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

“Wait,” she said again, struggling against him. “Aine—”


Then the doors slid shut and the train rocketed off, leaving me behind.


I took the steps down two at a time and strolled back to the classroom. The next train wouldn’t be by for another fifteen minutes or so, which meant I didn’t have to hurry. When I reached the door of our school building, Teacher Mendra was coming out the door, her arms full. One of the items she carried was my console.


“Aine!” she called when she spotted me. She waved my console in the air as if trying to get my attention. “You forgot this. I was going to drop it by your house on my way home. Can’t do your homework without it!”


I took the console and flashed her a bright smile. “Thanks. I was just coming back for it.”


Chapter 53