Good Material was another Dolly Alderton smash hit! It wasn’t exactly what I expected when I first started reading, but all of her writing is so visceral and real in a way that still feels lighthearted and entertaining.

Such a fun and unexpected read that I enjoyed! I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

I overall enjoyed this book but not my favorite of Dolly's work. It was interesting to read about heartbreak from the perspective of a man, which is not a narrative that is often presented in this style of writing. At times it felt a bit drug on with slow character development, but I think this often reflects the reality of going through a breakup.

I have always enjoyed Dolly Alderton's writing, and this novel is no exception. We first encounter Andy in 2019 as he lists the reasons he's not compatible with Jen. Sure, Andy, she does seem pretty awful, but somehow she still manages to break his heart when she dumps him. However, let's not rush to sympathize with him just yet—this is Andy's perspective, after all.

Andy and Jen meet in 2015 at his best friend Ari’s birthday party, and everything seems fine until a disastrous trip to Paris. Andy narrates his "progress" in a journal-like format as he navigates the various stages of their breakup.

This is such a good read; it is tender at times, very amusing at others, and always perceptively observed. I really appreciate the author's turn of phrase—poignant yet droll, witty, and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny. This clever combination keeps you eagerly turning the pages.

The characterization is excellent. Although Andy is undeniably obsessive, especially about Jen, he remains very likable. You feel sorry for him as his life spirals out of control, yet you also want him to pull himself together. He could use some "Dear Dolly" advice, but he does gain wisdom from his friends, albeit not always when they are sober. Andy is a part-time stand-up comedian, adding lively and colorful scenes from the comedy circuit and explaining the book's title. His attempts to laugh off or drown his sorrows in various pubs and clubs, accompanied by snappy dialogue, are particularly entertaining. There isn’t a dull moment, but these sections stand out as some of the best. Andy’s interactions with his landlord Morris, especially one touching act of kindness, are also noteworthy.

The final section from Jen’s point of view, though brief, is very illuminating and provides a deeper understanding of their relationship. The ending is extremely satisfying.

In addition to following Andy’s recovery and meeting some memorable characters along the way (Ari and Jane’s children are hilarious, for example), there are excellent music references, humorous hair obsessions, and other ventures where Andy attempts to reinvent his 35-year-old self, with limited success.

All in all, Dolly Alderton once again delivers with this thoroughly enjoyable and engaging read.

Was not my cup of tea. Maybe I’ll revisit it at a later date. I have nothing to genuinely say about this book

I have complicated feelings on Good Material. At points, it was a slog to get through, but the final chapter was such a huge pay-off that now it all feels so worth it. I’m tempted to say that I loved it, but I think what I really mean is that I loved the ending.

I’m such a fan of Dolly Alderton and I loved Ghosts for its celebration of and realistic depiction of female friendships. This is not that. For the majority of the book, the narrator is 35 year old Andy, a failing comedian struggling to come to terms with the end of a four-year relationship with his now ex-girlfriend Jen. Andy flounders is the post-break-up aftermath and quickly finds that his male friendships are ill-equipped to support his grief. Andy’s challenges are mounting: his career is failing, he needs proper housing, his friends are busy with spouses and children and do not handle emotion well, and the single nightlife that served him well in his 20s feels hollow and lonely in his 30s.

I read one review that described Good Material as a nightmare of being stuck in the mind of a 35 year old man with the emotional bandwidth of a teaspoon. The accuracy of that review! I’ve known these men. I’ve watched these men. And I am so glad to not be one and not be with one.

Good Material made me incredibly thankful for the joy and privilege of being a woman and having strong female friendships. The pay-off of making it through to the end is that Dolly Alderton gives us the ultimate gift of a chapter from Jen’s perspective and it is honestly such a gift.

This one is well worth it for the ending, if you can get there.

I picked up this Dolly Alderton book because I loved “Everything I Know About Love.” As compared to her more personal writings, this foray into fiction, putting herself in the mind of a man after a breakup, was really interesting. It felt a little distanced, I’m not sure I became totally invested in the story, but it kept me thinking about what relationships mean to us and how they can be (mis)interpreted by all parties. Not my favorite, but I appreciate Dolly for her ability to really read people!

This book is brilliant! I'm so glad I got to see Dolly speak in New York on her Good Material book tour this winter. The perspective she carves out for Andy, a 35 year-old who has recently been dumped by his long-term girlfriend, Jen, is raw, realistic, and laugh-out-loud funny all at the same time. The twist at the end of the novel elevated this from a 4.5 to a full 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback. Andy's POV was unbearable to be in at times, but in a way that felt very real.

