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

reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

SYNOPSIS:
  • Rachel becomes best friends with James, a gay man. An older Rachel reflects & tells us their story living in Cork, Ireland, in their early twenties.
  • We learn how their lives intertwine with Rachel’s professor, Dr. Byrnes, and Rachel’s first love, Carey.

MY THOUGHTS
  • Coming-of-age story 
  • A little slow in some parts
  • I didn’t connect to the main character
  • I didn’t love this book. It was an okay read to me. 
  • James felt like stereotypical gay bestie, and there wasn’t much else added to his personality.
  • Parts of the story are messy, which is fine. I get it. We all make mistakes. The story felt unnecessarily long & slow in telling them. 
  • I did enjoy the political & social commentary about women’s issues in Ireland.
  • I liked the ending. I wish we spent more time learning about Rachel in present day. The bulk of the book focuses on the time period of finishing college & the few months after graduating.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️i’m in the minority. this coming-of-age story was just an ok read for me.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings