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The Rachel Incident
A brilliantly funny novel about friends, lovers, Ireland in chaos, and a young woman desperately trying to manage all three
Rachel is a student working at a bookstore when she meets James, and it’s love at first sight. Effervescent and insistently heterosexual, James soon invites Rachel to be his roommate and the two begin a friendship that changes the course of both their lives forever. Together, they run riot through the streets of Cork city, trying to maintain a bohemian existence while the threat of the financial crash looms before them.
When Rachel falls in love with her married professor, Dr. Fred Byrne, James helps her devise a reading at their local bookstore, with the goal that she might seduce him afterwards. But Fred has other desires. So begins a series of secrets and compromises that intertwine the fates of James, Rachel, Fred, and Fred’s glamorous, well-connected, bourgeois wife. Aching with unrequited love, shot through with delicious, sparkling humor, The Rachel Incident is a triumph.
Rachel is a student working at a bookstore when she meets James, and it’s love at first sight. Effervescent and insistently heterosexual, James soon invites Rachel to be his roommate and the two begin a friendship that changes the course of both their lives forever. Together, they run riot through the streets of Cork city, trying to maintain a bohemian existence while the threat of the financial crash looms before them.
When Rachel falls in love with her married professor, Dr. Fred Byrne, James helps her devise a reading at their local bookstore, with the goal that she might seduce him afterwards. But Fred has other desires. So begins a series of secrets and compromises that intertwine the fates of James, Rachel, Fred, and Fred’s glamorous, well-connected, bourgeois wife. Aching with unrequited love, shot through with delicious, sparkling humor, The Rachel Incident is a triumph.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published June 22, 2023
About the author
Caroline O'Donoghue
7 books4,213 followersCaroline O'Donoghue is a New York Times bestselling author and host of the Sentimental Garbage podcast. She writes fiction for adults and teenagers.
I only leave five star reviews on Goodreads, and i keep two star reviews inside my horrid brain where they can’t start beef with other authors
I only leave five star reviews on Goodreads, and i keep two star reviews inside my horrid brain where they can’t start beef with other authors
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 9,176 reviews
February 8, 2024
Definitely one I'm going to be recommending to a lot of people I know, especially those looking to get back into reading!! This is a charming novel about the chaotic reality of being in your twenties, finding your feet in the world, and tackling a myriad of complications… every. single. day.
It’s thoughtful, well considered, relatable, and self-assured. genuinely funny with dry humour and a warm, believable pair of best friends who live together as they come of age, come out, and come apart.
4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It’s thoughtful, well considered, relatable, and self-assured. genuinely funny with dry humour and a warm, believable pair of best friends who live together as they come of age, come out, and come apart.
4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 1, 2022
I wrote this book, and it's a banger.
January 26, 2023
I read this book, it's a banger
January 28, 2024
irish lit fic forever!!!
i finished my 2023 reading challenge the way i spent it: with plotless character-driven books about girls struggling through life and work and love and mental breakdowns in their 20s.
in other words, my autobiographies.
i went into this book relatively blind, and at no point did i know what it was about, so it wasn't until hundreds of pages in that i was able to confirm it has no plot. just vibes. but that is, of course, almost always a compliment.
i love tall girl represntation and i love irish lit fic, so even though this wasn't perfect (moments of overwhelming frustration, melodrama, and fantasy; characters i couldn't care about or get behind) i quite enjoyed it!
bottom line: i was always going to like this book.
i finished my 2023 reading challenge the way i spent it: with plotless character-driven books about girls struggling through life and work and love and mental breakdowns in their 20s.
in other words, my autobiographies.
i went into this book relatively blind, and at no point did i know what it was about, so it wasn't until hundreds of pages in that i was able to confirm it has no plot. just vibes. but that is, of course, almost always a compliment.
i love tall girl represntation and i love irish lit fic, so even though this wasn't perfect (moments of overwhelming frustration, melodrama, and fantasy; characters i couldn't care about or get behind) i quite enjoyed it!
bottom line: i was always going to like this book.
September 23, 2023
Did I desperately want to read this book based on the title alone? The answer is yes!! Therefore, my rating may or may not be a little biased. 😏
The Rachel Incident, is a wonderful story about friendship, love, and everything that falls in between of growing up. It’s books like this that remind me what it was like to be in my twenties again, and learning the way of the world.
This story starts off with Rachel Murray working in a bookstore while attending university. At this bookstore, Rachel meets her new coworker, James Devlin. Rachel and James become best friends and even move into an apartment together. Most people assume that James is gay, but he has never said one way or the other. It makes no difference to Rachel either way.
While attending her classes at university, Rachel develops a crush on her English professor, Dr. Byrne. During this time, Rachel finds out that Dr. Byrne has written a book. Rachel then sets up a book signing and lecture by Dr. Byrne at the bookstore that she works at. James helps Rachel set up the book signing, and we even meet Dr. Byrne’s very nice wife, Deenie Harrington. It is after this book signing that things start to become very complicated for Rachel.
In the midst of the complications, Rachel falls head over heels for a different James. James Carey. We have the ups and downs of that relationship, plus the friendship with James Devlin.
While reading this, I had to keep checking if this was fiction or nonfiction because everything read so personal. I felt that I was actually living in Rachel’s world, experiencing every growth and trauma that was thrown at her. This book definitely took me back to my early 20’s, and I just wish I had a bestie like James.
I highly recommend reading this book (and no, it’s not just because of the awesome title 😉). I guarantee these characters will stick with you and have you thinking of each and every one of them long after you turn the last page.
Edit to add: There were some parts in this book that were a bit too provocative or “spicy” for my taste (I am becoming a prude the older I get), but I did not let that deter me from my enjoyment of this book.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, & Anchor, and the author for an ARC of this wonderful book. All opinions are my own. Publication date: June 27, 2023.
The Rachel Incident, is a wonderful story about friendship, love, and everything that falls in between of growing up. It’s books like this that remind me what it was like to be in my twenties again, and learning the way of the world.
This story starts off with Rachel Murray working in a bookstore while attending university. At this bookstore, Rachel meets her new coworker, James Devlin. Rachel and James become best friends and even move into an apartment together. Most people assume that James is gay, but he has never said one way or the other. It makes no difference to Rachel either way.
While attending her classes at university, Rachel develops a crush on her English professor, Dr. Byrne. During this time, Rachel finds out that Dr. Byrne has written a book. Rachel then sets up a book signing and lecture by Dr. Byrne at the bookstore that she works at. James helps Rachel set up the book signing, and we even meet Dr. Byrne’s very nice wife, Deenie Harrington. It is after this book signing that things start to become very complicated for Rachel.
