Bochica

by Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro

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 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.

Genres: Horror, Gothic, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Historical

256 pages, Hardcover

First published May 13, 2025

About the author

Carolina Flórez Cerchiaro is a Colombian author of genre bending speculative fiction. Bochica is her first novel.

Reviews

[ashlyn [slumping] · Rating 2 out of 5]

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

[Book Riot Community]

This debut novel about a haunted mansion is giving Mexican Gothic meets The Shining. Three years after a tragic fall that killed her mother, Antonia is plagued by disturbing dreams that call her back to her childhood home—La Casona, a mansion overlooking the Salto del Tequendama waterfall. Exploring her mother's cryptic journal entries and her own fragmented memories, Antonia tries to get to the truth of what really went on in that haunted place.

—Emily Martin, New Horror Books to Keep You Up At Night

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title/Author: Bochica by Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro

Page Count: 256

Publisher: Atria/Primero Sueno Press

Format: I read an arc from Edelweiss/It will be a hardcover

Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: debut

Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978166806...

Release Date: May 13th, 2025

General Genre: Horror/Mystery/Suspense/Gothic

Sub-Genre/Themes: Latin American, haunted mansion, family secrets, insta-romance, 1920s, death/grief, murder mystery, journalists, dreams/visions, witchcraft/secret societies, dark entities, hidden clues

Writing Style: Short chapters/large cast of characters, flashbacks, journal entries

What You Need to Know: "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 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."

My Reading Experience: I enjoyed the set-up, arriving at this grand estate converted into a hotel. You can see a photograph of it on the author's social media account here:
https://x.com/CarolinaFlorezC/status/...
The setting of this story is based on a real place. The author's descriptions gave me a good sense of the location. I didn't fully invest in the story's female protagonist, Antonia, but she is courageous and capable--determined to investigate secrets and lies to learn the truth.
There's a large cast of characters that are not given in-depth personalities or reasons for existing other than to assist the MC in her quest for knowledge, so I had a difficult time keeping them all straight/remembering their purpose when they are mentioned again, later.
Some repeating thoughts within the chapter, sometimes on the same page. Antonia muses to herself a lot and it's often the same questions in her mind.
At the end of several chapters, a question is asked, “But would the cost be too high in the end” or “But would any of them survive at all if she couldn’t get the house to spill its secrets?” I thought this technique was a bit obvious/cliché
There are aspects of this story I enjoyed a lot. It reminded me so much of The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton, so if you read that book and want more of those vibes and plot details, this is for you. They both have:
Subject
Death
Death of parents
Mansions
Scandals
Secrets
Socialites
Wealth
Latino/Latina/Latine
1920s
Historical Gothic
For me, this was a straightforward murder mystery thriller with Gothic tropes and undertones. A light romance and some magical realism with secret society/cult elements and a tidy ending.


Final Recommendation: Bochica employs Gothic tropes and themes with a rich cultural context. I recommend this book to young readers looking for a place to start in Gothic horror. Recommended for fans of suspenseful historical fiction about courageous women determined to uncover the truth no matter the cost.
-atmospheric, cultural Gothic haunted house stories
-secret societies/cults/dark witchcraft
-insta-romance/relationship
-murder mystery/clues
-family legacy/dynamics

Comps:
-The Queen of the Cicadas by V. Castro (more of a similar storytelling style)
-The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton (similar story/wealth/legacy/murder)
-The Daughters of Block Island by Christa Carmen (similar story vibes with the mystery and mother/daughter dynamic)
(I wouldn't comp to Mexican Gothic or The Hacienda-not enough of the historical elements)
(I wouldn't comp to The Shining-this isn't about an insidious or menacing mansion possessing its inhabitants)

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kept forgetting to load a review and update my reading status for Bochica, and I apologize for the delay.

If you are looking for a quick paced, eerie, atmospheric haunted house tale, look no further. This is the perfect book to take with you on vacation or any sort of travel as it's engaging, not overly complex, but very interesting. You won't have the whole plot figured out in the first few chapters because this is one haunted house story that you haven't seen/read before. I also really enjoyed seeing the cultural application to this genre. I have seen it compared to Mexican Gothic, but honestly it's a very different story, a very different culture, and a very different writing style. This said, like Mexican Gothic, it is a rare application and was really fascinating to me as a result.
3.5
Notable qualities:
1) Beautiful description of the Columbian landscapes and architecture without being overdone. This author knows exactly how to put images in readers' minds while avoiding long, purple passages. I really enjoyed exploring this culture of how the characters interacted with one another within the book's framework.

2) The prose is written in translation, but it is smooth and readable. I saw several reviews that complained about grammar errors, but I am very sensitive to such errors, and I have no idea to what these reviewers were referring. I'm actually suspicious of their motives and perhaps they just felt like being negative. I found no issues with the grammar at all.

The main thing that did need more polish is the repetitive sentence structure. It's simply not as varied as it needed to be. Many short paragraphs begin subject/predicate, over and over again. It's that repetition which gets a bit stale. This is the translator's fault entirely (if there was a translator), and I really would like to see if I could obtain a copy in the original language as I'm fair at reading Spanish, and I feel certain this would make such an enormous difference. The storyline certainly merits the search.

If the author didn't use a translator, then perhaps for future works this might be a consideration just for the sake of varying the sentence structure when transposing the ideas into English. This said, I feel lucky to have experienced this tale at all as a gothic Columbian haunting is a rarity indeed.

[Roxana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, this one was just unbelievably disappointing. I loved the idea of it (and the cover!), and was so excited to receive an ARC and dive right in. But the intriguing premise and setting that had drawn me in were, ultimately, all Bochica had going for it. The writing is choppy and weak, and feels frankly like an early draft - it desperately needs several more rounds of editing and revision, from the individual word choice/sentence structure level, all the way to more overarching plotting and character development issues.

I *was* inspired by this book to go elsewhere and find out more about the waterfall and the building (now a museum) at the heart of the story, as well as the Muisca culture & deities, so I'm grateful for that inspiration to learn about something I was previously ignorant of.

I hope this author's next book gets the editorial support it needs to take it to another level, because I really did like the bones of Bochica - I just wish the final product had been stronger.

Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Kurryreads (Kerry) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars - Thank you Atria books for an early copy in exchange for my honest feedback

Publishes May 13th and follows a young woman named Antonia who visits her childhood home - (a Colombian gothic mansion said to be haunted, where her mother lost her life) when it’s turned into a luxurious hotel. Upon visiting just 3 years later, Antonia sets to uncover the mystery of the house and what really happened to her mother.

I love a haunted house story and I found this one was slightly reminiscent of Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia. I loved the dark gothic atmosphere and found Antonia to be a likable protagonist I could root for.

This was a pretty plot forward fast paced story and I found it very easy to fly through it. It was a rather short read and I would’ve liked it to be slightly longer for the sake of character development which I felt was somewhat lacking.

Overall, the book kept me engaged throughout, there were some pretty intense scenes, and I ultimately thought it was a well done story.

Video: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT2VcYttV/

[Bbecca_marie]

thank you so much to the publisher for the gifted arc.

… this one hurts my soul. I held out on reading the ARC until closer to the publication date, only to DNF it. I want to cry. There is not a thing that held my attention and I don’t know why. I felt like I was eating an animal cracker… like I knew I should be tasting SOMETHING but I’m not. I even ended up using my last simon audio credits to see if the audiobook worked better and sadly it did not. This book was compared to books I really enjoyed and I didn’t get any sort of familiarity. I am so happy many others loved this book more than I did. I hope it finds its people!!

happy reading

[Alexandra Morales · Rating 1 out of 5]

**Thank you Netgalley and Atria for a EArc of the book in exchange for my honest opinion***

I truly think the author picked a very interesting topic but how it reads feels like a first draft.

I had an incredibly hard time keeping my attention invested in this book. There was an excessive amount of telling and that snagged my attention and made it difficult to read.

The transitions to different scenes would surprise me? I'd be reading the end of chapter and BAM we are somewhere completely different, nothing smooth about it.

