I didn’t finish this book. I was like 100 pages in and it was really boring for me. I also didn’t like the writing style. I think maybe if I were to read this at a different time I might enjoy it but it’s not for me right now. I don’t want to negatively review something I didn’t finish but it was not for me

Twenty Nine year old everyday man Dan Foster is finally going on a vacation to a resort with his girlfriend Mara. Everything is going good until the sun explodes.

Chaos ensues while the resort is run by a MLM woman and her pastor husband. Dan, his girlfriend Mara and other inhabitants of their building are forced to do chores everyday and ration their food.

I did enjoy all the main characters and felt there was character developmemt throughout the book. There was humor and suspense throughout the book.

I would recommend this book to anyone that likes humor, mystery or suspense!

Thank you to NG and the publisher for this opportunity because, despite some of the formatting issues found in the advance e-copy, I absolutely LOVED this insanity of a novel! Out of respect for both the author and publisher's requests, I will not post any spoilers in this review..... HOWEVER— what I will say, and with the utmost of confidence might I add, is that this book most certainly will be a hit this summer once it hits its official pub day. This book's very title draws you in (imho) by its wording alone; the plot is honestly so unique, unlike anything I've ever read before, and immediately engaging right off the bat; and the characters are all very compelling and well-layered/nuanced. As someone who loves sci-fi and dystopian tales, I went into this read completely blind and am so glad I did. Regardless of whether you're a sci-fi fan like myself or not, PLEASE CHECK THIS BOOK OUT! I promise you it's worth it and is just... so much fun. So different. Five stars, would definitely, definitely recommend.

4⭐️! 4 stars, DO recommend!!

This was such a unique apocalyptic story! It was a comedy mixed in with an end of the world disaster story.

I had a good time with this! But the middle was a little slow, and the writing style was hard to follow at times. I did find myself wanting to skim sometimes. But the ending made up for it! Totally shocked me and I love the life messages in this book. It was so real in how humans would react to a disaster like this.

2.0

Setting: Bahamas
Rep: n/a

I'll be honest - there are two main reasons I finished this book: firstly, because I'm trying to read books set in 50 different countries, and secondly because Z is the last letter I need for the alphabet reading challenge. Also, okay, the cover was good and the plot sounded fun. The actual book? Boring and amateur. It felt like it was written 15 years ago, weirdly dated. Also, very predictable.

Laugh out loud funny and SO relatable! The characters are likable and the story is fun and fast paced!

Honestly, probably the easiest 5 stars I have given to a book this year.

Picture this: you’re on a tropical island enjoying your discounted vacation and trying to enjoy yourself for the next two weeks. Then the sun explodes and everything just goes dark. Is it the apocalypse? The end of the world? For Dan and Mara, their vacation takes a turn for the… weird? Worse? Probably a combination of both. How will they salvage their vacation (and possibly save the world)?

If you are looking for a serious take on a crazy what-if scenario, then you are in the wrong place! If you are looking for a funny, crazy, sci-fi adventure that explores who people truly are in a crisis and has some of the best characters I have ever read in a long time, then stop what you’re doing and read this book.

(And next time you’re thinking about taking a vacation, you might want to check the travel insurance and see if it covers “sun exploding.”)

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this fantastic ARC and the chance to write my honest thoughts and review!

It's so refreshing to find a funny book that also has heart and mystery thrown in! I can truly say I LOL'd numerous times reading this story, and was surprised by its many twists and turns too. To me, that's a winning combination: five stars, I do recommend.

In Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend, Dan and his girlfriend Mara are enjoying the beginnings of a two-week vacation at a brand new island resort. The resort is divided into three main buildings, with Building A being most luxurious, Building B being middle-of-the-road, and Building C housing the cut-rate vacationers. Suddenly, their day at the beach takes a life-altering turn when the sun overhead explodes and darkness descends across the island. In the ensuing panic, each building's people retreat to their respective areas, in shock and confusion. As each day after progresses, the true nature of all sides of humanity is on full display, with leaders and underdogs emerging, hoarding, forced labor, violence, and other issues arising, including Dan's internal struggles with where his life currently stands and how Mara sees him. Now, while this may sound dark and dystopian, the story is in fact heartfelt, hilarious, and hugely entertaining, with a fun cast of characters, plot twists aplenty, and a nice study of humans in all our glory.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was weird, witty, and totally unexpected. Don’t let the title fool you; I highly recommend it.

Dan and his girlfriend Mara are on vacation in paradise when the sun disappears, all hell breaks loose, and they’re stuck scrambling to find a way home. Alongside new friends and the resort’s new benevolent dictator slash woo-woo MLM founder, Lillyanna, things get hairy, and we’re along for a wild ride.

