"Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend" by @wassmerwrites is my surprise book of August. My surprise book is a book that is charmingly not at all what I expected based on title, cover, description, or some combination of the three. The cover and title at first glance suggested "contemporary romance/chick lit" to me, and I'm not sure either is a good representation of the delightful and engaging story within.

The first sentence is "Dan Foster was on his fifth Miller lite when the sun exploded. Or maybe his sixth."

The setting is a resort in the Bahamas, an island of only 1000 people. The resort, brand new, has 3 levels of accommodation, building A (the most luxurious) to building C (the most affordable). Because the sun explodes, I have to categorize this book -at least tangentially- as sci-fi, although being that the setting is so remote, the science itself is not explained at all. We know what the characters know, which is not much. The majority of the characters that we follow are "building B" - the sandwich between the haves and the have nots. This opens up a beautiful story of classism, vulnerability, relationships, capitalism and groupthink. It is romantic (a bit), mystery, dramatic, and an ensemble character study. I also LOVE when a book is able to incorporate one of my favorite themes- that the power group (i.e. men, white people, fit people) is also hurt by culture-power systems (i.e. patriarchy, racism, fatphobia). It hurts the non-power group more, but it isn't good for the group in power, either.

At no point in the story did I feel like I knew what was going to happen next. Not to belabor this point, but- as someone who reads 2 books per day on average- do you know how hard it is to surprise me? Mission accomplished.

This is one of the funniest books I have read this year- the audiobook version is extremely well acted and easy to follow. I also was emotional at the loss of certain characters. If I were a high school English teacher, I would put this book on the curriculum.

Thanks to #netgalley and @bookmarked for the Audiobook ARC. Book to be released August 6, 2024.

Thank you DB Media and Sourcebooks landmark for the advance listening copy and advance reading copy. Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend is a hilarious and captivating utopia novel that I could not stop reading. The main characters Dan & Mara go on their first vacation and soon things go totally wrong. As they work together to escape, the satire in this novel will have you howling with laughter or sitting with your mouth open in shock. I will definitely be recommending this book to friends who need something light and funny to read.

This is not the usual type of book I read. I think I got sucked in by the title and cover. The story gives me Titanic vibes and also Maze Runner but yet very unique and funny which the other two are not. I enjoyed the characters a lot.

I listened to the audio version of this and the narration was perfect! My only complaint about this book is that it took me a bit to get into it and maybe that was me realizing I chose an apocalypse book. :) I have already recommended this book to both of my young adult children and will recommend this to others.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc! Release date in 8/6/24!

This is by far my favorite book of the year! It is SO GOOD! Starts out with the sun exploding at a resort this couple goes to in the Bahamas 🤪 I didn’t even care how that happened, how the story was going to evolve whatever. I just enjoyed every single minute of this book! It wasn’t laugh out loud funny, but constants giggles while in my head going “exactly!” 🤣 sooo many stereotypes, including mom bossbabes (gasp 🤣) are mocked in the book. However, there is also some deep thought, group psychology etc. That can’t recommend this book enough! I listened to the audio thanks to a copy provided by RB Media and narration was FABULOUS! Do not skip this one :)

This was not like anything I have listened to before! I am not even sure what I was expecting but it was not this but in a good way. This was funny and entertaining even if it is about is a book about the sun exploding and the aftermath. I liked the character Dan a lot. I for sure recommend since it will be like nothing you have read/listened to before.

When I write a book review, I usually like to share which books or movies I was reminded of while reading - but I can’t do that this time, because Zero Stars Do Not Recommend is unlike anything I’ve ever read. It’s equally gripping and hilarious, and hands down my favorite read of the year so far.

I was fortunate to receive a physical copy from Sourcebooks, in addition to an audiobook ALC from RBmedia on NetGalley and this book has had me literally cackling out loud. The way Stephen R. Thorne switches flawlessly from New Jersey to Nashville accents without missing a beat is mind blowing and makes the hilarious writing even that much more engaging.

Zero Stars comes out on August 6, and is available for preorder now!

