4.5⭐
Genre ~ suspense thriller
Setting ~ Minnesota
Publication date ~ August 13, 2024
Publisher ~ Little, Brown & Company
Est Page Count ~ 321 (p+ 43 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 8 hours 13 minutes
Narrator ~ Joe Morton
POV ~ multiple 3rd
Featuring ~ plane crash into a nuclear plant

Road trip listen with the family and holy cannoli with mini mint chocolate chips this was a top notch listen. We were happy that we were in a truck and not an airplane.

There are quite a few smarty pants characters to keep track of, exactly who I’d want on the line trying to protect the town and its people. I might have shed a tear, or sixteen, for some of them. Yes, some things were implausible, but the action is non stop, like seriously, it never lets up.

If you like intensely gripping, suspensefully thrilling thrillers then you’ll want to put this one on your never ending TBR.

Narration notes:
What a performance! Love the added sound effects from a megaphone, intercom and cb radio, which really gives it that extra pizzazz I enjoy in my audiobooks, especially thrillers.

🎧4.25-4.5⭐️

My first book by this author. I had the audiobook narrated by Joe Morton who is impressive, he infuses tension and feeling which adds to the books appeal.

This isn’t any airplane crash, it’s a catastrophic collision with global implication. This is a disaster thriller
and would make a good movie.

It’s a story of everyday heroes, the author has you caring about the characters, it’s emotional in places. My favourite characters are Steve,Matt and Danni.

There’s technical information to add realism but it’s not overly complicated for the reader. The way that the town pulled together botching together solutions using ingenuity is impressive. While they are getting on with things the rest of the country is in panic mode.
The tension was palpable. I was rooting for the selfless people who behaved heroically. It was very moving. I’m keen to catch up with more by this author and would recommend this book as it’s got bags of interest and characters to root for.

WORST CASE SCENARIO by T. J. Newman

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ARC of this audiobook.

Narration by Joe Morton was very well done and does not disappoint. He expresses the anxiety and vulnerability of each character dealing with this nightmare that has now become a reality for this town. Special effects are placed throughout and adds to the listening experience. Joe Morton is best known for playing Rowan/Eli Pope, the father of Olivia Pope, on the series Scandal.

T. J. Newman is back with her third novel, Worst Case Scenario. This riveting thriller starts off with a nail-biting plane crash. A pilot suffers a massive heart attack with two hundred and ninety-five people aboard the commercial aircraft, and crashes into a nuclear power plant in the small town of Waketa, Minnesota. Everyone will soon learn, this is a worst-case scenario unlike anything the world has ever seen—-a level 8. This is a harrowing adventure that follows humanity’s fight for survival. Soon Wateka’s firefighters, teachers, and neighbors will become the frontline against this impending disaster.

T. J. Newman’s previous two books are being made into movies and I’m sure this one will be too. Tense, emotional, and heart-stopping at times.

4.5 stars
First off, I’m glad that I’m not flying in a plane for a while. The beginning of the book is terrifying… and then it just gets worse! We start out with a plane crash that causes damage to a nuclear power plant. Everyone is scrambling to stop the worst case scenario from happening (hence the title! 😂). It is the stuff of nightmares. TJ Newman pushes the boundaries with each book. She needs to stop with this third one because I don’t think any of us can handle what she’ll write next! 😱
*Thanks to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook copy
**I’m rounding down because, while I love Joe Morton as an actor, the narration was inconsistent. The cadence was very stilted.

When a pilot suffers a heart attack mid-flight, the plane crashes into a nuclear power plant in Minnesota.

This was my first TJ Newman book and I have to say I really enjoyed it! Here's what I liked:

The multi-layers: This book has so much going on, BUT it was still very easy to follow. You get to be on the ground for all of the action at the plant and the town surrounding it. I liked how Newman put characters throughout this that served as a way to explain things that needed to be explained to the reader without info dumping.

The characters: I liked all of the characters in this as well. Everyone wants to help which was so nice to see. Jos and Ethan were top for me though. I liked their backstory and how passionate they both were.

The narration: Joe Morton was amazing narrating this! His voice is beautiful.

All in all, this was a good action-packed book!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy!

Another exciting T.J. Newman read. This is ready for the big screen...action packed with relatable and dynamic characters. The plot is informative and racing, but you will be cheering for the cast of characters the entire time. Impactful with important messages for all humans... a book that highlights the best in people. Thoroughly enjoyed!

What an incredibly intense, nail biting, edge of your seat, emotional thriller! Five stars, for sure!

I became so very invested in all of the characters which is a pretty incredible feat and speaks volumes of the author’s talents considering how little some of the characters appear in the book.

