Excerpt of the Book
The robotic voice repeated. “Please begin.”
The answer took hold of her with a sensation as if she’d been filled with helium and was now lighter than air, as if the solution had set her free.
No. She wanted something else, and there was only one way to get it. She had to blow the test for engineering in just the right way to be assigned to the Green building the Imperium assigned the Growers to. That was her only way out.
“Please begin.”
It was time for a new life. The years of white had to end.
The test contained a section for each of the job categories. Since they’d geared her training toward engineering, that would be her first section while her brain was fresh. She answered the first question with the wrong answer. Lexi read some inquiries to ensure wrong answers while providing correct responses to others. Years of educational grooming put her in a position where she could waltz into an administrative job. She needed to ensure it didn’t look as if she’d thrown the test. But how many wrong questions would it take to guarantee a different role while not losing her spot in the aboveground community?
Once she was through the first section, she relaxed and sped through the next three parts related to jobs and buildings she didn’t care about. She should have researched those possibilities before the test. Too late now. She’d burned through half the questions faster than she’d imagined possible. Then the Grower section came up. This part she needed to ace. Sweat beads popped up on her forehead as she thought through each line and put forth her best effort.
After she answered that section’s last question, she slowed to peek at the pod across the aisle. Aponi’s finger rested on her chin while her tongue poked out of the side of her mouth, indicating her best friend was deep in thought. Aponi’s schooling had prepared her for a low-level administrative job that wouldn’t require further education. There was no uncertainty she’d ace the test. Losing her friend would be difficult. If Lexi were no longer in the same building, it would be harder to keep the friendship alive.
It didn’t matter anymore. Aponi wanted nothing more than the Imperium’s plan. For years, she’d dreamed it would be an exciting adventure in romance. Why, Lexi couldn’t understand.
She returned her attention to her screen, powered through the rest of the exam, then took a deep breath before answering the last question. This was it. One final press on the screen and the system would assign her a career.
If the profession required more education, she’d be back in the same pod tomorrow for two more years of school. If she’d had enough training, the Imperium would provide her with a uniform and the place to report the following day. Within days, the system would assign her a mate and their new living quarters. All that would remain would be to say goodbye to everyone and everything she’d ever known. If she’d executed her plan correctly.
With her finger millimeters from the screen, she closed her eyes, then pressed.
A robotic voice spoke. “You have completed the exam. Please hold for your results.”
Her heart hammered. The fear of what waited for her on the screen kept her eyes squeezed tight until the voice came to life once again. “Lexi Verity, the Imperium has assigned you to Reclamation. Please report for duty to the Brown tower, basement level, tomorrow morning at eight a.m. Your mate and apartment assignments will be delivered to your current address within seventy-two hours.”
Reclamation? What was that? Lead settled in the pit of her stomach, and her heart pounded even harder. Her quick breaths pulled her toward the edge of hyperventilation. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
The girls’ learning pod door slid up. Her days of education had ended. Seventy-two hours. Just three short days from now, she’d be out of her parents’ home, out of the White towers, and mated.
Lexi peeked into Aponi’s pod, waved goodbye, then walked on unsteady legs. Her entire body shook over what the next three days held for her. What have I done?
Want to know more about the book?
The rebellion is about to begin.
The Imperium controls everything. They arrange marriages, dictate professions, and orchestrate everyone’s destiny. But seventeen-year-old Lexi refuses to accept. She’s ready to ignite a revolution of her own, but fate has other plans.
When a hidden diary falls into her hands, its weathered pages whisper of rebellion and hope. Now, Lexi is thrust into the perilous shadows of the elusive rebel group Y. In a whirlpool of danger, deceit, and forbidden alliances, every ally could be an enemy. Every truth could be a lie. And falling in love? That was never part of the plan.
Caught between duty and a yearning for freedom, Lexi navigates a treacherous path where love and loyalty are tested at every turn. Who can she trust in a world where betrayal lurks around every corner? As Imperium’s iron grip on dystopian Atlanta grows stronger, Lexi must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice in her fight for freedom.
Perfect for fans of K.A. Riley and Rae Knightly, this clean YA romance is a pulse-pounding journey where forbidden love blooms in the cracks of a crumbling society. Rise of the Y explores the power of choice in a world that offers none.
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About the Author
Meet Angela Shelton: Rancher by Day, Bestselling Dreamer by Night
She’s the faith-filled force behind heart-pounding romantic suspense and thought-provoking dystopian tales. With one foot planted firmly in Georgia cattle country and the other chasing publishing dreams, Angela blends hope, grit, and grace into every story she tells. Whether she’s decoding healthcare billing like a pro or plotting her next YA twist under starlight with Carly (her loyal black lab) curled at her feet, Angela’s always crafting something meaningful — something that connects.
Champion of clean reads. Master of subtle faith threads. And on a ten-year mission to land among the bestsellers.
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