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Being Black 'n Chicken, and Chips

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Being Black 'n Chicken, and Chips

By: Matt Okine
Narrated by: Matt Okine
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About this listen

 SOON TO BE A MAJOR FEATURE FILM
SHORTLISTED FOR THE ABIA MATT RICHELL AWARD 2020

'a delicate balancing act of humour and heart ... a heartwarming, heartbreaking and hilarious read' - The Herald Sun

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

'a compelling novel that is difficult to put down' - Books + Publishing

Mike Amon is a regular teenager. All he wants is to fit in. He wants to sit at the cool bench. He wants to be a star athlete. He wants his first kiss.

He also wants his mum to survive.

When his mum is suddenly diagnosed with advanced breast and brain cancer, Mike knows it's a long shot, but if he manages to achieve his dreams, maybe it'll give his mum enough strength to beat an incurable disease.

In the meantime, he has to live with his African dad whom he doesn't really know, a man who has strange foreign ways - and who Mike doesn't really feel comfortable sharing his teenage desires and deepest fears with. He doesn't even want to think about what it might mean if his mum never comes home from the hospital.

Based on his award-winning stand-up show, and the loss of his own mother when he was 12, Matt Okine's coming-of-age novel, Being Black n Chicken and Chips, is a funny, heart-warming, and sometimes surreal look at how young people deal with grief, the loss of loved ones, and becoming an adult - all whilst desperately trying to fit in with the other kids.

'Intimate and affecting' - Claudia Karvan

'Hilarious, heartfelt, and utterly ridiculous in all the right ways' - Alex Dyson Coming of Age Dark Humour Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Comedy Heartfelt Africa

Critic Reviews

Loosely based on his own experiences and capturing the feeling of late 90s Australia, the book pulses with nostalgia and Okine treads the difficult line between levity and dark themes with expert skill - tackling grief, denial and racism without it ever feeling heavy-handed. The result is a compelling novel that is difficult to put down.
It's subtle and human and a wonderful part of the Aussie narrative.
An hilarious and heart-wrenching read, about family and school dynamics, and how to balance life.
Based on one of Okine's stand-up shows, the book is as funny as you'd expect, animated by nostalgic details drawn from late 90s suburban Australia and an endearing silliness that feels bang-on for its pre-teen protagonist.
AUSSIE comedian Matt Okine's debut novel based on his award-winning stand-up show tells the story of young boy Mike on the cusp of manhood, told as Okine himself experienced the change.
All stars
Most relevant
What a beautiful funny sad gem of a story, I couldn’t put it down. The characters are so likeable and the trauma of being a tween/teen bought heat to my cheeks and tears of laughter.
I loved it!

Delightful! Highly recommend

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We listen to quite a few audiobooks as a family and this is one of the best we've ever done. The story is compelling, and Matt's narration is spot on, he performs the pre-teen angst perfectly. Laugh out loud funny in parts (which may not be appropriate for the under 10s), a sprinkling of 90s nostalgia for the adults.

Five stars across the board, I've started recommending it to all with upper primary kids.

Great job, I hope Matt continues to write novels, this was brilliant/

Perfect for a car ride with tweens upwards

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I wasn't sure what to expect, I've listened to Matt on breakfast radio, seen him live performing comedy, and watched him on his tv series.
I squirmed during the awkward moments, laughed at his humout and cried when that lump in my throat and sting in my eye wouldn't relent. I could relate to being an awkward teen, losing my Mum and dealing with the emotions.
Well done Matt, what a great book.

Engaging, emotive, hilarious and heartbreaking

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For someone so funny he sure does get the tears flowing! I laughed, cringed, snorted and bawled. This is a beautiful story about family and friendship. Absolutely loved it!

Got me right in the heart

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Hilarious and poignant. I laughed, cried, cringed, and couldn't stop listening. It was so good.

A beautiful piece of Australian literature.

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