T.J. Newman knows how to write a book that'll have you holding on for dear life! Starts off with a bang from the first paragraph and doesn't let up until the last.

Contingency planning for catastrophe can only take you so far which the small town of Waketa, Minnesota finds out when a commercial airliner crashes into the local nuclear power plant. As the hours quickly pass, the threat of a national radiation crisis becomes more real.

Really liked this one but I didn't think it was quite as riveting as Newman's first two novels, Falling and Drowning. In my opinion, this one didn't have the same sense of claustrophobic, heart pounding, breath holding intensity. With that said, I finished in 24 hours because the girl can write some suspense!

Thank you to Little, Brown & Co. and Netgalley for the early copies!

read if you like:
✈️ plane thrillers
🥺 crisis stories told from multiple angles
☢️ nuclear disasters

summary:
I received the audiobook ARC of this book earlier and loved it, so when I had the opportunity to read the book itself, I figured, why not? Sometimes it’s harder to catch some of the details in an audiobook, so I figured it was worth the read.

A quick recap: a plane crashes into a nuclear power plant in Waketa, Minnesota, and we follow the chaos of the accident from many perspectives — the power plant workers, firefighters, government officials, and teachers at a nearby school. The story counts down in a race against time, and follows these characters as they try to deal with the situation and save the town and themselves.

For some reason, I was far more overcome with emotion reading the book versus listening to the recording. Maybe it’s seeing the words on the page and being able to re-read them. The characters in this book are just incredible. In all of Newman’s books, she does an amazing job of pulling you in, putting you in their shoes and connecting you to them in a way that almost feels tragic. Everyone in this story makes sacrifices, for their families and their community, and it’s heartbreaking to read how each of them put others before themselves. She makes you feel them so deeply, even the President, reporting from hundreds of miles away, and makes you feel a part of the Waketa.

Like the audiobook, the technical jargon about nuclear power plants can be a little bit complex at times, but it feels important to the integrity of the story and more importantly, feels like a parallel to what everyone in the town is facing - this crisis that no one understands.

The ending. Whew. I cried real tears, just like I have in her other books. But it feels so satisfying and complete that it’s hard to complain.

This book will make you feel ALL the feels, I promise. THANK YOU to Little, Brown & Company and Net Galley for the ARC, and do NOT miss this book when it comes out August 13.

Thank you, NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the copy of Worst Case Scenario by T. J. Newman. Wow, what an astounding book. The action moves at a breakneck speed, and the countdown clock at the beginning of each chapter adds to the tension. The characters were so compelling and well-written I got attached to them. It’s hard to find a thriller that has genuine emotional impact and this book hit a home run. Do not miss this book.

5/5! ✨✨✨✨✨

➜ Oh my goodness, I absolutely devoured this book and could not put it down. As a fellow flight attendant, I'm not sure why we get a thrill out of reading about our own potential demises, but I soaked this up. (Still never hoping I come even remotely close to going through something like this). 🫠

➜ We start off at 35,000 feet, where a pilot is having a heart attack, the other pilot can't get back into the flight deck, a flight attendant is trying to fly the plane, and it's plummeting.....straight for a nuclear power plant in the small town of Waketa, Minneapolis. Unfortunately, it hits said power plant, and we end up seeing a nation in complete chaos, trying to figure out how to stop the power plant from causing mass extinction, or in other words a level 8 on the nuclear event scale, a level higher than the catastrophic Chernobyl and Hiroshima were. (I don't ever wanna think of a world where this is the case🥴🥴).

➜ Along the way, we meet the president of the United States, nuclear scientists, military, and ordinary small-town folk, who all come together to try and save their town, and potentially, their world. We get to read the story from each one of their point of views. This had to be my favorite part of the entire book. I loved all of the characters and what each one contributed to the story. There is a lot of heartbreak and sadness that comes with getting attached to these characters and it definitely triggered some emotions. 😩😩😩

➜ Overall, this was a fast paced thriller that kept you on the edge of your seat and on the verge of a complete meltdown. As you progressed through the book, each chapter got significantly more stressful and intense, making it ridiculously hard to put down. I absolutely enjoyed this book, and am forever a fan of this author.

➜ A big thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown, and Company for giving me the opportunity to read this incredible thriller. Definitely add this to your TBR right now!

