When a middle manager from Memphis, TN and his girlfriend save for a week at a hot new Bahamas resort, no one could expect the calamity that ensues. The sun blows up. Really.

Within hours, different factions begin to form, and we go from paradise to Lord of the Flies very quickly. This seething commentary on class, mobility, religion and MLMs was very interesting. It was uncomfortable--as it hit a lot of the same themes in our crazy American election cycle.

Overall, the interesting backdrop lent for a welcome discourse and discussion of these issues. The audio book was delightful! Multiple POV and story lines were easy to follow.

*4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"Will we ever get on the Internet again?"
"I want to check Instagram so bad."
"Can you imagine the stories?"
"Hey guys, if you like this video of me slowly starving, make sure to hit like and slam that subscribe button for daily starvation videos...and giveaways."

Oh the satire! This eye opening look at our society and what might transpire during an apocalyptic event is on full display in the hilarious speculative fiction satirical thriller, Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend, by comedic genius, debut author, M.J. Wassmer.

Dan's floating in a pool, happy with the deal he got for himself and his girlfriend to vacation at this new resort; when all of a sudden the sun...yes, the sun...explodes and darkness surrounds him.

After the initial shock, survival instincts kick in, and class warfare begins. The resort's owner feels the guests who paid the most should be in charge. After all, they are rich and that must mean they are smart... sound familiar?! But when rations are cut, water is scarce, and slave labor is kept in check with armed guards, even calm unassuming Dan knows it may be time for a rebellion.

The precision comedic timing of voice actor Stephen R Thorne was perfection. He brought the writer's insightful awareness of the ridiculousness of our world's conduct to a heightened level.

Reading and listening to this new exciting author, I laughed, rooted for the heroes (here's to Lenny from NJ. You were Born To Run!), and cursed pyramid schemer Lilyanna, who ruled like a fascist. The main twist was Stephen King worthy. If you want to laugh, think and fall in love with a ragtag group of misfit heroes I highly recommend, with sun shining stars, this exceptional debut.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair & honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really wasn't sure it was possibly to make an apocalyptic book into a comedy but this book achieved that. This book will be well liked by those who are fans of the TV show Lost. This book will make you laugh out loud and also say "what the heck is going on" several times.

I really enjoyed the character of Dan Foster and he really provided a great comedic relief throughout the book.

While I found this book interesting and the twist was well done I did struggle to get through the middle of the book since the story seemed to drag on. The ending also felt a little rushed and left several unanswered questions.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the performance by Stephen R. Thorne was well done.

A modern day apocalypse tale without the seriousness. Dripping with sarcasm and irony, fans of TJ Klune and Steven Rowley will love this one.

At no point did I ever expect what would happen next!
This was such a fun story full of mystery, thrills, love and found family and I couldn’t put it down!

RB Media ALC
Imagine you’re on a small beach in the Caribbean on a much needed vacation, and then it suddenly goes dark because the sun exploded. This apocalyptic book started with a literal boom and doesn’t let up throughout the story. There were such vivid characters here that help balance the seriousness of their situation with some lightness. The book had an interesting exploration of how people react in the face of a major natural disaster. It was fast paced, the narration was excellent, and characters you’ll root for and loathe. It’s out now and a perfect book for when you need something quick and original.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so crazy and comical. I was not anticipating everything that happened in this book. It was a wild and crazy ride. I really liked how quickly the people on the island devolved and created chaos. This book explored divisions in class and how those of a higher class created strife and chaos through entitlement. Overall the book was a crazy exploration of an apocalypse occurring in paradise while people are vacationing. There were comical moments and the big reveal at the end was bonkers. This was a very interesting summer read.

Thank you Netgalley and RBmedia for the audio ARC of Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend.

It's no spoiler that in the first chapter of this book the sun appears to blow up and signal a potential end to the world as we know it.

This novel takes a light hearted approach to an end of the world apocalypse. The characters are quirky and eclectic and will have you laughing at dark times. I like how the author shows the resourcefulness of these 'average' people and how they bond together.

Don't wait for the sun to blow up. Start living life now and "always get the pretzel!" 😉

I love apocalyptic/disaster movies and books even when the science doesn’t make sense (and the acting is SO bad) so this book should have been right up my alley. This started out good but then was really slow in the middle with the same confrontations happening over and over again; it got old. Add in the dated references (televangelists, Rodney King) and I almost DNF’d. Instead I skipped ahead to find out what happened and the science left a lot to be desired. Otherwise, this had some funny moments; just not enough to make it a must read.

