I really enjoyed the idea of this book however it felt very slow and it was hard for me to keep pushing to read it. I think this was a great book for those who want to get into the genre and start with something quick, but personally this was not for me

I don't really get what this book was trying to accomplish. There is the friendship between Mayra and Ingrid. Neither character is particularly likeable and the feelings that Ingrid has for Mayra are...ODD. I don't really know how to explain it. In some ways, she seemed oddly obsessed with her. In other ways, she seemed to resent and dislike her. They had zero chemistry on the page and everything felt forced and unnatural. The house was also strange but not really strange enough. Diary entries from a journal found in the house didn't really add much to the story. The only creepy factor in the book was Benji but in the end, that didn't really go anywhere (or maybe it did and I was so over the book, I just skimmed the end, which was where all the action was). Everything was SO slow and felt like a dream, but not in a good way (or a fever dream way). The vibes were not vibing at all in this book. Sadly, this one was a bust for me!

I don't even know how to classify this book. It's not horror. It's not Southern Gothic. It's not women's fiction. It's a little bit of all those things and nothing adds up to a coherent novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the digital ARC of this book.

Two unlikely best friendships were formed as teenagers. After graduating, they went separate ways and then reunited six years later. This book is so unusual, you just want to find out more about two deeply twisted girlfriends.

Mayra, who once manipulated and caused emotional distress to Ingrid, contacted her unexpectedly and asked how she was doing. Then she begged her long-lost friend from Hialeah in Miami-Dade County to join her at a vacation home.

Even though they had a peculiar relationship years ago, Ingrid got in her car and somehow found this place across the state tucked away in the Everglades. It was quiet, away from people, electronics, shops and restaurants.

The dialogue between the two had a constant mix of quirkiness. It was almost like stepping into some type of fantasy homestead. There was no mention of what would bother me: sticky humid weather, alligators, mosquitos, spiders and flies. The house, however, had a different vibe.

While Ingrid was enjoying her digital detox, it made me think about how miserable I would be without a Kindle, I-pad or phone. The first part had my attention and then it started to slow down. Yet, I couldn’t wait to find out how it was going to end. It didn’t take long as it’s 240 pages.

My thanks to Random House and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of July 22, 2025.

This is a dark debut that focuses on a girl who goes to visit an old friend who's staying in the Everglades, and there may not be something entirely right about the house, much less the boyfriend that's popped up with her. You've got the nostalgia of reaching to an old friend who isn't there anymore and hoping for reconciliation, but things lurking just under the surface and seemingly the environment around you sabotage things. Sometimes a gothic book is about the ghosts of a friendship, and also maybe a bit of a haunted house. The setting description is great, too - you can feel the humidity and stickiness of the swamps. Worth a read this summer.

I read the last 2/3 of Mayra without many breaks. My psychological experience felt similar to, and maybe influenced, by Ingrid's experience - the writing really brought me into the disorientation! I really enjoyed Gonzalez's writing, based on both style and story structure choices.

"An eerie, hypnotic debut about friendship, desire, and memory set against the sultry backdrop of Florida's swamplands.

It's been years since Ingrid has heard from her childhood best friend, Mayra, a fearless rebel who fled their hometown of Hialeah, a Cuban neighborhood just west of Miami, for college in the Northeast. But when Mayra calls out of the blue to invite Ingrid to a weekend getaway at a house in the Everglades, she impulsively accepts.

From the moment Ingrid sets out, danger looms: The directions are difficult, she's out of reach of cell service, and as she drives deeper into the Everglades, the wet maw of the swamp threatens to swallow her whole. But once Ingrid arrives, Mayra is, in many ways, just as she remembers - with her sharp tongue and effortless, seductive beauty, still thumbing her nose at the world.

Before they can fully settle into the familiar intimacy of each other's company, their reunion is spoiled by the reemergence of past disagreements and the unexpected presence of Mayra's new boyfriend, Benji. The trio spend their hours eating lavish meals and exploring the labyrinthine house, which holds as much mystery as the swamp itself. Indoors and on the grounds, time itself seems to expand, and Ingrid begins to lose a sense of the outside world, and herself.

Against this disquieting setting, where lizards dart in and out of porches and alligators peek from dark waters, Gonzalez weaves a surreal, unforgettable story about the dizzying power of early friendship and the lengths we'll go to earn love and acceptance - even at the risk of losing ourselves entirely."

Oh so Southern Gothic!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I was hoping for more horror to this story and to me it seemed more thriller. The ending also felt a little rushed for me. Overall, I enjoyed it.

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

Mayra feels like it is two separate books - both well-written and interesting, but distinctly different. The first 75% is one book, telling the story of a friendship, both through memories of the past and through the two of them reconnecting after growing apart.

The last quarter is the gothic novel that this book is purported to be. I think the pacing of this book didn't work. There are moments where things seem off earlier in the story, but they aren't anything that builds to the overall sense of horror that I think the novel needed for the final climax to really carry itself off.

