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The Undecided
On his 18th birthday, high school senior, Lucas Aarons, is told that he is the leader of the White Army. He thinks it’s a joke until the powers of evil begin to haunt his dreams, forcing him to wake up and fight for those he loves and all that he knows is right. The white birthmark that encircles his wrist begins to glow. It’s getting more and more difficult to fly under the social radar. School becomes a gauntlet of black, white and the coasting “greys” who have yet to choose. Music moves from a passionate hobby to a calling and a mission. A class is no longer just a class. A date is no longer just a date, and the stakes are raised to a whole new level.
284 pages, Paperback
First published March 12, 2014
366 people want to read
About the author
Robin Donaruma
3 books2 followersRobin was born in Virginia and raised in Texas where she lived life in the 70’s to her fullest. At the ripe age of nine she relocated to Florida, where she remained for many hot, hair curling years. She obtained a degree from Florida State University and the University of Central Florida after which she secured a position with the Backlot Production Unit at Universal Studios Florida where she remained until opting out for motherhood.
Robin has written several award winning short films including a musical short, Gotta Get Out showcased at the Cannes Short Film Corner and has authored an historical romance novel, Sweet Betrayal. Robin currently resides in South Bend, Indiana with her adoring husband, four children and a Golden Retriever named Indiana.
Robin has written several award winning short films including a musical short, Gotta Get Out showcased at the Cannes Short Film Corner and has authored an historical romance novel, Sweet Betrayal. Robin currently resides in South Bend, Indiana with her adoring husband, four children and a Golden Retriever named Indiana.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 28, 2014
I was captivated from the first chapter, and turned each page with the same fascination. This is a young adult novel with the same quality as the more popular stories like "Percy Jackson"and "I am Number Four" series but with a beautifully redeeming and life-affirming message. It is truly inspirational, and I'm already eagerly anticipating a sequel!
April 27, 2014
I loved this book! It was interesting right from the very beginning and at some points, I couldn't put it down. The characters seemed to come alive and the story was full of mystery and inspiration. I highly recommend this book! I can't wait to give it to my teenage son because I know he will love it too. It's great for all ages. It would make a great movie too!
April 28, 2014
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It captured your attention from page one. It is a book for not only adults but teenagers as well. It is a book I definitely recommend.
April 20, 2023
I recieved this as a Goodreads First Read. This book was very interesting! usually not my favorite genre but my attention was grabbed in the first couple chapters. I liked that there was not a lot of useless dialogue that a lot of books these days seem to have. Also, I liked that there were a few life lessons to be learned a long the way. I will save this book and make my children read it once they are in school to hopefully impress on them some of the behaviors that the main character has.
July 14, 2014
***I received this book free through the Goodreads First Reads Program***
For me, this was in the mid- to upper-3s, so I rounded up. I thought the book started off a little slow, primarily because there is a lot of questioning and exposition. Once everything is explained, and the antagonist is introduced, the book takes off like a shot and becomes hard to put down.
Plot:
After a horrific nightmare Lucas Aarons wakes up to find out that his family is moving from Florida to Connecticut. Since he is almost 18, his parents explain that the reason the family has moved so often is because Lucas is the leader of the White Army, and they have to go where he is safest and most needed. At first, Lucas doesn’t believe, but strange things begin to happen. The white birthmark around his wrist begins to glow, listening to music has become an otherworldly experience, and he begins to see what could be described as light and dark auras. Those surrounded by light are good people, and those surrounded by dark are evil. However, there are also those surrounded by gray. Those people are undecided, and as the leader of the White Army, it’s Lucas’ job to help the undecided choose good. One way that Lucas is able to do that is through his music.
Characters:
As a hero, Lucas is different … in a refreshing kind of way. He isn’t snarky or violent or domineering. He doesn’t believe what his parents have told him, but he doesn’t spend the majority of the book arguing about they are wrong or complaining about his newfound position. Instead, he immediately starts testing his gifts and trying to put them to good use. He’s pretty much just a good guy who goes out of his way to be nice to everyone. It’s also refreshing that his parents actually know what’s going on with him and try to guide him rather than thinking he’s crazy when he tells them what he is experiencing.
