Being Black 'n Chicken, and Chips

Being Black 'n Chicken, and Chips by Matt Okine follows Mike Amon, a boy who just wants to fit in. He dreams of being a star athlete, wishes for his dad to stop embarrassing him, longs for his first kiss, and most importantly, he hopes his mum will survive her battle with cancer.

When his mum is diagnosed with advanced cancer, Mike believes that getting his own life right and making her proud might be enough to help her get better. However, this proves to be more challenging than expected. He moves in with his African dad, whose culinary skills are limited to heating frozen chicken nuggets, and faces a school bully targeting him. As he navigates puberty as a late bloomer, he also confronts a serious phobia of jellyfish.

The girl Mike has a crush on is dealing with her own heartbreak, which leads to a dramatic encounter at the Jetty, resulting in Mike being rushed to hospital with a painful injury. If Mike can't sort out his own problems, how can he possibly save his mum?

Based on Matt Okine's award-winning stand-up show, Being Black 'n Chicken, and Chips is a heart-breaking and hilarious story about trying to grow up when everything around you is falling apart.

An extremely talented storyteller and comedian . . . this book is full of heart and humour – Ronny Chieng

Hilarious, heartfelt, and utterly ridiculous in all the right ways – Alex Dyson

Intimate and affecting – Claudia Karvan

This book pulses with nostalgia . . . a compelling novel that is difficult to put down – Books + Publishing