Absolutely loved this book! Once I got into it, it was hard to put this down. I found myself identifying so much with Rachel, and I think O'Donoghue really nailed the experience of a young woman graduating college at this time period - all before social media, when conversations about relationships, gender, orientation, all of it was not being had in the same way as now! I really enjoyed O'Donoghue's writing and will definitely pick up the other books she's written.

For fans of Sally Rooney for sure, set in a small Irish town in the 2010s. Rachel has a crush on her university professor, she has a roommate named James who is her best friend (and really their dynamic proves to me the existence of platonic soulmates, a shining light in the book. James is so vibrant and their love for each other is absolutely ride-or-die, codependent best friends who maybe need space but - as I said, platonic soulmates I loved them), she works at a bookshop, all pretty standard --- until she finds her professor and her best friend making out in the bookshop at an event...

Things get, messy. It is one of those books where you can see every place things are going to eventually go wrong, get frustrated with the actions of the characters and miscommunications, but still invested in the drama and end up caring for these very deeply flawed characters.

And I mean deeply flawed. But they're believable, real, a charm to them that jumps from the page. Their relationships are nuanced. The pages are stuffed with nostalgia with a voice easy to fall into, the text really highlights the insecurity and panic of early 20s, crafting a work deeply relatable.

By the end, the story is rewarding for where everyone ends up and the layers to their circumstance after a very frustrating and messy climax.

<b>Thank you netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. </b>

In The Rachel Incident Rachel and James bond quickly and give life to a unique friendship from an unlikely pair. They seem to see each other more clearly than they see themselves.

The Rachel Incident is a sweet, funny and intelligent story of friendship.

This novel has received a lot of buzz, and so I was eager to read it. Having just finished the book, I'm having a hard time writing a coherent review.

Despite the engaging style and a strong narrative voice, I struggled with the first third of this novel. The main characters (Rachel and her best friend James) are both a mess. They are young, naive, directionless, and impulsive -- characters that I found it difficult to identify with as I near retirement age (somewhat like reading CATCHER IN THE RYE after the age of 55?!).

But the second half of the novel is exquisitely plotted, and the issues are universal: shame and betrayal, loneliness, courage, and the right to health care. What is most memorable is the care with which O'Donoghue narrates Rachel's journey to maturity and self-knowledge: there's nothing didactic here, just an honest look at what it means to accept oneself and extend generous understanding to others.

A three-star first half, a five-star second half -- averaging 4.5 (on the strength of O'Donoghue's writing style).

This book isn’t for me sadly. I found it to be so slow and decided to DNF after not feeling the pull to pick it back up. It’s gotten lots of love and I hope it continues to get that. It’s definitely a book I think I should’ve passed on because these aren’t usually my type of stories.

Rachel is finding her way through college and early adulthood when she meets James Devlin, a wildly charismatic breath of fresh air working alongside her in the bookstore. They become more or less instant best friends, moving into a flat together and discovering each other's quirks to their mutual delight. Things get complicated when Rachel and James start new relationships, as they make some truly questionable decisions along the way. There will be heartbreak and suffering throughout this story, but the overarching tone is full of joy and love.

The way everything in this book gets so convoluted and intertwined and REAL made me check a few times to ensure that it was actually fiction. It reads so unbelievably realistic as a coming-of-age story that I could swear it was a memoir! Rachel and James are equally infuriating, though you simply cannot help but root for them. If you've survived your early twenties, you will be able to relate to this story. It is masterfully crafted and full of exquisite characters! I highly recommend it to anyone partial to character-driven novels, especially about self-realization and the struggles of finding your way.

Thank you to Caroline O'Donoghue, Knopf, and NetGalley for my advance digital copy.

Very good book. At first I was t sure how I felt but the more I read I was hooked! Every time I would go to bed I would say nope just one more chapter! Great read.

I didn’t find this book to be funny at all. The Rachel Incident is just a look back at a young person’s time in college and the bad choices that they made. They didn’t learn anything from it. These events happened and they are telling it to us because someone from that past has had an event recently happen to them. So we get to hear about their connection to them. It’s not a tale that puts anyone in a favorable light. It also doesn’t put Rachel herself in a good light at the end because she still proves that she has no respect for anyone’s privacy.

This book just feels like a tale of self-indulgence. I was bored. It isn’t as if Rachel, James, or anyone else does anything spectacular during this time or anytime thereafter. It’s all rather ordinary and yawn inducing.

A coming of age story centered around the beauty and complexities of platonic friendship in your early 20s. Rachel and James find themselves in a slew of romantic and professional entanglements that are both messy and relatable. The writing is tender and effortlessly funny, I loved these characters and will think of them often.

A slow, well written book about an Irish woman navigating life after college.

I didn't know much about this book going into it and I think that made my reading experience more enjoyable. I wouldn't say there are any huge, exciting moments in the book but it kept me engaged the whole time. Rachel is a relatable character with struggles that many women will face in their early 20's.

