Set against the unsettling backdrop of the Iraq War and the opioid epidemic, 'Cherry' by Nico Walker is the raw and unflinching narrative of an unnamed protagonist whose path from college freshman to army medic is beset by a turbulent love, profound trauma, and a descent into addiction. In an attempt to maintain normalcy, he and his love, Emily, succumb to heroin's grip, leading him to bank robbery as a last resort. 'Cherry' is a dismal yet piercing portrayal of love, war, and the American dream derailed, all etched by the author's own experiences and hammered out from behind prison walls.