T.J. Newman delivers another pulse-pounding thriller with Worst Case Scenario. While this story takes a departure from her previous works by shifting the action from an airplane to a small-town nuclear power plant, the intensity remains as gripping as ever. The narrative's pace had me tearing through the pages, heart racing, desperate to see how it all unfolded.

Coming off the heels of reading about nuclear warfare, this book heightened my anxiety, amplifying the terrifying possibilities of what could go wrong. The plausibility of the events portrayed kept me up at night.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the adrenaline-fueled journey of Worst Case Scenario, I still hold Drowning as my favorite of her novels.

Author T.J. Newman had the idea for Worst Case Scenario while researching her first novel, Falling, by querying pilots not just about all aspects of their job, but also their fears. They often told her they worried about planes getting caught in power lines, making erroneous decisions, freezing and not being able to make decisions and, of course, not returning home to their families. But Newman says one pilot’s answer “stopped me in my tracks.” She wasn’t sure if he was serious and initially scoffed when he told her, “My greatest fear is a commercial airliner crashing into a nuclear power plant.” Newman believed it an impossibility due to structural standards and security measures in place “in a post-9/11 world.” She naively thought “all nuclear power plants were safe from attack.” But the pilot disavowed her of that idea, saying, “That’s exactly what they want you to think.”

Newman circled back to the idea for her third nove, Worst Case Scenario. At the outset, she knew virtually nothing about nuclear power plants but, luckily, discovered that because of industry transparency, the needed information is readily available. Newman describes her books as “plot focused” and once she completed her research, the genesis of Worst Case Scenario was a complete outline totaling around sixty pages laying out the action.

Worst Case Scenario is a departure for Newan in that the focus of the book is not on how her protagonists will rescue the airliner’s passengers and crew. But the story does open with a crisis on board. As the plane is flying over Minnesota, the pilot suffers a fatal widowmaker heart attack and the 757 goes into free fall. At United Grace Church in the little town of Waketa, fifty-five miles south of Minneapolis, widower Steve Tostig, the Clover Hill nuclear energy plant's on-site Fire Chief, is attending the mid-day Good Friday service. The walls and floor begin to rattle just as something flies over the church, and a loud boom shakes the entire structure. Steve immediately springs into action as Dr. Joss Vance notices the lights in her kitchen flickering and instantly knows what is about to happen. The power goes out. As she grabs her work go-bag containing a satellite phone, full-body hazmat suit, masks, gloves, rubber boots, and a bottle of pills, she washes down the radioprotective potassium iodide with the coffee she had been drinking at her kitchen table and races out the door, en route to Clover Hill. The alert on her phone confirms what she already knows. There has been an incident at the plant. Potentially, a Level 7 incident. “When you work in nuclear power, you never fully forget what it is you do. How dangerous it is, how horrific the potential could be. You always, always respect the potential.” So Joss has “always known a day like this was not a matter of if but when.” In fact, it was that knowledge that brought her home to Waketa and her job as the regional representative of the Nuclear Emergency Support Team. After earning a PhD in nuclear engineering at MIT, Joss worked on policy at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C. where she grew tired of “being dismissed as an alarmist.”

The large plane breaks apart, strewing debris across a vast area. Just as a van is crossing the bridge over the Mississippi River, carrying a family to an Easter celebration, one of the wings -- ten times larger than the van and carrying hundreds of thousands of gallons of jet fuel -- lands directly in the van’s path. The rear of the van is left dangling thirty feet above the icy water as a massive fire erupts. Five-year-old Connor, who was riding in the van his father was driving, is conscious and still strapped into his car seat.

