Liz's Reviews > The Rachel Incident

3.5 stars, rounded up
As someone in her later sixties, it’s always interesting to read about young adults and the decisions and, frequently, the mistakes that they make. The Rachel Incident is the tale of a young Irish woman, told in hindsight ten years later after she’s settled and married. In her early twenties, Rachel befriends James, a gay man who has yet to come out of the closet. They move in together.
Rachel was a well developed character. Still naive in many ways, the reader watches her often stumble through her life, gaining experiences as she goes. She’s not a character that I uniformly liked or even understood. But yet, I was drawn into her life. The heart of the book for me was her friendship with James and the depth of their involvement.
The blurb and multiple reviews describe the book as funny. Yes, there are moments of humor. But I didn’t find it overtly funny. The humor, such as it is, is the shock of awkward situations. I found it more poignant than anything. It was a reminder of how people in their early 20s may be considered adults but they don’t have the experience to actually navigate the difficult choices of life. The book also has interesting things to say about Irish politics and the economic meltdown of the Celtic Tiger.
The arc of the story was an odd one. I thought the “climax” of the story came earlier than I would have expected and the balance of the book struck me as more of a letdown.
I listened to this and adored Tara Flynn’s lilting voice.