This book looked like a rom com and gave me way more. Like literally the sun exploding while the main characters are on vacation in the Bahamas.

I loved the weird, quirky characters, and the political nature of the novel. It gives off very real commentary on class warfare while disguising itself as a funny apocalyptic story. I feel this was pretty well written and an enjoyable read.

Loved the audiobook narrator. I laughed out loud several times. If you liked Kevin Wilson’s “Nothing to See Here” you will love this one.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the eARC of Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend! All opinions in this review are my own.

Between the cover and the synopsis, this book grabbed my attention and I couldn't wait to read it! Dan is on a tropical vacation with his girlfriend when the sun melts. Now he must survive and try to get off the island or wallow while it descends into chaos.

This book is just as funny and wild as it sounds. I had so much fun reading it and I really enjoyed the ending!

Well this was definitely....unique. The premise almost threw me off once I got reading, but I decided to give it a chance and suspend my disbelief to enjoy a bit of fiction. Overall, it was okay. There was a bit of character growth, a little bit of action, and some mystery worked in that kept me reading. Once I was in it I felt like I had to figure out how it all turned out. But I still feel like the plot line was not for me, but the story itself made it worth the read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5ish rounded up
I'm having conflicting feelings with this one.
For starters I received a poorly formatted arc and I definitely found it hard to read at times. Prime example being every single chapter started with the first letter of the first word missing. every. single. chapter.
I'm also pretty tired of villainizing the preacher and his mlm loving wife, but damn they were great villains.
MCs Dan and Mara were great and once I was able to get my eyes to blur over formatting mistakes I enjoyed the book.

Where do I even begin? This was funny, guys, and witty. The sun explodes while you're stuck on an island, and all hell breaks loose. Literally just chaos. I loved the human aspect of this. How humans react and adapt (or not) to extreme situations is fascinating.

While our main character, Dan, made me want to scream and punch him sometimes, I really did enjoy this. I spent most of my time reading, comparing what I'd do in their situation and if how Dan and others handled things were "justifiable" in my head. Again, the psychological aspects are so fascinating.

It's a quick, witty, funny, apocalyptic read!

My goodness, what an interesting book! Thank you to everyone for this early gifted copy of Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend!

I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book….weird
Apocalyptic story? I just wasn’t sure. But it really surprised me! I was captivated by the storyline and how everyone reacted to such a major event—the sun blowing up!

This was such a different read, and I really enjoyed it. It was whitty and funny, and kept me guessing what was going on the entire time.

Dan and Mara are on vacation on an island when all of a sudden the sun burns out and they’re left to survive with a group of very interesting vacation mates.

The premise is ridiculous and the ending is somewhat predictable, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. If you like silly books with warmth and a little bit of action, I definitely recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I initially requested this book because the cover reminded me of a RomCom and I needed a book title that started with "Z" to finish my goal for the year. Even though this book was not what I was expecting, I loved it so much. The book was laugh out loud funny, thrilling, and heart retching as well as heart warming.

When Dan and his girlfriend take a vacation to a private island, the unexpected happened when the sun exploded, and they are stranded and everyone quickly has to decide if they can work together, or it is every man for himself. The book is filled with likeable and quirky characters. It sucked me in from the beginning and could not wait to find out what happened.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC

While vacationing in the Bahamas, Dan and Mara witness the sun exploding, plunging the world into darkness and chaos. As the resort descends into panic, the couple must navigate a growing crisis, while facing environmental dangers like an impending ice age and Mara's urgent concern for her mother's health. Amid the turmoil, the resort's power dynamics shift dramatically when a ruthless influencer takes control, leading to a clash between the wealthy elite and the "commoners" that drives the action, as Dan and Mara are forced to confront their survival instincts and fight back against an oppressive regime.

Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend can be read as a funny apocalypse tale, but uses that humor to mask an all to real commentary on class warfare.

