Cherry Beach feels like a rainy day. When dark clouds are brewing and you can feel a change is in the air. This nostalgic and melancholy  mood seeps through the book from the very first pages.

Ness and Hetty have been friends since they were young. Now in their early twenties, they move from Melbourne to Toronto. 

The story follows their changing friendship, their past and new beginnings as the girls explore their independence and adult life. Ness meets Faith and a passionate relationship develops, while Hetty seems to flounder.

This is a beautifully told coming of age story, that really shines a light on the depth of female friendship. It also delves into the dark side of mental illness. We see the struggle of watching someone you love deal with a mental health crisis and not knowing how to help.

It was the characters that make this book feel so special. Not just Ness and Hetty; even the characters with smaller roles to play feel complex and nuanced. I know they'll stay with me for a long time. There's parts of Ness that I really relate to, especially looking back to my experiences in my early 20s. Like being the quieter friend of someone everyone finds charming, and feeling awkward around others who seem so self assured.

If you want a book that's moody yet gentle, that's moving and memorable, you need to pick up Cherry Beach. It's a book about people and relationships in their early twenties which won't leave you feeling fed-up and frustrated.