"Tilt" has a great premise: pregnant woman stuck in an Ikea in Portland when an earthquake strikes (aka "The Big One.") What follows is a thin plot of Annie's attempt to make it downtown to find her husband. Along the way, she buddies up with an Ikea worker, explores a destroyed school, and joins a riot. There are flashbacks to her meeting her husband, their dating years, and his aspirations of making it as an actor. Her inner monologue dominates the prose and what I believe is the heart of the story: how does one react in the midst of chaos and fear?

This was a let down for me as I found Annie's voice to be annoying and highly reactive. I can't say I'd handle an earthquake any better, but what could have been a powerful novel of anger and resilience read more like a caricature of a girlboss. The ending in particular veers into sentimentality which was a stark change of tone and unfortunately one I understood as communicating "see, even crazy women can tap into their motherly instincts and tenderness!"

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

I wanted to read this because it is set in my town, Portland, Oregon. The backdrop is what we Portlanders call The Big One, an earthquake that could go over 8 or 9 on the Richter Scale. The protagonist is a very pregnant woman who is shopping at IKEA when the Big One hits. She escapes from the rubble, but loses her car and her purse. The story is told in a single day as she struggles to walk miles to get to her husband and her home. It’s about the people she meets, with realistic descriptions of her own exhaustion, dehydration, and pain. Pattee did her research on what we can expect. The story is compelling, emotional, sometimes dark and sometimes funny. I’m grateful for the ARC. This is my honest review.

Diving into this book, which takes place during a natural disaster, forced me to face my own fears! Living in a city still experiencing wildfires and high earthquake risk, reading fiction inspired by real-life events can be challenging - I often prefer fantasy. However, I must admit this book is well-written and honestly executed. I couldn't help but follow Annie's journey step by step, squirming anxiously in my seat, biting my nails, barely breathing. The storytelling is engaging and genuine, making us deeply resonate with Annie's struggles and survival journey.

Annie is 37 weeks pregnant, 35 years old, and once an aspiring playwright. Now stuck in an office job to support her marriage, she's still grieving, questioning her life choices, dealing with fears of motherhood, financial struggles, and moving from the city and house where they built their life. These thoughts and fears lie buried, ready to burst with any tragic triggering pressure. And burst they do when Annie finds herself in the middle of a horrifying earthquake while shopping for a crib at IKEA on a random Thursday in Portland, Oregon.

She gets trapped between boxes but is fortunately rescued by a store employee. In her rush to escape, she leaves behind her purse and phone as she joins the crowd seeking safety.

As she walks through the city's wreckage, she forms a plan to reach the café where her husband works, motivated by the desire to reunite their family. Throughout her compelling journey, she talks to her future baby, nicknamed "Bean." Annie's survival experience leads her through increasingly bizarre and tragic situations, including waiting beside a dying woman alone in a park while the woman's husband searches for help. She also reflects on her past: meeting her husband, watching her playwright dreams diminish, and seeing her plans to change the world through words fade while her husband, in his late thirties, still pursues his acting dreams. She mentally converses with her mother, sharing her fears and loneliness during the crisis. Will she find her husband? Can she protect her baby and give birth in a city of chaos? Most importantly, will she survive as her journey becomes increasingly dangerous with each passing second?

I loved this heart-wrenching, moving, emotionally rattling, honest story of Annie's life-changing journey. Without spoiling the ending, I'll warn that those expecting sweet, clichéd moments may be disappointed. Sometimes, in the midst of darkness, when you've lost your way, the best thing to hold onto is a crumbling hope. Annie's story offers that crumb of hope in an inspirational and resonating way, making us wonder: what would I do in the same situation? This is one of the year's most thought-provoking, well-executed novels that you shouldn't miss.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon Element/S&S/Marysue Rucci Books for sharing this engaging fiction's digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Tilt is a story of survival and what it means to be a mother, a partner, and a child. Annie is 37 weeks pregnant, shopping for a crib at IKEA and cursing herself for not doing the errand sooner when a massive earthquake hits. After making her way out of the store, Annie begins the trek to the cafe where her husband works, seeing the destruction that has been left behind. The story alternates between the present in the aftermath of the earthquake and the past, showing how Annie's relationship with her husband has changed over time and her experiences with her pregnancy in the months leading up to the present. It is an absolutely fascinating character study of Annie and the fear of the disaster landscape keeps pushing the narrative forward in a really unique way.

