A young couple's relaxing vacation in the Bahamas descends into a dystopian nightmare when the sun disappears in MJ Wassmer's satirical, high-stakes debut novel, Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend.
Twenty-nine-year-old underachieving marketing drone Dan and his girlfriend, Mara, are several Miller Lites into their beach time when the sun explodes, in a surprisingly understated visual: "It was like someone had pelted Earth with an egg. The yolk dripped down the side of the sky and was gone." Their resort is left with backup generators, no way to contact the rest of the world, and no transportation off the island. Mara worries about her ailing mother. Dan, who often defaults to stereotypical male posturing when unsure of himself, promises to fix the situation and get Mara home, but has no idea how. A neighbor from their resort building tells Dan there's a plane on the island and that he can fly it, if Dan can help him get to it. But the plan is easier said than done after a megastar fitness influencer staying at the resort's VIP building crowns herself de facto dictator and turns the island into a labor camp controlled by the richest guests. Dan must decide whether to prioritize saving Mara or fight back for the good of everyone.
This light sci-fi thriller is a smart-talking and unexpectedly moving look at human nature. Wassmer hilariously pokes fun at lifestyle gurus and the mob mentality while exploring the fallout of an expectation-laden upbringing turning into a mediocre adulthood. As in all great satires, the humor here works because of its foundations in truth. Many stars, would recommend. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads