A fresh voiced narrator that I loved named Rachel who tells the complex and riveting story of one year in her life, her last year in college. She and her best friend, a gay man named James, live together in Ireland and both get involved with her professor and his wife in ways that are fun to discover along the way. She tells the story in retrospect as a married and pregnant woman who learns that the professor is in a coma. Really enjoyed watching this story unfold and all of the everyday details of her life. Other characters such as the "other James" are quite memorable too! Very happy to get this advanced copy from Net Galley and truly enjoyed!

Did I request this book because my name is Rachel? Yes. It sounded nothing like I typically read, yet the synopsis and mention of Ireland made me thoroughly, thoroughly intrigued. I was hesitant going into it, but once I realized that the writing style similar to that of Sally Rooney or Dolly Alderton, then you couldn't have pried this book from my hands.

This novel was astoundingly well-written and I was hooked fairly quickly. As a character driven book, I was impressed by how fleshed out the characters were, especially Rachel, and felt extremely appreciative of how the author chose to explore love, forgiveness, and sexuality.

I would absolutely recommend this knock-out book to any interested reader.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The book is both witty and captivating, with sharp dialogues that dives into the complexities of relationships and power dynamics of a pair of bestfriend. The characters are well- written and relatable.

Rachel really took me back to the past. 2010 seems like another lifetime, not a decade ago. This book is funny and exasperating. Rachel is exasperating. But I think Rachel is all of us while in college. I see myself in Rachel. on many levels. We made completely different choices But Rachel is the unreliable narrator who doesn't think she's unreliable. She's telling her story her way but she doesn't understand she's leaving out everyone else's story or point of view. She's very black and white about the events and how they occur. Not until she has the luxury of growing and maturing and running back into Carey can she see other people's point of view. Especially how enthralled she was with James. I really enjoyed this book, I think she is being compared to Sally Rooney but Caroline deserves her own column. I will have to read her other two books.

DNF. The cover and the title of The Rachel Incident drew me in. This is exactly the type of cover that grabs my attention. I read the plot synopsis and it sounded right up my alley. Unfortunately, when I started reading it, I couldn't get into it. At all. I think the beginning was just too slow moving or maybe I was in a funk when I tried to read it. It's one of those it's not you, it's me situations.

I LOVED The Rachel Incident! This was a perfect distraction. It centered friendship, it was a great visit to the early aughts, and I really like the exploration of the inconsistencies in the Irish abortion situation.

I really loved this, the characters were dynamic and funny, the writing is engaging, heart-warming yet sometimes quite dark at times. I found the exploration of unique topics really interesting such as, gay men in 90's Ireland and the difference between being closeted and not, abortion and the trials following this but also more light-hearted ones such as relationship dynamics between friends and partners and what occurs during this. To be honest I cant recommend enough, it's generally just a really enjoyable read and absorbs you into the characters lives which shows how amazing and beautiful the writing is.

This storyline kept me engaged the entire time. I was familiar with the author’s young adult series and thoroughly enjoyed her adult book as well.

This is a fun, crass, sentimental and heartwarming story about the realities of growing up and pretending to be "grown up". Comparisons to Sally Rooney and Dolly Alderton are fitting, although Caroline O'Donoghue has a distinct voice which is just so enjoyable to read, and so, so funny. She interweaves big issues like as reproductive rights seamlessly with the ridiculous and relatable self-centeredness of twenty-somethings realising that they are not the main character in everyone else's lives. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I've never been to Ireland, and it's been a long time since I was in my twenties, but this book carried me to both that place and that time. I've never had a best friend who's a gay man, nor have I ever been in love with one of my professors, but I experienced both of those things while living within these pages. The process of coming of age is hard enough in itself, but to do it in a small town in the middle of a small country that is experiencing a recession increases the difficulty tenfold. Rachel struggles with figuring out her path, but she eventually succeeds, in an up-and-down, barely surviving way. And yet she prevails. This book will remind you of the hardest times in your own life and how there was joy, even then.

Irish youths figuring out their lives with a touch of infidelity, messiness, and introspection just drips Sally Rooney vibes from out the pages. And The Rachel Incident could very quickly be compared to Conversations with Friends mixed with a dash of Normal People. But I think that’s a bit lazy because Caroline O’Donoghue does something totally unique and in a lane of its own. own.

The Rachel Incident hooked me from the first page and had me rushing home to see what happened next. It reads so effortlessly and it has been a moment since a book made me cry, feel on edge, and laugh (out freaking loud). But I think the best way I can sell it to you is to be a bit lazy and lean back on Rooney for a moment.

If you love Sally Rooney, you will adore this. If you didn’t understand the appeal of her work, you will adore this.

I would be sincerely surprised and mildly disappointed if this weren’t on many end-of-the-year lists celebrating favorites. It’s truly such an honest look at being in your 20s without making caricatures out of everyone (or feeling too removed from that period of life). These characters felt so true and grounded to me, taking a trope we have seen a lot and flipping it on its head to make it fresh.