Once again, Newmans employs her straight-forward, unembellished storytelling style to describe the confusion and chaos that ensues after the crash. In the control room, Plant Manager Ethan Rosen and his staff don’t immediately know what has happened – explosion, earthquake, terrorist attack, equipment failure? – because they work in a windowless room in the building that houses one of three reactors. Clover Hill is in the process of being decommissioned, but it takes years. So only one reactor is offline. The other two were online and generating power when the plane crashed. With alarms sounding, staff frantically begin assessing the status of the plant and soon learn that pieces of the aircraft are scattered across the Clover Hill campus. Gradually, they realize what they are dealing with . . . and must figure out how to address the damage the plant has sustained, a situation no one has ever faced before. They discover that the power line to the plant has been severed so the plant is running on backup diesel generators, and there is extensive structural damage throughout, including to the pool where spent fuel rods are warehoused. It is leaking. If the water level becomes low enough and the rods are exposed, the building in which they are stored will explode. The plant began operating in 1973, so the amount of nuclear waste stored there would feed a fire of a “magnitude mankind has yet to conceive of a way to put out. It would burn forever.” In the other words, it could be the world’s first Level 8, “extinction-level event.”

Newman notes that “it’s very easy to get your characters into trouble. It’s a lot harder to get them out of trouble.” And the trouble her characters face in Worst Case Scenario could be exponentially more far-reaching than the crises depicted in her first two books. She “reverse engineers” her stories. So once she decided that the plane would crash into the plant, she had to figure out the challenges her characters would face and how they would handle them. She set the tale in the fictional small town, rather than a larger metropolitan area, to illustrate “a real nightmare worst case scenario for the country.” Other regions, like California (where only the Diablo Canyon plant remains operational, and three others have been fully decommissioned), have more resources and safeguards available. And by placing Clover Hill at the top of the Mississippi River, the catastrophe could destroy “the heart of the country,” rendering uninhabitable a large swath of land bisecting the United States.

Once again, Newman has created a cast of empathetic characters navigating a crisis that demands they be their best selves. Ethan and Steve, in leadership roles, gather input and make hard decisions, while Joss serves as the liaison to America’s youngest-ever President, who is safely ensconced five stories down in the White House’s Deep Underground Command Center with his advisors. Newman alternates the action between the plant and, to a lesser degree, the people of Wateka banding together, relying on information broadcast by a retired plant engineer from an underground bunker on the plant’s campus. His forty-seven-year career included a role in the plant’s construction and his insight proves invaluable.

A second major storyline focuses on a group of heroic first responders who refuse to abandon little Conner, even though they have no idea how to safely extract him from the van. Newman includes a gut-wrenching exploration of the allocation of scarce resources and the options available in such circumstances, noting that they are “undermanned, under-resourced, out of ideas, and out of time trying to save one individual person.” Must the needs of many be prioritized over the peril faced by one? “It’s about saving the fate of humanity. But what is that, if not the life of one individual?” she observes.

Throughout Worst Case Scenario, Newman deftly illustrates her characters’ palpable terror and the responsibility they feel to each other, as well as the countless Americans who will be impacted in myriad ways if their survival mission fails. The characters are fully developed and believable – not surprisingly, most rise to the occasion, but some take longer than others. Most importantly, Newman compels readers to care about her characters and their futures. The story would not succeed sans that emotional connection and she is gratified when readers identify with and cheer for her characters because she cares deeply about their welfare as she brings them to life, going through “boxes and boxes of Kleenex” while she writes. Her compassion is evident on every page, alongside her readily understandable and terrifying explanations of precisely what is at stake. Newman says that “the absolute heart and essence of my stories, is everyday people in an extraordinary circumstance rising to meet the moment. I deeply believe in the everyday hero in all of us, and that ordinary people only need the opportunity to be the heroes that they actually are.”

To dismiss Newman’s latest tautly crafted story as far-fetched or implausible would be a mistake. She says Worst Case Scenario was more difficult to write than her first two books. Once she began researching the subject matter, she “realized that the premise of the book is completely plausible, and . . . this research scared the hell out of me.” Still, she does not consider the tale an indictment of the nuclear energy industry. “If I have an agenda with my books, it is to entertain. Full stop.”

