Gosh this was so good! But I knew it would be. I’ve learned that each TJ Newman release is absolutely must read for me, as soon as I possibly can.

This was a fast-paced, gripping, white knuckle disaster story set in small town US when a plane crashes into a nuclear power plant. Three major plots converge into an intense, explosive ending. I barely breathed the entire way thru.

Reading a new TJ Newman books makes me feel like I’ve run a marathon. I LOVE a full-body reading experience like I get with her books. Just as I expected from this author after feeling the same way with her previous two releases. So intense, so fun to read.

This book is personally responsible for keeping me awake until 3:30 in the morning because HOLY COW I couldn't put it down.

When a plane crashes into a nuclear reactor (that alone should already have you wanting to read this book), the small town of Waketa, Minnesota becomes the center of the world as the small town crew tries to prevent a melt-down that would change the life as everyone knows. it.

This is a high-action, high-stakes thriller that is so exquisitely written. T.J. Newman introduces many, many characters, but at no point was I ever confused about who was who and who was responsible for what. Every character is likable, and you're wanting every character to make it. There are many POVs, which just adds to the understanding of the entire situation that is happening. The explicit descriptions of the events that are happening create a vivid image that is better than most big Hollywood action movies that you see. This feels like one giant American flag away from becoming Michael Bay's next blockbuster. It's that good.

I don't even have words to explain the emotions I felt throughout this book. Just when you think things will be ok, the rug is pulled out from under you and you fall into an even deeper feeling of dread, grief, and the absolute need to read another chapter. The last few chapters will have you holding your breath, but the coda will allow you to release it in such a satisfying way that you'll be so grateful you read such an excellent book.

There is a theme of parenting and the legacy that entails throughout the book which can really tear at your emotions. There are parts of the book that are very graphic, including depictions of car wrecks, plane crashes, and radiation poisoning. I think this book is for anyone who enjoys character-driven action thrillers, especially ones where women are the heroes.

TJ Newman has perfected the book version of a summer movie blockbuster: thrilling action, heartfelt characters, tense situations. This book has all of it. As well as adding to my life a before unthought of fear about planes and nuclear reactors.

If you need a very fast paced and action packed read, look no farther then any of her books but especially this one.

I was going to give it 5 stars until the end. Spoiler alert: one character dies but their last thought isn’t about the lives of the town they’re saving, all they’ve done in their life but the fact that they’ve never had children. In our current world where childless cat ladies like myself are considered by some to have worthless lives and should have less rights compared to mothers this really really ticked me off. I’ll read her next book but it made me glad I didn’t buy this one.

**Thanks to the author and publisher for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.**

TJ Newman does it again and has truly amped up the stakes, both thrillingly and emotionally. While this thriller doesn't take place on a plane, it will still keep you on the edge of your seat all the way through the flight.

Published by Little, Brown and Company on August 13, 2024

Worst Case Scenario is the latest offering from disaster novelist T.J. Newman. The disastrous series of events begins with a commercial jet pilot’s heart attack. Unfortunate coincidences (like the co-pilot getting stuck in a bathroom) cause the plane to crash. T.J. Newman once worked as a flight attendant so it isn’t surprising that a flight attendant makes heroic but futile efforts to save the day.

The jet crashes into a nuclear power plant in the small town of Waketa, Minnesota. The reactors are undamaged but the crash leads to a series of problems, including a ruptured dry cask that is storing nuclear waste and a severed distribution line that has left the plant without power. Cracks are causing water to leak from a pool that holds spent fuel rods. Diesel generators keep cooling pumps in operation, but the generators will soon be underwater. The plant is on its way to becoming Minnesota’s Chernobyl.

The formula for a disaster novel is to pair the large catastrophe with a smaller one. A wing from the jet smashed into a bridge. Apart from messing up traffic on I-35, the wing destroyed a van, killing the parents of a kid named Connor who remains strapped to his car seat as the van teeters on the edge of the bridge. Firefights try to rescue Connor but burning jet fuel hampers their rescue attempts.

Heroism and self-sacrifice are the novel’s themes. On the bridge, a firefighter named Dani Allen defies orders to get her fire truck to the nuclear plant and risks her life to rescue Connor. Back at the plant, Fire Chief Steve Tostig joins with nuclear-incident first responder Jocelyn “Joss” Vance and plant manager Ethan Rosen to fix the cascading problems, some of which will require one or more characters to perform dangerous stunts, including a swim in radioactive water.

