Review of Terms of Service

[cat noir]

[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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Terms of Service is a work of science fiction set in the future. Authored by Craig W. Stanfill, the story is divided into three parts and consists of 19 chapters. The first few chapters solely describe the society in which the plot is set in.

Kim was an automaton trainer and led a very mundane life. The mundane lifestyle she led wasn’t a result of her actions, but rather the society in which she was living. That was what an AI-controlled society was like. From food to dating, everything functioned based on a set of rules. Even living seemed like a procedure, and Kim was tired of it. Everything turned upside down after a spontaneous adventure with Shan, her best friend. Shan was impulsive and often dragged Kim into trouble. They had barely managed to escape the consequences in the past, but that wasn’t the case anymore. Kim was offered an opportunity by the company, and she had no choice but to accept it. Suddenly her social status was boosted, and she had access to better things in life, but Kim knew better. Everything came at a price, but was she ready for it?

Kim’s character was a bit complicated for me to understand. All the characters in the book were quite peculiar. Shan was the only one who was expressive and unapologetically herself. The rest were bound by the rules of society, especially Kim, who did things she knew were wrong. One of my favourite aspects of the book was the significant character development Kim underwent. I couldn’t find anything interesting about Kim as the plot began, but as it progressed, the tables were turned.

The author has done an excellent job describing what an AI-controlled society was like. I was extremely frustrated with the lack of emotions, and the mundane lifestyle everyone was expected to follow in the plot. It took me some time to properly understand the rules of society. The plot had a specific vocabulary. I came across terms like selfists, genderists and many more. Despite the incredibly boring life portrayed in the plot, the author has included elements of surreal humour. There is nothing I dislike about the book.

I would like to rate Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill five out of five stars. The book is exceptionally well edited. I would recommend this book to mature audiences who prefer themes such as robots, sci-fi and futuristic plots. Although the plot started slow, I was buzzing with anticipation as the plot ended. I am looking forward to reading the sequel.

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Terms of Service
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