The narration saved this.

A dystopian world, a reluctant hero, a chaotic class system and a villain you don't see coming. This is a satirical read that had me laughing out loud and wanting to throat punch several people.

Think Andy Weir in the witty comedy and smart arse observations from our hero, Dan. He doesn't want to be the hero. He also doesn't want to be stuck in the job he's in and the man he's become. Luckily for him the world is about to end and he has to step up.

There's plenty of other characters - Dan's amazing kick arse girlfriend, Mara; the overbearing southern business woman, Lillyana with her OTT total wanker bodyguard, and a cast of white collar/blue collar, rich/not so rich of guests who are suddenly thrust into survival mode.

This is an entertaining social satire and would make you wonder what you would do in similar situations. It's wonderful to watch Dan decide to become the man he wants to be and finally find himself. I absolutely loved the narrator, Stephen R. Thorne. His comedic timing made the book even funnier. His delivery was spot on.

DNF (technically):

Okay, I get the satire. It’s humorous and an accurate take. BUT it relies so heavily on the one single stereotype, hypocritical rich Jesus-freak, to ground the story and it became boring and then annoying. One idea like that cannot carry an entire story. I needed more personalities and layers. More stereotypes if that’s the way you’re going to go. It was just way too heavy handed through the first half and I couldn’t listen to the audio (which only emphasized the things I didn’t like) anymore, regardless of how spot on it is.

I also had the ebook so I did switch from the audio and start skimming the story. I do see where it goes, how it does grow bigger than the first half suggests. It’s a psychological and physical adventure. For me, it came too late and I just wasn’t interested. But for those that are hooked by the story, it is a an explosive ending, so I get it and highly recommend it if the premise appeals.

I also feel like when I accepted the advance copy (many months ago) that it was marketed as more of a summer rom-com adjacent style story. It’s definitely not. It’s a quirky present day dystopian survivalist story. Which is fine. I don’t know where my misconception originated. Just a note.

Just wasn’t entirely the book for me.

It's the end of the world and I feel fine about Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend. We follow Danny Foster and his girlfriend Mara as they go for a two week long getaway on a newly-developed resort on a small island in the Bahamas. But, things quickly unravel when the sun appears to explode, encasing the entire island in darkness, cutting the resort off from communications, and leaving everyone to fend for themselves as the island begins to get colder and colder.

There is plenty to like about the book, the quips on masculinity and how men are supposed to act were good commentary throughout the novel and I liked seeing Danny come into himself as the book progressed. Even small things like having Mara worry about not having travel insurance when the sun explodes felt very real. Having the initial villain be an MLM owning, God-Fearing exercise queen was delicious. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that everything came off the rails too quickly and spiraled faster than made sense as I was reading. The situations the characters find themselves in within 24 hours of the sun dying were absurd, and only increased in tragedy as the book continues. The rapid descent into fascism had the bells in my head ringing about the the Stanford Prison Experiment, and turns out I was not so far off in the end.

I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator, Stephen R. Thorne, did such a wonderful job that I will absolutely be seeking out other books that he reads. Even if ZSDNR was disappointing, I was delighted to find a narrator who really brought the story to life and made every character feel real with their unique voice.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and RB Media for the advanced copy.

This book is a book I will think about next time I'm on vacation - especially if I'm traveling without my kids. It left such an impression on me.

Some of the characters made me cringe (in the intended way) and the main character made me laugh out loud.

I fully enjoyed this story, the twist and turns and the cast of characters.

Five Stars, would recommend

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

4 stars

Underachiever Dan Foster is at a resort in the Caribbean Islands when the sky goes dark. The vacationers turn all Lord of the Flies with the wealthy guests in the nicest tower (building A) taking control of all the food and services. Dan unwittingly becomes the leader of the B&C buildings.

More of a story about caste systems and power dynamics as Dan works to save as many people as he can. Lilyanna made me want to scream but the book was written with a lot of humor.

Excellent narration by Stephen R. Thorne. He really brought the characters to life.

I absolutely loved this book, the concept was so fun and ridiculous and the twist caught me completely off guard.

