UnpopularOpinion

Tilt | Emma Pattee

It‘s August and I‘m taking over the hosting from Meg for our final two #CampLitsy25 books. Today we‘re discussing Part One of Tilt.

As ever, if you‘ve read ahead, please try not to include spoilers for those who haven‘t.

Also, I‘ll only be tagging all of you in this question. Scroll down to find the other two questions. Enjoy!

Megabooks, squirrelbrain

BarbaraBB @Addison_Reads @Amiable @AmyG @BarbaraJean @Bkclubcare @BooksandCoffee4me @Bookbuyingaddict @BookNAround @Bookwormjillk @Butterfinger 9h

BarbaraBB @BookwormAHN @Cariashley @Caroline2 @Catlass007 @CatGusMax @CarolynM @Cbee @CatMS @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine (edited) 9h

BarbaraBB @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf @Flaneurette @fredthemoose (edited) 9h

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BarbaraBB @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @KarenUK @Karisa @Kitta @Kristy-K @Kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry @Leniverse @Lesliereadsalot @Maggie4483 9h

BarbaraBB @Gatheringbooks @Gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books @ImperfectCJ (edited) 9h

BarbaraBB @JamieArc @Jas16 @Jenniferw88 @JenP @Jenreadsalot @Jess @jhod 9h

BarbaraBB @Mcctrish @maich @MeganAnn @Merelybookish @MicheleinPhilly @Meshell1313 @Monalyisha @Oryx @peaKnit @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn (edited) 9h

BarbaraBB @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @Reggie @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville @Skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita @Texreader @sblbooks (edited) 9h

BarbaraBB @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @TheBookDream @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape 9h

Meshell1313 Ooh I think it def adds more drama and makes the story more high stakes. I cared about her survival more and her situation seemed way worse because we were worried about the baby. 8h

Kitta I think it‘s provided an interesting way for her to tell the story - directly to the baby. And yes as @Meshell1313 said it adds drama! I cared about her either way but it certainly seems more high risk given she‘s heavily pregnant. 8h

jenniferw88 I'm probably going to be the #unpopularopinion here, but I think she'd have done the same things, pregnant or not. 8h

Lesliereadsalot I agree with @jenniferw88 Of course she was trying to save two lives, but at the end of the day, everyone tries to save themselves. I couldn‘t stop thinking about how cumbersome it was to be heavily pregnant! 8h

Ruthiella Would she have behaved differently if not pregnant? If anything she would have been perhaps more reckless? The whole book I was on edge. She thought more of her husband than her own or her child‘s life, it seemed. 8h

squirrelbrain I agree Kitta - it was a good way to tell the story. Otherwise there would have had to have been another person with her all the time, or it would have been a stream-of-consciousness inner thoughts-type book. 8h

BarbaraBB I agree the pregancy added to the drama - 36 weeks 😱 @Lesliereadsalot I kept thinking about that too, but I agree with @jenniferw88 in thinking that she‘d make the same decisions without being pregnant. Like @Ruthiella points out, she seems to hardly think of her baby. 7h

Megabooks @Ruthiella Me too. I was on edge. I think it also made the periods she reflected on the relationship with her own mother more poignant and impactful. I have heard there is some brain fog in pregnancy, and I have that with my chronic illnesses. Her actions and the split between being single-minded and not always rational is reminiscent of that for me. 7h

jenniferw88 @Ruthiella this 100%! She doesn't seem at all bothered about her own life, nor her baby's. She is SO NOT ready to be a parent. 7h

JamieArc I think one of the aspects that is directly affected by the pregnancy is how others perceive her or help her. More people are aware of her because of her pregnancy, and we as readers see that. And would she be getting the help she is if she weren‘t pregnant? 7h

TrishB Jeez, harsh judgements 😁 first baby/pregnancy, hard to imagine a child or being a mother! I don‘t think it‘s that she didn‘t think of the baby, she was just panicking. I mean she made some dodgy choices. I think as @squirrelbrain says, it‘s a good story telling device. 7h

Bookwormjillk @jenniferw88 I agree. Other than the physical issues she didn‘t really seem to think about the baby. The big thing though is that without the baby she would have been at work instead of crib shopping at IKEA. 7h

jenniferw88 @TrishB, my medical conditions may be influencing my judgement for this book! As I've said somewhere else on one of my posts, I probably can't have children, so I can't empathise with Annie at all because I'll never be in her position. 7h

