DNF @ 18%.

*Insert shrug.* Dolly is just not for me, and that’s okay. I don’t hate it, but I’m also not enjoying, so cutting my losses while I’m ahead. She’s touted as the British Nora Ephron and I just don’t get the comparison. I don’t find much humor in it, it’s just sad and the characters are so self destructive, I find it cringey and difficult to root for them. Calling it quits while I’m ahead. Still glad I tried and now I know! I had tried her memoir a few years ago similarly DNF’ed.

I LOVED THIS BOOK.
Dolly Alderton is a national treasure. I have never wanted to make someone be my best friend more in my life. So smart, so honest, so insightful.
Andy was insufferable and yet? I related to him and sympathized with him and wanted to hit him upside the head. Jen put so many of my thoughts and feelings and fears about being an aging single woman and how the pull between wanting to relate to everyone while craving independence is so heavy.

After reading Ghosts I had sort of written Dolly Alderton off as “good at what she does, but not for me,” so I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this.

Alderton is very good at taking the basic concepts of New Adult and putting a fresh perspective on them, and this is a very interesting and well-rendered meditation on break-ups and how they can look completely different to each of the people involved.

Much of the book is written from the male perspective, though the protagonist is acting in what would typically be considered the female role in a breakup, particularly in books in this subgenre. Alderton has done a really interesting thing here in flipping that, as well as immersing us in the protagonist’s perspective for most of the book before giving us the other side of the story as we near the novel’s conclusion.

It’s the type of thing that you wouldn’t think would work very well structurally, but it does, and I think that’s a testament to Alderton’s skill as a writer.

I appreciate that she doesn’t ever delve too far into schlock or angst, and makes poignant and powerful but tempered observations about relationships and communication.

It’s also worth noting that most of the humor in this is legitimately clever and funny, judiciously deployed, and never veers into nonsensical absurdity.

This charming book had me hooked from the start with its cute anecdotes and relatable humor. Aldteron's writing effortlessly weaves together moments that make you think about your relationships. When I read these types of contemporaries, sometimes they can make me cringe when they try too hard to be funny, lol. Dolly is a skilled writer though and her prose is engaging and funny!

Good Material by Dolly Alderton was an entertaining read. Overall, it was a good read and I enjoyed my time reading it. I don't think there was anything that was groundbreaking or super original but it was still a good read.

Many thanks to the author, publishers and Netgalley for providing my review copy.

Dolly Alderton just gets the millennial perspective. Or a lot of perspectives regarding relationships and break ups. After reading and adoring Ghosts, I was thrilled to see she was coming out with a new novel. She really hits the nail on the head. I found Andy to be extremely endearing yet irritating up until he steps through the fog and really understands what happened between he and Jen. I personally felt like Andy could have been any one of us after getting dumped. The ending and switch off of POV was just the icing on the cake.

I highly recommend this one if you're a fan of relationship stories, romance, breakups and all the mess in between when it comes to love and loss. This is it!

I absolutely loved this breakup story told nearly entirely from the male perspective. It was funny, sad, introspective and very real—having the ex-girlfriend’s perspective for the last 15% of the novel packed an emotional punch and landed the plane. Andy is a semi-successful comedian and Jen is an executive. They fall in love and spend 4 years together, mostly happy. The issue is that Andy is a relationship person through and through, and Jen is not, Alderton writes both perspectives without preference and it is very effective. The friendships surrounding Andy and Jen are pitch perfect, as well. I loved this. I will read anything Alderton writes.

Dolly Alderton is a surprising and wonderful writer! I requested this book from NetGalley just because she’s the author, and I’m glad I went into it not know the synopsis. I probably wouldn’t have been drawn to a book about a break up as told by a male narrator. But this was excellent! Funny and sad and honest and brutal. I especially enjoyed the section at the end from Jen’s point of view, providing more context to their break up, as well as the advice from friends and family sprinkled throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.

Smart, funny, great writing, so many things! This was surprisingly my first book by the author and I can't wait to read more. The hype was worth it, I love the way the characters were developed and the story itself felt so real.

I don’t know what witchcraft Dolly Alderton infused into Good Material to make me LOVE a story about two of my least favorite things: 1) a stand up comedian who is 2) spiraling into oblivion after a breakup.

Basicaly, Jen just broke up with Andy after years together and no explanation other than them not being compatible. Andy’s career as an up-and-coming stand-up comedian appears to be languishing in corporate-event purgatory. All of his friends have their own lives full of wives and kids and careers and no time for a night out. And Andy is trying to move on, but he just can’t. So he has no choice really but to spiral. To hyperfixate on himself, on his nostalgia, and what could have been, all through the lens of Jen.