In the midst of the complications, Rachel falls head over heels for a different James. James Carey. We have the ups and downs of that relationship, plus the friendship with James Devlin.
While reading this, I had to keep checking if this was fiction or nonfiction because everything read so personal. I felt that I was actually living in Rachel’s world, experiencing every growth and trauma that was thrown at her. This book definitely took me back to my early 20’s, and I just wish I had a bestie like James.
I highly recommend reading this book (and no, it’s not just because of the awesome title 😉). I guarantee these characters will stick with you and have you thinking of each and every one of them long after you turn the last page.
Edit to add: There were some parts in this book that were a bit too provocative or “spicy” for my taste (I am becoming a prude the older I get), but I did not let that deter me from my enjoyment of this book.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, & Anchor, and the author for an ARC of this wonderful book. All opinions are my own. Publication date: June 27, 2023.
August 14, 2023
In a Nutshell: Go into this with the right expectations. It is a literary fiction with shades of bildungsroman, and not exactly a “brilliantly funny” general fiction as the blurb calls it. Handles its plot and characters pretty well.
Story Synopsis:
I started reading this novel expecting a funny story about friends and lovers, because the very first sentence of the blurb makes a grand declaration on these lines. While there is a lot of focus on friendship and romantic relationships, the story is not funny, though I must also accept that what counts as humour is a matter of individual preference. I found this book a semi-serious one, focussing on choices, instincts, and decisions. It also highlights how things beyond our control, such as the economy, governmental policies, and other people’s mistaken assumptions, end up affecting our lives. Once I changed my track and read this novel as a work of literary fiction, I enjoyed it much better..
This is not a novel where there are great conflicts or twists. As I kept reading, the percentage indicator on my Kindle kept going up, but I still felt like nothing much had happened in the plot. But at the end of the book, I realised that a whole lot happened and passed me by subtly. I suppose this is still better than reading a book where too much happens but the percentage completed stat moves up at a snail’s pace.
The title becomes clear only towards the end of the novel. So for a long time, I kept wondering what the ‘Rachel incident’ referred to. But once the reference is explained, the whole title-plot combo makes a lot of sense.
As the lead who is just about twenty, Rachel is a complicated character. Impetuous, wild, and naïve, she acts her age and takes decisions from her heart than from her head. As she is a sheltered young adult who takes some idiotic decisions, it is tough for us to like her. If you are someone who needs to like their characters, this story is a tricky one because Rachel does quite a lot of things to ensure that you are irked by rather than enamoured of her.
What helps matters somewhat is the choice of retrospective narration. Rachel herself recounts her life story to us ten years after the “Rachel incident.” At thirty-two, she is slightly more mature and her account includes her opinion on the events that occurred as well as some amount of foreshadowing. That said, I didn’t understand whom she was narrating her story to because it doesn’t look like this was her journal or a book. She also breaks the fourth wall multiple times and speaks to us readers directly. A bit of clarity on this point would have helped.
The other key characters – James Devlin the gay roommate (he’s the kind of friend everyone would love to have!), James Carey the unreliable boyfriend, Fred Byrnes the professor with secrets, and Deenie the professor’s wife and a successful woman in her own right – are all interesting. As we get the story for Rachel’s first person perspective, all we know of these characters is what Rachel chooses to tell us. This gives us a limited idea of their personality, and is a minor hurdle in getting to understand them better. James Devlin’s arc would have been especially interesting to explore with his closet homosexuality and his screenwriting dreams. Then again, the book is titled ‘The Rachel Incident’, so it is obvious that we are meant to focus on only Rachel’s pov.
The plot uses Ireland quite effectively in its narrative. I enjoy books that don’t only mention settings but actually incorporate them in the storyline. Irish habits, local places and hangouts, the financial crisis, their opinion on England, their rigid policies against abortion – all find mention in the story.
The ending works excellently for this story, as it is not a typical HEA. There are some loose ends that are left with just enough clues for us to guess at what might happen next to most characters. I loved the ending, but I can see that it won’t satisfy every reader.
I see many reviews referring this novel to Sally Rooney fans, probably because both Rooney and O’Donoghue are Irish, and both focus on broken young adults trying to survive if not thrive in Ireland. But the one book of Sally Rooney that I read didn’t work for me at all, while this was a relative winner. So I’d recommend this even if you aren’t a Sally Rooney fan. And hey, O’Donoghue, unlike Rooney, uses quotation marks – definitely a huge plus.
If you read between the lines of my feedback so far, you will understand that there was a lot of realignment of expectations involved in my reading of this character-oriented novel. Adjusting my focus took some time, but once I did, the book clicked nicely for me. I could have done with fewer cuss words, but this is an individual choice and not really a shortcoming of the novel itself.
Recommended to literary fiction readers interested in a quirky story with complicated characters and realistic life problems. Though not exactly a coming-of-age novel, it works well as one because of Rachel’s life choices.
3.75 stars.
My thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Rachel Incident”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Story Synopsis:
When Rachel Murray was working at a bookstore as a nineteen-year-old college student, she met James Devlin, a self-declared heterosexual though Rachel suspects otherwise. They bond as colleagues and soon become roommates. Navigating the poor economy and broken hearts together, Rachel and James are not just best friends but each other’s emotional support system.
When Rachel falls in love with her married English professor, Dr. Fred Byrne, James helps her make a plan to lure him to their bookstore with a reading of his nonfiction work. However, what happens next changes their equation and lays the foundation for the ‘Rachel incident’ and its aftermath.
The story is set in the city of Cork, and comes to us through the first person voice of Rachel, who is narrating to us about the incidents of a decade ago retrospectively.
I started reading this novel expecting a funny story about friends and lovers, because the very first sentence of the blurb makes a grand declaration on these lines. While there is a lot of focus on friendship and romantic relationships, the story is not funny, though I must also accept that what counts as humour is a matter of individual preference. I found this book a semi-serious one, focussing on choices, instincts, and decisions. It also highlights how things beyond our control, such as the economy, governmental policies, and other people’s mistaken assumptions, end up affecting our lives. Once I changed my track and read this novel as a work of literary fiction, I enjoyed it much better..
This is not a novel where there are great conflicts or twists. As I kept reading, the percentage indicator on my Kindle kept going up, but I still felt like nothing much had happened in the plot. But at the end of the book, I realised that a whole lot happened and passed me by subtly. I suppose this is still better than reading a book where too much happens but the percentage completed stat moves up at a snail’s pace.