This book had it all: laughs, snark, social commentary, and an introspective main character in Dan that had me doing the Leo DiCaprio ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ point more than once. The story took big swings but never took itself too seriously.

I was entertained from start to finish and will never pass on an Auntie Anne’s pretzel again. Can’t can’t believe this was the author’s debut. I hope to read more from him in the future.

Dan Foster is vacationing with his girlfriend, Mara Nichols, at a resort in the Bahamas for the first time in 10 years. Dan, lacking confidence and feeling he hasn't lived up to his potential, wonders what Mara sees in him. Just as he starts to relax, the sun explodes, triggering an apocalypse. Chaos ensues, with the wealthy guests hoarding supplies and dominating the others. Dan must decide whether to escape with Mara or step up as a leader.

This novel captivated me from the description. Dan is a relatable character, once considered "gifted" but now feeling unfulfilled. When disaster strikes and the elite guests take over, Dan becomes an unexpected leader.

The story is gripping, with well-drawn characters and exciting plot twists that kept me reading late into the night. The humorous moments added to the enjoyment. I plan to buy a physical copy and reread it. This is my favorite book of the year so far! Huge thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC.

What a debut!!! I am not sure I have ever read a book like this before? But, I was hooked from the very beginning. I do think that the middle was a bit long but honestly, there was so much going on that I was still enjoying the journey.

I am seriously in awe this is a debut! I can't wait to see what else comes from this author.

Read this if you like White Lotus, humorous stories, dystopian books and mystery.

I started to read this and instantly I was thinking Huh? This really took me for a loop. I read the synopsis and thought this would be interesting. That is exactly what it was. I was glad to read this as I am always looking for out the box stories for my inquisitive mind. I enjoyed reading this one. It gave me a bit of the sci-fi/dytopian feel but in a small realistic way. It was weird but I liked it anyway.

3.5 stars - Fun premise with some shining moments and a truly dizzying last 100 pages but the middle slogged a bit for me.

Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend

No, that's not how I feel about the book. It's the title!

Imagine going on vacation in the Bahamas to a grand, new resort. You're sitting on the beach, relaxing with your loved one when suddenly the sun explodes. It actually kind of fizzles out, looking like yolk dripping from an egg. Either way it's over. Your vacation. The world.

That's the situation professional underachiever, Dan Foster finds himself in. What's a guy to do? He's not used to taking charge or being a hero. But soon he might have to. His only goal at first is to get his girlfriend Mara off the island, but almost immediately the situation gets out of control when the A group takes the supplies and control. Somehow people begin looking to him for guidance, but Dan can't do anything. Can he?

This book is all kinds of crazy goodness. You've got action and drama. And more action. It's laugh out loud funny. One on hand it's unbelievable, but I could also see everything happening the same way if the sun ever did explode.

The characters slowly grow on you. There are many different personalities. You will find yourself caring about some and despising others as they represent different sides of humanity.

This debut novel would make an excellent movie. I really hope someone's working on it! Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend will be released August 6. Thanks to Sourcebooks for the chance to read!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200174139-zero-stars-do-not-recommend?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=JgSgLNNSQe&rank=1

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend releases August 6, 2024

Dan and his girlfriend, Mara, are on vacation together on a remote island in the Bahamas when the sun explodes.

Sub-genres that include environmental/climate catastrophes are ones I love to read because there’s something about experiencing an interpretation of a near-future event that is equal parts chilling, fascinating, and thought-provoking.
Wassmer’s debut, however, did not work for me at all… I’d hate to play off of the title of the book, but it’s heavily leaning that way.

I think this was supposed to be satirical, but I didn’t find any of it funny.
The heavy religious undertones were extremely off-putting and it didn’t sit well in conjunction with the abundance of gun violence.

Some other things that rubbed me the wrong way took place through dialogue of the main characters, and came off homophobic, racist, and fatphobic.
For the sake of this being an early copy, I’ll leave out direct quotes but here’s a summarized version of how a minority character is depicted:
After learning the name of one of the staff/guards, the main character articulates that “Rico” is the perfect name for this guy (read: a resort staff who is turned into a hired guard with a rifle and shoots to kill). Furthermore, the main character goes on to taunt Rico by asking him if he wanted to be a luchador when he grew up instead of ending up with this job he doesn’t like, or perhaps an artisanal cheesemaker or a dictator with a beret. Later in the story, Dan adds insult to injury by insinuating that Rico couldn’t have possibly had a mother growing up, that a moose fucked a Monster Energy drink in order to conceive him, and that he doesn’t have the capability to read. Amidst all this, it’s implied that all of these thoughts/vocalizations are intended to be jokes, but at what point are we supposed to be laughing?
In terms of other things within the book, they compare their living conditions of rationed food and daily chores to being the same as living in North Korea, they describe a Black character as being as big as a house, and others fail to recognize same sex marriages because they “forgot they could do that now”… what year are we living in?!

