Review - Tilt by Emma Pattee

 

 

 

Title: Tilt

Author: Emma Pattee

Pages: 233

Publisher: The Borough Press

Release Date: 4th March 2025

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 Set over the course of one day, a heart-racing story about a woman facing the unimaginable, determined to find safety.

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, she realizes 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. She’s determined to change her life if she can just make it home.

  

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My Review:

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley*

Annie is shopping for a crib at IKEA when there is a huge earthquake.

Nine months pregnant and having lost her phone and keys in the initial quake, Annie must somehow find her way to her husband.

The premise of this book intrigued me, because there couldn't really be a worse time for an earthquake, and I wanted to see what would happen to Annie.

The story is told in alternating chapters set in the past, and chapters set in the future. I enjoyed this as it meant I got to find out more about Annie, and what had led her to being where she was when the earthquake happened.

Annie was a relatable protagonist - she had given up her dreams and gotten an office job to pay the bills, and I felt sorry for her.

I would have liked to have explored Annie as a character more, as with this being not a very long novel, it felt to me that only the surface was scratched.

The plot was interesting and held my attention. I liked the mix of chapters in the past and present.

I do have mixed feelings about the ending, but I can see why the author chose to end the novel the way they did.

The writing was very easy to follow, and I almost found myself reading ahead to find out what happened.

I would read another book by the author.

Overall, this was a solid, enjoyable read.