I adored this book! I first came across Caroline O'Donoghue's work earlier this year when I read her All Our Hidden Gifts trilogy and eagerly awaited her adult debut. And this did not disappoint.

The Rachel Incident closely examines how abortion laws in Ireland affect women, specifically through the story of Rachel and James. It's a novel about friendship, growing up, loving the wrong people, and making decisions when you are back into a corner. It's funny, a bit suspenseful, and so incredibly human.

I've realized that I love novels told from the perspective of an older character remembering past events. Some of my favorite novels this year have been in the format, and The Rahcel Incident is another to add to the list. Rachel is telling the story of her early 20s through the lens of motherhood in her late 30s. I loved the writing; the setting, the dialogue, and the characters became so real to me so quickly.

Comparisons to Sally Rooney (specifically Conversations with Friends comes to mind), Curtis Sittenfeld, and Katherine Heiny all feel spot on for this stellar debut.

4.5 stars! A dual timeline narrative mostly set in 2009, Rachel Murray's last year of university in Cork, Ireland. Rachel is working at a bookstore when she meets James Devlin and they become fast friends. When Rachel falls for her married professor, Dr. Fred Byrne, both James and Rachel become entangled with Dr. Byrne and his wife, Deenie, who works in publishing. This is only the beginning of Rachel's tumultuous year and it is truly a coming-of-age story. Counterpointing and narrating 2009, is the voice of older Rachel, now in her early 30s, living in London and pregnant with her first child. She's still friends with James (mostly via texts), who lives in NYC and works as a comedy writer on a late night TV talk show. Present-day Rachel has news for James that she's not sure how to share.
I love a good story set in Ireland. You will fall in love with Rachel (and James).

*Special thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for this e-arc.*

I"m sad to say that this book fell a little flat for me. James was a hoot and I kept wishing that he was my friend in real life. The novel was a little too historical and political for my taste. The issues at hand were extremely important, but it felt too much like I was reading a nonfiction instead of a fiction. I craved more character interaction and development. I also thought the ending was incredibly rushed and honestly didn't provide any closure for me. I did enjoy the overall premise and would definitely read another book by O'Donoghue!

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue
Published: June 27, 2023
Knopf
Pages: 293
Genre: LGBTQ+ Literary Fiction
KKECReads Rating: 4/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Caroline O'Donoghue is a New York Times bestselling author and podcaster. Formerly a journalist, Caroline has written for The Times, The Guardian, and most of the Irish press. Her award-winning podcast, Sentimental Garbage covers "the culture we love that society can sometimes make us feel ashamed of" and tops the podcast charts internationally. Caroline lives in London with her partner and her dog.

“You love the whole person.”

Rachel meets James while working at a small bookshop in their hometown. They build a random and, at times, an unhealthy friendship that spans their young adult lives. Together they go through finding partners, the drama that can sometimes have, and having secrets that can often be devastating.

This read like a memoir, which was creative. I enjoyed how the story was told and how it led from adolescence to adulthood.

Rachel was remarkably ordinary. She came from a middle-class family, went to university, and was doing things as she was supposed to. James was vibrant and charismatic and destined for more.

Together they grew up. They laughed, cried, and discovered who they were. This was a life story and how sometimes things we can’t control. There were some very realistic themes covered, and the story had a genuine vibe that would resonate with readers of all ages.

This book kind of jumped all over the place with a stream of consciousness style of narrative and I just couldn't get into it at all. I ended up DNF'ing at 10% sadly. Recommended still to people who enjoy authors like Sally Rooney (who isn't my fav at all either lol). Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rachel and her best friend, James, are roommates in Cork, Ireland. Rachel is a student and bookseller whose life becomes messily entwined with one of her professors and his wife. I love the friendship between Rachel and James and appreciate how the two stuck together, even when things became difficult. This book dragged a little bit for me in the middle, but it wrapped up nicely and won me over in the end. Readers who enjoy Irish lit or coming-of-age tales about people in their 20s will enjoy this lighthearted look at relationships in all their forms.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book.

