Wow! 5 stars! AMAZING book!

This is Newman‘s third novel and while I have enjoyed them all immensely, Worst Case Scenario is my favorite!

In the opening scenes, a pilot suffers a heart attack mid-flight and his commercial jet crashes into a nuclear power plant in Minnesota. Obviously, chaos ensues.

We follow the journeys of several characters, including nuclear engineers, firefighters, families, and even the president of the United States.

Heart-wrenching, propulsive, and cinematic, I found myself on the edge of my seat from start to finish, unable to put this book down!

A must read for fans of disaster movies, high octane thrillers, or Chernobyl (the HBO series or history buffs)!

A top read of 2024!!

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the eARC!

I’m not even sure words can do how I feel after finishing this book justice. 😭🥰🤯😩 are some of the emotions one will experience while reading Newman’s newest release. I have never texted about a book with so many all caps words as I did with this one. I was perpetually stressed and needed to know how it all ended. Newman created the most incredible characters, and the community they forge is nothing short of amazing. This is the story of the power of community in the face of unimaginable adversity and the ways people show up for one another. I will be thinking about this one for a while….

ABSOLUTELY DEVOURED THIS ONE!

It was like watching "Chernobyl" happen in real-time all over again. A truly gripping, edge-of-your-seat, story with a heart-wrenching ending. Kind of makes you wonder sometimes.... what if...?

Thanks to NetGalley for this e-ARC.

The book starts off with a bang. Literally. My initial thought was wow this is action packed and very engaging right off the bat. However the author is also so detached in her writing about human life it’s also jarring. I really don’t know much about nuclear energy or how it works and there is a lot of information about that. Did I care? Eh, not really. There was one storyline in particular I cared the most about and it was what I kept reading to find out about. That said it was fairly unbelievable and so heartbreaking it was also hard to read. Can I see this as a movie? Uh ya Glenn Powell, gear up in your best hazmat cause this was made for you. And be warned if you’re scared of flying or disaster scenarios this will scare the pants off of you. Im not a scaredy cat and this definitely put a niggling of fear into me. I’m sure people will gobble this up but it certainly won’t make my best of list.

Holy smokes was this book anxiety inducing! I started it and finished within a couple of days but I wished I had read it in one day. I woke up those mornings (while reading this book) with this pit of doom feeling. Because this book talks about nuclear stuff which is terrifying! Also it talks about having a leader as a president which is also anxiety inducing as we are in the middle of a stressful political season.

This book was incredibly good as all of TJ Newman books are. Another bestseller for sure!

Thank you so much for this advanced copy!

Another exciting book written by the talented T.J. Newman! I love how she weaves stories together with powerful characters that all have an intense backstory but come to work together to solve extreme problems. Newman writes books that will stay with you for a long time. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Worst Case Scenario is a hold your breath, nobody better interrupt me , suspenseful , tense read that will have you cringing and terrified.

What more can you ask for.

The book is action packed, eye opening and my review can never do this book justice.

A pilot suffers a fatal heart attack while in flight and the plane crashes into the worst imaginable place: a nuclear power plant.

Devastation and disaster.

There are heroes that risk and lose their lives.

The President at the White House is holding his breath: he knows the ramifications.

He thought he did.

The book is heart warming, heart wrenching, heart breaking and heart stopping.

T.J. Newman is a master of suspense , turning up the tension and taking the reader on a journey they wont soon forget.

Worst Case Scenario is a must read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown and Company for the privilege of reading and reviewing Worst Case Scenario.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown & Company for an advanced copy of this ebook to read for free in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really don't know what to say about Worst Case Scenario that can properly state my thoughts. This book stressed me out, and it broke my heart. I haven't felt so captivated by a book in a long time.

Worst Case Scenario absolutely gutted me. There were twists and turns that I didn't see coming, and just when I started to cheer for something the heartbreak started anew.

I loved this book. I absolutely could not put it down, and I highly recommend it.

I gave this book 5 stars.

(enclosed blog link will go live on publishing day.)

Quick intro:
Worst Case Scenario chronicles the 16 hours after a passenger plane crashes into a nuclear power plant in small town Minnesota.