Throughout the book, Lucas makes several friends. Many of them fall into the lights, and it’s almost as if each person represents one of the cliques we have all become so familiar with. Among them are John, a musician whose love for music that rivals Lucas’; Becca, the perky cheerleader type who seems perpetually happy; and Peter, the nerdy bookworm who’s mostly ignored unless someone needs a tutor. Lucas has his own tutor, Ethan, who teaches Lucas how to draw on his gifts. Ethan’s dog Millie – with whom he can communicate mentally – and several people Lucas meets along the way serve as guides, who protect Lucas and give him direction.
In addition to the lights, there are also some grays, one of whom is Mare, the girl Lucas finds himself immediately drawn to. As far as antagonists, for a while, all we know is that Lucas’ primary opposition in the war between light and dark is evil. Shortly after the midpoint of the book, that evil takes a human form when the Donahues move in next to the Aarons. When Lucas meets Devin Donahue, he realizes that Devin is the leader of the Dark Army, and almost immediately, Devin and his sister Mindy begin trying to turn the undecided, including Mare, toward the dark.
Writing:
Toward the beginning of the book, there is a lot of description and visual imagery, and at times, they made it hard to focus on the plot. Fortunately, that died down as the book became more plot driven. There were some mechanical and grammatical issues – mixed tenses, misspelled words, missing words, etc., but none severe enough to distract from the plot.
The Bottom Line:
The description of the book sounded really convoluted, but once I started reading, it became easier to understand. It boils down to this…. Each of us has a gift, and our purpose in this world is to use that gift for good. Lucas’ gift is music, and it is through music that he is effectively able to draw people to the light. As I mentioned, it took me a while to get into the book. I think that would have happened more quickly if Devin had entered the picture sooner. His presence really amped up the action and made everything more suspenseful.
The conflict between Lucas and Devin is resolved. (Yay! No cliffhanger!) However, it is easy to see the story will continue in the next book in the series. While I might not have picked The Undecided to read on my own, it was definitely good enough for me to want to continue.
Special note to the author: My 15 year-old daughter is looking forward to reading the book, and she loved the bracelet (a white, rubber, glow in the dark bracelet to match Lucas’ birthmark) that came with it!
For me, this was in the mid- to upper-3s, so I rounded up. I thought the book started off a little slow, primarily because there is a lot of questioning and exposition. Once everything is explained, and the antagonist is introduced, the book takes off like a shot and becomes hard to put down.
Plot:
After a horrific nightmare Lucas Aarons wakes up to find out that his family is moving from Florida to Connecticut. Since he is almost 18, his parents explain that the reason the family has moved so often is because Lucas is the leader of the White Army, and they have to go where he is safest and most needed. At first, Lucas doesn’t believe, but strange things begin to happen. The white birthmark around his wrist begins to glow, listening to music has become an otherworldly experience, and he begins to see what could be described as light and dark auras. Those surrounded by light are good people, and those surrounded by dark are evil. However, there are also those surrounded by gray. Those people are undecided, and as the leader of the White Army, it’s Lucas’ job to help the undecided choose good. One way that Lucas is able to do that is through his music.
Characters:
As a hero, Lucas is different … in a refreshing kind of way. He isn’t snarky or violent or domineering. He doesn’t believe what his parents have told him, but he doesn’t spend the majority of the book arguing about they are wrong or complaining about his newfound position. Instead, he immediately starts testing his gifts and trying to put them to good use. He’s pretty much just a good guy who goes out of his way to be nice to everyone. It’s also refreshing that his parents actually know what’s going on with him and try to guide him rather than thinking he’s crazy when he tells them what he is experiencing.
