I received an ARC of this book with thanks to Hachette Australia via NetGalley

Set in 1998, we follow Mike as he begins his first year of high school whilst navigating his mum's advanced cancer diagnoses and the likely outcome of having to live with his dad full-time. It is loosely based on Okine's childhood and losing his own mother at age 12.

This is a narrative full of feeling and I can't deny that I was teary at various points throughout the book. It is such an engaging read; packed with every emotional state you remember experiencing at twelve. All of those emotions so vivid and relevant at that prepubescent age when you wholeheartedly believe you're the only one to have ever experienced such extreme swinging feelings. I highly enjoyed the style in which Okine wrote and felt affection for all the characters woven throughout.

This book took me back to my childhood and the first developed fiction that I fell deeply in love with, "Looking for Alibrandi". That book truly shaped me when I first read it at thirteen; it made me feel seen and understood. "Being Black 'n Chicken and Chips" has the same spark that Marchetta first gifted readers back in 1992 and in the same vein, Okine has offered something remarkably special to a new generation of young Australian readers. For the kids growing up who are experiencing loss, who are feeling insecure about themselves, who are navigating the schoolyard and all the complexities that come with it; this is a book that kids can cling to and can come away from feeling seen, understood and hopefully a little more accepting of themselves. It's important to see your environment reflected in society around you as you develop and I'm so glad Okine has offered young Aussie's a story set in their backyard.

This isn't necessarily a story for young readers (it can be enjoyed by all) but it is definitely one that will resonate with and be helpful for young kids beginning to navigate their lives.