Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback.

A dark look at a mother’s grief, power dynamics in Latin America, immigration, plagues and how all humans deserve to be buried in some form or fashion. This was truly harrowing and heart wrenching as a mom myself, but the pacing was strange. I kept reading with my eyes and not my brain at somy points so id have to go back and reread. Other than that it'll be sticking with me for quiet some time.

While hard to get through due to the content I am just enamored with the style. Even at its toughest moments I was so enthralled with the world and culture being explored. Karina Sainz Borgo is an autobuy author for me now.

a very dark and twisted look into a very interesting culture. There are stories within here that I felt were so unique and new from anything else i have read !

“Where do we bury the dead when the living are still searching for peace?”

Karina Sainz Borgo’s No Place to Bury the Dead is a haunting, multi-layered journey that weaves loss, resilience, and the fragile threads of humanity amidst a violent, surreal landscape. Through the lives of unforgettable characters—like Angustias, a grieving mother, and Visitación, a defiant cemetery caretaker—the story explores the transformative power of grief and the courage it takes to build sanctuaries in chaos.

🌟 My take: This novel is as heartbreaking as it is eye-opening, with moments of stark beauty even in its darkest corners. While the narrative dances on the edge of magical realism, its true magic lies in how it confronts death and loss with unflinching honesty.

📖 Perfect for readers who crave:
✨ Deeply emotional, thought-provoking reads
✨ A blend of realism and surrealism
✨ Stories that illuminate the human condition

🔖 Favorite quote: “The only thing worse than being alone was being with someone who didn't understand what it was like to be alone"

If you’ve read this one, let’s talk about it. And if it’s on your TBR, what’s drawing you to it?

Thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy.

I really enjoyed this. It is more "genre" fiction than I generally read, with emphasis on action and somewhat flat (but colorful) characters, but I thought that that mode really worked for such a heavy story being told--especially because the drama of Venezuelan migration to eastern Colombia is only very lightly fictionalized in this story.

No Place to Bury the Dead by Karina Sainz Borgo grapples with some of the most trenchant current problems in society in a sort of metaphorical third space. What readers end up is a bit of an onslaught of plot devices, encompassing border crises, migration concerns, and a plague. Editing a bit would likely have allowed a more balanced and focused narrative. Still, I will look forward to reading more from this author.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

This was a book I had really high hopes for, but unfortunately, it fell short. I truly appreciated the parallels the author created and the exploration of culture and identity in connection to death, survival, and so much more. However, it felt like the book bit off more than it could chew. While the description and synopsis were captivating, I found myself losing interest as I read. Sadly, none of the characters really stood out, except for the cemetery caretaker.

What could have been a poignant and meaningful narrative about grief, identity, and loss didn’t fully take off until the final third of the book. I think the story would have been much more engaging if it had focused on the initial premise outlined in the synopsis. For instance, the concept of a virus causing memory loss was incredibly intriguing, but it wasn’t explored deeply enough.

While I was let down by the execution, I believe many readers will connect with the heartbreak and despair this story portrays. The author excels at transporting readers to the metaphorical, grim environment they’ve created. But for me, the atmosphere alone wasn’t enough to carry the story. I will still be on the lookout for more from this author as I always appreacite originality and taking risk with concepts and themes.

Thank you to NetGalley & HarperVia for this e-galley.

Thank you Netgalley for an arc of No Place to Bury the Dead. I liked this book. It was a 4 stars for me. It was a fast paced book for me.

The way you get dropped into this plot and it HOOKED me. Angustias, her husband and her two new premie twins flee their hometown avoiding a plague but continuing a journey filled with sorrow and destitute. Our main character meets a so called grave digger, Vistacion, the only person willing to conduct any burial rites.

A lot of characters were introduced in the beginning and little explanation, as a heavier plot story, so I felt myself getting lost who was who at the start. Especially when flipping from third and first person. But I loved the character of Vistacion- her no non sense attitude and her blunt way she handled things. The POV switch ups were jarring, not much in the form of transitions. Which could also be why it took a bit to try and figure out who was who. But the story was still interesting and intriguing, I just wish it didn’t feel so jumbled and disconnected overall. This feels almost like there is a backstory that I wasn’t I aware of.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Recommended for fans of Pink Slime by Fernanda Trías. I absolutely loved It Would Be Night in Caracas, and expected to love this, but unfortunately it didn't do it for me. I know this book has its audience; it seems to be a "love it or hate it" kind of novel. I wish I had loved it, but after the protagonist buried her children (which happens very early on - I had actually expected this book to end with that), I found myself losing interest in her and any of the characters. The beginning was very captivating, though, and I loved the premise - very topical after COVID.