Throughout the book, Lucas makes several friends. Many of them fall into the lights, and it’s almost as if each person represents one of the cliques we have all become so familiar with. Among them are John, a musician whose love for music that rivals Lucas’; Becca, the perky cheerleader type who seems perpetually happy; and Peter, the nerdy bookworm who’s mostly ignored unless someone needs a tutor. Lucas has his own tutor, Ethan, who teaches Lucas how to draw on his gifts. Ethan’s dog Millie – with whom he can communicate mentally – and several people Lucas meets along the way serve as guides, who protect Lucas and give him direction.
In addition to the lights, there are also some grays, one of whom is Mare, the girl Lucas finds himself immediately drawn to. As far as antagonists, for a while, all we know is that Lucas’ primary opposition in the war between light and dark is evil. Shortly after the midpoint of the book, that evil takes a human form when the Donahues move in next to the Aarons. When Lucas meets Devin Donahue, he realizes that Devin is the leader of the Dark Army, and almost immediately, Devin and his sister Mindy begin trying to turn the undecided, including Mare, toward the dark.
Writing:
Toward the beginning of the book, there is a lot of description and visual imagery, and at times, they made it hard to focus on the plot. Fortunately, that died down as the book became more plot driven. There were some mechanical and grammatical issues – mixed tenses, misspelled words, missing words, etc., but none severe enough to distract from the plot.
The Bottom Line:
The description of the book sounded really convoluted, but once I started reading, it became easier to understand. It boils down to this…. Each of us has a gift, and our purpose in this world is to use that gift for good. Lucas’ gift is music, and it is through music that he is effectively able to draw people to the light. As I mentioned, it took me a while to get into the book. I think that would have happened more quickly if Devin had entered the picture sooner. His presence really amped up the action and made everything more suspenseful.
The conflict between Lucas and Devin is resolved. (Yay! No cliffhanger!) However, it is easy to see the story will continue in the next book in the series. While I might not have picked The Undecided to read on my own, it was definitely good enough for me to want to continue.
Special note to the author: My 15 year-old daughter is looking forward to reading the book, and she loved the bracelet (a white, rubber, glow in the dark bracelet to match Lucas’ birthmark) that came with it!
September 30, 2014
In the battle between good and evil Lucas Aarons is on the front-line. Only he doesn't know it . . . that is until his 18th birthday.
Lucas, a high-school senior, has moved more times than he cares to remember. Each move is preceded by a series of foreboding dreams. But when his 18th birthday approaches, his parents finally fill him in on the inconceivable truth behind the dreams and their connection to his role in projecting light into a darkening world. -- It would appear that Lucas is predetermined to be the leader of a White Army whose mission it is to save the undecided. The undecided are neither good nor evil; they are the grays, those who have yet to choose between light and darkness.
The Undecided is an exceptionally inventive work of young adult fantasy fiction. Author Robin Donaruma has created a cast of characters that run the gamut from endearing and genuinely likable to downright chilling. Her use of symbolism and spiritual parallels help forge a depth to this novel which makes it all the more praiseworthy. This book is highly recommended.
Lucas, a high-school senior, has moved more times than he cares to remember. Each move is preceded by a series of foreboding dreams. But when his 18th birthday approaches, his parents finally fill him in on the inconceivable truth behind the dreams and their connection to his role in projecting light into a darkening world. -- It would appear that Lucas is predetermined to be the leader of a White Army whose mission it is to save the undecided. The undecided are neither good nor evil; they are the grays, those who have yet to choose between light and darkness.
The Undecided is an exceptionally inventive work of young adult fantasy fiction. Author Robin Donaruma has created a cast of characters that run the gamut from endearing and genuinely likable to downright chilling. Her use of symbolism and spiritual parallels help forge a depth to this novel which makes it all the more praiseworthy. This book is highly recommended.
March 4, 2015
I received this book as a Goodreads winner. I really liked this book although I felt parts of it were frustrating like the main character just accepting that his parents knew what was happening to him and he just patiently waited for answers and the in the ending **SPOILER ALERT** he just let the person he was most connected with fade away.. The parallels with Jesus and his crucifixion etc run rampant in this story.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews