There’s always that girl. The Beauty Queen. The Smart One. The Athlete. The Bully. The one who used to be your best friend and then wasn’t.

In this story, that girl is Mayra. She’s sharp, sarcastic, and walks around with a smirk like she’s in on a joke you’ll never get. Mayra and Ingrid were inseparable—until Mayra left Florida and basically vanished. Years later, Mayra calls out of the blue and invites Ingrid to a house way out in the Everglades. Against her better judgment (and honestly, against the better judgment of anyone who’s ever seen a thriller), Ingrid says yes.

Cue: weird boyfriend, remote cabin, ominous mirror situation in the bathroom.

Then suddenly, the story takes a hard left turn into Being John Malkovich territory. Like… wait, what? Did I skip pages? Did my Kindle glitch? No clue—but for me, the back half of this one just didn’t land.

I know this book is on a ton of “must-read” lists right now, and I’m sure a lot of people will love it. But personally? This is a "nah, I’m good."

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early read.

Nicky Gonzalez’s Mayra is an evocative, multi-layered novel that gracefully weaves together multiple timelines, offering readers a reflective journey through identity. Gonzalez’s narrative structure is ambitious, shifting seamlessly between past and present, allowing the story to unfold like a meticulously crafted mosaic.

In the sections set in the past, Gonzalez paints a vivid backdrop, rich with cultural and emotional texture, grounding Mayra’s formative experiences in poignant detail. The present-day narrative, in contrast, carries a more introspective tone, revealing the complexities of memory and the echoes of past decisions. This dual-timeline approach enhances the depth of character development, especially Mayra’s, whose evolution feels authentic and deeply resonant.

One of the novel’s standout qualities is its reflective prose. Gonzalez excels at capturing the nuanced emotions that accompany personal growth and reconciliation with one’s past. The lyrical writing style invites readers to pause and ponder, making the emotional beats hit with greater impact.

Nicky Gonzalez’s Mayra is a psychological tango—one of girlhood and the unwittingly toxic friendships we sometimes form as we begin to form ourselves, and whose ramifications often outlast the friendship itself.

Told in a voice that flickers between memory and immediacy, Mayra traces the complex, intoxicating friendship between Ingrid and her best friend, Mayra — a magnetic force of nature who seems to bend the world around her. But beneath Mayra’s confidence is a deep hunger to be seen, and beneath Ingrid’s quiet loyalty is the ache of never being fully acknowledged.

There’s a line in the book about snakes shedding their skin to become new. But Mayra wasn’t a snake. She was a chameleon. Her transformations weren’t rebirths — they were performances. Each new persona — the rebel, the lover, the contrarian — was camouflage. She didn’t evolve; she disappeared. And in trying to keep up, Ingrid did too.

Through a Jungian lens, the girls become each other’s shadows: Mayra, the bold, burning self Ingrid had not yet claimed; Ingrid, the grounded self Mayra could never quite settle into. They mirrored each other, tried to become each other — until the line between projection and reality blurred.

And then there is the house.

The house in Mayra is not just a setting. It is an entity — shifting, swallowing, eroding. It becomes a stand-in for Mayra’s ego, or perhaps more darkly, for the unbearable hunger to be seen, understood, desired. A hunger so great it consumes memory, love, even identity. It took Lizzie before them. It takes Benji — the boy who may also be Paul, the man who once pulled Lizzie into its depths. In this way, Benji becomes memory itself: flickering between past and present, old and young, haunting and haunted. When the house takes him, it is memory collapsing in on itself — one final devouring.

Mayra stays. And in doing so, she finds peace — but at the cost of her selfhood. She embraces the numbness, the forgetting. For her, it is a kind of rest.

But Ingrid chooses something else.

She chooses pain over peace. Truth over illusion. She follows the pull of her gut, her inner compass, and lets go of the shadow she once believed was her brightest light. She runs. She survives. She remembers.

And in the end, Mayra is not just about a friendship. It’s about the way we shape and, even, shrink ourselves to fit others’ desires — and the quiet, radical act of trusting in oneself and choosing to live authentically.

Review posted to StoryGraph and Goodreads on 7/19/25. Review will be posted to Amazon on release day.

When her childhood best friend reaches out to her after years of silence Ingrid finds herself on the way to a secluded house in the swamplands of Florida. On her arrival Ingrid quickly finds that she isn’t spending time with just Myra but also her boyfriend Benji. The trio quickly settles into a pattern of leisure and extravagant meals but something doesn’t feel right to Ingrid. She soon knows that she has to escape but is it too late?

