We follow Andy through his stages of grief, his struggles with his jobs, and with his male friends. All the characters were so well flushed out. I LOVED Avi and Jane and how Andy saw them and their family. I loved Morris, Andy’s mom. All of it. There definitely was a point in the book where I got sick of Andy’s pity-party and felt desperate for it to end, which I think was also the point. We see Andy try and take the “right” steps, joining a gym, getting a trainer, dating, etc. Once I got over the hump of drunk lonely sad Andy, things really sped up

I cannot believe Dolly picked on of the least sympathetic characters in current society (a 30 year old, white, male, comedian) and made me feel things for him. Taking on the male perspective was an interesting choice. This book definitely felt like a male-centric Ghosts. But instead about dating in your 20s, its about dating in your 30s. After turning 30 this year, the place these characters were in felt SO REAL. You have some friends with kids, getting married, and some friends starting fresh or pivoting.

In the end, she does a great job of capturing all the nuances of a relationship, the different stages you move through as a couple.

I don’t think Dolly Alderton is for me. For the majority of the book, I had to suffer through the pov of a man in his mid-30s while he wallows through a breakup. The end started to get good, but even then I felt the overall execution to be way too weak to be enjoyable.

I felt that the emotions portrayed in the book were quite superficial and surface-level - especially those of the protagonist Andy. While there were some good parts towards the end, they were not enough to make up for the book's shortcomings.

If you don’t typically gravitate towards literary fiction, this might be for you. I think I went in thinking I was getting a detailed emotional journey, but this book is technically categorized under “humorous fiction” which could be why I was let down.

Honestly I hadn't read the synopsis before starting this book so I went in pretty blind. I didn't realize that the breakup taking over Andy's life was the entire plot, but once I clued in to this, and accepted that Jen wasn't going to be leaving Andy's attention any time soon the book's pacing felt much more appropriate. The ending was pretty predictable, largely in part due to the title of the manuscript. Predictable or not, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book, despite that I usually struggle to connect with male point-of-view protagonists. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read an advanced copy!

I really enjoyed Ghosts by this author and was excited for her new book however I struggled to connect with the majority of the book told from a male POV. I did get more invested towards the end when the perspective switched to the woman's POV. I related a lot to her struggles with motherhood, what being a good partner involved and the toll being in a relationship can take on selfhood and autonomy. Good on audio and overall just an okay read for me. This wasn't a book that will standout for me this year but I'm sure it's bound to resonate with a lot of other readers. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and Librofm for an early ALC copy in exchange for my honest review!

Good Material is told from the perspective of 30-something Englishman named Andy dealing with getting dumped, moving out of his home and into various other living situations, navigating friendships, and handling work stresses (a comedian having trouble booking gigs) during this life change. We feel sorry for Andy, but also, can't help but think he's brought some of his situation on himself. We also hear from his ex, Jen at the end of the book, and it's a welcomed perspective to share her side of the story of why we ended up here. Overall, it's engaging and laugh out loud funny.

Not sure I've ever walked away from a book about a breakup and still loved and admired both characters in the (former) relationship, but here we are. I am a woman, but I would like to think the author has done a great job articulating a man's feelings. There were a few passages that gave me an opportunity to do some reflection that will surely be permanently tabbed/highlighted in a physical copy I eventually acquire!

This is my first Dolly Alderton and I can't wait to read her backlist, I also think this should immediately be a limited tv series, which makes sense give her background. Loved it.

This was an INCREDIBLE read and so absorbing. We follow Andy, who was broken up with and is struggling to deal with it. He is a very frustrating POV character, but not necessarily in a bad way, I still enjoyed reading his perspective but he was truly giving 35 year old white man who has never had a deep thought LOL

The last 20% of the book changed, I won't say how, and it brought me to tears. This was such a layered, multi-faceted read that I will be thinking about for years.

I was pleasantly surprised by Good Material, having not read Dolly Alderton before. Funny and poignant, this story of a break-up and its aftermath went down smooth — and just when I was beginning to wonder if it was fair for a female author to be giving us this intimately emotional story from a man’s POV, Alderton pulls off a subtle trick (I was so pleasantly surprised that I’ll give no spoilers) and ultimately, this is a wondrously relatable, feminist perspective on modern life and relationships. The ending bit is the best bit, but I was happily entertained right up to the wow moment. I’ll definitely read Alderton again.

A fun and entertaining twist on the classic breakup story. Alderton explores all of the flaws of the male comedian type, without ever casting too much judgement. In her quest of understanding she ends up creating a very compelling story and relatable, real side characters and situations. I loved this book - both as a writing exercise and for the complete final product - insightful and nuanced, there's a lot more to these characters than the original premise would lead you to believe. I loved it.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Good Material releases January 30, 2024

Andy is a 35 year old who just came out of a long term relationship with his girlfriend, Jen.
What follows is a whole lot of self-pity and wallowing.
This read like the equivalent of putting up with a man-cold but applying that to the reflection of a failed romantic relationship.

