Loved this. Read it on the heels of PINK SLIME, both offering a fascinating look at a post-apocalyptic world, and both highlighting the strong and interesting fiction coming out of LA. I hope this book blows up; it feels major.

Thanks to the publisher for the egalley.

In No Place to Bury the Dead, Karina Sainz Borgo creates an imaginary borderland purgatory that is made up of the brutal nihilism of Cormac McCarthy and the earthy surrealism of Roberto Bolaño. The main characters are two women, Visitación and Angustias. Visitación is the self-appointed grave digger, spiritual consort, and funeral director at a cemetery named “The Third Country.” Visitación and Angustias meet because while Angustias and her husband, Salveiro, are migrating to avoid a plague of amnesia that is sweeping their homeland, their newborn twin sons die. Sainz Borgo describes the family’s migration in almost journalistic terms, seamlessly blending the surreal with something that feels like reading a newspaper article about the “crisis at the border.” Angustias serves as narrator and says, “We left the capital with our sons tied to our backs.” The family traverses five hundred miles, “half by bus and the other half on foot,” joining the other plague refugees. Their indigence is emphasized by the few items they have: some coins, three mandarins, and some powdered milk. All of the characters' names hold some meaning that is akin to a Greek tragedy, which No Place to Bury the Dead may as well be. Sainz Borgo only alludes to this with Angustias, as she says, “My mother baptized me Angustias. Instead of a name, she chose a blow. Anguish.” Angustias’s sons are named Higinio and Salustio. Higinio translates to he who has good health and Sallust, the not always accurate Roman historian who was entrenched in war and violence —not unlike the two sons, born prematurely and who lived a brief, depressing life ending buried in a shoebox.

In her translator’s note, Elizabeth Bryer mentions trying to “reflect raised stakes in rhythmically impactful, often short sentences.” Bryer succeeds in this throughout the novel, as most conversations between characters are terse and blunt. The novel also succeeds in showcasing its brutalistic purgatory the most when the speculative is grounded in reality. Moans and cries from the real suffering of people are attributed to ghosts and spirits, the afterlife ruling on earth. Starvation, guerillas, traffickers, and conniving politicians in the land dispute at the center of No Place to Bury the Dead are just a part of the way of life in the borderland amalgamation. There are tender moments in the novel, especially when Visitación and Angustias are tending to the dead they bury in The Third Country. The amount of destitution and violence in this imaginary purgatory in an unnamed Latin American country felt like a compounding of the very real atrocities in our world, making No Place to Bury the Dead an urgent and challenging read.

I think I found both my new favorite book and author. This book takes place while a serious plague is happening, not only does it follow a mother but it follows her quest to find her kids who were lost admist the chaos. That alone in the premise is perfect. But, then as you learn more about this world, the unnamed country in Latin America, and the stakes beyond the current stakes—you will be hooked.

This story is broken up into short scenes which seems very effective for introducing us to the politics, culture, and overall feeling of the setting.

It feels less effective when it comes to the characters. They are introduced and we are shown many things about the main players through these kind of vignette-ish chapters, but I had a hard time connecting emotionally with any of them, mainly because they are so hardened to the bleakness they are experiencing.

It's possible this was intentional, because after reading this book, I felt like one of the many background characters hearing the story as gossip.

I may have to check out the author's other work in the future.

(This review contains spoilers)

No Place to Bury the Dead by Karina Sainz Borgo tells the stories of two women each fighting for something they believe in as their journeys slowly weave them closer to one another. In one narrative, mother Angustias Romero flees her home in an unnamed Latin American country with her family, two infants and her partner, to escape a plague. This story follows her and her family's journey north which sadly becomes a search for a burial ground for her two children. In the parallel story, cemetery caretaker, Visitación Salazar, fights for her life and the final resting place of so many souls whose family had no where else to turn. When Angustias is whispered the name of Visitación Salazar as a potential resting place for her two children, their paths finally converge.

No Place to Bury the Dead was a moving book about grief, the lengths we will go for love, and the sprawling crisis at the US/Mexico border. Of the many books about the crisis that I read, this was one of the most gut-wrenching and will stick with me for a long time.

Set in a post-apocalyptic world after a virus has wiped out memories, Augustias brings forth into the world a set of twins. But after they unexpectedly die, she wants to be able to bury them in honor. In a place where violent gangs rule the people. A Latin American thriller that will have you flipping pages in order to hope for the best for her travels in hopes to bury her children. A first read for this author and definitely won’t be my last.

I think I went in expecting the speculative element of the story to be more prominent, which impacted my reading. The pacing in the beginning wasn't great, but I think it got better over the course of the book, and I really loved how everything came together in the end.

Karina Saint Borgo’s No Place to Bury the Dead is an intense and unrelenting story that grips you from the first page and doesn’t let go. The plot is intricately woven and demands this level of intensity to truly unfold its complexities. Borgo centers the narrative around the migrant crisis, offering a poignant and eye-opening exploration of the hardships and resilience of those affected.

Karina Sainz Borgo's No Place to Bury the Dead, is a poignant, heartfelt, and at the same time, heartbreaking story that gives a slight insight to the horror and desperation that goes on in some of the daily lives of the immigrant travelers. This book tells the story of a parents loss, not once but twice, and the extreme lengths that parent will go through to make sure the children are able to be laid to rest in a somewhat calm, decent area, instead of just thrown own like last week's garbage. The details in this book are so rich and vivid, the reader is instantly transported into the lives of the characters, where you can't help but feel everything they are going through. By the time you finish the book, you will have cried, laughed, shouted, and demanded why right along with the main character, and when you lay the book down for the last time, you will look at our current events through a whole new perspective.

