The beginning caught my attention quickly , but then the silliness of the cookbook, and the hazmat suits kind of turned me off the story. I ended up about half way through.

Thank you to NetGalley and Vladimir Stefan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. Off the bat the description was enough to get me interested along with the cover; in a not so distant dystopian future Dom, a laid back guy with a cool cat and a penchant for cooking, has his whole world turned upside down as society collapses due to an unknown threat. We follow him as he ventures out of the relative safety of his house and into the now unfamiliar streets and join him along on his increasingly absurd adventure.

While the cast of characters was interesting there was not enough to keep me engaged and it seemed to drag on far longer than a book under 200 pages should. Overall I think that this novella was trying too hard to be too many things at once that it missed the mark completely and turned into a disarray of a dystopian novel with a few recipes at the back of the book. If not for the humor and the writing style I would have DNF'd this book altogether but I wanted to stick it out till the end to see if the book redeemed itself.

I liked What to Eat During the Apocalypse.
It's set in a dystopian London, and we follow Dom, who has a cat called Mango.
When catastrophic events plunge the city into darkness, he finds himself on a journey for survival.

This was a fun and short read that I finished in a day. It was written well and did make me laugh a few times!
I did not up liking the main character Dom and thought he could be really annoying, which did make it hard to read at times. The story was mainly still a lot of fun, though the ending was a little messy.
I also loved the recipes included and will have to try some of them out!
I'd still recommend this novella as I can see many people enjoying it!

Really interesting plot! I enjoyed the main character and the situation the story presented. I think at the end there the story lost me a bit, but overall would recommend.

"Fear has two meanings: FORGET EVERYTHING AND RUN or FACE EVERYTHING AND RISE. Choose yours."

🙀🙀🙀

WHAT TO EAT DURING THE APOCALYPSE by @vladimirstefan_ was part dystopian thriller, part cookbook, and part kitty companion caper that had me laughing, smiling and surprisingly, thinking a lot about unification. Thank you to the author (and publisher) as well as @netgalley for the e-ARC.

🧶🧶🧶

Dominic and his feline companion Mango have been hurled into an apocalyptic horror as people start dropping dead on the streets from what appears to be a bioweapon attack as green gas spreads through the air. Stuck in his London flat, Dom spends his days cooking what is left of his food and creating a recipe book for survivors to keep him occupied. He starts communicating with his neighbor Gerrard who also has a trusty feline companion and together they come up with a plan to escape their flats and explore the unknown.

🌭🌭🌭

This was a hilarious, sardonic romp through an upside down world. I loved the cats, Dom's frenzied inner thoughts, and felt like this story used Britain as a microcosm of the current world at large where the "haves" take and take and the "have-nots" are just struggling to survive. There were some serious community/mutual aid vibes that filled my heart with hope as well

We are always better when we come together and unify to fight the bullies of the 🌎!

😻😻😻

Do you think you would survive an apocalyptic/world-changing event?

I think if it was zombies or something I might just say goodnight but this kind of story I might survive if I made it past the first wave of gas attacks. Either way, my first inclination would be to batten down the hatches and get to work on my debilitatingly long TBR pile while I waited for things to settle. 😎

💚SMASHBOT💚

#bibliophile #whattoeatduringtheapocalypse #vladimirstefan #bookreviewer #bookreview #booksta #bookstagram #booklover #booknerd #netgalley #netgalleyreviewer

I am reviewing this through Netgalley.

I enjoyed this novel! It was full of humor and community. It shines the connection of people in times of crisis. It truly is “the epitome of Live, Laugh, Love, in the underground, whilst killer gas and tanks shelling houses are out there.” Vladimir Stefan has a satire-filled and introspective writing style that aided in the story telling.

Some plot holes within the book but the holes aided in moving along the story. I found the recipes and tip guide in the end of the book to be thoughtful especially for the overarching themes of the book.

What to Eat During the Apocalypse follows the story of Don, a thirty-something fellow living in London with his passive-aggressive cat, Mango, during extraordinary times. Kicking off on the first day of the end of civilization, we join our protagonist in his observations about the mayhem viewed from his window and the absence of helpful items within his flat. Don makes an unlikely friend, Gerrard, through written conversations from their respective flats, and eventually, they become friends, shacking up together. The humor often falls flat, but it did not quelch my interest in following Don.

The book is a quick read, which one does not often find these days. Though Don is not a particularly likable character, I got a kick out of the first two-thirds of the book. A good question is posed: ‘What would today’s egocentric generation do in this situation?’ The answer is clearly, nothing. Dom decides to create a cookbook until the duo decides to venture out into a dystopian London, joining up with a rebel group ready to fight the powers that be.

