We love us a freaky little gothic where a woman's sanity is unraveling as she faced doubt and gaslighting. The setting was also creepy with the mansion being perched atop a waterfall, it was both scenic and disturbing because the setting became a living character.

Bochica was a fast read for me- it definitely kept my attention! It’s set in Colombia mainly at a home that a man built for his wife near a waterfall that is sacred. However, the family is soon met with tragedy and leaves the home. The daughter of the family works to unravel the mystery of what happened to her family and why her old family home seems to harbor something evil.

I loved reading about the supernatural elements in the story, and the action really got right to it. I thought the main love interest was a little too all-knowing, although it was justified by him being a reporter who had done research on the house and events connected to it. The author did a good job of having an eerie feeling of something lurking in the shadows- I stayed up all night reading this one!

3.5 stars rounded to 4. This is a haunted house horror novel set in Bogota, Colombia. I liked the atmospheric creepiness, but I was hoping for a little bit more: more mystery, more character development, more romance, more history--more horror. I usually don't mind a book on the shorter side, but I was hoping for something a little bit extra here.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

In her debut novel, author Carolina Florez-Cerchiaro writes a complex gothic horror novel with elements of the unexpected creeping out of every corner (and sometimes out of the walls)!

It took me a while to warm up to the tale. The start was slow. I’m talking 20% in and we’ve barely made it to the haunted mansion. Once I had gotten further in the book (had told myself that this book has all the elements that appeal to me in a novel), I was able to recognize the reason why the author had given what I had perceived to be extraneous detail.

Her passion for the indigenous people of Colombia and the importance of highlighting the implications of colonialism on its people, its religion and its lands shone through. During the first portion of Antonia’s story we meet her employer, a wholly abusive and unlikeable nun. She makes derisive comments to Antonia about her deceased mother because Estela practiced another religion, worshipping Bochica, a lunar goddess. I could have done without Madre Asunción’s character due to how unpalatable I found her. That, of course, was the whole point. Antonia is forced to hold her tongue because she needs to support her household after her father fell into a depression following the mysterious death of Antonia’s mother.

Finally, we make it to the haunted mansion (formerly Antonia’s residence) which is being rented out as a hotel. Things pick up rapidly here and we are introduced to new characters, a love interest in reporter Alejandro and the current renter of the hotel Then more tragedy strikes Antonia’s family and her father is arrested.

Antonia must work with Alejandro and delve into a world that is more sinister than she could have imagined. Her research exposes the truth of what happened to her mother and who Antonia is destined to be.

Bochica is the perfect nighttime read because this gothic horror novel is a mood unto itself. The writing had me smelling foul odors that weren’t there, feeling the cold blustery wind at the edge of a cliff, and the hair on the back of my neck standing on end.

I enjoyed reading about the Muiscas, tunjos, svetybas and Bochica. The research done to write this book must have been immense. Florez-Cerchiaro found an engaging way to incorporate religion and cults into a horror novel. The letter excerpts that were written by her mother were a great way to keep us guessing and introduce new evidence in the mystery elements of the story.

Overall, I enjoyed this one and look forward to what the author does in the future!

This review is also on goodreads.

Thank you to NetGalley, Primero Sueno Press and Atria books for providing me this ARC.

Bochica is a dark and atmospheric read that really nails the creepy, unsettling vibe. The story is well-crafted, and I appreciated the way the author maintained the eerie tension throughout.

However, I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had listened to the audiobook instead of reading it. I feel like I would have appreciated it more with a good narration, so I might give it another try in audio format.

If you’re into haunting tales and enjoy immersive storytelling, it’s worth checking out!

It was a beautiful story and a favorite so far. I really enjoyed this book so much. I would highly recommend it to everyone. 10/10

An atmospheric gothic novel where a place seeps into the characters and the reader. Antonia escaped her fairytale home La Casona when it turned evil, but has to return with her father to celebrate La Casona opening as a hotel. Antonia is reluctant to attend the grand opening and also doesn't want to let her father return on his own. Her premonitions are proved correct when she returns. Now she'll have to go back again to rid the place of evil and prevent more people from dying at Salto del Tequendama.

This novel has a beautiful setting, interesting history, a lot of secrets but somehow lacks substance. There is a good book in here but it needs more development. The characters need more depth and clear arcs, traction needs to take the place of description, and relationship dynamics could use some development.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Bochica by Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro is a Colombian Gothic set in the early twentieth century. When Antonia returns to her old home three years after her father tried to burn it down with her inside, she’s confronted with the truth of what her family has been up to and what exists in that mansion. Her mother’s journal provides clues to the dark secrets and so does her father who is locked up after he set their home on fire.

