It Would Be Night in Caracas | Book Review

ABOUT THE BOOK

Told with gripping intensity, It Would be Night in Caracas chronicles one woman’s desperate battle to survive amid the dangerous, sometimes deadly, turbulence of modern Venezuela and the lengths she must go to secure her future.

In Caracas, Venezuela, Adelaida Falcón stands over an open grave. Alone, she buries her mother—the only family she has ever known—and worries that when night falls thieves will rob the grave. Even the dead cannot find peace here.

Adelaida had a stable childhood in a prosperous Venezuela that accepted immigrants in search of a better life, where she lived with her single-mother in a humble apartment. But now? Every day she lines up for bread that will inevitably be sold out by the time she reaches the registers. Every night she tapes her windows to shut out the tear gas raining down on protesters. When looters masquerading as revolutionaries take over her apartment, Adelaida must make a series of gruesome choices in order to survive in a country disintegrating into anarchy, where citizens are increasingly pitted against each other. But just how far is she willing to go?

A bold new voice from Latin America, Karina Sainz Borgo’s touching, thrilling debut is an ode to the Venezuelan people and a chilling reminder of how quickly the world we know can crumble.

Publisher: HarperVia

Release Date: October 15, 2019

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MY REVIEW

Karina Sainz Borgo’s It Would Be Night in Caracas follows Adelaida Falcón and the experience she has in the tumult and volatility of Venezuela. Hers is a story of survival amidst chaos, and it is not without disturbing, heartbreaking moments.

From the moment I learned of Borgo’s novel, I was intrigued. I know very little of Venezuela’s history and could not wait to see what I would pick up from It Would Be Night in Caracas. However, as I began reading, I soon realized the story itself was not for me. Adelaida’s experience mixes with flashbacks to her past, but in a way without clear transitions, so I frequently felt a little lost—a stylistic choice I rarely enjoy. To me, then, the drive of the story became hard to discern, and I had to slog my way through pages to the end. I did not live up to the thrilling, gripping read the blurb promised me, unfortunately.

Still, I appreciate that Borgo has shared this story rooted in the politics of Venezuela. While I may not have loved it, I did get an interesting look at the country’s recent history.

★★.5

I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karina Sainz Borgo was born and raised in Caracas. She began her career in Venezuela as a journalist for El Nacional. Since immigrating to Spain ten years ago, she has written for Vozpópuli and collaborates with the literary magazine Zenda. She is the author of two nonfiction books, Tráfico y Guaire (2008) and Caracas Hip-Hop (2008). It Would Be Night in Caracas is her first work of fiction.

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