Dan and his girlfriend, Mara, are enjoying a nice island vacation when the sun suddenly blows up and the island (presumably the world) plunges into darkness. It's survival of the fittest on the island as socioeconomic tribes quickly form and the rich residents of Building A suddenly become the lords of the island in charge of food and a small army of paid-off guards. Dan's underachiever tendencies push him to just go with the flow and keep his head down, but a former military neighbor and his girlfriend's soft heart land him in the middle of everything and in the tough position of having to decide between escaping when he can or staying and helping everyone on the island.

I was kind of mad that I'd figured out the big twist long before it was revealed and that some of the things that happen towards the climactic ending feel a bit unnecessary, but it's overall an enjoyable read that feels like a lighter version of Lord of the Flies or some of the darker postapocalyptic books out there. We do get the darker side of humanity, but it's all served with tongue-in-cheek humor and wry observations that keep things on the lighter beach read end of the spectrum.

Do some of the characters feel like caricatures? Yes, but it feels like a deliberate choice further to push the tribe and chaos vibes of the book. Plus, it's what makes it interesting because you know exactly how they're going to act so that it takes some of the pressure off and lets the enjoyable elements stand out.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the interesting read!

I requested this book from NetGalley because of the adorable cover. No, I did not read the summary of what the book was about. So, imagine my surprise when I start reading it and discover that it's not actually the cute little rom-com that I'm expecting;) I stuck with it, and it's really an interesting book! I can't go into too much detail without exposing a major twist (that I definitely did not see coming!), but I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommed it to a friend! Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to @netgalley, @bookmarked, and @wassmerwrites for this digital ARC! Also, shoutout to Leslie for being a great wife and marketing this book so I could read it. ✨ Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

‘Dan Foster was on his fifth Miller Lite when the Sun exploded.’ I was on my first Modelo Negro, but I digress.

I was excited about this book from the moment I saw the first booksta post; the story, the cover, the couple behind it all. I knew I wanted to read it and I was incredibly grateful when I was approved for an ARC.

Like Dan and Mara, I didn’t know what would meet me when I opened this book. I didn’t know life would get crazy. I didn’t know my leadership would change. I didn’t know someone I love would die.

Unlike Dan and Mara, I didn’t have to endure rationed food, a pyramid scheme dictator and her doesn’t-know-Jesus-but-calls-himself-a-pastor husband, or what humanity really looks like when people are afraid.

Ultimately, I’d like to write as well as MJ when I grow up…and that’s good in my book. ⭐️

One of the biggest pieces I miss and feel judged on in the Christian side of bookstagram is the real humanity contained in books. I’m talking stuff that WENT DOWN. Y’all know what’s in the Bible, right? Yet we have cultivated a culture that praises clean, closed-door literature with redemption arcs and shuns absolutely everything else.

This book has grit. It has power. It has family and friendship and fear and collaboration and working together as a village- erm, island? It was incredible, and I’m going to continue to share incredible books, that I enjoy, on my bookstagram, without fear…how very Mara of me!

I could see glimpses of myself in this book. Of my husband and our marriage. The dialogue and sweet parts, of course- Ethan would absolutely slay in an apocalyptic world and we talk about that regularly.

After Dan and Mara watched the sun explode, they ate food, clung to one another, cried, and played cards. Sometimes you just gotta do those things, because feelings exist all at the same time and life goes on.

Here we are, living.

You’ll have to read the book to find out if Dan and Mara can say the same.

4.5⭐️

I am not going to lie, the main thing that attracted me to this novel was the title. Every time I look at it it makes me laugh. That being said I actually found what was inside of it quite enjoyable too. I related to the main character, and the villains were really interesting. I also have to say that I did not see several of the twists coming. So kudos to Wassmer for that. I think in the end what's keeping me from giving this book a full 5 stars is that I wanted more, and that in the end it became a little campy. It's supposed to be a satire, but I'm not entirely sure what it was supposed to be satirizing. Modern life, maybe? I don't know. But I almost feel like to be satire in my mind it just needs to go bigger. Go balls to the wall wild. This was attempting to keep it more grounded while also trying to be satire, and in the end it just didn't work for me. I think I also just wanted a little more from the main character. From the description of the story I think I was really expecting him to step up, and while I think his character ARC was interesting, and I appreciated the depth (for lack of a better term) it gave him, I thought it might play out a little differently than it did. As a whole it was an quick, fun read that I won't hesitate to recommend to people who are looking for something a little different, but I think in the end it was a slight let-down. I'll still be curious to see what Wassmer comes up with next, because if this is his debut I only expect bigger and better things from him in the future.