This one literally had my heart beating and my heart breaking at the same time. I do not cry easily and this brought many tears to my eyes which I wasn’t expecting.

This releases August 13th so make sure to secure your copy!

Thank you to NetGalley, T.J. Newman, and Hachette Audio for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook in exchange for a candid review. It was a pleasure!

What happens when a passenger plane crashes into a nuclear power plant in small-town Waketa, Minnesota?

You guessed it!

This pacey disaster book gives new meaning to the word "worse".

WHY NOT 5 STARS?
(Outlier alert!)

* Waaay too many characters.
I prefer books with fewer, well-developed characters
* Too many eye-rolling moments
* One of the many protagonists was a fictitious president.
I enjoy as much realism as possible in thrillers and am not a fan of books showcasing fictitious presidents.

I listened to the audiobook read by Joe Morton, who did an outstanding job with the narration.

I especially enjoyed the introduction of the author/former flight attendant T.J. Newman.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Worst case scenario kept me intrigued from the beginning all the way to the end. I loved the intensity of the book along with the community aspect of the book. The tough decisions that needed to be made throughout the book were at times gut wrenching. Thank you Net Galley and Hachette Audio for the advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I want to start off by saying I did not connect with the narrator so it was really hard for me to pay attention. I kept zoning out, and it has nothing to do with the book itself because I absolutely loved it. I just couldn't pay attention and that's on me.

I loved the different scenarios each playing out, the timelines, and absolutely loved how it was all wrapped up in the end. I'll more than likely end up buying this in print so I can read it that way since I really didn't like the narrator in the audiobook.

5-Stars for the Story, 3 Stars for the Audio, 4 Stars in total.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this audio ALC.

Joe Morton was a superb narrator. The pacing and tension he brought forth… whoa.

Holy fawk. This story was terrifying. Terrifying because it can be real. The kind of story that grips, holds, and never lets you go. Drives up your anxiety. I award five glowing stars to this books for scaring the pants off of me (not literally, lovelies).

This book was an amazing cinematic thriller and an easy 5 star rating. I've now read all three of Newman's books, and they just keep getting better.

This high-octane novel plunges us into a catastrophe right from the start, and thanks to @hachetteaudio
I was able to pair my reading with the audio.
@joethemorton was an incredible narrator, and with some special sound effects, he enhanced the story to another level. His voice was just perfect for this harrowing story. I really enjoyed the CB radio transmissions throughout the book, making it sound so realistic

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗶𝗼'𝘀 focus is the crisis on the ground after the plane's debris caused damage of catastrophic proportions in a small Minnesota town.

It's a story about everyday heroes in Waketa, Minnesota. The emergency response teams, the community, and the families. How in the midst of terror, the town pulls together in the face of a possible global crisis.

I rooted for those making the heart-wrenching decisions and wept for the victims
I couldn't stop listening and finished it in one evening. I highly recommend you pick this one up when it hits the shelves next month.

I have no doubt Worst Case Scenario will also be made into a movie along with Newman's other two books.


Thank you to Netgally, TJ Newman, and the publishers for my copy. My review and opinions are my own and are free.

TJ Newman has written another tense, bingeable thriller with loveable and oh-so-human characters. Her books appeal to such a broad range of readers, and I think almost anyone would love reading this one. The narrator for the audiobook was excellent--loved his accent.

This was a new to me author and it was a fantastic read. I was hooked from chapter 1. The book starts with a plane crashing due to a pilot suffering a heart attack and it is heading straight towards a nuclear power plant. Everyone on the ground is trying to solve problems as they arise (and there are lots of problems happening) You see the point of view of many people in the town, across the country including the White House. This action filled thriller had my heart racing and I have now added this authors previous two books to my “to read” list. 5 stars.

I listened to the audiobook while also reading the digital arc of this novel. Once again, TJ Newman has delivered an incredibly intense, nail-biting thriller with exceptional ease. The level of tension that she can invoke in a reader is just amazing. While I loved 'Falling' and 'Drowning', this one is surely my favorite. I swear I was holding my breath the entire time, and finished it in two sittings. I would highly recomme nd the audiobook, as the CB radio broadcasts were a nice addition, as well as a terrific narrator.

I have been wanting to read a T.J. Newman book for awhile now and I am happy I started with this one.
This book started out with a bang and stayed there. To say I was stressed out reading this is an understatement. I loved this book and if you want a book to keep you at the edge of your seat I highly recommend this one.

WOW! T.J. Newman never lets us down with a disaster thriller that left me gasping for air with my stomach in my throat!

When a commercial airliner is filled with passengers, flight attendants and the pilot suffers a massive heart attack while the co-pilot is in the bathroom, the plane suddenly starts to rapidly drop down - heading directly towards a nuclear power plant!