TrishB @jenniferw88 no one is ever ready. It‘s life changing. 7h

BarbaraBB @TrishB You‘re absolutely right, it‘s life changing, and I think she did what she thought was best - under pressure of the earthquake and not knowing where Dom was. I think she would have made those decisions anyway, mainly because she isn‘t a mother yet. She‘s a lonely panicky woman at this day! (edited) 7h

Susanita She was “talking” to the baby constantly, for one thing. Yeah, she would be a hot mess regardless, but I think the story would have been different if she wasn‘t pregnant. Also, saving her life IS saving the baby‘s life. 7h

mcctrish I agree with @TrishB that first babies/pregnancy are hard - no matter what you read it‘s a constant feeling of being out of control imo, I think Annie feels that on so many levels, she isn‘t exploring her dream job, finances are a shit show, her husband is going rogue, and there‘s an earthquake. She‘s lost herself and not having her mother is 💔 7h

TrishB @mcctrish yes- that‘s a great summary. 7h

TrishB @BarbaraBB she definitely is a lonely panicky woman! Felt for her. 7h

vonnie862 Yes, I think her pregnancy added to her decisions and how people perceived her. 6h

Chelsea.Poole I think the late stage pregnancy added to the emotional impact of the book—both in the present day earthquake aftermath and the lens through which we get Annie‘s past (her mother, her partner). It changed both others‘ perception of Annie and her own interactions/thoughts with the crisis (the little boy alone in IKEA, etc.) And I think that‘s pretty much how it is in real life. Motherhood colors everything: both the way I am seen and the way I see. 6h

DGRachel Nothing new to add, but I think the pregnancy made it the experience physically harder for her. She‘d still be a hot mess if she wasn‘t pregnant, but I can see myself being just as lost, especially if I was alone. I agree with @JamieArc about it impacting the way others perceive and help her. I think if she hadn‘t been pregnant, she‘d have been invisible. 6h

ChaoticMissAdventures I have a moderate tokophobia, so normally I would never read a book centering pregnancy in this way, but I do think everything is heightened a bit by it. I am with @Kitta it provided an interesting way to narrate the story, @Megabooks pregnancy brain fog added to disaster confusion, I honestly thought she was holding up pretty well so far. I cannot imagine the pain in the body, I thought Pattee did a great job describing it. 6h

AmyG Yes wha mt you have all said. I believe it changed how she might have reacted. We will bever know. It wasnmt just her, it was her and the baby. I also agree it changed how th e reader reacted to her. I may not have had as much compassion for her if it was just her. 6h

Zuhkeeyah Her pregnancy definitely played a role in how others interacted with her. Annie seems to be mostly ignoring the existence of the baby despite being late in pregnancy. There is also an element of shock to it all that leads to some decisions I don‘t agree with. 6h

ChaoticMissAdventures @jenniferw88 I agree she is not prepared, but more so what the heck is she doing with that man, having a baby with him??? @Susanita yes, constantly talking to Bean, I almost think having someone to constantly talk to is a bit grounding for her. My stream of conscious would have been out of control, but it seems like she is able to talk to Bean in a way to get her thoughts a bit more in order than if she was just talking to herself. 6h

GatheringBooks Was laughing out loud as I was reading the responses in this thread. Poor pregnant Annie lols. I echo the sentiment that pregnant or not, Annie would most likely make the same choices. However, I do sense her efforts to protect her Bean - she is very much aware of her own baby, but perhaps she overestimated her own capacity and underestimated the chaos and danger? As a first time hormonal mother, I think she would go even crazier if she went home. 6h

Jas16 I agree that her pregnancy had a large impact in the ways others perceived her and in her physical capabilities, I think in some ways though the feeling of not feeling being prepared for the way a baby is going to change her life and the way she reacts to an unexpected earthquake, digging deep insider herself are connected. 6h

Deblovestoread Not much new to add. I think she might be a bit better prepared for Bean‘s birth if she had a partner not just a husband. 6h

Butterfinger While reading, I was comparing myself to Annie, not really thinking about her not being pregnant. I remember being scared out of my mind and being very rash when I was at that stage. I locked my keys in the car when I started laboring so I calmly went back into the trucks top restaurant to grab a chair. I was not going to have my baby at a truckstop. My husband, who stupidly was not panicking, said let's just call someone. I WAS NOT IN A DISASTER 5h

Butterfinger I couldn't imagine being in that situation. I know I would walk to my husband's workplace to be with him. Maybe, if she hadn't been pregnant, she would have been more willing to offer aid to others hurt far more than she. 5h

