I really enjoyed this book, though I will admit that the ending prevented me from giving it a higher rating. The ending makes perfect sense in the context of the story and writing, but there are too many loose ends for me. I want more closure, but I suppose Annie, the main character, did too.

As a West Coast mom, the story hits home. The aftermath of a massive earthquake is an interesting, horrific setting that could be all too real. The plight of mothers trying to get and find and protect their children… awful. I’m going to check my earthquake kit ASAP.

Annie is not the most likable character. She does some questionable things before the earthquake that makes her less relatable for me. She’s like the stereotypical negative portrayal of a millennial; however, by the end, I think that’s changing.

Unexpectedly tense and gripping!

Annie regrets not purchasing a crib months ago and she finds herself in an IKEA when an earthquake hits Portland. She’s desperate to meet up with her husband and begins to walk to his workplace. Along the way, she recounts her relationship with her husband and with her unborn child.

I didn’t expect a story of a woman essentially walking across Portland could be so harrowing and moving. The writing is lovely and energetic and explores grief, fear, love, the kindness and unkindness of strangers, and motherhood. The ending is a bit abrupt yet satisfying (though I wouldn’t have minded spending even more time with Annie).

Thank you very much to Simon Element and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

3.5 stars that I'm rounding up simply because of how relatable this woman and her internal thoughts are. It's a page turner as you tag along with our main character, in her last few days of pregnancy, who is traversing the city after an earthquake while in an IKEA store. She is trying to get to her husband and this is the story of that event with inner dialog and discussion with her unborn baby, which she calls Bean or Garbanzo Bean. She is not the perfect person, mother to be, or wife. She is unhappy with where her life is and her husband and life seem to have become a disappointment. She's not even sure about motherhood, but it's kind of late for that now. I didn't love how it ended, as it felt very abrupt and didn't give me a closure, but I think that's the intent. To leave you unsettled and come to terms with what you think would be the best outcome.

The story of a failing marriage, dying ambition and pregnancy alternate with survival after a devasting earthquake in Tilt, the masterful debut novel by Emma Pattee. On the first day of her maternity leave, Annie, eight months pregnant, goes to IKEA to buy a crib. This simple visit turns into a nightmare when the earthquake hits. She is saved by the clerk she had argued with minutes earlier and the two start an unforgettable journey across the city, she to the café where her husband Dom works and Taylor to her daughter’s school. Surrounded by destruction, Annie’s uncomfortable walk across what used to be a vibrant city is full of horror, crime, looting and people just trying to help one another survive. Lessening the tension of these long hours are the flashbacks of Annie’s troubled marriage, as her dream of becoming a playwright and Dom’s quest to become a famous actor die in the reality of making a living, paying rent and finding money for any extras.

Tilt is an amazing book. Emma Pattee writes so beautifully, so lyrically, that you want to savor every word. “All the dinners we’d spent across from each other, dreaming of having a better life. The boring sameness of my job, the way we sit at our desks and eat our sad salads” or “Into the night air and smell of smoke and dust, the stars exploding behind my eyes”. The earthquake is based on the very real threat of danger from the Cascadia fault. It is hard to believe that this a first novel. I look forward to reading what she writes next. 5 stars.

Than you to NetGalley, Simon Element and Emma Pattee for this ARC.