Review by madelinedalton - The Rachel Incident

madelinedalton 's review for:

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue

4.0

reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This is objectively a great book, but perhaps wasn’t the right pick after finishing a YA dystopian trilogy because the stakes paled in comparison to what I’d been reading prior. The stakes certainly did ramp up towards the end, and high stakes aren’t a requirement for a good book, but it made it a little hard to get sucked into.

I love the distinct narrative voice of this novel. It is upbeat, witty, and full of personality, which is so refreshing in the lit fic space.

Abortion and pregnancy are used as plot devices with so much skill and intention, which is also refreshing.

I think my main gripe about this book is the relationship between Rachel and James. It was so sweet to see two people who know each other inside and out, but Rachel was so quick to

forgive him or think of his behavior as a non-issue when he literally caused so much of her suffering by having an affair with Dr. Byrne. It is admirable (and the right call) that she never outed him and kept his secret for years, but hoooooo boy did I want her to throw him under the bus sometimes. I wanted her to get ANGRY with him and have to tease that out. When they did get into a fight about him moving, it was petty and easy to patch up. I wanted more tension and found her lack of concern with his behavior to be almost unbelievable at times.

Content Warnings