I wanted to love this. The premise was unique, but unfortunately, it did not work for me. Typically, terrible characters work for me. They can be complex and riveting when written well. Unfortunately, none of the characters worked for me. I think this was a case of the wrong book at the wrong time, so if the premise sounds interesting, I would give it a try.

This was a new narrator for me, and I did enjoy his narration.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Although the book's premise sounded intriguing, I wasn't particularly fond of the narrator after listening to the first few chapters of the audiobook. Before I can provide a more thorough assessment of the narrative, I believe I might need to read the book or ebook in its entirety rather than listening to the audio version.

This was a wild ride. I actually did have a hard time getting into this book. It’s so different than my usual. Ultimately though, I found it to be quite entertaining. It was outlandish, sarcastic, a bit irreverent, and quite the adventure.

I would first of all like to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this ARC of "Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend" by MJ Wassmer.

It took me a moment to get into this audiobook, but once I did, I enjoyed it.

Zero Star, Do Not Recommend, is a story about a post apocalyptic world where the two MCs are stranded on a tropical island where all the guests of the posh resort make rules and learn to survive the apocalypse.

I feel like the narrator did a good job with the different characters within the story, all in all, I enjoyed this story.

This was such an interesting read!
The characters are well developed and relatable.
Narrator Stephen R. Thorne did a wonderful job with the characters' voices.
Overall I enjoyed this book.

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

The premise of the book sounded interesting but after getting through the first few chapters of the audiobook, I just wasn't really a fan of the narrator. I think I may need to read the actual book/ebook instead of listening to the audiobook and then I'll be able to give a more accurate review of the story.

Wild story. Narration utilizes different voices well to create a fun experience. Will be keeping an eye out for more from this author.

Normally apocalyptic novels and shows stress me out and I don't really enjoy myself however this novel was incredibly witty and well phrased. The characters were brought to life by a fantastic narrator who really got into how obnoxious hilarious and endearing the characters are. This novel shows the absolute misery and Chaos which ensues at the end of the world, and how the human nature at its core will be split into survival and selfishness versus compassion and respect for the greater good. Absolutely hilarious book with such dark and meaningful undertones. Our anti-hero and his cast of strangers turned allies and enemies, takes us on such a journey that despite the awful conditions at the resort, I didn't want it all to end.

Thank you to RecordedBooks and @netgalley for the ALC! This was the most unique book I have read all year. I didn’t expect to be not only thrilled by the dystopian action and compelled by the story, but also hysterically laughing.

The narration was great, all of the characters were so lively and distinct. What a story, with many twists and turns, and pauses for me to finish laughing, this was incredibly fun! Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend is actually a book I highly recommend!

Personally, this novel didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The audiobook format may have contributed to the difficulty I had in following the story, especially with the numerous characters. Even by the end, I was still slightly confused about a few. The story itself didn’t grasp me either. I feel I was missing a certain depth of character, and the action wasn’t enough to excuse that aspect. It was certainly an interesting premise but fell short for me.

3.75 stars rounded up

Picture this: you're on a tropical vacation and the sun explodes - just *proof*, gone. Do you take charge and figure out how to make sure everyone can find a way to survive, find a way off the island to reunite with your family, or just make the most of what time you have left? I found myself laughing throughout the book while also really thinking about how I'd handle the situation. The psychologist in my LOVED this. Plus, I was obsessed with the songs mentioned throughout (Fight Song; Awesome God!).

Dan, perpetual under achiever and average guy is on holiday with his girlfriend when the sun explodes. Trying to cope with the world coming to an end, will Dan finally step up to the plate or will he run away and hide?

A group of fun, charismatic characters, and an apocalypse like scenario, what could go wrong? It’s interesting to see how those on the island react and act when the sun explodes and who steps into what roles. I did find myself almost giving up around the half way mark, more so it just wasn’t to my liking, but I had he audiobook as well and decided to listen and that helped me get through to the end. It’s fun but has more depth to it then just a raunchy comedy.

Enjoyed the audiobook more than the physical book.

