Thank you again to Random House for the eARC!

This book is about two girls with a very complicated friendship, Ingrid and Mayra. They grew up together, but eventually grew apart. But, when Mayra calls Ingrid and says she wants her to come visit her and her new boyfriend, with some reluctance and a lot of history between them, Ingrid drives herself to the house in the middle of the swampy Florida nowhere. This is where the story takes off.

A southern gothic tale set in rural Florida in the swamps is a new concept to me, and it definitely works! That atmosphere of the place and the house really sets a very eerie scene. I actually felt physically uncomfortable when describing the weird situations and happenings when Gonzalez would describe them, which I think is a sign of great readable horror. I will say that in this same vein, being in Ingrid’s mind felt like a great choice for the main character, as at times she didn’t always feel reliable, and she has very crippling anxiety (which I feel was really well represented, and I loved the metaphors she used with the balloon), which added another sense of distrust and discomfort. Then you bring in Mayra’s boyfriend with the really weird tendencies and you’ve got the perfect weird and scary soup!

Even though this is classified as horror, we do get a lot of tidbits as the reader of Ingrid and Mayra’s past throughout the book, more and more as it goes on and this keeps you guessing about what their relationship is really like in the beginning, only to have you resolute that even with the complexities, these girls love each other by the end. If there is one thing about me, it’s that I loveeeeee complicated characters and relationships in my books. And i’d say even though I also love an eerie and creepy atmosphere in a book, I feel like their relationship is where this book is it’s best.

And for this to be Nicky Gonzalez’ debut, this was a great step into the literary world. I will be picking up her next read whenever it’s time, and I’ll be grabbing a copy of this when it’s finally out!

Go pick it up on July 22 of this year!

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House for this eARC. I've recently been rewatching Dexter and so when this novel appeared, set in the Florida Everglades, I ate it up. There's a sort of "Haunting-of-Hill-House" type vibe to this, though there were times when I was a little confused about the more fantastical elements and how they aligned with real life. I was certainly eerie, but I'm not sure the magical realism worked for me.

Mayra is a stunning Florida Gothic. Nicky Gonzalez weaves setting in a bonechilling way that sneaks up on you. Just like the swamp that surrounds the characters, the horror and intrigue grabs you and drowns you before you even know what hits you. This is a promising author who I will read for many years to come.

A very unique and offbeat story. It has flavors of thriller/horror, but mostly is about a girl who struggles with her identity. I definitely felt entranced by the writing style and this deep, toxic friendship that exists between the main characters. It felt like there was something missing in terms of a climax for Mayra and Ingrid, who had so much tangled history together it seemed like the ending could have packed more a punch. I also felt that the eeriness and haunting of the house could have played a bigger role in the story early on to really amp up the tension. Overall, definitely an interesting read!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Liked this one more than I expected to! Wasn’t sure it would be for me at the beginning, but once the narrative arrived at the house I felt much more invested. Hypnotic; atmospheric prose and insidious eerie vibes.

Best way for me to describe this book was that it was simply and wholly atmospheric, giving me the ability to craft whatever narrative I wanted to believe out of the events transpiring. It was a beautiful look into something deeply unsettling about the south and the everglades, a way of taking that feeling you get if you've ever had the chance to drive through them and putting it into reality. It was unsettling at times, worrisome in others, and made me wonder what was happing. Is the main character obsessed with her former best friend, or is this a narrative of insanity. I don't really know but I don't believe that was the point. I thoroughly enjoyed wondering what was going on all the time. These are the types of books that are aimed more at thinking rather than watching a movie play out with words.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the eARC of this book!

Thank you Netgalley for the arc. It was a very good read. It was creepy and I loved it. I would recommend reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion!

This book was truly a five star read for me! That being said....the sapphic undertones were NOT enough for me!!!!!!! And while the ending was definitely fitting and made sense with the characters being who they were....I wanted it to end happier! All of those things out of the way, I truly adored everything about this book, it really did bring a sort of nostalgia for my teenage girl years too. Codependent female friendships and all! Seriously though, an amazing southern gothic horror read that you will continue to think about long after you've finished reading it!

This book felt like a fever dream ( and I usually like those types of books) but this one did not quite sit well with me at all. I think it was trying to do what The last tale of the flower bride was trying to do but it did not land. It like the vibe, the gothic and subtle haunting feeling. I liked the themes of talking about.a toxic teenage friendship and how much it effects us well into adulthood. I liked the writing but the story fell flat for me, so I had to do myself a favor and stop reading about half way.

"Mayra" by Nicky Gonzalez had potential, but it just didn't quite work for me. The premise -- a fraught friendship with slightly sapphic undertones rekindled under eerie circumstances -- had a lot of potential, but the execution never fully came together.

The book felt repetitive, circling the same tensions without much payoff. The structure was choppy, jumping around in ways that interrupted the flow. And when the "big reveal" finally landed, it unraveled into a fever-dream sequence that was confusing, poorly explained, and ultimately unsatisfying. If the central mystery is this murky and the resolution this ambitious, what was the point??? I'm all for a book ending with a sense of intrigue or allowing the reader to reach their own conclusions, but this was not that. This was more like... what the hell was that? and not in a good way.

