5 out of 5 stars
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Do you remember the last time you read the Terms of Service of that product you acquired? What would you do if upon reading them, you realized that you do not agree with them? What would you do if the Company realized you have been breaking them?
For Kim, every day seems the same. The Hierarchy constantly updates the Terms of Service, carefully watching everyone’s activities to ensure a perfect life. Good social ratings, working, the AIs choosing breakfast, updating the shopping list, choosing the best transport routes, and eventually a night out with friends in Virtual Reality. Kim had everything she could want, and yet, her life is empty, meaningless. Everything starts to change when an innocent adventure with an old friend takes Kim past the legal boundaries, where she finds things that are not supposed to exist and starts questioning what she has been told. Will these changes in Kim’s life fill the emptiness she has been feeling? Are they just going to make everything worse?
Terms of service: Subject to Change Without Notice by Craig W. Stanfill is a futuristic science fiction novel that reminds me a little of George Orwell’s 1984, where privacy and individualism cannot exist. I was worried that this was going to be the typical dystopian novel about being controlled, but I was glad that was not the case. This novel is amazing, completely original, and full of surprises.
I liked that the author made it possible for the reader to feel exactly what Kim was feeling, from that emptiness to happiness, and everything in between. The descriptions were vivid, and I could see myself standing next to Kim waiting for the bus or having breakfast.
The author, Craig W. Stanfill has a Ph.D. in artificial intelligence. While I do not know much about it, this background helped him write his amazing novel, creating a realistic and puzzling Virtual Reality. This book is thought-provoking and has left me wondering what the future might look like, and how I would act if I were Kim.
Overall, I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. The book is professionally edited, without any errors, repetitiveness, or tedious scenes, this is one of the best fiction books I have read. There is nothing I disliked about the book, and I am looking forward to the next.
Science fiction readers will absolutely devour this book; however only young adults and adults should read this book as the content is of mature nature. The book also talks about constant alcohol consumption and drug use which some readers might be offended by.
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Terms of Service
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