This was an interesting read. I appreciate that while we had a small cast of characters there was still complex relationships. I loved the use of setting as character as well. The story for me dragged at parts. The twist reveal happens so close to the end that it felt almost anticlimactic.

strange and atmospheric, mayra is a fever dream of a novel featuring ex best friends, a thoughtful but somehow off putting host, and a maze of a house that twists and expands in the hot summer sun of the florida swamp.

an interesting exploration of memory and its role in our identity and relationships, and some really great lines. the premise is so interesting and i really enjoyed the setting especially. however, the elements story did feel a but disjointed for me. a strange house. lost memories. a reckoning of childhood friendship. an old journal. maybe i wish the themes were explored a little more deeply in order for this all to connect. i just wasnt totally sure what the book was trying to say.

that being said, i did enjoy it for what it was and would recommend it for a fun summer horror read. though this novel didnt totally bring it home for me, this is a debut, and i would absolutely read another nicky gonzalez in the future.

thank you to net galley and random house for the e-arc! mayra is out so soon - july 22nd!

⭐️: 3 / 5

Publication Date: July 22, 2025

I want to thank Random House and Net Galley for allowing me to get an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Some of the coolest aspects of this story, were the vivid imagery that truly painted a picture. There was an element of intrigue that was engaging for most of the story until the ending became a given.

As for my reservations, I thought the beginning of the book meandered a lot before anything happened. A lot of the flashbacks I found to be a waste of time. Even though this is a character driven story, I still found the plot to be lacking.

Overall I thought the book was just okay. Wasn’t my cup of tea, but that isn’t to say it won’t be worth a try.

Would recommend for those who are fans of
- Nonlinear timelines
- Florida setting
- Character driven stories
- Spooky house stories

Characters: 6
Atmosphere/setting: 8
Writing style: 5
Plot: 4
Intrigue: 7
Logic: 5
Relationships: 6
Entertainment: 7
Total: 3

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Random House for this ARC Copy! 3.5 Stars

I was so intrigued by the concept of this book. I haven't really read a lot of books about the Everglades, so it seemed like such a unique setting for a gothic horror story. I really expected a lot more nature to be part of the story and maybe that is part of where things started to fall off for me a bit. It was really just a day in the life on a relaxing vacation with a few disagreements and some unsettling situations. I kept expecting something to happen, but I feel like there was just a lack of buildup in tension in the end. I honestly forgot that I was reading a horror book until the very end when things started to pick back up because there were not really any horror elements for the majority of the story, which is fine, but in that case, I would expect a much more impactful ending. Instead, it just felt like we went from drunken napping on the front porch to frantically trying to escape, and then it was just over. I feel like there was so much potential for this story, and I still think the author has a lot of potential. I will definitely be reading more books of theirs going forward because the writing was interesting, just not at all what I was expecting.

This was pretty good! I think sometimes, negative reviews can actually be the best thing to happen to a book because it sets your expectations up for something much worse than what you end up getting. Quite a few reviews complain about the journal entries and the confusing ending, so I was anticipating having to force myself to get through this, but that wasn't really the case at all. For one thing, the journal entries are a pretty small portion of the book when all is said and done, and I thought they were suitably creepy. The end was a bit confusing and odd, but only slightly, and I enjoyed it. I don't think it was any more confusing than a David Lynch movie. Just a bit dreamlike. The one thing that reviews point out that I do agree with is that it's more of a story about a dysfunctional friendship and people outgrowing each other than outright horror, but it is creepy if you're into House of Leaves-ish spooky houses. It's not exactly like that, but I was reminded of it for sure. Yeah, it was pretty solid! I would probably still cut out little bit because even though it is short, it still dragged a little bit with the friendship in the past story a bit, but I enjoyed it overall and will be looking for her next book for sure. Thanks for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of this title.

While it was interesting enough to make me finish the title, it wasn’t amazing. I liked the dual timelines. I liked the setting. The rest was just meh. 🤷‍♀️ the ending felt rushed and was disappointing.

There are a lot of aspects of Nicky Gonzalez’s debut novel Mayra that had me pining for more.

I am, what I’d like to consider myself as, a gothic horror connoisseur. Give me an object that is a living entity, a decrepit journal, psychologically tantalizing relationships and you have all the ingredients of a gothic horror novel. However, all of these aspects are not what MAKES a great gothic horror story.

Gonzalez understands the tropes, she is a lovely writer whose prose kept me with the book the entire time, but the intermingling of said ingredients needed more of a whisking. Funny cooking analogies aside, I did want MORE. I wanted more story because it was interesting, sure, but I also wanted a truer understanding of the genre. Or more so, a deeper ability to execute. We have all of the aspects that makes gothic horror, but the blending of these incredibly intricate values wasn’t woven through in a way that made me feel enamored.

I never mind a slow burn, but the climax felt like the entirety of the book shoved into the last quarter of the book rather than strewn throughout. The best part of the burn is that the clues, crumbs, taunting effigies are commingled in every chapter leading to the climax. I didn’t feel we really got that until nearly the end.

The visuals were interesting, the plot was interesting and the last quarter of the book was fantastic. But I do wish I got more of that imagery quite a bit earlier. It’s clear this is a debut but don’t discount it for that. This was a great debut and I’m hoping with time and energy, Gonzalez can become a gothic horror visionary.

Loved this one! Super quick read that I got through in 24 hours. I was that immersed in the world and the characters.

