Good Material, by Dolly Alderton

A mediocre comedian in his mid 30s, barely making a living, Andy is left heartbroken and homeless when his girlfriend of four years dumps him. Capable insurance exec Jen owns her own flat and generally has her shit together – what could possibly have gone wrong? Andy has almost never been single since his teens and is now the only single among his friends, who are preoccupied with marriage and kids. The next six months sees Andy flounder, wallow and gradually recover with the help of friends, colleagues, his mum, a strange old landlord and even Jen herself. The story has an interesting structure, most of it from Andy’s point of view, but with a small section at the end giving Jen’s perspective on the relationship and why it had to end. There are no villains here, just a painfully funny examination of love gone wrong with a bittersweet ending. The novel also offers an interesting insight into the pressures to conform to societal norms, who carries the emotional load of relationships and why it is ok to be single and child free, especially for women. It would make a great TV series.