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Member Reviews

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'll come out and say it right away: I loved this book. It's a perfect mix of Sally Rooney-drama and Irish sensibility and Dolly Aldteron's humor and charm. I was rooting for Rachel the whole time and I adored every single character in the narrative.

Rachel is a student in Cork doing her best. She's got a best friend called James and a boyfriend called James (not the same person) and an alright family and no money and plenty of dreams. Oh, and the entire town thinks she slept with her professor.

I loved the way this was written -- present Rachel being very kind to past Rachel for her missteps felt really important. Her assurance that it would all work out and some of the big reveals made me much happier than I anticipated -- turns out I really did care about these characters!

For a tongue-in-cheek book about a few very serious things, I would consider this a beach read in that I blew through it in an afternoon and wanted to tell everyone around me about it as soon as I was finished. It's exactly what I want in a book.

5 stars.

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Thanks for the review copy. The book reminded me of Will and Grace but I didn’t like the characters as much. I’m sure other people will like it more than I did.

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One of the most gripping books I have read, the plot flows so seamlessly and the intimacy of details by O’Donoghue makes this book a must read. Rachel is a loveable character with her own quirks- as she tries to navigate her way through life, the reader feels close to her. A must read.

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An amusing story about a woman going through the confusing hardships of life. I appreciated some of the relatability to Rachel’s struggles. It made me feel a little less alone, going through this journey with her.

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This was so fun and nostalgic and cringe in the best way. Felt like chatting with your longtime friend. It made me laugh and cry and gasp. well done!

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This book is so alive, you will feel as if you have been sleepwalking--funny, bittersweet, satisfying read.

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Loved this story of early love and confusion and figuring out who you want to be. I thought it had some Sally Rooney and Naoise Dolan vibes, and I thoroughly enjoyed Rachel’s journey, which, although messy and at times maddening, felt real and was full of heart.

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This is a story about Rachel. And her best friend James. And her boyfriend James. It's a slow starter - you have to give yourself time to really get into this one and connect with the characters. I thought it picked up significantly in the second half. It's not a book with much action - this novel is extremely relationship based. There will be times you are pulling out your hair because you are so frustrated with these characters and their actions... Then you will remember that you were once young and stupid as well and we all make mistakes. Overall I really enjoyed the novel and certainly wanted to keep reading. I'd love to know what you thought about the ending because I'm still not quite sure...

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This was the messy version of my romanticized take on what it is like to get an English degree. So, I enjoyed every second of it. I loved O'Donoghue"s writing, it was intentional and precise without being overtly preachy or tone deaf. Something I found so crucial to this story was the loneliness that comes from growing in and out of relationships, especially the platonic ones, which was so accurately depicted in this novel. This is just proof that I am not immune to Irish literature and that yes, it always does hit that hard for me.

4.5/5 stars

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Rating: 3.5/5

I don’t hate it but I couldn’t really get into it either. Some parts were funny but it was definitely a slow burn for most of it. It made me reflect on my young adulthood and I could relate to Rachel during her reflection of her early 20s. It was a very nostalgic book for me.

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I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book! I loved Rachel and James as individual characters and together. It spoke to true life and realistic intertwinings of 20-something’s

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“I was twenty and I needed two things: to be in love and to be taken seriously.”

I'm so glad this book is being made into a TV series! Rachel is a perfectly imperfect character, who makes ridiculous mistakes as she tries to figure out who she is in 2010s Ireland in the middle of a recession. When she meets the platonic love of her life working at a bookstore, everything changes - she and her closeted bestie move in together and wreak havoc until they're forced to grow up, not realizing (or caring) who they hurt in the process. O'Donoghue captures the selfishness of 20-somethings superbly - the world revolves around them and everyone else be damned... Until they need help. Or money. Or someone to blame.

If you love quirky character-driven books (I'm sure I'm not the only one who was reminded of Sally Rooney's novels while reading), THE RACHEL INCIDENT is for you. It will make you laugh, it will make you cringe and it will touch your heart.

Thanks to Knopf for the copy to review.

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Thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy.

The Rachel Incident is about the titular character named Rachel, who, for the majority of the story (told in flashbacks) is living with her gay but not out best friend James. She's also dating another guy named James, but calls him Carey to avoid confusion. James is having a secret tryst with Rachel's professor, who she intended to seduce, by the way.