The author kept bringing Gothic up.. I also felt this with Daughters of Block Island. You are writing something Gothic so there is no need to constantly bring the word up. It's up to the author to create a unique and creepy world.. you shouldn't have to rely on using Gothic to describe what's going on.

At the beginning of the book she switches between using Mama and Estela along with papa and Ricardo. That can be confusing when first starting a book. It interchanges randomly. Along with flashbacks to the past. In the middle of a paragraph from the present Antonia thinks back to the past.

I didn't mind the romance aspect but it really could have been explored more.

Overall it's choppy and reads like a first draft.

I will say the setting is very unique and I haven't read anything similar it just needed some TLC in transitions and character development.

[Mags · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc.

So. My largest tiff with this book is that is genuinely needs another round of editing. The language is so poor that it’s hard to focus on the story and keep track of what’s going on, and no amount of decent storytelling can make up for how inadequately this was written. I came into this with very high hopes and I was disappointed by the amount of grammatical errors present within 240 pages. This could be good, but the lack of editing makes it less than impressive. Readers should not have to fight to understand what it being conveyed in the story, and this felt like a fight.

[Brend · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean, sure. Why not?

[Em H. · Rating 2 out of 5]

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

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.

[Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I've been so excited to read Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro's debut novel, BOCHICA, ever since I've seen it being compared to Mexican Gothic meets The Shining. UM HELLO! Thank you @atriabooks @atriathrillers for this gifted copy! The cover alone captivated me so I knew that I needed to prioritize this one.

Set in 1920s Colombia, this historical Gothic mystery follows Antonia, a young woman drawn back to her eerie childhood home—now a luxury hotel—perched above the legendary Salto del Tequendama waterfall. Still haunted by her mother’s mysterious death and the house’s malevolent spirit, Antonia embarks on a chilling journey to uncover long-buried secrets and piece together her fragmented memories. The setting for BOCHICA is atmospheric and grounded in real folklore.

This book dives into familiar territory when it comes to horror novels—cults, mythology, secret societies—but they are sprinkled in rather than fully divulged. At around 250 pages, this book is a short fun ride! There's a large supporting cast, but Antonia is the one who takes full center throughout the novel. I am not sure I would say this is specifically in the same vein of Mexican Gothic and The Shining, but fans of light supernatural mysteries with Gothic aesthetics and historical backdrops, will definitely find BOCHICA hauntingly fun. I will definitely tune into this author for future works as she continues to dive into this paranormal gothic realm.

[Toya (thereadingchemist)]

DNF @30%.

Nothing is happening.

[Elisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of Bochica is really interesting, pitched as Mexican Gothic x The Shining, you are immediately drawn into wanting to know what is happening with this mansion on the mountain next to a waterfall. I think that this story has good bones, but the execution has left the reader wanting. I am aware and would like to note that I read this in English, and the author is Colombian. The issues that I have with the book don't have anything to do with translations, but rather the simplicity of the plot and characters.

What worked for me:
I liked the discussions surrounding the Muisca people, and how Spanish colonization impacted them. Learning about the different figures in the religion of the Muisca was interesting also. Based on my simple searches, it seems that historically Bochica is a man, but for this story was depicted as a goddess and I think that is cool. However, it serves no purpose in the story as Bochica is barely a part of the story. The cover is also really beautiful.

What didn’t work for me:
As it stands, the book reads as very formulaic because a lot of descriptions and details have not been included. There is no chemistry between Antonia and Alejandro, I’m not really sure if a book of this length needs a romantic element. . Antonia is a strong-willed character but that is all that we really know about her. Her resolve and motivations flip on a switch with nothing necessarily provoking them to change. There is a lot of telling vs showing in this book. The villain’s plan is never fully explained. There are a lot of plot holes, and there is also never really a true climactic point in the story between the protagonist and antagonist. I think this story has potential, but in my opinion it would benefit from a few more edits to really develop these characters and plot. I ended the book with more questions than answers and not in a philosophical way.

Thank you to netgalley and Atria / Primero Sueno Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Frank Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was definitely atmospheric and gothic but just a tad bit too slow for my taste. Definitely not a suspense and more of a dark mystery, with supernatural elements. Still a very solid read considering this is a debut and I will keep my eye on this author's forthcoming work!

