Haunted, yes… by boredom
Bochica really tried to give Mexican Gothic energy, but instead of being creeped out, I just felt… confused and slightly sleepy. There was a haunted mansion, tragic deaths, cryptic journals, and like 47 secrets yet somehow, it still felt like absolutely nothing was happening. It was giving “a lot of vibes, no plot.” Antonia was out here being haunted, but I was haunted by how long it took to get to the point. I wanted chills, and instead I got the literary equivalent of someone whispering “boo” and walking away.

Thank you netgalley for the arc.

2.5⭐️

A fast paced gothic and atmospheric horror novel based on Colombian culture and mythology that really lacked some execution.

This one hurts. It pains my soul that I did not enjoy this more than I did. The atmosphere and overall dread inducing aspect of this novel was very spot on. I really enjoyed the mythology and the Colombian heritage that was woven in throughout the novel. I love learning about the Música and the lore surrounding them. I loved that it was set in a real life place, and it seemed very well researched when it came to the aspect of the gods and their roles surrounding the land.

While it had so many things going for it, a better execution would've done a world of good. This very much felt like it needed more editing and more work. I felt like the pace was fast for the most part, but there was just little to no world building. I feel like a lot of care was placed upon explaining the lore of the land, but there was almost no explanation for the magic surrounding the house, mother and her group. I remain confused as to whether or not they were the good or the bad influence upon the land. There was a little to no explanation of the evil entities that were placed upon the land, how they got there or were casted upon the land and I really don't feel like they were ever resolved or banished.

While the world building, or lack there of, was definitely a problem for me. My real issue was the characters. I feel absolutely no endearment or involvement with any of the characters. There was no chemistry between Antonia and Alejandro and their "romance" felt very subpar and surface level. A lot of the surrounding characters, including even the main ones, felt very one dimensional with absolutely no building upon their character or depth. Alejandro was a constant source of frustration because it seems like he knew nothing. Then anytime any little bit of information was revealed he already knew all about it, and had stories pertaining to it. If you were trying to help solve the issues that are going on why are you not being more forthcoming with this information? It made no sense. There were brief mentions of several events in time that would've given character depth to many of the characters, but they were just briefly discussed and never touched upon again. Why were these things not deeply explored if they could've helped the characters become more than one dimensional? This book needed severe editing and probably another 100 to 200 pages to really flush out everything.

The end of this novel was the biggest disappointment of them all. After all the buildup and sticking through all the poor world building and trying to make sense of everything on your own, the author just info dumps the entire ending on you and then it is tied up a couple chapters later in less than two pages. Frustrating!!

Ultimately, I guess we can say that this one was not for me. I appreciated the research and culture/heritage from Columbia that was included in the novel. I would like to try another novel by this author once she has a couple more books under her belt. I feel like she has potential, but just really needs help with her execution overall.

DNF @ 48%

Firstly, thank you to Altria Books and Netgalley for an advance copy to read and review.

Unfortunately, despite this being one of my favorite genre’s and the synopsis practically screaming that it would be a top book of the year for me, I was not able to finish this. The premise was wonderful, the location interesting, but I felt there were many times that perhaps it leaned a bit too heavily on genre conventions. The constant call back to her love of gothic books is one example. Though I was easily able to immerse myself in scenes of retrospect, where our main character was disclosing pieces of the past or filling us in on the lore of the region, the contemporary action was jarring and at times confusing. I would often enter a scene or chapter and feel lost as to how we got there, what was going on, and why. The entire first half is a fever dream of me asking “now why are we doing this?” and “why are we trusting him” and “how is any of this believable?” Plus, I was never sold on our love interest 1) filling the mysterious and darkly handsome role or 2) his plausibility within any scene as a real person? That’s an odd sentence but I couldn’t envision him fully formed in my mind—he seemed more like an idea floating about on the page based on an archetype rather than a full character.