By the time I reached 80% it felt exactly like a hybrid episode of <i>Lost</I> and <I>Under the Dome</I>.

This book was fascinating, and I felt all the emotions reading it. I purposely waited several days before writing my review so I had time to process it. At first, I was skeptical. I'm a teacher, and when I read that the sun exploded, fiction/dystopian or not, I was immediately questioning what would really happen if the sun exploded. I phoned a science teacher and asked and got a full description that was not anything like the book described, so I was wondering about the reality of the plot from the beginning. Turns out I was right to question it... but no spoilers.

This book was well-planned, well-written, and quite enjoyable. I didn't really enjoy the third-person narration, it took me a while to get into the format.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark and all opinions are my own. Thank you for this opportunity!

I mean … this isn’t what *I* would do if I was on a beach resort and watched the sun melt out of the sky.

3.5 stars cause Dan is annoying for too many pages. Maybe it’s because I watched Hunger Games recently or because gravity was still normal, but I caught on pretty quickly that this was a simulation of some sort. Let this be a warning that MLM Huns will thrive at the end of the world, we must do something now.

<i>Thanks NetGalley for sending the arc in exchange for honest review</i> 🫶🏻

Wow, this book was much better than expected. The cover does not match what the story was about but I actually liked it, because I was very surprised. The characters in this book were way well written and I thought there was some great humor! This is a different take on the end of the world trope. Love a locked door mystery, especially one with vibes.

"Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend" by MJ Wassmer is a satirical take on the classic vacation-gone-wrong trope, but falls short of delivering a truly engaging or memorable story. The novel follows Dan Foster, a self-proclaimed underachiever, as he navigates a series of unfortunate events on a seemingly idyllic island vacation.

Wassmer's writing is light-hearted and humorous, with moments of wit scattered throughout the narrative. However, the story's premise feels contrived and lacks the depth needed to sustain reader interest. The sudden and improbable turn of events, such as the sun exploding and the island being plunged into darkness, strain believability and detract from the overall enjoyment of the story.

One of the novel's shortcomings is its character development, particularly with regard to Dan. While he is presented as a relatable and likable protagonist, his journey lacks emotional depth and fails to resonate with readers on a meaningful level. Additionally, the supporting characters are largely one-dimensional and serve more as caricatures than fully fleshed-out individuals.

Despite its shortcomings, "Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend" has its moments of humor and may appeal to readers looking for a light and entertaining read. However, those seeking a more nuanced and engaging story may find themselves disappointed by its lackluster execution.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to review for my honest opinion.

Thank you to both #NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me an advance copy of MJ Wassmer’s #debut novel, Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend, in exchange for an honest review.

#ZeroStarsDoNotRecommend swiftly morphs from dystopian satire into an apocalyptic reimagining of the Third Reich. Any traces of satire quickly dissipate after the mob incident in chapter five, which is when the plot turns dark (no pun intended). The futuristic and comedic elements fortunately return for the final quarter of the novel. Think more injustice, less comedy, and readers will easily enjoy this well-written social commentary that is hopefully an inaccurate depiction of future civilization.

The story opens with the sun exploding, immediately jumpstarting the plot and introducing the reader to two of the main characters—Dan Foster, the protagonist, and his girlfriend, Mara Nichols. The duo is eventually joined by two other married couples, who assist them in leading the resistance.

The guests are ushered to a central location where resort management confirms that the sun no longer exists and banishes them to their rooms to await further instructions. The situation devolves overnight upon the wealthy visitants’ seizure of all available resources on the island, triggering survival-of-the-fittest mindsets and creating class-based factions among the guests. Once a seemingly innocent party is fatally injured, absolute chaos erupts.

Although the plot is fairly predictable, the novel is well-organized and contains an entertaining cast of characters, including the villainous Rico, the lifestyle guru-cum-dictator Lilyanna, and Shae, a quasi-Dr. Jenkins archetype a la #WaywardPines; all of whom partake in milestone events ranging from funerals to even a wedding.

There are also many insightful passages scattered throughout that prompt the reader to consider such circumstances long after finishing the novel.

Overall, the book was a refreshing spin on a genre that is typically depressing. In contrast to the title, four stars and highly recommend this novel for both avid and unfamiliar readers of #apocalypticfiction alike.