Hooked_on_books The physical challenges alone for her would have been so hard. She‘s late in pregnancy, so she‘s quite front heavy having to navigate broken ground. She‘d also have leg swelling and reflux at this stage. It would change everything compared to having to deal with all that. 3h

CBee So strange - I never got a notification! Will check out all of the questions soon. @BarbaraBB Litsy being glitchy 🤪 3h

CBee I kept thinking that what she was doing was impossible. But somehow, she did it. Being pregnant definitely influenced her decisions. 2h

BarbaraBB That‘s frustrating @CBee I did tag you. I hope you‘ll enjoy the discussion nevertheless 🤍 2h

CBee @BarbaraBB no worries on my end! I know Litsy can be wonky sometimes 🙂 2h

willaful I'm maybe the only person here who has actually been this situation - NOT, thank goodness, pregnant! -- and getting home to my then boyfriend (now husband) was the only thing I cared about. I made what in retrospect were very foolish decisions and could have been killed.

I feel no one is giving Annie credit for listening to her intuition, turning down a bad ride for example. She's doing her best in incredibly dire circumstances. 2h

peaKnit @AmyG I agree, I would not have had as much empathy if she wasn‘t pregnant either. I totally think her pregnancy influenced her decisions. 2h

TrishB @willaful I hear you! I haven‘t been in this situation (thankfully!) but I understood the making decisions in a stressful situation and that‘s just the way it is. Some harsh judgements here 😁 1h

BarbaraBB @willaful You‘re right, I cannot imagine those circumstances. Next week we‘ll discuss her encounters with people along the way! 1h

cariashley Gah, this was such a tough read 8 weeks postpartum but better to read it now than when I was 37 weeks! The whole time I just kept thinking she was in shock and on autopilot out of sheer desperation, which I can‘t imagine would have been quite as visceral if she wasn‘t pregnant. I cannot imagine. My ankles were swelling so bad in heat at the end and it pained me reading about her walking such distances! 40m

29 likes50 comments

BarbaraBB

Cleopatra And Frankenstein | Coco Mellors

pan

#Unpopularopinion. It took me a long time to read this book and that‘s probably because it‘s so boring and annoying. Frank and Cleo are married on a whim and this book is about their based-on-nothing marriage and the friends surrounding the couple. Everyone is beautiful and doing drugs and alcohol and anti depressants. I didn‘t see the point. At all. #Roll100

PuddleJumper

monalyisha Ha! Vicious. 😅🙈 Have you read anything else by her? Wondering if it‘s her writing style you don‘t like or this book, in particular. 2w

Lesliereadsalot I bailed on the Blue Sisters, such boring characters! 2w

AmyG Yikes 2w

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Deblovestoread Great review! I bought this after reading Blue Sisters which I loved. Won‘t be hurrying to read this one. 2w

Cathythoughts Great review. I don‘t think this is author is for me , there‘s just something that doesn‘t work for me 😬 2w

BarbaraBB @monalyisha I preferred Blue Sisters but didn‘t like that one much either. I guess she‘s just not for me. 2w

BarbaraBB @Lesliereadsalot I didn‘t bail on Blue Sisters but didn‘t like it much. I agree on the characters, which is a problem again in this book. Don‘t read it 2w

BarbaraBB @Deblovestoread You might like it if you loved Blue Sisters - which I didn‘t either. I often don‘t like books about people doing lots of drugs and partying. 2w

BarbaraBB @Cathythoughts Don‘t bother! 2w

sarahbarnes This review makes me chuckle and I will be not reading this. 😂 2w

Amor4Libros What bothered me about this one is that I felt like I was reading a story with no purpose 😅. I did like Blue Sisters, though. 8h

BarbaraBB @Amor4Libros Exactly. I missed the point too - if there were any. I liked Blue Sisters better but wasn‘t a fan either. 8h

76 likes12 comments

IMASLOWREADER

The Familiar: A richly imagined, spellbinding new novel from the number one bestselling author of Ninth House | Leigh Bardugo

my weekend read…another OT day…and so far enjoying it #audiobook #readinglife #readinggoal #unpopularopinion UPDATE: DNF…had such high hopes but find myself drifting and kept restarting chapters—i think i am officially in a reading slump

12 likes1 stack add

OriginalCyn620

PUCKED | Helena Hunting

pan

#unpopularopinion time. Repetitive AF. I knew going in that this was spicy, which is fine, but there was sexy times in every chapter except for 2, maybe 3. And it just seemed like the MCs did literally nothing but bang it out, so I don‘t buy that they formed an emotional connection. When they did talk, it was mostly about each other‘s private parts. And if I never hear the words cock, beaver, or monster ever again, that would be fine with me!