While it is always inspiring to read about self-sacrifice, the theme is a bit overdone in Worst Case Scenario. As characters make choices that will lead to their injury or death for the good of others, they think about the things they’ll be missing when they are no longer walking among the living. All fiction is intended to manipulate the reader, but the best fiction does so with subtlety. Some of the weepy scenes in Worst Case Scenario are so obviously intended to manipulate the reader’s emotions that they lose their effectiveness.

On the other hand, the descriptions of the unfolding disasters are undeniably compelling. Newman takes time to walk the reader through the safety procedures at nuclear plants and creates what seems to be a plausible worst case scenario that might make a plant melt down. Her research is impressive. (Understand that while the story seemed plausible to me, I'm not a nuclear physicist. I lack the knowledge to spot possible errors in her description of nuclear plant operations.)

Newman keeps the story moving at a brisk pace. She builds excitement as the characters race against time. The disaster novel formula is predictable but the obvious attempt to manipulate the emotions of readers is reasonably successful. I willingly surrendered to the manipulation for the sake of learning what would happen next.

Character development is adequate, although none of the characters are memorable. Two characters are in conflict about the decision to have children — one wants to change the world, the other wants to have a family. The realization that it’s possible to do both is another predictable aspect of the story. More insightful is a character’s realization that in the grand scheme of things, his life doesn’t matter much. Freeing ourselves from the illusion that we’re important creates the opportunity to enjoy the brief time we have. That lesson is convincing.

Disaster novels often morph into disaster movies. Newman makes it easy to visualize the plane crash and teetering van, scenes that might be even more attention grabbing on a big screen. The ending emphasizes self-sacrifice that might have moviegoers shedding a few tears. Disaster fans who don’t want to wait for the movie will likely enjoy the exciting story if they set aside their reservations about Newman’s attempt to trigger their emotions with weepy scenes of heroism.

RECOMMENDED

What a fantastic read! This had me at the edge of seat for almost the entirety of the book. I was captivated by the cast of characters and how each person had a role to play in this disaster. I thought the little author's note at the beginning of the story really set the tone for the entire book. Once again T.J. Newman has crafted an excellent thriller!

Written by a previous flight attendant, Newman has come up with a "worst case scenario" regarding a plane crash. What the plane crashes into can be completely devastating, even beyond the life and damage to those on board. This was a full throttle book that kept the reader engaged and on the edge of their seat. There were a few times that the details of story were a bit laborious and confusing, but I was able to dismiss them and catch the overall point of the book.

If you're looking for a quick thriller, this is a great choice (but maybe not on a flight).

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the gifted e-copy.

Wow wow wow! This was a fun and electrifying story. It had me at the edge of my seat the whole time. Highly recommend for anyone who's into high intensity thrillers

So I don't normally read any kind of thriller but I absolutely love TJ Newman's books. This one is hands down my favorite - I read it in an entire afternoon and literally couldn't put it down. I found it both enthralling and terrifying - I learned more than I ever wanted to about nuclear power plants and what could go wrong. I also just felt so bad for the state of Minnesota and the rural setting even though it was fiction. I honestly think most people would enjoy this book if they like thrillers or heartwrenching action movies. I usually read romance and this is far from that, but TJ Newman does SUCH a good job at moving the plot forward while developing a robust cast of characters. I'll probably be rereading it soon because I loved it that much!

4.5 stars
I was in the mood for something with a little excitement and this met the bill. This is the first book I have read by this author and I will gladly read more. In this novel of small town America, an airplane hits a nuclear reactor with potentially calamitous results. A good disaster book or movie will not only unfold the disaster but creates characters that the reader/viewer cares about and who relate to one another. The author does that well here. About the only criticism I have is that it was a little hard to follow at times (hence, why this is 4.5 and not 5 stars).
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and to Little, Brown & Company for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Wow this book took a total turn for me. I was a huge fan of this authors previous book, so i was excited to receive an ARC for this. However, it was a little slow for me at first during the initial stages of emergency in the town. By the end of it I was fully in tears and couldn't put it down. The science talk was a little confusing and hard for me to understand but that might just be a me problem. The heart of the small town and the way everyone came together in a state of emergency was so special. I loved all the characters. This was a really good read, and a situation that I hope never happens!

✨Ｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ✨

Worst Case Scenario 📚 by T.J. Newman

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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After reading Newman's Drowning last year in practically one day, I was excited to see she was releasing a new book in 2024.