Ingrid and Mayra were childhood friends, growing up in a primarily Cuban neighborhood in Florida. They grew up poor, but had each other to lean on, until they didn’t. Mayra applied to a college on the east coast and was accepted. Their friendship drifted apart until Mayra invites Ingrid to visit her in a house in the middle of the Everglades.

Part haunted house, part liminal space horror, this was a unique read. The house itself is a character with lots of hidden spaces and weird situations. I almost felt like a voyeur reading this book. Like I was seeing things I wasn’t meant see. Lots of gothic creepy vibes.

What a strange book this was. The only good thing about this book was it definitely had a good gothic feel but otherwise this book just was not for me. I ended up with more questions then answers and just finished the book with more questions then answers.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

"Mayra" by Nicky Gonzalez offers a compelling premise and a protagonist that's easy to root for. The author does a good job of setting a vivid scene and establishing a clear emotional core for Mayra's journey. I found myself invested in her struggles and eager to see how she would navigate the challenges presented to her.

The writing style is generally accessible and flows well, making for a relatively quick and engaging read. There are moments of genuine insight and emotion that shine through, particularly when focusing on Mayra's internal thoughts and feelings.

However, the pacing felt a bit uneven at times. Some sections lingered a little too long, while others felt rushed, especially towards the latter half of the book, which could have benefited from more development. Additionally, while Mayra herself is well-drawn, some of the supporting characters felt a bit underdeveloped, serving more as plot devices than fully fleshed-out individuals. This occasionally made their motivations or reactions less believable.

Overall, "Mayra" is a promising read with a strong central character and an interesting story. While it has its moments, some inconsistencies in pacing and character development kept it from being a truly standout experience for me. It's a solid effort, and I'd be interested to see what Nicky Gonzalez writes next.

3.5/5

As someone born and raised in the sweet swampland-adjacent Miami, I found myself uniquely qualified (lol) to see if I was reminded of home. It's a testament to Nicky's skills in crafting an environment and atmosphere that I was so reminded of home that it hurt. Those moments were what kept me reading, eager to feel more of that South Florida energy. That being said, other aspects of this book fell a bit flat. While the description and cover do give a sense that the story would be more of a horror, this was more of a strange examination of a friendship that faded and a mc wriggling into an old skin that she finds doesn't fit the way it used to.

A scenario where I enjoyed the parts I enjoyed, and reasonably tolerated the parts I didn't. I think it's a good read for those who love a finely crafted environment to fall into when they read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read the eARC.

I don't really know what I just read. And I can't tell if I love that or hate it. I'm not sorry I read it just. Unsettled?

This one wasn’t quite for me, but I did appreciate the eerie atmosphere and the dynamic between Ingrid and Mayra. Their friendship was clearly at the heart of the story; however, I found myself wishing the mystery surrounding the house had been revealed much earlier. There were subtle clues, but they went over my head as the narrative focused more on the characters than the horror. If you’re looking for a truly scary read, this might fall short—but if you enjoy slow-burning, atmospheric suspense with a strong emotional core, it could be a good fit.

In a green glass room...

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this title!

This was such a bizarre little book! Ultimately I do think I liked it, but I'm interested to see how I feel about it the longer I chew on it. It paints a really interesting picture of the way a person interacts with someone that they used to know on an incredibly personal level--best friends, ex-friends to the end, as it were. How do you engage with someone who's managed to remove themselves from your life so thoroughly? Navigating the steps to a once-familiar dance and realizing that the music is different is an incredibly jarring experience and I feel that Nicky Gonzalez portrayed it in a really interesting way. I also always love a setting as a living character!

This book was pretty good, but kind of sat in the "remembering my past with my ex-bestie imperfectly" lane a little too long for me. I think maybe I was waiting for something more to happen? But I did love the dreamy, atmospheric quality of Ingrid and Mayra's time spent in the house. I enjoyed the climax of the book but felt there was not enough build-up to it, and not enough of the supernatural element to suit me. I wanted the sinister element of the book (which I won't elaborate on) to be more, well, sinister. Not bad at all, just not to my taste.

The pacing in Mayra is definitely on the slower side, but the Floridian swamp setting is so richly atmospheric, it almost becomes its own character. The tension between Ingrid and Mayra really stood out; it perfectly captures that strange, disorienting feeling of reconnecting with someone you were once close to as a child, only to realize you no longer recognize who they are. Their friendship felt strained in a way that was deeply familiar and a little haunting.

And then there’s Benji. Weird AF. Especially that dustpan scene (IYKYK). As the story unfolds, it veers into surreal and unsettling territory, leaving me both intrigued and confused. By the end, I’m not entirely sure what happened, but I’m still thinking about it.

I’m not even sure what I just read. 🫠

This seemed to be more about a toxic friendship than anything horror-related until the very end. As always, not every book is for every person, so if you like weird fever dream reads and don’t mind waiting for the story to get to that point, check this one out! 👀

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️