🎧Song Pairing: Happy - Pharrell Williams (if the world was ending and there was a song that represented everything I hated, it would be this song. 😂 In the book it’s Rachel Platten’s Fight Song)

💭What I thought would happen:

OKAY I WAS SOOO WRONG! 😂😂 I thought a) this was an LGBTQ romance (it is neither of those things) b) I thought it was an author who wrote a book and is getting the worst possible reviews and decides to escape reality LOL

📖What actually happens:

Bahamian all inclusive vacation > sun explosion > end of the world > pandemonium > mediocre white guy tries to save the day but doesn’t want to

🗯Thoughts/sassy musings:

I should have taken this cover much more literal. It provides you with all you need to know. Okay not even this book has many layers ⚰️

I need people to read this so we can have a gigantic collective discussion that is the madness of this book. Seriously is the author the Mad Hatter?

That being said, I very much enjoyed it 😂🩷

Have you ever wondered how you and people around you would react if it was the end of the world? Can see some real nasty sides. So if you sprinkle in some humour and a dud of a male lead that you’re both rooting for and going oooo Dan…get this one

If White Lotus is one of your favs, also check it out!

I started this book because of its intriguing title and cool cover (RIGHT?! 😍). To be honest, I thought it was a romantic book, but I found out very quickly that it's a dystopian novel. Although I was expecting something completely different, fortunately, I was not disappointed. 🌴

Dan and his girlfriend Mara are on a remote island resort in the Bahamas... and then the sun explodes. ☀️
The island plunges into complete darkness, there's no communication with the outside world, and panic arises. Things get even worse when Liliana Collins, a famous fitness guru, takes over the resort and lack of resources, causes a rebellion, and war breaks out between the guests. 💥

The guests on the island were divided into 3 areas according to what they paid for the vacation (A is the upper class, B is in the middle and C is the lower class) and Dan finds himself becoming the voice of the guests in categories B and C and realizes that he has to decide whether to save himself, or be the one to help save the other guests. 🌴

This was the author's debut novel. The story is refreshing, entertaining and original (not so logical though, because if the sun explodes, we'll all die 😂) and written in a fun way (even though the story is written in the third person, which I think wasn't the right choice). Towards the middle, I felt that the plot dragged a bit, and I guessed most of the twists, but I still enjoyed seeing how the story unfolded. 💥

I listened to the audio, the narrator (Stephen R. Thorne) did a wonderful job, and he was an excellent choice, in my opinion.

All in all, if you like apocalypse stories, I definitely recommend this book... but not while on vacation! 😂😂😂

I received this ALC from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark in return for an honest review.
Release date: August 6, 2024.

This book is everything, I HAVE to pick up the physical copy of it when it comes out. I was scared with the author's witty, satire writing at first because sometimes it can be too corny and cheesy where it drives me away from reading it, but this one....I NEED MORE. To be honest, I requested the book as I thought it was rom-com-esque but it's so much more than that, absolutely loved it.

This premise was so intriguing and the title so catchy that I had to read it. The story is told by Dan, who is vacationing at a new resort and the sun explodes. Obviously if that really happened, we would all be dead but I digress. The story basically follows what happens to all the guests and how they start behaving. There is a lot of satirical content here to keep the story light and funny. I love the references to popular songs like Fight Song and made me laugh out loud.

I did like how the story unfolded and all is explained. The narrator, Stephen R. Thorne did a great job with majority of the story. I have a hard time with male narrating with female voices and it always makes me cringe because they always sound like old ladies and it makes me imagine all the female characters 80 years old.

Thank you @bookmarked @recordedbooks for a copy of this book.

The White Lotus meets Kevin Wilson was a perfect description of this book. Kevin Wilson is one of the few white guys on my short auto-buy list so I had to give this book a try. It didn’t disappoint. Funny, heartfelt, fast paced, and a little twisty, it will have you rooting for the Dan the average dude.

A thought provoking and fun read! Fans of dystopian or end of the world novels will like this book.

The main character, Dan, was super likeable! The way Dan reacted and how he dealt. with the events going on felt very believable. At times I felt like I was in the Bahamas with them!

Love to see a solid debut novel! Narrator was also good!

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for this advanced audio copy in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Loved it. My teenager and I listened to this audiobook together and we couldn't stop laughing. It was highly entertaining. I loved the whole concept of this book, and although we sort of figured it out a little over half way, we still really really enjoyed the book. It was very entertaining, and we couldn't stop listening! Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a satirical end of the world storytelling. I am looking forward to more M.J. Wassmer books for sure!

Dan and his girlfriend, Mara, are enjoying the second day of their all inclusive island vacation when the sun explodes. With the resort plunged into darkness, tensions quickly rise when the elite guests decide to take charge, rationing food and electricity to everyone else. Dan, who just wants to keep Mara & himself safe, soon becomes the unwitting voice of the disgruntled lower class. Dan must decide to protect his own or to become an unlikely hero of the apocalypse.

