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

I sensed Kyer was miffed because I didn’t tell the Physician I’d missed my pill, but he held his tongue until we found a pair of seats on the train. Then he leaned over my armrest and murmured, “You didn’t say anything.”


I knew what he meant. “She didn’t ask.”


“You could’ve offered,” Kyer argued.


Before I could answer, someone sank into the seat opposite him and he pulled away. I glanced at our travel companion—a woman my mother’s age, with long, dark hair tied up off her neck and an uncharacteristic smudge of soot or dirt on the front of her white tunic. She saw me look and wiped ineffectually at the spot.


I gave her a strained smile and turned towards the window as the Colony began to rush by. I was all too aware of Kyer’s closeness—his hand resting just inches from mine, his leg hovering nearby. I could move my foot and nudge his, get him to look at me, share a secret grin…


“The pills are a lie,” the woman across from us said suddenly.


Chapter 17