I very much enjoyed this book. A new author for me that I look forward to so much more by. Highly recommend

This was a fantastic job in reimagining borders as a purgatory state, it was a unique concept and thought the story worked well overall. The characters were everything that I was looking for and thought the overall feel worked with everything that was happening. It had a great use of the genre and characters and glad I read this. Karina Sainz Borgo has a great writing style and can’t wait for more.

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.

The premise and cover of this book interested me right away. It's a dystopian story set in Mexico and revolving around individuals trying to maintain or gain power in the ways that they still can in a crumbling society. I enjoyed the women within the story. This is especially true for Angustius, who was dealing with a crippling grief over the loss of her infant sons and trying to make important new connections with other people as she lived through it.
I hoped to enjoy this story a bit more than I did. I'm not sure if some things got lost in the translation process, but the book felt sort of choppily put together. A passage from the translator at the end of the book stated that she was trying to make short and impactful sentences to carry us through the story. However, I feel like this left the book feeling a little rushed and sometimes unfinished. I would have liked to dwell on some more history of the world itself, and of the people within it.
I did enjoy the book overall, and there was certainly enough action to keep me going, but I would be interested to know how it compares to the original Spanish version.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for providing me with this arc for my honest review.

I initially requested an ARC of this book purely based upon the title. No Place to Bury The Dead by Karina Sainz Borgo had such a unique storyline and incredible plot. This one made me feel all the feels and I will probably be thinking about this book for a long time. Such an amazing story dealing with grief, loss, adversity, and resiliency. Just FYI- this is not a happy, feel good book. If you’re good with that, definitely read this one!!

Thank you NetGalley & HarperVia for an ARC copy of this book.

No Place to Bury the Dead focuses on--as the translation note at the end points out; the crumbling world from the positionality of who has power, how can someone else take it, and the play of power means when death is so prevalent. I say when death is prevalent as if it isn't something faced with our own mortalities but here it is so explicit that death is everywhere and is itself a form of power. I found the translation spot on for capturing these questions and really pushing grief, violence, power, and death to the forefront. The book itself is well constructed; I liked the super short chapters that build on top of each other like weird, uncomfortable bricks, but I recognize that as this isn't a perfectly streamlined story may not work for everyone. But if you're willing to give this book time, it'll return it with pain.

Would you continue to do what you believed was right, even if it might kill you? That’s the choice Visitación Salazar makes every day. And our protagonist, Angustias Romero joins her.

The author, Katrina, brings us into a world of poverty, sickness, brutality, violence, and power with this novel. She doesn’t try to fluff up or lighten the plight of people struggling in Mexico for their lives and families on a daily basis. Nor does she shield us from the cruelty of powerful landowners who are power hungry and see life as a commodity.

Visitación is a fierce, determined women whose only goal is to give people a proper burial site, but her drive is the cause of tension and terror for the people of Mezquitte, who are desperate to see another day. And Angustias and Visitación both become formidable foes who won’t back down amidst threats and destruction. They are feminism embodied.

I enjoyed this book and following the journey of these two women. It’s not a happy book, and it doesn’t have a happy ending, but it is raw and brutal-not shying away from ruthlessness.

A dark picture of a world some of us might not live in yet, but might soon. For fans of Parable of the Sower!
I really enjoyed the passages that were poems/prayers/songs sprinkled throughout, it really helps to flesh out the existing world this story takes place in. Not at all what I thought it would be about based on the cover, but a great read. Really shows the depths of love, community, life - as well as all of the opposites.

No Place to Bury the Dead started off as bit of a slow read for myself, however, the story picked up and I was finally drawn in. Throughout the entire novel, author, Karina Sainz Borgo, paints a vivid and often tragic scene. Main character Angustias Romero, shows from beginning to end how resilient woman are even in the face of tragedy, loss, and grief. She continually perseveres with the hand that life has dealt her and evolves into a stronger woman in the end. Besides being a bit slow in the beginning I believe the only other downfall of this story was how abruptly it ends. It almost felt like there was something missing.