[Mariana Anaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 stars. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! Down below is my honest review.

[…] “malevolence was a shadow that could fall on anyone.
Real horror lay not just in the actions of one person, but in the pervasive, insidious presence of evil that lurked in every corner of human nature, even masked under a disguise of good intentions”. 

Bochica is the debut novel of Colombian author Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro. A mystery/horror gothic novel filled with Muiscas indigenous mythology and rituals (Bochica as the light goddess, its counterpart the Svetyba), situated between 1920’s and 1930’s both in Bogotá and Soacha (Colombia), specifically in La Candeleria neighbourhood and El Salto de Tequendama waterfall.

I loved the writing style with its rich descriptions and journal entries, its short chapters and its pace. The characters were very interesting and well developed, I loved specially Nona (the main one), Carmela and Alejandro. The narration had me enthralled since page 1.

Bochica tells the story of how Nona, Carmela and Nona’s parents lived in a mansion outside Bogotá and next to El Salto de Tequendama for ten years, about how her mother worshipped goddess Bochica and Muisca mythology, how Antonia (Nona) suffered vivid nightmares, how the house appeared to be haunted, how Estela (Nona’s mother) mysteriously fall from El Salto and was found dead, how Ricardo (Nona’s father) went crazy because of grieving and tried to burn down the house with Nona and Carmela inside, how they all escaped to Bogotá and how, years later, the mansion was converted into a luxurious hotel. Alejandro is journalist that is investigating the prior events on the same day Nona, Carmela and Ricardo are coming back due to hotel’s inauguration party, he offers Nona his help in order to clarify her suspicious mother’s death. But remember the house was apparently haunted so maybe the hotel is haunted too!

With a bit of romance and an addictive atmosphere, with secondary characters that are not what they seem to be, Bochica was a wonderful read I truly want to recommend to you all!

[Lupe Dominguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like many other reviews have pointed out, this was a bit slow and mostly atmospheric. Lots of repetitive sentences and thoughts. I loved the idea of the journal entries, I kind of wish they had been utilized better. I also wish the folklore of the svetyba had been better used as well. The whole thing with the Madre at the school though? That whole sub-storyline was not needed, imo. I think for me, the biggest issue was that I figured out what was happening WAY too early and so the rest of the book was just me trying to see when the MC’s were going to figure it out. That was such a let down to me. I was so hopeful for this, especially since it was heavily compared to Mexican Gothic, which I loved. This ended up just being “meh” to me. Three stars though because the hallucinations and descriptions of the locations definitely helped the story, made it very visually appealing and interesting.

[Clarissa Labue-Pham · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has been compared to books I loved so I preordered it months in advance. This was a DNF for me at the 43 percent point. It's dull, long winded, and reads at a snails pace. If you liked Mexican Gothic, vampires of El Norte, and/or the Hacienda...then reread those because this one doesn't hit.

[Books_the_Magical_Fruit]

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, and as such, I won’t be rating it.

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

[Cydney · Rating 2 out of 5]

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

[Meagan Beal · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[swamp pig · Rating 2 out of 5]

thank you goodreads for the giveaway win!
unfortunately I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. I would have DNF'ed this at around 25% but felt an obligation to finish since I won it in a giveaway. folklore was mentioned a lot but was not really part of the plot which was a bummer, i was looking forward to a good folk horror story. it was very predictable with a forgettable main character. I swear half the book was her rethinking about what we'd already learned and pondering questions that were quite obvious to the reader. I did enjoy the atmosphere and setting.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This sounded like a really promising gothic horror, but it was, unfortunately, quite bland. The writing was very choppy. It plodded along slowly with very little depth or description. Despite the interesting subject matter, I had a really difficult time engaging with this one.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy!

follow me on bookstagram!

[rachel x]

"A real-life Latin American haunted mansion. A murky labyrinth of family secrets. A young, aristocratic woman desperate to escape her past. "

a haunting debut gothic horror novel is perfect for fans of Mexican Gothic? perfect!

[Pattie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love gothic stories but this one really missed the mark for me. The writing felt very immature/YA and I'm thinking that junior high me might have really liked this. Adult me, not so much.