Quick thoughts:
I loved T.J. Newman’s first two books, Falling and Drowning, and have been waiting on pins and needles for the releases of her third. As soon as it was up on NetGalley I SPRINTED to request. Thank you so much, Little, Brown and Company for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The short of it is I LOVED IT. It is just as addicting, fast paced, intense, terrifying, and thrilling as her first two. I was HOOKED from the first page. If someone doesn’t make it into a movie, so help me!! I really love apocalyptic sort of INTENSE movies, like Armageddon, The Day After Tomorrow, and Independence Day, so I was honestly picturing a movie in my head the entire time I was reading.

T.J. has an excellent way of writing across many POVs to give us a full picture of the event. It’s always a super interconnected web of characters you grow to love and become attached to. I was invested in every single person and just knew how heartbroken I’d be if things didn’t end well for them.

Read this book if you are looking for a quick, can’t put it down, riveting, extinction level stressful book that will keep you on your toes, biting your nails, and SOBBING. I will read whatever T.J. Newman writes. Flying anxiety be damned!

Quick details:
PUB Date: August 13, 2024
Thriller/Suspense/Action
CW: A LOT. I mean obviously there’s death, a plane crash, danger, and carnage. Also be aware that one of the main threads is the rescue of a child. Additionally, a miscarriage was mentioned.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown, & Co. for the advanced reader copy

I didn't think that TJ Newman could keep up the heart-pounding suspense in her third book, but I was wrong. This book wrecked me. I read it in one sitting and am still thinking about it. This is NOT a book for anyone who struggles with harm to children, death on the page, or fear of flying.

We all have to agree on one fact: T. J. Newman is the queen of action-packed, adrenaline-pumping, heart-throbbing thrillers that readers devour in one sitting, biting their nails and squirming at the edge of their seats. Each of her novels is often better than the blockbusters you watch, and "Worst Case Scenario" is no exception. It's an action-thriller masterpiece that makes you visualize the scenes in your mind! The building pressure and climactic moments make you scream and pray not to lose one of your favorite characters.

I even imagined my own cast for a potential movie adaptation: Kate Winslet as the kickass, no-nonsense, brainy, relentless Joss Vance; Brad Pitt as Steve Tostig, the recently widowed, emotionally restrained, leading firefighter; Colin Farrell as the analytical, problem-solving Ethan Rosen; Kurt Russell as Marion, the secret hero who uses his wits and experience to communicate in town; Hilary Swank as the caring, hardworking, sacrificing firefighter Dani Allen; Glen Powell as President Dawson (I'm still reeling from his scene in "Twisters" with the wet white shirt); Ana de Armas as Carla; and Paul Mescal as Levon.

Here's the main plot of the book:

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.

The tempo increases with each chapter, the situations escalate as the ticking bomb of time moves quickly. You devour the pages, fingers crossed for the crisis room in Waketa, the firefighters who defy orders to save a five-year-old boy's life, Marion's bunk crisis management, the church congregation's efforts to bring people together and send forces to the most needed places. There are too many heroes in this book, too many heartwarming moments, and one heart-wrenching moment that made me cry so hard.

My emotions were everywhere. I was scared, thrilled, exhilarated. I cried, cursed, my heart was literally in my mouth. My blood ran cold! This is an amazing heart-pounding and wrenching novel with a meaningful conclusion that you shouldn’t miss.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown and Company for providing this fantastic page-turner's digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I remember when I reviewed the first two books from this author, I got quite a few messages from people who wondered how many flight-gone-wrong stories they would read. At the time, I dismissed these concerns because there are so many possibilities to explore. But upon reading this next work, I find myself sharing those sentiments.

This book was different in that this isn’t a plane rescue mission. This follows people on the ground, managing the crisis of this massive plane crashing into a nuclear power plant. We lose some of the claustrophobia this way, but the stakes are still high. It’s definitely still a stressful story. Lives are in danger, risks are taken, and good people rally together to attempt to save the day. The premise is still solid, but I found it to actually be somewhat repetitive in some areas. For instance, the previous book (all are stand alones, not connected) explores a plane underwater. The rescue mission is centered in the water. I would think staying away from water related elements would be the way to go for the next book. But, we had a lot of the same elements here in Worst Case Scenario as we did in Drowning.

I found the ending to be abrupt, and also unclear. I was left with many loose ends, which I can’t include in the review without spoiling the story. It was like we were leading up to this certain event, and once that had happened, everything else was magically okay. I felt like the first responders/crisis teams were given so many obstacles that it was impossible to wrap them all up. One problem after the other, with no solution. I have no clue how we made it to the epilogue.

