. You can tell the author has gone through pregnancy. Two according to the Acknowledgements. The descriptions of how a woman feels during pregnancy, no matter how disturbing, ring true. I felt like I was Annie throughout the novel, which is a great achievement considering the scenario Annie finds herself. I highly recommend Tilt. 5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and Marysue Rucci Books for providing me with an advanced review copy.

WOW! I went deep in Annie's world. Taking place over just one day, pregnant Annie grapples with the aftermath of a devastating earthquake while contemplating her life, her current relationship, her views on motherhood, the grief of losing her mother, and much more. It's truly astonishing how author Emma Pattee packed so much into such a limited number of pages. Thank you @netgalley @emmapattee @simonandschuster @marysueruccibooks for the ARC. #netgalley #netgalleyarc

a quick one day in the of a very pregnant woman, who when crib shopping at IKEA in Portland at 37 has her life upended when a major earthquake strikes. You follow Annie as she walks through the city trying to find her husband, and also learn about her life, and how she got to where she is now. The story flashes forward and back, and give you a lot to fear in the future.