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“A moving adrenaline rush that also manages to be very funny."
NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

“The storytelling in Tilt is brisk [and] as funny as a novel about humanity at its worst can be… Pattee’s ambivalence about human goodness is a powerful thing; it calls into question the assumptions we make about ourselves.”
The Washington Post

"Pattee takes the novel’s elements — the apocalyptic setting, the cutting social observation, the acerbic takes on marriage and motherhood — and shakes them into a potent cocktail."
NEW YORK TIMES

"Propulsive."
The New Yorker

“A pregnant woman must travel across earthquake-ravaged Portland, searching for her husband amidst the horrors and reflecting on her regrets, in this instantly readable debut that offers a fresh take on the dystopian novel.”
Booklist

"“Tilt” is by turns harrowing and hilarious, as we follow Annie with deepening investment and fear in a taut debut that powerfully pulls you into the hours after the world is torn apart."
The Seattle Times

"A taut and fast-paced thriller... Each decision Annie makes – who she helps and who she leaves behind – is a heavy one, but never weighs down the narrative thrust of the book.”
Morning Edition (NPR)

"[A] tight and fast-paced thriller."
All Things Considered

"An epic odyssey... utterly gripping.”
All Things Considered

"Tilt is a powerful, fast-paced literary thriller that will have you pondering human nature and your own capacity to carry on."
The Book Review

"After a massive earthquake leaves a nine-months pregnant woman stranded at an IKEA in the middle of Portland, Ore., she decides to walk back to her home, which is located on the other side of the disaster zone. Along the way, she witnesses a grocery store riot, makes friends with a young mother, and reflects on her struggling marriage, disappointing career, and anxieties surrounding impending motherhood."
TIME Magazine

"Tilt heralds the arrival of a powerful new literary voice.”
Vogue.com

"The premise of Tilt is out of a nightmare; the characters, out of your everyday life... [a] riveting and relatable survival tale. You will be biting your nails and Googling at the same time."
TODAY.com

"Emma Pattee delivers a groundbreaking hybrid of survival adventure and character portrait."
Goodreads

"A nail-biting thriller... [Annie] finds herself in a wrecked version of the Portland that was just minutes before, with no phone or money. All she can do is start walking."
Scary Mommy

“Tilt promises wit and style, and reminders of humanity in the face of disaster. A force to be reckoned with.”
LitHub

"A devastating and funny, wrenching yet hopeful portrait of motherhood and marriage in the near-apocalyptic context of environmental devastation."
Shelf Awareness

"Pattee skillfully balances depictions of devastation, cowardice and bravery with moments of deep interiority and even lyricism... TILT is breathless and pensive, imaginative and shockingly real."
BookReporter

"For the protagonist, Annie, making it out of [IKEA] alive is just the start of her harrowing, yet at times heartening, journey. As she tries to get to her husband on foot, she finds herself reexamining her life, her priorities, and her anxieties over becoming a mother."
Bustle

"Because it is so well-researched and so true to the attitudes and locations of Portland, the book, which is fast-paced and entertaining, will certainly be read differently by people inside and outside the city."
The Oregonian

"The novel raises questions about how steadfastly we should hold onto artistic dreams, and whether we should prioritize stability and income, especially if we are supporting a family."
The Rumpus

"This gripping debut novel punched me right in the face. I can’t stop thinking about it. In 240 pages, Pattee delivers a masterful balancing act of unflinching honesty, terror, and biting humor. She reckons with how scary it is to be a woman, the surreality of pregnancy, the bonds between mother and daughter, and the disappointments of dreams unfulfilled … all against the backdrop of a natural disaster that feels all too real. She doesn't hold back, and it's impossible to look away from the truth of it all... Stunning."
Amazon Book Review

"Tilt is so good in so many ways that it is difficult to cite them all. Reading it is like watching a baseball pitcher throw a no-hit game."
ALTA

"A seamless blend of character study, social commentary, and survival story, Tilt takes place across a single day after a devastating earthquake rips through Portland, Oregon."
Book Browse

"Tilt presents a well-rendered interrogation of compassion, generosity, and, yes, selfishness. You’ll hold your breath each time Annie encounters someone new, waiting to see what’s to come of her and Bean."
Marie Claire

"Told over the course of one day, TILT is a book you’ll feel on your skin long after you finish.... Jumping between the present and flashbacks, this is a story of the overwhelming power of love and motherhood." - Sarah Gelman
Amazon Book Review

“Tilt is a propulsive account of survival, and how humanity shows up under the pressure of a catastrophe. Best read in one sitting, Tilt is a raw examination of motherhood and its most extreme demands.”
TIME.com

[An] arresting debut novel... Annie’s urgent concerns about the near future become the first lessons she imparts to her child—her only reason to keep going."
TIME Magazine

"A lean, action-adventure novel [that] is tender in its approach to the singular will to survive, while also making time to poke fun at the keeping-up-with-the-Joneses of modern-day motherhood."
NPR.org

"The writing in Tilt is amazing. The way the story hits you immediately and doesn’t let you go. You are in it for the long haul. There is so much in the 240 pages. So much emotion, loss, grief, memories. It is unforgettable."
The Chicago Review of Books

"[An] adrenaline-pumping, tear duct–activating novel."
Willamette Week

“Recounting Annie’s precarious journey across the city and into her past, Pattee reveals that the quake has upended more than the earth. A captivating novel.”
Kirkus

“Striking… Pattee brings her expertise as a climate journalist to this remarkable debut, examining how we question our lives when the earth takes control. Ultimately, Tilt is fascinating, haunting and surprising at every turn.”
BookPage

“[A] nail-biting debut… Pattee’s depiction of a post-earthquake Portland feels bracingly realistic, and her depictions of marriage and impending motherhood are achingly raw. Shocking and full of heart, this leaves a mark.”
Publishers Weekly

“[A] fascinating and emotional debut… compelling… Instantly readable and filled with dry humor, this book follows in the footsteps of other disaster novels while bringing a fresh take to the genre.”
Booklist