3.5 of 5 stars

Zero Stars Do Not Recommend by MJ Wassmer was a fun take on an apocalypse that sprung up while the protagonist, Dan was vacationing with his girlfriend, Mara. The book is heavy on comedy and sarcasm, so if that plus armageddon is your thing, you may enjoy this book.

A couple days into the couple’s Caribbean island vacation the sun explodes. You’d think all life ceased on Earth at that point? Nope. It’s just dark and gets cold. After this catastrophic event, order on the island quickly breaks down. A woman who runs a MLM “boss babe beachbod” company takes over as the leader and a dictatorship is born.

The story is pretty entertaining as it unfolds, Dan kind of ends up the reluctant leader of the resistance and gets involved with a “team” of other vacationers to try to escape the island and/or release it from the clutches of its pyramid scheme running dictator. Determining to escape and or liberate the Island are very much at odds with each other across the book’s characters. Dan’s struggle with this is one of his biggest character drivers.

Overall, the characters aren’t very deep, the story is pretty “basic:” and the plot is predicable. But, that didn’t stop me from enjoying it.enough It was a beach read about the apocalypse - a romcom about the end of the world.

Thank you Netgalley, MJ Wassmer and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read an e-copy of this book early in exchange for my honest feedback.

Let’s get one thing out of the way. When you read a book description that says the sun explodes while our protagonist is on an island resort vacation with his girlfriend, you have to accept right away that this will not be a scientifically accurate description of the end of the world. And it’s summer, so I’m totally fine with that. I’m more than ready for what I hope will be a send-up of elites versus normies during the apocalypse.

I wrote the paragraph above after reading the book description and the first couple of chapters of the book. The book is, to a certain extent, a send-up of elites versus normies during the apocalypse. But it’s more than that. I quickly realized that the first chaotic days after the disappearance of the sun are like a metaphor for what is happening and will happen in our world of climate change, dwindling resources, and a vast chasm of income inequality. A real bummer for anyone paying attention to current events. I kept reading, and it became less of a bummer and added more elements of resilience and human connection. Not that it turns all gooey; it’s definitely clear-eyed about the determination of the “haves” to stay on top, no matter what. But overall, I enjoyed the book and I think it is one that most readers will like. I can even see it turned into a movie or miniseries.

1 star. I’m sorry, but I would not recommend. At all.

The premise and cover caught my attention and I was very excited to start. However, this wasn’t for me.

The satire for me didn’t land. The amount of “men don’t cry” and “as a man, it was important to appear unshakeable in the face of an emergency” and even “he tried to fix it, because that’s what men do” drove me mental. I can’t. The growth of our main manly man obsessed man did not occur.
“He was the lowest form of man. Truly.”

Also, I think the cover is gorgeous - but a miss for what this is inside. This book is brutally violent. And this cartoon cover is going to draw in a crowd of critics thinking they are in for something very different.

One more thing that’s been nagging me; how many times can you reference Rachel Platten’s Fight Song in one book? I feel like 5 is too many…but hey…

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review…but you’re probably going to never send me another one. 🤣

I will not be reviewing this title as I don’t feel like I can give it the review it deserves. Thank you

I loved this book! This was not what I was expecting and I found this hilarious this has some relatable points and moments that I enjoyed

Rating: 4 stars


Danny & Mara go on a dream 2 week island vacation. A few days in? The sun explodes and an apocalyptic experience begins for them and the other travelers. What follows is absolute craziness!

I was pleasantly surprised by the storytelling in Zero Stars Do Not Recommend. Everything is not what it seems & there is so much going on. All out war between groups of travelers staying in the different buildings, fights over supplies/food, rationing of supplies/food, friendships and enemies are made… heck there’s even a wedding!

When some of the travelers find out there is a plane available with only 6 seats who will escape the island? Will the make it home? Will everyone even be able to survive?

This was an absolutely fun read and did not disappoint- a good change up from the normal thriller/suspense stories for sure with a lot of unexpected twists & different storylines happening.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest review!

Did not finish. Was not holding my interest. Science behind premise did not resonate with me. Was an interesting concept.

FIVE stars. DEFINITELY recommend!