This book was so much fun! Dan’s humorous commentary felt all too relatable. There was an interesting cast of characters, and a plot that kept you guessing.

All and all this was an incredible debut novel, and I look forward to reading what M.J. Wassmer creates next!

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for this ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Book: Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend
Author: MJ Wassmer
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Stephen R. Throne
Publisher: RM Media
Genre: Apocalyptic, Sci Fi with a bit of Humor
Audiobook Pub Date: August 6, 2024
Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 384

There is no doubt This TITLE ‘had me” Plus the promise of Humor!
Twenty-nine year old, San Foster is finally taking a vacation with his girl-friend of two years. Dan was describes as a near genus when he was sever years-old. He is now described as average but never lived up to his potential.
Only this dream vacation in paradise is now a nightmare as the island resort suddenly plunged into darkness. They are trapped after the sun appears to have exploded.
Hmmm it appears ones sense of humor might be a bit generational.
The narrator was okay – actually couldn’t decide if it was his performance of the characters or if the main characters just wasn’t all that likeable.

In any case, I was disappointed but I am sure there are readers who will love this!

Want to thank NetGalley and RBMedia for this early audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 6, 2024.

This was....bizarre?

But I enjoyed it?

I honestly can't make much sense other than this was a fun ride and I enjoyed it from start to finish.

vacation checklist: pack swim trunks. apply sunscreen. survive the apocalypse? ☄️ I requested zero stars, do not recommend on a whim & I think I just found one of my new favorite books of 2024!

heading into this one with zero expectations (HAH), I was beyond impressed with this DEBUT by mj wassmer! this was a whip-smart social satire about a man who finds himself trapped on an all inclusive island resort after the sun explodes, and suddenly must choose whether to save himself from the chaos, or help the fellow guests make it off the island alive ✨

you’ve got action, drama and a fantastic cast of characters! SO many times I found myself laughing out loud from the one-liners and top tier humor. I was here for the simon cowell cameo & slander about classifying yourself as a life coach, ptsd from my ex’s mom, don’t get me started.

I did see the ending coming but watching the story unfold, almost like the sky, was a delight. five exploding stars, I DO recommend 🌌

You know how in movies ordinary people can suddenly do extraordinary things in the face of doom? Well, this is the story of an ordinary man (Dan) who continues to be ordinary (and sarcastic to a fault) during the end of the world. He doesn’t become Superman when the sun explodes. He continues to be weighed down by self doubt and negative inner self talk. He second guesses every plan that materializes and constantly nags at himself for not being “man enough”.

Mara is his wonderful counterpart. She’s beautiful, has a heart of gold, and sees the good in each person. She also has a great sense of humor and is down-to-earth.

I loved how much I hated the MLM boss babe leader and her preacher husband. They were the most wonderful hateable couple. Plus so more well written characters!

All these people are in the Bahamas enjoying the grand opening of a new remote island resort when they witness the sun exploding and are plunged into an eternal darkness. There’s no way to communicate outside the island and their only hope is to find a way to leave the island by plane to see if survival is more likely back in the US with more resources.

This was an AMAZING debut! It starts with a BOOM (literally) and quickly moves along making it easy to consume the whole book in a matter of hours. The whole apocalyptic island world that was created was cohesive. Everything comes together with a satisfactory ending.

Audiobook: the narrator did a great job! Each character had a distinct voice that fit their personality and background. This is one of those books that think I enjoyed even more as audio because it felt like I was watching a movie as I listened.

My favorite quote: “If you are good then the world is good”.

Thank you NetGalley and RBMedia for this audio ARC. This review will be shared on NetGalley, Goodreads, and Amazon.

Pub Date Aug 06 2024

white lotus had an under current of chaotic energy from the start which built up so much tension over the time of the vacation before everything that actually could go wrong, went wrong. everyone who enjoy the summer and having fun for a short while before it all went very south but this novel did not have that. I think I'd would have appreciated the effects of the sun exploding if I had read more about how much fun everyone on the island was having before that nightmare happened.

This book was dark and funny at the same time but maybe that’s what you would expect if the sun exploded. I enjoyed the characters and felt the narrator did a great job with all of the voices of the characters. I was gripped from the beginning all the way to the end. Thank you Net Galley and RB Media for the advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for my feedback.