when a pilot suffers a heart attack at 35,000 feet, a commercial airliner filled with passengers crashes into a nuclear power plant in the small town of Waketa, Minnesota, which becomes ground zero for a catastrophic national crisis with global implications. I really enjoyed this book! Real page turner. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

recently finished Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman, and while it was certainly a fast-paced thriller with moments of genuine tension, it didn't fully deliver on its potential. The setup was promising, featuring high-stakes action and a ticking clock scenario that should have been edge-of-your-seat exciting. Newman does a great job of describing the chaos and urgency, making parts of the book genuinely hard to put down.

However, the character development felt thin, and some of the plot twists were predictable. The dialogue at times felt forced, and I didn't feel as emotionally invested in the characters as I wanted to be. While the pacing was solid, it often relied too heavily on big, cinematic moments rather than deeper storytelling.

Overall, Worst Case Scenario was an entertaining read, but not one that left a lasting impression. I'd recommend it to readers looking for a quick, suspenseful ride, but don't expect deep characters or profound themes.

My review of this book is 2.75 stars. I found it very enjoyable and entertaining, it just wasn't really for me with how fast-paced everything was. I would probably prefer if it went into more detail, particularly towards the ending.

I really enjoyed this chilling thriller novel. Thank you so, so much to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this title!

Blurb:
The International Nuclear Event Scale tracks nuclear disasters. It has seven levels. Level 7 is a Major Accident, with only two on record: Fukushima and Chernobyl. There has never been a Level 8. Until now.

In this heart-stopping thriller, ordinary people—power plant employees, firefighters, teachers, families, neighbors, and friends— are thrust into an extraordinary situation as they face the ultimate test of their lives. It will take the combined courage, ingenuity, and determination of a brave few to save not only their community and loved ones, but the fate of humanity at large.

Worst Case Scenario was my first TJ Newman book and it gripped me right away. Unfortunately, the book quickly devolved into an overabundance of technical jargon, unrealistic situations, and a litany of internal monologues from shallow characters. The book would have been much better if Newman would have focused on a few characters in more detail instead of many characters lacking description and detail. Maybe it will make a great movie one day, but book, not so much.

This author grabs your attention from the first page in all of her novels, and this one is no different. I absolutely love her books and she is a season pass for me, I will always read them the moment I see her name pop up! Love the suspense and the mystery of this one.

Ever read a book where every chapter feels like a cliff hanger? Well look no farther bc this one is exactly that. I hate this remade up. I highly recommend you add this one to your mystery/thriller list.

From Skyfall to Meltdown
T.J. Newman delivers another white-knuckle, high-altitude thriller that takes off fast, nosedives into worst case scenarios after a pilot suffers a heart attack and the plane crashes into a nuclear power plant.

Everyday Heroes, Extraordinary Measures
The story zeroes in on a small town racing to prevent a nuclear meltdown. I’ll admit—some of the technical nuclear jargon made my eyes glaze over. But what really propels the story is the human element: these characters and the impossible choices they face.

Even in dramatized moments, T.J. Newman writes about people who feel real—flawed, brave, scared, and fiercely protective. It’s so refreshing to see ordinary people rising to the occasion in extraordinary ways.

Final Approach
It’s a wild ride from takeoff to touchdown. This story is pure intensity—with zero turbulence when it comes to pacing. Even when the scientific detail slows things down, the emotional stakes and life-or-death tension keep the pages flying by.

T.J. Newman isn’t coming in for a crash landing anytime soon—she’s flying high at thriller-queen altitude, and she’s not dropping anytime soon.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley

Worst Case Scenario grabs you from the first chapter and doesn't let go. Newman, a former flight attendant turned thriller writer, proves once again that she knows how to weaponize claustrophobia, urgency, and emotional stakes to craft a suspenseful and cinematic story.

This book follows a harrowing series of events set in motion by a national emergency, where split-second decisions mean life or death and every character’s morality is pushed to the brink. Newman balances high-stakes action with deeply human moments, creating characters you care about even as the pages fly by.

The pacing is relentless — at times, almost too much so. There are moments where the emotional arcs could have benefited from a bit more breathing room, but the tension and realism of the crisis more than make up for it. Newman excels at putting readers inside the moment, and her aviation background adds a layer of authenticity that's hard to beat.

A must-read for fans of thrillers that feel like blockbuster films. While not quite as tight as Falling, Worst Case Scenario still delivers a compelling, edge-of-your-seat experience that’s impossible to put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Holy wow! This book was such a wild and crazy ride! This book was giving me anxiety and sucker punched me in the feels. I loved how all of her books have this effect. I officially love TJ Newman and will read everything she writes!

This book blew my dang mind. I literally could not stop reading it because I had to know what happened. The different events that happened were truly terrifying and it’s probably because it’s something that could happen. I loved all the different characters from everyone at the nuclear power plant, to the whole town and even the dang president. I’m glad it didn’t focus entirely on all the awful things happening, but showed how a town and the whole country could come together and help. I’m not gonna lie it had me tearing up at a few parts. I loved this one but would definitely not recommend reading it before flying

Chilling. Captivating. Engrossing. I felt like I was watching this on the big screen and the details making such a horrific accident seem real…The care that was taken with the plot and the interwoven subplot. The gamut of emotions and depth of the characters. The setting of both the accident scene and surrounding areas. I know nothing about aviation, nuclear power plants, accidents of this magnitude so I admit my naivety and was impressed with the action and details of this book. Everything so detailed, so realistic and so dang horrifying.

Thank you to NetGalley, Little Brown and Company, and the author for a copy of this book!

2.75 ⭐️
I liked Falling by Newman better, and i thought that one was pretty far fetched. This was even more so. I also was kinda confused the whole time just about all the power plant stuff and all the characters, just wasn’t my fave.

Gripping read, really a,azongly told story, full of twists and turns, had me from page one. Highly recommend.

This is the definition of a gripping thriller. I held my breath so many times! This was seriously intense and twisty, but also had me emotional too

I enjoy TJ Newman’s books! This one was just as suspenseful as her other books. A passenger airliner has crashed into a nuclear power plant. Difficult decisions need to be made as time is running out.

Newman has done it again with a heart stopping tale that never stops. I'll admit it took me a bit to get into this at first with the technical descriptions of the nuclear plant, but once I got invested in the characters I was all in. Does it get a bit over the top when problem after problem arises? Yes, but that's what I've come to expect from her novels. Newman creates a cinematic experience on the page. There is also a lot of heart here, I found myself tearing up more than once. Great read!

T.J. Newman delivers another adrenaline-fueled ride with Worst Case Scenario, a gripping thriller packed with high-stakes action and relentless tension. From the very first page, the story throws readers into a fast-moving, high-pressure situation that doesn’t let up. Newman’s background in aviation shines through, adding authenticity to the technical details and heightening the sense of realism.

The characters are compelling, though at times their development takes a backseat to the nonstop action. While some twists feel a bit predictable, the sheer intensity of the narrative keeps you hooked until the final page for the most part. I didn't find myself as connected with this book as much as the other two I have read by TJ Newman, but there were definitely perspectives I enjoyed about this one, especially seeing the communities coming together to help each other. Newman also does a fantastic job at hooking you at the end of a chapter to keep you wanting to read more.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, cinematic thriller that will keep your heart racing, Worst Case Scenario is a must-read!

I’ve loved all of this authors books but this one was hard to get into after the first few chapters. It picked back up the last 20% or so, but a good chunk of the book probably could've been cut out.

TJ Newman has found a niche in writing, and I'm here for it.

This one didn't hit as hard as Drowning or Falling, but it was still good.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.