Ch1 of Terms & Conditions by veelozada

STOP If You Want To Read This Story. Spoilers Ahead.

For those new here, I strongly recommend reading All About Frankly Speakin' before diving into my thoughts.

Great! Let's get started :)

The title lured me in. I was hunting for sci-fi stories that had made it into the Wattys shortlist last week, and this one delightfully popped up in my feed. The cover was alluring too – it made me want to read the story inside. The blurb had some predictability in terms of the plot, like fighting against the system and finding love along the way, but hey, who doesn't love this trope?

It was nice?

I got goosebumps while I began reading this chapter. This story did get its predictions about VR right, now that Meta and other tech giants are on their way to making such gizmos. It was also nice to meet the main protagonist and some of the supporting cast. However, I felt something was missing...like not that many hooks to grab me into the plot, you know?

In Romance, the hooks are the first meets. Mysteries either have a dead body, a missing case, or both. In Sci-fi, it's that you're slapped in the face with a new world or species. This first chapter, however, was a toned-down version, as it focused on the setup of the main protagonist. And even though a new world was introduced, I was not that fascinated by it and thus didn't want to know more.

I also now find the cover misleading, because the story is set in the 2030s and features much more advanced technologies. There are no headsets, and it's not the 2010s to have that image.

Unfortunately, no. I really admire and respect the author, but I won't be reading further. The story is slow-paced for me, and there are no hooks to hold me in place until the 'Big Bang!' occurs.

But that's just my judgment. I'm sure you'll find this story more interesting. Let me know your thoughts on Terms and Conditions by veelozada here >>>

Until next time,

Ruki