My ranking for the authors three books would be as follows:
1. Drowning
2. Falling
3. Worst Case Scenario

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

When a flight filled with passengers crashes into a nuclear power plant, it fills a town and the entire nation with fear at the possible consequences. The people of the town of Waketa must work together and piece together every possible solution to save not only themselves but many others as well.

Just as her previous two novels, this novel is intense, nail biting, and filled with inside knowledge from her days as a flight attendant. However, the time spent on the plane is minimal in this book as the focus is on the nuclear power plant and on the rescue of a small boy. I really enjoyed how the author was able to intertwine multiple perspectives and really capture the intensity of the moment based on who is telling the story at the time. There are so many charged emotions in this story and readers will experience them along with the characters as the clock counts down. The story is clearly well researched and the nuclear power and radiation parts are informative.

Thank you to T. J. Newman, Little, Brown and Hachette Books for the ARC and the opportunity to be an early reader.

T.J. Newman has a profound way of grabbing you on the first page and never letting go til the end. This was intense and heartbreaking, but still gave that silver lining of hope that readers get from her books. I highly recommend this book but keep a box of tissues nearby; you're going to need them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for this arc.

A pilot suffers a fatal heart attack causing the plane to crash into a nuclear power plant in a small Minnesota town in Worst Case Scenario, an apt title if there ever was one. There’s no downtime in this one as the author sets a frenetic pace that matches the urgency faced by the characters as they race to prevent an unprecedented nuclear disaster. The reader is kept on edge as multiple plots unfold: a small fire crew tries a daring rescue of a child; engineers at the power plant fight to prevent a nuclear catastrophe worse than Chernobyl, and the small town grapples with the impending disaster. There is continuous movement with no wasted words or meandering thoughts, just full-throttle action right from the start, along with unexpected heartbreak as things go from bad to worse, with the reader along for a roller coaster ride of emotions. This is a top-notch disaster thriller and a highly entertaining read. (And watch for the Elton John easter eggs, author must be a fan!). This is one that definitely lives up to the hype, loved it!). I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Now this is the perfect survivalist thriller! 5 stars for the plot and execution! A superb read with a tight storyline and courageous characters.

I loved Drowning so much! It had me on the edge of my seat building the story and the suspense. I can’t get into this one and the same way. I think if I had more understanding of nuclear power plants and emergency plans I’d be more into it?? I know this author will get a human/emotional aspect going in this one but I’m already skimming. I can’t stay interested long enough to get there. I DNF at 20%. Def still willing to try out other titles by this author though!

Well just wow! My first TJ Newman book but absolutely not my last. It’s actually difficult to sort out my thoughts and emotions from reading this book. I was totally gripped with this thriller and am exhausted from the journey. Characters were flawless and storytelling sensational. I felt every bit of tension times ten. It all seemed so real. I had to jostle myself to remember that real humans were not involved. I had quiet tears for the heartache and trauma. Really can’t say enough great things about this book.
Thank you NetGalley, TJ Newman, and Little, Brown for the opportunity to read and review this book.

After reading and thoroughly enjoying the first two books by the author, I couldn't wait for her third. She does not disappoint! Medical emergency in the cockpit of the plane. Plane crashes into a nuclear power plant. What could go wrong?!? The author takes you on a fast-paced journey to find out what happens on the ground after the catastrophic accident with the plane. As I was reading, I could picture the action taking place whether it was at the power plant, accident on the bridge with a wing and a mini-van, and how the community came together at the local church.
I loved that the many characters had depth and were not afraid to make difficult choices. I was rooting for the characters to survive. The three main settings were described so you felt like you were in the power plant, mini-van, or church.
If you are looking for a fast-paced, intense thriller that will carry you away, I highly recommend this book!
#WorstCaseScenario #NetGalley
Thank you Little, Brown and Company and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Ethan is in charge of the nuclear plant in a small town outside of Minneapolis. You always brace for the worst, but hope it never happens. When a commercial airliner crashes into the plant Ethan and everyone in the small town must work together to quite literally save the world. Steve is a firefighter who recently lost his wife to cancer and is now a single dad to their son. He and the other firefighters must work together while risking it all.

Ahhhh!!!! Newman is an unbelievable author. All three of her books have been impossible to put down. The true definition of a thriller. Fast paced from beginning to end, all while developing characters that you care about DEEPLY. I am still wiping tears. Absolutely phenomenal.