The Rachel Incident focuses on Rachel, both as a uni student in the past and her older self in the present, as well as her best friend James and the two's relationship with Rachel's professor, Dr. Byrne.

I don't think I really knew what to expect when I read The Rachel Incident. While the synopsis is accurate and the events listed do happen, I guess I expected it to be more plot driven. But The Rachel Incident is much more character driven, almost memoir-like in its writing style. All in all, I think it was really well written and I enjoy the story very much, but it took me a little white to fully connect with the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback

This one was slow and intimate in it's exploration of what happened between Rachel, her roommate and her professor. I absolutely couldn't put it down. The spot the author put Rachel in was so deliciously uncomfortable.

Perfect for fans of Rooney and sad girl lit fic, The Rachel Incident will be a top 10 read of the year. What separates it from some of its contemporaries is the heart it carries throughout.

I couldn't get into this one unfortunately. I'm thinking Irish litfic might just not be my genre. There was nothing inherently wrong with this book, it just didn't captivate me!

It is hard not to compare this book to Sally Rooney’s novels. On the surface, they have much in common – young Irish protagonist living the literary life. I think Rooney’s books are a little less focused on plot and more philosophical. I enjoyed listening to this novel that centers on an abortion and how it effects the lives of five people.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue.

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue has been on my TBR since it released this past summer, but I kept putting it off for some strange reason. When one of my very favorite authors, J. Courtney Sullivan raved about it on her instagram page recently, I immediately made it a priority, and started reading it the very next day. This book was everything that I was hoping it would be. It’s dark, edgy, gritty, cheeky, snarky, hilarious, and wildly entertaining. It follows Rachel and James, two wonderfully flawed characters who work at the same bookstore together in Ireland. They become fast friends, and then roommates. The trouble these two get into, and the chaos that they create is equally comical and jaw-dropping. They will make you bust a gut. I rolled my eyes multiple times at Rachel, tsk-tsked, and shook my head at her idiotic decisions and impulses. But then I kept reminding myself of her age, and I remembered all of the impossible situations that I got myself into as a university student. Yikes. How did I survive my early twenties? The pacing is somewhat on the slower side, but the little twists and surprises along the way more than make up for it. I sucked my breath in more than once when multiple chapters ended in a shocking cliffhanger. This book is damn juicy! The drama is endless, and had me tap, tap, tapping my kindle screen well into the night! 4.5/5 stars for The Rachel Incident! It’s a super solid read!

This book really got me. Rachel and James are two characters who will stay with me for a long time. They're both messy, complicated young people who try to do their best but often fuck up in the process. I love their friendship and how much they support each other but they're also the person able to do the most damage to the other. It's easy to compare the book to the works of Sally Rooney, since it's about Irish millennials and the malaise of life but that's a bit reductive. O"Donoghue's work stands on it's own, there's room for everyone! I found O'Donoghue's writing engaging, funny, and more than a little heartbreaking. I encourage you to pick this one up if you like stories about friendship, dating, and figuring out what the hell to do with your life. Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the arc I'm very late to review!

Such a fun read! It was light, cute, and somewhat predictable - but I still enjoyed it and it came at the perfect time in my life when I needed something a little "rom com" ish.

Thankful for the ARC!

Initially I was not enjoying reading this book. The beginning felt drawn out and rather anticlimactic. As the story continued to unfold, it reminded me of reading someone’s diary - where their innermost thoughts and struggles were voiced without concern to withhold the thoughts that are dark or could be negatively perceived. I enjoyed how the story came full circle and let me with a senes of satisfaction. The ending was mature, well done, and felt like the perfect conclusion. Overall, I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is about a college age Irish student as she transitions from student to adult. Struggling financially, she lands a job in a bookstore. This store forms the backdrop for the story. The main character and her roommate, James, are sometimes a bit stereotypical for me. This is a story about friendship, crushes, love and everything between. It reminds one of our own sometimes cringeworthy journey to adulthood. Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rate3.5

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. The Rachel Incident explores the complexities of relationships and friendships in that very confusing time after college, floating looking for a sustainable job while piecing together money for bills with a bunch of part time gigs. Set against the backdrop Ireland during financial collapse, this is a highly relatable novel about anyone who's loved indiscriminately, fell in love with the wrong person at the wrong time, or the right person at the wrong time.

This was a totally gripping, immersive, emotionally nuanced, FUNNY novel. I'm obsessed with O'Donoghue's work, and this is her best yet, in my opinion. A total joy and page-turner from start to finish.

I'm actually deeply surprised by how much I liked this book (and by liked I mean LOVED). Rachel was equal parts annoying and unbearably relatable. All of her relationships were so messy and real, and I kept wanting to find out what was going to happen to her next. The last half of the novel flew by and I screamed (literally) when a certain character appears at the end of the novel. Though it was surprising, a definite five-star read and one of the best books I've read this year.

OH OH OH OH OH! I loved this book, it was incredible, it was heartfelt and sad and brittle and warm and LOVELY. I read it in its entirety in one night and I cannot believe it took me so long. I will sing this one's praises.

Well this book had me obsessed like a friendship with James Devlin!

Compulsively readable and relatable, especially for those who also struggled to find their place in their early twenties, and who clung to their friendships like a life jacket.

This was my first book by Caroline O'Donoghue and I'm now seriously interested in reading everything else she's done, and will do.

i am a big fan of Caroline O'Donoghue so i was really hyped for The Rachel Incident. but this...was not it. it felt surprisingly formulaic and generic.

Some authors have voice and Caroline O’Donoghue is the epitome of twenty something Rachel Murray in her last year of University figuring out what it means to navigate life and adulthood. Rachel is “every girl” with her insecurities, friendships, heartache, and sexual partners; her story was so relatable and I felt somewhat transported back to that time of my life.
Rachel forms a fast friendship with fellow bookstore coworker, James Devlin. It’s love at first site and they become joined at the hip in that way that someone still in University can. So of course as roomies, Rachel tells James about her crush on her college professor, Dr. Fred Byrne who she in a spur of the moment decision decides to host his book launch at their store. O’Donoghue captures the feelings of what it’s like to have a crush and feel so compelled and entitled to own that imaginary relationship brought on by lust. When Rachel’s crush is unrequited, the one person she wants to discuss it with, James, becomes entangled in the relationship between Rachel and Dr. Byrne. Putting is plainly, Rachel’s life is a mess, but isn’t that what the twenties are for? Multiple relationships come and go throughout the book and I loved how unexpected the final arc was. Rachel becomes entwined with Dr. Byrne and his wife, Deenie as she seeks career connections. Her unreliable second James, James Carey, is boyfriend extraordinaire, and also some of the most difficult aspects of Rachel’s life. Through it all, the city of Cork, and Ireland itself felt like a character in Rachel’s narrative and the dream of going to America with James is the bright spot they can cling onto when life doesn’t quite go as planned.
I loved the storytelling and the pacing which very much felt like a story within a story. I wish I got just a little bit more from James Devlin’s final moments in the book, but I would recommend this to anyone looking for a story of friendship, love gained and lost that feels like an epic journey. Put The Rachel Incident on your list of books to read now. I received this advanced copy from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

CWs: Abortion, miscarriage, drug use, alcohol use, marital infidelity

I loved this book. Loved the minimal amount of characters and loved Rachel as a whole. Such a warm story - as messy as it was at times it all just felt comforting