Red Cherry: A Novel

by Maggie Thrash

From the beloved author of Rainbow Black comes a sensational spy drama and epic love story set during the coldest stretch of the Cold War.

It’s 1974 and Washington, DC, is a dirty, dissolute place. Vicky is a teenager searching for meaning in a city that has lost its soul in the wake of the Watergate scandal. Two girls enter Vicky’s life seemingly by coincidence: A wealthy Tahitian “embassy brat” named Tita who has just arrived from Paris, and an enigmatic German waitress whose very name is a mystery.

Vicky and Tita soon become convinced the waitress is a Soviet spy. It’s a folie à deux, an obsessive game played by a pair of girls who don’t know what they’re doing. At home, Vicky’s father, a man doing mysterious work for the Navy, has a sudden obsession of his own. He is consumed by home security, and has outfitted the entire house with 24-hour surveillance. He trusts no one, not even his own family members. Is he right to suspect their loyalty?

As Vicky’s game escalates and the stakes become very real, she is pulled into an earth-shattering love affair that crosses all boundaries.

The paranoia of John le Carré blends with the delirium of V. C. Andrews in this sexy, drama-drenched, psychologically tense spy story.

Genres: Fiction, Adult, Historical Fiction, Queer

336 pages, Paperback

Expected publication March 16, 2027

About the author

MAGGIE THRASH is the author of the critically acclaimed graphic memoirs Honor Girl, which was nominated for a Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and Lost Soul, Be at Peace, as well as two novels for young adults. Rainbow Black is her first novel for adults. Born and raised in Atlanta, she lives in New Hampshire.

You can also find her on maggiethrash.com and on instagram @maggiethrash

Reviews

[BooksAsDreams (Tiffany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a great book! Spies and curiosity and who to trust. The author is a genius at telling a story that envelopes you in a way you don’t want to end. One of the most original, authentic, captivating stories I’ve read in awhile. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

[Eric Lustbader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book is the bomb! "Red Cherry" is a string of high-level M80s that go off one by one until your jaw drops open in wonderment. Maggie Thrash has performed a masterful feat of legerdemain that simultaneously immerses you in the America of the mid-1970s, the pheromone-addled mind of off-kilter teen Vicky, her even more off-kilter family, friends, and sexed-up crushes. When we meet Vicky her sole objective is to be an adult, despite the fact that she is a total naif about the world, not even understanding the meaning of sex. That all changes in a hurry. This book is like being in a clown car full of strange and possibly dangerous people speeding at 150mph. You know it's going to crash but you have no idea where or when except that it will undoubtedly set off another high-level M80 and, exhilarated, you can't wait for it to happen. Ms Thrash is immensely talented. Her sentences rocket off the page, her dialogue is by turns sharp, clever, sometimes hilarious, but always incisive. As a prime example, Vicky thinks that being a grown-up "...means having the power to make a really, really biig mistakes, and no one being able to stop you."
Spycraft, surveillance, FBI, CIA, the "martian" notebook, the man without a face, and who knows what else all raise their dirty snoots to howl in the parlous, kinked-up atmosphere that Ms Thrash conjures. Highest recommendation.

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely insane. At no point could I predict what was going to happen next. I was just along for the ride. And it was a fun ride! Unhinged from start to finish. It was not even a little bit believable that a 14 year old would find herself in the middle of all this international intrigue but you kind of just have to let the story wash over you, in all its outrageousness, and let go of the need for everything to make sense.

[Amanda · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Absolutely unhinged! I loved that it was set in 1970's Washington DC (which is very different from 2020's Washington DC and yet strangely similar at the same time.) Lots of historical references and some that may or may not be accurate (I didn't go through and fact check because I was enjoying the story too much.) A groovy spy thriller along with a coming of age story that captured the feeling of coming out while ingrained in comphet so perfectly. I usually dislike teenage characters but in this, I loved how much I hated nearly everyone.

For most of the book I thought "What the hell?!" and then near the end "Wait, I'm almost done?! I want more!" and finally when I finished the last word, "Well, that was quite a ride!"

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my gifted EARC.

[↠ ryli ☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am literally speechless! Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down! This was genuinely one of the best books I’ve read in 2026 (so far). From the characters, to the plot, and the romance… omg.

*Thank you Netgalley, Maggie Thrash, and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for this ARC!*

[Lydia Hephzibah · Rating 5 out of 5]

5

Setting: Washington DC
Rep: sapphic protagonist

What a rush! Such a bizarre, unique story and not at all what I was expecting - when you mention spies and the cold war and espionage, you get a certain type of book in your mind but this is so not it. Loved Vicky, a young queer American teenager, as a protagonist, who gets embroiled in the spy world mostly because she's curious, bored, and has a big ol' crush on an older girl. Absolutely loved this, didn't want it to end.

[Lizzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: This review is based on an ARC I received from Harper Perennial and Paperbacks via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

There were multiple times throughout this book that I thought of the film Dick from the 90s, where Michelle Williams and Kirsten Dunst are two teens who kind of fall into the Watergate scandal. In some ways, our protagonist Vicky did the same, though she was also looking for adventure (and we are past Watergate here). The novel follows 14 year old Vicky in 1974-75 as she is discovering more about herself. She has a new “friendship” (she is unaware she is gay at the start of the book, nor does it seem like she fully understands sapphic relationships are an option) and is enjoying chasing down a mysterious German girl, who she and her new friend think may be a spy. The novel is tense with the intrigue, and also a beautiful coming of age story of a budding sapphic.

I loved reading this one! I found it to be a very quick read and was intrigued as to what was happening throughout. Definitely some uncomfortable moments, but appropriately so. I definitely liked the coming of age aspect of this in the midst of all the spy stuff. This was the first book of Maggie Thrash’s that I read and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more in the future!

[Paul Moffett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Red Cherry by Maggie Thrash was a difficult read for me, and honestly, it was a struggle to finish.
I’m all for books that are a little unhinged, outrageous, and over-the-top. In fact, I usually enjoy a good dose of crazy. But this one crossed the line from entertainingly wild to too much for me.
One of the biggest problems was that I simply didn’t like any of the characters. Even in books filled with completely bat-shit-crazy characters, I usually find someone who has at least a few redeeming qualities that make me care about them. That wasn’t the case here.
Our protagonist, 14-year-old Vicky, is surrounded by some pretty unlikable people. Her parents are difficult to connect with, and her grandmother constantly makes her feel useless and inadequate. On top of that, some of the situations Vicky finds herself entangled in just didn’t feel believable to me for a 14-year-old.
I picked this book largely because of the cover and the description made it sound like it was going to be a fun, sexy, over-the-top spy story. The cover gave me the impression that I was getting a glamorous, adult spy romp. Unfortunately, that’s not the book I got.
I know plenty of readers may love the wildness of this story, but for me, it just didn’t work.
Sorry, but this one is a no for me.

[B K178 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Maggie Thrash’s last book, *Rainbow Black*, and *Red Cherry* is another suspenseful, wonderfully strange read, although very different. At first, I couldn’t tell how trustworthy Vicky was as a narrator. Is this really a spy story, or the elaborate delusion of a teenage girl or could it be both? That uncertainty kept me hooked.

This book is wild, in the best way. It tells the story of a girl coming of age during the mid-70s, the peak of the Cold War, in America. The changing landscape of the times is reflected in the story. The paranoia, conspiracy, and shifting sense of reality made me think of *The Crying of Lot 49*. I loved never quite knowing what was real, what was imagined, and what might be hiding in plain sight.

