Loved it! Love when a novel has the setting as almost another character - in this case, Cork, Ireland. This is about a young woman graduating college, working in a bookstore during a Recession. She meets James and they become roommates - it’s beautifully written. My heart repeatedly soared and sank while reading - all on between lots of laughs at the great writing. At one point, she describes the meat she’s eating as the “consistency of scabs”. Haha! Thanks to Knopf for the copy. Go read this one. Everyone will love it.

3 Stars
One Liner: A mixed read for me

The older Rachel hears about professor Dr. Fred Byrne from her undergrad days and shares her story of the past days. A 20-year-old young Rachel has lived in Cork all her life. She is an art student working part-time in a bookstore. She meets her colleague, James, and soon they decide to become housemates. He is her best friend and a partner in crime.
What starts as Rachel’s crush on him leads to some surprising developments. Soon, the lives of Rachel, James, Dr. Bryne, his wife, and a few other characters are entangled with the economic recession and women’s rights in Ireland.
The story comes from Rachel’s first-person POV.
The book is much more than the blurb (especially the GR version, so don’t be disappointed that it doesn’t play the central role in the plot).

My Thoughts:
How much you like the book will depend on how well you take to Rachel. As you can see, it’s a fairly mixed read for me. I like it in bits and pieces, but as a whole, the book reminds me why I’m so wary of this style of storytelling.
The writing has a charm. It presents the MC very well, which is both an advantage and a disadvantage. Still, it’s the kind of writing you can sink into, even if the narrator isn’t appealing or interesting.
We’ve been 20 at some point in our lives and might relate to Rachel in one or another or none at all. Yet, the age is where we’d usually make at least one stupid decision, big or small. So, I was curious to see how Rachel’s life would grow and change as she navigated through a vulnerable age range. However, after finishing the book, I’m not really sure about the changes. Oh, there’s potential, alright!
Having an older Rachel talk about her past with the nostalgia and wisdom (?) of a grownup is an interesting concept. Though, here most of it comes as foreshadowing. ‘I didn’t see it that way…’ ‘That wasn’t how it was, I know that now.’ These work only to an extent as somehow the adult version doesn’t feel much different from the younger version.
While I enjoyed the dynamics between Rachel and James (her gay best friend and housemate), it was stereotypical, which soon went into the toxic co-dependency category. That’s fine since the point here is about the mess and not perfection. However, we don’t really know James except what Rachel thinks he is. This does him a grave injustice as he is slotted into a category and pretty much works within its boundaries. I’m sure I’d have liked the book more if it came from his POV. He would be so much more than ‘the gay bestie I can’t live without’.
It’s not until the actual Rachel Incident happens that things pick up pace. That’s when we see the characters being something other than passive about their own lives. But it’s too late, as this doesn’t occur until after the halfway mark. What could have possibly been the central premise begins too late. I was bored with the whole thing by then.
Even the main side characters, Carey, Dr. Byrne, and Dennie, are neatly slotted into their respective roles. Only one of them gets another chance, which I saw coming. After all, the plot was already following a tried and tested approach by then. The events after the Rachel Incident are plot-driven, a sudden shift from being character-driven, but I was more than happy to go with the flow.
The book deals with a few difficult topics (check out the TW at the end). Yet, in moments where I should have had my heart broken for the characters, I ended up feeling very little for them. The story doesn’t linger when it should. It moves on to other events and a couple of time jumps. The point where Rachel actually learns to let go of her dependency on men and focuses on her life moves at 4x speed. This makes it even harder to see the new version of Rachel as we get too much of the older one.
I don’t give a damn about what stupid things Rachel does. Even though she acts like a sulking petulant child at times, she gets cornered when she’s not really at fault. She does what she has to do, which may or may not be right. However, I do wish the plot didn’t take a predictable turn after that. As much as I hate to say it, a certain traumatic incident is simply a convenient plot development.
I’m not Irish, but I’m not new to Irish fiction (though I haven’t read Sally Rooney). I don’t come from a small town, but I fit the age range perfectly. My having nothing in common with Rachel isn’t a problem, as I rarely relate to any of the MCs in the books I read. My issue is that inconsequential things get a lot of space while important issues are breezed through in comparison.