Thank you HarperVia and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"No Place to Bury the Dead" by Karina Sainz Borgo is a haunting and powerful novel that explores grief, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable tragedy.

Set in an unnamed Latin American country ravaged by a mysterious plague that erases the memory of its victims, the story follows Angustias Romero as she navigates the surreal and dangerous landscape of Mezquitte. After losing her children to the plague, Angustias finds solace and purpose in the Third Country, a cemetery run by the enigmatic Visitación Salazar. However, the cemetery becomes the focal point of a bitter land dispute with the ruthless landowner Alcides Abundio, leading to a tense and violent confrontation.

Borgo's writing is both lyrical and evocative, immersing readers in the vividly depicted world of Mezquitte and its inhabitants. The novel's rich imagery and atmospheric prose create a sense of unease and foreboding, mirroring the uncertainty and chaos of the characters' lives.

At its core, "No Place to Bury the Dead" is a story about the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Angustias and Visitación emerge as compelling and complex characters, grappling with their own grief and trauma while confronting the harsh realities of life in Mezquitte. Their bond, forged in the crucible of loss, serves as a beacon of hope amidst the darkness.

The novel also delves into larger themes of power, violence, and the legacy of colonialism, offering a searing critique of the social and political injustices that plague the region. Through its gripping narrative and thought-provoking commentary, "No Place to Bury the Dead" sheds light on the human cost of conflict and the enduring quest for justice and redemption.

In conclusion, "No Place to Bury the Dead" is a masterfully crafted and deeply affecting novel that will linger in the minds of readers long after the final page. Borgo's storytelling prowess and keen insight into the human condition mark her as a rising star in modern Latin American literature, and this novel cements her importance among contemporary literary voices.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for the ARC.

The writing in this was really great and really portrayed the hardships that all of our characters had to go through. It was tough to read at times but a lot the things that the characters went through do happen in real life. The author does a good job at making you really feel for these characters and caring for them.
I didn’t realize what time frame we were in and at first I was thinking that it was set a few decades ago but then there was mention of more modern things so that confused me for a bit. But I think that was intentional and for me shows that at the end of the day what was happening is something that is always happening, at any time.
It felt very rushed at the end and I wish the ending had been drawn out a little more.
But overall I thought it was great and would recommend. Also the chapters are short which I really like because it doesn’t feel like the story drags on.

Dropping five stars. I don’t read enough literary fiction yet to be able to fairly contextualize.

I stopped after chapter 2 (5%). I found the voice solidly okay, and the prose was solidly okay, and it just wasn’t gripping me personally. The cover is AMAZING though.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for the ARC.

Just brilliant writing!! This was a powerful and terrifying portrayal and testament to womanhood and thire ability to overcome struggles. The story and Borgo's writing is very gripping and immersive. I feel like only some authors really hit the nail on the head when it comes to portraying survival in extreme situations, and Borgo manages to achieve this wonderfully. The only thing I would have wanted drawn out was the ending; I felt like it was missing something. But alas, I think this is going to be a big hit!

I received a free ARC from NetGalley, and this review is voluntary

The synopsis provides broad detail for the story, which was emotional for many moments. What was noticeable was how the author set the tone for the story. While all else is falling down around our main character, Angustias Romero, there is a light within her that still shines.

It speaks to the importance of family within culture, and the respect of tradition. The hope Romero has is unbounded. In addition, it was also clear between the events, and interwoven through them, that there is a mighty struggle between two other powerful characters. How that hostility can affect everything else, or everyone else, around them.

This was a moving story, and it was a tough read because of how well it was written. To be so engrossed by the words on the page, despite how sad the overall story was.

Wow it was the way i was hooked from page one of me, The story the plot ugh chills all around. Heavy haunted characters that you feel immersed and dragged along in their misery. I’m not the best at reviewing I just write my feelings and my feelings are wow.
I read a lot of translations so it’s important to me when things are translated properly in a way that doesn’t lose the authors prose and this translation is definitely one of the better ones if I can read it and its as natural as reading English, then that’s a good translation to me