Review by marinabkat - The Rachel Incident

marinabkat 's review for:

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue

4.25

emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending this ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book.

I’m deciding to give this book 4.25 stars.

My favorite sorts of books are those that capture societal dynamics and boil them down to show how they manifest into interpersonal dynamics, and this did that. Gay rights and reproductive rights in the Irish context are explored effortlessly well here.

The premise is a little predictable given the description, but the author still builds tension really well. The pacing is like a 6/10—there’s sort of a split timelines element, and the part where those are reconciled in the middle/end is by far the weakest point—the pacing is really thrown off, and a lot of character growth (which I do think is necessary and important) is crammed into a small amount of pages, so it’s tough to buy in to that arc. Still, I liked the book’s conclusion.

I see the comparisons between Sally Rooney and this book, beyond just being Irish. If you enjoyed Conversations with Friends, you will likely enjoy this a lot. If you liked The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne, this has similar themes. I’d recommend this to fans of Phoebe Bridgers and Lorde as well.

Content Warnings