3.11k reviews for:

Cilka's Journey

Heather Morris

4.32 AVERAGE

foreverbooked_23's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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It's a book filled with lots of emotions, it follows the journey of Cilka who has immerse courage, bravery and determination to survive and endure what she went through.. 

emma_skye13's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

teresa_16's review against another edition

4.0

informative tense medium-paced

minnaahl's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging informative sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

karlam26's review against another edition

4.75

emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

megs413's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

vnava8705's review against another edition

5.0

hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

wadana's review against another edition

3.75

dark emotional

jmccoy1622's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced

bookworm_ellieg's review against another edition

3.5

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This book was so devastating! It’s the  sequel to the Tattooist of Auschwitz where Cilka's journey after her time in Auschwitz is told. After the war, while the camps were liberated she doesn’t get to enjoy her freedom. She is taken to a prison camp in Serbia after being as a Nazi collaborator. 

While it was so heartbreaking to read it was impactful. So easily people forget that although most were liberated from the concentration camps at the end of WW2, for some the horrors only continued. So many were wrongly accused of being collaborators when all they did was try to survive. These prisons were also filled with innocent Russian civilians for the most ridiculous of crimes as  the Soviet Union was still under Stalin’s ruthless control. 

While the book was devastating, I really enjoyed this look into a forgotten history for me. This book did feel a bit less personal than the first book - as it was based on second hand accounts of people who know Cilka and not her first hand account of events. But I was so fascinated by this incredible woman and the strength she had at only 17! It was truly remarkable. 

Overall this was a great read and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in this history. But be prepared with the tissues because it’s a heartbreaking story.