Wow! If I had a nickel for books about spoilers but if you read it then you know, I'd have 2 nickels this week. I loved the concept and the author nailed the boss babe, like so well that I hoped for her demise. The only negative I have is how Mara was written, now I get that women can act like how she was but damn she was so annoying. She put herself into extreme danger more than once and didn't give a shit about herself or her companions. She was too "I need to save everyone else" and not enough "I want to survive too"

Quirky and crazy dystopian story about the collapse of society and the magic of MLMs. I really enjoyed the social commentary, twisty plot and snarky character development. This is great for fans of Jason Pargin and Stephen King, equally.

Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books for my copy. These opinions are my own.

This audiobook was so stinking CUTE! I haven’t laughed this much in a while! The romance was swoon-worthy and it was everything I wanted it to be!

the moment i found the words “terrorism” and “jihad” put in the same sentence, i knew it would alter my whole reading experience so why bother continuing. a shame, since the opening immediately hooked me.

the audiobook narrator was fine too but i cant continue. sorry

First thanks to Recorded audio RBmedia for my ALC ; I didn't read any comparisons by the editor to White Lotus until I was starting my review. This in no way reads like Literary Fiction. It isnt a traditional horror ( apocalypse fiction such as I Am Legend or Walking Dead) I kept waiting to be scared really I was .. but no sadly there was not one scary moment. No World War Z , no zombies no tidal waves on this island.

No.. it was absolutely nothing like that. I think this author has an active imagination and should be writing for TV. The dialogue belongs on " The Office" or " Parks and Rec" it is hilarious.
It is also very reality TV .. I felt like there should be a film crew following the vacationers with camera feed. Maybe there was and that will be in a sequel. We had a MLM crazy Beach Bod by Lilianna that takes over like a facist dictator rationing food after the "sun explodes". Where she found sewing kits to make coats was also a question for me, she forces people to work to be able to receive a "daily ration"She has a Pastor husband that prays over a mic every chance he gets, and I cant imagine wanting to do yoga when the world is ending. But these people did.


Yes folks you read that right.. this island in the Bahamas continues to exist in the "aftermath of sun explosion"
In no universe would this happen.. I think Elon Musk knows this which is why Space X exists. You will have less than 9 minutes to leave the atmosphere and be away .. although with space debris and planets closest to the sun? I am no scientist but I spent the first third of the book really waiting for the main character to wake up from a bad dream. The main character is an underemployed Maid who spends much of this book with internal monologue like Michael Scott from the Office, or Jim. Very middle of America guy.. not a hero , just loved by his girlfriend who does remind me of Pam from The Office. He doesnt rock any boats, or stands up for anything. Until his girlfriend does. And he is inspired finally to be more.

The comedy of it all kept me listening. Because in the middle there also was action. Obviously this writer loved Jurassic Park and The Truman show. ( It would have been really funny if Jim Carey came to the aftermath end). I do recommend if you want a funny satire to listen to on a commute to work or while you are on the treadmill. Humor and satire is where this book belongs! Netgalley should add percentages because the humor adds a 1/2 star for 3.5!

What a fun, clever premise for a book! I really enjoyed this! The apocalypse has always been an intriguing topic for me so the synopsis really drew me in! I appreciated that the action starts right away and it really piqued my curiosity (I went on a googling frenzy about the sun 😂). I wish some things here and there had been different, but overall it was a funny, entertaining, and enjoyable experience. A great debut and I’m interested to see where the author goes from here!

Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend by MJ Wassmer and narrated by Stephen R. is a work of fiction that doesn't really fall easily into a category - it's not a comedy or a romance, there is a bit of mystery if you really stretch the definition, but mostly it just is a far reaching story about the day the sun exploded. Dan and Mara are on vacation on a small island when suddenly the sun explodes and they are now trapped on this island where the A (rich) hotel guests steal the food and make the rules. I enjoy dystopian novels and murder mysteries and comedies, but this took my mind beyond the place it wanted to be. If you knew you were going to die in a few days because you froze to death, would all this really matter?

The narrator did a good job keeping me engaged and listening where this may have become a DNF otherwise, so I definitely found the audiobook the way to go. However, the story line was just so unbelievable I had a hard time sticking with it. I love vampire books, but the sun exploding and everything that came after was a bit more than I could manage.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Not all books are for everyone, and unfortunately, this was wasn't for me.

Great story, love the comedy in this story. There is a little fluff but overall great book to listen to.