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csduong's review
4.0
Loved Micah and seeing him grow up. He was getting annoying. Loved seeing Declan and Simon in this even for a little of it. Ending was a little disappointing but leaves it open for more in the series. Can't wait
kaje_harper's review
4.0
I enjoyed this look at Micah, the gay teen athlete who showed up in the last of the Tigers and Devils books. (I think this could be enjoyed as a stand alone although his situation is definitely the ongoing fall-out from the events in [b:Tigers on the Run|25719764|Tigers on the Run (Tigers and Devils, #3)|Sean Kennedy|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1434196312s/25719764.jpg|45554523]. The adult series beginning with [b:Tigers and Devils|6430659|Tigers and Devils (Tigers and Devils #1)|Sean Kennedy|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1350519754s/6430659.jpg|6513774] has no on-page sex and could be enjoyed by teen readers, although the characters are older and there are adult situations.)
Part of what I appreciated was that Micah is a flawed character. He's a volatile teen guy and he makes mistakes, flies off the handle and does things he shouldn't, and is a long way from perfect. And yet he's mostly a sympathetic character and my heart ached for him even when I wanted to shake some sense into him. Micah has supportive family, avoiding the common rejection tropes, although they don't really understand him or what he's going through. He has a great best friend in Emma, and I appreciated a strong female character in the book. He grows and learns and tries to fix mistakes and makes new ones. This is about growing up and being human. I particularly enjoyed Micah's younger brother, and had a lot of respect for Emma's cousin Carl - the straight boy who didn't stop being friends with the gay kid just because people started to give him a hard time about it.
The end of this is a decent resting point, but clearly not the end of Micah's journey. I was eager for more and immediately read the next one.
Part of what I appreciated was that Micah is a flawed character. He's a volatile teen guy and he makes mistakes, flies off the handle and does things he shouldn't, and is a long way from perfect. And yet he's mostly a sympathetic character and my heart ached for him even when I wanted to shake some sense into him. Micah has supportive family, avoiding the common rejection tropes, although they don't really understand him or what he's going through. He has a great best friend in Emma, and I appreciated a strong female character in the book. He grows and learns and tries to fix mistakes and makes new ones. This is about growing up and being human. I particularly enjoyed Micah's younger brother, and had a lot of respect for Emma's cousin Carl - the straight boy who didn't stop being friends with the gay kid just because people started to give him a hard time about it.
The end of this is a decent resting point, but clearly not the end of Micah's journey. I was eager for more and immediately read the next one.
the_novel_approach's review
5.0
For those who have followed this author’s work, beginning with the Tigers And Devils series, you will be familiar with the fabulous characters Sean Kennedy created–namely, footy players Declan Tyler and Simon Murray. In the third installment of that body of work, we are introduced to the hotheaded, Micah Johnson. Micah is the first out and proud footy player who hopes to make the big-time after his graduation from high school. Mentored by Declan, little seems to get through the angry and tough wall Micah has built around himself. While he knows that there is still rampant homophobia among the sports crowd, Micah cannot seem to reign himself in and be the team player he needs to be to convince the big league scouts he has what it takes to make it with them. He is a risk—and no amount of cajoling or begging on Declan’s part seems to convince Micah he must change, or lose his shot at becoming a name in the professional leagues.
When Micah earns a position in a week-long camp that will give him the much needed exposure to the scouts, he runs afoul of one of the most aggravating bigots yet. But he also finds an ally—someone who may become more than just a friendly face, someone who could become the one Micah has been looking for, someone he could come to love.
When I discovered that Sean Kennedy intended to branch into YA with this first novel–which I hope becomes a long series–I was very excited. He is an author I have come to respect, and his ability to write genuine characters that are gently flawed, witty, intelligent and most endearing was solidified with each subsequent installment in his Tigers and Devils series. But how he was going to take a kid like Micah, who had such a huge chip on his shoulder, who carried his animosity for the world like a shield into every setting, who seemed likely to trample every good thing that ever happened to him, how Mr. Kennedy was going to make this brat into someone who would tug at my heartstrings was just beyond me. I will never again doubt this author’s uncanny ability to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Micah Johnson not only became real flesh and blood under this gifted author’s hands, he stole my heart, and then some.
