Title: Good Material

Author: Dolly Alderton

Rating: 4.5/5

"Good Material" by Dolly Alderton is a refreshingly honest and deeply relatable exploration of love, heartbreak, and the journey to self-discovery.

At the heart of the story is Andy, a lovable yet flawed protagonist grappling with the aftermath of a failed relationship with Jen. As he navigates the complexities of post-breakup life, Andy finds himself adrift, questioning his career, his living situation, and his own maturity. Alderton expertly captures the tumultuous emotions of heartbreak, from longing and confusion to introspection and eventual acceptance.

What sets "Good Material" apart is its dual perspective, offering insights into both Andy and Jen's experiences. Through alternating narratives, readers gain a multifaceted understanding of their relationship and the factors that led to its demise. Alderton skillfully delves into the nuances of communication, misinterpretation, and the often messy nature of romantic relationships, painting a nuanced portrait of love and its complexities.

Alderton's writing is sharp, witty, and filled with poignant observations about modern romance and friendship. The characters are authentically flawed and endearing, making it easy for readers to become emotionally invested in their journey. From Andy's comical mishaps to Jen's vulnerabilities, each character is imbued with depth and humanity, resonating with readers long after the final page.
One of the novel's strengths lies in its exploration of friendship as a source of solace and support during times of upheaval. Andy's interactions with his friends provide moments of levity and emotional grounding, highlighting the importance of connection and camaraderie in navigating life's challenges.

In conclusion, "Good Material" is a heartfelt and insightful exploration of love, loss, and personal growth. Dolly Alderton's keen observations and authentic voice make this novel a must-read for anyone who has ever experienced the complexities of modern relationships. With its blend of humor, heartache, and hope, "Good Material" is a poignant reminder that even in the face of heartbreak, there is always the possibility of finding oneself anew.

What a nice surprise this was!! I absolutely loved it. The unraveling of a relationship instead of the development of one. And I absolutely loved that you got to see both sides and hear both stories of what happened. Andy, a stand up comedian is dealing with a break up with his only ever love. At the end of the novel, we get Jen’s perspective and both characters are written perfectly. It’s complex and real and relatable. It’s romance for people who don’t love typical romance with its neat, predictable and happy endings. For people who love complicated love stories. Love love loved this novel. I will be recommending to everyone and so happy I discovered this author.

I will say: this book was hard to read at first. For a good portion of the book, you are in Andy’s head while he processes a breakup. And his head isn’t the best place to be in. But I know Dolly excels at fantastic, interesting characters, so I wasn’t going to let my frustration with Andy make me put this book down.

The end switches to Jen’s perspective of things and really adds so much to this book. I was hoping for more of a dual POV situation, but having finished and sat with this book for a while, I think this was actually perfect.

Flawed, realistic characters in their thirties figuring out relationships, finding themselves, starting over — so well written. I am happy to be a Dolly fan!

I was surprised to see a man as the main character but it worked! I really enjoyed the peek into the life of a stand up comedian who didn't seem that successful but successful enough he was doing okay. The wonders of living in a country with a social safety net!

It was very clever to put a section at the end from his ex-girlfriend's point of view. It really gave depth and answered a lot of questions I had in reading--was their break up a surprise? What happened in France?

One of my favorite books in a long time---an interesting peek into a regular person's life, warts and all.

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

At this point, I have to wonder: is there anything Dolly Alderton can't do? There's something so inherently charming about her writing that it makes it near-impossible not to enjoy.

While I feel like sometimes her fiction can get a bit long-winded and hung up on minor details, the plus side of that is that her characters always read as incredibly authentic. She captures female voice (and the dynamics of their relationships) in a way that I can always get on board with.

That being said, this novel wasn't delivered through the lens of a woman. Rather, our protagonist and narrator is a man. A stand-up comedian named Andy, more specifically. And Andy has just been inexplicably dumped by his long-time girlfriend, Jen. From his perspective, he doesn't understand what went wrong. Everything felt so abrupt and out-of-the-blue. Thus, in addition to feeling heartbroken, there's also a good chunk of time where he's angry and frustrated by the situation, as well.

Only, it's pretty obvious from even the very beginning that Jen likely had her reasons. And it's this that really made me appreciate Dolly Alderton -- we know that Andy probably wasn't a consistently great partner to Jen. And yet we sympathize with him, as well... even when some of his thoughts are pretty awful. I like that she tried something different with this text. And the ending was, of course, the absolute best part of it.

If you're already a fan of Alderton's, I feel pretty confident you'll enjoy this one, too.

anyone who’s been through a significant relationship breakup will find a lot to relate to here. funny, emotional, and real. loved it so much

(𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 @𝘢𝘢𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 @𝘱𝘳𝘩𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰 #𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥.) Dolly Alderton has done it again. No one does break ups and crumbling relationships better than her. 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗟 explores the aftermath of a long term relationship that suddenly ends. Or rather, it suddenly ends for Andy. His girlfriend Jen had been moving towards ending it for quite some time. What’s unusual about this book is that the vast majority of it is told from Andy’s perspective.⁣
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Andy, a stand-up comedian, should have seen it coming but didn’t and he’s totally unprepared for being single again at 35. The single friends he once relied on are almost all married with kids. A night out for drinks now requires weeks of planning and logistical coordination. On top of that, his career is crumbling and he’s broke. Worse still, he can’t stop thinking about Jen and stalks her on social media. ⁣
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I liked seeing the flip side of what we normally get in break-up stories, a man’s heartache rather than a woman’s. (Though eventually Jen does make an appearance.) My one critique would be that Andy’s story could have been a little quicker. I felt like it got a bit repetitive. Never-the-less, I found this was a perfect book to listen to. Narrators Arthur Darvill and Vanessa Kirby were both excellent, keeping me on the hunt for opportunities to pop in the earbuds. That’s always a good sign! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was my first Dolly Alderton book but I understand why she’s so praised. It’s the way she can beautifully write a sentence that can make you want to laugh and cry at the same time. I love the timeline of this book how it’s backwards which I found so different. Yet the topic of breakup is so relatable.

I read this before I was approved for the arc because I just couldn't wait any longer!

Another hit from Dolly Alderton.
She just gets me and makes me feel seen.
I absolutely loved the last chapter where we got Jen's POV on why the relationship ended.

Please Dolly, hurry up with your next book! I need more from you!!! You an instant-read author for me. Thank you for all that you do!

This is by far my favorite Dolly Alderton book! 10/10, I couldn't recommend this enough. Thank you netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Good Material further solidified my love of Dolly Alderton and the way she writes stories 💖 She can do no wrong and I am officially waiting for her next book with bated breath (yes, I realize I may I have years of waiting ahead of me but I am used to it, just ask Gillian Flynn 😅)

Detailing the story of the breakup of a mid-thirties couple, Andy and Jen, Dolly crafts a story that is achingly real, hilarious, and wise. It is romance adjacent, and it provides that uniquely Dolly experience filled with longing, nostalgia, and all kinds of love.

The story unexpectedly (to me) unfolds mostly from Andy’s perspective. I appreciate that Dolly chose to explore the breakup from a male perspective and in turn touches on male friendships, vulnerability, and mental health. The final few chapters, which switch to Jen’s perspective, were undoubtedly my favorite, but I love that Alderton used Andy’s confusion over the breakup to build to an incredibly beautiful conclusion.

Though Alderton’s writing, both fiction and nonfiction, center often on romantic love, my favorite pieces of her stories are almost always those that focus on friendship. That is no different here. The way Andy and Jen’s community rallies around them in difficult moments, as well as their struggles to maintain overlapping friendships, was raw and real and heartwarming.

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, the way that Dolly develops Andy and Jen is nothing short of masterful. Neither are perfect; they both make mistakes and hurt each other A LOT. Though most of the book is told from Andy’s perspective, something that could lead to the demonization of Jen, I couldn’t help but care deeply for both the whole time. Alderton pulls this development off in a way that feels so effortless; I hardly noticed until I came to craft this review. They are messy and wonderfully lovable - what is more human than that?

All in all: Dolly forever 💕

4.25 ⭐️
Dolly Alderton could serve me a plate of dirt and worms and I would devour every bite then ask for seconds. Romance and adjacent genres (especially centered around straight people) usually have very little appeal to me but Dolly is a master at writing within these genres. It’s the Goldilocks just-right porridge of a romcom novel with witty banter, relatable characters and the perfect balance of being earnest and lighthearted but never corny or out of touch. Needless to say, I loved this one and highly recommend!

Although I did end up getting a digital copy of this one on my kindle before I was approved, thank you still to Knopf and Netgalley for the e-ARC!

