Victoria's Literature

Went into this one blindly, I hadn’t heard much buzz about it. The Rachel Incident is a cutesy, slice-of-life, contemporary story that I excitedly read in one sitting. Caroline O’Donoghue implores subtle details and humour to make for quite an enjoyable read, there were a few times I actually laughed out loud. Obviously we have Rachel, 20 something and unsure of who she is like everyone else navigating adulthood. Girl meets boy, Rachel and James are coworkers at the bookstore. They begin a close friendship turned roommates and while Rachel falls in love with her married professor (Dr. Fred Byrne) O’Donoghue paints us picture that’s on the surface relatable yet packed with symbolism. Three characters intertwined in a way I’ve never seen before, but I don’t want to give major plot points away, please just pick this one up. As an almost thirty year old (what!) I still found this refreshing. Our protagonist isn’t perfect, she’s tip-toeing through some parts of life and stomping through others. She is at once frustrating and huggable, chaotic and sane. She embodies every 20 something lost and bewildered. O’ Donoghue’s thoughtful characterization is one to take note of. I felt each person so distinctly for their motives and personality. James is the gay bestie muse every woman wishes for, but I did find him slightly over-animated. Dr. Byrne is dodgy yet affable. The plot is believable but still I think that’s what kept me reading, it wasn’t too intense. I can see myself rereading this one. I am looking forward to more from O’Donoghue.