This book was overall a unique story and I really, really enjoyed it. I found Annie to be a relatable character, especially in the ways that her anxieties surfaced and the way she felt about her creative dreams. Her relationship with her husband was also well-developed despite the fact that he isn't present in the chapters set in the present. I liked how the book discussed her relationship with her mom as well as with her baby, the exploration of motherhood was handled very well. Going into this book, although it is about a natural disaster, readers should not be expecting a lot of action. This will be great for fans of character driven books and I think fans of Station Eleven would enjoy it.

4.5 stars
✨A woman at the end of her pregnancy is in Ikea picking out a crib when a horrific earthquake hits. Thus begins her journey home in what aptly feels like the end of the world. The tension is palpable, and I honestly could not put this book down. I read it in one day.

✨While this is indeed the story of a catastrophic earthquake, at its heart, this is a book about motherhood. The author does a masterful job of unveiling layer upon layer of the complexities and intricacies of what it truly means to be a mother.

✨I love the way the author develops Annie’s character through dual timelines – through both her present circumstances and flashback chapters. The transitions are flawless and seamless.

✨The only reason this wasn’t a solid five stars for me was because I didn’t love the ending. Still a fabulous read that I highly recommend.

🌿Read if you like:
✨Survival fiction
✨Portland settings
✨Debut novels
✨Motherhood narratives
✨Dual timelines

My thanks to @marysueruccibooks and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.

3.5 Stars

This was a story about a married thirty-something named Annie who was 9 months pregnant. It's her first day of maternity leave and she drives out alone to her local IKEA in Portland, Oregon to buy a crib. While there, a massive earthquake hits. The chapters weave back and forth from past to present as Annie recounts her relationship with her husband, as she is one among the masses of people trying to get to their loved ones amid this environmental catastrophe.

I liked the honest way the main character looked back at her life with her husband, weary and cynical about the fact that her husband relentlessly persued his passion to be an actor. She watched other friends take more traditional job trajectories and build lives with financial security, feeling wistful and a bit depressed that their own best lives were possibly passing them by. I also admired her inner and outer strength, navigating this natural disaster and the dangers all around her...while 9 months pregnant. The present day story takes place within one day, and the tension/suspense kept me tethered as I cheered for Annie to get home and keep her unborn baby safe.

Thank you to the publisher Simon Element / Simon & Schuster/ Marysue Rucci Books who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

A gripping debut novel about a pregnant woman navigating Portland during a catastrophic earthquake. Pattee masterfully blends survival drama with deep personal introspection, creating an intense and emotionally resonant story. The narrative is raw, compelling, and beautifully written.

What started as a seemingly overwrought disaster film waiting to be screenwritten ended as a unique take on earthquake possibilities and how endangered people will be when the disaster happens. It's a human take on a literal natural shift in the planet and it's telling that it will mentally overcome most of us before overwhelmed help can arrive.

I really enjoyed this book and I was quickly pulled into the story. I love the way author conveyed the earthquake and the following aftermath. The writing showed the confusion, disorientation, and the questions that I believe occur during tragedies and their aftermath. I like how the author used flashbacks to show us the events leading up to this day and time. Living in Vancouver, WA across from Portland I knew all the locations in the book and it added to the distress and worry I felt for our main character.

Be warned, if you are a reader who likes the book to end with all the answers and tied up in a neat tidy package this isn't the book for you. The book ends with many unknowns and you feel exhausted at this incredible and difficult day comes to an end.

I highly recommend this book. The author put a lot research into what will happen when the big earthquake hits this area. She also shares where you can learn more at the end of the book.

I am looking forward to more books by this author.

