Date: July 2, 2025
Author: Emma Pattee
Title: Tilt
I made it well past my 100-page-college-try. Barely. This book describes the aftermath of a giant earthquake in Portland, Oregon. After the rumbles finally cease and the about-ready-to-pop-pregnant lady has been rescued from beneath the debris she is now searching the city, on swollen feet, for her missing husband.
This reads like the pregnant ladies’ inner dialog wrote a book. The author, being about as cheery as a funeral, describes in aching detail every miserable part of the pregnant ladies’ life as she ruminates and walks and walks and ruminates. Thoughts of college not working out. Meeting baby daddy when the one she wanted was out of her league. Writing a successful play. The successful play being the last she’d ever write. Giving up her dream to work in an office for the sake of health insurance. Marrying baby daddy so he could be put on her health insurance. Dissecting what a bugger living in a non-AC cooled apartment was and the fact she was in an apartment when her hearts desire was instead her very own house. Ad infinitum.
The cover pages claimed dry and witty humor. I couldn’t find it. If sad and depressing is the same as dry and witty than this novel holds it in spades.