What do you think?
Rate this book
Win a free print copy of this book!
21 days and 11:16:10
20 copies available
U.S. only
Mayra
Not yet published
Expected 22 Jul 25Win a free print copy of this book!
21 days and 11:16:10
20 copies available
U.S. only
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 for the house, 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 and danger 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 up 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.
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 for the house, 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 and danger 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 up 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.
240 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication July 22, 2025
28 people are currently reading
13.6k people want to read
About the author
Nicky Gonzalez
1book52followersNicky Gonzalez is a writer from Hialeah, Florida. Her fiction has appeared in McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, BOMB Magazine, Kenyon Review Online, Taco Bell Quarterly, and other publications. She's received support from the Elizabeth George Foundation, the Granum Foundation, Millay Arts, Lighthouse Works, and the Hambidge Center. Mayra is her first book.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
January 20, 2025
Mayra is one very odd little book. I went into it expecting a gothic haunted house story, and I guess it is kind of that if you have a very loose definition of the word “haunted.� But mostly it's about a toxic teenage friendship, and then in the final pages it turns into a fever dream.
I didn't mind the first 60% or so. In fact, it was rather enjoyable. There are lots of flashbacks to Ingrid and Mayra's teenage days, and the isolated house in the Florida Everglades makes for a super atmospheric and creepy setting for their present-day reunion. It's a slow burn, but you know it's leading up to something bigger. And then it gets a little repetitive. Yep, they're still in the house. Yep, more flashbacks. Yep, Mayra was kind of a twat as a teenager. Blah, blah, blah. And then there's the ending and it's all WTF is happening and where did this all come from and why is she in a swamp? I have so many mixed feelings about the ending. I mean, the premise is a good one, but I just didn't care for the fever dream-y parts. I don't particularly enjoy prose that makes me feel like I'm on hallucinogenic drugs.
But let's talk about the found journal for a minute. I'm always confounded when (and this is definitely not something that's unique to this book) someone finds an old journal and then proceeds to read it at a snail's pace. Like, oh, the person who wrote this journal is so mysterious � I think I'll read an entry a day. Who does that?? No one, that's who. So there's that, but then also the journal bits just didn't really work for me. I normally love epistolary sections in novels, but whatever-her-name-was (seriously, I don't remember and it's not worth searching the ebook for) is super boring. It's like when I was thirteen and would journal about how so-and-so “sat next to me on the bus today.� Or, rather, she's super boring right up until the end when she shows off her impressively bad decision-making skills. Like � really? How TF was that ever going to end well?
The text is also kind of � jumpy? Especially in the latter chapters when things start to get wonky. One minute they're talking about one thing and then all of a sudden it's later and they're talking about a completely different thing and you have no idea what's led to that conversation. Like, “Oh, it's great here oh f**k we need to escape.� Fast-forwarding the timeline without warning: too confusing, too extreme. (� That is a very Michigan-specific reference but trust me it's hilarious.)
I did enjoy how utterly freaking weird Benji (Mayra's boyfriend) is. He seems *almost* normal but at the same time it's obvious there's something wrong there. The “cleaning the windows� bit (you'll know it when you get to it) is super WTF-worthy and I loved it even if I still don't exactly understand the why.
So, yeah. I enjoyed parts of this novel and parts of it I didn't. I'm sure there are readers who will appreciate the whole of it much more that I did, but unfortunately I'm just not a fan of the whole fever-dream shtick. The premise for this book, however, is outstanding, and I'd definitely be open to reading more by Nicky Gonzalez in the future. My overall rating: 3.25 stars, rounded down.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is July 22, 2025.
I didn't mind the first 60% or so. In fact, it was rather enjoyable. There are lots of flashbacks to Ingrid and Mayra's teenage days, and the isolated house in the Florida Everglades makes for a super atmospheric and creepy setting for their present-day reunion. It's a slow burn, but you know it's leading up to something bigger. And then it gets a little repetitive. Yep, they're still in the house. Yep, more flashbacks. Yep, Mayra was kind of a twat as a teenager. Blah, blah, blah. And then there's the ending and it's all WTF is happening and where did this all come from and why is she in a swamp? I have so many mixed feelings about the ending. I mean, the premise is a good one, but I just didn't care for the fever dream-y parts. I don't particularly enjoy prose that makes me feel like I'm on hallucinogenic drugs.
