Review of Terms of Service
-
Shem Murundu
- Book of the Month Participant
- Posts: 522
- Joined: 30 Nov 2022, 06:33
- Favorite Book: The Magician's Secret
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 51
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-blackstenius.html
- Latest Review: Amora by Grant Hallstrom
Review of Terms of Service
[Following is a volunteer review of "Terms of Service" by Craig W. Stanfill.]
It’s a new world, under a new regime. A new order of things, run by artificial intelligence. A dystopian world where new-born babies are the property of the government, motherhood is frowned at, and people who push to nurture their own children are labelled ‘cultists.’ Total surveillance is the order: everything is monitored and recorded. The law, referred to as ‘terms of service’, is determined by the various companies and ‘the Hierarchy’, and any violation of these terms results in severe punishments.
Set in a futuristic world, the novel Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill centers around Kim, a young lady who works at the Artificial Intelligence Company as a trainer for automatons (devices that cannot think for themselves). Having majored in the subject of artificial intelligence at school, Kim hopes to rise to the upper echelons of the company. She begins low, but eventually rises to the top. However, despite her new high social rank that comes with great privileges, Kim experiences feelings of emptiness, loneliness and sadness. She binge-drinks vodka and binge-watches videos in an effort to suppress these disturbing feelings, all in vain. She’s of great value to the company, but her part in causing suffering to other humans through her surveillance work leaves her conscience greatly disturbed. Kim is ultimately left with two options: to live a comfortable but unhappy life in support of the oppressive regime, or to live an uncomfortable but happy life. What choice will she make?
I found this book exciting, and to say I couldn’t wait to get to the next chapter is an understatement. The book has a great plot, and I loved the plot twists, specifically the unexpected results of Kim’s numerous violations of the terms of service. I also liked the part of the ‘Awakening’, when Kim’s AI version is brought into life; the process of breaking the symmetry between the human and the AI was exciting. The book’s ending was also great. Considering this book is a prequel to another one, it’s ending sets a good precedent for the sequel. The book’s relevance can also not be understated as it addresses pertinent current-day issues such as censorship. The fact that the book doesn’t use any strong language is also commendable.
What I disliked was the companies' and the Hierarchy's hypocritical nature of placing burdens upon the citizens’ shoulders that they themselves could not carry. I also got confused by the genders of some of the minor characters, especially during Kim’s dates.
On the part of editing, I encountered a few minor spelling and typographical errors. However, the plot was great and exciting, and it’s ending perfectly sets the stage for the next book. Because the errors were more than ten, I give the book a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
Fans of adventure and science fiction will love this book. There are a few sex scenes in the book, and therefore the book is somehow unfit for minor audiences.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
It’s a new world, under a new regime. A new order of things, run by artificial intelligence. A dystopian world where new-born babies are the property of the government, motherhood is frowned at, and people who push to nurture their own children are labelled ‘cultists.’ Total surveillance is the order: everything is monitored and recorded. The law, referred to as ‘terms of service’, is determined by the various companies and ‘the Hierarchy’, and any violation of these terms results in severe punishments.
Set in a futuristic world, the novel Terms of Service by Craig W. Stanfill centers around Kim, a young lady who works at the Artificial Intelligence Company as a trainer for automatons (devices that cannot think for themselves). Having majored in the subject of artificial intelligence at school, Kim hopes to rise to the upper echelons of the company. She begins low, but eventually rises to the top. However, despite her new high social rank that comes with great privileges, Kim experiences feelings of emptiness, loneliness and sadness. She binge-drinks vodka and binge-watches videos in an effort to suppress these disturbing feelings, all in vain. She’s of great value to the company, but her part in causing suffering to other humans through her surveillance work leaves her conscience greatly disturbed. Kim is ultimately left with two options: to live a comfortable but unhappy life in support of the oppressive regime, or to live an uncomfortable but happy life. What choice will she make?
I found this book exciting, and to say I couldn’t wait to get to the next chapter is an understatement. The book has a great plot, and I loved the plot twists, specifically the unexpected results of Kim’s numerous violations of the terms of service. I also liked the part of the ‘Awakening’, when Kim’s AI version is brought into life; the process of breaking the symmetry between the human and the AI was exciting. The book’s ending was also great. Considering this book is a prequel to another one, it’s ending sets a good precedent for the sequel. The book’s relevance can also not be understated as it addresses pertinent current-day issues such as censorship. The fact that the book doesn’t use any strong language is also commendable.
What I disliked was the companies' and the Hierarchy's hypocritical nature of placing burdens upon the citizens’ shoulders that they themselves could not carry. I also got confused by the genders of some of the minor characters, especially during Kim’s dates.
On the part of editing, I encountered a few minor spelling and typographical errors. However, the plot was great and exciting, and it’s ending perfectly sets the stage for the next book. Because the errors were more than ten, I give the book a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
Fans of adventure and science fiction will love this book. There are a few sex scenes in the book, and therefore the book is somehow unfit for minor audiences.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Last bumped by Shem Murundu on 09 Jan 2023, 20:21.
The gift turned out to be a curse. They killed him with kindness.
Latest Review: Amora by Grant Hallstrom
