I would like to thank NetGalley and Little, Brown & Company for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

I am a big T.J. Newman fan; I came across ‘Falling’ in the Kindle store, and stumbled upon the ARC of ‘Drowning’ by chance in the break room at work (back when I worked at B&N). Both were amazing, so I was super stoked to hear about this latest release. And WOW, does it pack a punch!!

Worst Case Scenario hits the ground running with an in-air medical emergency at 35,000 ft of the pilot flying a 747 carrying 295 people. We then spend the rest of the book finding out what happens when a plane hits a nuclear power plant. As you can probably guess from the title it’s a Murphy’s Law situation. Anything that could go wrong, does, and jut when you figure out one problem, you get hit with another. Which, in a doomsday, possibly extinction-level event is very very bad. It’s something that you hope to never have to face in your lifetime, but is actually more of a possibility than I was ever aware of.

I honestly could not put this book down. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading. The time countdowns to “zero hour” at the beginning of each chapter made the suspense and anxiety extra high. I really enjoyed the character-development, as it caused me to get super-attached to them. That made it all the more heart-wrenching as I realized one or more (or possibly all of them) would die. Warning: the final few chapters are real tear-jerkers!

I absolutely recommend this book. To everyone! One of my favorite new books published so far this year, and that I’ve read so far in 2024. Go check it out! You won’t be disappointed!

What’s worse than a plane crash with no survivors? When it hits a nuclear power plant.

Anyone interested in Chernobyl like events would love this one. The science of it was all little over my head. Fortunately there were a few exciting events going on at once, including the rescue of a young boy. I was more interested in that than the actual nuclear event but there was enough in the story to keep me interested. The characters were all well done and I was invested in their stories.

“It couldn’t get any more horrific than a plane crash like that, he knew they were all thinking. He knew they were wrong.”

Worst Case Scenario comes out 8/13.

“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.”

Sounds kinda’ terrifying huh?

If you make this your first T.J Newman read/listen, you’re going to love it. High hold-your-breath action, danger in every single chapter and a real nightmare inducing storyline. It’s a freaking heart stopper!

But (in my opinion 😉) if you’ve read Newman’s earlier novels FALLING and DROWNING, you may feel a little like we’ve been there-done that already.

While I love the real-life aspect of terror in these thriller stories, and I’ll probably keep reading whatever horrific scenes she comes up with next, I’m also hoping Newman spreads her writers wings and gives us something scary but ‘new’ next.

A pilot in a commercial airliner has a heart attack and crashes his plane into a partially decommissioned nuclear power plant near a small Minnesota town, and the resulting damage could cause a level 8, extinction-level, nuclear accident. There's no time to wait for help, the people on the ground have to make decisions and take action to save their town and potentially, the world. Newman proves she can do more than thrillers on a plane with Worst Case Scenario, because most of the action happens on the ground in the aftermath of crash that happens in the first moments of the book, and and I devoured it in one day. Expect ticking-clock pacing, interconnecting plots, and complex, three dimensional characters. Thank you to Little, Brown & Company and Netgalley for digital review copy.

4.5 heart stopping stars!

Man, TJ Newman knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat while simultaneously cheering, crying or rescheduling your next flight to be a train trip instead!

Every moment you don't know what is going to happen next - you think you've had it sorted and something else happens.

I adored watching this small town come together and while the main plot is what I was there for, the small town and its people is really the stars of the show.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown & Company for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This was another HIT by T.J Newman! Read it in a day, loved it💕 The characters were the best part of this one, and I was definitely not expecting it to be a tear jerker, but it was!
Read if you are looking for a quick read, great characters and love thrillers!

I am a huge flyer and loved the author's first two books. This was just as good. I loved the idea of incorporating the plane but the story being more about the power plant unlike the last two books. My brother used to work in the control room of a nuclear power plant so I will be fact checking for grins and giggles but only for my benefit. The suspense will get to you.

3.5/5 stars. Although this was a very tension-filled story, I enjoyed the author's other 2 books a bit more. I just didn't find myself on the edge of my seat when reading about the scenes at the nuclear power plant. They read a bit slow and technical for me. However, the second storyline at the river had my heart racing! Overall a good and quick thriller.

I read both Drowning and Falling so I’m obsessed with anything this author writes but this one .. it blew off the roof. From chapter 1 on I was anxious and scared in the best way possible. I am not a big reader of tension filled books and now I know why. I had to stop every few pages and remember that this wasn’t real and I wasn’t there in those situations. But darn it it sure felt real.
TL/DR READ THIS BOOK NOW!!

3.5/5 - I really liked Newman’s first two books and this one was almost on the same level, but not quite. A drawback for me was that because it dealt so much with nuclear power and radiation, a lot of the book felt a little too technical for me to follow. I was confused at times as to the risks and what would happen to characters in this situation, etc. With that being said, I liked the characters that were featured and it was truly heartwarming to see the way the community came together. I didn’t see the ending coming, but thought that it was fitting and I appreciate Newman trying to make things realistic in a lot of ways. Overall, a tense read in all the best ways (just not quite as good as her first two).

Note: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman ☢️☢️☢️

I would like to thank NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Little, Brown and Company for providing me with an advance e-galley and audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Look for it in your local and online bookstores and libraries on August 13, 2024.

