A review by emmreadsbooks
The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue

reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I'll be honest - I got a widget for this book because of my glowing review of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.... which is really confusing given how dramatically different the books are. The Rachel Incident is a literary fiction account of the life of Rachel Murray as she struggles to break into the publishing industry. It focuses a lot on life in Ireland and the abortion ban there. I definitely went in expecting a salacious relationship with a teacher, and it's not that. Instead we watch Rachel self-sabotage until she's near rock bottom. The narrator did a phenomenal job with the book, I just wanted more tension and plot rather than all the character-motivated business.

*Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for the eARC and PRH Audio for the gifted ALC in exchange for my honest review*