Thrash creates such a strange, tense atmosphere, turning teenage obsession into something intimate and genuinely dangerous. Very different from *Rainbow Black*, but just as memorable. Thank you to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 Stars

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

It felt like I stepped back in time to when I was full of imagination and obsession and without an ounce of fear. Young enough to dare to want a different life and bold enough to follow impossible leads in that pursuit. Is this silly? Is this really happening? Is it even possible? You don’t really know until your mind is blown. Every sentence in Red Cherry transported me to Vicky’s reality. I felt her feelings. I laughed at her absurdity. I gave her high fives when, in fact, I was the one who was clueless and she was right on track. I was a teenager who was largely unsupervised. I did things that could have killed me and I did them with people who, today, would be arrested for their involvement. All that to say, if you’re a prude, this book might be a lot. Read it anyway and live a little. I could not put this book down. I read the last 155 pages in one sitting. Thrash’s writing feels like a conversation with my smartest friend; relatable and leaves me awestruck. Wow, I really needed a juicy book like this!

[kody :3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

arc from netgalley!

this was a fun read. i think that it was interesting to not only have the obvious plotline laid out in the synopsis, but also what amounted to a coming of age story in many, many ways.

the variety of characters was interesting. there was a compelling amount, but never too many to be able to follow the storyline. not every question laid out in the narrative was answered and i think it works better that way. actual historical facts — and real historical figures! vicky having a conversation with BETTY FORD felt almost surrealist — definitely added to the substance.

what i didn't like was that there was a lot of focus on sex. i don't mind sex in a book, but when we're dealing with such a young main character... it got a little uncomfortable for me at times. it thankfully was not detailed, but it got a bit overwhelming in certain parts.

i would recommend this book to my friends. i actually already have. my overall rating is 3.75/5, rounded up to a 4.

[LezLibros · Rating 5 out of 5]

think this book has good potential but ultimately it wasn’t great. I think because although the storyline is well written, we never really got a satisfying ending. The storyline is interesting, and the characters are well developed. They are likable and the setting was very believable. I really enjoyed the DC setting. It was difficult to relate to Vicky because although she’s a teenager, she’s involved in this whole conspiracy and it just didn’t quite all come together for me. Other than that, the paranoia of the time period really comes through. It’s easy to get lost in the story, and the relationship between Tita and Vicky gives some comic relief to the overall serous vibe. I really enjoyed the queer aspects of the story… the confusion, and ultimately the liberation that took place during that time period. That made the book for me!

[Zoe Lipman · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5

I was surprised by how fast I sped through this, how much I wanted to keep reading it. I just found it so fascinating, there was always something going on. This was unique and entertaining.

This is a Cold War era drama and romance with some spy mystery situations as well.

A lot of different kinds of readers can have fun with this due to there being such a mix of genres in it. I would recommend to spy book lovers, romance lovers, mystery lovers, and historical fiction lovers.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

[DeLayna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grabbed this solely based off the cover and I had a great time. If you loved the movie Dick with Kirsten Dunst you’ll fuck with this.

My only issue is the protagonist being 14, the way things played out I would have loved for her to be older but that’s really my only complaint.

You need to suspend belief and just vibe. The second half I couldn’t put it down because I needed to know how things were going to play out.

[Lauria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Red Cherry was a combination of a spy novel and also a queer coming of age story during the Cold War era. I picked this ARC based off the cover, and came to find out the author is from my native New Hampshire. I enjoyed the book, I would say a 3.5 but I'll round up to a 4.

#netgalley #review #ARC #redcherry

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy to read YA? YA-ish? sapphic love story disguised as a spy thriller. It has an interesting premise and complex (though somewhat unlikable) characters, which is the best thing going for it. The plot itself is thin and the ending abrupt, but I could see a sequel where the main character is older and continuing her spy adventures working out better. Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to rate this ARC.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unhinged (in the best way). The Americans meets Judy Blume meets a sapphic Saturday Night Fever…only Maggie Thrash could produce such a thing.

[Sabrina]

DNR for now. I'd like to go back when I'm not in a reading slump.

[Anna Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

it’s been a while since i’ve started and finished a book in under 24 hours. i loved this.