All that being said, I did enjoy the way the author described the scenery as well as her interrogation of our main character’s feelings. It was refreshing to have a gothic heroine look at the male “authority” in her life and question why she should believe anything he has to say and consider just leaving him to his own devices. Either way, like a lot of gothic novels, this story was full of MESSY family drama—it just didn’t land with me this time.

Horror debut that transports you to 1930s Colombia in the midst of haunting events alongside Antonia, a strong willed character who's desperation for answers brings more than expected. Flórez-Cerchiaro weaves together a story about grief, ambition, and the occult to illustrate how deep the desire for power can go.

Antonia's frustration with the way society seeks to limit women drives her character through a terrifying ordeal. She wants to deal with the horror of her situation on her own terms, even if it means facing truths that would hurt her. Will say that with the exception being her mother's presence through her journal entries, "Bochica" is centered on Antonia and because of this there is a lack of fleshed out side characters. It didn't completely hurt my enjoyment of the book, but whenever the pacing slowed down it drew my attention. Alejandro suffers from this, but the slower reveal of his motivations and backstory saves his character from feeling easily dismissible.

"Bochica" brings into question human nature and the ways evil is attributed to supernatural origins in order to distance itself from the real ways it exists in people. This is not to dismiss the horrifying imagery and dread inducing atmosphere built by Flórez-Cerchiaro, but rather to highlight that Antonia herself knows this is not simply about the unexplained. The slow build-up to the reveal of how entrenched Estela was in the occult and the significance of her role was one of my favorite parts. From Antonia's perspective, she's juggling the love her mother demonstrated with the anguished history of the home that was built for her.

The main struggle was the prose and the almost convenient feeling to some final puzzle pieces. The ending could have been extended a bit more, as the pacing drags you through days filled with smaller events in the span of a chapter. My struggles with the prose could be boiled down to the pacing affecting character interactions and development. At times, the dialogue felt almost too direct when I wanted some distinction in Antonia's sentiment towards different characters.

"Bochica" looks at the desperate reach for power, especially when you are constantly denied it, that exists in everyone. Antonia's grief and frustration with her lack of closure made it so easy to fall into her perspective. "Bochica" creates an engaging horror tale shaped by real cultural elements with a sympathetic main character.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for this free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!

I loved the Gothic atmosphere of this story with the Gothic Manson, the mystery and ghosts. It's a fun reading experience.

I had pretty high hopes for this one, as the story has so much potential. I really loved the setting and time and place, with our action being in a jungle in Colombia in the early 20th century, with a mysterious estate at the site of the Salto del Tequendama waterfall that has a tragic history at the forefront. I really loved the way that Flórez-Cerchiaro weaved in a Gothic haunting along with the history of the region, with huge themes coming from Muisca mythology and folklore as well as the Spanish conquest/genocide and the imperialism that devastated the Indigenous populations. But as a whole I sort of struggled with this book, mostly because Antonia was the only interesting character in the book, with all the other players not really having much depth or complexity to them. I also thought that the story itself, while entertaining in some ways, didn't really live up to the expectations I had for it. Nothing really shocked me, nothing really caught me by surprise. So at the end fo the day, I liked the time and place and the way it tackles dark histories, but BOCHICA left me wanting more.

Thank you to Primero Suenos for the e-arc!

Bochica is here to stay!

Wow, this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I truly can confirm that it was amazing. Bochica is for those who enjoy a haunted story, especially if you enjoy Isabel Cañas novels & Silvia Moreno.

The story takes place in 1920's Colombia, and features a haunted mansion (inspired by a real mansion), a love story, and some potential dark entities!

Murder mysteries' with Latino main characters will always get to me especially if it has some supernatural elements. Antonia's story is one filled with grief, love and perseverance. I love a protagonist, who is not only confident in her own abilities but challenges societal expectations and Antonia gives us exactly that.

I also loved how the story although fictional draws upon real parts of Colombia. El Salto Del Tequendama is a real place and the history behind the hotel is just as interesting as this novel.

Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro has a fan in me! I cannot wait for the world to read this and for Carolina's future works!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for this arc. While the story was intriguing, the more I read the more the plot was lost and ending was rushed.

