Tilt

A Novel

De: Emma Pattee

Narrado por: Ariel Blake

A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice
A USA TODAY Bestseller

Set over the course of a single day, an electrifying debut novel from “a powerful new literary voice” (Vogue) following one woman’s journey across a transformed city, carrying the weight of her past and a fervent hope for the future.

Last night, you and I were safe. Last night, in another universe, your father and I stood fighting in the kitchen.

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.

A propulsive debut, Tilt is a primal scream of a novel about the disappointments and desires we all carry, and what each of us will do for the people we love.©2025 Emma Pattee (P)2025 Simon & Schuster Audio

Compelling situation but pace was impeded.

The constant flashbacks slowed the pace of the story. Also the characters’ relationship was disappointing.

I wanted to like it

Didn’t like the reader, she sounded pathetic. I expected more from the story, it was a good topic. A waste of my points and time. A boring ending too.

Earthquake

Way to dramatic in the telling. It’s an okay book, The different people she encounters are not very creative.

Great premise but not a great execution

While I enjoyed the premise of the story, too much is left hanging- including the ending. The protagonist is a Debbie downer and not very likable.

writing about my home

the ending left a lot of questions. the journey was great, being a portlandian it was easy to visualize the locations. I think the big one is in the back of everyones mind. I think we will fare far worse than this, but I'm not an expert by any means. we have tank farms sitting on the rivers edge, too many homes hanging over the edge of the west hills. too many pages for someone to write... so this story is just a small part of what will someday happen. despite all this, I love Portland and all of its green and rain and this story of things to come. thank you for writing this.

Don’t waste your time

Lack of description, little character development and a dearth of any real drama render what could have been an intense literary experience into a bland, colorless bore.

Over enthusiastic, snarky narrator who can't...

...pronounce "triplex." Who doesn't know that it's "tri-plex" and not "trip-lex"? Good god.

as for the story... well, there are a zillion other books that are more interesting. If I hadn't paid for it, I'd stop listening but it's good enough to listen to with half an ear while I'm doing something else.

Not engaging

I wanted to like this story. It just seemed to done on and I eventually stopped listening. The subject matter is relevant but the story is flat.

Melodrama

I hated this book and it was agony to get through it. The ending was blah and nothing was resolved

The ending left me wanting

I listened to Tilt on Audible and likedthe beginning very much which is why I gave it four stars. The performance was well acted. For the record, the ending left me cold and wanting more. The whole premise of the book was Annie trying to get home, to find her husband, and there was no resolution to either. I found Annie to be contemplating the status of her marriage and dealing with the regret of never fulfilling her own artistic plans.

While listening to this story, I wondered what would I do in her position. She’s 37 weeks pregnant, has no car, no keys, no phone, no wallet, and she’s desperate to contact her husband. The situations in which she finds herself and the characters she meets along the way filled out a lot of the story. I keep coming back to that ending that left me wanting and awarding four stars.