The title becomes clear only towards the end of the novel. So for a long time, I kept wondering what the ‘Rachel incident’ referred to. But once the reference is explained, the whole title-plot combo makes a lot of sense.
As the lead who is just about twenty, Rachel is a complicated character. Impetuous, wild, and naïve, she acts her age and takes decisions from her heart than from her head. As she is a sheltered young adult who takes some idiotic decisions, it is tough for us to like her. If you are someone who needs to like their characters, this story is a tricky one because Rachel does quite a lot of things to ensure that you are irked by rather than enamoured of her.
What helps matters somewhat is the choice of retrospective narration. Rachel herself recounts her life story to us ten years after the “Rachel incident.” At thirty-two, she is slightly more mature and her account includes her opinion on the events that occurred as well as some amount of foreshadowing. That said, I didn’t understand whom she was narrating her story to because it doesn’t look like this was her journal or a book. She also breaks the fourth wall multiple times and speaks to us readers directly. A bit of clarity on this point would have helped.
The other key characters – James Devlin the gay roommate (he’s the kind of friend everyone would love to have!), James Carey the unreliable boyfriend, Fred Byrnes the professor with secrets, and Deenie the professor’s wife and a successful woman in her own right – are all interesting. As we get the story for Rachel’s first person perspective, all we know of these characters is what Rachel chooses to tell us. This gives us a limited idea of their personality, and is a minor hurdle in getting to understand them better. James Devlin’s arc would have been especially interesting to explore with his closet homosexuality and his screenwriting dreams. Then again, the book is titled ‘The Rachel Incident’, so it is obvious that we are meant to focus on only Rachel’s pov.
The plot uses Ireland quite effectively in its narrative. I enjoy books that don’t only mention settings but actually incorporate them in the storyline. Irish habits, local places and hangouts, the financial crisis, their opinion on England, their rigid policies against abortion – all find mention in the story.
The ending works excellently for this story, as it is not a typical HEA. There are some loose ends that are left with just enough clues for us to guess at what might happen next to most characters. I loved the ending, but I can see that it won’t satisfy every reader.
I see many reviews referring this novel to Sally Rooney fans, probably because both Rooney and O’Donoghue are Irish, and both focus on broken young adults trying to survive if not thrive in Ireland. But the one book of Sally Rooney that I read didn’t work for me at all, while this was a relative winner. So I’d recommend this even if you aren’t a Sally Rooney fan. And hey, O’Donoghue, unlike Rooney, uses quotation marks – definitely a huge plus.
If you read between the lines of my feedback so far, you will understand that there was a lot of realignment of expectations involved in my reading of this character-oriented novel. Adjusting my focus took some time, but once I did, the book clicked nicely for me. I could have done with fewer cuss words, but this is an individual choice and not really a shortcoming of the novel itself.
Recommended to literary fiction readers interested in a quirky story with complicated characters and realistic life problems. Though not exactly a coming-of-age novel, it works well as one because of Rachel’s life choices.
3.75 stars.
My thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Rachel Incident”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
April 14, 2023
A funny and thoughtful novel about the messiness of young adulthood, making friends, and finding one's path in 2010s Ireland.
Rachel is in her last years of university when she makes fast friends with her closeted co-worker, James, at the local bookshop. He enables her fascination with one of her professors by helping her set up an author event at the store to win the professor's favor and maybe get a bit of something more out of it. When things go awry, the friends are tested and things quickly escalate out of their control bringing them into closer relations with the professor and his wife than they originally anticipated.
In the vein of Sally Rooney's Conversation with Friends and Coco Mellors' Cleopatra and Frankenstein, Caroline O'Donoghue has written a contemporary novel full of morally questionable characters that will keep you turning the pages. You may cringe at their decisions while simultaneously be endeared by their naive attempts to find their way as adults in a tanking economy. O'Donoghue manages to weave these topics organically into the novel as the characters are preoccupied with morality, sexuality, bodily autonomy, economic stability, and career aspirations.
I actually found myself chuckling at this book, which is rare. I can find books witty or funny, but rarely do I audibly laugh out loud at what the characters say or do. Rachel and James' dynamic is electric and jumps off the page. This creates a real feeling of something at stake as the novel progresses. And we see everything through Rachel's flawed point-of-view, but as she writes from years later, we get to see what really happened versus how she perceived it in a way that felt fresh and authentic instead of contrived or manipulative. Rachel doesn't let her younger self off the hook which I really appreciated.
The writing in this book is excellent as well. She has a sharp eye for detail without overdoing it, and a quick turn of phrase that balanced being unique without trying too hard. She will describe a feeling or experience in a way that cuts right to the heart and yet you may think, "I've never seen it described like that before." I was very impressed.
I will definitely check out more of O'Donoghue's books in the future. This would be a great book to read when you have plenty of time to read because you won't want to put it down. When I wasn't reading the book, I was thinking about the characters and dying to know what happened next!
Rachel is in her last years of university when she makes fast friends with her closeted co-worker, James, at the local bookshop. He enables her fascination with one of her professors by helping her set up an author event at the store to win the professor's favor and maybe get a bit of something more out of it. When things go awry, the friends are tested and things quickly escalate out of their control bringing them into closer relations with the professor and his wife than they originally anticipated.
In the vein of Sally Rooney's Conversation with Friends and Coco Mellors' Cleopatra and Frankenstein, Caroline O'Donoghue has written a contemporary novel full of morally questionable characters that will keep you turning the pages. You may cringe at their decisions while simultaneously be endeared by their naive attempts to find their way as adults in a tanking economy. O'Donoghue manages to weave these topics organically into the novel as the characters are preoccupied with morality, sexuality, bodily autonomy, economic stability, and career aspirations.
I actually found myself chuckling at this book, which is rare. I can find books witty or funny, but rarely do I audibly laugh out loud at what the characters say or do. Rachel and James' dynamic is electric and jumps off the page. This creates a real feeling of something at stake as the novel progresses. And we see everything through Rachel's flawed point-of-view, but as she writes from years later, we get to see what really happened versus how she perceived it in a way that felt fresh and authentic instead of contrived or manipulative. Rachel doesn't let her younger self off the hook which I really appreciated.
The writing in this book is excellent as well. She has a sharp eye for detail without overdoing it, and a quick turn of phrase that balanced being unique without trying too hard. She will describe a feeling or experience in a way that cuts right to the heart and yet you may think, "I've never seen it described like that before." I was very impressed.
