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

As soon as I entered the alcove, I heard it—the telltale beepof my tag being read.


I shook my head to clear it. No, I wouldn’t be scared off that easily. I had at least fifteen minutes before the next train came, which meant fifteen minutes to look around before anyone might stop me. I would see everything I could in that short amount of time.


The walls of the alcove completely blocked out any sight of the sea or sand or sky beyond. On the left, a stairwell descended to a lower level—unlike the stairs at all the other platforms, these were covered by a concrete arch that obscured the view of the landscape around it. White walls hid everything of the outside world but the clouds immediately above.


Chapter 54