Micah is a work in progress and as his story unfolds, we are privy to the hurt he carries, his dreams and aspirations and his regrets. We watch as he painfully grapples with the fact that life on the football field may never be easy—that he will have to rise above the slurs, the homophobia, the hatred, and dig deep to remain true to his team, even if they don’t always like him just because he is gay. It is with raw emotion and unflinching honesty that Kennedy introduces us to a world that is not always fair, where being gay can make you the enemy and where biting your tongue in order to make it through another day is sometimes necessary. And he does it all through the eyes of a teenage boy who has one dream—to make it to the big leagues with his pride intact. It is sometimes so painful to watch and is always an education for those of us who are privileged not to have to endure it, but it is also tempered by humor, new-found love and loyal friends.
I cannot recommend this novel more highly. The Ongoing Reformation of Micah Johnson is a stunning novel with rich and genuine characters who grapple with all the many issues facing gay teenagers today. I cannot wait to see more of Micah.
Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.com/review-the-ongoing-reformation-of-micah-johnson-by-sean-kennedy/
When Micah earns a position in a week-long camp that will give him the much needed exposure to the scouts, he runs afoul of one of the most aggravating bigots yet. But he also finds an ally—someone who may become more than just a friendly face, someone who could become the one Micah has been looking for, someone he could come to love.
When I discovered that Sean Kennedy intended to branch into YA with this first novel–which I hope becomes a long series–I was very excited. He is an author I have come to respect, and his ability to write genuine characters that are gently flawed, witty, intelligent and most endearing was solidified with each subsequent installment in his Tigers and Devils series. But how he was going to take a kid like Micah, who had such a huge chip on his shoulder, who carried his animosity for the world like a shield into every setting, who seemed likely to trample every good thing that ever happened to him, how Mr. Kennedy was going to make this brat into someone who would tug at my heartstrings was just beyond me. I will never again doubt this author’s uncanny ability to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Micah Johnson not only became real flesh and blood under this gifted author’s hands, he stole my heart, and then some.
Micah is a work in progress and as his story unfolds, we are privy to the hurt he carries, his dreams and aspirations and his regrets. We watch as he painfully grapples with the fact that life on the football field may never be easy—that he will have to rise above the slurs, the homophobia, the hatred, and dig deep to remain true to his team, even if they don’t always like him just because he is gay. It is with raw emotion and unflinching honesty that Kennedy introduces us to a world that is not always fair, where being gay can make you the enemy and where biting your tongue in order to make it through another day is sometimes necessary. And he does it all through the eyes of a teenage boy who has one dream—to make it to the big leagues with his pride intact. It is sometimes so painful to watch and is always an education for those of us who are privileged not to have to endure it, but it is also tempered by humor, new-found love and loyal friends.
I cannot recommend this novel more highly. The Ongoing Reformation of Micah Johnson is a stunning novel with rich and genuine characters who grapple with all the many issues facing gay teenagers today. I cannot wait to see more of Micah.
Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.com/review-the-ongoing-reformation-of-micah-johnson-by-sean-kennedy/
saphirablue's review
4.0
I love it.
I love reading about Micah going his way and finding hope in his life and in/for the future. <3
I love Emma. I love Jack. I love Kyle.
I love the tiny bits of Dec and Simon we get. I'm glad it's not more because it's a book about Micah, but I'm also happy that they are there because they are a part of Micah's life. :)
I love the humor and sarcasm and everything in this book. Sean Kennedy really hits my spots with that. <3
The ending made me sad. I mean, on one hand Micah gets what he wanted - being drafted - but he also has to leave everything behind - his family, Kyle, his friends. :(
I'm looking forward to the next part!
I love reading about Micah going his way and finding hope in his life and in/for the future. <3
I love Emma. I love Jack. I love Kyle.
I love the tiny bits of Dec and Simon we get. I'm glad it's not more because it's a book about Micah, but I'm also happy that they are there because they are a part of Micah's life. :)
I love the humor and sarcasm and everything in this book. Sean Kennedy really hits my spots with that. <3
The ending made me sad. I mean, on one hand Micah gets what he wanted - being drafted - but he also has to leave everything behind - his family, Kyle, his friends. :(
I'm looking forward to the next part!
rhodered's review
3.0
Teenaged angst meets homophobia. But it’s quick-paced, zippy read. Not for me but not awful.
swamphag's review
4.0
In Kennedy’s first foray into YA/New Adult literature his focus shifts from Simon and Declan’s ongoing romance to the troubled teen that caused Dec so many problems in Tigers on the Run: Micah Johnson. In this book he still has an attitude problem but he’s getting on the right track. Like the title implies, this book is about his redemption, but how can a self proclaimed arsehole redeem himself?
In this book we see Micah deal with the ongoing homophobic treatment he gets in school from being a, forcibly, out gay footballer (Australian rules football). He seems to be dealing with it better than he was when he was first outed, as seen in the following quote:
“When Micah had first been forced out of the closet, he used to worry about how he presented… A healthy amount of time passed before he had an epiphany – fuck it… He wasn’t going to change himself or worry about how he presented to anybody.”
