Just finished this book, and wow—where do I even start? It's one of those stories that clings to you long after the last page.

Lale and Gita’s love in the middle of hell? Unreal. The way Lale used his 'job' to secretly help others had me alternating between tears and fist-pumps. Also, can we talk about how he flirted with danger (and Gita) while tattooing numbers on prisoners? Absolute legend.

That gypsy camp chapter WRECKED me. Had to put the book down and stare at a wall for 10 minutes. Heather Morris doesn’t sugarcoat the horror, but she stitches hope into every awful moment.

Side note: Baretski was such a complex villain—hated him, but also weirdly understood his twisted humanity? Books that make you empathize with monsters are next-level.

4/5 stars only because some dialogues felt stiff, but who cares? This isn’t fiction—it’s someone’s actual survival story. Made me hug my family extra tight tonight.

PS: If you ugly-cry reading this (you will), blame Lale’s smuggled chocolate bars and sheer audacity to keep loving in a place designed to crush souls.