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 the small town of Waketa, MN, ordinary people are called upon to do extraordinary things to save not just those in their community but what could be the largest disaster area from a nuclear power plant disaster. The book did slow down a bit as the massive amount of damage done was described along with what could be the worst possible outcome, but soon the story took off with me gripping me seat. Don't miss this book! - I sure won't miss any book TJ Newman writes!

Her first two books - Falling (Universal Pictures) and Drowning (Warner Bros) - will soon be movies that I will NOT miss!

My thanks to Net Galley, Little, Brown & C0, and Hachette Audio for advanced copies of this e-book and audiobook.

A disaster procedural that is impossible to put down -- so clear the calendar because you will want to read this in a single sitting.

The pilot of a large commercial aircraft has a medical emergency and dies instantly while at the controls in the cockpit. Unfortunately, the first officer is in the lavatory and can't get back in time to save the nearly 300 people on board. The plane nosedives into a nuclear power plant in the small town of Waketa, Minnesota. Soon this town will become the epicenter of a crisis on par with an extinction event.

I think this is the author's best work yet and I was glued to my chair until I turned the last page. I have always enjoyed a disaster novel because it gives the opportunity for such great character development and this one shines in that department. The courage and determination of the plant management, engineers, and scientists are on full display as are the heroics of the local fire department and all of the National Guardsmen called in to do whatever they can. The community rallies and provides for its own at the local church. Fires rage out of control, there's no power, the cooling pool level is falling, the gas is building up, and the pump room is flooded. Doom is imminent.

Now, I know next to nothing about nuclear power plants and how they function, but the author's research makes it understandable. Complex technology is broken down into bits that explain the dangers and hazards. But in this book, it's the characters that really inhabit the narrative and the drama. The lengths that some went through were inspiring and yes, I shed a few tears. I don't want to imagine this scenario further but I'm glad I read this.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while following along with the e-book ARC (both provided by the publisher) and that really enhanced the experience. The production was great, even down to having the voices come out garbled over the radios. Sound effects really can make an audiobook more amazing. My only complaint about Joe Morton's narration was that he often mispronounces the word nuclear as nucular. But his inflection and expressiveness were very well done.

Enjoy! Now this is a movie I would love to see.

I've been meaning to read a book by this author for quite some time, and when I saw Newman has a new book coming out (that was not going to be any sequel to her previous novels), I decided to start with this one.
WORST CASE SCENARIO is a true thriller. That's my biggest compliment to this book. A lot of books out there are sold as 'thrillers' but many of them are anything but that. Not this one. This one is a genuine thriller, all the way. So, that's a great thing to thriller readers out there. If you don't wanna be fooled by mismarketing, you want a real thriller and you're into plane accidents high stakes situations, this book might be for you.

Personally, I've never read a book like this one, or anything close to that. And unfortunately I now know that this kind of story (regardless of being a thriller or not) is not for me. I was curious, I was intrigued at first but now I realise I'm not the audience for stories like this one. I've never enjoyed watching movies or tv series about plane crashes or something like that, but I'll admit I was curious to read something from this author in specific. Now that I have, I know it's not my cup of tea, and it's fine. Like I said before, readers who enjoy real thrillers and plane crashes/survival related stories might enjoy this one.
The audiobook was very decent. The narrator was pretty good, in my opinion, and the sound effects (not that many, but they exist) are really cool. It pulls you in. I'd recommend the audio format if you're an audiobook lover/addict.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free advanced audiobook copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

If anyone listens to any thriller recommendation from me this summer, I hope it is Worst Case Scenario!

Townspeople in a small town will have to make choices that will rock their world. They have less than 24 hours to react to a plane crashing into the nuclear power plant. The worst danger in history at a category 8 catastrophe. Some won't survive, some will. It all depends on them and the ticking time bomb that is fast going off in their brains. Get your running shoes on, because this definitely is the worst case scenario anyone could have imagined.

THIS BOOK!!! I couldn't put it down and I, myself, found my heart racing and the ticking time clock going off each chapter as I needed to discover what happened to everyone. JOE MORTON everyone. Many know him as Olivia Pope's dad in Scandal, and I literally screamed and ran to request this when I heard he was narrating. He brings the perfect tension, spacing and tone to his voice that brought this story to life in the most vivid way. I could not and would not for any situation stop listening as I needed my beloved characters to be safe! Worst Case Scenario is non-stop action that had me googling about nuclear power plants afterwards and had me thinking about where impact zones may be. Readers, run... don't walk and pick up this heart-stopping novel when it hits audio soon!