This was a fun read for me - even with the apocalypse thrown in! I definitely got White Lotus vibes. If you enjoy satire this is the perfect #summerread for you!

This is such a unique story. It’s hard to go into details without any spoilers - you want to go into this blind. I liked our two MCs Dan and Mara. Imagine being on a private island in the Bahamas when the sun explodes - probably worst vacation ever. Chaos ensues.

When supplies are set up by social class and tensions begin to rise, underachiever Dan accidentally ends up as the voice for his group. But he has to choose: save himself or help fellow guests make it off the island alive...

The characters in this book are quirky and funny (and some are really fun to hate!!) There are some good twists and a mystery to figure out. Like any good satire, this book isn’t all laughs. It looks at social class/class warfare and how people react in times of chaos and stress.

This was a surprise hit for me - be sure and give it a read!

*4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"Will we ever get on the Internet again?"
"I want to check Instagram so bad."
"Can you imagine the stories?"
"Hey guys, if you like this video of me slowly starving, make sure to hit like and slam that subscribe button for daily starvation videos...and giveaways."

Oh the satire! This eye opening look at our society and what might transpire during an apocalyptic event is on full display in the hilarious speculative fiction satirical thriller, Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend, by comedic genius, debut author, M.J. Wassmer.

Dan's floating in a pool, happy with the deal he got for himself and his girlfriend to vacation at this new resort; when all of a sudden the sun...yes, the sun...explodes and darkness surrounds him.

After the initial shock, survival instincts kick in, and class warfare begins. The resort's owner feels the guests who paid the most should be in charge. After all, they are rich and that must mean they are smart... sound familiar?! But when rations are cut, water is scarce, and slave labor is kept in check with armed guards, even calm unassuming Dan knows it may be time for a rebellion.

The precision comedic timing of voice actor Stephen R Thorne was perfection. He brought the writer's insightful awareness of the ridiculousness of our world's conduct to a heightened level.

Reading and listening to this new exciting author, I laughed, rooted for the heroes (here's to Lenny from NJ. You were Born To Run!), and cursed pyramid schemer Lilyanna, who ruled like a fascist. The main twist was Stephen King worthy. If you want to laugh, think and fall in love with a ragtag group of misfit heroes I highly recommend, with sun shining stars, this exceptional debut.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair & honest review. All opinions are my own.

Dan Foster, an admitted slacker, just cracked his fifth, or maybe it's his 6th, Miller Light when the sun explodes like a dripping egg yolk from the sky while on vacation at a luxury resort outside of the Bahamas.

And that's just the start of his vacation from hell.

Dan saw the ad on Facebook. A newly constructed resort on it's own island outside of the Bahamas promising a vacation that they'll never forget. (They weren't lying about that!) He convinces his girlfriend, Mara, to join him for two weeks of fun in the sun. Except where's the sun now? It's time to up the ante from beer to booze.

The resort consists of three buildings, A, B, and C.

Building A is strictly for the wealthiest and most notable guests, Building B is more of a middle-class affair, and Building C, with little in the way of any amenities, is for the poorer folks that still want to vacation but can't really afford to.

As you can imagine when the sun explodes leaving the guests in darkness and scrambling to make sense of a non-sensical situation that tempers begin to flare pitting the guests against each other.

Thankfully, Lilliana, of Beach Bod by Lilianna fame, along with her preacher husband, Peter, are there to take charge. Their motto: Let us pray and yoga away the impending apocalypse.

Can Dan muster the courage and charisma it takes to take charge and save an entire island of people? You'll have to read this to find out.

I absolutely loved this one! Dan Foster is the antihero of my dreams. I adored him and his self deprecating sense of humor. Dan is the first to admit that he's kind of a loser. Not a bad guy per se, just not a very ambitious one. He's a guy that just lets life pass him by without putting in much effort. So imagine his surprise when other guests start looking to him for answers. He's not a leader, he doesn't want to be a leader, but maybe this will be a new chapter for him. It's time he steps up and becomes a real man. A fixer. A doer. Someone Mara will be proud of.

Speaking of Mara, she's a nurse with a heart of gold, that wants to help and save anyone and everyone. Dan's total opposite and Dan often wonders what she see's in him. We, as readers, know what she see's in him, because Dan is funny, sweet, and kind and their banter was so adorable. These two are relationship goals. Dan and Mara, forever!

The entire cast of characters were a delight in their own way. Except Rico, screw that guy!

Alan, Charles, Lenny, Gloria - chefs kiss! 👌

Lilianna and Peter were perfectly annoying and so entertaining. You'll love to hate these two.

