Exploding sun, vacation from hell, an unwilling hero - these are the makings of a smart, snarky, comically frighteningly book about the state of the world, societal divisions, the end of the world, and Dan Foster.

It examines the intersection of science and allegorical fiction, dark comedy, and Dan Foster. You’ll simultaneously feel the very real sense that humanity is doomed but also that maybe there’s hope?

The concept? What happens when a resort divided by status faces an apocalyptic world ending scenario becomes a battle for survival whose best hopes are pinned on underachieving and fine with it Dan Foster?

We’re about to find out.

On the first day of vacation, Dan is a few beers in when, overhead, the sun explodes. He immediately realizes, this ain’t gonna be great.

As throngs of tourists eek their way through panic, they’re greeted by a self appointed leader, famous life coach, Lilliana, who has an armed security team and has commandeered all supplies - she’s emptied the vending machines! - and begins rationing and putting people to work.

It ain’t great, but it is hilarious.

Then Dan realizes he’s unwittingly become spokesman for the underdogs.

What ensues is both dark and comedically hopeful - and Mara, as Dan’s long (not) suffering girlfriend is an absolute revelation, both accomplished and supportive of the man she loves.

At no point did I know what was coming next and the ending was unexpected, if tenderly, violently perfect.

Rife with pop culture references, hilarious one liners, science fiction adjacent subplots, perfect pacing, and a deep, abiding love for the common man, this is *the* book of August, if not of the summer.

I’ve already ordered my trophy copy after listening to the delightful audio. 

You’ll laugh out loud, shed some tears, shout encouragingly, and recommend it to everyone you know who loves a fantastic story.

Thank you to @netgalley and @sourcebooks for the audiobook ARC, and @mjwassman for writing it. Due out August 6, 2024.

ps. I’ve got some casting ideas when the inevitable series is produced. Don’t be afraid to reach out.

This was a very interesting book, funny, quirky, and witty. It isn't a book I would've chosen had it not been offered to me on Netgalley. However, I'm so glad I read it. It was surprisingly entertaining, unique, and fun to read.

This debut sounded so good and seemed to have such potential but sadly I didn't love the narrator and was honestly bored listening/reading to this story. I ended up DNFing less than halfway through. A flop for me even with the great cover. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book was silly and entertaining enough to keep me engaged until the end. However, it was so far-fetched nothing was believable. I found myself chuckling quite a bit so the book was not bad! Thanks for giving me the opportunity to read Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend!

Publication date- August 6th, 2024

I will start of by saying, this was unlike any book I have ever read. I expected a comedic apocalyptic novel poking fun at the antics of what might happen, and yes, there was some of that, but we also got some super serious, heartbreaking and cruel moments as well. I did appreciate the main character, Dan's sarcasm and development throughout the story. The villains were really entertaining, especially Lilyanna, who was the CEO of a fitness pyramid scheme.

I did guess the twist early on in the book, but that didn't affect my enjoyment, and it was still really fun to read it all play out. In the end, Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend was a good book that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a fun satirical apocalypse story.

Loved the narrator on audio! 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.

Thank you to RBmedia and NetGalley for my advantaged copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded down
I’ll be honest, all it took was a comparison to Kevin Wilson to rope me in. But it wasn’t a good comparison, at least for me. This had more of a Lord of the Flies vibe, reminding the reader that most human nature tilts more towards avarice than charity, violence than peace, power than unity.
Dan Foster is a bit of a loser, a classic underachiever. But when the sun explodes while he’s on vacation at an island resort, he’s cast into the unlikely role of hero. Obviously, this isn’t a believable premise. It will not appeal to those that want well researched, science based plots. But it’s meant as satire, so…
The newly opened resort has three tiers: A - C. When the elite of tower A commandeer all of the food and supplies and hire the resort workers and arm them, Dan has a choice to make. Does he keep his head down or take a stand?
Wassmer creates a dystopian civilization that is obviously a play on the rich elites relying on a combo of violence and religion to keep people in line. This is meant to be humorous but it wasn’t as humorous as I expected. I found myself cringing more than laughing. There are moments of heart and hope that shine through.
I enjoyed Dan, the common man forced to become a leader. Mara was also a great character, often acting as Dan’s conscience, but also not afraid to step up and become a hero in her own right.
I had a sneaking suspicion how this would play out and I was basically right. As expected, it went way OTT. <spoiler> Although a part of me had to laugh that Trump just proposed a similar idea about an Iron Dome this week. </spoiler>
I listened to this and was impressed with Stephen R. Thorne’s narration.
My thanks to Netgalley and RBMedia for an advance copy of this audiobook.

I have to admit, this book wasn't it for me. Not saying it wasn't good for someone else, it just wasn't for me. For everything that happened, I didn't really get the emotion from it. There just wasn't a spark and it felt a bit thrown together. I was entertained and it was easy to listen to.

2.5 ⭐️

3.5 I know everyone absolutely loved this book, and I agree it was a solid read with lots of comic relief. However, it took me a bit to get into this book, and when I finally was hooked, it seemed to drag.

I did love all the characters. Obviously, I hated a few, but he did such an amazing job of capturing certain personalities that the whole time, I was laughing at how accurate it was. Overall, this book definitely makes you think about division between class and how quick humans are to turn back to tribalism. Very interesting read that seemed light on topics that are extremely heavy and concerning.

"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.