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September 1, 2026
Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend Review: Five Stars, Absolutely Recommend
Jessica’s Bookshelf – Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend Review
A completely ridiculous premise, fantastic characters, sharp dialogue, and one of the most unexpectedly fun books I’ve read this year.
Title: Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend
Author: M.J. Wassmer
Genre: Fiction · Satire · Dark Comedy · Apocalyptic Fiction · Science Fiction
My Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend review almost didn’t happen. My brother recommended this book to me, and I genuinely thought he was joking.
First of all, the title. Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend? Really?
Then I read what it was about and became even more suspicious. It seemed WAY outside of what I normally read. Maybe too ridiculous? Too silly? Too much of one of those books where everyone else thinks it is hilarious and I spend the whole time rolling my eyes and wondering what I am missing?
I almost didn’t read it.
Thankfully, I did.
Because this book is a wild ride, and I had the absolute best time.
I listened to the audiobook, laughed out loud repeatedly, became completely invested in this bizarre group of people, and finished it thinking:
Five stars. Very much DO recommend.
✍️ What Is Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend About?
Dan Foster is on vacation at a tropical resort with his girlfriend, Mara. Dan considers himself something of a professional underachiever, but for the moment life is pretty good.
And then the sun explodes. Yep.
Suddenly the resort is plunged into darkness, supplies are limited, temperatures are dropping, and the wealthy guests decide they should probably be in charge. Things deteriorate from tropical vacation to class warfare remarkably quickly, and somehow Dan finds himself right in the middle of it all.
If that description sounds completely absurd, it is.
But it’s awesome.
Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend Review: What I Loved
The characters and dialogue are what made this book for me.
There are so many ridiculous personalities packed onto this island, and they play off one another perfectly. People behave badly. People surprise you. Alliances form. Power goes to people’s heads. There are characters you absolutely cannot stand and others you become strangely attached to.
And it is genuinely funny.
Not just clever-on-the-page funny.
I actually laughed out loud.
More than once.
The dialogue feels quick and natural, and the humor comes from the personalities and the completely insane situation these people find themselves in.
But underneath all of that silliness, there is actually quite a bit going on.
The book plays with class, privilege, power, leadership, fear, insecurity and what people are capable of when the normal rules suddenly disappear.
That was probably the biggest surprise for me. I expected silly.
I did not expect silly to be quite this smart.
🎧 Why I Recommend the Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend Audiobook
I listened to this one, and I highly recommend the audiobook.
This book absolutely benefits from being performed. The personalities are big, the dialogue is fast, and so much of the comedy comes from timing.
I kept finding reasons to listen a little longer because I wanted to know what these ridiculous people were going to do next.
If you look at the cover or read the premise and think, I don’t know if this is really my kind of book, try the audiobook.
That was me.
And apparently it was very much my kind of book.
The U.S. unabridged audiobook edition is narrated by Stephen R. Thorne and runs just over 11 hours.
The Book Is Ridiculous… Until It Isn’t
One of the things I liked most about Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend is that the premise gives the author permission to make everything completely outrageous.
The sun explodes.
A tropical resort becomes its own tiny civilization.
A hierarchy develops.
People start fighting over resources and deciding who deserves what.
There is a fitness influencer involved.
Obviously.
And yet, the more ridiculous things get, the more you start recognizing actual human behavior underneath all of it.
Who takes charge when everyone is scared?
Why do people follow certain leaders?
How quickly will people accept unfair rules if they are told those rules are necessary?
What happens when the people with the most resources decide they should also have the most power?
There is a lot more social commentary tucked inside this bizarre vacation apocalypse than I expected.
About M.J. Wassmer… And Why I Loved His Story
After I finished the book, I read the author’s bio.
And it made me love the book even more.
M.J. Wassmer grew up outside Memphis and, before becoming a novelist, had a rather incredible assortment of jobs. He worked as a UPS package handler, cleaned treadmills professionally, bussed tables at a steakhouse, and even played Spider-Man at children’s birthday parties. After a decade working in corporate America, he eventually left to start his own business and focus on what his website describes as his passion for writing “silly things.” Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend is his debut novel.
I LOVE THIS.
Maybe because it feels so perfectly matched to the book.
Someone followed a very nontraditional path through life, decided he wanted to write silly things, and then wrote this completely bonkers debut novel.
Five stars for the book.
Also five stars for that career path.
Meaningful Quotes From Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend
“Teamwork makes the regime work.”
Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend by M.J. Wassmer
“Mara gets shit done.”
Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend by M.J. Wassmer
Is Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend a Good Book Club Book?
I actually think this could be a really fun book club selection, especially if your group tends to read more serious books.
There is plenty to discuss beneath the comedy.
You could talk about the class structure that develops on the island, leadership, privilege, group behavior, the characters you trusted or absolutely hated, and what everyone thinks they would personally do if they were stuck in the same situation.
And sometimes book club just needs a book that makes everyone laugh.
This would be a great palate cleanser between heavier reads.
Who Should Read Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend?
I would recommend this one if you like:
- Dark comedy and satire
- Great dialogue
- Big, quirky characters
- Apocalyptic stories that don’t take themselves too seriously
- Social commentary hidden inside ridiculous situations
- Books that are genuinely fun to listen to
- Stories that make you think, “What on earth am I reading?” while also refusing to stop
And I would especially recommend it to someone who looks at this book and thinks:
This doesn’t really seem like something I would like.
Apparently those are exactly the people who need their brothers to recommend it to them.
⭐ My Rating for Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend
5 out of 5 stars
The characters are fantastic, the dialogue is hilarious, the story keeps getting more outrageous, and somehow there is enough heart and actual substance underneath it all to make the whole ridiculous thing work.
Zero stars? Absolutely not.
Five stars.
Do recommend.
Final Thoughts: Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend Review
One of my favorite things about reading is occasionally picking up something that is completely outside of what I think I like.
Sometimes it confirms that, yes, there are genres I simply do not enjoy.
And sometimes you find Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend.
This book surprised me in the best possible way.
It was ridiculous and clever and weird and genuinely funny. I loved the characters. I loved the dialogue. I laughed out loud. And the audiobook made the whole experience even better.
So, thank you to my brother for the recommendation that I was absolutely convinced was a joke.
I stand corrected.
Five stars. Absolutely recommend.
🔗 Next on My Reading List:
✨ Eve by B.K O’Connor
✨ See what else I’ve been reading on Jessica’s Bookshelf
If you’ve read Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend – Did you expect to like this book as much as you did?
Sincerely,
Jessica