I hope this book finds it's audience because it truly is unique, funny, and heartwarming. I am so impressed with this debut from M.J. Wassmer and I think other readers will be too. If it piques your interest even slightly I urge you to give it a try. You won't be disappointed. 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for my complimentary copy

Imagine you’re on a small beach in the Caribbean on a much needed vacation, and then it suddenly goes dark because the sun exploded. This apocalyptic book started with a literal boom and doesn’t let up throughout the story. There were such vivid characters here that help balance the seriousness of their situation with some lightness. The book had an interesting exploration of how people react in the face of a major natural disaster. It was fast paced, the narration was excellent, and characters you’ll root for and loathe. It’s out now and a perfect book for when you need something quick and original.

From start to finish, this plot was as messy as its characters. The only redeeming qualities were the hilariously ridiculous characters, but seriously, what did I just read!? The writing is funny, so as long as you’re going into this expecting comedy, it’s a decent read.

This one was a book I couldn't initially get into at first. For the first third of it actually. Until my interest slowly trickled in and found myself somewhat interested in continuing.

Dan Foster is on vacation in the Bahamas and suddenly, the sun explodes. The whole resort on the island is devastated and suddenly jumps into disarray, until certain "leaders" step in to dictate the island's supplies and the guests into preserving materials to survive the end of the world. Dan is determined to fight against this sudden dictatorship and along the way, his girlfriend and a bunch of new friends help him try to make an escape from this chaotic environment.

I don't think this book was for me, or just the wrong timing to even read something like this. This one was heavy in dialogue rather than plot development, and when we got things rolling it sometimes felt like a movie gone wrong. I did enjoy the idea and concept of this one, reminding me of the movie This Is The End and much like many movies I've seen that give off "end of the world" vibes.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebook Landmark for providing a digital reviewer's copy in exchange for my honest opinion of this book!

Dan and his girlfriend are off for a two-week vacation to the Bahamas to the grand opening of a resort on a private island. Unfortunately, it appears that this will be the resort's final days as well because the sun just exploded.

Fans of John Scalzi will enjoy this darkly humorous dystopian tale of what happens when a dream vacation turns into an unthinkable nightmare. The book tries to be both satirical and earnest, which didn't always work for me.

This was a fun debut from a new author and I look forward to seeing what he writes in the future!

This review will be posted to Goodreads on August 7, 2024.

I love apocalyptic/disaster movies and books even when the science doesn’t make sense (and the acting is SO bad) so this book should have been right up my alley. This started out good but then was really slow in the middle with the same confrontations happening over and over again; it got old. Add in the dated references (televangelists, Rodney King) and I almost DNF’d. Instead I skipped ahead to find out what happened and the science left a lot to be desired. Otherwise, this had some funny moments; just not enough to make it a must read.

DNF (technically):

Okay, I get the satire. It’s humorous and an accurate take. BUT it relies so heavily on the one single stereotype, hypocritical rich Jesus-freak, to ground the story and it became boring and then annoying. One idea like that cannot carry an entire story. I needed more personalities and layers. More stereotypes if that’s the way you’re going to go. It was just way too heavy handed through the first half and I couldn’t listen to the audio (which only emphasized the things I didn’t like) anymore, regardless of how spot on it is.

I also had the ebook so I did switch from the audio and start skimming the story. I do see where it goes, how it does grow bigger than the first half suggests. It’s a psychological and physical adventure. For me, it came too late and I just wasn’t interested. But for those that are hooked by the story, it is a an explosive ending, so I get it and highly recommend it if the premise appeals.

I also feel like when I accepted the advance copy (many months ago) that it was marketed as more of a summer rom-com adjacent style story. It’s definitely not. It’s a quirky present day dystopian survivalist story. Which is fine. I don’t know where my misconception originated. Just a note.

Just wasn’t entirely the book for me.

BOOK REVIEW: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Emojis: 🏖️🌞🔫👰‍♀️❄️🔭

Thank you @netgalley and @wassmerwrites for an ARC of this book. It’s truly been one of my favorite early release reads to date. And happy pub day to MJ Wassmer! What an incredible authors chat tonight at @novelmemphis

Dan and Mara are on a tropical vacation when the sun explodes, leaving them under the dictatorship of the resort investor and a couple rich folks. How will they spend their last days in “paradise”?

This book was hysterical from beginning to end. The absolute chaos that ensues and the character growth all melted together perfectly in this book. Whether Dans internal monologue was bringing me to laughing tears or my jaw was on the floor by the fight or flight reactions of literally ANY side character, this book was addictive. I knew it would only get better when in the first few chapters, Dan is aggressively rude to a guy that makes his beard his personality.