I will definitely check out more of O'Donoghue's books in the future. This would be a great book to read when you have plenty of time to read because you won't want to put it down. When I wasn't reading the book, I was thinking about the characters and dying to know what happened next!
November 21, 2023
2.5 stars
Petition for writers to stop using gay characters as comic relief best friends for their protagonists.
I love books about friendships. Friendships are unique in that they are the only kind of relationships one truly chooses, unaffected by blood bonds or hormones (or both--I know you're out there, you sickos).
For friendships to work out, certain criteria have to be met.
For one, those involved need, you know, a personality.
Unfortunately, this novel's protagonist has no defined characteristics whatsoever, she just kind of exists and lets the plot happen to her.
The other half of the central friendship is the Gay Best Friend™, a flamboyant, 'funny', promiscuous Madonna-fan. Wow, I sure have never come across that caricature character before!
The prose had its moments though, at times painting vivid imagery and holding my interest more than the 'characters' and the plot combined.
Petition for writers to stop using gay characters as comic relief best friends for their protagonists.
I love books about friendships. Friendships are unique in that they are the only kind of relationships one truly chooses, unaffected by blood bonds or hormones (or both--I know you're out there, you sickos).
For friendships to work out, certain criteria have to be met.
For one, those involved need, you know, a personality.
Unfortunately, this novel's protagonist has no defined characteristics whatsoever, she just kind of exists and lets the plot happen to her.
The other half of the central friendship is the Gay Best Friend™, a flamboyant, 'funny', promiscuous Madonna-fan. Wow, I sure have never come across that caricature character before!
The prose had its moments though, at times painting vivid imagery and holding my interest more than the 'characters' and the plot combined.
July 15, 2023
**Many thanks to NetGalley, Knopf, and Caroline O'Donoghue for an ARC of this book! Now available as of 6.27!!**
Like many twentysomethings, Rachel doesn't quite know what life has in store for her. She knows she loves to read, and her new job at the bookstore has her excited. Even better, she meets James, a quirky and energetic guy who becomes her best friend. James is gay but hasn't quite come to terms with his identity yet...and subsequently hasn't told many of the people in his life this fact. Rachel lives in a bit of a dream world, and through their collective antics, James is all too willing to scheme alongside her.
When the married professor Dr. Fred Byrne happens upon their bookstore, it is in this moment that Rachel devises a plan to essentially begin an affair with him and make him fall in love with her. James thinks a reading of his new book at the bookstore is the perfect place to seduce him, and Fred DOES get seduced that evening...but it isn't by Rachel. Once this event takes place, Rachel's world becomes complicated--quickly--and the friendship she fosters with Byrne's wife Deenie only muddies the waters further. Once Rachel is forced to keep secret after secret, can she find a way to be true to herself, true to her friend....and to find love AND a path in life to call her own?
This book was apparently pitched as comparable to Rooney's Normal People...and in some ways, this is absolutely true. From the writer's style to the maddening decisions of these characters, the similarities were all there. Unfortunately...I was not a fan of Normal People....and I can't call myself a fan of this one, either. While at first Rachel's 'plan' to steal her professor seemed like it was destined to teach her some lessons, at the end of the day, the plot actually revolved around Rachel's ability to keep her mouth shut...and her inability to make a SINGLE good decision.
While I'd hoped to be enamored with the relationship between these two best friends, James is painted with a stereotypical brush: he's the gay best friend who sleeps around, says ridiculous things, and just tends to be over the top rather than a grounding force for Rachel, which is what she REALLY needed. (The one redeeming characteristic James had is that he was a huge fan of MY favorite show Frasier...but even THAT wasn't enough get me sold on him.) I also just got some creepy vibes from the professor and his wife, who at one point have Rachel over to drink and just sort of treat her like she's 10 to 15 years older than she actually is...and it just didn't feel realistic.
This is also yet another book described as having 'delicious, sparkling humor' that didn't make me smile...once. I have come to realize over time that this sort of humor is less about being actually funny and more about a particular style of banter between people that's supposed to come off as clever, but usually just reads 'boring' to me. Rachel was far from a detestable character, but she certainly had a bit of entitled naivete going on, and after a while, I was really hoping she'd LEARN a couple of life lessons and just grow up. To make matters more confusing, Rachel is looking back at these events, but we aren't clearly told when she's reminiscing or when we are watching her past play out in real time...and this is a book where a bit of a clearly defined break between the two would have been VERY welcome.
The one bright spot in this novel is that at least older Rachel had the wherewithal to acknowledge that her younger self had been kind of a goof, a bit reckless, and more than a bit unappreciative of the opportunities she DID have, despite what she lacked. O'Donoghue's writing is steady and serviceable, but at the end of the day, this novel had a world of opportunity to make an impact on me as a reader and instead left me feeling as apathetic as a teenager...and if there's anything this book DID remind me, it is that I'm happy to have left my teenage years AND all of the subsequent apathy far, FAR behind me. 🚗
3.5 stars
Like many twentysomethings, Rachel doesn't quite know what life has in store for her. She knows she loves to read, and her new job at the bookstore has her excited. Even better, she meets James, a quirky and energetic guy who becomes her best friend. James is gay but hasn't quite come to terms with his identity yet...and subsequently hasn't told many of the people in his life this fact. Rachel lives in a bit of a dream world, and through their collective antics, James is all too willing to scheme alongside her.
When the married professor Dr. Fred Byrne happens upon their bookstore, it is in this moment that Rachel devises a plan to essentially begin an affair with him and make him fall in love with her. James thinks a reading of his new book at the bookstore is the perfect place to seduce him, and Fred DOES get seduced that evening...but it isn't by Rachel. Once this event takes place, Rachel's world becomes complicated--quickly--and the friendship she fosters with Byrne's wife Deenie only muddies the waters further. Once Rachel is forced to keep secret after secret, can she find a way to be true to herself, true to her friend....and to find love AND a path in life to call her own?
This book was apparently pitched as comparable to Rooney's Normal People...and in some ways, this is absolutely true. From the writer's style to the maddening decisions of these characters, the similarities were all there. Unfortunately...I was not a fan of Normal People....and I can't call myself a fan of this one, either. While at first Rachel's 'plan' to steal her professor seemed like it was destined to teach her some lessons, at the end of the day, the plot actually revolved around Rachel's ability to keep her mouth shut...and her inability to make a SINGLE good decision.