This one had everything I loved about Drowning, with an even more interesting/unique plot. Newman's intense and fast paced stories keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters are likeable and the plot is explained in a way that makes sense (even when it's a more complicated topic like nuclear energy). The heavy emotions in this book had me tearing up significantly in the last chapter 🤣

When a plane crashes into a nuclear power plant in Minnesota, the town comes together for the people of the town and the workers at the plant. We see the workers at the plant navigate a national crisis. We see the people of the community, such as the town firefighters, doing what they have to to help the members of the community.
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#justread #bookstack #booklovers #alwaysreading #readersofinstagram #bookreview #instareads #goodreads #bookworm #bookaddict #readersofig #bookreviewer #bookaddict #bookstagram

Thank you NetGalley and Little Brown and Co for this Arc

I would like to say this was a surprising wave of literary excellence, but I would be mistaken. I have heard so many rave reviews of this author and the ability to sink you into the moment. However this was underwhelming, my least favorite was the multitude of characters and unbelievable story lines that carried on in this book. After I put it down from confusion I felt I had to go back a few pages to catch back up to what was happening. This was not it for me, the dialogue was not believable.

4 out of 5 stars
T.J. Newman does it again.
Worst case scenario will have you gripping the edge of your seat. Set in a small rural town facing the potential for the largest nuclear fallout the world has ever seen, the tension that T.J. Newman creates had me guessing how things would end right till the final pages.
Definitely one of my favorite authors, and none of her books have disappointed.
If you're a fan of disaster novels I highly recommend reading Worst Case Scenario.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Holy cow, this book.. I was not prepared for the deep emotions I was going to feel. I was kept on the edge of my seat the entire book wondering what was going to happen next. So. Many. Tears. A beautiful heartbreaking story.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

When it comes down to a INSANE thriller reading experience, she don't miss! This story will have you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out who going to survive this SCENARIO. The book was broke down in a countdown kind of way that will have your heart racing. This story was quite literally the ‘Worst Case Scenario’ for America. Such a good read!

Am exciting and frightening plotline. A commercial airliner crashes into a rural.America near a nuclear power plant. Catastrophic damage, a young President, and a smal town fire department quickly become the main characters in this doomsday scenario. Edge of pour seat excitement. A must read!

This novel is like driving a race car, it hits the throttle hard from the very first word and never lets up, very similarly the way her previous novels (Falling and Drowning) were. Having the premise be on the ground rather than in the air (or underwater) allows the story to be much more far reaching in scope. The novel also tactfully avoids two of my literary pet peeves, 'Padded' - no one Pads down the stairs or across the room and 'Releases the breath she didn't know she was holding'. Both are overused and smack of lazy writing. Although, to be fair, when I finished Worst Case Scenario I did actually release the breath I didn't know I was holding. Fantastic read.

TJ Newman has this absolutely brilliant gift for tugging at every single heart string I have and leaving me broken and sobbing and happy. A strange combination, I know, but that doesn’t make it less true.

I shrieked with excitement when Little Brown Publishing allowed me the opportunity to read an ARC of Worst Case Scenario. I read her sophomore book Drowning last year and immediately picked up Falling afterwards. When I learned of books 3’s release, it was kind of a no-brainer that I would be picking it up as soon as I possibly could also.

I will start by saying, if you are a nervous flier, then her books may not be your cup of tea. Most of the airplane part for Worst Case Scenario takes place right at the beginning, but it’s the cataclysmic start to the nerve wracking story that follows. This isn’t a spoiler, it’s in the synopsis.

I go into TJ’s books knowing that I will be completely consumed until I finish it. Her style of writing is addictive and her grasp of human emotions and ability to get you to connect to these characters is mind blowing. She juggles 3 stories at once and makes you feel something for each and every person involved. She connects with you on these real, human levels that don’t feel like a fictional story. I would put the book down for the night and have to remind myself there isn’t actually a nuclear disaster going on right now. TJ’s books would make phenomenal movies, because they read, just like one.

I will admit that I ride the anxiety rollercoaster and going into this book I wasn’t sure I was in a good place to be starting it. But once I started I couldn’t stop and any fears or trepidation I had in the beginning was washed away with my tears by the end.

If you’re not already reading her books, then now’s the time! Worst Case Scenario is out now and ready to be your next favorite thriller!

Words are not enough to thank Little Brown Publishing for the opportunity to be able to read an eARC.

3.5 stars
Thank you #netgalley for this ARC. This is my third book from this author, and while it wasn’t my favorite of the 3, it still kept my attention. I did find the characters lacked a little depth and I struggled a bit to follow what was going along, but overall, good, solid, entertaining read.