I am so on the fence about this read as I loved parts and found myself wanting to skip others. Loved the interactions between Rachel and the “original” James. Wishing every woman could have a best friend like him. The other James certainly played a major role in her life but I found myself disliking him, and becoming frustrated with Rachel for not seeing the forest through the trees. I am sure this ambivalence was desired by Caroline O’Donoghue to show the maturity level of young Rachel.
The love story between James and Fred was so heartbreaking but loved the connections between James, Fred, Rachel, and Deenie.
I appreciated the dichotomy of social standings and the role they played in this read. Also interesting was the social climate in Ireland, which I know little about. At times I almost felt like a voyeur watching Rachel navigate life.
Many thanks to Caroline O’Donoghue, Knopf, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of this recently published book.

With a loveable, misfit cast of characters, this story follows Rachel and her relationship with her best friend, James, both in their early 20's, as they navigate the real world and drama of their own making. The witty self reflection makes it easier to put yourself in their shoes... even if they're making some pretty silly choices. I really enjoyed this one, though the pace was on the slower side of what I typically prefer. It was an excellent, and entertaining look at how choices made in your youth can change the trajectory of the rest of your life. The friendship between Rachel and James is what dreams are made of and loved reading about what those two had found in each other.

TW: miscarriage

Rachel is a student who works at a bookstore, there she meets James and it’s love at first sight. They hit it off instantly and James asks Rachel to move in and become his roommate. This changes the course of their lives. Rachel than falls for a married professor, and James makes it his goal to help her. Their fates all intertwine in a hilarious romp of a story.

This is a story about friendship, love, and all the in-betweens we feel. All the characters are complex in their own ways and unique. Rachel wants love and it seems she’s always falling for the wrong one. James is most favorite as he’s hilarious and the best friend you’d want by your side.

Not sure I was the right audience for this novel. Their lack of adulting annoyed me and I found it painful to read at times. I am sure that it will resonate with the generation that dealt with similar issues.

<b>"I have read nothing whatsoever on the trauma of when your English professor decides not to fuck you." </b>

I knew I was going to love this the moment I read the first page. Fans of Sally Rooney will equally find themselves captivated by O'Donoghue's writing. It's evocative and shocking in a way that doesn't isolate the reader but perfectly renders the sharpness and detail and uncomfortability that can be found in the mundane and everyday life. At times, you wonder if O'Donoghue has managed to pry loose the secret thoughts living in your brain that may appear unseemly, crass, or dramatic, yet feel so very human. There's a rawness, a truthfulness, an insightfulness here that feels very personal, like exposing the scars you've acquired just by living, just by trying to make it through to the other side.

<b>"Our relationship had shifted its feet, adjusting for the amount of weight it was now holding."</b>

At it's heart, Rachel's journey is one about a woman coming into her own when everything around her is complicated, still murky, and unknown. The economy has crashed (The Great Recession, 2008), her family is struggling financially, her views on politics, agency, and feminism wax and wane by a lack of challenge and need, she lacks a sense of grounding everywhere around her and finds herself gravitating towards the magnetic and charming James Devlin. University and young adulthood become the battlegrounds where Rachel finds everything about herself pushed and pulled, challenged and remade, as what happens for so many of us. While the story certainly focuses on Rachel and James' friendship -- it's ups and downs, the toxicity and codependency that can often arise in friendships during this period in your life when you're finally "on your own" but you also don't know "who you are", there's also much more to the story here. There's Rachel's own failed romantic aspirations and relationships, the difficult life choices that are not uncommon for many women all over the world, and the sticky yet alluring dark circumstances that culminate into shocking secrets and reveals that leave marks on everyone involved long past the dust has settled.

<b>"I felt like we were playing cover songs of our own conversations. We just didn't enjoy each other in the same way."</b>

There are moments of genuine laughter and joy, passion and wanting, and heartbreak and shame. I went through so many emotions reading this. O'Donoghue's range and ability to seamlessly take us through Rachel taking the piss out of herself, to a heartfelt conversation between lifelong friends in a language that's intimate yet accessible to the reader, to the vividness of sexual encounters, and THEN to the bone aching pain of loss is a marvel. It's truly hard to go into further details without spoiling anything, yet suffice to say that this will feel very intimate and personal. It feels like reading a memoir as Rachel walks us through her life and choices, the good and ugly, while also letting the reader have room to have their own opinions and judgements.