Good Material is painful. It is frustrating. It is cringe. It felt like being battered again and again by waves of secondhand embarrassment. You, as the reader, are truly pulled into this breakup, a prisoner alongside Andy in this mania, both of you drowning in the grief.

And just as Andy cannot stop himself from mentioning Jen at every possible point, I could not stop reading this book. It was mesmerizing. I was all sorts of irritated with Andy. But I stuck around and my patience paid off. Despite all of his spiraling and all of his terrible, tired jokes, Andy won my heart in the end. I nearly shed a tear. I highlighted the heck out of my copy.

Good Material feels like of like the Grinch: this bitter dude wanders around making everyone suffer in the wake of his own misery and then somehow, some way, something changes and it evolves into this cathartic and redemptive story. My heart did, indeed, grow three sizes. Dolly brings that magic all while not making you hate the woman. That last part is so important to me. Through Andy, you’re frustrated with Jen, you’re angry at Jen, you want to scream at Jen, but you never, ever hate her.

This book made something in my brain just click into place. It’s being marketed as a rom com and I completely disagree. It’s not romantic. It’s funny in a cringey way, the type that makes you snort on the train. But if you loved Maame or Lovers and Writers or any other introspective, character-focused book I would definitely recommend Good Material.

Thank you so much, Knopf, for sending me a copy of Good Material.

4.75-5 Stars

Good Material was my first Dolly Alderton book and she had me hooked from the beginning. About 30 pages in I compulsively started looking for spoilers because I needed to know if it ended how I wanted it to. I love a spoiler for a movie or show but I hate them in a book and I’m so glad I didn’t find any. I kind of feel like it says a lot about how Good Material was written, as someone who’s only spoiled one book for myself in the past 3 years, I still felt the urge to know how this book ended. That being said, I’m so glad it didn’t end how I wanted it to. This book was beautiful, heartbreaking, real, and relatable in how it handled a breakup. Alderton did a good job of not sugarcoating heartbreak while also making sure it wasn’t exaggerated. I agree with the reviews of people saying they were glad that Jen wasn’t written to be hated or even disliked. Jen's section at the end of the book was a wonderful way to wrap it up. I don’t want to give away too much so I’ll just say I loved that we get to grow with Andy along the way. There are setbacks, oversteps, and Instagram stalking all of it written so well I was morning a relationship I wasn’t even a part of. Then to wrap all the growth we had with Andy up with us truly learning and understanding Jen's side of it was perfect.

Will 100% be recommending this book to everyone.

Perhaps the genius of Good Material is just how uncomfortable Dolly Alderton makes you in the first half. Being stuck inside the mind of a 35-year-old man-child who’s just been broken up with can be infuriating at times, and yet I was still rooting for Andy to figure it the f**k out.

Her writing is so good that I actually enjoyed the experience of watching him (very) slowly gain self-awareness and the cherry on top was ending the book with Jen’s perspective.

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐃𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐀𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐨𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟑𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Good Material by Dolly Alderton was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it! It was honestly unlike anything I’ve read before, and I found it interesting that the majority of Good Material was from the man’s perspective, written by a woman. I loved this story of heartbreak, friendship, and finding oneself amidst it all. The character development was flawless and I found myself feeling sorry for Andy at times, and also totally annoyed by his character at other times. I think what really solidified by love for this book was hearing Jen’s perspective towards the end of the book. This book was funny, relatable, and formatted in such a unique and amazing way, and I would definitely recommend it!

🎧I alternated between the text and the audiobook, narrated by Arthur Darvill and Vanessa Kirby. I felt like both truly elevated by listening experience and would highly recommend this format if you are looking to get lost in the story of Andy and Jen.

Posted on Goodreads on January 26, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around January 30, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on January 30, 2024
**-will post on designated date

Dolly aldertons writing is snacky and propulsive. This novel was sad and wry and breezed by. Nothing ground breaking but I enjoy her fiction!

I knew this was about a break-up but I assumed the main character would be a woman because it is written by a woman. But this is the story of the effects of the break-up of a 4+ year relationship set in London, told (mostly) by the 35-year-old man. Alderton did a good job getting into the head of a man. Unfortunately (and most likely on purpose), I did not like the man so it wasn't a pleasant read for me. However, the end made the book worth my time.

