I requested this book on Netgalley because I was really taken with the concept: a heavily pregnant woman is shopping in IKEA when "The Big One" hits Portland. In the aftermath, she tries to navigate the destroyed city in search of her husband, a theatre actor, who hasn't quite hit the big time.

Portland is part of the Cascadia Subduction Zone, and "The Big One" is a projected high magnitude earthquake that is predicted to hit the area in the next 50 years.

The anxiety that this prediction inspires was translated brilliantly to this novel. This was probably one of the most tense and gripping novels I have ever read - I couldn't put it down.

Our protagonist is in the very late stages of pregnancy and while the physical effort of crossing a levelled Portland is a feat in itself, I found her grappling of her feelings around impending parenthood to be just as engaging. The plots complimented each other so well.

For a relatively short novel, it says so much about environmental disaster and climate catastrophe and the decisions we make that affect the path of our lives.

I have seen reviews from people who didn't like the ending, but I loved it. I thought it was perfect. And the writing is excellent; sharp, stylised, and witty in parts. I highly recommend this one!

I‘m not a huge fan of the ‘horror‘ genre, mostly because I don‘t find such books particularly horrifying. This book, however…. 😱

Annie is shopping in Ikea, at 37 weeks‘ pregnant, when the ‘big‘ earthquake hits. The story follows her over the course of a day as she tries to make her way home on foot.

It‘s truly terrifying as it could really happen and shows us how people could behave in such a situation. A couple of things I didn‘t like ⬇️

It‘s blurbed as ‘funny‘ amongst other things - it really wasn‘t. Not satirical, not black humour, nothing. I also disliked the ending… no spoilers. But otherwise an incredibly propulsive read - I wanted to look away but couldn‘t.

I loved this book and I know it will be in my top ten this year.
The writing was rich and visual, I could easily imagine the scenes that the author was presenting.
There were points in this book that made me feel truly panicked, I felt that the author captured the fear mixed with optimism that everything would be alright.
I found the journey through town to find her husband was such a good way of exploring other characters and ideas. She showed the ways in which society can very quickly turn on itself.
Annie was a very gracious character who I really admired by the end of the book. She has supported her husband and she shows her loyalty to others at different points in the book. You get a real sense of how far she has been pushed, especially by her husband.
This boo deserves the hype it is receiving.

'TILT' is Emma Pattee's debut, and what a debut it is. From the opening lines I knew this was going to be a compelling and urgent story, and it's stuck with me even days after finishing it.

This suspenseful story follows the protagonist, 9-month pregnant Annie, as she navigates the ruthless aftermath of an earthquake. The earthquake is based on the predicted megathrust Pacific Northwest 'Big One', which will hit a magnitude of over 7.1 and cause mass destruction of homes, schools, hospitals, and everything modern civilisation holds dear. It is frightening.

When the earthquake hits, heavily pregnant Annie is in an IKEA hunting for the crib she wants for her baby, having a meltdown over being pregnant and exhausted and lost. Once she finds her way out of the crumbling IKEA, she sets out on a journey to find her husband and reunite her family. This remains her goal for the entirety of the novel.

Annie walks miles and miles, encoutering emotional and at times harrowing scenes as she goes. The earthquake becomes the medium for Annie to reflect on her life and all the decisions that led her to this point, and those that didn't. Annie works in a job she took on for financial stability, letting all her dreams die, while her husband continues to chase his dead-end dreams, leaving her frustrated. There are forces that move and shape our lives without our control over them.

'TILT' brings to light what it means to be human, a daughter, a partner, but above all this story is about motherhood and the rich complexities of it. Annie feels she's unprepared to be a mother but just as Mother Nature will do what she needs to do, so will any mother to get to her child or her partner. Annie defies all reasonable logic and is willing to move mountains to find her husband, surprising herself at times. Mother Nature is there to shake things up to show us what we need to see, which is what Annie experiences as she goes back and forth between past and present events.

This is honestly a stunning debut and brilliantly executed. It does have an open ending, which in my opinion is the only way this could have been done. Any other ending or resolution would have been disappointing, but the way the story ends shows Annie's strength and character development, with her inner maternal and survival instincts pulling her through.

Thank you to Borough Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Oh my goodness this was so heartbreaking wrenching. I didn't want it to end I'm desperate to find out what happened to the characters. Really excellent

Man, this immediately hit hard because it's too relatable, the main character was just too relatable. And as a result I felt very invested straight away.