That said, Gonzalez has a spark in her writing and I'll give her next book another shot. But Mayra left me underwhelemed.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House for the advance copy.

pretty awesomely creepy at points although the word gothic is about 100% not how i'd describe this. it feels like it should draw more comparisons to smth like Rouge then a gothic. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Behind the green glass door...Caught up in a life that feels monotonous, Ingrid gets some excitement when her childhood bestie comes back to town. Ingrid travels to stay with Mayra and her boyfriend at his remote family home, where the mundane becomes refreshing...with a side of sinister. Something isn't quite right and if Ingrid doesn't figure it out soon, she'll be caught in the grasp of something she doesn't understand.

When I received the eARC of this, I decided to go into it blind. All I heard was gothic and southern and bam, I was hooked. Immediately I found myself identifying with the main character and it helped to pull me into the story. As I was reading it felt like nothing was really happening and yet I could stop reading it. Reflecting on what I've read the signs were there, but subtle. And that's exactly what this is: a subtle horror. I wouldn't necessarily say it will scare you out of your wits, but it's definitely something that I'll be thinking about for a while.

If you are looking for something mind puzzling then this is it - you'll think you know what is going on, but something will happen, and it will confuse you. Pretty sure that's the point...to confuse you, just like the main character is confused. Nicky Gonzalez did a wonderful job leaving me baffled and a little disturbed at the end. 4 stars - highly recommend.

*Thank you to Net Galley and Random House for providing an eARC for an honest review.*

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Where do I begin with this book?

Mayra is Nicky Gonzalez’s 240-page debut novel about a gothic tale of childhood friendship renewed. Childhood friends Ingrid and Mayra grew apart when they went to college and left their toxic relationship behind. Now, Mayra is back in town with a new boyfriend and she wants to reconnect in an old mansion in the middle of the Florida Everglades.

Told in first person, the narration feels introspective but verges on the side of dull in places. At least once a chapter, I found myself skimming until it picked up again.

It’s a quick read that feels too fast, as if the characters weren’t developed enough. Mayra will be available on 7/22/2025 for $28 in hardback through Random House Publishing.

2/5 Stars

Mayra is a perfect example of what makes gothic literature so appealing. It’s not action packed and in your face. Slow and subtle, as it walks the reader through eerie and unsettling feelings. Nothing is overt but you get the sense that something is very wrong. I loved it! Gonzalez writes beautifully which is the strength of this story, along with the setting and characters.

*If you are looking for something plot-heavy and action packed then this may not be for you.

Very thought-provoking. I'm not sure how I feel about it, honestly, but I feel like I'll be dwelling on it and the implications for awhile.

Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez starts out as a story between two really close girlfriends and then it turns very very strange. Mayra and Ingrid basically grew up together. They were close as young girls and as they grew older, they maintained their friendship. Mayra knew Ingrid's mom and spent lots of time at their house. They do the ridiculous and silly things that growing girls do...some things incredibly questionable. But then towards the end of the book there is a house that Mayra moves into with Benji, who is really odd and Ingrid goes to visit them in what I think is St. Pete. I've never known St. Pete to be in a swampy area, but nevertheless this house is in a swamp. And then scary things begin happening. A house that puts them to sleep and takes themselves away from who they are...it is.a house with many many rooms, some created by Ingrid's memories, most definitely it is a creepy haunted house, one where Benji the owner eats dust and cobwebs! yuck!
This is a fun and quirky fast book to read and it is beautifully written..!

Thank you to Random House for the invitation to read this story and thank you to Netgalley.

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. It started out well enough and kept me intrigued to find out what exactly was going to happen but then it just got weird, too weird.

Genre: Described as a Gothic thriller
Descriptors: Toxic friendships, Isolation, Florida, swamplands, weird, not horror.
Favorite scene: Benji at the window. When you get to it, you'll know.
Point of view: Flashbacks present throughout
Spice: No
Standalone: Yes
Would I recommend? No

If you enjoy "atmospheric horror" or more of a gothic horror vibe, this would be up your wheelhouse.

Ingrid and Mayra are the definition of a toxic friendship, and while we can only really see and understand Ingrid's side of the decade long friendship we are thrown into a fever dream like scenario when Ingrid goes to visit Mayra in the Florida everglades for a "digital detox".

In a house that is seemingly adding new bits on every second, a friendship always two seconds from exploding, a neat freak boyfriend who gives off creep vibes, and a mysterious journal; you get Mayra.

Thanks NetGalley & Random hosue for this eARC.

As much as the description pulled me to this book—gothic, dark, South Florida — I just couldn’t get a grip on it.

Mayra is a slow burn of ex-high school friends meeting again in their mid-20s under strange arrangements.

I read about half the book and still couldn’t pick up on exactly what was going on there. It seems like both Mayra and Ingrid were…hypnotized? …by Benji and his family’s land in extreme Southwest Florida. I couldn’t like either female character. Ingrid seems to have never grown up from a self-fulfilling crappy experience in high school where she thought Mayra was her friend. Mayra seems like she is forever looking for her next stepping stone to some unknown higher existence in society. I guess?

I put this book aside for a few weeks to see if it would resonate and “call” me back in to finishing, but it unfortunately just didn’t.

I didn’t see either Ingrid or Mayra as trustworthy or fictionally untrustworthy in a good way.

I think this book just wasn’t the right fit for me.

DNF

I appreciate the opportunity to read this ARC.

I don't know if im surprised negatively or positively it wasn't what i expected, it didnt feel hunted in the slightest but the toxic friensdhip was rather interesting then it got really repetitive with flashbacks basically saying the same thing.
The second part i dont know what to think it was very WTF where does this come from and i was more worried with that than with what was actually happening. There is some interesting fucked up thing like Benji but overall i enjoyed the book more than not