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czarfancypants's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
decarr28's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
faith_06's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
crystal1ynn's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Violence, Rape, and Genocide
maryvdb2024's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. Loved this book as a follow on from “the tattooist of Auschwitz” with its exploration of another terrible inhumane centre of mass incarceration in the Gulag.
An amazing story of resilience and survival against terrible odds and another love story in the most unlikely place . Highly recommend
An amazing story of resilience and survival against terrible odds and another love story in the most unlikely place . Highly recommend
josiethompson's review against another edition
4.0
Genuinely enjoyed this one. Not that I don't genuinely enjoy other ones, but this was one I got into really quickly. I loved how real the story was and how, compared to the Tattooist of Auschwitz, you could feel what she was feeling and know what she was thinking. I appreciated that insight a lot. The romance and the ending did feel slightly rushed but I still appreciated the closure it brought. Overall a 4.5 out of 5 but there aren't half stars :).
davansa83's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
books_by_blue's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
melissa_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
This book follows the story of Cilka, a minor character from The Tattooist of Auschwitz, following the closure of the Birkenau concentration camp. It is mentioned in the first book that Cilka is given a privileged position in the camp because of a sexual relationship she has with a commandant (clearly non-consensual though). Looking into this, the Auschwitz Memorial has said that this sort of relationship would not have taken place between an SS officer and a prisoner (https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/feb/01/cilkas-journey-the-tattooist-of-auschwitz-heather-morris) but first person accounts refutes this. Due to this accusation, the Soviet Army charges Cilka with fraternizing with the enemy, which result in a sentence of 15 years hard labour in a Russian Gulag.
It is a devastating narrative, to be granted 'freedom' from the Nazi's only to be thrust into another labour camp. There is lots of sad events that happen in the years that Cilka is in the gulag, but there is also small pockets of hope which keeps the book from being overly depressing.
It is a devastating narrative, to be granted 'freedom' from the Nazi's only to be thrust into another labour camp. There is lots of sad events that happen in the years that Cilka is in the gulag, but there is also small pockets of hope which keeps the book from being overly depressing.