While I'd hoped to be enamored with the relationship between these two best friends, James is painted with a stereotypical brush: he's the gay best friend who sleeps around, says ridiculous things, and just tends to be over the top rather than a grounding force for Rachel, which is what she REALLY needed. (The one redeeming characteristic James had is that he was a huge fan of MY favorite show Frasier...but even THAT wasn't enough get me sold on him.) I also just got some creepy vibes from the professor and his wife, who at one point have Rachel over to drink and just sort of treat her like she's 10 to 15 years older than she actually is...and it just didn't feel realistic.
This is also yet another book described as having 'delicious, sparkling humor' that didn't make me smile...once. I have come to realize over time that this sort of humor is less about being actually funny and more about a particular style of banter between people that's supposed to come off as clever, but usually just reads 'boring' to me. Rachel was far from a detestable character, but she certainly had a bit of entitled naivete going on, and after a while, I was really hoping she'd LEARN a couple of life lessons and just grow up. To make matters more confusing, Rachel is looking back at these events, but we aren't clearly told when she's reminiscing or when we are watching her past play out in real time...and this is a book where a bit of a clearly defined break between the two would have been VERY welcome.
The one bright spot in this novel is that at least older Rachel had the wherewithal to acknowledge that her younger self had been kind of a goof, a bit reckless, and more than a bit unappreciative of the opportunities she DID have, despite what she lacked. O'Donoghue's writing is steady and serviceable, but at the end of the day, this novel had a world of opportunity to make an impact on me as a reader and instead left me feeling as apathetic as a teenager...and if there's anything this book DID remind me, it is that I'm happy to have left my teenage years AND all of the subsequent apathy far, FAR behind me. 🚗
3.5 stars
July 17, 2023
This is a true gem, like a Sally Rooney novel on an effective antidepressant, and being a fan of both of those things, I intend this as a compliment. It also falls well in the tradition of the best Shakespearean comedies, with some uneasily heavy events and high stakes matters thrown into the comedic mix, antics such as mistaken identities and separations and reunions, and an ending with loose ends woven up into a bow. I loved the relationship between James and Rachel, the 2010s Cork setting, and the general portrayal of the delightful horrors or horrific delights of muddling along in one’s first shitty jobs, flats, and relationships post-college. The book is vivid and funny, both realistic and fanciful, and unfurls in your head like a streaming series with a bit of a Fleabag vibe.
June 7, 2024
i INHALED this it was such a joy to read 😭 endearing, fun, emotional, gaggy!!! this is coming of age!!!!!!!
December 22, 2023
4.5 stars
Omg, I did not expect to be as moved by this book as I was! In The Rachel Incident we follow Rachel, a university student working at a bookstore who meets James, a charismatic and supposedly heterosexual fellow early-20-something. The two become roommates and form a close, affectionate, and at times intense friendship. When Rachel develops a crush on her married English professor Fred Byrne, James devises a plan for her to seduce him. When their strategy takes a left turn it sets into motion a string of events that dramatically affects both of their lives and their bond with one another.
I loved how Caroline O’Donoghue captured the layered emotions of being in one’s early 20’s. The mess, the yearning, the being in relationships with people who aren’t right for you and kind of knowing it but not really, the intensity of not yet loving who you are but wanting to. I resonated with Rachel’s emotions; O’Donoghue wrote her internal experience in a way that felt real, unguarded, and honest. Though the first third or even first half of the book meandered at times – I was wavering between three and four stars during that beginning portion – when things came to a head in the latter part of the book, I felt my heart clench. There were certain big moments, certain reveals (e.g., ), that made me pause and think, dang, I really am invested in these characters now. I felt both for and with Rachel.
I also deeply enjoyed the growth of Rachel’s characters. Her development felt realistic, happening in bumps and starts, not in a grand awakening in a single moment but in little choices that built up to subtly change the course of her life. I felt proud of her and her trajectory. Though people may compare this book to Sally Rooney’s novels given the parallels of white emerging adult protagonists living in Ireland, I liked The Rachel Incident much better, even though both books portray young adults being dysfunctional. I found this book more intentional, the drama more purposeful even if in a similarly slice-of-life way. I also felt that O’Donoghue’s writing was more earnest, refreshingly so, with bits of humor that didn’t come across as unnecessarily cruel.
Finally, I loved the subtle yet strong feminist messaging in this novel. There’s a clear commentary about abortion, though also themes related to class and how women can take things out on one another. All of these components of the novel felt smoothly integrated into the narrative, such that The Rachel Incident always felt first and foremost a story about Rachel’s life, her coming of age within a larger society.
Overall, I’m pleasantly surprised by how much this book moved me. 2023 is coming to a close though there’s still room for books to shine! The first third of the novel may have been a bit off pacing wise – though perhaps reflective of the ennui that can pervade one’s early 20’s – and one part of the novel’s ending didn’t sit exactly right (). Still, The Rachel Incident had me rooting for Rachel even when I didn’t expect to invest that much, and it made me reflect on how much I know now at 28 compared to when I was like, 20, or 21, or 22. Furthermore, there were a few insights in the novel that struck me as deeply wise, without trying too hard. Overall, I’d say this book deserves its hype.
Omg, I did not expect to be as moved by this book as I was! In The Rachel Incident we follow Rachel, a university student working at a bookstore who meets James, a charismatic and supposedly heterosexual fellow early-20-something. The two become roommates and form a close, affectionate, and at times intense friendship. When Rachel develops a crush on her married English professor Fred Byrne, James devises a plan for her to seduce him. When their strategy takes a left turn it sets into motion a string of events that dramatically affects both of their lives and their bond with one another.
I loved how Caroline O’Donoghue captured the layered emotions of being in one’s early 20’s. The mess, the yearning, the being in relationships with people who aren’t right for you and kind of knowing it but not really, the intensity of not yet loving who you are but wanting to. I resonated with Rachel’s emotions; O’Donoghue wrote her internal experience in a way that felt real, unguarded, and honest. Though the first third or even first half of the book meandered at times – I was wavering between three and four stars during that beginning portion – when things came to a head in the latter part of the book, I felt my heart clench. There were certain big moments, certain reveals (e.g., ), that made me pause and think, dang, I really am invested in these characters now. I felt both for and with Rachel.