A darkly atmospheric Gothic novel set in a mysterious and dangerous house in Colombia. Antonia's mother died three years ago, her father tried to kill her. and now she's back looking for answers. This is creepy with good paranormal vibe (well, not good but you know....). It's a fast read (it's short) and an entertaining one. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Look forward to more from Florez-Cerchiaro.

This was such a great debut. I look forward to seeing what they author writes next.
The plot was well developed and took us in directions that I didn't see coming it is far more than a haunted house. I will say it was a lot more psychological horror so If your afraid of horror this may be a good one to start with.

I will say the pace was a little slow for my liking and it is written in 3rd person that at times took me out of the story. As much as I believe this was a great plot and developing nicely there was never a moment that grabbed me and consumed me I attribute this to the pacing.

Bochica ⁣
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Thank you @atriabooks @primerosuenopress & @simon.audio for my gifted copy! #AtriaPartner #simonaudio ⁣
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Bochica was suffocating and atmospheric in the BEST way. It’s a haunted home with secrets galore based in the earlier 1900s where high society and status are everything and mental health is a taboo subject. ⁣
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Obsessed. This book is fairly short, but it carries a big punch in its minimal pages. I could have listened and read more if there was, but honestly perfect pace and pages to keep me entertained and reaching for my nightlight. ⁣
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The journals were everything to me. It’s like literal catnip to have these entires while Antonia tries to find the answers she so deserves.⁣
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Frankie Corzo is one of my favorite audiobook readers, and this was perfect for Bochica. Haunting, desperate, proud, she gave Antonia the service she deserved. The didn’t was so satisfying and I enjoyed it so much on audio.⁣
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Out Tuesday the 13th, get your Gothic summer on ASAP.⁣
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Tell me: Badly describe your current read.

I had zero expectations going into reading Bochica. This is always the best part because everything is a surprise. Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro did a great job writing and creating a story that took you back and forth in time to create a back story and keep you intrigued. This a culturally horror filled book that brings in a mix of gothic, supernatural and haunted land horror genres.

This novel follows Antonio through a journey of understanding her mother, after her death, and trying to not only save her father but her family, the land and her relationship with her parents. It brings in the role of women in the 1930's and how they fought the standards put upon them.

I enjoyed the story. There was always something to look forward to and nothing was really expected. I finished the last few chapters, I felt that the ending as too fast paced in comparison to the way the rest of the book was written. I think I wanted a more gothic or supernatural ending. So in a way I was only slightly let down.

Overall, this book is a must read if you like gothic horror, supernatural aspects, haunted house/land and an addition of cultural representation. This book needs to be added to everyone's reading list.

The fact that no one is comparing this to Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier surprises me - the obsession with a grand house, the dreams and nightmares, the lies and misdirections, all of it felt like du Maurier to me.

There are aspects of the writing style that feel like it's a first novel - the author has a robust writing history, but there is a maturity that's lacking in some areas - narrative devices that adult readers don't need. Still, it also kept the tension building for a book that starts off a little slow.

Ultimately, the setting of the house drew me in and made me stay. Once we were more firmly at the house I could not put the book down. I wanted to be in the midst of the haunting, and the terrible cult worship that led to it. I loved that history and explanations were woven into the story, and the reveals were made in just the right amounts at the right times. There is danger in this story, and insane levels of greed and selfishness. At times, Antonia seems to be the only one who has any perspective that doesn't revolve around herself, even while she's tempted by the power that she could take if she so chose.

There's a hint of a love story, a lot of betrayal, and a lot about the costs and sacrifices around loving one another, loving a deity, and how we are always dooming ourselves after receiving perfectly clear warnings.

I read this over the course of a day and really enjoyed myself. I didn't expect to like the time setting so much of the 1930s, but it ended up being less of a hindrance than I expected because it was handled so well.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for the ARC opportunity!

