The following edition of the text was used in the creation of this study guide: Alderton, Dolly. Good Material. Penguin, 2023. Kindle AZW file.

The novel follows Andy, a 35-year-old comedian from Birmingham, navigating his breakup with Jen. After a phone call where they discuss making breakup lists, Andy reflects on their past, from their first meeting at a party in 2015 to present day in 2019. Feeling lost, Andy reaches out to an old girlfriend, Nicky, but finds she has moved on. He returns to London, packs his things from their shared apartment, and stays with his friends Avi and Jane and their two young children. Andy performs a comedy gig with his confident friend Emery, who suggests he turn his experience with the breakup into a comedy show.

On a night out with Avi and friends, Andy gets drunk and wakes up at Avi's place, missing memories of the night. He receives a flirtatious DM from a fan, Tash. Seeking change, Andy considers living on a canal boat but finds it less appealing than expected. He briefly communicates with Tash before she deletes her profile.

Moving back to Avi and Jane's, he learns Jane is expecting their third child. Realizing he needs to find somewhere else to live before the baby is born, Andy moves in with Morris, a 78-year-old conspiracy theorist who is renting out his spare room. Andy meets Jen to close their joint bank account, suspecting she planned the breakup long before telling him. Andy learns Emery's Edinburgh show is a hit while his own comedy set at a wedding flops. Emery wins an award for Best Comedy Show at the Edinburgh festival. Andy bumps into his ex, Daisy, reflecting on their breakup.

During a mall gig demonstrating products, Andy spots Jen with Seb, sparking feelings of inadequacy. Seb is Jen's new partner, and Andy compares himself unfavorably to him, feeling overshadowed. Andy becomes curious about Seb and cyberstalks him, trying to understand what drew Jen to him. He theorizes that Jen left him due to dissatisfaction with Andy’s career choices, thinking Seb might offer a more stable or successful life. Seeking insight into Jen's perspective, Andy consults a therapist using a fake persona, hoping to understand what advice Jen might have received from her therapist.

During a gig with Emery, Andy meets comedian Thalia and her roommate, Sophie. Andy and Sophie begin dating despite a 12-year age gap. Andy complains about a fee cut to his agent and blocks Jen and Seb on Instagram. Seeing Seb's Instagram post sharing a brand of chips Andy and Jen discovered together, Andy takes revenge by going to a karaoke bar with Sophie where he went with Jen for their first date, but it does not go well, leaving Sophie disappointed.

Andy gets heckled at a gig and reads a negative review of his performance online, worrying about what Jen will think when she sees it. His agent suggests he should work on new material. Sophie visits Morris's house, watches a movie with Andy, and loses her scarf which Andy offers to return by mail. Andy breaks up with Sophie over the phone.

Andy learns a friend, Jon, broke up with his partner.

After a children’s birthday party at Avi and Jane's, Andy and Jen reminisce, leading to them spending a night together. The next morning, Andy realizes he has lost his keys at Jen's, and she offers to post them back to him. Andy realizes that the relationship is definitely over.

Andy returns to his mum's in Birmingham, finding solace in her advice about gradual goodbyes. Andy ends his personal training with Kelly and invites Morris to spend Christmas with him and his mum. He writes heartfelt letters to Jon and Jen, though he plans not to send Jen's.

Come January 2020, Andy prepares to perform a comedy show about his breakup. As he heads to the gig, he spots Morris disinfecting mail, curious about his actions. At the show, he sees Jen in the audience.

The final section of the novel is told from Jen’s perspective. Jen remembers her teenage years when she tried to impress her dad after discovering his affair. She settled for an insurance job like her dad, rather than traveling as she wished. Initially happy with Andy, Jen began questioning her desire for marriage and kids as friends started families. Their careers took a toll on their relationship; Andy got a TV gig while Jen aimed for a promotion. Jen's grandmother's passing and a documentary on Joni Mitchell further influenced her doubts about the relationship. Health issues and poor communication added to their distance. Jen learned she might struggle with fertility and was annoyed at Andy's lack of support. A visit to a psychic unsettled her, hinting at a warning given to her by her grandmother that she would be happier alone than married.

After breaking up with Andy, Jen questioned her choices. She tried to reach out to Andy indirectly through a fake Instagram account but felt guilty and deleted it. Learning Andy was seeing Sophie, Jen felt it was too soon for her to date Seb from work. Deciding to travel South America, Jen quit her job, found tenants for her apartment, and was initially against Andy's comedy show about their breakup. After seeing the show's success, she changed her mind. They hugged after the show but parted ways, Andy celebrating his success while Jen went home alone.