Emma Pattee’s debut novel Tilt is a fast-paced tale that takes place as a devastating earthquake hits Oregon, and its aftermath.

The story is told through the eyes of Annie, a first time mom-to-be. She is nine months pregnant and the big quake hits as she is in Ikea shopping for a crib.

I think that a lot of first time parents can identify with the anxieties that Annie expressed. But I really wish she had someone in her life who would just tell her & she believes “there is no good time to have a baby. You’re never completely financially ready or set. But you’re a reasonable adult and you’ll make it work.” But that would be boring. Plus people say that but the anxiety stays (raises hand!)

As Annie gets out of the Ikea and makes her way across Portland, OR to look for her husband she interacts with quite a few other people. Nobody is in a good spot. Very rarely does anyone give Annie special treatment for being super pregnant. Everyone else is going through a lot of trauma on their own. During this journey, Annie reflects on her feelings where she failed in life, marriage, career, education, ect. The way that Pattee writes about her reflections is really top notch and she makes Annie feel very relatable. Also, the way in which Pattee writes about the disaster makes it feel like you’re on the journey with Annie. She does a great job of describing the world.

I need to say that I really liked the ending. I won’t say anything more about it, but I think it was perfect!

This one should appeal to anyone who has the “big feels” about motherhood/parenthood and who enjoys a good post-disaster character-driven story.

Thank you to S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books, Emma Pattee and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance ebook copy.

Ahhhhh this book! My heart felt so full and broken while reading it. I LOVED getting to the part about the birds- it was funny I hadn’t even thought about why a bird was on the cover.
I view this story as a love letter to child from a mother and from a child to a mother.
I also learned a lot about “the big one” and am now terrified.
All the stars to this beautiful book!

At less than four weeks away from giving birth, Annie is shopping for a crib at IKEA when a massive earthquake hits Portland, Oregon. Determined to make it to her husband at his job, Annie starts walking. Though she does have some interactions along the way, Annie mainly spends the time contemplating her life.

The book takes place over the course of one day, though there are plenty of flashbacks to the previous months to give the plot some movement. That being said, the book is barely readable. There is no excuse for poor grammar and sentence fragments, as well as starting sentences with so, but, or and. The best part of the book is when the author describes Annie's anxiety over the impending motherhood without her mother there to guide her. I am a fan of survival fiction, but I do not like this book.

Tilt had a good premise and the author clearly did her research, but it missed the mark. Overall, I would not recommend this novel to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to read and review this book was entirely my own.

A pregnant woman is shopping for a crib in Ikea when a catastrophic earthquake hits Portland. Injured, she manages to escape the store, but then must cope with a city in turmoil. Buildings and bridges have collapsed. People are dead or injured. Having lost her cell phone and car keys, Annie, who should have been home in bed on the first day of her maternity leave, has no other options. If she wants to find her husband or her home, she must walk through broken streets, scrounge food and water, and avoid the dangers of human predators and aftershocks.
Over the course of a single day, Annie remembers her own past, the loss of her beloved mother to Covid, her husband's failure to achieve his dream of acting success, and her own choices to back away from happiness - dropping out of college and taking a dull job to pay the bills, dealing with her first unexpected pregnancy as she approaches middle age, and giving up her own dreams of writing because life got in the way. In a running monologue to the unborn child she calls "Bean," Annie explores the meaning of her life.
Tilt is an adventure in survival, an exploration of the lives of women, and a love story. I didn't always like Annie, but I became invested in her story.. I was fascinated by the variety of people she met - kind, selfish, heroic, and monstrous - as the horrors of the earthquake pushed them all to their limits. At the end, I found myself wanting more!
I would like to thank NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read a free copy of Tilt in exchange for my honest opinion.

Tilt by Emma Pattee is just a WOW of a great story, fast paced and completely fresh premise. This will make a great book for book club discussion!

Full review link posted soon.

