Why people recommend it
Cherry by Nico Walker is a gritty debut novel following an anonymous narrator who drops out of college to serve as an army medic in Iraq, only to return home battling severe PTSD and opioid addiction. The book was discussed on The Book Review podcast during the July 2024 episodes titled Lisa Brennan-Jobs on Small Fry and Lydia Millet on Fight No More. Editor Lauren Christensen recommended the novel enthusiastically during her segment, noting that she was deeply engrossed in reading it. Alexander Alter also introduced the novel on the program, highlighting that the striking book was arriving from Knopf that month and had immediately caught his attention. The hosts and editors discussed the raw urgency of the prose and the topical nature of the subject matter, focusing on the intersection of modern warfare and the domestic opioid crisis. Through these podcast recommendations, the novel gained significant visibility, praised for its unflinching honesty, dark humor, and powerful portrayal of a fractured American life caught in the grip of systemic and personal failure.
Who recommended it
- Alexander Alter Discussed
- Lauren Christensen Recommended
Alexander Alter — 1 mention
“so there's a novel that's coming out this month that really caught my attention it's coming out from Koff”
Lauren Christensen — 1 mention
“I am reading uh Cherry it's a debut novel by Nico Walker”