Good Material by Dolly Alderton funny and poignant story based on the aftermath of the end of a four-year relationship.
My Overview
Thirty-five year old Andy is still in love with Jen. The problem, is that she’s his ex-girlfriend, since she recently ended their four-year relationship. Sadly, Andy is clueless about the reason for the collapse of said relationship. He’d been perfectly content in the relationship, so he was blindsided by the breakup. He now finds himself temporarily living with friends and struggling to make sense of life without Jen; all while trying get his career as a stand-up comedian going. It’s hard to come up with good material, though, with his life in shambles.
As the story unfolds, we follow Andy through the various breakup stages and his efforts to piece his life together. What I enjoyed most about this story is that it’s mostly told through Andy’s POV, in a sort of journal format. It’s only towards the end, that Jen’s POV comes into the story. In sharing her side of the story, the particulars of their relationship are revealed. The juxtaposition of Andy and Jen’s POVs added depth and dual perspectives to the subjects of relationships and partners’ roles. In addition to that, there are a few other storylines centered around Andy and Jen’s friends, and Andy’s curmudgeon landlord.
Overall, this is a tender and heartwarming story about love, self-actualization, and friendship. I was drawn to this story from the very beginning, and continued to be amused through the end. The character development is excellent, and I enjoyed the combination of heartbreaking and witty moments.
My Recommendation
This is my first book by this author, and I truly didn’t know what to expect. Now, I’m looking forward to reading some of her other books. The writing style, humor, and character development are what I’m expecting to continue to enjoy in her stories. Needless to say, I highly recommend this book. If deciding between print or audiobook, I suggest the latter because the audio narration is excellent.
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