I didn't particularly actively enjoy reading this book, probably because it feels like it'd be a very hard book for anyone to enjoy, but I did feel connected to the book. I didn't dread picking it up and I found that reading it went by quite fast in part due to the fast pace of the action, and because I resonated with the main character so much.

That doesn't mean I wasn't frustrated with her though. I spent the entire book wishing someone would just make better decisions for her somehow. Make her stop, make her rest, end this traumatic pilgrimage to find her husband, seek medical attention.

This was short enough for this type of story to keep my interest throughout - any longer and it would've suffered from the constant crests of rapid conflict.

It was missing something slightly but I can't pinpoint specifically what it was. It's possibly because I was never convinced of the reason to why Annie continued to drag herself around a city in distress whilst 9 months pregnant. She was looking for her husband, but the likely place her husband would've looked for her would've been at home, because he didn't know she was going to IKEA that morning. Home was the only logical place to go, but we wouldn't have faced the depths of humanity in crisis if she'd just headed home like she should have.

Giving this book 3 stars feels harsh, because I didn't hate reading it, but I can't think of a single person I'd recommend read this book - and I think that's telling. Also, I don't feel like I gained anything by reading this book. It didn't reveal anything about human nature to me, I wasn't blown away. So 3 stars is apt, but my instinct was to rate it higher, so take that for what it's worth.

I read Tilt by Emma Pattee and really (really!) loved it.
Chef's kiss, would recommend, probably won't stfu about it for the foreseeable, you've been warned.

Elevator pitch: a 37-weeks pregnant woman is in Ikea, when an earthquake hits. Take it from there.

I love novels that take a horrific but seemingly ordinary event (i.e. earthquake) and put you in the shoes of someone who's stuck in the middle of it.

The writing was great - funny, precise, bittersweet.
I also loved the dual timeline and how well it was crafted, the pacing of the book was really great and a lesson in writing if I ever do decide to take writing from a dormant aspiration to a thing I act on.

It reminded me of Miriam Toews, but with a higher heartrate pace of events.

I picked this up randomly on @NetGalley because it had a raccoon on the cover, no, because the premise sounded interesting, and it might be one of my favourite books now. Serendipity, I guess.

One of the reviews described it as 'The Road meets Nightbitch meets What to Expect When You’re Expecting', and I'd say that's pretty accurate (even if I've only read Nightbitch). I might be wrong, read it yourself and see.

#TiltBook

Tilt is a remarkable debut. A compulsive read that kept me hooked with its humour and poignancy. Annie is 37 weeks pregnant and shopping in IKEA for a cot when disaster strikes. Annie sets off on a hazardous journey across the city to meet up with her partner. Annie talks to her unborn child (she refers to as ‘bean’) and considers her turbulent relationship with her partner (who she refers to as ‘your father’).
Tilt is a well paced and beautifully written.

Emma Pattee’s Tilt is a breathtaking debut that combines the physical devastation of a massive earthquake with the emotional reckoning of a woman on the brink of transformation. Set over the course of a single day, the novel follows Annie, a nine-months-pregnant woman stranded in Portland, Oregon, after an earthquake destroys the city. With her phone, money, and transportation lost, Annie embarks on a harrowing journey across the wreckage to reunite with her husband, all while reflecting on her crumbling marriage, unfulfilled ambitions, and looming motherhood.
The pacing is taut, with each chapter building a sense of urgency and vulnerability, and the portrayal of a post-earthquake Portland is hauntingly realistic. Amidst the destruction, Annie encounters a mix of humanity’s best and worst qualities, forcing her to confront not only the world around her but also the choices that brought her to this pivotal moment.

Pattee’s prose is raw and unflinching, capturing the fears and doubts that accompany major life transitions. Annie’s reflections on her strained marriage and impending motherhood feel achingly honest, making her journey as relatable as it is gripping.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was recommended this book by a fellow bookseller as they thought I would enjoy this. They were not wrong, I really enjoyed this. I liked the concept of the book, you meet Annie in the aisle of Ikea, 37 weeks pregnant buying a crib and a massive earthquake happens. Annie then makes her way across the city to find her husband, whilst telling Bean how they met. It makes you really think about what you would do if you were involved in an earthquake and where would you retreat to and what you would be thinking. A truly intense book where you are routing for a safe ending.

’Tilt’ by Emma Pattee might just be a new personal favourite. I’ll definitely be buying myself a copy so that I can read it again (and again, and again…)

I will also be recommending it to everyone I know, so that I can stealth book-club it, because this is a book that needs to be discussed and favourite lines from it shared. Though, I might have a hard time narrowing down those favourite lines, because there are just so many gems. Emma Pattee has such a unique and precise way of describing things; I could have blazed through this book in half the time, had I not felt the need to stop every few paragraphs to marvel at and reread (and marvel at again) its sentences.