Holy f*cking sh*t, this book is brilliant. It’s awkward and heartbreaking, quick and clever, infuriating and full of second-hand embarrassment. It’s deep and silly all at once and so beautifully thought-provoking. At times, I wanted to scream at both Andy and Jen. At times, I wanted to throw this book and then I wanted to hug it. And when I got to end, I felt so incredible enriched and fulfilled and SEEN. I wish I could recommend this to everyone, but I think you really have to be a “Jen” to love love it. It’s about finding yourself, settling into your confidence and your role in life and your comfort level with your decisions. For a child free (but yes still married) women this book hit so many self-actualizing buttons and I’d like to think that every woman should read and appreciate it, but I fear a lot would not. But I won’t judge- y’all judge for yourselves.
Excellent for comedians or fans of standup comedy.
And for any many going through a breakup or wondering why he’s single, this book is truly brilliant. I’m in literal awe.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Dolly Alderton, and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I need like 10 business days to recover from this!!!! I've been greatly anticipating Good Material ever since I read and adored Alderton's prior works last year, but this blew any expectations I had out of the water. This genuinely felt like watching a 2000s British reverse rom-com in quite possibly the best way. Alderton has such a way of writing that is so genuinely funny and amusing that I was entertained throughout. Andy is a messy character that is annoying and flawed, but I still felt so much love for him because I have always been the person blindsided by relationship breakups and clinging to "what ifs"/the past. Every single character, scenario, feeling, etc. absolutely leapt off the page with this vivacious quality that compelled me to keep reading. I appreciated the raw honesty and candor that Alderton didn't shy away from in representing all of the many stages of a breakup (especially in the "dumpee"), as I was able to relate in so many ways. If I had any critique to give, it would be that the structure of the book was just a bit confusing, as there is one chapter early on that is a flashback, but that never happens again, and then the last 15% of the book ends with a perspective shift from Andy to Jen. The format didn't quite work for me, although I did think the book benefited from seeing Jen's perspective a bit. This book gave me the same feeling as watching one of my favorite movies, About Time, did, in the sense that I walked away appreciating love, life, and my personal experience with both just a bit more. Alderton is truly unmatched, and I think this is a book that will resonate with so many readers. I already can't wait to revisit Andy and Jen again!

If you’ve spent more than five minutes on social media, you’re familiar with the name Dolly Alderton. Beloved by Gen Z, Dolly’s books have taken bookstagram by storm — so it’s only natural I’m the very last to experience her work! (We’ll just agree that I’m fashionably late.)

GOOD MATERIAL takes a standard formula: couple breaks up and goes through the motions of trying to move on, and turns it upside-down. The book is told through Andy’s perspective. A male POV is common enough in romance as part of a dual narrative, but on its own? Virtually unheard of!

And I think that’s what led to my lack of enjoyment here. Andy just isn’t a great guy. 35, a failing comedian, moving from friends’ couches to an elderly man’s spare room. He blocks-unblocks-blocks his ex (& her new boyfriend) on social media, he starts sleeping with a young 20-something but isn’t allowed to spend the night. There’s absolutely nothing that had me rooting for him. Maybe that’s the point and the joke is on the reader for voluntarily spending 300 pages with this man-baby.

The final 15% however…those last chapters made the book for me. The reader finally gets Jen’s take on the relationship and suddenly the break-up makes much more sense. Unfortunately to reach the payoff the reader first has to spend an entire book with Andy (I’m glad I reread the blurb before posting — Andy was so forgettable I called him Adam throughout this review 🤷🏻‍♀️).

While my foray into Alderton’s work wasn’t a massive success, I’m intrigued enough to try her other books. Though GOOD MATERIAL wasn’t a hit for me I know it will absolutely find an audience and reappear on numerous Top Reads of 2024 lists in December.

I’m sure it’s been said somewhere before, but this feels very much like an elder millennial version of High Fidelity in all the best ways.

Naturally, since the focus was on such a neurotic and self-centered MC, it was hard to like Andy most of the time. I was still able to root for our guy, especially towards the end of the book when he starts to be more self aware.

It would have been very easy to end the book when Andy is about to start his new show and he sees Jen in the audience. We still would felt closure and resolution and it could have left things a bit more vague on their path moving forward. But no. Doll-doll gives us a little treat. And we deserved it for listening to Andy whine for months on end. The last 10% of the book switches to Jen’s POV and we get to see the build up leading to the uncoupling and her processing through the break up along with her version of The Madness.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf for the arc in exchange for my honest review. Pub date is 1/30/24.

CW/TW: grief, abandonment, codependency, toxic relationships, sexism, infertility

This one was rough for me and I struggled to get through it from the very beginning.

I found the main character to be completely insufferable and I hated being in his head. Andy was selfish, self-pitying, and infuriating. He spent the entire book wallowing and there was absolutely no growth and development. He was rude, entitled, and even kind of creepy at times. I did not like any part of his personality of his journey and it was painful to read his story. The last 20% the book shifts perspectives and it at least become bearable to read. But this section is so short there is little exploration of the character growth and it all moves very quickly.

This is one of the worst books I've read in awhile and I do not recommend it at all.