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

After a long moment, I realized it had been a question and he expected an answer. I hoped my voice wouldn’t break when I asked, “Yes?”


Their response was quick—one of the Officers on either side of me grabbed my arms and, between them, they half-dragged, half-walked me up the stairs. Back outside, I felt relief to be in the open again, even under the lowering cloud cover. A train waited for us at the platform. I considered struggling, but the thought left almost as soon as it appeared. So far they hadn’t injected me with anything, and I didn’t want to give them reason to, either.


The monorail doors slid open and I was shoved roughly inside. The Officers remained behind, and I turned as the doors came between us. Then the train started, and I was thrown off-balance into the nearest seat.


Chapter 55