Newman has penned another horrifyingly realistic and deeply unsettling thriller. It is fast-paced, tense, and riveting. It is also moving, replete with heartbreaking losses and disappointment, as well as valor, personal sacrifice, and triumph. She explores familial and community relationships, challenging readers to contemplate how they would react in a similar situation. It is certain to be yet another bestseller . . . and leaves readers pondering just what she will come up with next.

TJ Newman has definitely solidified a place as one of my favourite authors after this! I love how fast-paced and action-packed her stories are, and this one was no different.

All of her books follow some sort of airplane incident. This one doesn't spend as much time with the actual plane, but rather the aftermath of the plane crashing into a nuclear power plant. While the plot was perhaps a bit outlandish at times, I still found it captivating from basically start to finish. And the ending was absolutely heartbreaking, but a testament to her writing and how quickly I get invested in these characters' lives.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher.

Whew, he did not pull any punches in this book! It was a high-speed adventure from beginning to end. Main characters got picked off, and other tragedies were averted. . .the highs were high, the lows were low, and the ending was tied up nicely.

A thrilling story that is completely riveting. Newman has a sensational hit on her hands, once again.
With level 7 being the highest nuclear reactor damage assessment known to mankind, the
town of Waketa, Minnesota, is about to hit an 8: Worst Case Scenario.
Waketa becomes ground zero when a pilot suffers a fatal heart attack and collapses on to the throttle of a jumbo jet causing the plane to crash and debris to embed in the town's nuclear reactor's holding towers for the core rods. Damage and death surrounds the community as flaming debris from the jetliner destroys the town that is usually a very quiet, unremarkable place to live and work.
Time is against them as they issue evacuation orders for the entire town's nuclear reactor radius and look to volunteers to enter the cooling pools to take the preventive measures needed to stop the cores from melting down and far surpassing the horrific destruction of Chernobyl.
This is one read you simply can not put down.
Fabulously thrilling with characters and interactions that simply jump right off the pages.
A story that could be, literally, as the saying goes, "ripped from the headlines".
Which makes it absolutely chilling.
Kudos to T.J. Newman.
Keep them coming.
PLEASE.

T.J. Newman does it again. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and my anxiety felt like it was at an all-time high (but in a good way). A pilot suffers a medical emergency while flying the plane and it crashes into a small town. What could possibly go wrong? EVERYTHING. This book made me laugh and cry, but also made me feel like I could picture all of the vivid scenes like a movie in my head . This novel is a winner!

TJ Newman is quickly becoming a new favorite / auto-buy author for me. They haven't failed to make me cry yet and this is one of the few five-star reads I've had in 2024! Fast-paced (like I finished this in two days) and heart-racing.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve never read a book like this…it will take your breath away and have you on the edge of your seat. It starts off so intense and doesn’t let up until the very end.

Your emotions, feelings and “what would you do” will be tested as you read this story. The characters are fantastic, the situation is terrifying but the good of people comes to light as they are facing one of the scariest moments of their lives.

I am looking forward to going back and reading the other books by TJ Newman. This one will stay with me for quite some time.

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the advanced readers copy.

Worst Case Scenario just went on my very short list of “I wish I could read this for the first time again” books! This is my first T.J Newman book and what an introduction to her it was!

I really wanted read this book when I heard about it and was so happy to receive an ARC of it, then when I got it I suddenly was hesitant to read it. I love to fly and Worst Case Scenario is one of those books where a real life worst case scenario happens and suddenly I had to pause and think am I ready to read this. Yes, I am!

Worst Case Scenario is told from multiple view points from Waketa, Minnesota heroes and residents impacted by a commercial passenger plane crashing into the local nuclear plant. We get a glimpse of what happens on the plane to cause the crash but the true story is the aftermath of the crash. It took me a moment to adjust to the alternating POVs and how they sometimes switched but this book was wonderfully written.