Well-written and important. The author examines the very real migrant and climate crisis through a devastating narrative of a displaced mother searching for a place to bury her dead infants with dignity. Interesting character development and dialogue keep you holding on despite the dark and disturbing premise.

Thank you HarperVia for my free copy of No Place to Bury the Dead by Karina Sainz Borgo — available now!

» READ IF YOU «
🏋️‍♀️ love translated lit with strong women
🥲 are a sucker for the horrors of grief
✨ enjoy a sprinkling of speculation/dystopia

Translated from language by Elizabeth Bryer 🇪🇸

» SYNOPSIS «
Angustias is fleeing her home, which is overrun by a terrible new plague. Her babies, however, won’t survive the journey, and she’ll find herself stuck in a limbo state of grief and purposelessness — until she starts working with Visitación at the Third Country. But it’s not easy to be helpful in a desperate town, and the women will have to fight for what they believe is right.

» REVIEW «
This was such an interesting story, though not quite what I expected. Look elsewhere if you’re seeking traditional horror — for me, this was more literary fiction than anything else, with a sprinkling of dystopian/apocalyptic vibes. Angustias is excellently rendered, and her despair palpable at times. I absolutely loved the ending! Overall though, not quite the story I was promised.

There are so many important themes covered in this short novel, including (but not limited to) migration, prejudice, grief, motherhood, mental illness, corruption, and violence against women and minorities. Please check trigger warnings before you dive in!

This is a character study of a messed up town during a messed up plague.
Themes of extortion, immigration, cartels, organized crime, and border towns are explored and I absolutely loved it.

This was a beautiful book, I'll say. The raw pain and emotion of having to leave for X reasons, not knowing what the future holds and where you're going to bury the people you love. The struggles of poverty and so many other things. This was a great read. I might try it in Spanish next.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperVia for an ARC of this book! No Place to Bury the Dead
by Karina Sainz Borgo is a new release as it has just been translated to English. This book follows Angustias Romero as she flees her home state with her husband and two babies, only to lose all three to various degrees.

Right away, I could tell that this book would be better in its native language of Spanish. The translator did a fantastic job, I could just tell some of the nuance was left behind by translating, which happens. This book is told primarily from Angustias POV, but at times it switches to someone else’s point of view and it felt a little disjointed at times. I occasionally had to re-read a chapter because I had read it from the incorrect perspective. Maybe this is just a me issue. To add to this, I would get mixed up with the mayor and the landowner, Aurelio and Abundo.

Overall, I did enjoy this story. Angustias and Visitacion are strong women who don’t bend to the demands of others more “powerful”. What they offer to the dead, and the surviving loved ones, is more important and powerful than what those in charge can do. When it feels like all hope should be lost, there are still things we can do within our communities to help and offer care.

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperVia for this ARC for review. This is a fantastic book from a Latin author that I read translated into English. It is about grief and fighting for yourself and your children. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and picked it solely after reading the synopsis and knowing nothing about the author or their previous work. I will definitely read more by this author in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for allowing me to read this book and share my thoughts!
I assumed that this would be a horror, but it's more of a thriller to me. It is a fictional story, but I think the horror is based on the real experiences that most immigrants & refugees face seeking a better life. The guerrilla, traffickers, violence, grief, and losses are only a few factors that make it difficult. It was intense, and the diverse characters kept my attention. I loved the strength that the women in the story showed, especially Visitacion! She was such a relentless woman and didn't give a damn what anyone thought. She stood up for herself & those she loved, even the dead. In the world they live in, they all have to do what they have to do and face whatever is to come.
Overall, I enjoyed this one!

I wasn't able to finish reading No Place to Bury the Dead. I made it through the rape of the field hand, but couldn't keep reading when children were tormenting the iguana. As I've gotten older, I've just become unable to read books involving animal abuse. I think I've had enough experience in my 60+ years that I experience a kind of realism when I read such passages—and I can't keep going. The abuse here seemed designed to further the context of the novel, and I think others could have read it that way, but not me.

Karina Sainz Borgo is a favorite writer, so I'm sorry things turned out this way with No Place to Bury the Dead. I'm not suggesting that books shouldn't have passages like this, just that I can't read them. I hope this title is successful, that Sainz Borgo produces more work and that I have the opportunity to read it. I'm giving this title 4 stars because that's where it was in my head when I stopped reading.

Very engaging, well-written, good character development and engrossing plot. I enjoyed this book and will recommend it to others.

The story centers on a mom who escapes a plague in her country but her children die along the way to freedom and her husband abandons her. She goes to bury her children in the cemetery and finds herself fighting alongside the grave-keeper in order to survive.