But let's talk about the found journal for a minute. I'm always confounded when (and this is definitely not something that's unique to this book) someone finds an old journal and then proceeds to read it at a snail's pace. Like, oh, the person who wrote this journal is so mysterious � I think I'll read an entry a day. Who does that?? No one, that's who. So there's that, but then also the journal bits just didn't really work for me. I normally love epistolary sections in novels, but whatever-her-name-was (seriously, I don't remember and it's not worth searching the ebook for) is super boring. It's like when I was thirteen and would journal about how so-and-so “sat next to me on the bus today.� Or, rather, she's super boring right up until the end when she shows off her impressively bad decision-making skills. Like � really? How TF was that ever going to end well?
The text is also kind of � jumpy? Especially in the latter chapters when things start to get wonky. One minute they're talking about one thing and then all of a sudden it's later and they're talking about a completely different thing and you have no idea what's led to that conversation. Like, “Oh, it's great here oh f**k we need to escape.� Fast-forwarding the timeline without warning: too confusing, too extreme. (� That is a very Michigan-specific reference but trust me it's hilarious.)
I did enjoy how utterly freaking weird Benji (Mayra's boyfriend) is. He seems *almost* normal but at the same time it's obvious there's something wrong there. The “cleaning the windows� bit (you'll know it when you get to it) is super WTF-worthy and I loved it even if I still don't exactly understand the why.
So, yeah. I enjoyed parts of this novel and parts of it I didn't. I'm sure there are readers who will appreciate the whole of it much more that I did, but unfortunately I'm just not a fan of the whole fever-dream shtick. The premise for this book, however, is outstanding, and I'd definitely be open to reading more by Nicky Gonzalez in the future. My overall rating: 3.25 stars, rounded down.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is July 22, 2025.
January 20, 2025
ARC for review. To be published July 22, 2025.
3.5 stars.
Ingrid hasn’t heard from her childhood best friend, Mayra, in over a decade. Mayra left Hileah, Florida, their hometown, to go to college and has been mostly absent from Ingrid’s life since.
Then Mayra reaches out with an invitation. She’s back in Florida and she asks Ingrid to spend a long weekend with her at the house where she is staying, out in the middle of nowhere. Ingrid is looking forward to reconnecting with Mayra; they had an intense friendship and she’s never found that with anyone else, plus she needs to shake up her colorless life a bit. She’s disappointed when she arrives at the house and finds that Mayra’s boyfriend, Benji, is the actual owner and he is there too. However, he proves to be a wonderful host and Ingrid and Mayra are enjoying their time together.
But the house is isolated and mysterious and Ingrid finds a journal belonging to Elizabeth who appears to have been at the house when she wrote it. What is really going on here?
Dreamy, nicely written tale which, in some ways goes where you might expect and in others, not so much. I liked it.
3.5 stars.
Ingrid hasn’t heard from her childhood best friend, Mayra, in over a decade. Mayra left Hileah, Florida, their hometown, to go to college and has been mostly absent from Ingrid’s life since.
Then Mayra reaches out with an invitation. She’s back in Florida and she asks Ingrid to spend a long weekend with her at the house where she is staying, out in the middle of nowhere. Ingrid is looking forward to reconnecting with Mayra; they had an intense friendship and she’s never found that with anyone else, plus she needs to shake up her colorless life a bit. She’s disappointed when she arrives at the house and finds that Mayra’s boyfriend, Benji, is the actual owner and he is there too. However, he proves to be a wonderful host and Ingrid and Mayra are enjoying their time together.
But the house is isolated and mysterious and Ingrid finds a journal belonging to Elizabeth who appears to have been at the house when she wrote it. What is really going on here?
Dreamy, nicely written tale which, in some ways goes where you might expect and in others, not so much. I liked it.
December 21, 2024
A Dreamlike, Eerie Debut That Will Keep You Guessing
I am so excited to be the first person to review Mayra on ŷ! I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when I signed up to read this debut novel by Nicky Gonzalez, but I was immediately drawn in by the beautiful cover (always a win in my book), the gothic atmosphere, and the mysterious swamplands of Florida. Add in some creepy, possessed house vibes, and I was hooked!
The story centers on two former friends, Ingrid and Mayra, who reconnect and dive back into their shared past. At first, I had no idea where this was going—I just knew it would be an exploration of their friendship and how their lives had unfolded. While I wouldn’t call this strictly a horror novel, it definitely has its share of eerie and unsettling moments that kept me on edge.