<b>"It was bad, but it was familiar, like a fairy story at its most savage and transcribed from the original Danish." </b>

Elegant but restrained, refreshing yet accessible, thought provoking and memorable, O'Donoghue really hit it out of the park with this one. Big thanks to Knopf for my galley and PRAudio for my free audiobook. This is a fantastic story that belongs on your TBR and I highly recommend the audiobook which brilliantly brings Rachel's voice to life.

Infatuated with her married college professor, 20 year old Rachel and her new found, equally as chaotic closeted friend James, hatch a plan to draw Dr Byrne into their world. The three of their lives become entwined, but not in the way they initially intended.

Against the back drop of Ireland in the early 2000’s, it’s economic depression, abortion rights debate, and mental health taboo, all of these themes play a prominent roll in the storyline. Told in reflection, with Rachel’s narrative voice critical of her own former self and societies values her inner and outer world reflected.

Moving through her college experience in typical fashion, in a haze of nights out, codependent friendships, uncertain relationships, political angst and anxieties about the future, The story was compelling in the familiarity and nostalgia it induced. The story’s array of unlikeable and self-absorbed characters, and their messy relationships and web of secrets, juxtaposed to the sad political landscape, were exciting.

Rachel, self involved as most young adults are, friends and lovers alike, she prefers only the comfortable. When emotions are low, or anxieties high, always considering abandonment or isolation the only resolution. My only gripe, with these and other selfish tendencies i found it hard to empathise, or feel any satisfaction in the hail-mary ending events of the story. Otherwise, a compelling coming of age novel with intriguing political insight.

Phenomenal. I was blown away by this book. Truly a masterpiece.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Knopf Publishing Group for gifting me a digital ARC of this wonderful book by Caroline O'Donoghue - 4.5 stars rounded up!

It's during the financial crisis in Ireland, and Rachel is working at a bookstore and going to university. James is Rachel's coworker at the bookstore and they become the best of friends, finally deciding to become roommates. Rachel becomes enamored of Dr. Fred Byrne, and James helps her set up an event at the bookstore to promote his new book. But instead of on Rachel, Fred has eyes on someone else.

This is a wonderful coming-of-age story and you can feel the angst through the pages yet it's filled with light and a lot of laughter. It all felt so real as Rachel looks back into this time period from the present. Besides the core group of characters, there is a host of others orbiting Rachel and James and I just loved how everything ended up. There are a host of topics to delve into here but it's all about the relationships! Great read!

The Rachel Incident is a delightful and poignant tale, blending humor and genuine emotion. This engaging narrative effortlessly captures both lightheartedness and a touch of melancholy.

"The Rachel Incident" by Caroline O'Donoghue had me hooked from beginning to end! 📚💫 The interesting story and complex characters kept me interested throughout. 🌟❤️ I really liked how genuine and relatable the characters were, especially Rachel, who went through an intriguing character journey. 🌟❤️ The surprises and twists kept me guessing until the end, and the author's writing painted vivid pictures. 🎨📝

While there were a few moments where the story became a bit confusing, and some parts felt rushed and could have been explained better, overall, "The Rachel Incident" is a book I highly recommend for those who enjoy stories centered around characters. 👌💯 Caroline O'Donoghue's writing is captivating, and her ability to create interesting and flawed characters is praiseworthy. 🙌💕 If you're searching for a book that will keep you engaged and entertained, I strongly suggest picking up "The Rachel Incident"! 📖✨

#BookReview #TheRachelIncident #CarolineODonoghue #RecommendedRead #PageTurner

PUB DAY REVIEW 🎉

Am I reading two books this month that feature a gay best friend? Unintentionally, yes, and I’m here for it.

Thank you @netgalley @knopf @czaronline for the gift e-book

This is my first by this author, and I really liked it a lot. I’ll tell you right away. It was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me. It was full of drama, some bff banter, a touch of early twenties toxic relationship stuff, but it all felt pretty authentic to my past self. Like, it really was reminiscent of what I remember that time in my life feeling like. I didn’t love Rachel or either of the James, but found all of them relatable in some way, and breezed right through their story.

