Sixteen year old Aine lives in the Colony, and his whole life was decided before he was born. In two years he will marry the girl next door, Brin, who was assigned as his Other at birth. Then he will be given a position in the Colony's workforce that best suits his talents. Each night he takes four pills, like everyone else in the Colony, and he knows the pills keep them safe and their world in order. Everything is fine. Perfect, in fact. Until Aine accidentally drops one of his pills. Terrified, he tries to hide the mistake, but when he dreams for the first time in his life, he discovers all he's been missing. What scares him more than not taking the pill, though, is how alive his dreams make him feel. Because it isn't Brin he dreams of but his best friend Kyer. Another boy. Suddenly Aine's world turns upside down, and he doesn't know what to think or who to trust. All he knows for sure is he's falling in love with Kyer, which is forbidden by the Colony's Code, and he will do anything to protect their budding relationship. Even if it means defying the Overseer and leaving the Colony behind.

The Colony Book 1: Rebellion

Speaking of, if I didn’t get moving, I would be late.


But when I tried to rise from the table, my mother stopped me with a stern look. “Are you sureyou’re all right, Aine? You barely touched your food. Maybe you should head on over to the Health Center before class.”


“I’m fine,” I said again. I sat back down and shoveled food into my mouth, swallowing without chewing, trying not to think of eggs or sausage or extinct animals. Instead I focused my mind on the memory of Kyer’s hand on my leg—it had felt so real! Were all dreams like that?


“All done.” I pushed back my plate and stood again. Before my mother could protest, I wiped my mouth with a cloth napkin and hurried around the table to give her a quick, one-armed hug. “Have a great day at work. Bye, you guys.”


Chapter 5