J. Tomas

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

Suddenly I wished I could back up and start again. Things were spiraling out of my control, and I had known Brin long enough to recognize when she was getting mad. Lamely, I tried to explain, “I started to like him…”


“Of course you like him,” she said, sounding relieved. “He’s your best friend.”


“No, I mean…” Why was this proving to be so difficult? I wished I didn’t feel anything for her; then I could tell her what I really wanted to say without fear of hurting her. But the more I tried to soften the blow, the more we went around and around, as if trapped on the monorail and picking up speed.


Here it goes.“I mean I started liking him the way I used to like you.”


Her hand jerked out of mine. “Usedto?”


“What do you mean, usedto?” she yelled, taking another step back as she leveled a finger at me. “You are my Other, Aine. We were born for each other. You’re supposed to…to loveme.”


Chapter 63