Julie and Me and Michael Owen. By Alan Gibbons. Dolphin. £4.99 in UK

It is in vain that Terry, the young teenage hero of Gibbons's novel, searches for a pattern in life, one which will make sense of his experiences. His parents are on the brink of divorce: his father is "going out with this old slapper" and his mother is "eating for England". Manchester United, the object of his unquestioning veneration, is failing to deliver the goals: they have even lost to Liverpool, their hated rivals. Julie, the girl whose notice and love he craves, shows little permanent interest: she opts instead for Fitz, "a cross between Brad Pitt and Michael Owen", and, unkindest cut of all, is a Liverpool fan. Gibbons' colloquial "diary" style allows 'for some welcome moments of humour and, more seriously, for some revealing perceptions of young male sensitivities.