Despite the sheer intensity of the premise, M. J. Wassmer’s debut didn’t fail to make me laugh. This book managed to put the worst parts of humanity on full display in a unique and incredibly imaginative setting.

I also love that we are witnessing all of this through the eyes of a guy called Dan. Dan is awesome. I loved his commentary, his humor, and his sarcasm. If the world is going to end do yourself a favor and seek the nearest Dan.

ZERO STARS, DO NOT RECOMMEND is an incredible debut by M. J. Wassmer’s that offers a witty commentary on class difference in an intense high-stakes narrative that still manages to laugh at the stupidity of humanity when faced with its imminent demise.

This book is such a delight - as much as it can be and also be about the apocalypse. It has a cast of quirky characters that are all so unique. The author did such a good job with the characterization and I really felt they were real people.

This is such an interesting concept and poses the questions of class society, fascism, and how would you react in that situation? Would you fight or run? Would you save your loved ones or save the group as a whole? And what really matters at the end of the world?

I do think that the pacing could have been a little bit better - I think too much is happening in such a short amount of time....

In M.J. Wassmer's debut novel, Zero Stars Do Not Recommend, slacker Dan Foster and his girlfriend Mara are on vacation at an isolated island resort. When the sun explodes, the guests panic (obviously) and shenanigans ensue. Trapped on the island for at least two weeks until the planes return to fetch them (will the planes even be able to fly without the sun?), the guests devolve into a grown-up version of Lord of the Flies as they fight for control and resources. Who better to grab the reins of control than the leader of a huge multi-level marketing company. I mean, of COURSE she's a villain! The other guests have to decide if they will fall in line or risk their health and safety to rebel against the resort elite.

This was an interesting idea and I really enjoyed the set up and the ending. It's in the middle of the story where things got a little slow, however. There were times I was simply bored by machinations of the resort guests. It was weird to think that the end of the world might be that predictable. I was rarely surprised by the action of the resort guests, whether they were at their worst or their best; people are people and stressful situations bring out the extremes in their morals, values and behaviors.

I liked all the characters, even the villains and felt that Wassmer understood who he was writing about. There are clues about the ending along the way for readers who look for them, but I think you can also read this book and be completely surprised where the story takes you. Fortunately, this book is not worth zero stars; I'll give it three stars with the warning that if you read this while on vacation, stay alert!

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, Net Galley, and M.J. Wassmer for the early release. This book will be released to the public on August 6, 2024.

*Review posted to Goodreads, Blog review will post closer to publication.

This book had me laughing almost from the first page. It was quite a pleasure to read an apocalyptic story that was actually funny even though it was also quite dark. This is a satire on how humanity would function under extreme duress and it totally met my expectations. I so want to believe that people would behave better, but in reality I know that things would go pretty much like this book.

The story is totally told by Dan and he was quite the character to spend the book with. He is a reluctant hero, who really fights to not be put in the spotlight, but ends up there anyways. He has a lot of self doubt and doubts about his relationship with his girlfriend, Mara. But he works through a lot of stuff in this book and shows a lot of growth by the end. I really liked Dan and was rooting for him to survive.

There are many other characters involved in the story, but they are mostly underdeveloped caricatures of ordinary people. That is not to say that I didn’t like any of them, I did. I just wanted a little bit more from some of them. I really liked Lillyanna Collins, a fitness pyramid scheme cult leader, who pretty much sets herself up as the dictator of the island. She was a hoot and even though she was very over the top, I really appreciated how she thought she was trying to do a good thing.

The writing was the best part of the book. I loved the satire and the witty comments and conversations throughout the book. This was at its heart a book about class warfare and how quickly people and humanity can fall apart under stress. There is a lot of social commentary and you kind of can predict what is going to happen pretty early on. I mean even the way the resort is set up is a huge hint that something more sinister than the apocalypse is going on. The pacing is perfect and it is a book you could easily read in a sitting or two. I found it very hard to put down, as I really wanted to know how it all ended.

If you are looking for a quick fun read to take on your vacation, this would be a story that I would definitely recommend. It is fun and witty as it takes on a very dark topic. This is a debut, so there are a few issues, but I will be keeping an eye out for this author’s next book.

