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

The light around me had a dull sheen to it I associated with dinnertime, but I wasn’t hungry. I didn’t want to answer any questions my parents might have, and I didn’t want to risk running into Brin, if she heard me open my door and came out to talk. There was only one person I wanted to see at the moment, anyway.


There weren’t a lot of people who walked around the residential area. We had no pets to let out or supervise, and we got our weekly allotment of exercise in the Rec Room. So it was only me on the sidewalk, and after the train whooshed by above me, I was alone completely. I bent over my console as I walked, in case anyone glanced out and saw me—they wouldn’t be able to tell who I was, most likely, or they’d think I was coming home late from class. As I neared Kyer’s house, I sent him a message. Can U come outside?


His response was quick. Outside my door or outside OUT?


Chapter 57