Zero Stars. Do Not Recommend by MJ Wasteman is a darkly comic and surprisingly insightful social satire that blends absurdity with apocalyptic tension. The novel follows Dan Foster, a professional underachiever who is enjoying a lackluster vacation with his girlfriend at a tropical island resort, when the unimaginable happens: the sun explodes. Suddenly, Dan finds himself trapped in a chaotic world where survival takes precedence over everything else.

The story unfolds with sharp wit and biting humor, as the once-idyllic resort becomes a powder keg of class warfare, dwindling resources, and growing desperation. With a coup staged by wealthy guests and class divisions growing ever more evident, Dan is thrust into the unexpected role of a reluctant hero. The absurdity of his situation—caught between the desire to escape and the pull to help his fellow stranded vacationers—provides both the comedic and emotional heart of the story.

Wasteman’s writing skillfully blends satire with action, taking jabs at the entitled attitudes of the rich, the vacuity of modern life, and the complexities of human nature in a crisis. At its core, Zero Stars. Do Not Recommend is a clever commentary on the collapse of societal norms, with an everyman protagonist who may not have much going for him, but finds himself in the most unlikely of positions.

Fans of The White Lotus and Kevin Wilson will enjoy the novel’s quirky humor, sharp character insights, and exploration of morality in the face of the apocalypse. Wasteman crafts a story that's equal parts absurd and profound, a blend of high-stakes survival and dark social critique that offers more than just laughs—it leaves you questioning what you'd do when the world as you know it falls apart.

Can an apocalypse be fun, well in this story, Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend, it definitely is grand. This unusual story is full of humor and a cast full of "rich" characters. This book is social satire experiment centering around social status, and WOW what a crazy ride.

Thank you, Sourcebooks

Two stars, do not recommend.

I had high hopes for this book. The description caught my interest immediately, and I impatiently waited for an ARC opportunity (thank you Netgalley!).Unfortunately, the narrator was not a personal favorite, and often times made it difficult to follow along. The characters were difficult to like and the story took turns that were kind of out there, not in a good way. Two stars for the concept, but I ended up DNF'ing it about 30% in.

Professional underachiever Dan Foster is finally taking a vacation. Sure, his life has been average at best, and yeah, he’s never quite lived up to his potential. But after a few Miller Lites in paradise with his girlfriend, Mara, things are starting to look up.

Then the sun explodes.

With the island resort suddenly plunged into darkness (he really should’ve sprung for the travel insurance), Dan’s holiday goes from bad to worse when elite guests stage a coup and commandeer supplies. As temperatures drop and class tensions rise, revolution begins to brew on the island, and Dan accidentally becomes a beacon of hope for the surviving vacationers. But when one six-person plane is discovered that could get them back to the mainland, Dan realizes he has a choice to make.

Does he escape the island with Mara? Or does he stay and fight to become the most unlikely hero of the end of the world?
Really enjoyed this story. Kept me hooked until the very end. Cannot wait to read more from the author.

Review!
I liked it! A phenomenal debut for fans of romance that need a little side plot. Taken place in a dystopian like era, where the apocalypse takes on a wild twist, that does not include zombies (thankfully). Dan and Lil are super witty, cute and lots of pinning. This book is 50% romance, 25% weird/paranormal and 25% funny..

More people should read!!

first, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an arc.

1000% will say not I was not prepared for what this book was about to be.

when I applied for the arc, I didn't even truly read the synopsis, I just thought the cover was cute and it would be a light-hearted summer romance read...and holy cow, was I completely wrong.

this is definitely more of a social satire book with two main characters fighting an apocalypse... I mean who expects the sun to explode on your vacation????

the only reason I give it a four, was the writing style was definitely different and I caught myself wanting to skim some in the middle, but the beginning and end? amazing.

This book was very interesting and was written very well.

I will pick up another from this author. I really like the different aspects in the book.


Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

Reading this after powering through White Lotus was a good choice. This book kept me on my toes until the very end, and the dark humor was *chef's kiss*

This was a humorous and adventurous "end to the world". I liked the way the story starts with the sun blowing up and the fact that the title itself is an intentional pun.

This was a very well done and interesting premise from MJ Wassmer. There were really good moment sprinkled throughout the book and I am curious to what they write next.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.