The narrative was unique in the sense that it was written from the male pov which is not common for M/F romance/lit fic, but I was left feeling uninspired and the main character was a real killjoy.

I’m sure there’s an audience for this, I just wasn’t it apparently.

This is the one we’ll still be talking about on Valentine’s Day: Andy, a 30-something comedian picking up the pieces after his heart was broken, is doing more spiralling and obsessing than he is moving on in this clever, tender and observational break-up novel. It’s Bridget Jones meets Sliding Doors, told from the perspective of the guy, but when his ex, Jen, gets her say, the love story gets two points of view. If there’s any justice, it will be the North American breakout for Alderton, a wildly popular British journalist who is lesser known elsewhere, just like High Fidelity was for Nick Hornby. She should be a household name!
Delighted to include this title in the January edition of Novel Encounters, my column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction for the Books section of Zoomer, Canada’s national culture magazine.

I really enjoyed this. Alderton's Good Material follows the life of 35-year-old (unsuccessful) comedian Andy in the months following a split with his girlfriend of four years, Jen. Blindsided by the breakup, Andy becomes obsessed with trying to figure out why exactly Jen dumped him.

At first, I was worried I would not enjoy the male POV, but Alderton writes so well that it was nearly impossible not to get pulled into this story. At about the three-quarter mark, I started to find Andy extremely tedious and I was annoyed by his severe lack of self-awareness. For the last quarter of the book, however, the story is told from Jen's POV which provides an interesting twist and much-needed relief from Andy's self-pity.

All in all, Alderton's Good Material is sure to be a hit with fans of her previous work as well as fans of Sally Rooney, Elif Batuman, Lily King, and Naoise Dolan.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the e-ARC :)

In Dolly Alderton's newest novel, Andy's life takes an unexpected turn as he finds himself living in his best friends' spare room, grappling with the aftermath of a devastating breakup. Struggling to launch his stand-up comedy career and facing challenges in various aspects of his life, including social media and dwindling friendships, Andy embarks on a journey to unravel the complexities of his failed relationship. At 35, he confronts the realization that he should have it all figured out by now but just can't seem to get it together.

I loved this book! The novel, like all of Dolly Alderton's work, is written with warm, witty, and hilarious prose, and explores the mysteries of human connections, the pains of growing up, and the narratives we construct about our lives. Although at times I did find Andy to be whiny and a bit obsessive, however due to Dolly's vulnerable narration, I couldn't help but still love him and feel bad for him! The last section of the book was able to tie it all together and give a broader understanding of the failed relationship and made the ending super satisfying!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the digital arc in return for an honest review! Good Material comes out January 30th!

Oh Dolly. You slay girl.

This is the ultimate break up book, the plot is simple but the heart and humour are complex.

Girl dumps boy. Boy meets “The Madness” (heartbreak). Boy gets back up. Boy falls down again. Boy survives it. Girl gives her side.

Simple right. This is a book for anyone who has had their heartbroken and felt like it was the worst thing that ever happened to them. Dolly Alderton is bold in giving us the male perspective for 90 percent of this book, and I am here to tell you, it works. Not only does it work but it’s incredibly funny and relatable.

Aldterton has a knack for writing the self deprecating humour we all use to feel better about our selves and our situations. Andy’s character was endearing, never have I wanted someone to get a win so badly, but at the same time slap the back of their heads and say “get on with it man”. Each character added new layers to who Andy and Jen were, they are all playing their own parts in this break up, much like our family and friends have in ours.

But beyond a nuanced break up story Dolly did us one more solid and gave us a glimmer of Jens (the ex) perspective and it was brilliant, I needed it, it brought the story home for me and reminds us readers that not everything is black and white when it comes to heartbreak.

Thank you NetGalley and Double Day Canada for the advanced readers copy all opinions are my own, please give this one a read or a listen, out January 30, 2024!

God, I loved this. I loved both Andy and Jen and the writing was the perfect balance of funny/sad/wallowing realness. It was believable, nothing cringe, and just hit all the right notes for me.

The swap at the end was such a pleasant surprise and elevated this from a good read to a great and memorable one.

I’ll be coming back to read this again.

Ahh! I'm having a really tough time sorting out my thoughts on this one.

When I first started this, I was so happy to sink back into Dolly's writing, which is witty and observational and clever and tender. I'm a huge fan of her, and I was so excited to spend more time in her brain. But the first 60% of this book really dragged for me.

The novel is told from the perspective of Andy: a struggling comedian in his mid-30s who has just been broken up with by a woman he's still in love with. Because of this, Andy is spiraling, and we follow him through a cringey crusade of awkward interactions and alcohol-fueled mistakes and loneliness and desperation as he reels from his heartbreak. But I think the bulk of this novel was missing a driving force - we're kind of just watching Andy, but there isn't an instigating event or narrative tension to hold our attention. Dolly can get away with this because her voice is so entertaining, and I'm someone who will read a no-plot-just-vibes book any day of the week, but if it was any other author I probably would've dnfed at this point. Andy isn't really likeable, none of the side characters feel very dynamic, there wasn't much to be curious about... idk.

