HopeStreet

HopeStreet
by Bel Terrill
Published by Pete’s Press
Review by Toby A. Welch  
$24.99 ISBN 9781997713029

If you’re into dystopian stories with a tech twist, HopeStreet needs to be on your radar.

HopeStreet centres around a city named Toivo – picture a futuristic, grim version of Toronto. It is a bleak city ruled by AI that has stripped its residents of autonomy and joy. Enter HopeStreet, a total-immersion virtual reality game where users plug into gamer pods and all their senses are replaced. Players design a world they want to live in and everything they see, touch, feel, and taste is real.

The main character, Tycho, is a Basic, a term referring to people who aren’t Plugged. Plugged people wear a Piece behind their ear, a device that allows for seamless communication but also allows others to see what they are thinking and feeling. Those who wear a Piece are safe but also easily controlled by governing bodies. The Plugged/Basic divide is an interesting concept. Sadly, the the number of free-thinking Basic people in Toivo are dwindling by the day. 

The intrigue keeps ramping up as Tycho and his group of rebel friends infiltrate HopeStreet in an attempt to keep AI from taking over the world. Tycho is an infuriating character at times as his actions make me want to throttle him. Although he is frustrating, he is ultimately sympathetic as he has the best of intentions: a deep desire to save his people and his city.  

HopeStreet is a cool place, a world only possible in your imagination. Terrill described it superbly in chapter twelve: “The architecture defied the normative constraints of the physical world. Houses soared into the pastel sky, some resembling teetering towers, fairy tale castles, or elephant minarets, while others sprawled across the ground like giant rabbit warrens or catacombs. … Tycho could just make out a hovering citadel floating on the horizon. A flying township!” But there were also picture-perfect cottages and live-in caves. “The cityscape was an ever-changing mural, showing off the boundless creativity of its inhabitants.” 

Dystopian and futuristic novels are fascinating. Limited only by an author’s imagination, readers can dive into a world that stretches credibility while simultaneously being a possibility. After all, who knows what the future really holds? What sets HopeStreet apart is how close it feels – its technology isn’t far-fetched, just slightly ahead of us.

While Terrill wrapped up the story nicely, she left the door open for a sequel to HopeStreet. That hunch was confirmed in the About The Author section where Terrill declared she is “currently working on a sequel.” I am excited to see where book number two takes the characters who live in Toivo.

For fans of dystopian science fiction, HopeStreet is a must-read. Whether you’re a teenager or an adult, this futuristic world delivers plenty of compelling – and unsettling – surprises! 

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