Jinky is the story of a young Celtic supporter, Bobby. His mum has died and his dad has disappeared from his life, so Bobby is living with his Auntie Deirdre . He is a lonely boy who's "friends" don't seem to be in anyway friendly to him. But Bobby has his football and his love of films. To help him make friends on a film chat site, he invents a character called Jinky, named after the Celtic legend Jimmy Johnstone. But what happens when his father reappears in his life?;
A smashing, enjoyable read. You don't need to support Celtic to enjoy it but if you do Hail Hail, enjoy!:

Jinky by HM Ryan is an intriguing book. A story that according to the notes at the beginning is based on real events that happened on a Celtic forum. It's also a powerful story about friendship and wanting to be loved.

Bobby is a bit of a loner. The only friends he has don't really appreciate him, to the point of actually beating him up. He loves football, which his late mother introduced him to. He tries to interact on the various forums, but that doesn't work well for him. People ignore him or don't understand him. Then he decides what he needs is a strike partner, someone who helps him integrate into the forum. In a minute Jinty is born.

Jinty is the nickname of Scottish legend Jimmy Johnstone, hero of the Lisbon Lions triumph. It's the ideal nickname for a Celtic fan and quickly it helps Bobby become part of the online community. His problems are only just starting though when his father appears on the scene.

I really liked this story. The language at times is colourful, yet appropriate for the story. It's short and will keep many a teen interested through its subject matter. It has a lovely synergy to it, a story of hope and acceptance in this modern world.