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 pushed through the heavy glass doors and hurried from the Oversight Center.


Brin was waiting on the platform in front of our homes when I exited the monorail. “Aine!” she cried, launching herself at me. I caught her before she could knock us both to the ground, and she gave me a fierce hug that threatened to crack my ribs. “I was so worried when they took you away! What happened? Where’d you go? Why—”


With a humorless laugh, I gave her a quick kiss to silence her. “I’m fine,” I assured her. How much could I tell her? I wanted to tell someone about the black pill—I had to, I felt it burning within me—but our seventieth year was so far into the future, it probably wouldn’t have bothered her too much to know what happened during the elders’ final ride around the Colony.


Chapter 49