A definite recommend from me, especially if you’re sort of into messy drama and unlikeable characters like I am 🖤

#therachelincident #carolineodonoghue #netgalley #knopf #netgalleyreads #pubday #bookbirthday #publicationday #newbook #newbookstagram #bookreviews #booksiread #bookrecommendations #bookselfie #ebook #bookstagrammer #plussizeblogger #readersofinstagram #readergram #summerbooks

Have you ever read a book that you absolutely loved but couldn’t seem to pinpoint exactly why?

That’s the Rachel Incident for me!

This book was just so indescribably special! 🥰 The perfect balance of real life challenges and whimsical adventures that only two 20-somethings stumbling through life could have!

I was completely absorbed into the chaotic lives of Rachel and James, two of the most interesting characters I’ve ever had the opportunity of knowing! They were fun, confused in the most honest ways and sometimes even a bit toxic? But I loved every second of their story and the evolution of this friendship.

Although this book had many moments of fun and lightness the author does not shy away from the tough stuff that comes along with early adulting life! These topics are handled with honesty and respect but they still may be difficult to read about for some - please check content warnings before diving in friends!

Thanks to the author @aaknopf and @netgalley for the chance to read an early copy of this fabulous book!

The Rachel Incident is out NOW! ❤️

This book was funny and real and gut-wrenching and hopeful. Without a doubt, it will be one of my favorite reads of 2023. There are so many amazing things I could say about the character depth, the way Ireland breathes through these pages, how I completely devoured this book.

One of my favorite things was how the commentary on the LGBTQ+ community and reproductive rights are rooted to the core of this story. Abortion was illegal in Ireland until 2018, and the cost of a trip to England including the airfare, the hotel, and the procedure were major obstacles to menstruating people’s freedom. Watching Rachel learn how and why to be a feminist and an ally to the LGBTQ+ community through first- and second-hand experience is a journey within her journeys towards a career, towards love, and towards self-understanding.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for this read. Caroline O'Donoghue is an author that I look out for her books as she writes very interesting reads as well as very hilarious reads as well. This was one of them and I really enjoyed the bookstore feel. This was so fun.

An ode to the complicated mess that is one's early 20s, complete with iffy decisions and the blindness we embrace to the bad things as long as we can convince ourselves that we're working towards a goal. It's also about connections, relationships, and the events that can shape your entire life even if they only take place in a short amount of time.
Rachel has a weird relationship with people, but it's magic as soon as she meets James and they're destined to be together forever... except James is gay and very closeted about it. No problem, because they still move in together and become the kind of best friends everyone dreams of having. Their life is tough in a small Irish town just when the economy is in the dumps, but they still live it up as much as they can. For Rachel, it's meeting a man that seems to fit with her perfectly but that keeps disappearing on her. For James, it's finding love with Rachel's very married, very unavailable professor. It leads to lots of drama, misunderstandings, heartbreak, and growing up.
Well-written and infinitely thought-provoking, this one's for all the readers out there who had a hard time figuring themselves out in their 20s.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the thought-provoking read!

When I was in high school, I looked at people in college and thought they were real people. When I was in college, I was a barely functioning, anxious mess of a person. I didn’t know what I really wanted to do with my life. I didn’t know where I’d be living after graduation. And everyone around me seemed to have it all figured out so easily that it compounded my fears that there was something wrong with me, that I was somehow a failure.

I’ve since learned I’m not the only one who felt that way from age 18 to 22.

In “The Rachel Incident,” Caroline O’Donoghue, captures this near-universal tumult perfectly. She poignantly describes the common insecurities, worries, and stresses, as well as this all-encompassing codependency with friends and the general anxiety that life is a game and you’re behind. O’Donoghue’s writing is sharp and witty, insightful and heartbreaking.

O’Donoghue tells the story through an interesting lens: Rachel, now in her 30s and on the cusp of motherhood, is writing a book about the story of her early 20s, centered on the defining “Rachel Incident.” The guilt and shame from her past now come with the experience of age, while other recollections from this time benefit from the rosy glow of nostalgia — she admits she was “very childish and clingy” during this time but also acknowledges that “while the gift of hindsight has changed much about this story, in my own head, at least, it is still difficult to see what else I could have done.” The framing makes everything feel very honest and real and allows the reader to feel like they’re right there with her as everything is happening.