T.J Newman did a beautiful job building the relationships in the book, describing the workings of a nuclear power plant and also presenting us with the real life decision making that would happen from elementary school teachers protecting our kids to the Nuclear plant workers trying to save the city, country and world, all the way to the President of the United States.

I don’t cry when reading, I get little emotional tingles and maybe goosebumps but never flat out tears falling cry. This had me on an emotional roller coaster from anxious to proud of humanity to suddenly at 70% into the book I’m starting to feel gutted and tears appear and then around 90% I had a stuffy nose and couldn’t control my tears!

I wish I could read this for the first time again!

** Thank you to NetGalley, Little Brown & Company and T.J Newman for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. **

I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I had to know what happened. This book was addicting in a good way and kept me on my toes. I would highly suggest you read it. Also super fast paced which I'm a big fan of.

What a book! This one grabbed me from the very beginning and did not letup.
This one started out with the pilot of a commercial airliner as the victim of a heart attack, and the plane crashed into a nuclear power plant in the small town of Waketa, Minnesota. This becomes ground zero for the disaster, and the rest of the story is a roller coaster. The tale is told from multiple perspectives, and I was afraid for the fate of most of them.

This one has heartwarming instances when the townspeople came together, tense and dangerous scenes in the power plant, crises with the firefighters who were trying to rescue a little boy, teachers directing children to safety, and families and neighbors huddling together and hoping to help. It was a really good book! Other reviewers have commented that there were too many characters, and admittedly there were a lot, and they were sometimes hard to track. That’s the only negative for me.

I switched back and forth between the ebook and the audiobook. The narration was really good, and the different voices were believable and easily remembered.

Five great stars for this one!

This book was amazing. It kept my attention from first to last page and I flew through it. It was gripping and immersive and I absolutely loved the research that must have went into this novel regarding the logistics of nuclear power plants. I left this book more knowledgeable and also with a full heart as TJ Newman always writes about the best in humanity when times are tough. Though a nuclear power plant was hit by a plane and a crisis ensues, we see the locals come together in selfless acts to help their community. Sacrifices were made and this book tugged at my heart strings.

One of my favourite books I read this year. I will always read anything TJ Newman writes.

Thank you so much Netgalley and TJ Newman for the advanced readers copy!

5 stars

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Grab a box of Kleenex and enjoy the sad wild ride. I was hooked by the first page of this book. I thought about the book all the time when I was reading it. The storyline is so incredibly true and scary. Thinking this could happen is so scary. You feel so connected netted to the characters and only want the best outcome for them.

TJ Newman’s latest book Worst Case Scenario is another five star read as were Ms. Newman’s previous books Falling and Drowning. As with the author’s previous novels, this is another action packed, heart stopping, wild ride. What is it called when a plane full of passengers crashes into a nuclear power plant? Worst case scenario.

What I love about Ms. Newman’s books are how well researched and detail oriented they are and this one is probably the most detailed. I almost feel like I could run my own nuclear power plant after reading this book.

Another thing the author does so wonderfully is creating characters that the reader can really relate with and connect with. I found myself really caring about what happens to these characters. I could see myself or someone I know in almost all of them. I was biting my nails down, so nervous for the characters in dangerous situations. I loved Joss, Ethan, Steve, Dani, and so many others. They are all so well written.

I cannot say enough good things about this book. It has it all. I am sure this will also be made into a movie. I cried in parts, laughed out loud when I was reading it on a plane (coincidentally). I recommend it to anyone who loves a great story, cliff hangers almost every chapter that keep you reading into the night, characters you can really root for, and an ending that is fully reconciled with no loose ends.

Thank you TJ Newman for writing this amazing book and to Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for proving this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Worst Case Scenario is a literal action movie, brought to life on the page. Addictive, fast-paced and impossible to set down, this is must have entertainment this summer.