I will say that the end of the novel redeemed it quite a bit, especially the very end when we switch POVs to Jen, Andy's ex, who's able to tell her story of the breakup. This adds way more depth to the story. Andy also comes to some big breakthroughs and realizations that provide a really lovely commentary on the experience of heartbreak, and what it means to heal from it.

One thing you can never take away from Dolly is her ability to talk about the experience of relationship: the highs, the lows, the little quirks you love at first then begin to hate, the scary parts, the wonderful parts, all of it. And even though she's great at writing about them, I'll always appreciate how Dolly doesn't speak about relationships as the ultimate goal, the be-all-end-all.

Overall, I think people who like Dolly Alderton as a writer will like this book, but it isn't one I would recommend at the bookstore to just anyone.

Good Material is a story about learning how to move forward after heartbreak. Andy loves Jen dearly and is completely thrown when Jen ends their four year relationships. Throughout most of the book we follow Andy as he navigates life post-breakup as a 35 year-old aspiring comedian living in London. Good Material confirms this for me: if Dolly Alderton writes it, I need to read it. Her writing is thoughtful, witty and filled with emotional depth. She has an amazing ability to capture the human experience in written word and her stories are a delight to read. I can't wait to purchase a physical copy for my own shelves.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.

The MMC, Andy, a struggling comedian who is trying to figure out why his girlfriend broke up with him and how to fix it. He becomes obsessed as he is so devastated. The novel was mostly from his point of view, so you don't get to hear the 'other side' until much later. It was a very funny novel.....I lol'd at multiple points, and the quirky characters were a hoot. In some ways Andy wasn't too likeable so you can figure out why she broke up with him in the first place. Alas, it was a comedic and entertaining read. I love this author and cannot wait until her next novel.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Good Material primarily focuses on Andy, a struggling comedian who is reeling after his girlfriend breaks up with him. He’s obsessed with figuring out what went wrong and heartbroken. The majority of the book is his point of view, as he adapts to his new reality, dates new people, and attempts to self-reflect by writing a show about his breakup. The book pivots close to the end to Jen’s point of view where she narrates to the reader what went wrong and why she ended their relationship. I struggled to get through Andy’s section. It dragged on and felt repetitive, and I didn’t find him interesting as a character to be invested in. It made sense, almost immediately, why Jen would break up with him. A lot of the dialogue didn’t click and the setting of the story and the world within it never solidified. When it switches to Jen, I was more invested, but it read like an edited diary of her recounting her decision and justifying it, almost like it would’ve been directed to Andy if she wasn’t kind enough to save him from the truth. I liked how Jen explained her feelings on being a wife and becoming a mother, the pressure she felt that wasn’t understood by anyone in her life. But I didn’t feel like it mattered in the end. Jen changes her life, but so does Andy, seemingly breaking out in his career with a show based on their relationship. The ending didn’t work for me in that sense, but I guess it’s realistic. Overall, this novel didn’t work for me but I can see why other people would enjoy it. It mostly made me feel sad for straight women. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

Andy obsesses about the ending of his relationship with Jen: what went wrong, how he can get her back etc etc over and over again. Then towards the end we finally hear from Jen's perspective, and this turns a few things on their heads.

On the plus side this was very funny - I laughed aloud several times. I loved Morris, Andy's eccentric landlord, and I also enjoyed Andy's encounters with the narrow boat and the storage unit clerk. On the other hand the novel was fairly one tone and I'm not sure what the point of it was. If Andy truly only worked as much as he recounted, then I'm surprised he could afford food, let alone rent.

5/5.

WHAT. A. MASTERPIECE.

I have lots to say about this book but I’ll keep it to the briefs.

1. Dolly Alderton is the only woman I have ever encountered that writes women’s fiction without hating women. By this I mean, this book is written mostly from the perspective of a man grieving a horrific breakup that, in all honestly, would drive nearly anyone into a deep, dark madness that they may/may not ever completely recover from. But the most compelling part of this story is that Dolly manages to take the reader through the mania, the bargaining, and the desperation of searching for control in a situation that you did not choose to be in, and she does it without making us hate the woman who has caused the breakup.

2. I think it was very important to have a section from Jen’s perspective at the end of the book. It gives so much clarification to much of the breakup, and pulls the reader from the typical pedestalization of a protagonist that inevitably occurs in fiction. Andy is not perfect. Jen is not perfect. I see bits of myself in both of them. Which, as a writer, I know is very very very difficult to accomplish. The complexity of these characters on such a molecular level is stunning and inspiring, to say the least.

3. Finally, a shoutout for womanhood. Jen’s struggle with wanting to exist outside of a relationship and the implication that all women want to have marriages and children struck such a chord to me, as someone who is learning to be in relationships with men while hating being in relationships with men and planning a life without knowing if I ever want to be a mother.

Dolly, you are, as always, my literary hero.