Review of Terms of Service
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Lizz Howell
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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.]
Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill is a dystopian novel, supposedly set in the future but meant to cause the reader to think about their life in the 21st century. The main character, Kim, desires nothing more than to blend in with the crowd, but her use to the Company demands that she stand out. As she navigates the precarious path that has been set for her since before her birth, she finds love, loss, and a longing for freedom that can never truly be attained.
The novel does a fantastic job of making the reader question the hold that capitalism has on their daily life, and the world reminiscent of The Hunger Games' Capitol is clearly defined. The lack of gender identity allows anyone to put themselves in the protagonist's place and consider what the future might hold for them, and the AIs, a key proponent of the story, clearly have had extensive research and consideration integrated into their conception. The writing, as a whole, is well-done, and I found myself so enthralled that I would step away during work to continue reading.
I would note that the exposition in the first chapter is distracting--a "show; don't tell" approach to how the neural network functions would be more effective than explaining that it is not mysterious how the housebot knows how to make Kim's coffee, for example, and why does she have to tell the housebot that she needs hangover meds if the neural network informs her house when she will want coffee? Additionally, there are a few situations where the language choices ruin the immersion of the story; in a world set so far in the future that English is considered a classical language, why should "Lol" have survived? Additionally, while the lack of gender and insistence that no one be limited to a single sexuality may seem inclusive, the "gotcha" moment at the end (which is unnec, where the novel is stated to be "happening now," paired with the crackdowns on anyone who is not inherently pansexual, could almost be seen as the author taking issue with the prevalence of the LGBTQIA+ community in society. (There are multiple mentions of same-sex couples that are also punished for their sexuality, so I do not believe that this was the author's intention, but it could be seen as such).
I rate this book four out of five stars. It got me invested, held my attention, and forced me to consider the world around me and how we are monitored and marketed to every waking moment. I wanted to keep reading even when I realized how it would likely end, and I look forward to seeing how the reluctant Katniss who is Kim will proceed in future books.
I would recommend this book to young adults and anyone who finds themselves increasingly uncomfortable with the prevalence of human monitoring in today's society. If you are annoyed by Amazon, Google, and Facebook listening to your every word and using even your most private thoughts as yet another means to advertise, this is the book for you.
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Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill is a dystopian novel, supposedly set in the future but meant to cause the reader to think about their life in the 21st century. The main character, Kim, desires nothing more than to blend in with the crowd, but her use to the Company demands that she stand out. As she navigates the precarious path that has been set for her since before her birth, she finds love, loss, and a longing for freedom that can never truly be attained.
The novel does a fantastic job of making the reader question the hold that capitalism has on their daily life, and the world reminiscent of The Hunger Games' Capitol is clearly defined. The lack of gender identity allows anyone to put themselves in the protagonist's place and consider what the future might hold for them, and the AIs, a key proponent of the story, clearly have had extensive research and consideration integrated into their conception. The writing, as a whole, is well-done, and I found myself so enthralled that I would step away during work to continue reading.
I would note that the exposition in the first chapter is distracting--a "show; don't tell" approach to how the neural network functions would be more effective than explaining that it is not mysterious how the housebot knows how to make Kim's coffee, for example, and why does she have to tell the housebot that she needs hangover meds if the neural network informs her house when she will want coffee? Additionally, there are a few situations where the language choices ruin the immersion of the story; in a world set so far in the future that English is considered a classical language, why should "Lol" have survived? Additionally, while the lack of gender and insistence that no one be limited to a single sexuality may seem inclusive, the "gotcha" moment at the end (which is unnec, where the novel is stated to be "happening now," paired with the crackdowns on anyone who is not inherently pansexual, could almost be seen as the author taking issue with the prevalence of the LGBTQIA+ community in society. (There are multiple mentions of same-sex couples that are also punished for their sexuality, so I do not believe that this was the author's intention, but it could be seen as such).
I rate this book four out of five stars. It got me invested, held my attention, and forced me to consider the world around me and how we are monitored and marketed to every waking moment. I wanted to keep reading even when I realized how it would likely end, and I look forward to seeing how the reluctant Katniss who is Kim will proceed in future books.
I would recommend this book to young adults and anyone who finds themselves increasingly uncomfortable with the prevalence of human monitoring in today's society. If you are annoyed by Amazon, Google, and Facebook listening to your every word and using even your most private thoughts as yet another means to advertise, this is the book for you.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill
