The Rachel Incident is a novel about a young woman and her best friend trying to find their places in the world and navigating young love. Rachel has a crush on her married professor, but is shocked to find him kissing her best friend James. From there, the lives of the professor and his wife become intertwined with Rachel’s, until she has to make a harsh life decision. The novel is filled with angst, early 20s self doubt and exploration, and the real true love of best friends.

I recommend this novel for fans of Sally Rooney, though I argue that O’Donoghue has actually done the genre better.

4.5 ⭐️ On the surface this book appears to be a Will and Grace Irish edition, however underneath the humor and deeply good writing is so much more. There are twists, turns, social and economic commentary that is built into the story in such a way it doesn’t come across as preachy, instead informative. The characters are developed brilliantly. We meet them during their coming-of-age/hot mess phase but we also see them grow up strong and not entitled. They work so hard for everything they have and it is clear that their struggles are part of what puts them down the right path eventually. I didn’t expect this book to be as literary as it was…but I loved it. I love Irish fiction and this one is great.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Had difficulty getting into the story, just wasn't for me. I think the style just didn't jibe with me, but nothing wrong with the book at all!

What a delightful mess this story is. I somehow did not put together until the acknowledgements that this is the Caroline O’Donoghue who created the Sentimental Garbage podcast?! I love her, I love that she sounds like an Irish Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and I love the way she talks about "women's" things.

It’s not going to be for everyone, especially people who feel as though they need to find a character likeable or understand all their choices. Sometimes humans make silly, weird, odd, stupid choices. Judging by some of the reviews already, there are going to be some people who have a hard time forgiving Rachel for some actions she takes. I think that pairs exquisitely with the intersection of the weird parasocial relationship the community has with Rachel, looking at her and seeing a person they think is the mistress of a much beloved community member's husband. But for anyone who wants to lean into that messiness, and who is up for the content, I really really loved this coming of age tale with a happy ending. I haven't actually read any Sally Rooney, but from my understanding, this would be for the same kind of reader.

Rachel and James meet at work. They become friends, in the ways of early 20-somethings, quickly, deeply, and immersively. They move in together, two wildly different people who find safety with each other. This is the story of their friendship, the lengths they are willing to go for each other, how their other relationships are changed by their partnership, and ultimately how to become oneself within this intense tangle.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest feedback.

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue was a slow burn, character driven story. I didn’t really like this one. I didn’t find Rachel’s character very likable and I struggled with the packing, and it was hard to tell if the chapters were the past or Rachel’s present.

I seem to be in the minority for this one though.

Thanks to #Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. set in cork, ireland, a comedy of errors about a young woman trying to manage her friendships and her relationships, most notably her infatuation with her married professor, who has eyes for her roommate. the characters in this book were really easy to root for, and felt really well developed. also the ending! focussed mostly on rachel's relationships, less plot based.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the e-ARC! I enjoyed reading The Rachel Incident, and enjoyed Rachel and James and their friendship. The strength of the book is in the ways the connections between the characters are written, but so many of these descriptions are passed over or rushed through as the story goes on. Because we witness James’ and Dr. Byrne’s relationship from Rachel’s perspective, we don’t get much insight into that relationship, only how it affected their lives at the moment. I also found myself disappointed by the 2021-2022 plot line as a conceit for justifying the structure of the novel. I liked hanging out with the characters when they were present in a moment, but the distance of Rachel’s memories took away from some of that connection for me. A good read, but I was left wanting more.

Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC. Thoroughly enjoyed! Recommend for anyone that wants a fast(ish) read on a weekend day.

Absolutely loved every page of this colorful - very human story of flawed characters. Delighted with the plot "twists" and the tropes - hidden secrets, the "laws" of attraction, unrequited love, the lies people tell - all in literary quality prose.

This was such a thinker, and that's why I loved it. What a hilarious, they emotional way to question my ethics and what I would do in a unique situation. It grabbed my attention much more than I had anticipated it would, and I quickly was hooked. The relationship between the queer characters in this book was so nuanced and believable for me. I really felt connected to Rachel too, and I felt her love for James through these pages. It was a gorgeous story about friendship, love, queerness, and the choices we make for those important to us.

Thanks so much to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for an eGalley of this one in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This one was very hyped and I was so excited to read it. Unfortunately, I found all the characters to be just too unlikable to truly enjoy. It was very well written, which is why I kept reading, but it just wasn’t the book for me.

I loved this book. Effortless writing, engaging story and not at all the lost Millennial story I was expecting. Really a delightful, thought-provoking read.

This is a great book for lovers of Sally Rooney's writing style, especially in Normal People. I loved the setting and getting an inside look into the flawed relationships in the book. It was slower paced but still held my attention.

An exciting and funny read. Unique characters and a story that weaves together love, friendship, lust and makes an entertaining read!

I had an odd experience with this book, because when I picked it up I was enthralled, obsessed. But then I'd forget to pick it up again. I'm not sure how it can be both so compelling and so easy to get out of your mind. The ARC published before I could finish, and I bought the hardback to read instead, which says something.

But it's the story of a pair of best friends in Cork, as they work through their twenties and finding themselves, along with their intimate but harmful connection to a professor and his wife. Rachel and James have one of those friendships everyone dreams about, where you just truly find your person and no one else matters at the end of the day. The balance and health of that relationship does increasingly come into question, but it is still a spectacular connection, and the warmest, most romantic bad living situation you can imagine.

But I couldn't stand Rachel. She was always just there, and so self absorbed. Even after she reckons with that, she's just boring. I hated the story being told from the many-years-after framing - it didn't add anything. It aimed to set the stage for how they grew up, but it ended up just being overly dramatic reflections into the actual story. I do think I liked the end.

And mostly, I loved James. I think you're supposed to love James. He is kind and charming and broken, and he is good. I want to protect him from anything and everything.

I mostly listened to this, but enjoyed it very much. I stayed an hour late at work just to finish it! Fans of Sally Rooney will enjoy this writer I think - though this story is a bit lighter than Rooney's typically are. I loved the Irish setting and slang, and loved the relatable nature of the characters.

for fans of lily king’s writers & lovers, sally rooney’s beautiful world where are you, or dolly alderton’s ghosts.
glittering novel by caroline o’donoghue about nostalgia and messy early adulthood and the magic of falling in love with people, especially your friends. i loved it.

📖ARC REVIEW📖

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the advanced reader copy.

This week’s headline? I miss the pre-2020s

Why this book? Sounded like something I’d like

Which book format? ARC

Primary reading environment? Train and bus

Any preconceived notions? Kind of a different spin on a teacher/student relationship

Identify most with? James

Three little words? “monkey’s paw wish”

Goes well with? Useless college degrees, small bookstores

Recommend this to? Book clubs

Other cultural accompaniments: https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/06/20/rachel-incident-caroline-odonoghue-review/

I leave you with this: “I am again in another impossible situation…”

Not sure how to review this… it’s sort of a coming of age novel, which is a genre I love. I didn’t love or hate this book, but I felt almost removed from it all. The writing itself was perfectly fine, but I wasn’t drawn in like I would be with other novels in this genre. That being said, I’m sure there are people who will love this book, I’m just not one of them. *shrugs*

The Rachel Incident is available now.

This is both a small story of one woman's decade--from seedy university digs and hangovers with her gay roommate through professional development to the birth of her first child--and the story of Ireland's financial and social turmoil of the early 21st century. It tackles abuse of power and academic privilege, the difficulties and exultations of coming out queer in a college town filled with football hooligans and conservative religious parents, couple dynamics viewed through the lenses of several different Rachels in the course of her evolution toward maturity. And especially it speaks of lies, their endurance and their evolution.

The book launch scene in chapter 7 is--apart from one notable backroom moment--both entertaining and cringingly familiar to authors and bookstore owners.

At one point Rachel talks about bands whose names she wouldn’t remember a decade later but that occupied "a magical sweet space between celebrity and accessibility.”

For me this book is a magical sweet space between Ireland as it is, Ireland of the bleak financial-crash years before the Celtic Tiger roared anew, and the Ireland that was and remains shaped indelibly by the starvation times under Queen Victoria.

Ireland has a long and complex memory, and that is infused in every page of this engaging tale of a young woman growing up, navigating her world not always wisely. Her happy ending isn't one I'd have envisioned, and yet it was perfect for her. I dare you not to tear up.