That being said, the last 30% of the book drastically changes tone and themes, leading to confusion and a lack of satisfying explanation of why apathetic Dom has left home to do his part. At this point, any satire seems to disappear, and the story spirals into a rushed conclusion that does not add up for me.

Truthfully, I did not realize that the book’s end was the grand finale. Flipping through the last pages of recipes, I was sure there’d be some kind of concrete conclusion, but I was left with the feeling of reading an uncompleted piece of work.

Though I would not recommend What to Eat During the Apocalypse, I’d be happy to pick up the next book Vladimir Stefan publishes. He’s an interesting storyteller with strong potential.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book has a great premise - literally writing a cookbook during the apocalypse. It has good characters, and cats, and is quite well written, sentence to sentence. It's main problem is that it feels like the outline of a book. Everything that happened to get to the apocalypse is just dumped on the reader, no shoeing, only telling. The (smaller) problem is that a plot has to have some basis in reality, and having a radio (and who has radios these days?) does not mean you can transmit. So that was a giant plot hole that really bugged me. Anyway, I hope Vladimir Stefan gets a good literary mentor or editor, because his writing has a lot of potential, and even this book, reworked and fleshed out, could be a great read.

I’d describe What to Eat During the Apocalypse by Vladimir Stefan as Prophet Son meets Leave the World Behind meets some great 2000’s comedy, like the film Step Brothers or something like that. I’ve read so many books about the Apocalypse, but I think one mirrors what my feelings would be like - “Holy crap, what is happening? But let me find humor in it.”

This book probably isn't for everyone. But it was for me and for those who enjoy apocalyptic tales, dystopian stories and speculative fiction AND enjoy some good old fashioned warped humor. This story definitely hit the sweet spot for me.

While the premise of the story is not original, the way in which it is told is fun and special. While true, a little cookbook is woven into the novel (and spoiler alert - recipes are available at the end!) it looks at some of the things a Mx. Anyone would go do during such a strange string of events.

Our main character, Dom, starts off facing the apocalypse on his own, with his bitchy cat. He’s just a regular dude with a regular job trying to make ends meet. He comes across pretty vanilla at first, but as each page passes he grows & becomes more and more likable. Books are always more enjoyable when you grow to like the main dude more than when you end up hating him, right?

I especially liked the descriptions that Stafan provided about this fictional world’s society and government. While many were parodies of the current political climate and its cast of characters, it left me thinking - is this description really that far off?

While it dealt with such a heavy topic, you know THE apocalypse, it did it with humor and the lens in which I think many of us would view it through.

I’m not really a great cook, but maybe I’ll make something from the book’s delicious sounding recipes. Or I'll just order the takeout version!

I found myself laughing so loud while reading this book! To appreciate and enjoy this reading journey, you need to love sarcastic & dark humor. Why not give this a perfect five starts then? Simple, the second half of the book focuses on political/conspiracy turmoil and lacks the ironic, dark humor of the first half, which made it a little harder for me to follow; don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it and finished the book but the contrast too drastic for me.

The author does a great job making you feel like a silent person next to Dom. Can we give some kudos to Mango? Meow (insert insult), I enjoyed the cat so much!

This book is funny, creative, and thought-provoking. Just think- What if?

A debut novel about a man in London who tries to survive an attack by some unknown enemy while using food he has on hand to cook up useful and tasty recipes that he wants to put in a book for people who may go through the same thing as him.

Like most people I was drawn to this book by the cover. Great cover! Then I read the first few pages and the book immediately bombed for me. Stefan’s attempt at humor is painfully forced. It’s so cheesy I could help but cringe. On the plus side, this didn’t last the whole book. Thankfully Stefan began to actually develop his character (yet only slightly) and creat some sort of plot to have an actual story.

Look, this is a “fun time” book. A quick, mostly lighthearted (despite the theme), somewhat humorous book you might pick up by accident and then quickly forget. This isn’t something most people would recommend. The characters are hardly developed. The tone and pace of the book is all over the place and very inconsistent. The plot has so many holes in it. And, although it mentions some serious and important political issues, it never fully explores any of them. It was like listening to some sheltered teenager try to explain to me what’s wrong with society, full of ignorance and lack of experience.

Stefan has some nice recipes at the end that help justify the title of the book, but other than that, the title barely made sense. All that being said, Stefan writes very well. I hope he writes a more cohesive book with substance. I would not recommend this book but I would read more from this author.

***Thank you NetGalley, Xpresso Book Tours, and Vladimir Stefan for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.***

This was an interesting book about a man named D o r n. He was a very uptight person. He had a girlfriend but she refused to work because he was making a lot of mine. Things turned to go bad when the apocalypse was coming. The girlfriend decided to leave him and go to spain. He was left with his cat named m a n g o. His neighbour was also helping him out as well. I like how they go to the future and then go to the past.Explain what was really going on London. They decided.
To flee when london was taken over by the army. They made it to a refugee camp and everybody helped each other out. The cat decided to leave as well. The recipes were really interesting Because it's tired Everything in this book.. They also Talk about social issues as well.