I picked up this book based on the description sounding like it could be a fun mix of Fleabag and Normal People (or some other Rooney book I have yet to read). It did not disappoint (though I would classify it closer to a Rooney than with Fleabag). This novel was such a fun and funny novel about being a new adult and figuring out life, making and keeping friends, finding life, and finding yourself.

What makes this book fun while also keeping it realistic and contemporary is that it is full of questionable moral characters. Just like in real life, no one is perfect. They fall in love with the wrong people and make the wrong choices all the time. They learn and they grow while trying to figure out their own selves, their own bodies, and also the huge world around them.

I love the format that this is written in, a journalist looking at her own past and the question of truth in her narration. The author writes vivid and heartfelt relationships that kept me coming back for more and I almost finished this book all in one sitting. The prose is excellent and detailed while also being witty enough to not be slow or overdone. I can't wait to read more from this author and would recommend this book to anyone who can't wait for the next Sally Rooney novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC!

This is a well-told story about young woman Rachel of Cork, Ireland told in 2 timelines. It starts while she's in university in 2010, but gives glimpses into present-day, while the story fills the gaps in between. There's so much to love about this story. As a reader, I felt the angst and confusion in 20-year-old Rachel while she tries to make her way in the world. It touches upon themes that resonate with most: relationships, friendship, unrequited love, cringe-worthy decisions made at the spur of the moment, etc. As a result, I think this book will appeal to lots of different readers. I love Caroline O'Donogue's writing style and voice and look forward to what she writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for providing me with the ARC

This is a wonderful read - likeable characters navigating the complexities of life on the cusp of adulthood. The setting is reminiscent of the work of Sally Rooney's first books but this book is much more readable and the characters easier to empathise with. The story arc is unpredictable in a pleasantly surprising way and the shifting time lines were expertly handled. Looking forward to O'Donoghue's next work already

Highly recommended.

Could not connect with the characters or the story-line. This story was not for me. I have seen some positive reviews so this is probably a case of the one story that I don't really care for.

DNF

The Rachel Incident is an impressive adult contemporary fiction debut, filled with strong and immediately engaging writing and a compelling MC with Rachel. The development of her story and the secondary characters is done seamlessly, as though you truly are walking through Rachel's daily life, musings, and her specific view of the world, how she perceives relationships and events/moments from a quirky, funny, and self aware voice.

What really stood out was the honest, and funny, moments of insight from Rachel, how the author dropped in moments of very specific, relatable, and poignantly honest thoughts and insights. In another author's hands Rachel might have come off as painfully immature or unlikable but here she is at times wonderfully aware of her naivete but growing up and into herself step by step, as most 20somethings do.

This is for me what I want a Sally Rooney book to be (I respect her work but it does not land for me) as here we get characters her are complicated in an enmeshed way but in a way that is not ostentatious or unlikable; these characters pull me into their world and are written with some loving restraint that allows them to shine despite their missteps.

A story that is new and classic at the same time. The story of friendships, unrequited loves and coming of age.
I loved the characters and the storytelling
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

4.5⭐️ I loved this book! What a master piece! It’s beautifully written and is an unforgettable story…

Summer 2010, Ireland - Rachel Murray is on the cusp of adulthood. Studying literature at university. Working part time at a bookstore. Set on seducing her married professor (even though he’s shown absolutely no interest in her), she enlists her best friend James to help her in this quest. James, however, manages to do what she can’t and she becomes a bystander in his illicit affair with her married professor. Rachel is desperately trying to keep it all together - navigating expectations, friendships, relationships, love & being forced to make impossible choices. This was a critical year for her & it was many years ago. A chance encounter on the streets with an acquaintance a decade later brings it all back to her…

Thank you for giving me an ARC of The Rachel Incident to read. It was an absolutely pleasure to read & a privilege to get copy to read before release.