I won’t spoil the ending, but the last 30% of the book had me texting everyone I know to go preorder this book for its release on August 6th. Pleasantly surprised by how the book turned out and I look forward to sharing this with all my friends. #boldsbooks #bookreviews #bookrecommendations #arc #newrelease #pubday

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Underachiever Dan Foster is at a resort in the Caribbean Islands when the sky goes dark. The vacationers turn all Lord of the Flies with the wealthy guests in the nicest tower (building A) taking control of all the food and services. Dan unwittingly becomes the leader of the B&C buildings.

More of a story about caste systems and power dynamics as Dan works to save as many people as he can. Lilyanna made me want to scream but the book was written with a lot of humor.

The wittiness begins with the title- Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend which must refer to the stars in the sky after the sun explodes. It cannot possibly refer to the stars awarded for THIS debut novel by M. J. Wassmer.
Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend is a witty, diabolical look at the apocalypse through the eyes of Dan Foster. Dan is vacationing with his girlfriend, Mara in the Bahamas when the sun explodes. A dystopian society forms with a satirical cast of characters that will have you laughing out loud.
Thank you @netgalley for an ARC of this debut novel by @wassmerwrites in exchange for an honest review.

When Dan and Mara take a vacation to a brand new resort in the Bahamas, they figured they’d have a nice relaxing vacation in paradise, right? WRONG! Shortly after arrival, there’s an explosion, turning the entire island into an apocalyptic nightmare. The buildings are set up by social class, leaving the elitists to attempt to take over and fend for themselves, leaving the others to work together. This romantic comedy was an enjoyable book with friendships and relationships, being tested, while also working together for survival. Will the vacationers ever make it home? Or will they be stuck on the island forever?

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

DNF. After reading the first 100 pages I have concluded this book was not my cup of tea. I urge y to try reading it yourself and form your own opinion. The story is well written, just not to my liking

This was an absolute shining star and blew my world up (yes, all puns are intentional)! The debut book “Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend” by MJ Wassmer was easily a riveting five star read for me. I can’t wait to see what he writes next!

Needing a much overdue break, Dan and Mara book a two week vacation on a remote island in the Bahamas. All is seemingly going well in Building B at their resort where they enjoy views of the courtyard and pools (they decidedly couldn’t afford Building A since they’re not the Uber wealthy; and B was better than Building C which appeared to have subpar conditions).

Enjoying the warm temps and sun, adult beverages, people watching, and time spent together, Dan and Mara aren’t sure what to think when the unthinkable happens: the sun explodes and throws everyone into darkness.

Their vacation quickly becomes a nightmare when they’re told all communication is down meaning there is no way to call for help to get off the island. And when a wealthy southern woman from Building A, a fitness and wellness influencer with a huge following, takes control of the food and security guards things go from bad to worse.

Alliances are made, lines are drawn, people are killed and all of that is on top of the SUN EXPLODING!
Will Dan and Mara form an alliance of their own? Will the situation bring them closer together or tear them apart? And how on Earth do they try to get back home to their family?

I was instantly hooked from the first sentence of the book to the very last. This was thrilling, engaging, and fast paced. It made me seriously question what I’d do in their situation. This five star read is one you don’t want to miss! Again, I can’t wait to see what the author writes next!

𝖹𝖾𝗋𝗈 𝖲𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗌, 𝖣𝗈 𝖭𝗈𝗍 𝖱𝖾𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗆𝖾𝗇𝖽 • 𝖱𝖾𝗏𝗂𝖾𝗐

𝖬.𝖩. 𝖶𝖺𝗌𝗌𝗆𝖾𝗋

𝖱𝖾𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗌𝖾 𝖽𝖺𝗍𝖾: 𝖠𝗎𝗀𝗎𝗌𝗍 6, 2024

★★★.5

I saw this cover and immediately wanted to read it. I will say the beginning of the book does just as good of grabbing your attention as the cover does! The story follows a man who finds himself trapped on an island resort after the sun explodes and he’s conflicted in saving himself & girlfriend or fighting for all the other island resort guests. I definitely wouldn’t want to spend my summer vacation that way but definitely would love to read about it happening to other people!

As intrigued as I was for how this would all play out, I found myself unable to connect with or even really like any of the characters (and there are quite a few to choose from). I look forward to seeing what else this author puts out as the storyline it’s self was very entertaining with the craziness and humor!

Thank you NetGalley & Sourcebooks Landmark for this advanced readers copy ✨