Karina Sainz Borgo's "No Place to Bury the Dead" is a searing and unforgettable novel that throws readers into the heart of a dystopian Venezuela. Through the eyes of Adelaida Falcón, a young woman struggling to survive in a country ravaged by political turmoil and social unrest, we witness the devastating consequences of a nation in freefall.

Sainz Borgo's writing is raw and visceral, painting a vivid picture of a society consumed by hunger, violence, and despair. Despite the bleakness of the setting, Adelaida's story is one of resilience, determination, and the unwavering human spirit. Her journey is both heartbreaking and inspiring, as she fights to protect those she loves and find a glimmer of hope in a seemingly hopeless situation.

While the novel is fictional, it draws heavily from the real-life crisis in Venezuela, making it a timely and important read. Sainz Borgo's unflinching portrayal of the political corruption, social inequality, and human suffering that have plagued the country serves as a powerful indictment of authoritarian regimes and a reminder of the importance of democracy and human rights.

Overall, "No Place to Bury the Dead" is a gut-wrenching yet essential read. It is a testament to the power of literature to shed light on critical humanitarian crises and to give voice to those who are often silenced. Though it is a difficult and emotional journey, it is one that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.

I thought that the premise was very promising. The corruption and greed of those in power affect the lives of many was super heartbreaking to watch. However, after a third of the book it just felt lackluster. I wish that it didn't feel fragmented. I think something was missing for me when reading this book and I just wish I felt connected to the characters but I did not, especially in the last half of the book.

In this dystopian tale, there has been a plague that causes people to migrate and leave their homes, but they can't remember why. No Place to Bury the Dead is a horrifyingly realistic account of a couple and their twins who traverse to the Third Country. However, on their journey they encounter a myriad of problems.

This harrowing book includes themes of grief, migration, survival, and power.

I enjoyed the structural choices of the author: short chapters and a host of POVs that blend to propel the plot toward. I also enjoyed seeing the development of the positions/ hierarchies of power.

Overall, this was a powerful read with a host of metaphors for the horrors immigrants face.

4.5 ⭐

I hate to say it, but I wish I hadn't opened this book. The rape scene of the man.... revolting. Thiswas over-the-top gross.

I was at about 30% into the book but I unfortunately had to put it down due to the sexual abuse in chapter 23. Just for my own mental health, unfortunately , I couldn’t keep going incase there was more of that. But up until that scene the story was very raw and interesting.

It was the title that drew me in. I am glad to say, I was not disappointed, not one bit!!! Karina Sainz Borgo was a new author to me, and I look forward to reading more of her works The scenery/ backdrop was very descriptive to surround the wonderful characters.

I was not expecting how quickly I would be able to read this, however that is not to detract from the book at all. I found the structure of it fascinating and almost like snapshots of what is occuring and a reflection of the chaos that erupts from an apopcalyptic world.

No Place to Bury the Dead takes place in a world where a virus that causes the infected to lose their memory before dying becomes a pandemic and refugees are now fleeing to different parts of an unnamed country in Latin America in an attempt to outrun the virus. Cities and towns in this country are short on resources, women are being caught up in human trafficking or abuse, and of course, cities and towns are running out of space to bury the dead. This book shifts between the perspective of one woman, Angustias, who has fled with her husband and newborn twins, and finds solace and a place to stay with the operator of a remaining fuctioning cemetary, Visitación Salazar, and the perspective of the town mayor, Aurelio Ortiz, who is effectively a puppet of Alcides Abundio who is the richest man and owns most of the land the town is on.

I appreciated how this book focused primarily on the personal losses and struggles that come from fleeing and then living through traumatic events. This book also captured the chaos and fear stemming from what effectively was a breakdown in society with the mayor, who is dealing with a population influx his town cannot support, being beholden to out of control, violent mercenaries operating both on behalf of Abundio and for their own gain.

In terms of the structure, each chapter is very short which heightens the effect of seeing small snapshots of the devastating effects this type of upheaval has on day to day life and the combination of mundane with horrific loss. This book however is not completely about loss and devastation, it is about perserverance and finding small bits of hope wherever you can.

The only detraction from this book was Angustias' relationship with her husband and the path he takes while she is living with Visitación which I wish could have been explored more. He pretty much was just "dead weight" the whole time as the book describes him.

I read this book in English translated from the original Spanish.

Many thanks to HarperVia and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion.

I very much enjoyed this book. A new author for me that I look forward to so much more by. Highly recommend. Great characters and a very rich storyline. I read in one sitting. Dreamy and surreal.

Incredibly haunting and poetic tale that makes you think long and hard about the migrant crisis. What would you do to live? Is there any limit to what you would leave behind? To what you would do to push forward? Went in expecting the worst that humanity has to offer and was not disappointed.

If you have an issues with sexual violence, death, murder, or insinuations of slavery, I would sit this one out. I think the sexual/parental issues that were present throughout the novel turned me off a bit, but the language and translation were incredible. I can already tell that this book will stick with me for months to come.

This is a quick read- short chapters make it a little easier to get through. Don’t be fooled though, these chapters are poignant, rough, and speak matter-of-factly about some heavy topics. In a hopeless, post-apocalyptic setting, this was a new approach. It did at times seem like certain things were missing- scenes were referred to that the reader wasn’t privy to. I wonder if the writing was a little rushed? But overall, a tough, good book.

This wasn't a bad book at all I loved the descriptions of the land where the book was set. I will say some of the plot points with the rival landowners was a bit much. Not bad though I also loved that this was a translated book. I will always support latine authors. I also loved the cover of the book I dont know why though the plot didn't quite connect for me. I still loved everything else about it so i give it 3.5 stars I just couldn't get over how many things were happening around this woman trying to grief her children.