Worst Case Scenario by T J Newman

Worst Case Scenario is a fast paced action packed thriller that keeps you waiting to see what will happen next. When the pilot of a Boeing has a widow maker heart attack, killing him instantly, a series of disasters occur, each causing a more dangerous and deadly reaction than the one before. When the plane crashes, leaving a debris trail with a path of devastation and destruction in its wake, no one is prepared for the ultimate resting place of the plane, right into a nuclear power plant.

The book moves at such a fast paced speed, with the workers of the power plant and multiple government agencies trying to problem solve this catastrophic situation. I enjoyed the different characters, quickly becoming invested in them and their lives. Parts of this book made me think of Armageddon and Bruce Willis, making me hum Aerosmith I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing.

I didn’t want to put this book down. While the many points of view seemed to much in the beginning, I quickly understood why. This book also makes you go through a range of emotions, so be prepared for not only a roller coaster of a story, but an emotional ride as well. This was my first read by T J Newman, but it definitely won’t be my last. Definitely recommend this, but be prepared because you won’t want to stop reading until the very end.

TJ Newman blew me away with her debut, Falling. Dare I say, Worst Case Scenario is even better! This is truly a heart stopping story and will have you on the edge of your seat the whole time!!! The character development in this book will have you feeling like you personally know the town and the people. And while there are a lot of characters, they all fall into place and with all the scenarios occurring simultaneously, they’re all pertinent. This story will horrify you with its plot, with knowing it truly is a real possibility, and with the author’s ability to make you feel like you are on the plane, on the bridge, in the plant. Newman has evoked emotions of shock, fear, thill, suspense, heartbreak and redemption. It will be a top thriller of the year!!! Just…WOW!
When a pilot suffers a medical emergency, he sets off a catastrophic event in a small town in Minnesota which houses a nuclear power plant. The ordinary people of Waketa, Minnesota – the plant employees, the firefighters, teachers, community members- must make decisions that will have rippling effects to the world at large.
I also received the audiobook, phenomenally narrated by Joe Morton! He captured the voice of each of the characters perfectly, expressing their confusion, fear, horror, love and compassion. The radio transmission sound effects were so jarring and greatly enhanced the audio version! Excellent addition!!

This book was action packed the entire start to finish, and so well done with the voice acting!! Made you feel like you were in the story.

What would you do when faced with the worst case scenario?? This book poses that question and delves into the lives of several characters during one of the worst tragedies to happen, and the actions/effects that take place to and with these individuals!
This was my first book by this author, but this was a fantastic, fast paced, action packed, and heart pumping book that will keep you flipping the pages to know what happens next.
Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for the audiobook of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, TJ Newmann and Little, Brown & Company for the ARC/ALC!

The Queen of emotional, action-packed thrillers is back! Truly no other author tugs at my heart strings or gets my anxiety spiked quite like TJ Newman - Lol! Her previous book, “Drowning”, was one of my top books I read last year so I was very excited when her newest book, “Worst Case Scenario”, showed up on Netgalley. The tension truly radiates off the pages (and comes across in audio) with this story. I couldn’t even begin to put myself in the headspace these people were in - what do you do when you are living the worst case scenario? The terror, the sadness, the absolute uncertainty of the situation is something I can’t imagine, and Newman wrote it SO incredibly lifelike. Everyday people became heroes, putting the welfare of others above their own, refusing to give up if it meant saving a life. Without giving spoilers, my heart both broke and was put back together in this story, and it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

”Drowning” releases August 13, 2024! This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

TJ Newman merged my two (of many) fascinations, planes and nuclear power plants. We’re given multiple POVs in to this horrific situation and how everyone is handling it; from firefighters, the president, the townspeople, people in the plant, and all of their families. Worst Case Scenario is thrilling and anxiety inducing but made me cry.

Thank you Little Brown and NetGalley for providing eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was lucky enough to have a physical and ALC. I went back and forth between both. The author captured me from the beginning and I would consider a real thriller. The narrator did an excellent job.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for both copies.
4/5 star

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman due to be published August 13, 2024.
I had previously read Falling and Drowning so I was excited to get this newest book by T.J. Newman.
A pilot suffering a heart attack sets off a chain reaction of a catastrophic nature when it crashes into a nuclear power plant near the small town of Waketa, Minnesota. Level 7 is bad; this is Level 8 – the first one of its kind. Will they be able to save the town and everyone around it?
This was a heart-stopping thriller with the disaster told from many different viewpoints – from people in the town to those working at the nuclear plant to the president of the United States – each involved in their own way.
It was a riveting, hold-on-to-your seat non-stop action book to say the least. The way it counted down from 16 hours to 0 for the ultimate disaster.
Another good one from T.J. Newman – it may be a long time before I get on a plane!
#NetGalley #TJNewman #LittleBrownAndCompany #WorstCaseScenario

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for the ARC of this novel.