Four Stars, I definitely recommend!

A fun Lord of the Flies x White Lotus romp that honestly should not have a cover like this. Wassmer manages to make a main character who’s insufferable, honest, mediocre, and heroic that you can still root for.

many thanks to sourcebooks landmark and netgalley for the advance reader copy.

Dan and his girlfriend Mara are off enjoying a vacation in the Bahamas when the sun explodes, and as expected, things go to pot reeeaall quick.

Honestly I wasn't sure what to expect going into this, but it was a fun and quirky apocalyptic summer read, and I honestly loved it.

When I read the summary of this book, it made me excited to read it. The plot is unique and humorous.

I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC.

“Always get the pretzel. ”
Here are reasons to read the Sci Fi book:

Island Resort - Dan and Mara are in the Bahamas at the opening of a new resort
Sun explosion - and while they are on the beach, the sun explodes
Power struggle - with the darkness and cold setting in, and no way off the island, a power struggle ensues
Escape - can the people on the island survive to make it out alive.

My rating for this book is Zero Stars, Do not recommend. Just kidding, I gave it 4. This book was a fun time because even though in the back of your mind, you are pretty sure you know what is happening, watching the characters get to the realization and deal with the elitist vacationers is just so entertaining. The author’s writing style is so campy, and despite it being semi sci fi, it’s very humorous and enjoyable. Your next beach read? Let’s hope your sun doesn’t explode.

This book was not what I expected at all! But what a fun adventure it was reading this book. I have not read anything quite like this book before and I am very happy that I read it. The book was fast paced and I read the entire book over a long weekend. There were some twists and plot points that I predicted and others that completely took me off guard!

The character growth was amazing, there was personal growth for the individual characters as well as relationship growth and that is something that I have not been seeing much of with my recent reads. There were lovable, detestable, and punchable characters that really made the story come together and flourish. While the concept was great, it was the characters that I adored the most! I related with them, cried with them, and got angry with them.

I think I will be recommending this book to all of my friends for when they go on holiday sometime this year, it is a great read and I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and MJ Wassmer for an eARC for an honest review of the book.

This was good. It was different than most light summer beach reads I read but I really liked it. It made you think if this happened to you what would you do? Very entertaining.

This was an interesting apocalyptic read with White Lotus vibes from the jump! What would you do if the sun exploded while you were on vacation on a deserted island with no way to contact the mainland?

The characters were well developed, and I certainly enjoyed all their interactions. It was interesting to see whose priorities were what during a time of crisis and how some people never change. Dan, our MMC becomes an unlikely hero when a plane, and possibly their only way off the island, is discovered and he's the man who could save them...

Super great & fun summer read packed with humor.

Dan & his girlfriend, Mara, have just started their vacation at the grand opening of a Bahamas resort. While enjoying their first day on the beach, out of no where the sun appears to explode and plunge the world into darkness. Can they survive long enough to get back to their families or will they meet their end on the island?

I enjoyed this book. I appreciated the tone it was written in and seeing how different types of people react in what appears to be life-threatening situations. I did figure out the twist early on but still appreciated the story building up to it and how the author portrayed different classes and what could happen in situations like this.

Overall I give it 3.5 stars.

Thank you #Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with an ARC for my honest review #ZeroStarsDoNotRecommend

This is a book you need to pick up. I didn’t think that the end of the world could be so hilarious, but it was! This book had me hooked from the start, we are dropped right into action, and it doesn’t let up. I read a lot, and I can say that I don’t think that I’ve ever read anything quite like it. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did, but then I fell in love with the writing and the story. The writing was so well done, I felt like I was right there with the characters where the world ended, and it invoked quite a few emotions. I love it when a book can do this for me, and it takes a lot, but I was rooting for Dan and Mara even when things got pretty intense. I really wasn’t sure how this book was going to go until the final pages of the book, and it was fantastic! Perfect ending and it nicely wrapped up all the loose ends.

I did not realize that this was a debut! I only found out when I went to write my review. My socks are blown off! I can’t believe it

So, while this one is called “Zero Stars Do NOT Recommend” I HIGHLY recommend it!