Antonia has a relationship with Alejandro, a young man who comes from wealth and is attracted to her confidence and ambition. I’m always done for a romance subplot where the male lead is not only not scared off by the woman’s passion, but is actually in awe of it. I was very happy to see that here. It’s definitely more of a subplot but Alejandro does have some fleshing out and assists Antonia where he can.

The journal entries are between chapters so readers can read them in full. They add a lot of small details and help to slowly reveal the recent history of the family and the more supernatural elements. I also really liked how they connected Antonia to her mother, who she does miss very dearly and this connection helps keep Antonia grounded.

I had never heard of the deity Bochica or the Muisca (Chibcha) people before this book, so I am far from able to say whether the representation was true to most traditional sources or not. What is interesting is that some sources have Bochica as a male deity and others as a feminine one, so I’m not quite sure how these sources play into the Bochica in the book. I am excited to dive more into it after reading this book and more Colombian literature that explores the rich history that we don’t hear about much in the US.

I would recommend this to fans of Gothic horror looking for a book not from the Anglosphere and readers of South American literature looking for a Gothic

I really wanted to love Bochica. I haven't read Mexican Gothic or The Shining, which is what this is comp'd to, so I went into this with no other expectation that I would enjoy this because it's gothic and it's Latin American horror, which I've found to be engaging and interesting in the past.

The svetbya aren't scary, nor was the concept of why the Musica people were being attacked and ostracized by the cult when they were trying to protect the land. I think the way the Indigenous people were written here was a bit funky, and think this overall suffered due to a lot of showing and not telling, an unevenly paced plot, and an uninteresting and misplaced love story. I do think that how short this novel is means it's incredibly digestible despite all this, and it might work for people who have read and enjoyed the comp'd titles. Overall I found the writing style good in the moments where it thrived and would read this author again.

Thank you to Atria Books, Primero Sueno Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!

2.5 ⭐️s

Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro's debut novel, Bochica, is a Gothic horror set in 1930s Colombia, complete with a spooky mansion and a plucky female heroine. BOOKED as perfect for fans of Mexican Gothic and The Shining, of course I had to read it, and it did not disappoint.
The story centers on Antonia, a young woman in Bogota trying to carve out a better life for herself. We quickly learn that a few years earlier her mother passed away suddenly and her father probably went mad with grief (or was it something more sinister?) Antonia's former home has been converted into a luxury hotel, so for the first time in years, she prepares to re-enter the home that has left her life full of nightmares and terror.
I'm an instant fan of any book with a determined female lead, and I especially liked main character Antonia because she wasn't just brave when facing down the horrors within this haunted mansion, but she was brave facing society and it's expectations of her as a woman. This wasn't a primary focus of the novel, but I definitely appreciated those notes when they came up. And Antonia was brave! Tormented by nightmares and worse when she was young and living in this mansion, Antonia chooses to literally face her fears and go back in to discover the truth--what actually happened in that house?
The narrative flits back and forth between reality and nightmare illusions cast by an unseen tormentor. As in mania or psychosis, and as it usually seems during a haunting, it's impossible to tell when reality fades and the illusion sets in, and that's how much of the story flows here. One moment Antonia is searching for clues and answers and the next she's trapped in another nightmare, desperate to find her way out. I was reminded time and again of waking dreams and nightmares I'd suffered with sleep paralysis--it feels so real, and yet deeply sinister and wrong at the same time. It made reading this after dark in my old home that occasionally creaks and groans somewhat tense. I confess I was afraid to look in mirrors once or twice, afraid of who would actually be reflected.
The story itself reminded me a lot of Isabel Cañas' debut novel, The Hacienda, that also featured a creepy house and shady figures within. But Flórez-Cerchiaro makes this Gothic tale her own, featuring figures from Colombian tradition and lore. I really appreciated this aspect and would have liked even more explanation of who Bochica was, and how she fit into the native mythology. I see a deep dive coming in my own future.
I really enjoyed this read. The vibes were perfect, creepy and hazy. This is a story I could easily see translating well onto the big screen and I would definitely want to watch it! It truly is perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno Garcia and Isabel Cañas, and I can't wait to see what this author comes out with next!
i have reviewed this book on Instagram and Goodreads, as well as on Barnes and Noble's website. Links are included.

Is there anything hotter on the market right now than Latin American gothic horror? Fans of "The Haunting of Alejandra" by V Castro, "The Hacienda" by Isabel Cañas, "Jawbone" by Mónica Ojeda, and "Seven Empty Houses" by Samanta Schweblin will find a lot to love here. Historical, atmospheric, and haunts you like a shadow.