I have been wanting to read a T.J. Newman book forever and I was so excited when I received this one. The reviews are right about what a fast paced exciting thriller this is. I loved the characters in this book and how each of them had a way of contributing during the crisis.

I think my favorite aspect of the book was the way the community came together. The small town vibes of this book, the love everyone had for each other and the way they were willing to sacrifice for each other..

My only complaint was how sad this book was. For a thriller I wasn’t expecting it.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It was a solid 4/5 read for me.

Imagine an accomplished pilot suffering a widow-maker heart attack while 295 lives are in his hands at 35,000 feet. The plane crashes into the worst possible place: a nuclear power plant in the small town of Waketa, Minneapolis, creating damage more catastrophic than expected, potentially reaching Level 8 on the nuclear event scale—a level higher than Hiroshima and Chernobyl. This catastrophic national crisis has global implications, including a leak from the plant that contaminates the Mississippi River, affecting agricultural resources, forcing evacuations, and disrupting the entire balance of habitation sources.

The book follows numerous perspectives and crowded characters dealing with the situation in their own ways, including the White House crew. The entire world's eyes are on Waketa's race against time, with a countdown of 16 hours and 38 minutes. The bravery shown, the solutions embraced, and the sacrifices made for the greater good of humanity are genuine and extremely touching.

This just moved up my list of scariest books ever. I’m always a fan of disaster scenario books and movies, but I had to put this one away when I was reading it at bedtime. I’m glad I was off work the next day so I could knock it out in one sitting!

A plane crashing into a nuclear power plant, producing a scenario of epic proportions, threatening the extinction of the world. It was scary to read how the ripples of one accident could travel across the continent and further. Having been around for 9/11, it was also interesting to see the parallels of emotion and how the characters worked together to help and comfort their neighbors. The story was very fast paced, characters were likeable and IT REALLY WAS SCARY😆

Thanks so much T.J. Newman, Little, Brown & Company and NetGalley for providing us with this thrilling addition to the summer reading list!

“Worst Case Scenario” by TJ Newman is a thrilling ride of a novel. I cannot say that I ever thought about this type of disaster, but I’m glad one of the pilots who Ms. Newman talked to mentioned it as his fear and that Ms. Newman wrote this story. This was a ride and a half and I stayed up late to read it. This book moves quickly - from those on the plane to those on the ground. I really felt for the fire fighters - trying to do something when they had such limited resources. This isn’t just a “how to deal with a disaster” story, it’s also a story about community, bonding together, and doing the best one can (sometimes with sacrifices) under times of extreme stress. For me, this book really solidifies why once Ms. Newman has a book out, I’m so eager to read it - another great one by her, that I enjoyed.

I really enjoyed this book. The author has a way of capturing my attention instantly. I had to keep reading just one more chapter. It was a hard one to put down. Highly recommend.


Many thanks for my gifted copy!

Wow, this book hit every emotion! A pilot has a medical emergency and the plane crashes into the worst place possible - a nuclear power plant. A small town must come together to stop what could be the first Level 8 disaster.

I was completely invested in all of the storylines, but especially for the one involving Connor.. This book had me hooked and I couldn’t wait to finish it to learn the fates of all of the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

There is no quiet easing into this book. The pilot of a plane with 295 souls on board suffers a fatal heart attack on the first page and things just continue to get get worse for the rest of the book. Unlike the author’s first two books, this one does not focus on the plane or its passengers, but rather on the people on the ground after the plane tumbles to earth. It is a compelling and riveting story and one that is told at a dizzying pace by a multitude of characters. I found myself truly invested in these people; cheering each success and saddened by every failure. My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

After loving Newman’s previous book, I was thrilled to be approved for Worst Case Scenario in both audio and digital. This is another action packed page turner. I found I didn’t connect with the characters quite like I did in Drowning. But I think most readers will devour Worst Case Scenario!

Thank you, NetGalley and Little, Brown & Company for this advanced audiobook. And thank you, T. J. Newman for thinking up yet another reason for me to be terrified of flying. I read this in one sitting as it was a riveting storying and I wanted to see how it ended. Newman definitely does not disappoint in the story and suspense department. This author is on my auto-read list forever.