It definitely has some pretty heavy parts to the story but on the whole the narrator and side characters keep it silly enough to be solidly a cozy thriller.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook! I hope for more post apocalyptic sci fi cozy thriller books in the future

Thank you NetGalley and RBMedia and MJ Wassmer for the advance copy of this audiobook, I LOVED it!

The narration was PERFECT. Absolutely perfect. They did such a good job of conveying the humor of the situation through their inflection, and I would listen to them talk for hours. I mean - I did listen to them talk for hours but I'd do it again, and again, and again, and again. Excellent work, Stephen R. Thorne.

Now, let's get down to brass tacks.

I actually loved this book. I was really intrigued by the premise of going to an all-inclusive fancy resort, a perfect vacation, and having a life-altering or even life-ending event take place. But I wasn't sure where it would go from there. As I was reading I found myself changing from team "Can't Stand Dan" to team "Go Dan Go!" This was such a unique way to introduced the types of revelations he experiences. It's hard to review it without giving too much away, but I really loved Wassmer's ability to write so many different personalities so perfectly. He really nailed them.

4/5 stars from me!

I received an advance listening copy of this book, narrated by Stephen R. Thorne and was thrilled with both the story and narration. Stephen did a great job of distinguishing all the characters, both male and female and with accents. The story was a fantastic read, I have never read a story along these lines and I was mostly confused in the beginning but so entertained it didn't matter, by the end of the book however, it all made sense and I very much enjoyed the book. I will definitely be picking up more by MJ Wassmer and adding Stephen Thorne to my favorite narrator's list.

4.5 / 5

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for the opportunity to listen to this for review.

This was a such an entertaining, captivating dystopian story. This book has suspense, heartfelt moments, and even some really funny one liners and sarcastic comments that will have a you laughing. Such an intriguing concept of a novel. I do highly recommend reading or listening to this one!

The audiobook was so well done. It was narrated by Stephen R. Thorne. There are several characters and he voiced them so well it was easy to follow. The sarcasm was on point!

This was an absolute shining star and blew my world up (yes, all puns are intentional)! The debut book “Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend” by MJ Wassmer was easily a riveting five star read for me. I can’t wait to see what he writes next!

Needing a much overdue break, Dan and Mara book a two week vacation on a remote island in the Bahamas. All is seemingly going well in Building B at their resort where they enjoy views of the courtyard and pools (they decidedly couldn’t afford Building A since they’re not the Uber wealthy; and B was better than Building C which appeared to have subpar conditions).

Enjoying the warm temps and sun, adult beverages, people watching, and time spent together, Dan and Mara aren’t sure what to think when the unthinkable happens: the sun explodes and throws everyone into darkness.

Their vacation quickly becomes a nightmare when they’re told all communication is down meaning there is no way to call for help to get off the island. And when a wealthy southern woman from Building A, a fitness and wellness influencer with a huge following, takes control of the food and security guards things go from bad to worse.

Alliances are made, lines are drawn, people are killed and all of that is on top of the SUN EXPLODING!
Will Dan and Mara form an alliance of their own? Will the situation bring them closer together or tear them apart? And how on Earth do they try to get back home to their family?

I was instantly hooked from the first sentence of the book to the very last. This was thrilling, engaging, and fast paced. It made me seriously question what I’d do in their situation. This five star read is one you don’t want to miss! Again, I can’t wait to see what the author writes next!

☀️ZERO STARS DO NOT RECOMMEND🏝️
𝒽𝓊𝓂ℴ𝓇ℴ𝓊𝓈 𝒻𝒾𝒸𝓉𝒾ℴ𝓃
🗓️𝙿𝚞𝚋: 𝙰𝚞𝚐𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝟼, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺 𝚃𝚘𝚍𝚊𝚢!
𝕄𝕪 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: 𝟜 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤! ★★★★

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝…”whip smart social satire about a man who finds himself trapped on a island resort after the sun literally explodes..”

😎𝙼𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜..Who knew the end of the world could be so hilarious but this book had me cackling! The audio was so well done. It is def dark humor, but that’s my fav humor! This one surely is gonna get some fun buzz surrounding it bc the premise is beyond unique! The third person POV was the only “tough” part for me but def helps if read this one in audio..so many twists & turns..it was very fun! This one comes out today! 😎🏝️☀️