I also deeply enjoyed the growth of Rachel’s characters. Her development felt realistic, happening in bumps and starts, not in a grand awakening in a single moment but in little choices that built up to subtly change the course of her life. I felt proud of her and her trajectory. Though people may compare this book to Sally Rooney’s novels given the parallels of white emerging adult protagonists living in Ireland, I liked The Rachel Incident much better, even though both books portray young adults being dysfunctional. I found this book more intentional, the drama more purposeful even if in a similarly slice-of-life way. I also felt that O’Donoghue’s writing was more earnest, refreshingly so, with bits of humor that didn’t come across as unnecessarily cruel.
Finally, I loved the subtle yet strong feminist messaging in this novel. There’s a clear commentary about abortion, though also themes related to class and how women can take things out on one another. All of these components of the novel felt smoothly integrated into the narrative, such that The Rachel Incident always felt first and foremost a story about Rachel’s life, her coming of age within a larger society.
Overall, I’m pleasantly surprised by how much this book moved me. 2023 is coming to a close though there’s still room for books to shine! The first third of the novel may have been a bit off pacing wise – though perhaps reflective of the ennui that can pervade one’s early 20’s – and one part of the novel’s ending didn’t sit exactly right (). Still, The Rachel Incident had me rooting for Rachel even when I didn’t expect to invest that much, and it made me reflect on how much I know now at 28 compared to when I was like, 20, or 21, or 22. Furthermore, there were a few insights in the novel that struck me as deeply wise, without trying too hard. Overall, I’d say this book deserves its hype.
September 3, 2023
This is great fun: O'Donoghue expertly plays with the tropes of the coming-of-age novel as well as the 90's sitcom, then adds moral complications regarding the Irish abortion debate, and the result is smart and entertaining. The story is carried by its lively characters: Protagonist Rachel is about to finish her English degree in the middle of the economic crisis in 2009 Cork. She lives with her gay friend James and develops a forbidden crush on college employee Prof. Byrne, who is married to one of his former students. Turns out though: Byrne is bisexual and closeted, and he starts an affair with James... of course, chaos ensues.
O'Donoghue does a fantastic job evoking the atmosphere of both freedom and fear at the brink of entering the job market a.k.a. the adult world: Rachel and James try to support each other in their aspirations, but they slowly start to realize the impact of coincidence and adverse realities while also making their own mistakes (not because they're young, more because they're people). I liked how political and social circumstances affect the characters, as they are organically included: Class issues, colonial questions (Ireland vs. UK), the economic climate and the job market, Trinity vs. all other Irish schools, the situation of queer people, moral bigotry, and particularly the repercussions of one character needing an abortion.
The whole story is told from an older, married, pregnant Rachel, which adds a different angle and more oversight. A compelling, intelligent, fun book with a lot to admire.
O'Donoghue does a fantastic job evoking the atmosphere of both freedom and fear at the brink of entering the job market a.k.a. the adult world: Rachel and James try to support each other in their aspirations, but they slowly start to realize the impact of coincidence and adverse realities while also making their own mistakes (not because they're young, more because they're people). I liked how political and social circumstances affect the characters, as they are organically included: Class issues, colonial questions (Ireland vs. UK), the economic climate and the job market, Trinity vs. all other Irish schools, the situation of queer people, moral bigotry, and particularly the repercussions of one character needing an abortion.
The whole story is told from an older, married, pregnant Rachel, which adds a different angle and more oversight. A compelling, intelligent, fun book with a lot to admire.
June 20, 2023
If I’d been paying better attention or still had kids at home, I might have heard about the Irish writer Caroline O’Donoghue earlier. She’s a witty newspaper columnist in the United Kingdom, the author of a supernatural series for teens called “The Gifts” and the host of “Sentimental Garbage,” a podcast dedicated to “the culture we love that society can sometimes makes us feel ashamed of.”
O’Donoghue’s wry take on shame also animates “The Rachel Incident,” her first adult novel to be released in the United States, and now she’s got my full attention. The story feels significantly informed by her own transition from student life to what passes for professional life. But for all its cringing at the narcissism of youth, “The Rachel Incident” offers a tender reflection on those 20-something friendships that leave a permanent imprint.
Although the novel opens in 2022, most of the story takes place back around 2010, cast in the heat of regret and the glow of nostalgia. The narrator, Rachel Murray, recalls living in Cork while finishing up an English degree. One of the many lovable things about this novel is O’Donoghue’s kindhearted perspective on the awkwardness of the college years, that weird period when you’re self-conscious enough to be embarrassed but not quite self-controlled enough to....
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
O’Donoghue’s wry take on shame also animates “The Rachel Incident,” her first adult novel to be released in the United States, and now she’s got my full attention. The story feels significantly informed by her own transition from student life to what passes for professional life. But for all its cringing at the narcissism of youth, “The Rachel Incident” offers a tender reflection on those 20-something friendships that leave a permanent imprint.
Although the novel opens in 2022, most of the story takes place back around 2010, cast in the heat of regret and the glow of nostalgia. The narrator, Rachel Murray, recalls living in Cork while finishing up an English degree. One of the many lovable things about this novel is O’Donoghue’s kindhearted perspective on the awkwardness of the college years, that weird period when you’re self-conscious enough to be embarrassed but not quite self-controlled enough to....
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
March 19, 2024
earnest, messy, class conscious — a pretty much perf coming of age story imo 😭😭
December 10, 2023
3.5 stars, rounded up
As someone in her later sixties, it’s always interesting to read about young adults and the decisions and, frequently, the mistakes that they make. The Rachel Incident is the tale of a young Irish woman, told in hindsight ten years later after she’s settled and married. In her early twenties, Rachel befriends James, a gay man who has yet to come out of the closet. They move in together.
Rachel was a well developed character. Still naive in many ways, the reader watches her often stumble through her life, gaining experiences as she goes. She’s not a character that I uniformly liked or even understood. But yet, I was drawn into her life. The heart of the book for me was her friendship with James and the depth of their involvement.
The blurb and multiple reviews describe the book as funny. Yes, there are moments of humor. But I didn’t find it overtly funny. The humor, such as it is, is the shock of awkward situations. I found it more poignant than anything. It was a reminder of how people in their early 20s may be considered adults but they don’t have the experience to actually navigate the difficult choices of life. The book also has interesting things to say about Irish politics and the economic meltdown of the Celtic Tiger.
The arc of the story was an odd one. I thought the “climax” of the story came earlier than I would have expected and the balance of the book struck me as more of a letdown.
I listened to this and adored Tara Flynn’s lilting voice.
As someone in her later sixties, it’s always interesting to read about young adults and the decisions and, frequently, the mistakes that they make. The Rachel Incident is the tale of a young Irish woman, told in hindsight ten years later after she’s settled and married. In her early twenties, Rachel befriends James, a gay man who has yet to come out of the closet. They move in together.