When Rachel develops a crush on her married professor Dr. Bryne, her bookstore colleague James encourages her to seduce him. But all three of their lives become deliciously entangled in myriad ways, propelled further when Rachel starts an internship with Dr. Bryne’s wife, Aideen, who works in publishing and was a former master’s student of his. Rachel is trying to figure out who she is — personally, professionally, and romantically — all while the job industry in Cork, Ireland, is evaporating and in an era (the early 2000s) where modernity and Victorian values clashed.

But as much as this book is catapulted by Rachel’s interest in her professor, the real love story here is between Rachel and James, her closeted, magnetic best friend/roommate. Like Rachel, he’s a general mess (although he’s the one who keeps their apartment clean); he’s creative, aimless, and self-involved. They’re both broke. And their gleeful infatuation with each other is the heart of the book. When Rachel meets someone with whom she falls desperately in love, she calls him by his last name, Carey, because his first name is James. The two have a joint account. They remember each other’s memories as their own. “I’m your best friend,” James tells her once, “you’re supposed to love me the most.” Rachel reflects: “It was something neither of us would say to a boyfriend, terrified as we were of admitting raw and open need. But we could say it to each other.” Their immaturity and codependency is occasionally exhausting, but it never rings untrue.

James is a bit of a one-dimensional character (the charming, gay best friend who wants to write a TV show), but Rachel is fascinating. She’s a vibrant disaster just trying to keep her head above water. She says, “I don’t know who I was trying to impress. I did not want a boyfriend; I did want romance. I wanted passion; I did not want to be someone who was known as easy. I was desperate to be touched; I was terrified of being ruined.” She’s weighted down by guilt related to her role in The Rachel Incident and her feelings about abortion in a very anti-choice Irish society.

I’m not 22 years old anymore — thank goodness for that — but like Rachel, I, too, look back on my college years with some fondness and even more grace. I still don’t always feel like I have my life completely together, but I’m betting that’s not unique to me, either. I guess I’ll have to check back in on my 29-year-old self in five or 10 years.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Rachel Incident is an enjoyable book where the main character, Rachel, is looking back and reflecting on her life. Anyone who made decisions in their youth that they regret, can relate, though maybe not to the degree of Rachel.

I thought the book was slow to start, but picked up about two-thirds of the way through.

Overall, it's a decent coming-of-age book about friendships, making mistakes, and find our way into adulthood.

Thank you to NetGalley for access to the ARC! #NetGalley #TheRachelIncident

This is absolutely the perfect millennial coming-of-age story. The writing is essentially perfect; the prose is poignant and funny and extremely readable, while the plot makes it hard to put down (or stop thinking about, when forced to put it down). All the characters and situations felt so real. It's the kind of book that makes it hard to start the next book, because it sets such a high bar!

4.5 stars!

The short version is: this book is kinda like Sally Rooney (whom I love), but with a little more heart. It’s about Rachel, a young Irish woman finishing her college years and trying to figure out what’s next. She starts working at a bookstore, where she meets James, who quickly becomes her best friend. Their early friendship features at its center one of Rachel’s professors, who becomes entangled in their lives in somewhat unexpected ways. Meanwhile, Rachel is falling in love with a different James, whom she calls Carey to keep the two separate, and he’s dealing with his own difficulties…

These are young, messy people, but they’re doing their best and they’re figuring it out. I loved the focus on Rachel and James’ friendship; they do have their fights, but they also deeply care about each other and it’s really heartwarming to follow along as they work through it all together.

“We were beans on toast people, two joints on a Saturday night people, keeping watch while the other person took a wild piss on a country walk people.”

There’s a small element of mystery simmering throughout, as we’re being told this story by a future Rachel who is a mother. (How far in the future is she looking back from? Who is the father of the baby? What does the title mean?) The flashback narrative, which makes up most of the book, is compelling enough on its own to keep the pages turning, but the bookend structure of the novel and resulting constant low-level tension are the icing on the cake.

And the ending! I wasn’t expecting things to turn out like they did, but I was delighted. It felt earned and satisfying without being too neat. I really love this book.

“And the kiss was like—what was it like? It was like finding your favourite pair of boots under the bed. It was like finding them on the last day of your lease, the boxes already in the van, having assumed that they must have been left at an ex-lover’s house, or simply vanished by your own carelessness. Oh, these. Oh. I love these.”

I really wanted to like this one but it missed the boat for me. The characters are unlikable. The writing is disjointed. It goes back and forth between present and past with no notice. The plot was interesting at first then completely convoluted.