His current roadblock is that he is still being bullied by people at school and his football team on top of the stress of being a normal teenager. He also has to worry about getting drafted into the AFL and not letting his mouth get him into trouble.
Of course he can’t stay out of trouble, even in his reformation book, and in no time he’s already in a scuffle and then another one…. Oh, Micah. When will you learn?
It takes a while and, because it is Micah, a few setbacks before he understands how he needs to change to become a better football and a better person. Declan makes an appearance or two to help, but Micah receives the most support from his friends and someone who may turn into more…
Sean doesn’t make Micah’s reformation an easy or a complete thing, but instead uses Micah’s growth to help the audience understand the biases, myths, and other negative regarding the gay community. Don’t worry though, the only person getting lectures in this book is Micah.
It is in this way and through the lack of explicit sex scenes you can tell that it is a YA novel. You may notice more of a difference if you have read Kennedy’s previous works, but I feel that this book was enjoyable despite this shift. If YA doesn’t interest you I highly suggest looking into his other books, especially his Tiger and Devils series because his strong writing, snark, and cast of characters are worth the read. Even if you don’t like sports.
One of the best things that Kennedy does in his books is include a number of well rounded secondary characters that help develop the main characters’ story. One of my biggest pet peeves with M/M romances is when authors have no women in the book, they are throwaway characters, or are there to get in the way of the romance to further the story. Kennedy doesn’t fall into this trap and has a number of well rounded secondary characters (both male and female) who become an important part of the story.
Micah was one of these side characters in Tigers on the Run. He was a troubled teen that Declan mentored and he was such a strong character in that book that I was not surprised that he got his own book. I am excited to see what Kennedy has in store next for him.
https://justloveromance.wordpress.com/2016/04/12/book-review-by-dmac-ongoing-reformation-of-micah-johnson/#more-5332
In this book we see Micah deal with the ongoing homophobic treatment he gets in school from being a, forcibly, out gay footballer (Australian rules football). He seems to be dealing with it better than he was when he was first outed, as seen in the following quote:
“When Micah had first been forced out of the closet, he used to worry about how he presented… A healthy amount of time passed before he had an epiphany – fuck it… He wasn’t going to change himself or worry about how he presented to anybody.”
His current roadblock is that he is still being bullied by people at school and his football team on top of the stress of being a normal teenager. He also has to worry about getting drafted into the AFL and not letting his mouth get him into trouble.
Of course he can’t stay out of trouble, even in his reformation book, and in no time he’s already in a scuffle and then another one…. Oh, Micah. When will you learn?
It takes a while and, because it is Micah, a few setbacks before he understands how he needs to change to become a better football and a better person. Declan makes an appearance or two to help, but Micah receives the most support from his friends and someone who may turn into more…
Sean doesn’t make Micah’s reformation an easy or a complete thing, but instead uses Micah’s growth to help the audience understand the biases, myths, and other negative regarding the gay community. Don’t worry though, the only person getting lectures in this book is Micah.
It is in this way and through the lack of explicit sex scenes you can tell that it is a YA novel. You may notice more of a difference if you have read Kennedy’s previous works, but I feel that this book was enjoyable despite this shift. If YA doesn’t interest you I highly suggest looking into his other books, especially his Tiger and Devils series because his strong writing, snark, and cast of characters are worth the read. Even if you don’t like sports.
One of the best things that Kennedy does in his books is include a number of well rounded secondary characters that help develop the main characters’ story. One of my biggest pet peeves with M/M romances is when authors have no women in the book, they are throwaway characters, or are there to get in the way of the romance to further the story. Kennedy doesn’t fall into this trap and has a number of well rounded secondary characters (both male and female) who become an important part of the story.
Micah was one of these side characters in Tigers on the Run. He was a troubled teen that Declan mentored and he was such a strong character in that book that I was not surprised that he got his own book. I am excited to see what Kennedy has in store next for him.
https://justloveromance.wordpress.com/2016/04/12/book-review-by-dmac-ongoing-reformation-of-micah-johnson/#more-5332
calila's review
3.0
Really a nice read. I mostly understood Micah's issues so all his "bad" behavior which I didn't even think was very bad, so I was getting frustrated that no one seemingly understood his point of view and just wanted him to change. So I felt with and for him. I wouldn't call his "romance" romance, but it has potential to get there, hopefully. I'm interested to see where it goes and where he ends up.
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