Rachel was a well developed character. Still naive in many ways, the reader watches her often stumble through her life, gaining experiences as she goes. She’s not a character that I uniformly liked or even understood. But yet, I was drawn into her life. The heart of the book for me was her friendship with James and the depth of their involvement.
The blurb and multiple reviews describe the book as funny. Yes, there are moments of humor. But I didn’t find it overtly funny. The humor, such as it is, is the shock of awkward situations. I found it more poignant than anything. It was a reminder of how people in their early 20s may be considered adults but they don’t have the experience to actually navigate the difficult choices of life. The book also has interesting things to say about Irish politics and the economic meltdown of the Celtic Tiger.
The arc of the story was an odd one. I thought the “climax” of the story came earlier than I would have expected and the balance of the book struck me as more of a letdown.
I listened to this and adored Tara Flynn’s lilting voice.
July 24, 2023
An Irish 'Will and Grace' with some updated social commentary. It is okay-ish, in a boring kinda way. The so-called 'Rachel incident' is intriguing, but the event takes place two-thirds into the novel and feels underdeveloped.
August 5, 2023
If you love the work of Sally Rooney -- as I do -- you will devour this wonderful novel. It was catnip for me: so moving and so smart and, yes, often so funny. And while this is, like Rooney's novels, a tale of young people and falling in (and out) of love and utter emotional upheaval, it also has an important and timely message about women's reproductive rights.
February 22, 2024
This book will have you questioning... 'Was I really this much of a mess in my early twenties?'
The Rachel Incident is about thirtysomething year old Rachel giving us a monologue of her life 10 years prior. And boy oh boy was it a HOT MESS
It's hard to explain this book without spoiling or giving away 'incidents' so I'll simply say that if you want to read a book about a bunch of unlikeable characters who truly don't care to use their common sense then this is for you.
I found myself so incredibly irritated by Rachel and James's behaviour but had to keep reminding myself that I was not perfect in my early twenties and plus isn't your twenties all about trying to find/establish yourself?... Of course your going to make major F Up choices.
I'm nor happy/ dissatisfied with the ending... I closed the book thinking... 'Sure...OK'.
Not a bad book but also not a book I would be screaming for everyone to read. It was just... OK.
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This is me and my girls February Book Club pick
Only now finally getting round to reading it!
Fingers crossed 🤞🏾 💕💕
The Rachel Incident is about thirtysomething year old Rachel giving us a monologue of her life 10 years prior. And boy oh boy was it a HOT MESS
It's hard to explain this book without spoiling or giving away 'incidents' so I'll simply say that if you want to read a book about a bunch of unlikeable characters who truly don't care to use their common sense then this is for you.
I found myself so incredibly irritated by Rachel and James's behaviour but had to keep reminding myself that I was not perfect in my early twenties and plus isn't your twenties all about trying to find/establish yourself?... Of course your going to make major F Up choices.
I'm nor happy/ dissatisfied with the ending... I closed the book thinking... 'Sure...OK'.
Not a bad book but also not a book I would be screaming for everyone to read. It was just... OK.
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This is me and my girls February Book Club pick
Only now finally getting round to reading it!
Fingers crossed 🤞🏾 💕💕
July 19, 2023
god i love the irish
May 15, 2024
oh I had so much fun the whole time. Rachel was the perfect amount of relatable, but she also had enough drama in her life that made this book so fun!!! I completely devoured it. So many fun twists.
April is a dangerous time to get obsessed with a man that is harder to pin down than egg whites.
April is a dangerous time to get obsessed with a man that is harder to pin down than egg whites.
April 5, 2023
rachel recounts the story of her early twenties. living with a gay man named james, and dating a less than stellar boyfriend also named james (but she calls him by his last name, carey), she shares her final days of undergrad and her internship from hell.
this novel didn’t do what i expected it to do. james is the stereotypical “gay best friend” stereotype with little personality other than being gay and taking care of rachel. the way their professor, dr. byrne, acts is really despicable and nobody comments on the power imbalance and toxicity of the relationship. once again bisexual men are painted as cheaters and unable to “pick.” james never breaks out of that mold and carey is pretty damn awful in every way. the way the author writes about degrees in english & the arts is really discouraging to those of us with those degrees; they are non meaningless. while this novel tries to be different than the popular tv show “will & grace,” the frequent mentioning of the show and their own written script of a similar show only highlights the similarities, as well as sticking to the status quo of straight woman and gay best friend fiction.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
this novel didn’t do what i expected it to do. james is the stereotypical “gay best friend” stereotype with little personality other than being gay and taking care of rachel. the way their professor, dr. byrne, acts is really despicable and nobody comments on the power imbalance and toxicity of the relationship. once again bisexual men are painted as cheaters and unable to “pick.” james never breaks out of that mold and carey is pretty damn awful in every way. the way the author writes about degrees in english & the arts is really discouraging to those of us with those degrees; they are non meaningless. while this novel tries to be different than the popular tv show “will & grace,” the frequent mentioning of the show and their own written script of a similar show only highlights the similarities, as well as sticking to the status quo of straight woman and gay best friend fiction.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
June 22, 2024
3.75
i love a contemporary coming of age novel, especially if it’s irish
i love a contemporary coming of age novel, especially if it’s irish
June 17, 2023
"And so now, everyone I love is called James."
[4.5 Stars]
This was a slow burn of a story of friends that barely scrape by in Cork Ireland. Working together in a bookshop and sharing the same bed to keep warm Rachel and James are inseparable besties. Life has a weird way of teaching us all lessons and this novel perfectly encapsulates that time in your life where you are broke and unsure who you are and how you will eventually contribute to society. Where the best days of your life are spent attending events for the free drinks and staying up all night pondering the future with your best friend.
Who couldn't picture themselves as Rachel? Making sub par decisions until you eventually are forced to grow up. Rachel picks up an internship working for her professor's wife who is in publishing, and is in and out of immature relationships. This could be *almost* anyone's life, but watching these characters develop over the years, I was immediately invested in their futures. A character study done expertly well. Characters that are fully well rounded with faults, I could see Rachel and James as friends in my own life.
It ended, and my heart broke because I thought I had more pages, more time with these characters. I needed to know more, I yearned to know more. This is one I will be thinking about for a while.
Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for an advanced copy of this lovely novel in exchange for my honest review.