Aside from the stellar writing and the compelling pacing and the wealth of meaning (real vs metaphorical earthquake juxtaposition, anyone?), Annie’s character alone is enough reason to love this book. Her voice is so sharp and blisteringly authentic. She thinks and feels the things we all think and feel but are too afraid to admit to for fear of being deemed a bad person or not fitting in. Reading it I felt seen, less alone, connected. To me, that means a book has done its job.

I can’t wait to read ‘Tilt’ again, and I will happily devour anything else Emma Pattee writes!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Emma Pattee and Harper Collins UK for the ARC. My review will be posted on Instagram, Amazon UK, GoodReads and The StoryGraph.

Please be aware of any potential spoilers thank you!!!


I read Tilt as a digital book and gave it 3 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review. When I first saw this book on Netgalley, I was super intrigued and excited to read this story. It wasn't until after I finished the book I found out that the events of this story were part fiction and part nonfiction and I think that really makes you think more about a situation or book after finding that out because, in this case earthquakes, are a very real thing for lots of people and countries and they can be quite catastrophic. I thought that Tilt has a very interesting storyline, I dont think I've read a book like this before, and I did enjoy following Annie and I also really enjoyed the dual time lines. Tilt explores themes of surviving the aftermath of natural disasters, mother - daughter relationships, finding relationships in hard times and more. I felt that some of the conversations and scenes between the characters were quite impactful and heartfelt, but also shows the lengths of how far people will go in an event of uncertainty. One of the issues I had with this book was that there were no content or trigger warnings, I think it is very important to have trigger and content warnings in books, particularly books like these, whether it be in the front or back, and unfortunately there were no warnings that I could find. This book did have me crying at some parts because it was really emotional and heartbreaking at many times. For me the ending fell slightly flat and I was slightly disappointed/let down with how the book was let off, I feel like the author was driving home this one plot point and then at the end we still have questions left unanswered and I'm still wondering about a lot of things. Overall I think this was an OK read, some things I enjoyed, somethings I didn't, I probably wouldn't reread or buy this book as I just don't think it's for me personally.

Wow! What a premise - shopping in Ikea, 37 weeks pregnant and an earthquake hits. All anyone wants to do is go home, find their love ones and escape to safety, including Anna. As she struggles to make her way to her husband, Anna examines her life and her choices to-date and is surprised by her realisations about her life.
This was a compulsive read, that I couldn't put down until I'd finished it. Full of soul-searching, fear and humour this was a cracking read which I would recommend to anyone.

Tilt is an imagining of what happens when a huge earthquake hits Portland, through the eyes of a heavily pregnant Annie. This was an easy fast paced read that occasionally sucker punches you with its tenderness. The mother/daughter relationship is explored several times throughout the novel and Annie's grief at the fact her own mother isn't here is palpable. Whilst mostly focusing on relationships , Patee also makes scathing barbs at the superficial aspects of modern society, the novel starts in Ikea. The running thread of the book is Annie trying to get back to her husband the baby's father and the current state of their relationship given the fact that they are slightly older with an unexpected child on the way. I love a book, that's easy to read but thought provoking. Throw in sarcastic humour, with an unexpected backdrop and I'm all in 4.5🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

🌆 REVIEW 🌆

Tilt by Emma Pattee
Release Date: 4th March 2025!! Out today!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

📝 - Annie is nine months pregnant and shopping for a crib at IKEA when a massive earthquake hits Portland, Oregon. With no way to reach her husband, no phone or money, and a city left in chaos, there’s nothing to do but walk. Making her way across the wreckage of Portland, Annie experiences human desperation and kindness: strangers offering help, a riot at a grocery store, and an unlikely friendship with a young mother. 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.

💭 - I really didn’t know what to expect with this one, but I’m so glad I read it. The style lends itself to an extremely quick read, almost like a stream of consciousness as Annie speaks to her baby throughout the crisis. She reminisces on her relationship, her mother, and all the things she wishes she could’ve done as she struggles through the wreckage of the city. I wouldn’t go as far as saying this is a ground-breaking book (earthquake pun fully intended) but still one I enjoyed reading and would recommend if you’re looking for something fast-paced with a lot of internal turmoil.

