Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
A man must fight for his planet against impossible odds when gamers from Earth attempt to remotely annihilate it in this epic, fast-paced novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the smash-hit Dungeon Crawler Carl.
All colonist Oliver Lewis ever wanted to do was run the family ranch with his sister, maybe play a gig or two with his band, and keep his family’s aging fleet of intelligent agriculture bots ticking as long as possible. He figures it will be a good thing when the transfer gate finally opens all the way and restores instant travel and full communication between Earth and his planet, New Sonora. But there’s a complication.
Even though the settlers were promised they’d be left in peace, Earth’s government now has other plans. The colossal Apex Industries is hired to commence an “eviction action.” But maximizing profits will always be Apex’s number one priority. Why spend money printing and deploying AI soldiers when they can turn it into a game? Why not charge bored Earthers for the opportunity to design their own war machines and remotely pilot them from the comfort of their homes?
The game is called Operation Bounce House.
Oliver and his friends soon find themselves fighting for their lives against machines piloted by gamers who’ve paid a premium for the privilege. With the help of an old book from his grandfather and a bucket of rusty parts, Oliver is determined to defend the only home he’s ever known.
My Review
Operation Bounce House surprised me, but in a really good way! I couldn’t help comparing Operation Bounce House to Dungeon Crawler Carl (of which I am a HUGE fan!). While Operation Bounce House does share some DNA with DCC, especially in the writing style and certain sci fi concepts, it quickly becomes clear that this is its own story with its own emotional core.
It took me a bit longer to settle into than I expected, and the beginning was heavier on exposition, but once the story finds its footing I was FULLY invested.
What really worked for me were the quieter, more human moments between the action scenes, when the characters are talking, planning, and thinking about their lives and future together. By the time I reached the ending, which went in a direction that I genuinely did not see coming, I was completely on board and emotionally hooked!
THE GOOD:
- Lulu is my absolute favorite, standout character. I thought her online cam-girl persona would be a joke, but it was actually explored in-depth and her role as an online adult creator actually matters to the story, which is something I never see in sci fi and really appreciated here.
- The emotional moments really land and kept me invested even when the action slowed down.
- The mix of fast, chaotic action and quieter, reflective scenes worked extremely well for me.
- Some of my favorite parts are when nothing is actively exploding and Ollie and the gang are just sitting around the farm, talking through plans and logistics with Roger, the AI character.
- The ending took me by surprise (and I loved it!)
- Cindy the pig and Betty Sue the chicken are perfect, I love them, and would die for them
- There are Dungeon Crawler Carl Easter eggs, and they’ll be pretty obvious to DCC fans!
THE NOT-AS-GOOD:
- The beginning is slow and pretty heavy on exposition. It took a while for the plot to really start moving.
- I did not feel fully invested until about the halfway point, which is later than I usually like.
- I would have loved to spend more time getting to know some of the secondary characters.
THE NEUTRAL:
- If you’ve read Dungeon Crawler Carl, it can be a little hard not to compare Operation Bounce House and DCC at first. The writing style and some of the sci fi elements are similar, but Operation Bounce House is very much its own story.
- I usually do not love epilogues that focus heavily on babies, but this was the ONE time that I actually wanted to see babies in the epilogue!
OVERALL RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Operation Bounce House delivers Matt Dinniman’s trademark humor, emotional weight, and delightful characters that are easy to get attached to!
PERFECT FOR:
- Readers who enjoy sci-fi that balances action with emotional, character-driven moments
- Fans of found-family (and real family) dynamics
- Anyone who likes their high-concept science fiction grounded in very human concerns about community, survival, and the future