I wanted to love this book, there was so much potential and the idea was incredibly intriguing. However, another round of editing would have benefited this story tremendously. DNF @ 30%

I was taken out of the book a lot, the writing didn't flow, it felt stilted and confusing, and it couldn't keep my attention. There was a lot of telling over showing as well.

I would love to read a more developed book from this author, her vision is definitely there and it could be captivating!

wish i loved this one, it was a highly anticipated one for me and maybe it was just the mental state im in as i read it or something else entirely i cant be sure.

the big blocks of telling text was too much, wish there was more dialogue and the romance didn’t feel realistic to me because of the timeline of the story.

the vibes are good though!

Bochica isn’t just a book—it’s an experience. From the very first page, Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro pulls you into a world where myth, memory, and identity intertwine so seamlessly, you start to question where history ends and magic begins. I wasn’t just reading a story—I was being guided through something sacred, something old, something alive.

As someone fascinated by mythology—especially myths outside the Greco-Roman canon—I was blown away by how Bochica centers Muisca legend with such care and reverence. This isn’t a retelling that flattens or modernizes the past; it breathes with ancestral power. Flórez-Cerchiaro’s writing is lush, poetic, and full of quiet intensity. It feels like she’s conjuring the story from the earth itself.

What struck me most was the emotional core of the novel. Yes, it’s mythological. Yes, it’s steeped in history. But it’s also deeply personal—a meditation on exile, return, and what it means to carry the weight of stories that are both inherited and almost forgotten. The characters feel more like echoes or archetypes than people in a traditional narrative sense, and that works. This is myth reimagined—not just to entertain, but to remember.

Bochica is not a fast-paced book, and it’s not meant to be. It asks you to slow down, to listen, to sit with language and symbol and silence. It’s the kind of novel you read with a pencil in hand, underlining lines you’ll come back to—not because they explain something, but because they reveal something you didn’t know you needed.

A haunted house story set in Colombia, say no more! This book delivered a few of the elements I love in horror: a richly atmospheric setting and a strong female protagonist. The pacing was solid, with chapter endings that pulled me along. While I didn’t fully connect with the story, I have to say the setting was rendered perfectly vivid, immersive, and chilling. I’m definitely interested in reading more from this author in the future.

Thank you @atriabooks #partner the gifted copy of this book!

Bochica is a haunting, atmospheric gothic story that pulls you in with its eerie setting and historical backdrop. It’s often compared to Mexican Gothic, and while I get the reasoning, it didn’t quite give me the same vibe. Still, it totally holds its own in the gothic horror space.

One of my favorite things about this book is that it’s based on a real-life place. That made the story feel a little more grounded and honestly, way creepier. The author does a great job creating this unsettling, slow-burn atmosphere that fans of light horror and gothic fiction will definitely appreciate.

There’s a pretty big cast of characters in this one, and I found it a little tricky to keep them all straight. I would’ve loved a bit more development or some stronger, unique traits to help them stand out from each other.
They worked fine for the story, but I think it could’ve made the whole thing even better if we got to know them a little more deeply.

That being said, it was a super easy, fast-paced read that I flew through. The eerie, gothic vibes are on point, and the historical details added a nice touch without slowing anything down. If you’re into atmospheric, haunting stories with a bit of history and light horror, this one’s worth checking out!

3.5 stars

I saw this one described as Mexican Gothic meets The Shining, so I knew I had to give it a try. I loved the Gothic, spooky atmosphere in these pages, but I have to say that I did struggle to connect with the narrative which seemed to jump around a bit.

But still, this was quite an entertaining read.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I'm heartbroken to say this book did not do it for me :( I was SO looking forward to this. A Latinx gothic horror debut for fans of Mexican Gothic? I was sold! But unfortunately, something about the pacing and the writing failed to meet the mark. Part of me wonders if this is a translation, because it could explain why some parts were a little choppy and disjointed. Some of the dialogue felt out of place, way too modern for the setting, and the relationship between the MCs seemed to develop very suddenly and out of nowhere.

I'd still consider reading a different story from this author, I think the potential was definitely there!