Review of Terms of Service
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Rileigh Varga
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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 futuristic sci-fi novel set 250 years into the future when artificial intelligence (AI) machines rule over the human world. In this world, genders do not exist and everyone is referred to with she/her pronouns, even if they are obviously male. Kim, the main character, starts as an ordinary person but then goes on a great adventure and her life continuously becomes more complicated. She realizes the extent of the control that the AIs have over the human world and the helplessness associated with it.
This book did a good job of building the world and the characters within it. You get a good idea of what everything looks like and how people behave in this world, which is profoundly different than our world today. Additionally, I liked how the book's foreword discusses some of the differences such as the lack of gender and the use of she/her pronouns for all characters, despite their biology. Adding that into the foreword gives the reader some insight into just how different the world is from our world today before even starting the book. Finally, I found the main character to be just the right amount of chaotic and curious- a hard balance to strike. Kim was just likable enough to keep the reader engaged, even as she continued to make bad decisions and essentially blow up her life. I personally find that when the main character is consistently making poor choices, it can make me frustrated as a reader, but this book did it in a way where I was minimally frustrated and still wanted to read.
As for negative points about the book, I found a profound lack of potential in Kim's role as a disrupter in this futuristic society. This book felt entirely like a lead-up with no satisfaction. I do notice, however, that this is the first book of a series, which makes the reader definitely want to read more books to get a fuller storyline. As a whole, I really enjoyed this book and have minimal negative comments about it.
I rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars. I found it to be engaging, unique, and interesting. The world created by Stanfill feels unique and brand new, with interesting details that few books have. Additionally, while this book doesn't feel complete on its own, I think that it makes a great start to a series to keep the readers interested in the storyline. This book felt very well edited, and I did not notice any typos, which also contributes to the 4 out of 5 star review.
This book is best suited for people who enjoy sci-fi, futuristic-style books. It is likely not for everyone, due to the nature of the world created by Stanfill and the role that technology plays. However, if you like edgy, futuristic novels with a chaotic main character, then 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 futuristic sci-fi novel set 250 years into the future when artificial intelligence (AI) machines rule over the human world. In this world, genders do not exist and everyone is referred to with she/her pronouns, even if they are obviously male. Kim, the main character, starts as an ordinary person but then goes on a great adventure and her life continuously becomes more complicated. She realizes the extent of the control that the AIs have over the human world and the helplessness associated with it.
This book did a good job of building the world and the characters within it. You get a good idea of what everything looks like and how people behave in this world, which is profoundly different than our world today. Additionally, I liked how the book's foreword discusses some of the differences such as the lack of gender and the use of she/her pronouns for all characters, despite their biology. Adding that into the foreword gives the reader some insight into just how different the world is from our world today before even starting the book. Finally, I found the main character to be just the right amount of chaotic and curious- a hard balance to strike. Kim was just likable enough to keep the reader engaged, even as she continued to make bad decisions and essentially blow up her life. I personally find that when the main character is consistently making poor choices, it can make me frustrated as a reader, but this book did it in a way where I was minimally frustrated and still wanted to read.
As for negative points about the book, I found a profound lack of potential in Kim's role as a disrupter in this futuristic society. This book felt entirely like a lead-up with no satisfaction. I do notice, however, that this is the first book of a series, which makes the reader definitely want to read more books to get a fuller storyline. As a whole, I really enjoyed this book and have minimal negative comments about it.
I rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars. I found it to be engaging, unique, and interesting. The world created by Stanfill feels unique and brand new, with interesting details that few books have. Additionally, while this book doesn't feel complete on its own, I think that it makes a great start to a series to keep the readers interested in the storyline. This book felt very well edited, and I did not notice any typos, which also contributes to the 4 out of 5 star review.
This book is best suited for people who enjoy sci-fi, futuristic-style books. It is likely not for everyone, due to the nature of the world created by Stanfill and the role that technology plays. However, if you like edgy, futuristic novels with a chaotic main character, then this is the book for you.
******
Terms of Service
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: Short Poems, Long Tales by Rashid Osmani