This book mentions Will & Grace a lot (down to the &) and I couldn't tell if it was trying to to be like the show or not. I think not but by the amount it's compared, who knows.

There are many funny parts, and it's an entertaining read, but not my favorite.

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This was a book that got better as it went on with plot twists that I was not expecting. And I’m usually pretty good at that kind of thing. While it started it out to me as young 20-something chick lit-ish it evolved into a fascinating story about power dynamics. And abortion freedom and access. To say more, would give the story away. And I absolutely loved where the present day story went and would have loved more time with all these characters as they are now. Thank you to the publisher for an ARC. The book is now available.

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TL;DR: I devoured Caroline O’Donaghue’s THE RACHEL INCIDENT on my plane ride home this weekend, and can’t recommend it enough. It’s part NORMAL PEOPLE, part VLADIMIR, centered around the relationship dynamics between 20-something Rachel and her gay best friend James, love interest Carey, and Rachel’s college professor, the catalyst for much of the drama that takes place in the book. It’s darkly funny and sexy and uncomfortably relatable (that dinner party scene!), and it’s a book that left me miserably reminiscing about my own cringe-worthy journey of self-discovery after I graduated from college.

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Rachel Murray is a mid-thirties Irish journalist living in London. As she is settling into her new domestic life, she receives startling news. Her college English professor, Dr. Byrne, is in a coma, which stirs up memories from her past. The story shifts back to Rachel in her senior year of college, living with her best friend James. They are barely scraping by with no real job prospects, as the economy is in shambles. Rachel then gets involved with Dr. Byrne, yet things don’t go as planned. Soon she is entangled in a web of deceit that threatens to uproot her life in unexpected ways.

Author Caroline O’Donoghue offers witty dialogue, questionable life choices, and palpable drama in The Rachel Incident. Although it was quite character-driven, I found myself absorbed in the story. Rachel is insufferable at times and lacks maturity throughout the book. Rachel struggles to connect with others, which I sympathized with. The friendship between Rachel and James Devlin was codependent, yet sweet. This book is different than anything I’ve read. The tone was often irreverent, and some of the Irish references flew past me, yet it kept my interest throughout. I look forward to more from this author!

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A truly lovely contemporary fiction. The friendships, the setting, the angst, the relationships.... so good. This book was rightfully picked up by Aardvark and has been getting all the hype. I hope everyone finds time to read it!

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This was a really sweet coming of age story about a young Irish woman, Rachel who is struggling through university after learning that her parents can no longer afford to help her with expenses. She meets a young man, James and ends up moving in with him and developing a wonderful friendship. Their relationship endures through enormous personal evolutions and hardships and is the heart of the plot.

I have never lived in Ireland so some of the references to modern events in Ireland went right over my head but I wouldn't say it detracted from the whole reading experience. I loved the character development of both Rachel and James and the other supporting characters in the story as well. Rachel and James both felt so relatable to me and their friendship is of a rare type that few are blessed to find in real life (in my opinion). I enjoyed this one a lot and found it a rather quick read too. While I do think it is on the lighter side, it does discuss a few heavier topics such as infidelity and abortion. And I really enjoyed the ending as it showcased just how much personal growth the main character had achieved.

Read this one if you like:
- Books set in Ireland
-Epic friendships
-Coming of age stories
-Books about books (Rachel works in a bookshop)

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The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue was so relatable and sucked me in right away. The story was heartfelt, emotional and funny. The transition into womanhood is not easy and O’Donoghue captures that while also creating a totally unique personality for Rachel. I loved this.

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4.5 stars. Thank you to Net Galley and Knopf for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.. I loved the way the book started as it gives just enough info to make my brain ask all sorts of question and want to know more. After the short intro paragraph in the present, we go back to when Rachel was at university, working at a bookshop and wanting to move out of her parents' house. She meets James Devlin who calls her by the wrong name and they eventually become best friends Rachel also has a crush on her professor, Dr. Fred Byrne. Dr. Byrne comes into the bookshop and asks about a book, which happens to be his which is to be published. Rachel and James decide they should have a book event for him and that evening something happens which will change the course of their lives. The first chapter had me and I couldn't put it down as I wanted to know more. The writing was beautifully descriptive as I could envision the characters, Cork city and the apartment, etc. I highly recommend this book!

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