"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!

Bochia was a quick and easy read that lent lots of atmosphere. I'll definitely be checking out any future works by this author.

Bochica is a gothic horror featuring a grand mansion settled on the Salto del Tepquendama and a family that’s forever changed by it. We meet Antonia as she trying to live a normal life and leave behind the place that tore her family apart. You are immersed into the world of la Casona and the way it ingrains itself into the people and the horrors that come with it. I loved that the house was its own character and how it had a plot forward vibe. You get to know the characters and feel for them but really I felt more drawn in by the land culture and it was of tormenting the people involved. I did struggle some with the pacing as it was a little slower. The ending sped up some in the last few chapters. I loved the way it ended!


Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for my #gifted copy.

I loved the gothic and eerie atmosphere.
Very much a slow burn.
The most interesting parts of the story were more tell than show.

Es 3.5.

Me gustó mucho la ambientación y la construcción de los personajes. El storytelling/edición fue el que no me convenció tanto porque daba muchas vueltas innecesarias y fue reiterativa. Me hubiera gustado que la prosa fuera más fluida. Pese a esto, no me aburrió y lo terminé disfrutando mucho.
Me encantó el misterio (a pesar de que vi venir lo que sucedió), hubo tensión suficiente para hacerme continuar leyendo y mi parte favorita fue el folclor que la autora tejió con la trama.
Por supuesto que leería algo más de la autora.

I love gothic books so I was really excited to read Bochica. While Flórez-Cerchiaro excelled at setting the mood and the real-life setting of Tequendama Falls Mansion in Colombia is so atmospheric, I felt a lot was missing in this book, especially in character development. It was also quite repetitive - the characters thought and said the same things many times. I definitely will check out Flórez-Cerchiaro's next books though. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC.

Bochica was a quick and easy read with a bit of magic, romance, and some twists. I’d recommend it for younger readers.

The writing was gorgeous. I loved how the author described everything. 💚

This book will be on sale May 13, 2025. A big thanks to NetGalley and Atria/ Primero Sueño Press for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'd like to thank Netgalley for the ARC, in exchange I am providing my honest review.

The premise of <i> Bochica </i> is interesting. I love a gothic horror with a cerebral heroine. (If this is also your thing, may I recommend anything by Isabel Cañas? She's incredible.) Unfortunately, this book feels more like a rough draft. Coming in at 256 pages, it definitely could have been fleshed out with more details.

The romance between Antonia and Alejandro was lacking in build, and I am not sure it was necessary to really hold the story together. I think the space used to shoehorn in their relationship could have been used to build description or more character development for Antonia.

I think the plot has promise, but unfortunately it wasn't carried out as well as it could have been.

A twisty, Gothic thriller that will leave you wondering what's real and who to trust. With its locked room mysteries, repressed memories, and a woman's desperate search for the truth and her own autonomy, Bochica harkens back to canonical Gothic stories, bringing with it both nostalgia and new twists.

I really wanted to like this book. A heroine in the Bronte tradition living in a mysterious mansion/hotel? A combination of Mexican Gothic with The Shining? That gorgeous cover? Catnip for me. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. I loved the descriptions of the house, the waterfall near which it sits, and the jungle that surrounds it. I enjoyed the background on the Native Muisca people and their art and religion, but the rest wasn’t for me. Antonia, the main character, was also supposed to be a modern woman ahead of her time (1923); but she just sounded like a brat. The rest of the cast wasn’t fleshed out. Normally, I can root for someone I dislike but my real problem was the plot. I have specific examples but they are spoilers so please beware. <spoiler>Someone is accused of something heinous. Another character was there and witnessed everything but everybody covers for him because they don’t want him to lose his job. Then, Antonia goes undercover to the hotel, with a reservation and all but nobody knows she’s there? Didn’t she have to check in? Where did she get the key?</spoiler> Maybe it is no big deal but if it bothered me so much it means that I wasn’t invested in the plot. Antonia seems to really need her position as a school teacher so much but she’s wealthy and hates her job so I just didn’t see the problem. The whole book is riddled with these inconsistencies. Also the dialogues didn’t seem to belong to that era (a sheltered young woman from a good family cursing?). So anyway, I think the idea was brilliant but the execution wasn’t great. Too bad.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Atria Books.

I loved the Gothic & Eerie vibes but it was just too slow for me.

The ending did not disappoint me.

I am so sad that this book just didn't work for me.

I got about halfway through the book and was just... utterly bored. The main character and her motivations and personality traits feel very flat and ill-suited to the story and I had a hard time following the romantic angle, in particular.

As it stands, the book reads as very formulaic and doesn't offer a lot in terms of "pulling the reader in to listen closerly". There is no chemistry between Antonia and Alejandro and the romance element seemed unnecessary. There is a lot of telling vs showing in this book which left a lot to be desired, most significantly with the villain and understanding the motivations the antagonist had.

There are a lot of plot holes and there is also never really a true point of climatic tension.

I do believe that this book will work for some people, but, unfortunately, it did not resonate with me and I had really high expectations.

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc. This takes place in Colombia in the year 1923. If you enjoy gothic horror and haunted mansions, this is the book for you. It was creepy and thrilling. Such a good read. Reminded me of Mexican Gothic.

Bochica was a quick, straightforward gothic horror. It had elements of magic, romance, and a few twists thrown in.

The writing was beautiful. I loved how the author described everything. The story flowed so quickly. I always love a good “haunted house” book, and this one was no exception. I was drawn in right away and had a hard time putting it down.

I loved Antonia’s character from the very beginning. She was strong and determined to find out the truth about what caused her mother’s death. I also really enjoyed Alejandro and Carmela’s characters.

Thank you Atria Boooks for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Bochica is a gothic mystery set in Colombia perfect for fans of haunted house stories and folk horror.

In 1930s Colombia, Antonia revisits her childhood home, a sprawling cliffside mansion that was haunted by a malevolent force. Her mother's tragic death, and her father's attempt to burn down the mansion, has haunted Antonia her whole life. When she finds herself back within its strange walls, the past comes back to haunt her, deepening the mystery of her mother's death.

This story was based around Colombian folklore and mythology, infusing a typical story about rituals and dark magic with a cultural perspective. Indigenous cultures, sacred land, and abuses of colonization are explored in the story, using the supernatural as a way to bring to light social justice.

Overall I liked the story even though it was a little predictable. I thought the pacing was good and the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed reading about a culture I don't know a lot about which added to the eerie pagan vibe the author created.

Spooky and rooted in an ancient civilization, Bochica is a unique contribution to the Gothic genre.

This book's biggest strength is its writing, which I already suspected since Carolina is a wonderful writer. As someone who lived close to Soacha (where the book takes place), I was very excited to read it, and God, it didn't disappoint. The characters' voices were very strong, and the dialogue was very distinctive. The atmosphere was superb, and I quite literally couldn't read this book at night because I was so scared, which is, you know, the biggest compliment one can give to a horror author. I would've really loved it if we were shown things more than told, as well as having a little more development in the romance aspect, but overall, it was a very enjoyable read! I can't wait to see what Carolina does next!