[Frida · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ⭐️

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Atria Books Publicity Department and NetGalley for the e-arc. Here is my honest review:

Bochica tells the story of Antonia and the tragedy that has followed her family since they moved into their home perched above a waterfall rich in history and secrets. Years after her mother's death, the family home is being converted into a hotel. But, the ghosts of the land and Antonia's past remain.

The novel frames itself as The Shining, but don't come into this novel thinking you will get a 1:1 horror story or an immersive hotel setting. Instead, Bochica shines best as a story tackling grief. It asks what is more haunting: ghosts or regret?

Starting the book was a bit hard as I found that it took a long time for the premise to really shine. The book's most prominent problems are most noticeable in the beginning. These problems included a slow start and too many references to a plot the audience has yet to be clued in on. However, I was able to quickly finish the book within the rest of the day once the plot stopped relying on these vague references.

Let's start with what I liked and believed to be the novel's strengths:

The dialogue is the book's greatest strength. I can clearly hear Antonia's voice. Florez-Cerchiaro does an excellent job establishing a voice for all the characters to the point that their voices never muddled into one. During the points of the novel that I found myself lost in, I was able to come back thanks to the strong dialogue. While some descriptions and writing choices confused me, the dialogue itself was never hard to follow and was consistent throughout the book.

Antonia's characterization is consistent. She was an enjoyable protagonist with a distinct voice. Despite Alejandro (her partner in solving the hotel's mystery) not being as strong of a character, he contrasts and parallels Antonia in ways that elevate Antonia.

The paranoia of the book is present and felt. There are times when you doubt if Antonia is a reliable narrator and if her psyche can be trusted. The unsettling fear of the novel's beginning slowly morphs into a label of evil.

Now for some of the book's shortcomings:

The book was too vague in the beginning. By this, I mean that the book focused heavily on trying to push the gothic/horror element of the plot through the repetitive mentions of nightmares and memories of Antonia. The repetition got old fast and did not add to the book's atmosphere. Additionally, these "secrets" did not provide a good payoff.

Some scenes were also hard to follow. Even if the stream of consciousness is supposed to be unreliable, as a reader I still felt like the writing of these scenes resulted in a confusing plot at times. Some scenes started or ended too abruptly with plot lines jumping from A to B without a lot of description to lead the readers into what is happening. As a result, some scenes were hard to read.

However, my biggest problem with the book has to be in its ending. Without giving away any spoilers, the novel's ending does not utilize the supernatural elements present in the novel's universe. The novel's ending does not showcase the book's strengths and shies away from being bold. Had it a stronger ending that leaned more into the book's aesthetic and concluded on the themes and symbols it built up, then the novel would have been stronger and more satisfying overall. It was an underwhelming ending but not a terrible one.

Overall, Bochica has a great concept that pulls you in but never goes all out. I had a lot of fun with what the novel was setting up, only to end up disappointed at the ending. It is a story rich in themes from the idea of reclaiming what was lost to fighting for one's autonomy told through the lens of a gothic narrative. I wished the novel delved more into its horror elements. I even wish that the novel was longer. There are a lot of things that Bochica tries to do and while it does not nail all of them perfectly, the effort is there.

Overall: 3.75

[rose ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

“a horror story could attract even more people than a luxurious hotel ever would.”

…no one ask me how my “DNF more books” resolution is going.

when antonia was a child, her father built a beautiful mansion for her mother—but the family’s dream quickly became a waking nightmare. now a young woman, she finds herself drawn back to the childhood home where her mother died mysteriously years earlier, and caught up in a deeper conspiracy involving a murder cult and a power struggle over sacred land.

i was really disappointed by bochica. the almost-YA writing style, tendency to tell rather than show, and stilted, passionless romantic subplot bog down what could be a haunting story about the cost of colonialism, muisca culture, and the lengths women will go to for power in a society that denies them. i realize i read an ARC, but it reads like an early draft.

arc provided by netgalley and atria books in exchange for an honest review.

rating: 1.5/5.0 stars

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

Thank you to Atria for an eARC. Bochica is out 5/13/25.