I can see this being compared to Sally Rooney, but I found the writing to be more thorough and atmospheric.

The Rachel Incident was unique from so many other books I've read - set during the abortion referendum in Ireland, this is not something I had read about before. I enjoyed this debut from O'Donoghue and look forward to more from her in the future.

Thank you to Knopf for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This book gave me ALL the Sally Rooney vibes. I really liked it, but it still wasn't my favorite. A lot of the chapters were just the same back and forth chatter between Rachel and James. I think some of the synopsis is a little misleading when it comes to Rachel's obsession with Dr. Byrne. I barely saw the obsession there and it was for a brief moment she had a small crush. I did love Rachel and James' friendship and also loved Rachel and Carey's relationship. The ending of the book is what I was hoping for.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

A nice and interesting irish crime story, nice but some parts generic, there could've been nice character writing that this

"The Rachel Incident" is that rare book which, for me, takes it place immediately in "BEST OF THE YEAR" reads and which I can confidently say will be on many other people's 'BEST OF' lists in the near future. It's a stunner of a novel--so far exceeding any expectations I started with., The plot, characters, themes, and overall arc kept me fully engaged, laughing, commiserating, and pining for my very own "pack of Jameses."

I was reading about friendship(s) I dreamed about in my early 20s (particularly a banter-filled, be-yourself relationship like James and Rachel's). I can see this novel effectively adapted for a series or a film (in a similar style to Sally Rooney's books over the past few years). And I, for one, cannot wait for that!!

In Acknowledgements, Caroline O'Donoghue states that "This book was written during the coldest and saddest part of the 2021 lockdown, and while [she] was on deadline for another book entirely. They tell you that you should never abandon a half-finished project in favor of a new one. Well. Sometimes you should. This is one such example."

I, for one, am so glad she did!! I think many people will agree. This is a book I needed to read, with important themes and relatable characters and SO MUCH HEART!

The novel--which includes a very carefully designed and interwoven series of plotlines--was so well-written, it took me longer than usual to finish and left me with that feeling of -- "Ugh! I'm going to miss these people." I have a regular practice of dogearing, highlighting, and then quote-tweeting (or posting) favorite lines (without spoilers, of course) and I finished this book with pages of quotes (metaphors, phrases, images, hilarious scenarios...just too many to tweet or post). The novel encompassed themes of Irish heritage, the unapologetic need for reproductive rights for women, sexual identity, the challenges of friendship and growing up, self-acceptance, and the negative rippling aftereffects of secrets and lies.

This book is SO good that it will, after its release later this month, become an instant favorite for a diverse audience. I am truly grateful to #NetGalley for the advance copy and opportunity to read and review "The Rachel Incident." Happy reading to everyone who picks this one up!! It's a gem. Truly.

Thank you to Knopf & Netgalley for sharing this title~ The Rachel Incident from Caroline O’Donaghue is a love story about two best friends in all its messy, beautiful glory. Set in the shadow of the ‘08 global economic crisis, Rachel and James meet working at a bookstore in Cork, move in together and grow up together in more ways than one. I absolutely loved this book— it was hilarious, warm, fun, real. Absolutely perfect summer read & if you are in your 30s like myself, this is going to feel very nostalgic.

I had originally thought the premise of this book was intriguing, but after trying to read it, I had a hard time following along. DNF. Unfortunately, the writing style was not for me. Thanks NetGalley and Knopf for the eARC.

This slice of life/coming of age tale is the story of a university student, Rachel, and the men in her life (roommate, professor, boyfriend) and their relationships. It also tells, quite personally and quite movingly, of how Ireland's challenges and growth of the past two decades has affected women and gay people. It's funny and sweet and beautifully told, the kind of book where, even though there's a satisfying resolution, you find yourself thinking about the characters long after you put the book down. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy.

Character driven novels are not ordinarily my cup of tea, but this one was done so well! I was hooked from the beginning and blew through the first 30% of the novel. I found Rachel to be a wonderfully messy character and I truly enjoyed following along as she navigated friendship, love and career troubles. I definitely recommend this for fans of coming-of-age stories!

Its difficult to review this book without spoilers. I'm going to try.
This is a story about 2 friends, Rachel and James, who work at the same bookstore in Ireland.
They move in together, that's not giving away too much.
Money always seems to be a problem. They are both young adults struggling along.
There are a few romantic love stories woven through the book. I don't want to tell you between whom.
One romance is between 2 heterosexual people; the other romance is between 2 gay men.
The 1st love story seemed frustrating to me as 1 of the partners was unavailable a great deal of the time.
The 2nd love story is problematic as one of the partners is married to someone else.
The spouse hires Rachel to do some work for her.
It gets pretty complicated!

The book was engaging, and even though I couldn't really relate to any of the characters, the characters were well-drawn. I really got to know them.

I gave this book 4 stars and would recommend it. It would make a good book group choice.

This is my first book by this author and I loved it! Such a great coming to age book and very relatable. I love when authors use characters that are not perfect and we can grow with them.

Thank you for this ARC!