Review of Terms of Service

[Samantha Barnes 3]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Terms of Service" by Craig W. Stanfill.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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The novel Terms of Service: Subject to Change Without Notice by Craig W. Stanfill is a dystopian sci-fi book following the protagonist, Kim, as she makes unsettling discoveries about her society. Kim lives in a world highly influenced by the power of artificial intelligence; however, after meeting up with an old friend, Kim agrees to go on a bike ride that would unknowingly change her life forever.

Artificial intelligence, also known as AIs, controls almost everything in Kim's life, from her bland meals provided by her uncooperative refrigerator to her dull clothes that are similar to everyone else's. The AI is also constantly watching for any sign of a misdemeanor or violation of the rules. Kim works a tedious job at the AI company where she is in charge of training robots to catch people in the act of any misconduct so that they can be reported and receive whatever penance is deemed appropriate.

The author did an excellent job building the dystopian society and explaining all the rules. The terms of service are even listed before the story begins, which is a very clever introduction to the novel. The book starts slow, which was nice because it gave me a chance to dive into the story and understand the protagonist and all the many rules of her society.

I also enjoyed reading about Kim's interactions with her household appliances. Although this may appear like an odd statement, Kim's household appliances are also AI, and, at times, it even seems as if they have their own personality. Even though the book was serious and had a dark tone, I found the disagreements between Kim and her refrigerator to be excellent comic relief. My favorite part of the entire novel was when Kim had to apologize to the house robot as it had hidden in the closet with the toaster and coffee maker.

There was nothing I disliked about this book. The plot flowed smoothly and was full of interesting discoveries. When I reached the end of the novel, I was excited to read the next book in the series and find out what happens to the protagonist in the next stage of her life.

Due to the reasons listed above, I rated this novel 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend this book to mature readers over the age of 18 who enjoy dystopian novels. Anyone who is interested in AI would also find this book to be very intriguing.

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Terms of Service
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