A review by annewilgenbusch
Cherry by Nico Walker

2.0

Had to DNF. I think Walker’s story is an important and heartbreaking one, if you can look past the significant flaws. Walkers rambling, winding, ‘stream of consciousness’ story telling style is engaging and adds a significantly lifelike quality. Moreover, I think Walker share the rawest depiction of war since Remarque’s “All Quiet on the Western Front.” And the horrors persist as Walker shares the story of how America failed it Veterans and the current opioid crisis. Walker’s story needed to be told, and it’s semi-autobiography story, coupled with the fact that Walker wrote it during his prison sentence, makes the story even more impactful. However, to read this story is to be bombarded with racist, homophobic, misogynous, and ableist rhetoric in every paragraph. I could look past the offensive writing if it were necessary to the story. Understand Walker may have used these “themes” (for lack of a better term) to highlight the harshness, jaded nature of war, but a significant reduction could have achieved the same effect. I wanted to finish this novel, but the harshness of the story coupled with the harmful rhetoric were too much for me to handle right now. I needed to read something lighter, like intense at this point. I would only recommend it someone who WANTS to read this story, even if someone is on the fence, I would have to urge them against this.