Thank to Atria and NetGalley for an early digital release in exchange for my honest feedback.

Bochica - publishing May 13th - is an excellent addition to the gothic horror genre, providing an intense insight into Colombian mythology. The story is set in a mansion built above what is speculated to be a haunted waterfall and follows FMC Antonia as she struggles with returning to her childhood home - now converted into a luxury hotel - to confront the tragedies and secrets of her past.

This book really nailed the atmospheric setting by creating this eerie ambiance of the Colombian landscape. I really loved the vivid descriptions that truly brought the haunted mansion and its surroundings to life. They created sense of dread and mystery that gave me goosebumps at times throughout the story.

I absolutely love a good haunted house story with underlying cult vibes, and this one certainly did not disappoint. This was a fast-paced book that kept me guessing and left me rooting for the FMC to the very end. I would definitely recommend this one!

This would be a great read for those that love Mexican Gothic. 2025 is the year of Gothic reads and this falls into that category beautifully. I loved the mystery, I loved the setting in Colombia. A true haunted house story, I was really drawn into Antonia's journey to find out what happened to her mother. I absolutely loved it and can't wait to recommend it for purchase at my work libraries when it is published.

Everything about this book was interesting to me before I started reading it. The cover is beautiful, the gothic vibes, the title, but that’s where it ends. The story is very slow, and it felt like it needed another round of editing. The story is better told in first person point of view, rather than third. Calling Antonia’s parents by their first names and then switching to mother/father was confusing. The abrupt flashbacks without transitions were annoying. The repetitive voice of Antonia saying the same things, asking herself the same rhetorical questions had me feeling like I was reading the same page over and over again. Antonia’s personality was not well fleshed out; one minute she is a demure puppy getting pushed around by a nun, the next she is forcing her way into prison to talk to her father.
Overall, it wasn’t for me and I dnf’d at the 42% mark because I could not bring myself to care for what happens.

2.5 stars

Wanted desperately to love, even like this book. The premise is just the kind of thing I usually go for; a big cursed house, creepy folklore, a protagonist on the hunt for answers to their mysterious past.

I was, unfortunately, let down. The characters (especially our protagonist Antonia) felt distant and dull. The pacing was disjointed and made the book hard to follow or get invested in.

I think there was a lot of potential when it came to the Indigenous Colombian folklore and monsters, but I was left wanting there too.

I would love to read a more polished book from this author because it is apparent that they took a lot of care in their research. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

It might have been a translation issue but I felt very detached during the story. I'm not sure if that was the goal but it didn't work for me

I was really hoping to enjoy this book as I love gothic horror and thrillers, but unfortunately this didn’t hit the mark for me. It felt like things happened too fast (especially with the love interest.) I had zero attachment to the characters or their plight.

I will say the descriptions were on point and when I saw a photo of the inspiration for the house it was spot on.

A gothic horror that is atmospheric and vibey. Antonia is haunted by her traumatic past. She must face her fears and much darker things when her father is accused of murder when they return to the home that took everything from her.
Antonia is a young woman yearns to find freedom that she has had to set aside to care for her father. She pushes against the social structure of her time and resents the place that she has been stuck in. As she fights to clear her father’s name and expose the truth, she finds that the darkness that follows her is only an indication of a bigger evil.

The book is dark, creepy, and immersive. The description of this big, expansive mansion tucked alongside a waterfall is so detailed and creates a gorgeous backdrop for the book. Most of the side characters are intriguing and help create stakes for Antonia. The horror scenes are vivid and scary and truly haunting. The inclusion on indigenous practices and how they can be bastardized by those who chase power was a good addition. I like how Alejandro is there as a support and trauma bond for Antonia. I do feel a couple of revelations were foreshadowed too soon. Instead of finding out with the character, we know before her. Overall it’s a very good book and I’m looking forward to more from this author.

I really liked this book. The house really felt so real and the house was like its own character. I loved the Mexican history and lore that was blended into this gothic horror.

I'm always drawn to haunted house stories like a moth to flame, and "Bochica" absolutely delivered that unsettling atmosphere I crave. La Casona, perched above the Salto del Tequendama waterfall, is practically its own character – malevolent, brooding, and impossible to forget. Those nighttime scenes where the house seems to breathe had me checking my locks twice before bed.

That said, the pacing nearly drove me up the wall at times. There's building tension, and then there's beating around the bush. Florez-Cerchiaro opts for the latter, layering on allusions and metaphors that often obscure rather than enhance the central mystery. I found myself flipping pages faster, desperate to discover what actually happened that night and the truth behind the deaths, only to encounter more atmospheric detours.

Some characters veered dangerously close to caricature territory, particularly Madre Asuncion. While I understand it was an illustration of the oppressive societal expectations of 1920s Colombia and the prejudices women faced, the Madre’s portrayal occasionally felt one-dimensional rather than nuanced.

The scene where Antonia returns to her childhood bedroom after three years away? Pure gothic perfection. The way the author describes the shadows stretching across the walls and the subtle movement just beyond peripheral vision created this delicious sense of dread that had me putting the book down for a bit (anyone else do that?).

Despite my frustrations, the Colombian mythology woven throughout absolutely fascinated me. The legend of Bochica himself and how it connects to the waterfall's dark history provided a cultural richness you don't often find in gothic horror.

Overlooking the pacing for the reward of genuine chills and cultural depth, "Bochica" delivers an atmospheric haunting worth experiencing.

Thank you, Atria and NetGalley, for my free books for review.

This is a fantastic debut! I found the setting, plot line, and the FMC, Antonia, so refreshingly unique! The writing was lush with gothic descriptions, and the haunted home became alive with the author’s writing. Readers who enjoyed Mexican Gothic or The Shining will enjoy Antonia’s quest to wage through her past memories of her mother’s death in order to set her father free and cease the violence that plagues the area. This was a quick and entertaining read, perfect for spooky season!

-1930’s Bogota Columbia;
-A five story malevolent gothic mansion (later turned into a hotel)
-Indigenous lore
-Journal entires/flashbacks/nightmarish visions
-Haunting demons, ritualistic murders, and high-stakes

Thank you to Atria books for my complimentary arc!

2.5 rounded up - I was really excited for this one as I thought it would have more folk horror involved.. but unfortunately this one ultimately fell flat..

The atmosphere was the highlight of this story, along with the historical house set against the Salto del Tequendama. I had hoped more of the lush setting would have had a larger role in the story, but it was only ever briefly mentioned.

Throughout the book, Muisca legends and the people were referenced often, but ultimately didn’t actually play that large of a role in the story, either. The MC was also very repetitive and a bit dense, it was hard to want to read any of her dialogue.. there was also a lot of modern speech used throughout the novel that really shattered the world that was supposed to have taken place in 1923.

I think better editing could have really helped this story really be told, but as it is, I rated it a 2.5 strictly off the setting alone.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

3.5 stars! i really enjoyed this debut! definitely for fans of mexican gothic! or for some readers (like me) who maybe wanted a little more out of mexican gothic, in the spooky, gothic atmosphere, this delivers. unfortunately it took me about 30% into the book to fully get invested, and while some of the sentences felt a little stilted, and we would end up in a new location without much explanation of how we got there, overall i really enjoyed the story. i loved the gothic house and spooky aesthetic as well as any references to mythology, wether real or fictional, and themes of the occult and cults. i would definitely recommend this and am looking forward to what this author releases in the future!

Due to the length of this book, I think we missed out on a lot. The story itself is very drawing to a reader and you want to know more. I just felt a little lost and wished I had more information to collect. To me, it seemed very straightforward here’s what you got and didn’t leave the reader to question anything.

This book provided an eerie experience and did give a great build up to the story. I just wish there was more background information on the Muisca people.

Billed as "Mexican Gothic" meets "The Shining," Bochica reads like a rough draft of a potentially great novel from a first-time author. While there were certain aspects of the story that I quite enjoyed, overall Bochica feels undercooked.

One of my biggest complaints is utilizing a real-life historical setting and not leaning into it. Books like "Mexican Gothic" and "The Hacienda" build their fictional worlds around actual events - and I found that severely lacking in this story. The author also poses rhetorical questions to the reader without answering them, and that just feels cheap and unjustified. The lead characters read as undeveloped; the chemistry is both underwhelming and undeserved.

I'm still looking forward to what Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro brings to the table next, there is clearly talent here and always room for improvement.

Thank you Atria Books and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A labyrinth of secrets in a haunted family manner turned hotel? Sign me up!
When grief strikes Antonia's family they leave their family manor atop the waterfall - of course not after trying to burn the house down (with Antonia inside) first. Drawn back to it's wonder, Antonia goes back to uncover the truths of that night and the mysterious memories and tales said to have taken place within the walls.

Horror isn't usually my forte, but the synopsis of this book drew me in and I was excited to read it. Overall it was a good read but personally the story felt a little disconnected. I'm not entirely sure where but it just felt a little off. Still a good story and a quick read.

"A real-life Latin American haunted mansion. A murky labyrinth of family secrets. A young, aristocratic woman desperate to escape her past. This haunting debut Gothic horror novel is perfect for fans of Mexican Gothic and The Shining.

In 1923 Soacha, Colombia, La Casona - an opulent mansion perched above the legendary Salto del Tequendama waterfall - was once home to Antonia and her family, who settle in despite their constant nightmares and the house's malevolent spirit. But tragedy strikes when Antonia's mother takes a fatal fall into El Salto and her father, consumed by grief, attempts to burn the house down with Antonia still inside.

Three years later, haunted by disturbing dreams and cryptic journal entries from her late mother, Antonia is drawn back to her childhood home when it is converted into a luxurious hotel. As Antonia confronts her fragmented memories and the dark history of the estate, she wrestles with unsettling questions she can no longer ignore: Was her mother's death by her own hands, or was it by someone else's?

In a riveting quest for answers, Antonia must navigate the shadows of La Casona, unearthing its darkest secrets and confronting a legacy that threatens to swallow her whole."

Next level haunted house! LOVE!

This was an OK premise, but fell flat. Characters needed a lot more development. The spooky house, pretty cool(mexican Gothic and The Shining are 2 that keep coming to mind) . I wanted to like this more than I did.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I went into this book with high expectations—after all, a gothic Latin American haunted house tale sounded like it would be both atmospheric and hauntingly beautiful. And to be fair, the atmosphere was the standout element. The vivid descriptions of the five-story manor built into a mountain near El Salto del Tequendama just outside Bogotá were absolutely lush, and knowing it’s inspired by a real location made it even easier to picture after looking it up!

Unfortunately, that’s where most of the magic ended for me. The protagonist, Antonia, was frustratingly dense and repetitive in her thoughts, which really slowed the pacing and made her hard to root for. The supporting cast didn’t offer much either, they lacked the depth needed to carry the story. Without compelling characters, I struggled to stay invested, no matter how vivid the setting was.

The inclusion of Muisca folklore, the concept of the Svatyba, and the rituals performed by the cult, were definitely the most intriguing elements, but they felt underdeveloped. I kept hoping this aspect would take center stage or be explored more deeply. Sadly, they weren’t. And the ending was way too abrupt and tidy, with no real tension or payoff—it left me feeling pretty underwhelmed.

I’d recommend this more for readers new to horror and who prefer milder spooky elements and a light mystery with a supernatural edge.

Such a cozy slow burn, the story was great just wished it picked up a little bit more in the middle of the book.

Bochica follows Antonia, who lives in Colombia in the year 1923. She must confront some past events by returning to her childhood home. She does not exactly have the fondest of memories. This was a very atmospheric mystery with supernatural and culty, secret society elements. I really enjoyed it. Fans of Mexican Gothic will definitely love these vibes. I felt the ending wrapped everything up nicely. Thank you so much to Primero Sueno Press/Atria Books for reaching out to me and sending me an ARC. You can give this one a read when it publishes May 13, 2025!