#tilt #emmapattee #netgalley #netgalleyreviewer #bookreview #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookrecommendation #bookworm

Reading this over the anniversary of the Fukashima earthquake was a sobering moment and having been to the West Coast of America and seen the 'Tsunami escape routes' marked on the highway the read felt very real. Having also experienced a couple of small earth tremors added to the multisensory experience of some of this book.
The idea of Annie having to walk home whilst heavily pregnant was a great way to allow her to reminisce and give the reader her backstory explaining how she ended up where she did and was a nice way to switch between the disaster and the past.

I'm not sure that I fully warmed to Annie, and her lack of self worth keeping her with her very selfish husband really annoyed me but I think that a 37 week pregnant woman surviving the disaster should be cut some slack. My heart was in my mouth for great chunks of the book and the real-time unfolding of the day worked well. The ending was a little obvious but I can't imagine how it could have been any different,

Annie is heavily pregnant and shopping in Ikea when an earthquake hits Portland. It’s the Big One, wreaking destruction on the city’s infrastructure. With phone networks down, she sets off across the city to find her husband.

Tilt is based on a potential Cascadia megaquake hitting the west coast of the USA, and Annie’s trek across the city showcases many of the predicted outcomes of such an earthquake hitting the city of Portland. 

That she is very pregnant adds extra difficulty. Pregnant people don’t just disappear when disaster strikes, and she does her best despite the aches and the sore feet, and the bump getting in the way. It’s only over the period of a single day, so we don’t really find out who is OK afterwards. This is more about the immediate emotional response to surviving rather than what happens when grief sets in. There are small moments of guilt, but Annie’s choices for herself and her child are all understandable.

The narrative is often second-person with Annie addressing her unborn child. She reminisces over her life with the baby’s father, how they got together, how they both had dreams of making it in theatre. Her as a playwright, him as an actor. We all know how that story goes, but while Annie does the responsible thing and gets a steady job with healthcare, he gets to carry on chasing his dream. Annie has put her life aside again and again for him.

I enjoyed the parts about the earthquake and Annie’s quest more than the flashbacks. I felt she gave up so much for Bean’s father, who seemed ungrateful, and she is full of regret. In reality, so few people make it in the arts, that it made his perseverance selfish. I can see this being made into a film though, the backstory definitely made me think of La La Land.

I think the difference between the UK and US covers is interesting. The US have a bird, and we get a dishevelled looking racoon. I think Annie's character has much more of the scrappy raccoon about it than the small bird. It's been through a lot but it's carrying on, trotting through a concrete wasteland.

Quite a remarkable story told in a frank and engaging manner from the start. Annie finds herself at nine months pregnant in IKEA as a massive earthquake hits. The story that follows is a conversation directed at her unborn baby interspersed with stories from before the quake about her relationships with her mother and her husband. Only the morning of the quake Annie had been wondering if her marriage has run its course, but in the aftermath she goes to superhuman lengths to find him and reunite her family. Very movingly told.

I enjoyed this book, set over one day in Portland where a long expected earthquake happens. Heavily pregnant Annie is shopping for a cot for the her (very) soon to arrive baby when the moment happens, and she is forced to walk across the city in the aftermath in order to make it home. Throughout the book, there are flashbacks which tell the story of Annie’s relationship with her husband and father of her baby, which isn’t the most stable. I read this book really quickly, the prose flows well and the story moves at a good pace. The book serves as a stark reminder of how fragile life and civilisation is, and how quickly things break down in a disaster. The ending is quite abrupt and open ended, there are a lot of unanswered questions and the tone of the ending is quite ambiguous. This was a great read and is definitely worth picking up.

SYNOPSIS
Annie is 9 months pregnant and shopping for a crib in IKEA when THE BIG ONE hits – the long-anticipated Cascadia Earthquake and within minutes the East Coast of America is completely dismantled. Annie walks out of the warehouse and into what feels like a warzone. She must find her husband, despite only hours earlier contemplating whether their relationship had run out of road. Tilt is a terrifying story of what happens when the foundations we build our lives upon are suddenly gone without warning, what we are capable of in situations of survival, and what remains of our humanity when civilization breaks down.

MY THOUGHTS
This was 'Earthquake' meets 'Nightbitch' and I loved it. 240 pages of guilty pleasure and I will not apologise for shirking all responsibilities whilst I devoured this. In fact, I might just read it again RIGHT NOW because did I just read what I just read? This was propulsive and portentous and gave me palpitations. It’s a one sitting read because you will not be able to put it down. I am obsessed with this, this is my new obsession. Read it and weep, and you will weep because its surprisingly emotional - tear jerker, gut puncher!

I have to say a massive thank you to HarperCollins UK, Harper Fiction and the author for allowing me to read an advance copy of this via NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. It’s an absolute five star banger!