OriginalCyn620 @StayCurious #LittensLoveRomance @TheAromaofBooks #bookspinbingo - free space 1mo

CarolynM Yeah, I‘m not loving it for the reasons you give. There are a lot of better hockey romances out there. 1mo

willaful I knew from the sample it wasn't gonna be for me. 1mo

TheAromaofBooks I definitely find it frustrating when there isn't any story to balance the spice. 1mo

37 likes4 comments

CarolynM

The Safekeep | Yael van der Wouden

so-so

#UnpopularOpinion

I appreciated what the author is trying to do here but for me she wasn‘t successful. I didn‘t buy the central relationship - there was too little to show how they came to care for one another. It‘s a trope I rarely enjoy or find convincing so maybe it‘s just me. The writing is good and the background story is really important. I‘m extra critical when I think a book could be truly great but misses the mark, so only a so-so.

Ruthiella Hot take! 🔥😂 I‘ve not yet read it. 1mo

CarolynM 4th book for #14books14weeks @Liz_M 1mo

BittersweetBooks I completely agree! Plus I found the MC to be insufferable. 1mo

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CarolynM This was on my #AuldLangSpine list from @TheKidUpstairs it‘s just taken me a while to get to it😬 I‘m hoping to read one or two more before the year is out🤞 1mo

CarolynM @Ruthiella I‘ll be interested to see what you think 🙂 1mo

CarolynM @BittersweetBooks I had some sympathy for her, but I had to work at it😆 1mo

LeahBergen I have this waiting on my shelves. Here‘s hoping I like it more than you! 😆 1mo

CarolynM @LeahBergen I hope so too 1mo

TheKidUpstairs I'm sorry it didn't work as well for you as it did for me! Hope your next read is better for you 😉 1mo

Cathythoughts @CarolynM I loved the family story. Maybe a little bit too much intimate details for me. I did suggest it for our IRL Bookclub and we had a powerful discussion. 1mo

CarolynM @Cathythoughts It would be a good one for a book club discussion. I might suggest it to mine🙂 1mo

56 likes11 comments

IMASLOWREADER

Before the Coffee Gets Cold: A Toshikazu Kawaguchi Book Set | Toshikazu Kawaguchi

read all 5…good premise but the stories were super redundant in my opinion…my two favorite stories were the lovers and the farewell… #unpopularopinion #audiobook #readinggoal #readinglife #aapimonth #serieslove2025

12 likes1 stack add

DGRachel

My Next Breath: A Memoir | Jeremy Renner

pan

This is an #unpopularopinion and I feel terrible about it. Renner‘s accident was horrific and his recovery nothing short of miraculous. This book, however, was so repetitive and Renner‘s insistence that he was responsible for all of the pain, fear, and stress his family experienced witnessing the accident and its aftermath bordered on performative martyrdom. I hope he‘s in therapy for the psychological trauma.

56 likes

DieAReader

The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757 | James Fenimore Cooper

bailed

#Read2025 #Wardens2025 #ShelfSweep #Elizabeth #UnpopularOpinion

With 76% read & 9 chapters remaining…this is a solid DNF for me. No matter what I did, I could not focus or keep track of everything that was going on. Too wordy for my tastes - reminded me of reading Shakespeare in HS😬🫨

I very much enjoyed the group read setting, just not this book😂🤭

Cuilin, CoverToCoverGirl, Tove_Reads, Andrew65, GHABI4ROSES

dabbe #hailthebail! 🙌🏻 #betterbooksahead 3mo

IMASLOWREADER love the powet of DNF lol 3mo

DieAReader @dabbe @IMASLOWREADER 💖🤓 3mo

See All 8 Comments

Andrew65 Better to focus on books you are enjoying. 3mo

Cuilin #hailthebail seriously life‘s too short. I hope your next book is more enjoyable. 3mo

DieAReader @Cuilin 💖Thanks! 🤓So very true! 3mo

CoverToCoverGirl Lol! I quite liked Shakespeare. 🤭 I just read Huck Finn and didn‘t really care for it. I‘ll have to put this one my classic to read list. I really liked the movie. Daniel Day Lewis wasn‘t hard on the eyes either. 😁 3mo

DieAReader @CoverToCoverGirl 😁Chances are you‘ll enjoy this one more than I did. Never saw the movie unfortunately. 3mo

36 likes8 comments

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