I didn't really know what to expect when I first started reading this book, and I was soon drawn into the chaos that quickly escalated.

The story follows Dom. A recently turned 31 year old, who has not long separated from his girlfriend. He lives in Hounslow with his cat, Mango.

After receiving his shopping delivery from Tesco, he makes something to eat, then sits down to watch his TV show, when all of a sudden, the programme is interrupted with an emergency breaking news story, followed by explosions and green smoke outside.

Dom can't figure out what's going on, so he puts a poster in his window, to communicate with people in houses near to him. This is how he meets Gerard.

The story is full of laughs, yet does get incredibly political towards the middle of the book, which sort of put me off a bit. I'd recommend if you feel the same when you get to this party, just keep going. It soon returns to the comedic aspect.

I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who does enjoy "end of the world" type stories.

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

So, this just felt like a regular apocalypse- type story plus a lot of politics, when I was expecting it to be funny with a lot of cooking. It did have recipes at the back, so that's something. But other than Dom giving a voice to the cat and I guess the pop culture references, I don't even know what was supposed to be funny. It felt sometimes awkward and depressing, when maybe those situations could have been written in a humorous way, but just weren't. And then the twist at the end when a bunch of action was just kinda thrown in to wrap it all up felt unearned. But still, my main gripe is that it wasn't funny.

I thought this was going to be more focused on like a witty version of Chopped but during the apocalypse. Turns out it's a snarky guy and his cat in a claustrophobic apartment trying to survive a toxic gas outside. Set in our modern times and has a lot of commentary on capitalism and how during the end of the world some people are more useful and how we need to connect to survive, all with really funny comments from our mmc. Perfect for someone who doesn't want a really heavy end of the world story with some good points.

The cover of this book caught my eye because it looked intriguing, promising a blend of humor and survivalist insights set against the backdrop of an impending doomsday. However, the book itself falls short of these expectations, offering little more than the ramblings of someone seemingly disconnected from the harsh realities of an actual apocalypse.

One of the most significant shortcomings of the book is its attempt at humor. Stefan seems to be trying too hard to infuse wit and satire into the narrative, but these attempts frequently miss the mark. Instead of providing a sharp and entertaining critique of survivalism and government conspiracies, the jokes feel forced and out of place, detracting from the overall reading experience.

The characters, too, fail to leave a lasting impression. They lack depth and complexity, making it difficult for readers to form any genuine connection or investment in their fates. The main protagonist, in particular, comes across as bland and uninspiring. His narration, intended to convey a sense of impending doom, instead feels monotonous and fails to evoke the necessary tension or urgency that one would expect in an apocalyptic setting.

Furthermore, the pacing of the book is inconsistent. The narrative plods along for much of the first two-thirds, only to suddenly pick up pace around the 70% mark. This abrupt shift leaves the story feeling disjointed and uneven. Important events and developments are rushed through or skipped entirely, leaving readers with unanswered questions.

Overall, this was a disappointing read for me that did not live up to its intriguing premise.

This book was a bit of a surprise. A good one! I really thought it was going to be quite different than what it was. There were two parts to this book and the second half has a lot of action

thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for digital copy of this book for my honest review

What To Eat During The Apocalypse was a quick-paced comedy that was rather fun. The writing style felt adjacent to Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy and is good for fans of Douglas Adams. I especially liked the inclusion of the recipes at the end- I'll probably try some out when I get the chance.

This book fell flat for me on two aspects though- characterization and pacing. I wasn't particularly compelled by the characters, and I disliked being in the main characters head. The pacing of the story was consistent until about 70% in- where it rapidly picked up pace with a timeskip that was barely explained. This definitely knocked down my enjoyment, so ultimately I give this book 3/5 stars.

Got this for review on netgally.

The cover, tile and premise had me very intruiged to read it. It was a short read and I enjoyed it but not enough for 4 stars or higher. It was an interesting way to tell a story about apocalypse tough.

Thank you @vladimirstefan_ and @netgalley for the chance to read the ARC of

🍽️🐈What to Eat During the Apocalypse🐈🍽️

Release date: June 28, 2024

“Two men, two cats and Jamie Fox staring the apocalypse head-on.”

The story:
The apocalypse is happening in Dystopian London during a time of great political unrest and upheaval. Don, a millennial, and his cat, Mango, are just trying to survive.

My thoughts:
I was blown away by how much I loved this book. It was quirky like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, oddly cozy?? like the anime Delicious in Dungeon, and scarily realistic like The Handmaid’s Tale (minus the, you know). I can’t wait to find out what happens next.