I have a confession: The main reasons I was initially excited to read The Rachel Incident are that I have a sister named Rachel and she lives in Ireland (though not in Cork). My Rachel isn’t anything like the Rachel depicted in this book’s summary, but the tenuous connection was made and I was irreversibly hooked. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, and the official summary is a bit misleading in my opinion, but I swiftly fell in love with this novel.

The Rachel Incident is written from Rachel’s perspective in the 2020s, now a successful journalist, married, and pregnant. She’s telling us readers about the one eventful year, from late 2009 through the end of 2010, when her whole life changed. Her tone is loose and candid, transporting us into a time when your school years are ending and you’re just truly entering adulthood. The timeline within the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash is also one I can fully identify with. I’d be only two years younger than Rachel and, like her, wondering where my English degree would actually get me.

I don’t know how to explain it, but I loved The Rachel Incident. It feels so real, like Rachel is a person I could have known in college. She has funny, often relatable observations. (Though not 100% of the time! She’s kind of weird on occasion!) She’s struggling financially, despite her middle class background. She’s just learning about the real world, from money to feminism to sexuality, and is not always good at navigating tricky scenarios.

Case in point: the entire situation with her roommate James Devlin, her boyfriend James Carey, her professor Fred Byrne, and his wife Deenie. Romantic entanglements, academic and professional entanglements, financial entanglements… it’s a mess, and not always handled well. I won’t divulge what exactly happens, but suffice it to say that it has major repercussions on Rachel’s life.

The Rachel Incident is mundane and melodramatic in the best way. It’s the kind of literary fiction that sucks you in and makes you fall in love with it. It weaves in thoughtful themes, exposes misconceptions you may have of your younger self, and shows what it’s like to be young and naive and directionless and yet full of a whole life ahead of you.

Somehow both simple and climatic, I loved The Rachel Incident from beginning to end. I’ll make my real-life Rachel read it and recommend it far and wide, regardless of the recipient’s name. This is a book that will stick with me, and I intend to read more from Caroline O’Donoghue soon.

Remember back when you just graduated from college or university and suddenly the world is at your feet, and anything can happen, and relationships develop and you’re thrust out in the world trying to navigate life and love and jobs and rent and roommates? I don’t remember any of this since that was so long ago it’s now calcified like dino remains, but:
a) many of you out there absolutely remember those moments and
b) Lucky for me, and you Caroline O’Donohue wonderfully relives those times in her terribly smart, periodically cringey and oh-so-real adventures of Rachel Murray.
I found the book measured at the beginning, its story slowly revealing itself as a relationship developed between Rachel and her bookstore co-worker James. Soon, what begins as a campus novel slowly picks up speed and complexity (much like real life) and becomes something much bigger, all of this seen through the backward lens of a now adult Rachel spinning out her story and dropping breadcrumbs along the way of imminent drama.
Adding to the charm is the book's setting of Cork Ireland which gave me the same feelings as all those Working Title films like ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral ‘and ‘Notting Hill’ that I absolutely love, and by the way still totally hold up!
Some have compared this to Sally Rooney and I can see that a bit, but for me, it runs closer to the comedic heartache of ‘Fleabag’ and if you liked that show this is definitely one to pick up. Thanks to @knopf for the advance reading copy. #TheRachelIncident comes out tomorrow!

I was provided a free advance copy from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
This is a coming of age story for the early/late twenties. When one begins to live on their own and figure out what they will do with their life. In these struggles we follow Rachel and multiple James(es?). She moves in with her best friend James, and they try to navigate jobs, lovers, making rent, and some of the difficulties life throws at you! It all culminates in one huge event that shapes all of their lives for a while.
It was a pretty interesting story. I think it dragged for me in the middle. Although it ultimately ended well.
This is a story of finding yourself, friendships, and love.
It is scheduled to be published Tuesday, so check it out!
#NetGalley #TheRachelIncident

As a woman named Rachel, I have to admit that I first requested The Rachel Incident for the title. Imagine my delight, then, when I couldn't stop thinking about this book.

