Staff Writer: Leah
Book Title by Author: The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue
Published Date: June 22, 2023
Number of pages: 304 pages
Format: e-book
Genre: Literary Fiction
Tags: coming-of-age, Irish literature, LGBTQ+ friendly
Cardigan rating: 4 out of 5
Thoughts:
Since St. Patrick’s Day and Women’s History Month both take place in March, it only seems right to review a female, Irish author. The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue is perfect for readers who may have enjoyed any novels by Sally Rooney or Coco Mellors and are looking for similar authors. This is O’Donoghue’s debut adult novel and it follows the main character, Rachel Murray, as she navigates her early 20s, complicated personal relationships, and life in general all the while the Irish financial crisis of the early 2000s looms in the background.
I will preface this by saying this book is definitely character driven rather than plot driven so if you do not enjoy exploring the interiority of characters and their development, this may not be for you. As Suki Waterhouse once said “If you’re a young woman in your twenties, you know it’s the trenches” and that rings especially true for Rachel and her best friend and roommate James. Rachel is struggling to put herself through college and be taken seriously as an adult while her parents struggle to keep their business afloat during the financial crisis that is affecting all of Ireland. Throughout the novel, we see just how naive Rachel is about a lot of the world, and even herself, through the relationships she has with people and the complicated situations she finds herself in. James is an aspiring screen writer working in a bookstore to support himself while he works on his first script, but he is also struggling with his sexuality and that lands him in a complicated romantic relationship that takes a turn. Both James and Rachel’s lives become intertwined with Dr. Fred Byrne, an English professor that has captured their interest, which only further complicates their circumstances and leads to some uncomfortable realizations about the world they live in and the roles they find themselves playing.
This book is at times frustrating as you want to stop these characters from making such bad decisions, but it wouldn’t be a coming-of-age novel without the character development that comes from making mistakes and growing from them. This book covers love, friendship and everything messy in between and can be a comforting read if you happen to be in your 20s and hoping everything will work out.