Initially, I thought it might take a True Blood Season 2 turn, and I even suspected that one character, Benji, might actually be a maenad (I know, I know—he’s a man, so that doesn’t quite work). The elaborate meals, time lapses, and strange happenings in the beginning made me think that might be the direction the story was heading. But when Liz’s journal was introduced, I realized the story was going in a different direction entirely, though I did manage to guess one of the key twists.
As the plot continued, the writing took on a dreamlike quality that completely drew me in. I was transported into a world where the boundaries between reality and nightmare blurred, and the tension really built. The final parts of the book were so vivid, and I couldn’t help but picture everything as if I were in one of my own vivid, surreal dreams.
I loved that the ending was both happy and not happy at the same time—it felt perfectly fitting for the tone of the book. As this is Nicky Gonzalez’s debut, I’m really excited to see what she comes up with next! Her ability to weave tension, mystery, and emotional depth into a story is remarkable, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for her future work.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read and review this novel. If you’re into eerie, atmospheric stories with a strong sense of place and character, Mayra is definitely worth picking up!
I am so excited to be the first person to review Mayra on ŷ! I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when I signed up to read this debut novel by Nicky Gonzalez, but I was immediately drawn in by the beautiful cover (always a win in my book), the gothic atmosphere, and the mysterious swamplands of Florida. Add in some creepy, possessed house vibes, and I was hooked!
The story centers on two former friends, Ingrid and Mayra, who reconnect and dive back into their shared past. At first, I had no idea where this was going—I just knew it would be an exploration of their friendship and how their lives had unfolded. While I wouldn’t call this strictly a horror novel, it definitely has its share of eerie and unsettling moments that kept me on edge.
Initially, I thought it might take a True Blood Season 2 turn, and I even suspected that one character, Benji, might actually be a maenad (I know, I know—he’s a man, so that doesn’t quite work). The elaborate meals, time lapses, and strange happenings in the beginning made me think that might be the direction the story was heading. But when Liz’s journal was introduced, I realized the story was going in a different direction entirely, though I did manage to guess one of the key twists.
As the plot continued, the writing took on a dreamlike quality that completely drew me in. I was transported into a world where the boundaries between reality and nightmare blurred, and the tension really built. The final parts of the book were so vivid, and I couldn’t help but picture everything as if I were in one of my own vivid, surreal dreams.
I loved that the ending was both happy and not happy at the same time—it felt perfectly fitting for the tone of the book. As this is Nicky Gonzalez’s debut, I’m really excited to see what she comes up with next! Her ability to weave tension, mystery, and emotional depth into a story is remarkable, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for her future work.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to read and review this novel. If you’re into eerie, atmospheric stories with a strong sense of place and character, Mayra is definitely worth picking up!
February 2, 2025
Summary: A story about Ingrid and her friendship with Mayra, spanning from their teenage years to present time. Mayra invites Ingrid to a house she’s renting out in the woods, and what begins as a reconciliation to a strained relationship shapeshifts into a horror dreamscape she might not escape from.
Genre: magical realism, adult, suspense, gothic thriller with horror elements
Thank you to Netgalley for providing this digital book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
To start, this was incredible writing. Nicky Gonzalez has a beautiful way of joining words together. I highlighted so many passages and took screenshots to remember. I was truly very impressed this was her debut novel.
From the beginning, I was hooked. I related to Ingrid in many ways, but the biggest way was her struggle with invisibility and how she felt she mattered only when she was seen by that one, particular friend. Mayra is the person to whom Ingrid measured her self-importance. Suffocated by her loneliness, she is handed gulping breaths of air by Mayra’s attention. She gives in and feels elevated for it. The way a girlhood friend is the moon in your dark night, so Mayra was to Ingrid. In later years, then, it was hard to read how their friendship become strained and distant. But in many ways, you can see why Ingrid felt bypassed the way she did. It’s never fun to feel left behind, to be the one not chosen.
In her adult years, she’s made a little life for herself and was okay with it, to an extent. And so when Mayra’s invitation to join her at a vacation-style rental house in the swamps of Florida arrives, Ingrid is tempted. Once there, what appears to be a sincere reunion turns into a vortex of anxious dread and uncertainty of just what exactly is happening.
Honestly, I am not doing this book justice with my summary. The writing is so good! It became very special to me. Like, “my mind can make monsters from smoke,� or “Could a place make me regress? A person certainly could,� or “They laughed together and all my hot blood went cold remembering how easily, moments earlier, I’d become their inside joke,� or “The entire time, I managed a low-grade seasickness, unsure of my footing in what felt like ancient memory,� or “Mayra and I had been close for a few months by then, which, in the freefall of friendship one can only experience around that age, might as well have been a lifetime,� or “Our friendship became something hard and coiled. Rusty from disuse, it shrieked under pressure it had once been able to withstand,� or “Maybe it wasn’t about being saved, I thought. Maybe it was enough to have a witness. I smiled. With Mayra on my mind, I felt the universe contract just a bit.�
God, this writing. It’s superb, choice words woven into sentences that illuminated entire thoughts for me. I loved it.
Ingrid’s oddness shines through in unique moments. “I’d been a resident in my own mind long enough to know, it wasn’t her dress but her skin, that I wanted to wear.� Her deep insecurity and vulnerability are palpable, and it’s easy to see why Mayra became so important to her as girls. Now, in the middle of a humid swamp, the awkwardness is made that much more substantial by Benji’s presence. He is Mayra’s boyfriend, the owner of the house in the swamp. I felt Ingrid’s suspicion and unease about Benji comforting, because despite the veneer of friendly and slightly aggressive hospitality, there is something off about that guy. What he says and how he says it, her observations about him were astute and legitimate. And when he ate the dust ball with the cobwebs?! I think I gasped out loud.
The story devolves into a spiral of complex eeriness. A horror creeps in with every new discovery in the house, an Alice in Wonderful effect with smaller and smaller doors and closed off spaces where a thick hush maybe hides a crowd of people holding its breath. A look within reveals an empty room, a floor made of mirrors, an orchard of orange trees. Benji’s behavior, while never outward physically threatening, grows startlingly more foreboding. There was a moment when Ingrid, in a move I think all women have experienced, was looked at by Benji for just a second too long and she “made no sudden movements.� The anxiety and fear of that moment gave me chills.
The jumps in time toward the end are fascinating, indicative of the strangeness of Ingrid’s reality. Her desperation, her intense yearning for escape, made fear clench in my gut. I did not want back in that house.
Overall, this was a parallel between Ingrid and Mayra, the past inhabitants of the house, and those whom it might still swallow up, those to come. The environment was an alive character, the insects crawling on your skin, the sweat slicking down your spine, the house’s familiar door the only thing you stumble upon no matter how far you run. I truly enjoyed the yawning horror of Ingrid’s panicking mind, her desperate attempts to remember herself, to live.
I look forward to more of this author’s work and I will read her future books.
4.75/5
Genre: magical realism, adult, suspense, gothic thriller with horror elements
Thank you to Netgalley for providing this digital book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
To start, this was incredible writing. Nicky Gonzalez has a beautiful way of joining words together. I highlighted so many passages and took screenshots to remember. I was truly very impressed this was her debut novel.
From the beginning, I was hooked. I related to Ingrid in many ways, but the biggest way was her struggle with invisibility and how she felt she mattered only when she was seen by that one, particular friend. Mayra is the person to whom Ingrid measured her self-importance. Suffocated by her loneliness, she is handed gulping breaths of air by Mayra’s attention. She gives in and feels elevated for it. The way a girlhood friend is the moon in your dark night, so Mayra was to Ingrid. In later years, then, it was hard to read how their friendship become strained and distant. But in many ways, you can see why Ingrid felt bypassed the way she did. It’s never fun to feel left behind, to be the one not chosen.
In her adult years, she’s made a little life for herself and was okay with it, to an extent. And so when Mayra’s invitation to join her at a vacation-style rental house in the swamps of Florida arrives, Ingrid is tempted. Once there, what appears to be a sincere reunion turns into a vortex of anxious dread and uncertainty of just what exactly is happening.