This was such a wonderful exploration into the life of a man after his girlfriend has left him. As he does everything in his power to understand why the relationship ended, his life falls down around him. This book was so witty, relatable, and on point. I loved the deep dive into the characters. You really get to understand them more as they figure themselves out. Such a transparent depiction of life. Loved this!

I was so excited to pick Dolly Alderton's latest novel up after loving her last one, but this was incredibly lackluster for me.

Funny funny story about a middle aged man who gets broken up with. The ending was kind of magical! I was a bit worried about reading from the perspective of a man, but that didn't end up mattering to me here. Dolly Alderton makes me feel all the feelings & I even found myself laughing out loud to myself.

Being in a man’s head sounded like a nightmare- especially a man who had just been broken up with and couldn’t think of a single reason why (it is always out of nowhere for men).

But I ended up really liking being in Andy’s head, even when he was insufferable (and boy, was he insufferable).

Breakups suck! And this book really delves into that and brought me back to my own breakups (so fun) and how hard they were and how I mourned them.

I also love love loved that we got into Jen’s head at the end! I think that really sent this book over the edge (in the best way) for me.

I need more! Dolly, you will always be famous.

I almost didn't finish this and that would have been such a shame. I was SO annoyed with Andy for the first half of this book, but I know that was the point. But when he started making sense of the break-up and when we heard Jen's perspective, I found it to be a beautiful piece of writing. I've never had a big break-up, so I shouldn't have been able to relate, but somehow, I felt such companionship with them both. I am in no way a note-taker or highlighter while reading, but I stopped and noted several lines and that just hit me in the feelings. Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the free ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Dolly Alderton is the story of a breakup, as told by the insecure male party. The narrator spends the length of this novel obsessing over his ex-girlfriend, Jen, and his own flailing stand up career. Alderton's focus on the male voice is refreshing; I also enjoyed the critique that is lobbed at stand up comedy throughout the novel.

This book was such a pleasant surprise! I loved that the story was told from Andy's perspective. This was the first of Dolly Alderton's book that I've read, and it it won't be the last.

Another review put it best: "Being stuck inside the head of a 35 year old man with the emotional bandwidth of a teaspoon is truly the seventh circle of hell."

It took me awhile to get into Good Material. I have really enjoyed Dolly Alderton’s books and her reflections on dating in your 30s and online dating have been so perfect that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to read this one.

Then I realized it was narrated by Andy the MMC as he processes a breakup over the course of a year. To be honest that threw me a bit and it took more time to be invested in his side of the story. Yet also that is also why it won me over too. Seeing his struggles and how men deal with patriarchy and masculinity when it comes to their feelings felt really novel to see explored.

Also I absolutely love Morris, The Flip concept is genius, The Lost Weekend bit made me so sad, Andy’s mom’s speech about all the little goodbyes 😭 and I wish all my friends with kids were like Jane and Avi (don’t @ me but being a 30 something person especially woman/femme who is single and choosing not to have kids is rare but also can be incredibly ostracizing and lonely, Jane and Avi pull both Jen and Andy into their lives intentionally and that was very beautiful to see.)

Then in the last 40 pages we get Jen’s perspective on not just the year but how she came to be in a relationship with Andy and I lost it. As someone who has been mostly single and choosing to not have kids and very comfortable alone but not 100 percent sure if I want a relationship or just the creature comforts of one… I just felt so seen. And then I bawled through the end because it was just really beautiful.

Dolly just does this oh so well.

What I didn’t love. I don’t enjoy a lot of comedy especially comedy by white men and to use Sophie’s word, it’s a bit cringe.

The ending!? Why would you give your characters these big exciting turns in their life and then overshadow them with COVID happening which then feels like some weird cruel joke. Just leave COVID out. We don’t always need to include it, we can exist in an alternate timeline and still have it be believable.

If you love books about relationships, breakups, the messy bits, and ultimately laughing your way through finding yourself and healing then you will enjoy this.

Thank you @netgalley and @aaknopf for my digital ARC!

I could really relate to this book. Which I think a lot of people could. In all an enjoyable read. I might not recommend this to everyone but the majority would find something

This was my first reading of Alderton’s work and I really enjoyed it! This book was a great examination of a relationship post-breakup AND told from the man’s point of view. It was interesting to read from this perspective and I think Alderton did a great job writing from a different standpoint.

There were times when I laughed out loud while reading. It’s an easy book to read and quick to get through and enjoy.

Thanks to Knopf for the ARC!