The Rachel Incident is a coming-of-age story centered on the fast and deep friendship between Rachel and James during the recession in Ireland. Sharply observed, this novel is at times laugh-out-loud funny and sometimes devastating. Nothing seems to pass by Caroline O'Donoghue without consideration, and that brings this novel to life.

In addition to the rich character stories, which made everyone involved their own subtle universe, the unsparing look at Ireland's abortion access circa 2010 was sobering and very timely as an American reader.

Essentially, whatever you anticipate reading this book, I suspect that The Rachel Incident will give you a richer and deeper experience. I recommend it.

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for an advance review copy of The Rachel Incident. All opinions are my own.

Genre: Literary Fiction

Format: Audio/Physical

Pub Date: June 27th, 2023

5🌟 - I loved it!

You know when you look at a cover and know you’re going to love a book? This one was totally that for me! @czaronline this is such a nuanced, character-driven, and such a lovely coming-of-age with a unique twist on dark academia themes.

I loved the friendship between Rachel and James 💘, learning about Ireland during the 2010s, the atmospheric nature of the novel, and the twist!

Fans of Dolly Alderton, Coco Mellors, and Sally Rooney will really vibe with this one! Lit fic girlies add this one immediately to your TBR ✍🏼!! Also this was fantastic on audio 🎧.

The Rachel incident is a quirky, non-traditional coming-of-age story. The story follows Rachel and her gay best friend James as they navigate relationships, sexuality, academia, the recession, and growing into adulthood. The story begins as a humorous tale but takes a more serious turn about half way through the book as Rachel finds herself inadvertently and wrongly implicated in an affair with her married professor, protecting her friend James in the process.

The book is insanely readable and Rachel and james are flawed characters in whom readers will become invested. The plot is at times both humorous and tragic much like life. Definitely a recommended read!

4 1/2

The first scenes of The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue occur in 2022 but much of the novel takes place around ten years earlier as Rachel is finishing up her English degree and wondering what she’s going to do with it while the economy around her is floundering. She is working in a bookstore that she absolutely loves when her new co-worker, James Devlin, confuses her with Sabrina, another co-worker, despite the fact that Rachel is 5’11” and Sabrina is a tiny little thing.

At first, Rachel doesn’t know what to make of James. He seems gay, but insists he’s not, and has enough charisma for five. Somehow they become the best of friends and then roommates and are inseparable.

It’s with James’ help that Rachel puts together a book reading for her favorite English professor, Fred Byrne, at the bookstore, certain that it will also allow her to shag him in the stockroom. But the more she works on the reading, the more she realizes that her crush really isn’t meant to be, which is reinforced when Fred does corner someone in the stockroom and it’s most definitely not her. It’s her supposedly-not gay flatmate, James.

As James and Fred become a couple on the sly since Fred is married to Deenie Harrington, a publishing editor, Rachel gets into a relationship with James Carey, who she calls Carey because the James spot is already taken. And, with a little unintentional blackmail of Fred, Rachel gets an internship with Deenie. Everything seems to be coming together. Until it all falls apart, of course.

The turning point in The Rachel Incident is sad, astonishing, and anger-inducing in quick order. Although we readers know what’s going to happen at this point, we still react to the injustice as everything seems to fall apart for Rachel.

While I wasn’t always a fan of Rachel’s actions, my reactions may be more because O’Donoghue created a very realistic character in Rachel, a girl-woman straddling the line of becoming an adult, self-aware enough to recognize that she hadn’t outgrown her school-girl giggles, didn’t want a boyfriend, wanted intimacy, but didn’t want to be “ruined.” She is a complex character in a novel of layers and complexities. She recognizes her moments of pettiness for what they are and sometimes doesn’t see completely who she is.

O’Donoghue has a wry way of viewing the world, which comes across in her writing. She doesn’t hedge; she simply tells it as it is. Except for the Ipod classic, which, I’m sorry was not old before its time and holds the moniker “classic” for a reason. ( 😉 ).

While this may be O’Donoghue’s first adult novel, I hope it is the first of many to come.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.