WOW WOW WOW-I loved this book so goddamned much, and not to be dramatic, but I’m mourning the fact that I’ve finished it and that there’s not another 200 pages to read, because I have so many questions that need answered and I want to keep following Annie and Bean and see what happens next. I hope there will be a sequel some day-there aren��t many books that I’ve read that deal with life after a massive earthquake has struck (just sayin-if the author is reading this)

I’m a HUGE fan of dystopian books and disaster movies, and I love even more when the story builds up the characters and really allows you to get to know them. Not only do I know Annie, I AM Annie, or at least a big part of her, and I know many other millennials that will also agree. Her and Dom’s struggles with bills and dreams and jobs and just life was a truly honest depiction that I haven’t read about in a long time. Equally honest is Annie’s thoughts and fears regarding her impending motherhood and just motherhood and children in general.

Portland is a favorite city of mine to visit, and it’s one I’ve always dreamed of living in. Even if you’ve never been there, the author describes the city and its neighborhoods in a richly detailed way that you can almost imagine taking a break from the book, liking Il and seeing the city through Annie’s eyes. And if you ever doubt how much Annie walked during the story, just google map the route and you’ll see how determined our protagonist was.

Another favorite part of disaster movies/books I love is the actual disaster part. The author says in her afterword how she consulted with scientists and disaster planners, and her research shows. For those of you unfamiliar with the city of Portland, its buildings aren’t made for earthquakes, so an earthquake of substantial size, like in the book, would be devastating for the city. There are depictions of death and destruction in the book, but nothing overly graphic for readers that are looking for a trigger warning

This slim post-apocalyptic novel was completely gripping and so well-written. We follow Annie, who is eight months pregnant and shopping for a crib in Ikea, on a harrowing journey after a huge earthquake hits in Portland, Oregon.

Anxious to get home to her husband, she starts off walking amidst the rubble, ruminating the whole while on her marriage and pregnancy, talking to her daughter in utero, Bean, as she makes her treacherous way through the streets among a population that is reeling, past destroyed homes and buildings.

I was right there with her, smoke rising from the ruins, panicked and wounded people all around. What a realistic, possible scenario in the Pacific Northwest! So well-written. I loved it, at the same time that it unsettled me with its veracity about likely human behavior, which, in my opinion,can be as scary as the aftershocks of a big quake.

Others mentioned in their reviews that they did not like the ending because of its lack of closure, but I thought it was perfect, and hopeful, even though we don't know more about how things will end.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for granting me access ahead of publication to an eARC of this striking debut. I recommend it highly - it is expected to be published on March 4, 2025.

Annie is at the end of her pregnancy and at IKEA to buy a crib when a massive earthquake hide.

This one keeps the readers interest from the very first page and never lets up. It takes place during an emergency, so there’s a sense of doom and anxiety throughout. There are some very tense moments that made me want to skip through the chapters that take place in the past but they are important too. This would have easily been a five star read for me except I did not like the ambiguous end. There were a few plot lines left open and while I know it was done purposely, it’s not my favorite.

“People have done harder things than this. People have been through worse than this. Nobody I know, but still, people.”

Tilt comes out 3/25.

5 ⭐️. I LOVE me an end-of-world tale. This climate apocalypse story had me hooked from the beginning. Our VERY pregnant main character expressed so many of the inner anxieties I hold about parenting, humanity, and surviving in a world that is built to destroy us. FIVE STARS.

TY to Simon Element & Marysue Rucci Books for the advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Tilt
The premise of this book had my heart pounding. I needed to know what happened to the main character. This was a quick read, but getting invested in anything other than knowing the outcome was difficult.

Wow, this book is amazing! It's essentially a harrowing and beautifully written survival story. The main character is a pregnant woman who realizes painful truths about her partner during the course of 24-hours, since experiencing an epic natural disaster while shopping for a crib at IKEA. I have not been able to stop thinking of the narrator, the people she encounters, and consider how I might respond in the same situations. Highly recommended if you enjoy books about survivors, natural disasters, marriages, pregnancy, friendship, and/or coping with life and death circumstances. I will read whatever Emma Pattee writes next. Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC. Pub Date: March 31, 2025.

#Tilt