Review of Terms of Service

[Manuela Gomes]

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

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4 out of 5 stars

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Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill is an outstanding piece of sci-fi literature. The story follows Kim, who works for The Company, a corporation that runs every aspect of the citizens' life. She works with AIs and has an acceptable life, though she doesn't feel entirely comfortable with it. Through the course of the story, Kim will encounter adventures and misadventures that will lead her to a massive turn in her life. The author explores themes of romantic love, friendship, privacy, and the government's role in society; all through Kim's perspective.

Even though this book has multiple things to highlight, they wouldn't fit all in this review. Starting with an outstanding writing style, and following with the clarity in which concepts such as AIs and advanced technology are explained for readers, such as me, who are not keen on the area. In no moment I felt lost or confused regarding those subjects, and that allowed me to fully concentrate on the story and Kim's path.

Despite all of the good aspects, this book was not spotless. At moments, the pacing felt a little too slow, and the story was so absorbed in Kim's experience of the world that a lot of possibly interesting perspectives from other characters were not explored, leaving them only to serve Kim's story. Another issue I had with the book was that Kim's personality did not feel constant throughout the story. Of course, the character has to have an arch and change as time passes, but it didn't look as if Kim had a consistent and formed way of acting. Sometimes, she acted in some way and others made a choice that did not make sense for her character at all. Even though this issue was important, it in no way made the story or the book less of a reflective experience of how we live in society and how the choices we make affect our reality.

I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. Except for some points, it is an extraordinary piece of literature. The story feels coherent with the world that is placed while being relatable to the reader. The editing is amazing, as I was pleased to find no errors in the whole book.

I am tempted to recommend this book to everyone, but being completely honest and realistic, I would recommend it to teenagers, young adults, and adults who are interested in sci-fi, technology, and specifically AIs, and overall for someone who wants a medium-paced and slow-burn story, that channels every aspect of someone's life.

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Terms of Service
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