To summarize, The Rachel Incident should have been a book I loved, but it is something I could like only in parts. All my GR friends (until now) have loved the book, so check out their reviews before you decide.
Thank you, NetGalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #TheRachelIncident

***
TW: Infidelity, talk of abortion rights, miscarriage.

THE RACHEL INCIDENT grabs you immediately with its charm. There’s something about this main character that just sucked me in immediately. Is it the fact that I see part of myself in her?

Perhaps.

The writing just drew me in, having me say “I’ll stop after this chapter” only to read another, not due to twists and turns, just because. There’s something about Caroline O'Donoghue’s writing style that just worked so well for me.

This was a fast paced story that I found hard to put down, especially after the 50% mark. Watching Rachel and James grow as people was wonderful.

While this is mostly about Rachel’s past, when she met James and their whirlwind of a friendship, there are some present time pieces. This mostly worked well, but there were a few times where I found myself confused on when we were.

I loved this book. It made me laugh, cry, become angry at parts. I need more from this author. Character driven, beautiful, and intimate, I know I’ll be thinking about this book for a while.

This is a book of friends who remain in your life, with more to the story as it unfolds!
The main characters, Rachel and James, are living their best lives, learning about the world and themselves!
I struggled at times with the storyline, moving from good to uncertain, it made me stop and reset. There are consequences to our actions, relationships change and choices are inevitable!
An emotionally charged book at times, I needed to keep on top of events and people and the story was confusing at times.
This book has issues to consider, a bit hit and miss for me.

Thank you to Knopf, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was instantly drawn to the cover of this book, and the coming of age premise seemed promising. Unfortunately for me I just couldn't get invested in the story itself as it seemed to drag on a bit. I liked Rachel and James' instant friendship, but I feel like the rest of it just fell a little bit short so I wasn't able to finish it. I might try and pick it back up at some point, but for now I'll leave this with a 3 star review.

I finished reading this book roughly a week and a half ago, but I was not, and still am not, able to adequately put into words how much I loved it. There is something so nostalgic, and devastating, and raw and real about this story. James and Rachel are such a hot mess, but their friendship is incredible. I feel like I got to watch to watch them make mistakes, be sloppy, and grow up as if I was in the same room as them. I chose this book because I thought the cover was cute, and now sometimes judging a book by its cover works... 😌

I really tried to get into this book, but it just isn't for me. I made it one third of the way and it felt like forever so I just stopped. I don't know where it is going, but it is taking forever and hasn't made me think that continuing is going to get any better.

Rachel and James and Dr Byrne, her professor and his editor wife are the main characters. Rachel meets James while working at a bookstore with him, becomes his roommate, falls in love with Dr B, but he has no interest in her, only in James. Both Rachel and James are carrying on afternoon delights on different afternoons with different men.

That's it; after a third of the book, that's all I see that is happening. The first couple of pages tell us that down the road Rachel will marry and James will be famous, but it's not worth reading for many hours more how it will get to that point. None of the characters make me care about what will be for them. Reviews that call this book hilarious must be talking about some part I never got to.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

I am rounding up from a 3.5. Rachel lives in Cork, going to University for an English degree. At her part time job she meets James, a charismatic man who might be gay and they become best friends and housemates. Rachel has a crush on one of her professors who wrote a book and in an effort to get closer to him she, with James's help, offers to do a book launch but then she discovers James and the professor sharing an intimate moment. Things get kind of crazy after that and add in an unreliable boyfriend for Rachel who is also James but she calls him Carey. I felt the characters were pretty well developed. I wish I had known more about their backgrounds. I didn't like Rachel much. She was only 20 and part of it was being on her for the first time and sowing wild oats but there were things that she did that just had me scratching my head. It was an easy and quick read. I was never quite sure where the plot was going and I felt that it just wrapped up to quick and neat especially considering all the chaos of all their lives in the beginning. I did enjoy it and would recommend it. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for providing me with a digital copy.