However, I did really enjoy the writing. It is atmospheric and taut, and despite the slower pace, I was completely engaged. I would read more books by the author, but I am not sure how strongly I would recommend this one to someone looking for a gothic horror.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House for the ARC. Nicky Gonzalez has a beautiful writing style that shines especially in the parts describing the Everglades and the setting of the house. I like the house, and the friendship between Ingrid and Mayra is well written. However the diary entries are surprisingly the most boring part, and the ending was kind of disappointing.

2.5

I enjoyed this and found it to be an easy quick read, I didn't find it to be horror so much as it stated more suspense.

Thank you to netgalley for the chance to read and review this book

thank you to netgalley + publishers for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

overall I would give this 3.5 stars. I liked the character stuff between Mayra and Ingrid, and thought the mixture of flashbacks vs the current storyline flowed nicely and worked well. but I did feel that there was something missing- I liked the diary entries but felt they didn't contribute as much to the story as they could have. like I was confused as to who Pual was, and if Paul and Benji were the same person? where did lizzie go?

the ending (~last 15%) also felt disproportionate to the rest of the book. I liked it but it felt almost rushed. I still am not sure where the house came from?

it was a pretty good read overall, I finished it in a day. I really liked the overall feeling and enjoyed the read. reminded me just a bit of Mexican gothic, with the speaking house and mold (?)

one last thing... this is totally nitpicky but it was so jarring to have the characters say bro to each other. now this could be a cultural thing that I'm not familliar with, but it just surprised me everytime I came across it in casual conversation. yes I say bro sometimes but I've never read it in a book before. not bad just interesting

As a Florida girl born and raised, this book spoke to me on such a deep level. Mayra follows two childhood friends from South Florida, Ingrid and Mayra, who reunite after years apart and find themselves tangled in something far more unsettling than just old memories. Set against the humid, haunted backdrop of the Everglades, this story is part dream, part nightmare, and completely immersive. I simply couldn’t put it down.

Every reference to South Florida culture, from the language to the landscape, felt familiar and spot on. The pacing was excellent, especially with the back-and-forth between the present day and childhood flashbacks. Those flashbacks gave so much emotional context to their bond and the tension simmering beneath it. They slowly peeled back the layers of what made them inseparable and what ultimately drove them apart.

While I wouldn’t call this horror in the traditional sense, it gave off strong Florida Gothic vibes: eerie, hazy, and emotionally haunting. The creepiness builds in that quiet, disorienting way that lingers under your skin. And beneath that, Mayra explores some incredibly deep themes: friendship, identity, longing, and the fear of being left behind.

It made me think a lot about what it means to grow apart from someone who once felt like home. How do we navigate the space between who we were and who we’re becoming? How do we maintain a sense of self in friendships that start to blur the lines? The story explores the beauty and danger of nostalgia, and the very human desire to return to something you’ve outgrown.

This is a debut, and I’m honestly so impressed. The prose, the emotional depth, the structure, it all worked. I devoured this book and would 100% read anything Nicky Gonzalez writes next.

If you’re into literary horror, emotionally messy friendships, or stories where setting and memory intertwine into something beautiful and eerie, Mayra should absolutely be on your radar.

Thank you to Random House Publishing, author Nicky Gonzalez, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this title.

It's interesting that RH/NG has this listed as general fiction/women's fiction, because uh...this is definitely a Baby's First Horror Novel type of setup. I think that is telegraphed enough through the cover and description that it shouldn't SHOCK anyone picking it up, but I do find it interesting that it wasn't slotted into horror as an advertising genre on NG. That said, it is LIGHT horror. There is an oppressive vibe, kind of but not quite Southern Gothic, but there's no blood, gore, jump scares, slashers, any of that. There is a weird house and a sense of something looming and then some DEFINITELY horror-genre final scenes.

What RH does lean into in the description of this book is the relationship between the narrator (Ingrid) and Mayra herself. They were incredibly close as children and now have grown apart, and Ingrid is having trouble navigating that dynamic and who Mayra is now, while still WANTING that closeness (and possibly more) that they had as children. I think this well done, and the atmosphere is excellent. The pacing could probably be a bit better--there are parts of it that could definitely have a sense of "where are we going with this?"--but it's short enough that even those portions don't drag on and you can read it pretty quickly.

A good, kind of creepy read for hot, humid summer nights.

I was expecting horror, but this felt more like I was trying my best to listen to a friend who just kept going on and on about a dream they had. Specifically, a low-stakes nightmare: things appear normal but wrong, there are no locks but you are trapped. It's like a nightmare about an old friend who takes your through endless hallways and nonsensical rooms while you argue whether code switching or being a townie is worse. Is this what my old art teachers warned me about what a bad Jimson Weed trip was like?

I was somewhat surprised by this novel. Based on my reading of the promotional materials, I was expecting a tale of mystery and suspense. And there is some of that. However, “Mayra” struck me as more a literary novel, focusing, as it does, on the relationship between two young Cuban American women who grew up together in a lower-middle-class section of Hialeah, Florida.

