You know when you get a book you’re really excited to read and you add it to your to be read pile, for it to sit there for an obnoxiously long time and then you finally read it just to realize you should have read it right when you got it? That is this book. I loved this story. The writing is raw and crass in a very real way. Rachel’s experience with working and navigating through relationships with her roommate and different love interests makes for a great read. I loved this story. I loved her relationship with both James. This is a great read.

~ ARC provided by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group via NetGalley ~

I was sent a copy of "The Rachel Incident" by Caroline O'Donoghue by the publisher, and it took me several months to finally buckle down and read it. As a longtime lover and obsessor over Sally Rooney novels, it's easy for me to make comparisons between "The Rachel Incident" and Rooney's work. I had actually just finished rereading "Conversations with Friends," which I think "The Rachel Incident" begs comparison to. But this book does stand on it's own by delivering well thought out characters and delicious miscommunication and relationship messiness. The story follows Rachel Murray and her best friend James Devlin as they navigate post-graduate life and early adulthood. I also really appreciated the books frank exploration of queerness and abortion access in Ireland--two heavy topics that drive the novel into larger conversations about modern Irish life. I genuinely loved every page of this book and it's been the latest addition to my favorite's shelf. A must-read.

This was a charming story of 20 somethings growing up and coming of age while trying to figure out life. I loved the friendship dynamics at play here.

Enjoyable but I found the plot strained at times.. I was expecting laughs and it just wasn’t that. Maybe if it were narrated in Irish accents….???

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

This is definitely a book that I have been thinking about for a while now. This novel has so much charm and wit.

I love how the story is very relatable. I’m also so pleased with how the women’s friendship is portrayed. It feels like sometimes authors miss the mark when it comes to friendships as an adult but Caroline O’Donoghue does such a beautiful job.

One of the most interesting and fun coming out of age novels I have read so far. Witty but also very thoughtful, it depicts the importance of best friends..

I really enjoyed reading this book! Felt a lot like reading a Sally Rooney book. The character was messy, but likeable. Good to see characters written and imperfect people. I need a book focusing on James!!

The Rachel Incident is... well it's messy and complicated and also funny and full of heart. There's so much wisdom within Rachel, even as she struggles to navigate getting herself out of the entanglements those around her get themselves in. It's a story about friendship, about unrequited love, about the secrets that aren't ares to tell yet very much have ramifications for us.

Oh I absolutely loved this one! The characters are flawed, messy and real. Reminded me a lot of Sally Rooney in the best ways. I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait to read more from Caroline!

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

A beautiful story of friendship and growing up. Reminded me of Sally Rooney. Great character development and very real, imperfect, messy people.

An okay slice of life book that is well written and thought out but not really up my alley of interests. Th representation is good and the characters are believable and wholesome enough. The book as a whole was a good read but wasn't immensely moving to me

The Rachel Incident was a really enjoyable read that had our protagonist reflecting on the events of her last year at University in Cork, Ireland, including her shenanigans with her best friend/roommate James, entanglements with a professor and his wife, some romance of her own, and trying to find her path in a downturned Irish economy in 2010. It was interesting seeing how Rachel navigated life and showed how there are unintended consequences that come from white lies that spiral into larger deceptions. The characters felt very real to me. They were flawed, made some bad decisions, but understandable ones in light of their positions in life. I will definitely read other adult fiction by this author.

This was a middle of the road read for me, I didn’t dislike it but I didn’t feel like raving about it either. The story didn’t quite connect and felt a bit chaotic, but it wasn’t bad - just not quite for me.

This book was just absolutely amazing. The Rachel Incident is a must read for anyone that wants to learn more about relationships, romantic or otherwise. The writing is quick and witty and the plot will keep you turning the pages even if apparently there's not that much happening. Poignant, smart and hilarious.

I love what the author set out to do here - a coming-of-age story about a young woman's messy dating life and the lessons she learned along the way. In reality, I felt like the story moved much too slowly and I didn't connect with any of the characters.

I can officially confirm - I will read anything O’Donoghue writes! And I truly anticipate The Rachel Incident being one that will stick with me for a while.

Rachel’s story is a quintessential coming of age and immediately brought me back to my twenties. A time I was desperate for validation from the crew I surrounded myself with. “Someone! Please! Tell me who I am!” It’s as cringe-inducing as it is universal, in my experience. Every character was intentional in their role and they each popped off the page for reasons pure and nefarious.

My in-person bookclub read The Rachel Incident for our April pick, and while every single one of us rated it highly, we each took something unique from the story. The way the book highlights the importance of reproductive healthcare was done in an honest way and fostered thoughtful discussion.

I will certainly keep an eye out for what the author does next and will enthusiastically recommend this book to literary or Irish fiction lovers!

One of my top books of 2023! The storytelling was funny and captivating, striking just the right balance and as soon as I was invested in Rachel and James' friendship, I was flying through the book. This book is the definitely of being a girl's girl because I was always, always rooting for Rachel even when she was making some questionable choices, and honestly, I was always rooting for James as well. The layers of the story, with the commentary, and all of the heart Caroline O'Donoghue poured into it made it an incredible read and one I will be thinking back to for years to come. I can't wait to recommend this to all of my friends!

The Rachel Incident is Caroline O'Donoghue's literary fiction following our main character Rachel as she navigates her twenties and her relationships with two men, James, and a professor named Fred. It is a great culmination of messy dynamics and an honest depiction of what it means to grow and to fall in love, with others and yourselves. It is a thoughtful contemplation of what it means to be human and to make mistakes, while also, growing.

Thank you to the publishers for the arc.

The Rachel Incident filled the Sally-Rooney-sized hole in my heart and I am hooked on Caroline O’Donoghue.

Rachel is an early-twenties college student pining after her professor and living with her gay best friend. The story follows Rachel and the people around her over the course of a year as she struggles with career prospects, relationships and finding her path. Rachel’s life takes unexpected turns and seems to take 2 steps back for each step forward and all she can do is tread water. This is a poignant coming of age novel with a painfully relatable main character. The narration is reflective and feels incredibly personal to the reader. I highly recommend this to women who are or at some point felt like they couldn’t catch a break. I look forward to reading more from this author!