Review of Terms of Service
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Alison Kempkey
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- Latest Review: Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill
Review of Terms of Service
[Following is a volunteer review of "Terms of Service" by Craig W. Stanfill.]
I knew the moment I started "Terms of Service", which includes its own 'Terms of Service' which serve as a sort of eerie introduction to the story, I was in for an excellent read. From the first chapter you feel as though you, the reader, are in some way bound to these terms. It makes for an eerie and exciting start to this incredibly original and thought provoking story. My emotions were a delightedly tangled mess throughout, and the author, Craig W. Stanfill, does a thorough job of leading the reader through a gauntlet of mixed raw emotions.
Kim, our everyday and seemingly average human, leads an average life, works an average job and faces the monotony of her life with ambiguity and acceptance. The building of Kim's world is where the authors surgical writing precision really shines. As the reader, I accepted that Kim's life was exactly as it should be and all the people in her world were living precisely as they desired. In chapter one, Kim explains how her kitchen appliances, powered by AI, knew exactly what she wanted and needed due to health monitors implanted in her body. The casual phrasing made me realize how commonplace and ingrained AI was in Kim's world, which lead to me accepting that AI was, in fact, everyday life and took an ever present and ever watchful background position in the story. You, the reader, feel the presence while you read and its both unsettling and exciting.
As Kim proceeds through an AI integrated life and world, she begins to feel and see subtle shifts in her day to day life that lead to massive existential questions about her reality. As she works through these questions and feelings, she finds her life, and perhaps her entire world, may not be what she thought they were. Is anything about her life real? Is she real?
When I finished this story, I realized the author had me precisely where he wanted me the entire read. This realization, coupled with the ending of the story, made me feel viscerally connected to Kim. I wasn't just reading about Kim's emotions and dilemmas, I was actually feeling them as I read. My mind was blown.
This book has it all- drama, intrigue, raw emotions, trauma and connection. I found myself connecting to and sympathizing with Kim on so many levels, while also yelling at her out of frustration throughout the story. The story is completely original, the world is beyond unique and the characters are all compelling and take up the exact right amount of space. The message is timely but also timeless.
The ending feels blunt after such a detailed dive into Kim's world and emotions. The ending felt a bit rushed and ended on a slow burn of a cliffhanger, but was still satisfying.
The book is exceptionally well edited. 5 out of 5.
I am anxiously awaiting the second book so I can join Kim again in her world and see where her story goes. This story would make an incredible motion picture!
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
I knew the moment I started "Terms of Service", which includes its own 'Terms of Service' which serve as a sort of eerie introduction to the story, I was in for an excellent read. From the first chapter you feel as though you, the reader, are in some way bound to these terms. It makes for an eerie and exciting start to this incredibly original and thought provoking story. My emotions were a delightedly tangled mess throughout, and the author, Craig W. Stanfill, does a thorough job of leading the reader through a gauntlet of mixed raw emotions.
Kim, our everyday and seemingly average human, leads an average life, works an average job and faces the monotony of her life with ambiguity and acceptance. The building of Kim's world is where the authors surgical writing precision really shines. As the reader, I accepted that Kim's life was exactly as it should be and all the people in her world were living precisely as they desired. In chapter one, Kim explains how her kitchen appliances, powered by AI, knew exactly what she wanted and needed due to health monitors implanted in her body. The casual phrasing made me realize how commonplace and ingrained AI was in Kim's world, which lead to me accepting that AI was, in fact, everyday life and took an ever present and ever watchful background position in the story. You, the reader, feel the presence while you read and its both unsettling and exciting.
As Kim proceeds through an AI integrated life and world, she begins to feel and see subtle shifts in her day to day life that lead to massive existential questions about her reality. As she works through these questions and feelings, she finds her life, and perhaps her entire world, may not be what she thought they were. Is anything about her life real? Is she real?
When I finished this story, I realized the author had me precisely where he wanted me the entire read. This realization, coupled with the ending of the story, made me feel viscerally connected to Kim. I wasn't just reading about Kim's emotions and dilemmas, I was actually feeling them as I read. My mind was blown.
This book has it all- drama, intrigue, raw emotions, trauma and connection. I found myself connecting to and sympathizing with Kim on so many levels, while also yelling at her out of frustration throughout the story. The story is completely original, the world is beyond unique and the characters are all compelling and take up the exact right amount of space. The message is timely but also timeless.
The ending feels blunt after such a detailed dive into Kim's world and emotions. The ending felt a bit rushed and ended on a slow burn of a cliffhanger, but was still satisfying.
The book is exceptionally well edited. 5 out of 5.
I am anxiously awaiting the second book so I can join Kim again in her world and see where her story goes. This story would make an incredible motion picture!
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill
