If genetic engineering could guarantee you and your family perfect health and unparalleled beauty, would you pay top dollar for it? Would you kill for it?

Residents of the Colony would. And do.

Only the Insurgents can stop them.

Seventeen-year-old Asher Solomon is a premier operative with the Insurgents. He and his team have rescued countless hostages, saving them from painful deaths in Colony labs as desirable genetic traits are stripped from their bodies.

He’s also suffered more losses than anyone should have to.

Then Asher gets intel that might give his people the upper hand. The Colony is searching for Subject A36. If the Insurgents determine the subject’s identity first, they might be able to turn the tide of the war.

Asher and his team embark on their riskiest mission ever, and the stakes have never been higher. But even if he survives the physical dangers, the devastating secrets he uncovers might destroy him.

Purchase: Amazon.com

Goodreads: Subject A36 (The Colony #1) by Teri Polen 

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Review

Rating: 5 stars

*I received this novel for free in exchange for an honest review*

Outlier Asher Soloman’s life and family is torn apart the day that soldiers from the Colony come to his home. The only survivor, he joins the Insurgents, a group of rebels intent on saving the lives of the people captured for genetic harvesting and putting an end to the Colony’s brutal practice. Yet his past continues to haunt him. Why did his father order him to abandon his sisters if they slowed his escape? The guilt at following through with this request still haunts him.  When the Insurgents learn that the Colony is searching for the mysterious subject A36, it gives them to chance of a real shot at winning the war. But only if they can find subject A36 first. However, for Asher the truth may prove to be more devastating than what happened to his family on that terrible day.

I absolutely loved this first novel in The Colony series. The author has crafted a chilling future with underlying warnings for today’s genetic advances and how they might be used for the wrong reasons.

The characters were well developed and continued to evolve further as the novel progressed. With the loss of his family, Asher could have gone down a different path but instead he fights to help people and ensure that children don’t have to go through the same ordeal that he did. I loved his relationships with Brynn and Noah, and these serve very much to keep him grounded and remind him of who he is.

The novel was written mostly from Asher’s POV but with some chapters from a couple of other characters when it was key to plot development. I liked this approach as it gave you a lot of insight into his character, but the addition of the others where needed ensured that events did not happen without the groundwork being laid for them.

The Colony promises to be an excellent dystopian series and I cannot wait to read the second book in the series!