Andy loves Jen. Jen loved Andy. And he can’t work out why she stopped.

Now he is. . .

Without a home

Waiting for his stand-up career to take off

Wondering why everyone else around him seems to have grown up while he wasn’t looking

Set adrift on the sea of heartbreak, Andy clings to the idea of solving the puzzle of his ruined relationship. Because if he can find the answer to that, then maybe Jen can find her way back to him. But Andy still has a lot to learn, not least his ex-girlfriend’s side of the story…

Modern dating. With these two words, you have the power to terrify entire generations of people (me, included). If there’s one thing to get you through it, it’s commiserating with your friends (and reading excellent novels). Good Material captures the conflicting feelings of modern-day love in adulthood beautifully, hilariously, and honestly.

We meet Andy at his nadir—he’s been broken up with by the only woman he’s ever loved. He insists, out of the blue. At 35, the comedian struggles to pick himself back up again. He takes to self-destructive habits and remains obsessed with his ex. We follow Andy through his healing process, as he gains and loses progress time and time again. While there’s plenty of heartbreak in this book, there’s also plenty of humor. We watch as Andy moves in with his delightfully old landlord, picks up comedy again, and even tries to re-enter the dating world. Andy’s voice is raw, sharp, and witty, and will leave you remembering just how bad heartbreak feels. But as everyone in his life keeps telling him, doesn’t it make for good material?

Dolly Alderton depicts the human experience with painful accuracy. She will leave you both laughing and crying—and reminding yourself, in the end, that you’re doing just fine. This book will pull your darkest emotions out of you but leave you feeling hopeful in the end. It’s a transformative experience, and I insist you take it on.