The Rachel Incident is a dual timeline book about Rachel and her friends while in their 20's and how it shaped their future. While there were some parts of the book I did enjoy quite a bit such as the beginning of Rachel's friendship with James, the majority of the book fell a bit short for me. There were great topics in here that ultimately weren't fleshed out to the point I was hoping. I think parts of the dual timeline caused some of that for me.

Now married and pregnant, Rachel recalls student life in Ireland.
It is reckless and cringeworthy with all the bad decisions your early twenties can make. Brought into her orbit are the Jameses( one her roommate, the other her lover) and her professor Dr Byrne and his upper class wife. Caught up in secrets and lies it culminates in the “incident” which crashes all these relationships. The story is told with honesty and from the perspective of the older Rachel, and it reminds us how we thankfully change and grow.
Honest review for advanced copy, thanks to netgalley and Knopf publishers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for this ARC! This was my first read by Caroline and I love how she writes. The way this story was written was so thought out and put together! I found Rachel to be a relatable and completely lovable character. Fans of Sally Rooney will definitely enjoy this book. I can’t wait to read more from Caroline in the future!

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue is a coming of age story, and so much more. It tells the story of Rachel and James, roommates by chance who become lifelong best friends.

For the first half of the book I was thinking, "This is a fun book, Rachel and James are two young adults eking out a living and having fun doing it," but then the story took a turn, and I the consequences of their choices threatened their futures. The 'incident' for which the book is titled was upsetting and surprised me, and it made me angry with several of the characters. The resolution in the last few pages of the book was well done, and brought things full circle for me in the end.

I struggled a bit with Rachel's narration from the present day when she is married with a child and telling of past events. This was just a minor, temporary confusion until I figured out what was going on again on a few occasions. I thought the author's presentation of the abortion issue was informative without being preachy on either side, and brought up some good points on the debate. I do take issue with the statements that describe the book as humorous or funny--Even though I liked the book very much, I saw absolutely zero humor in the situations or relationships.

Thank you to Knopf and Netgalley for the digital ARC of The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue. The opinions in this review are my own.

Thank you AKnopf for the ARC - out 27 June!

The one where your gay bff sleeps with the professor you were trying to seduce! All very normal and chill!

Within a year of meeting each other, Rachel and James move into together, survive extramarital affairs (not theirs), poverty (theirs), and drunken nights (it’s Ireland). James hasn’t committed to coming out, Rachel can’t commit to any friends other than James, and neither can figure out how to carve out a future separate from the gray call centers and sticky bars that are the only places hiring.

In the depths of the Great Recession and the Irish abortion referendum, O’Donoghue captures a snapshot of a generation faced with few prospects and fewer boundaries. I think that the general vibe is sharply rendered, but the major plot device of the affair between James and Rachel’s professor sometimes adds a layer that doesn’t quite mesh with the life of cash-strapped bohemian filth that James and Rachel are drowning in. There are connections to be made about class and social stratification, but I think those points could have just as easily been made within the context of the friendship between these two instead of adding in a milquetoast tweedman.

Read If:
You survived the Great Recession but are now drowning in therapy bills
Your favorite Taylor Swift song is Getaway Car
You’ve ruined a dinner party.

I was offered a chance to read this via an email from the publisher. I've read about 20% of this book and am choosing to shelve it for now. I don't think it is the right book for me - perhaps someone in a younger generation (i.e., not 40+)? What I can gather is that the story is focused on Rachel and her roommate James + the messiness of young adulthood, making friends, and finding their path in life in 2010's Ireland. It just didn't click for me. The publisher's note at the beginning of the ARC made it sound like this was a can't put down book, but I found myself spending too much time getting lost in the Irish slang and lingo to connect with the characters. I hope to pick this back up in the future, but for now, I will pass.