I LOVE TJ Newman's books, and this latest did not disappoint. High octane action that doesn't let up for a minute is served from the very first sentence to the very last page and I absolutely loved every minute of it. It is big, over the top, dramatic, crazy, rollercoaster fun, and it's the type of popcorn thriller reading that I love to sprinkle in my TBR for a refreshing palate cleanser when I want something easy and hugely entertaining.

While being action packed, TJ still manages to create characters that you care about and that you are rooting for, and despite this being a totally wild story about a plane crashing into a nuclear facility, and the race to stop the subsequent meltdown, TJ still managed to pack a wallop of emotion into this plot. Cut to me crying actual tears through the last third of the book as the heroes of this story are all fighting to save the day.

If you love the big dramatic action capers (think Mission Impossible, Speed, Armageddon, or James Bond) you are going to love this book. It is perfect summer reading and it should absolutely be the next book you add to your summer TBR. You just don't want to miss the fun, I promise you.

Many thanks to the publisher for my copy.

I don't know how many more horrible airplane scenario books Newman can possibly come up with, but I will read every last one of them. They are addicting and it is physically impossible to force me to put it down until I have finished every. last. word,. I think because they are SO inventive and imaginative, it doesn't occur to me to be afraid of flying after I read one. It would be like if a book about ferocious wolves made me scared of dogs. I am a huge fan.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Little Brown & Company, and Hachette Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest thriller by TJ Newman, with the audiobook narrated by Joe Morton. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

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. 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.

Wow - TJ Newman has done it again! This book was gripping from beginning to end, tension ratcheting up throughout. We get to see how this event affects the people in town - power plant employees, teachers, firefighters. Each chapter leaves us with a cliffhanger from a different vantage point, and my heart was pounding the entire time. This book showcases how people step up when they need to, becoming heroes for the rest of us. I loved being able to go between both book formats so I didn't have to put this one down, and the audio was fabulous with sound effects making it even more chilling., As with all TJ Newman's books, this is a must read!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

A wild ride. A disaster. A dying town coming together in the worst scenario imaginable. A commercial airline pilot suffers a medical emergency causing the disaster. A town dying due to the upcoming closure of the nuclear plant, becomes the site of the crash. In two separate, but linked, actions, the town comes together to save the children, and the plant workers come together to save the surrounding area. There are great sacrifices and deserving survivors. The story is fast paced and comes to a satisfying conclusion. The author has become a favorite and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

Worst Case Scenario is TJ Newman’s third book. Like her earlier books, Falling and Drowning, this one involves a plane crash. However, this time, the plane has crashed into a nuclear power station in a small town in the US. Time is of the essence to save the power station before it implodes. At the same time, firefighters are trying to save the life of a young child who is stuck in his family’s van hanging off a bridge, covered in fuel, after it was hit by part of the plane’s debris.

The story starts off with a bang and there are some good, tense scenes. The child in the van storyline is very well done. However, I found that the nuclear power station storyline required technical descriptions that at times took me out of that part of the plot. I found myself skimming those descriptions.

Having said that, the author does a good job of weaving interesting issues and questions into the nuclear power plant plotline around family, sacrifice, community, the value of one life versus several, and motherhood.

This is a different story to Falling and Drowning which were action-packed with full-on tense scenes which fed into most people’s fears around airplane travel. While a plane crashing into a nuclear power station is frightening in an end of the world type of way, it is a less immediate kind of fear, at least for me. The child stuck in a van teetering on the edge of a bridge was intense as I could relate as a parent to the fear of losing a child.

Worst Case Scenario is a very enjoyable read that kept me entertained and that had a great bittersweet ending.

Thanks to the publisher for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

I can't recommend this book enough. It is really a great book and a great story. If there was a danger at a nuclear power plant, and you knew all about the work, would you be willing to sacrifice yourself to save others? That is what a number of characters in this book have to consider. At some point or other you'll need to shed a tear. There are great characters that the reader learns to like and love. Again, highly recommended