This one about Andy going through a breakup has witty banter, but overall it didn’t work for me. I didn’t like all of Andy’s whining and complaining about being dumped and that really is the entire premise of the book. I didn’t enjoy his character. I like Morris the older gentleman he lives with, but his part in the book was small. When we hear from Andy’s ex at the end it seems out of nowhere. I think I would’ve preferred her take on things all along. Overall I think the POV on this one was my main problem.

Every once in a while I find an amazing book that reminds you just how much me love reading. I’m so grateful Dolly gave me another fantastically addicting read.
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Good Materials is a departure from Dolly’s other works where she usually writes as a female going through modern dating/ heartbreak. Instead, the novel centers around Andy, a mediocre 35 year old comic who was recently dumped by the love of his life and long-term girlfriend, Jen. Andy is the definition of a Peter Pan man, and we see him trying to pick up the pieces of his broken life after the breakup. And while laughing out loud, cringing along with him for 300 pages. I gobbled up this novel in a matter of days over the Thanksgiving holiday and couldn’t stop laughing out loud.
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Since this book's release date in the UK (in around November) I have read it twice. I can’t put into words how much I loved this book. It’s probably my favorite book I’ve read this year. I feel like Dolly is my best friend, god I love her so much.

Dolly Alderton is just so good at creating characters and relationships that are real and relatable. In this novel, it’s very much “poor Andy,” as our main character has been dumped by Jen and is taking it quite hard. Andy must navigate London’s dating scene, his withering comedy career, and being single among his partnered friends. Hilarity ensues, though not as much hilarity as one might expect from a comedian. (Side note: the commentary on Gen Z’s Instagram captions was *very* funny to this old millennial reader.)

When the POV switches to Andy’s ex, Jen, Alderton truly shines. That’s where the book has been heading all along, though I do wish it got there a tiny bit quicker. I recommend this book for fans of Alderton’s previous books, if you want a well-written romcom with a male main character, or if you enjoyed Fleishman is in Trouble.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC! I was so excited to read this book that I also preordered the hardcover from Blackwells so that I could get my hands on the physical copy around the time of its UK publication, a couple months before the US release.
I'm a big Dolly Alderton fan so I was predisposed to like this book. I believe her writing is really important for Gen Z and Millennial women because she writes about being a woman with feelings, some of them embarrassing or under-discussed because they're supposedly "unbecoming." This novel is unique because it relays the experience of a relationship from the man's perspective in a heteronormative love story, but it says so much about what women experience. I think many readers of this novel will recognize aspects of past relationships in the actions of protagonist Andy, a (questionable) comedian and recent dumpee. He and ex Jen are attempting no-contact in the wake of their dissolution and, as he searches for the reasons why their relationship ended, he mourns his failure while watching the success of others. It's a sometimes-challenging read in that Andy displays pitiful behavior and makes all the wrong decisions that us heartbreak-recoverees recognize as something that once felt right and dignified to ourselves. In hindsight, cringe.
Eventually, the reader does get to hear from Jen herself about her reasons for ending the relationship. Her voice and explanation are a much-needed salve for the dry, misguided idiocy of man attempting to deduce the cause for a woman's behavior. It's another Dolly classic that I devoured in about a day and a half. Also I love the cover.

Thanks again to NetGalley!

Take away my feminist card- I am Team Andy. I could spend several more volumes in his head (and his heart, and his other parts). Funny and warm break up story.

My first Alderton! So funny at times that I had to put the book down, facetime my spouse, and read sections out loud (things would do to get Ex back). This is the story of heartbreak in a breakup. It's told through the male point of view, Andy. Loved being on the journey with him and then understanding Jen a bit more, eventually. Loved the London-ness of it all which felt like another character in the book. Beautiful, smart writing kept me turning pages well past my bedtime - everyone will love this one and be able to relate to a time when your heart broke. Heartfelt thanks to the publisher for the copy.

I absolutely adored this. It had High Fidelity vibes which is one of my favorite books so that’s a major compliment. I’m off to now read everything Dolly has ever written.

Looking forward to reading more by this author knowing how talented she is at developing characters voice. I don't know that everyone will be able to handle the heartbroken Andy, at times you definitely want to shake him but IMO you also feel heartbroken for him. I found it interesting reading from the perspective of a heartbroken male, especially because I see this as women's fiction. I think it would make for a lively book club conversation regarding our expectations of how men and women handle heartache. What really makes the book discussion worthy though is the last few chapters. What a way to wrap it all up. Entertaining read!