[4.5 Stars]
This was a slow burn of a story of friends that barely scrape by in Cork Ireland. Working together in a bookshop and sharing the same bed to keep warm Rachel and James are inseparable besties. Life has a weird way of teaching us all lessons and this novel perfectly encapsulates that time in your life where you are broke and unsure who you are and how you will eventually contribute to society. Where the best days of your life are spent attending events for the free drinks and staying up all night pondering the future with your best friend.
Who couldn't picture themselves as Rachel? Making sub par decisions until you eventually are forced to grow up. Rachel picks up an internship working for her professor's wife who is in publishing, and is in and out of immature relationships. This could be *almost* anyone's life, but watching these characters develop over the years, I was immediately invested in their futures. A character study done expertly well. Characters that are fully well rounded with faults, I could see Rachel and James as friends in my own life.
It ended, and my heart broke because I thought I had more pages, more time with these characters. I needed to know more, I yearned to know more. This is one I will be thinking about for a while.
Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for an advanced copy of this lovely novel in exchange for my honest review.
May 28, 2023
3.5 Stars
I came across this one via a marketing email from the publisher. The book's about a young woman living in her native Cork, Ireland and struggling financially during a recession. She finds a job in a bookshop where she makes the acquaintance of one James Devlin. This is a flashpoint in Rachel's life, as she and James spark a unique friendship and incredible bond. James is quite the character and is obviously gay, although he hasn't come out to his family and friends. They suddenly decide to get a place together, revelling in their unconventional but thriving relationship. Life becomes quite complex when Rachel's professor at college integrates into she and James' personal lives, causing a bit of controlled chaos. There were some shocking and hilarious moments that made me laugh out loud and took me by surprise. This was a fairly quick and pleasant read that was a mixed bag of humor, the complicated road of love and sex, navigating employment in publishing and entertainment, and the serious discussion of unwanted pregnancy.
Thank you to the publisher Knopf who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
I came across this one via a marketing email from the publisher. The book's about a young woman living in her native Cork, Ireland and struggling financially during a recession. She finds a job in a bookshop where she makes the acquaintance of one James Devlin. This is a flashpoint in Rachel's life, as she and James spark a unique friendship and incredible bond. James is quite the character and is obviously gay, although he hasn't come out to his family and friends. They suddenly decide to get a place together, revelling in their unconventional but thriving relationship. Life becomes quite complex when Rachel's professor at college integrates into she and James' personal lives, causing a bit of controlled chaos. There were some shocking and hilarious moments that made me laugh out loud and took me by surprise. This was a fairly quick and pleasant read that was a mixed bag of humor, the complicated road of love and sex, navigating employment in publishing and entertainment, and the serious discussion of unwanted pregnancy.
Thank you to the publisher Knopf who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
May 28, 2024
THE ENDINGGGGGG
January 18, 2024
I loved The Rachel Incident. It was smart, anxiety provoking, intriguing and all together passionate. Rachel is in her early 20's trying to find her footing in a world without a straight path.
I was twenty and I needed two things: to be in love and to be taken seriously
She's waitressing and at University. When she decides to move in with the ever handsome and charming James, she is sure she's found her friend and perhaps something else.
What she expected isn't real. Rachel falls in love with her professor Dr. Fred Bryne, and James helps her devise a plan to start a liaison with him, however, Fred has other desires.
Our love had short fingernails. It was clawing and mischevous
The entaglement between James, Fred, his ominous wife, Rachel, James Carey--Rachel's boyfriend becomes something of a sheer disaster. Just the fact that her favorite best friend's name is James and her boyfriend, was complicated enough.
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
There were so many wonderful lines in this novel. I hate to bring up the comparison, but it was completely Sally Rooney coded, who i adore. It was Normal People, without a depressing ending.
Caroline O'Donoghue writes in such a natural way, like talking to a friend. It felt relatable and unique at the same time, shocking.
I’m moving out,” I announced, and my mother looked at me like I had smashed a jar of pasta sauce on the floor and was now hopping over it, with the excuse that I had a taxi waiting outside
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
The only reason I didn't give The Rachel Incedent five stars was a lot of time was spent building James and Rachel's relationship and it seemed well established from the beginnng of the novel.
Overall, a great read without enough drama to keep me intrigued.
4/5 stars
I was twenty and I needed two things: to be in love and to be taken seriously
She's waitressing and at University. When she decides to move in with the ever handsome and charming James, she is sure she's found her friend and perhaps something else.
What she expected isn't real. Rachel falls in love with her professor Dr. Fred Bryne, and James helps her devise a plan to start a liaison with him, however, Fred has other desires.
Our love had short fingernails. It was clawing and mischevous
The entaglement between James, Fred, his ominous wife, Rachel, James Carey--Rachel's boyfriend becomes something of a sheer disaster. Just the fact that her favorite best friend's name is James and her boyfriend, was complicated enough.
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
There were so many wonderful lines in this novel. I hate to bring up the comparison, but it was completely Sally Rooney coded, who i adore. It was Normal People, without a depressing ending.
Caroline O'Donoghue writes in such a natural way, like talking to a friend. It felt relatable and unique at the same time, shocking.
I’m moving out,” I announced, and my mother looked at me like I had smashed a jar of pasta sauce on the floor and was now hopping over it, with the excuse that I had a taxi waiting outside
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
The only reason I didn't give The Rachel Incedent five stars was a lot of time was spent building James and Rachel's relationship and it seemed well established from the beginnng of the novel.
Overall, a great read without enough drama to keep me intrigued.
4/5 stars
November 22, 2023
the one of the funniest—AND FUN—reads i’ve had in a looong time. loved every second of this. thank you to PRH audio for the free audiobook!
April 9, 2023
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.
Thanks to the publisher for the e-ARC.
Thanks to the publisher for the e-ARC.
May 18, 2024
pre-review.
“irish lit save me”, well it made me sit in the backyard like a depressed 20 something year old loser and stare at the moon for a few hours. the most messy, silly, and perfect bildungsroman novel. james and rachel ilysm, you guys were so messed up & u could do no wrong in my eyes :3 [longer review soon]
pre-read.
irish litfic enthusiast reads irish lit !! (gasp) (˚0˚)!!
“irish lit save me”, well it made me sit in the backyard like a depressed 20 something year old loser and stare at the moon for a few hours. the most messy, silly, and perfect bildungsroman novel. james and rachel ilysm, you guys were so messed up & u could do no wrong in my eyes :3 [longer review soon]
pre-read.
irish litfic enthusiast reads irish lit !! (gasp) (˚0˚)!!
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