This book definitely made me think at the end. In the beginning it was hard to understand where we were going and the jumping around from perspective was sometimes hard to follow. I did appreciate the LQBTQ representation as well as the 2000s Ireland takes but I wish some of the references were explained more. Definity for the literary fiction lovers.

The Rachel Incident, by Caroline O'Donoghue, is a beautifully written novel about coming of age in Ireland during the economic collapse of 2010. The protagonists of this novel are Rachel, a recent English major, and her closest friend James, who are both struggling to find their places in a world that seems to be collapsing around them.

The Rachel Incident's superb characterization is what sets it apart from other novels about millennials. O'Donoghue expertly brings to life each character in this work, making them feel real despite their human flaws and complexity. Rachel's efforts to find her place in the world and her intense need for love and connection make her a very human and sympathetic main character.

O'Donoghue's wit and humour provide for a pleasant contrast to the novel's otherwise grim economic and emotional settings. Particularly entertaining are the many odd and humorous moments that interrupt the narrative, as well as the scenes of Rachel and James wandering around Cork city, attempting to make sense of their lives and their place in the world.

The Rachel Incident is an excellent book that will speak to everyone who has ever felt lost or alone. It's an enjoyable and profoundly emotional read because to its vividly realised characters, witty observations, and sobering introspective passages. Strongly suggested.

4/5 Stars from me.

***A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.***

O'Donoghue has a gift for creating empathetic, thoroughly human characters. All the surprises come at exactly the right moments and all make perfect sense.

I received this ARC thanks to netgalley and Knopf and 4 stars, I was pleasantly surprised. I wasn't sure if I'd care for a book about millennials who are struggling to find work during a recession but I ended up caring very much. Current day Rachel Murray discovers that someone from her past is in a coma and so begins the story that takes place in 2010 in Cork, Ireland. Rachel and her best friend James, both work in a bookstore, both struggling to make ends meet. James aspires to be a screenwriter. Rachel is about to graduate with an English degree. Both are just trying to get by and along the way we meet other characters who play significant roles in their lives, many ups and down, many plans and dreams for the future. This was at times bleak, at times funny, and at times poignant but always captivating. I highly recommend it!

One of my favourite books of the year so far! I saw a review compare this to Sally Rooney’s novels and whilst I see the similarities in terms of how character relationships are presented, O’Donoghue’s characters feel a little less poetic and a lot more gritty and likeable but as a fan of both authors, I would definitely recommend this to fans of Rooney’s work. I couldn’t put this one down and look forward to whatever Caroline O’Donoghue does next!

I think we probably all have that one year we can point to as the year that changed it all. The Rachel Incident is the story of that year - the year she lived on Shandon Street with her best friend, James - for Rachel Murray. This is the story of a girl finding her way in the world as she struggles with university, first love, a failing economy, and the concept of being an adult.

O'Donoghue's writing kept me engaged the entire time... she has a way with words, and I found myself re-reading some of her metaphors simply because they were so on point.

I recently read The Heart's Invisible Furies, another coming-of-age novel that takes place in Ireland and shines a light on some of the country's troubles. The similarities end there, but I felt it was worth noting as I kept being reminded of The Heart's Invisible Furies as I read.

WOW! What a read! I was hooked after the first chapter and loved the character development and storyline. Can’t wait for this to come out!

I'm not one to grab a "coming of age" story, but I am so glad that I did - I thoroughly enjoyed "The Rachel Incident" and finished it rather quickly! In the words of its author, Caroline O'Donoghue, this book was a banger.

This book is written from older Rachel's POV, remembering her early-twenties life in recession-riddled Cork, Ireland. We read of her struggles to finish the assignments needed to graduate from university and feeling like she chose a major (English) that would set her up for the impossibility of finding a job. So at a high level, we see Rachel struggling with familial relationships, finding the motivation to make big decisions for her future, and fighting to make ends meet, all while dealing with this intense desire for love and connection - even if the relationship is toxic. We know this; heck, I loved this book so much because I felt like I was reminiscing on my difficulties when I was in my young 20s!

But the main plotline is the relationship between Rachel and her best friend/roommate James, a closeted gay man who's fallen in love with one of Rachel's married school professors. Rachel finds herself embroiled in their chaotic love affair, all the while dealing with the chaos of her relationship and struggling to balance keeping this massive secret as she works directly with the wife of her cheating school professor. Despite their poor choices in their early 20s, I love that this book never painted them as villains - they were people who made poor decisions, yes. Still, also deeply enmeshed best friends who would do anything to support each other, and by the end, we are overjoyed to see they've blossomed in adulthood and they're finally where the reader wants them to be by the end of the novel.

Each character was fleshed out well. The dialogue was witty (albeit funny at times, I found myself chuckling), and there are some brilliantly-tacked, sensitive issues about sexuality and abortion, for example. And as someone who studied abroad in Ireland and fell in love with the culture, I loved the historical piece of this novel and learning more about Cork in recession-riddled 2008.

Thank you, NetGalley and Knopf, for the eARC in exchange for an honest review - "The Rachel Incident" will be available in July.

Caroline O'Donoghue has a beautiful way with words. While this story is not to my preference I'm still glad I read it and I want to read more of her work. I don't know that the right line is drawn here between gay best friend trope and educating others on the gay community, but an attempt was certainly made.

Excellent piece of fiction See my full review posted on Good Reads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63094957

This is realistic fiction at its absolute best: characters you feel like you know making a mess of their lives with only the best of intentions The dialogue is Sally Rooney, the plot is Ann Patchett, but the heart is all Caroline O'Donoghue. I loved it.

Thanks to the publisher for granting us access to the (our first!) e-ARC. Review will be updated with Instagram links once posted but here are the views of the talk lit, get hit podcast:

**Laura’s Review**

I’ve had a ripper reading year so far and I still think this may be one of my favourites. For me, it was was the perfect amalgamation of some of my favourite tropes: 20-something female adrift in life, realistic, raw and larger-than-life friendship, an intoxicating mentor-mentee relationship and a some-what-repulsive and yet somehow incredibly charming love interest. I found this book to be heart-achingly nostalgic - first love, shitty jobs, being broke and all the clumsiness and confusion that comes with being in your early twenties. Caroline O’Donoghue writes with such a beautiful balance of tenderness and restraint. I loved this book.

**Bridget’s Review**

It could be my convict ancestry (lol) but I am always immediately drawn to books set in Ireland. It’s something about the possibly imagined grittiness and a culture so familiar to my own yet slightly different that makes it so interesting to me, and any mention of cobblestoned streets just immediately seals the deal for me. I really loved this book and when I was trying to think about why I couldn’t think of anything other than it just felt familiar and real. The characters were easy to love despite their imperfections (Carey has my heart) and I easily related to an all-encompassing friendship like James and Rachel. The Rachel Incident shows what happens when you clumsily take the first leap into an adult word and the consequences of actions that inevitably catch up with you.

**Eryn’s Review**

When I read slice-of-life books like this one, I’m often left wondering if I’ve missed the point. I don’t think I missed the point here - it’s a tale of young adulthood, the relationships and the mistakes that we make along the way and how they shape our futures - but I can safely say I missed the appeal. While there were some moments that perfectly captured the nostalgia of being in your early twenties trying to balance life, university and a transition into adulthood, these were overshadowed by slow-moving plot, mostly underwhelming prose and unlikable characters and relationships. I’m even typically a fan of those, however I found the narrative gave the characters little context or room for growth which made it hard to root for their success. I did enjoy the social commentary on Ireland during these times and wish the book focused more on this, especially Rachel’s main plot point. Overall, not for me.

The Rachel Incident perfectly captures the free-falling feeling that was graduating college into the depths of the Great Recession, the joy of working an entry-level job that you loved but that hardly paid, the deep and instant platonic love that can be found in such an environment, as well as how confusing and painful relationships in early adulthood can be. There is some beautiful writing and some excellent dry humor. Ultimately, however, I had difficulty connecting with the characters and the driving plot line of the book. While it was not a win for me, I am certain that many readers will love Rachel and James, and this book could be an excellent conversation driver for book clubs.

This was a dysfunctional relationship story. We jump from present to past as we follow Rachel during the peak of her sexual years. She and her gay roommate are figuring out their sexual preferences through a series of men. The relationship are sometimes unhealthy and a but odd, but the raw humanity of the story was intriguing. It was a very different type of story. Not my favorite but might appeal to some.

Thank you to NetGalley for this free copy in exchange for honest opinions. I truly enjoyed this book. I loved the characters and their relationships. I love the vivid descriptions of internal thoughts and feelings. I especially loved the Irish location..

It’s been a pleasure to witness the growth of Caroline O’Donoghue as a writer over the last few years - this is my favourite book of hers yet! It feels like an instant classic of the genre - impeccable character work, intelligent plot, and writing that is simply stunning.

Easy to see why thanksgiving dinners might be interrupted to finish this stunning novel that captures so well a time and place as to be mesmerizing. There will be the obvious comparisons but in my mind The Rachel Incident is like the love child of Marian Keyes and Sally Rooney and yet totally O’Donoghue! It is a wonderfully, gloriously, Irish novel and captures so well those early adult years full of yearning and possibility. It is also a thoughtful and thought provoking reminder of how precious are our freedoms - of reproductive choice, the freedom of sexual identity, freedom to not live in fear or shame or poverty.

The Rachel Incident is a great read that allows readers to reflect on complicated relationships, making mistakes, and growing up. Although I do prefer the other cover, the cover shows you right away that you are in for a contemporary coming-of-age story. Although the story and the cover resemble several other contemporary novels, it does provide a refreshing take on the genre. Having finished the book and trying to reflect on my rating of it I realized there was nothing I wanted differently from the story, so it became one of the first 5-star reads of the year!

I was excited to read this book but it didn't live up to my expectations. It felt very millennial-y, definitely not my cup of tea.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange of an honest review.

3-3.5 ⭐
Fans of raw emotion, relationships, and characters with all their flaws revealed will enjoy this book.
This book jumped around a lot and I felt like I started in the middle of a story at times. Reading the book was ok but it was a bit of a jumble of events and wasn't as clear as I would have liked it to be.
It was basically a reflection on her 21 year old self and a formative year that took place in Cork.
Once I finished reading and reflected on the book, I could see more of the story and what was being talked about and did enjoy it more.
The story is a summary of women's health, the right to abortion, being closeted, what life is like as a gay man, and the coming of age story of relationships. The evolution of your early twenties, life choices and the mistakes made that are impactful in your later years.
I didn't love any of the characters and that's a bit of a deal breaker for me when I'm reading, I REALLY want at least one truly likeable character. This book has a lot of rawness to the characters and you see their flaws clearly. A lot of people love that in a book, so if that's you, this is for you!
Thanks to netgalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.