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reidob's review
2.0
Have you ever wondered what Holden Caulfield might have been like if he went to Iraq as an army medic, came back entirely messed up, and became addicted to opiates? Me neither, but if you have any desire to know, you should give Cherry a look. Because the bottom line with Holden is that he is basically a jerk, but we like him anyway. He is an antihero of sorts, and the protagonist of Cherry is all of these things. He is a lovable asshole. But in this case, there just isn't enough there there to make this a worthwhile read. Why it has been so lavishly reviewed I cannot fathom. Why a couple of reputable and experienced directors would want to make a film of it is even more perplexing. But there you have it.
The protagonist (part of the conceit of the novel is that we never know his name) is as described above, an intelligent enough kid but it's pretty clear he is self-indulgent, selfish, and irresponsible long before he gets into any serious trouble. While I feel a great deal of compassion for the addicted, it's pretty clear that our guy brought every ounce of trouble he is in on himself through his penchant for self-pity and constitutional laziness. As this is a semi-autobiographical novel, one can only assume the author is much the same.
Now, don't get me wrong. I can appreciate a ripping yarn about a ne'er-do-well as much as the next guy, but this one commits the cardinal sin of being pretty boring. War is boring except for those few times it is deadly, addiction is boring, even bank robbery can be boring if you portray it as such, and our man doesn't rob them for thrills but because he is dope sick and desperate. Boring.
Walker can write, I should make that clear. I think it would be interesting if he tried his hand at a novel not related to all of this at some point; my guess is he could write something very interesting and nicely put together. If that happens and Cherry is what was required for him to get this particular venom out of his system, it will be all to the good. But you should give this one a miss.
The protagonist (part of the conceit of the novel is that we never know his name) is as described above, an intelligent enough kid but it's pretty clear he is self-indulgent, selfish, and irresponsible long before he gets into any serious trouble. While I feel a great deal of compassion for the addicted, it's pretty clear that our guy brought every ounce of trouble he is in on himself through his penchant for self-pity and constitutional laziness. As this is a semi-autobiographical novel, one can only assume the author is much the same.
Now, don't get me wrong. I can appreciate a ripping yarn about a ne'er-do-well as much as the next guy, but this one commits the cardinal sin of being pretty boring. War is boring except for those few times it is deadly, addiction is boring, even bank robbery can be boring if you portray it as such, and our man doesn't rob them for thrills but because he is dope sick and desperate. Boring.
Walker can write, I should make that clear. I think it would be interesting if he tried his hand at a novel not related to all of this at some point; my guess is he could write something very interesting and nicely put together. If that happens and Cherry is what was required for him to get this particular venom out of his system, it will be all to the good. But you should give this one a miss.
lyricalw's review
3.0
I wanted to like this book. Don’t get me wrong me wrong there are good aspects but altogether i didn’t enjoy it. It felt repetitive in a sense.
hambuttercup's review
3.0
"Cherry" is a semi-autobiographical work, drawing inspiration from the author's life. The book follows an unnamed army veteran struggling with PTSD, leading him into a world of heroin addiction and bank robbery a reflection of Nico's own experiences. While technically categorized as fiction, I found the author's true story fascinating.
However, I was disappointed with the presentation. I'm not too interested by the army storyline, so the middle of the book was boring. The first and last quarters were great!
However, I was disappointed with the presentation. I'm not too interested by the army storyline, so the middle of the book was boring. The first and last quarters were great!
ririsreads_'s review against another edition
3.0
very interesting but i am never reading about needles ever again i forgot how they make me want to throw up!
eusteph's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
3.5
Yet another book I had no business buying but thought the cover was cool enough and bought it anyway only to later find out that I am definitely not the target audience for it.
This book wasn't bad overall, it was very interesting to see things through the point of view of a person struggling with chemical dependence. With that being said, I would definitely have enjoyed it a whole lot more if contemporary novels about war/crime were my thing.
This book wasn't bad overall, it was very interesting to see things through the point of view of a person struggling with chemical dependence. With that being said, I would definitely have enjoyed it a whole lot more if contemporary novels about war/crime were my thing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, and War
tmackell's review
5.0
the great american opioid epidemic/iraq war novel. but also just some fuck-up's raw ass story
bethanyv's review
dark
sad
slow-paced
1.0
I hated this book so much. The main character hates women and himself. I couldn’t finish it.
leandoggydogg's review
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0