When the pilot of a commercial airliner suffers a medical emergency mid-air, the plane crashes into a nuclear power plant. This sets off a chain of events that could lead to the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

Like her other two novels, this book is non stop action. It made me think of disaster movies such as Independence Day and Armageddon. While I didn’t enjoy it as much as her first two, it’s still a good read. Although, I’m not sure I can recommend the audiobook. I was not a fan of the narrator at all. Mostly because he pronounces nuclear “nuke-u-ler”. As you can imagine, that word is used a lot in this book, so it was very annoying. 😬

“This is what community is. It’s not a place, it’s not a people—it’s the acts of love done in a place by those people.”
— T.J. Newman, Worst Case Scenario

Ummmmmm warning: this made me super emotional. I wasn’t expecting that. I really enjoyed Drowning and Falling but this one had a very heavy hand in the heartbreak department…beginning in the first chapter and it didn’t let up. So in combination with the action-packed story you can come to expect from Newman, this one had an added layer that really strengthened the gut punch. I loved it. As I say with all of this authors’ work, this would make an incredible (yet terrifying) movie. Growing up in a small town neighboring an even smaller town with a huge power plant, this shook me to my core. I’ve always known it was dangerous and we had a few leakage scares but I never realized the depth.

I could not connect with any of these characters. At times the book was full of action and at other times it was extremely slow.

Thank you so much for allowing me the pleasure of reading this incredible story. Where do I begin????
From the first page to the last page, I was completely captivated the entire time. I couldn’t read the words fast enough. My only advice to anyone reading this book is to get the audio version bc you will not be able to see the words on the pages to read them bc your eyes will be filled with tears!! Also maybe check with your doctor to make sure your heart is strong enough to handle this book bc it will have your heart racing and pounding the entire time!!
T. J. Newman, please don’t ever stop writing books!

“‘We can’t see from in here. What happened?’ ‘A plane, Ethan,’ Steve said flatly. ‘A plane happened.’”

Have you seen Chernobyl on HBO? Were you old enough to watch 9/11 unfold in real time? Yes and yes for me so this one hit HARD. I read this is damn near one sitting.

T.J. Newman writes some of the most frighteningly real catastrophic scenarios, tapping into our deepest fears. These books are so stressful but in the best possible can’t-put-it-down way.

And hot damn this audiobook is FIRE! The narration nails the fear and angst of the plot line and he mimics airplane intercom announcements with spot on accuracy. I have no issues with anxiety but my fight or flight was activated! Holy hell.

“The situation we’re faced with today has major global implications. It far exceeds our current scale.’ He paused. ‘Mr. President, this could be our first level eight.’ ‘What would a level eight mean?’ ‘It would be an extinction-level event, sir.’” Utterly terrifying because it’s plausible. 😨

Thank you to Netgalley, Little, Brown and Company, Hachette Audio, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

These books are so much fun and citing to read. The pages flew as always, and I enjoyed it immensely and happy to talk it up. Excited for the hopeful next one.

I was SO excited to get Worst Case Scenario by TJ Newman on audio thanks to Hachette Audio! I loved listening to Falling and Drowning so was eagerly awaiting this book!

The Worst Case Scenario is unfolding when a pilot suffers a heart attack and a plane filled with passengers crashes into a nuclear power plant in a small Minnesota town. There are about 16 hours to get the nuclear power plant away from a disaster bigger than Chernobyl and the people of this small town need to face the ultimate test of their lives.

Told with Newman's amazing on the edge of your seat storytelling where you are immersed. The audiobook narrator Jow Morton is fabulous. I couldn't stop listening because I needed to know what happened next. It's a good think this is a quick audiobook at just over 8 hours. I highly highly recommend listening to this book. I'm sure reading it is good too, but I've listened to all 3 and they are incredible on audio.

Definitely add this to your audiobook list!

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It's official, T.J. Newman is a new favorite author of mine! These books are so uniquely terrifying for me and incredibly well-executed. The pacing and the story are always there. I'm giving this a pretty short and sweet review because I don't have any criticism to give. Highly recommend this book and highly recommend both of T.J. Newman's other books.

On a side note, I was lucky enough to get an e-book and audiobook of this one to immersive read. I really loved the narrator of the audio version, but I definitely had to slow it down at times to help myself keep better track of which characters were which. Loved both versions though, and I do recommend both. Just something to keep in mind if you are debating between which version to go with for your read.

Anyway, I really enjoyed everything about this one and am excited to get my hands on future books by this author ✈️🔥

TJ Newman just doesn’t miss. As with her previous two novels, I was kept on the edge of my seat the entire time. She creates characters that, by the end of the book, you feel actual connections with and I find that so insane. She’s not afraid to write the hard things, but with every heartbreak there is a silver lining. I really have no notes! I absolutely loved this book, just as I knew I would.

Thank you Little, Brown & NetGalley!

This is so compulsively readable. A solid parade of traumas, just when you thought it would be fine, something else happened. This book had a ton of characters which is usually hard for me to keep up with but I felt like there was just enough development for each of them that it didn’t take me long to get my bearings when the perspective changed.

I don’t always read thrillers or riveting stories like this but I find them much more enjoyable when the author focuses on the humanity and connections between characters and this did just that. I picked this one up based on the recommendation of a friend and she was right! This is a great book.