This was an odd book for me. I did not personally enjoy the first half of this story, but as it progressed, I slowly was drawn in. It still was not my favorite book. There was something about the way it was laid out and about Rachael herself that I just didn’t connect with. I think that the past and present Rachael sometimes did not quite play out as smoothly as I would have liked. I did enjoy the twist that was at the end of the book though. This book deals a lot with growth. Growth as a person, as someone who knows their worth, and as someone who realizes that while friendship might at the time seem to be an end all be all it can be a crutch that doesn’t allow you to see those around you. I will say that this book is very realistic, which many readers will enjoy. It is raw there is no sugar coating the experiences that Rachael and James go through.
Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

I'm in the minority here but this book just wasn't for me. Found I didn't care for the characters much and just couldn't connect with them at all, although I have to say that I did like James more than I liked Rachel. Maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind while reading this book and that's why it just didn't click for me. I ended up skimming through the book quickly just to get to the end.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

Words cannot describe how much I loved this book. A coming-of-age tale set in the early 2000s in Cork, Ireland, Rachel is the kind of messy, recognizable character that simultaneously makes me miss my early 20s and be very glad that they’re done.

The titular incident is compelling and satisfyingly gray, but it's the characters and their relationships that are the driving beat of this story. I loved them all and wish I could have stayed within their world just a little longer.

Read if you like: Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney, Fleabag, feeling nostalgic for the worst part of your life

This is probably one my favourite books I’ve read this year. If you liked ‘Conversations with Friends’ you’ll love this. It is a funny, touching coming of age story which perfectly encapsulates the messiness of being 20, falling in love, trying to be independent and making the wrong choices.

Our main character Rachel, is an English Student living in Cork. She meets, James, a gay man who has yet to make this public knowledge and they quickly become best friends. James begins an affair with Rachel’s professor, the married Dr Byrne and she is suddenly pulled into the lying and scheming. She soon meets another James, Carey, as she refers to him and begins a relationship that can only be described as complicated.

I felt myself very invested in all of these characters. Their flaws are actually one of the main reasons I found them so relatable. Rachel makes awful decisions multiple times throughout, however, her naivety became endearing. Partly because we all have been that 21 year old trying to make sense of the world around us.

The way O’Donohuge tells the story through the eyes of an older Rachel was captivating. As years have matured her, it was interesting to see Rachel go back to her 21 year old self and relive the events only this time with the wonderful gift of hindsight.

O’Donohue writes with such vivid detail that it is very easy to feel like a fly on the wall. The quick witted dialogue went further in bringing characters to life. I found myself laughing at interactions and feeling the anguish Rachel feels at different events.

This is truly a wonderful book that takes on bold themes and many emotions. Definitely one I would recommend

This book was not for me. If I knew what "incident" in the title was about, I would not have picked this book up. But by the time the plot got around to the actual moment, it was too late for me to DNF.

The writing is fine. Rachel and her friends are just aimless, degenerates for most of the story. Most of the choices they made were awful. I felt bad for Carey and Deenie and felt like both of them should have gotten the hell away from these people.

But just because it didn't work for me, doesn't mean it won't work for you. It reminded me of Sally Rooney's Conversations with Friends. If you liked that, you'll probably like this.

Review will be posted on Insta by publication date (@ellie.reads.a.lot)

THIS BOOK!!! Wow- I ended up listening to the audiobook and I could NOT stop listening. Narration is fantastic- in Irish accents no less!

Onto the book itself- Have you ever finished a book, loved it, but didn't really know why?? That happens to me quite often and this was one of those books. It heavily involves infidelity which I typically HATE, however this one sucked me in. There's much more to the story, specifically a strong friendship, which was lovely, This storytelling takes "coming of age" to a new level. I really really felt that spirit of your 20s when you're figuring your life out. There were some laugh out loud moments and AHH overall I just loved it. Well done, O'Donoghue on what I think is her debut novel?!