Pre-order, pre-order, pre-order, and then talk to me immediately when you finish on June 27th!

To be honest, I picked this book because the title had my name in it.
Initially, I was not liking the book. It was slow building the characters and they were selfish and somewhat unlikable. Fortunately, at about the half way point, the story turned and became a wonderful coming of age story.
I think if you were in your early 20s in Ireland/England in the early 2010s, there will be so much to relate to in this story. It was a little out of my point of reference and I think that may be why I initially was not a fan.
Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC of this book. This was a slow-burn coming of age book that made me finish it in one sitting after the 65% point. Rachel reminds me so much of myself when I was younger and I think a lot of early 20 year old women will relate. I feel like this book has some resemblance to Queenie, Yinka Where is Your Husband and even Maame, except set in Ireland. There are some TW and this is not meant for sensitive readers, but it is a worthwhile read. Rachel and the James will stick with me for a while.

The Rachel Incident is the most authentic, coming-of-age story I've read in a long time. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Knoph, for the advanced reader copy. Not going to lie, I first wanted to read this book because of the title. My name is Rachael and just thought it was a fitting book to read at the time. I am a huge Sally Rooney fan, and often find nothing compares to Rooney's books, but this book is right up there and so much more. For those of you that are put off by Rooney's "no quotes" writing style, this book does have quotation marks! Love this book!! It hits shelves on June 27, 2023.

And hulu, please turn this into a mini-series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for my ARC.

After reading the synopsis of The Rachel Incident I felt it was a book I would enjoy. After all, it had humour, romance and was set in Ireland: one of my fav places!
Unfortunately, I was disappointed. It took me a while to become immersed in the story of Rachel and James, roommates but not lovers. Some events of their relationship seemed to be irrelevant to the plot. Enter another James, who disappears a lot and you have the story. Perhaps I’m too old to read about young romances that are messy and have a few partners, straight and otherwise.
I skimmed my way through the middle of the book and thankfully, the last 75 pages or so, turned out to be thoroughly enjoyable. Loved the ending!
Recommend to readers who love young love, young platonic relationships and all their glories. Just wasn’t for me. Enjoy!!

I devoured this book in a day! What a masterfully written coming-of-age story that is like having a conversation with a long-lost friend. Instantly relatable, I couldn’t help but to think back to the trials and tribulations of my graduate school days in the late 90s.

This story is about love and friendship, figuring out who you are and finding your place in the world. It also touches upon the toll that economic downturns have on our life-trajectories…and the (STILL) timely subjects of access to abortion and sexual orientation.

O'Donoghue manages to write humorously and honestly about these weighty topics, as well as the importance of considering context on issues of morality. Adding her previous works to my TBR stack right now!

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday for the ARC!

Oh what a sheer delight of a book. I want to wrap myself in it and read it over and over again -- is there anything better than the story of some besties who love each other more than anything, sometimes at the cost of their other relationships? Such lovely, clever inversions of well-trod tropes in this novel, and the very particularly Millennial voice of Rachel -- delicious. I shrieked, I wept, I laughed. This one is going on the re-read stack for sure!

Reading this book felt like sitting down with a cup of coffee and catching up with a good friend while she tells you (in great detail, and dramatically) what's been going on in her life over the past decade or so and how she arrived there. The main character Rachel has a very casual and descriptive tone to her voice, and makes the reader feel deeply connected to her and her story.

I enjoyed the friendship dynamic between Rachel and James Devlin--their story felt authentic and believable. At the beginning of the novel, Rachel is quite young (20-21), but she seems much older. I had a difficult time seeing her in my mind as a woman that young, and if I hadn't been told her age, would've assumed she was at least 5-7 years older. As a former English major, it was fun to follow Rachel's story as she figures out what to do with her own English degree.

This book reminded me a little of Sally Rooney's writing. I'd recommend this novel to readers who enjoy stories that deal with platonic male/female friendship and finding oneself in their early 20's.

The only thing that didn't work for me was the lack of "showing vs. telling". The novel is basically the character of Rachel telling you a story about her life, which is sometimes a bit too much "and this happened, and then this happened..."

This was a quick read for me, and the story kept my interest. The characters felt real to me and multi-faceted. The cover art works well for setting the tone for the novel and should draw in the target audience.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

a coming of age novel, cleverly narrated by our main character, rachel, retelling her early 20s from 10 or so years later. a very easy read, i flew through it pretty quickly. it’s very funny but also deals with more serious topics well too. my favourite thing about the book being the platonic love between rachel and her best friend james, their friendship is truly what drives this book.

3.5 out of 5. thank you NetGalley for providing the advanced copy.

When I started reading the book, I felt a little confused, but I understood it. The story tells of friendships, secrets and connections. There’s even the main character falling in love with a married college professor. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this book in order to do a review.