The story is told in the first person by Ingrid—the less adventurous, more passive of the high-spirited pair—who stayed in Florida while Mayra braved Cornell and the Northeast. Via author Nicky Gonzalez’s masterful prose replete with lyric gems, occasional wit, well-turned phrases, and oceans of backstory and other digressions, Ingrid describes her admiration for Mayra, their girlhood to teenage friendship, what they were like when they were kids, how their relationship faded when Mayra went away, the anger, resentment, and insecurities Ingrid experienced as the result, and so very much more.

But now, years later, Mayra’s back in Florida, attending graduate school in Gainesville and involved with Benji, the son of a wealthy family owning a large, eclectic home surrounded by the lush wildness of the Everglades. Mayra invites Ingrid for the weekend and Ingrid accepts, expecting to find the person she once knew so well. But amidst the soupy heat, the marshland’s flora and fauna, and the almost magical qualities of the old manse, Ingrid finds that not only has Mayra changed, but she has also.

Readers hoping for a fast-paced novel filled with mystery and suspense may be somewhat disappointed. The story moves slowly. Not all that much happens. There isn’t a whole lot of danger. There are lots of digressions.

But readers interested in a well-written novel about the growth of and relationship between two compelling young women seeking better lives than their upbringing promised may find that “Mayra” fits the bill.

My thanks to NetGalley, author Nicky Gonzalez, and publisher Random House for providing me with a complimentary ARC. All of the foregoing is my honest, independent opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Mayra.

I was pleased my request was approved since the premise intrigued me.

Sadly, this wasn't for me and it's my fault. I should have paid more attention to the fact that it's shelved as Women's Fiction.

The themes sounded dark, spooky, and alluring but it was more about the former friendship between Ingrid and her ex-BFF, Mayra.

It's no surprise that Mayra wore the pants in their friendship; she was the complete opposite of Ingrid, the rebel, the rule breaker, the one who got out of town and headed to the big city for her education and to do big things.

The narrative is comprised of Ingrid's current reconnection with Mayra who invites her to her boyfriend's creepy house in the Florida swamplands and flashbacks into their past.

I'm not sure what the point of the strange house was; to add an element of danger and creepiness?

It read as a minor subplot and was never fully developed, which was a bummer.

I was a little creeped out but not much. It does take A LOT to scare me.

I wished the author had focused on incorporating the theme of the creepy house better with Ingrid and Mayra's relationship or just focused on the creepy house and its purpose.

**I received an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.**

DNF at 27%

This is absolutely a me issue. I was sold on the Gothic swamplands vibe. Unfortunately, this is a lot more contemporary/literary up until this point, which is absolutely not my thing. I have spent entirely too long trying to force this to happen, and it's just a mismatch.

Why are the Everglades so mystical? Any time I read a book with a marshy swamp setting, I’m totally swept away and this was no exception. This is a perfect summer read for the setting alone.

I enjoyed the character driven nature of the first half of this book, and I REALLY enjoyed the totally bizarre turn it took in the second half. We spend so much time learning about Ingrid and Mayra and the complicated nature of their relationship that the uncanniness of the house (and Benji), and the strange passage of time, really sneaks up on you (much like it does Ingrid, I suppose). To the point where I was like, wait what the fuck is happening, did I miss something 😅

I love a book with a bisexual mc and I love a book with a wack ass house - so this one really worked for me, but I suspect it may not be for everyone.

Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez is a fever dream of a novel, following Ingrid as she sets off to spend the weekend with her former best friend Mayra. Ingrid is surprised to receive a call from Mayra, whom she hasn't spoken to several years, and even more surprised when Mayra invites her to spend a long weekend at a vacation house in the Florida Everglades. Once Ingrid arrives at the house, she begins to lose track of time and begins questioning her reality.
I really enjoyed this book; the isolated setting created a claustrophobic atmosphere throughout the story. As events unfolded in the house, it became unclear what was real and what wasn’t, and the flashbacks to Ingrid and Mayra’s teen years added valuable context to their strained relationship.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of Mayra in exchange for my honest review. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

2.5 stars.

I think this would be a good Gothic novel for people dipping their toes into this genre, but it wasn't for me.

This was more contemporary with a Gothic horror/thriller twist at the last 15%. There were clues and tidbits leading up to the Gothic reveal, but they weren't really all that dark or scary. So definitely manage your expectations when you come in.

I did like the relationship between Ingrid and Mayra because it was very realistic. If you've ever had a former bestie or close friend that was sketchy in some way (withholding information from you, disliking your other friends, etc.), then you can definitely relate.

Since I liked the awkward and forced relationship between Ingrid and Mayra, I almost wish that this book was more about that and a lot less about Mayra's questionable husband, his strange family, and his even stranger family home.

It's too bad that the vibes weren't really vibing for me here. I was looking forward to a creepier read and not something that was more contemporary fiction.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this arc.