I wanted to give this book more stars but it just fell flat. I love a haunted house story and I loved the setting in Columbia but the story was so bland.

I was waiting to be scared but the first 60% of the story nothing spooky really happened. I gave it ⭐️⭐️⭐️ as it did start to pick up after the 60% mark and then it started to get spooky.

I really enjoyed the scary parts and some of the lore it went into with the haunting and the cults. I really wish the first half of the book was like that.

Genre: Horror
APK: Ebook
Pages: 256
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series or Standalone: Stand-alone

Haunting, propulsive, and quietly terrifying, Bochica is exactly the type of horror I love. Flórez-Cerchiaro has such a clear and confident voice in this book, that I was immediately grabbed and held on the ride that was this novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this novel!

I was so excited for this one, and, ultimately, ended up being pretty disappointed.

There is potential here, but it needed another couple round of edits to be fully realized. From a technical standpoint, the character's motivations change within paragraphs, with her asserting one thing and then asserting the complete opposite right after. I never understood why she was doing what she was doing and how she arrived at any of the conclusions she arrived at. I also never bought her as this strong willed character because all she did was run into situations without thinking, read journal entries, and then happen to stumble upon answers as she was running from people she continually forgot she was running from. Not to mention the very out of place romance with Alejandro, who feels less like a fully realized character and more like a plot device to give Antonia information.

The story also throws you into scenes with no context or build up, and the ending is so rushed.

On a more personal note, I didn't love the way that the Indigenous peoples were discussed in this novel and the way their culture was depicted. I am not Native to this particular region or have any connections to the culture, but this novel used tropes that we often see in gothic/horror novels that are depicting Indigenous mythology or culture incorrectly. Firstly, Bochica is a man in this mythology, and there is no clear indication why his gender has been changed for the narrative? And what did the cult have to do with these peoples? The story describes them and their land with quite negative connotations, describing it at one point as "savage" but then we find out this OTHER cult is actually evil and there is no discussion as to how they are separate from the Musica or that they are using the land in ways that would go against the Musica, etc etc. This aspect of the novel wasn't particularly handled well because it relies on these outdated and, often, offensive depictions of Indigenous people and their cultures. And the novel never explains what svetbya are -- and they don't appear to be grounded in any sort of actual folklore, so I found them extremely confusing. Are they creatures? Demons? Just...a cursely figment of the narrator's imagination? How are they attached to the house? What do they do except stand there with red eyes and a scythe?

Lastly, there are way too many modern phrases in a novel supposedly set in the 1930s. It doesn't read like it comes from that time period at all.

All this is to say, I think this could have been something, but it needed way more developmental editing and time spent building out the world and the characters.

i was sadly unable to read this by pub date but it seems like this was the perfect gothic read!! i def wish i had read this during spooky season and i would recommend for those who liked mexican gothic, especially for the hispanic rep 💫

This isn't my usual genre, but I did love The Mexican Gothic and saw the comparisons so I picked it up when it was available on NetGalley!

I do agree with some of the reviewers noting that some of the writing wasn't as smooth, but I felt like it was a quick read with just enough to keep me intrigued. While I do think it started a but slow, I was immediately intrigued by our FMC, Antonia.

I enjoyed this books and agree with the recommendation if you're a fan of Mexican Gothic!

I love a gothic tale, and this one had all the key elements you need: suspense, possibly ghosts, a little murder, and a confused main character. I'll admit, the pacing was too fast for my liking, and the ending felt a little rushed, but the atmospheric writing and incredible descriptions made up for it.

Antonia Rubiano is an unmarried 26-year-old teacher, an aristocrat with a stain on her family name. Her father Ricardo built a mansion for her mother Estela in the mountains outside of Bogatá. After her mother's death (was it illness? suicide? murder?) her father tried to burn down the estate...with Antonia still inside. Now she's determined to find some answers and protect her father from murder charges and an asylum.

Bochica is a short novel centering a haunted mansion and the folklore of the Muisca people. There's mystery, romance, and a touch of horror in an atmospheric setting. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the religious elements of old gods (Bochica, the Muisca indigenous goddess) vs the Catholicism of 1935 Colombia. I wanted more out of both the romance and the mystery, each fell just a little flat for me. I enjoyed Bochica, but it's not a new favorite.

This had a lot of potential, but it ultimately fell flat for me. I’m disappointed because the plot sounded so interesting! It’s unfortunately a DNF.

I appreciate the eARC from NetGalley and Atria/Primero Sueño Press.