Dan Foster has convinced his girlfriend Mara to vacation with him on an isolated island in the Bahamas. They are having a good time at this all-inclusive resort. Sure, they’re not staying in the most expensive part, Building A, where the rich and famous are housed. (There’s a rumor that Simon Cowell is there.) But neither are they in the low-end C Building with few amenities. What could go wrong?
The sun could explode. Or implode. No one quite knows what happened, but the sun is no longer in the sky. Everyone is plunged into darkness. There is no cell reception and no way off the island — if there is anywhere to go.
This is the premise of MJ Wassmer’s debut novel, Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend, which may be the most entertaining apocalyptic novel of the year. Or any year.
As any afficionado of apocalyptic stories knows, the real danger of the end of the world is not the disaster itself. It’s the human reaction to the disaster. Fans of The Walking Dead would rather take their chances with zombies than the Governor. In this novel, the ruthless are the privileged citizens of Building A. They quickly take over, putting everyone else on rations and work detail. They are led by one Lilyanna Collins, founder of Beachbod by Lilyanna, which is very likely a pyramid scheme. After consulting God — “like I do every time I need to make a decision” — Lilyanna issues orders:
“So Building A has come up with a system. Just like back home, everyone pitches in, everyone eats. Tomorrow morning, our fabulous staff members are going to be passin’ out pitch-in cards for y’all. Nothing hard, nothin’ backbreaking, just stuff we need to get done if we hope to make it without freezin’ to death out here. That would not be cute. And no moaning!” She laughed. “I picked my pitch-in card just before, and I got laundry duty. Anyone who watches my Insta story knows how I feel about laundry!”
But just in case religion and a downhome personality don’t work, Lilyanna has another ace up her sleeve: Rico, the head of security, a man who just may have been waiting for civilization to crumble so he can be brutal without consequences.
In such circumstances, what is an average underachieving guy like Dan Foster supposed to do? He has one goal: to help his girlfriend get back home to her mother. That’s it. She is his only priority. The problem is that other people’s needs keep getting in the way.
Of course, you can’t have an apocalypse without some casualties. People suffer in Zero Stars. People are killed. People betray each other. Even those who consider themselves good and decent must face up to the choices they are willing to make. One of the inhabitants of Building B, Alan, who’s come to the island with his husband, Charles, says it straight out:
“Heroics died with the sun. Here’s all that’s left: people who survive, and people who don’t. Charles is going to survive. I am too. So will our boys. I’m inviting each of you to survive. To not die on this fucking island like the rest of them. It’s hard, I know. But it’s reality.”
Despite the grimness of the situation, Zero Stars is a fun read. The supporting characters are entertaining and a good reminder that you never know who your compatriots will be when the worst happens. Lilyanna’s husband, Pete, is a preacher in a megachurch who is incapable of being anything other than superficial. Leonard Fava, the deli-owning, Springsteen-loving Jersey guy, believes everyone can be saved. And since any story about an epic natural catastrophe needs a scientist, there’s an astronomer named Shae on the island who seems to be as flummoxed by the sun’s disappearance as everyone else.
As for our hero Dan Foster, he may be confronting the end of the world, but he also has time to suffer from an early midlife crisis, run his mouth when he shouldn’t, and notice the craziness of the situation around him. Readers will conclude that if you have to suffer through the apocalypse, it’s better to do so with a guy like Dan Foster around. Or a storyteller like MJ Wassmer.
Faye Jones, dean of learning resources at Nashville State Community College, writes the Jolly Librarian blog for the college’s Mayfield Library. She earned her doctorate in 19th century literature at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Tagged: 2024 Southern Festival of Books, Book Reviews, Fiction