Honestly, I am not doing this book justice with my summary. The writing is so good! It became very special to me. Like, “my mind can make monsters from smoke,� or “Could a place make me regress? A person certainly could,� or “They laughed together and all my hot blood went cold remembering how easily, moments earlier, I’d become their inside joke,� or “The entire time, I managed a low-grade seasickness, unsure of my footing in what felt like ancient memory,� or “Mayra and I had been close for a few months by then, which, in the freefall of friendship one can only experience around that age, might as well have been a lifetime,� or “Our friendship became something hard and coiled. Rusty from disuse, it shrieked under pressure it had once been able to withstand,� or “Maybe it wasn’t about being saved, I thought. Maybe it was enough to have a witness. I smiled. With Mayra on my mind, I felt the universe contract just a bit.�
God, this writing. It’s superb, choice words woven into sentences that illuminated entire thoughts for me. I loved it.
Ingrid’s oddness shines through in unique moments. “I’d been a resident in my own mind long enough to know, it wasn’t her dress but her skin, that I wanted to wear.� Her deep insecurity and vulnerability are palpable, and it’s easy to see why Mayra became so important to her as girls. Now, in the middle of a humid swamp, the awkwardness is made that much more substantial by Benji’s presence. He is Mayra’s boyfriend, the owner of the house in the swamp. I felt Ingrid’s suspicion and unease about Benji comforting, because despite the veneer of friendly and slightly aggressive hospitality, there is something off about that guy. What he says and how he says it, her observations about him were astute and legitimate. And when he ate the dust ball with the cobwebs?! I think I gasped out loud.
The story devolves into a spiral of complex eeriness. A horror creeps in with every new discovery in the house, an Alice in Wonderful effect with smaller and smaller doors and closed off spaces where a thick hush maybe hides a crowd of people holding its breath. A look within reveals an empty room, a floor made of mirrors, an orchard of orange trees. Benji’s behavior, while never outward physically threatening, grows startlingly more foreboding. There was a moment when Ingrid, in a move I think all women have experienced, was looked at by Benji for just a second too long and she “made no sudden movements.� The anxiety and fear of that moment gave me chills.
The jumps in time toward the end are fascinating, indicative of the strangeness of Ingrid’s reality. Her desperation, her intense yearning for escape, made fear clench in my gut. I did not want back in that house.
Overall, this was a parallel between Ingrid and Mayra, the past inhabitants of the house, and those whom it might still swallow up, those to come. The environment was an alive character, the insects crawling on your skin, the sweat slicking down your spine, the house’s familiar door the only thing you stumble upon no matter how far you run. I truly enjoyed the yawning horror of Ingrid’s panicking mind, her desperate attempts to remember herself, to live.
I look forward to more of this author’s work and I will read her future books.
4.75/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
January 28, 2025Twisty Southern Gothic? Yes, please.
ARC received! Thank you so much, Random House!!!
ARC received! Thank you so much, Random House!!!
Shelved as 'dnf'
January 31, 2025DNF at 15%, so no rating. I was invited to check this book out on NetGalley vs picking it out myself, but it sounded like a good fit for my taste, so I decided to try it. Gothic, toxic female relationship, atmospheric. Cool!
Reading the actual book, though, I found myself quite bored. The book just wasn’t getting started, and the writing wasn’t doing anything special for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Reading the actual book, though, I found myself quite bored. The book just wasn’t getting started, and the writing wasn’t doing anything special for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
March 9, 2025
“For the period of that time that I knew Mayra well, most of our conversations were electric, tinged with the ferocity of youth; our opinions were more than opinions, they were parts of our souls that we guarded like dogs, with raised hackles and widened eyes. But our conversation now was quiet, deliberate, adult.�
A disorienting, soul-stirring, at times claustrophobic story about how our identities are sometimes impacted by friendships and home. This instantly brought up memories of my own girlhood friendships (both sincere and toxic) and the dizzying, exhilarating, wild pathways they led me down.
A disorienting, soul-stirring, at times claustrophobic story about how our identities are sometimes impacted by friendships and home. This instantly brought up memories of my own girlhood friendships (both sincere and toxic) and the dizzying, exhilarating, wild pathways they led me down.
January 27, 2025
obsessed with the voice, the feel, the vibe, and every single interaction.
February 16, 2025
This was weird but very interesting. The author did a very good job at making this very atmospheric swamp/marshlands in the middle of nowhere setting and I felt like I was there. It was very easy to picture in my head and it was like I was watching a movie. I liked seeing the descent into madness that our main character Ingrid experiences. I just feel like I wanted more from this book. But I will definitely look out for this authors next release!
Read
February 9, 2025DNF @42%. Sadly this one just isn't for me.
Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.
Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.
February 4, 2025
This story had a lot going for it. The writing in this was phenomenal.
Looking forward to more works by Nicky Gonzalez in the future.
I will say, this read more like literary fiction than horror for me. I love both genres but felt like it didn't hit heavily enough on the "horror" side.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
Looking forward to more works by Nicky Gonzalez in the future.
I will say, this read more like literary fiction than horror for me. I love both genres but felt like it didn't hit heavily enough on the "horror" side.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
February 15, 2025
2.5 stars...first off thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC. I really wanted to like this book but it kind of fell flat for me. Nothing really happened until like the last 15% of the book. So I was bored for a majority of the book but I finished it because I wanted to give this book a fair shot and maybe time to redeem itself. I thought it was going to be more than it was. No real character development the plot was meh. I don't think I would recommend it in all honesty
February 8, 2025
What a strange book this was. I'm not sure what to make of it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an Advance Reading Copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an Advance Reading Copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 6, 2025
Gosh, this book was quite unique: I have rated it 4 stars because I found it unusual, slow-burn, I had no idea where the story was going, I unconsciously picked up on something but I thought it was me not understanding the story, it was really a pleasant, languid read. I liked Ingrid's plain character and life, and Mayra's sexy and mysterious personality. I recommend going blind into this book: do not read the synopsis nor should you read any reviews to be able to get the full experience of this book.
An author to look out for!
An author to look out for!
February 3, 2025
Mayra is an unexpected, out of the blue reunion gone awry! Mayra is definitely one of those stories where you’re enticed trying to figure out what happens early on. This is a good read if you want something different than your traditional twisted, dark story. The intricate, almost like a one sided cat and mouse game of navigating such a deep relationship such as best friends was really interesting to me. Throughout the read I was asking myself so many questions, and prompted to keep reading to see the boundaries of friendship being pushed. It was nice that this story gave contextual background on the character’s friendship/relationships with others in their lives which I felt really helped the storyline. I also do like how Mayra is open to reader’s interpretation, which adds to that ominous sort of energy of the storyline. I also did heavily enjoy the amount of time taken to place the audience in the heart of south Florida; being a Florida native it added onto the effect of my reading experience.
The transitions between certain parts of the story could’ve been more fluid for me, but I could see how the author used that sort of choppy form of transitioning through parts to add to that effect. I also did not really enjoy the journal entries, as I felt that they were excessive and a bit tedious.
A huge thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing group for an ARC of Mayra expected to publish on July 22, 2025.
The transitions between certain parts of the story could’ve been more fluid for me, but I could see how the author used that sort of choppy form of transitioning through parts to add to that effect. I also did not really enjoy the journal entries, as I felt that they were excessive and a bit tedious.
A huge thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing group for an ARC of Mayra expected to publish on July 22, 2025.
February 1, 2025
So, I’m just going to come right out and say it: Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez was� a bit of a hot mess. And not in the fun, “I love a chaotic story� way, but more in the “I think I might be trapped in someone’s fever dream� way.
The premise seemed solid enough—childhood best friends reunite at a mysterious house in the Everglades, surrounded by danger, tension, and a strange sense of foreboding. But, oh boy, it quickly spirals into something that made me feel like I was reading multiple books at once. One minute it’s a dark thriller, the next it’s a weird meditation on the complexity of female friendship (but only if that friendship also involves some seriously unresolved trauma). And then, out of nowhere, the house is alive—I guess? Add in some weird lizard-dodging and questionable decisions, and I started to wonder if I was in a twisted version of Survivor: Everglades Edition.
The main character, Ingrid, is a bit of a puzzle, too. One second, she’s driving deep into the swamp to reconnect with Mayra, and the next, she’s acting like she’s just wandered into a house of horrors where everything is supposed to be deeply symbolic (but honestly, I was mostly confused). Mayra, her old friend who fled to the Northeast for college, is still an enigmatic mix of seductive and unpredictable, but honestly? I was mostly annoyed by her constant “I’m too cool for this world� energy. I get it, Mayra. You’re mysterious. But do we really need to spend the entire book staring into the abyss of your complicated personality?
Then there’s Benji, the boyfriend who� I’m still not sure what his purpose was, other than to throw off the balance of the two women’s already highly unstable friendship. And let’s not forget the house itself, which definitely had a personality of its own (a very weird, almost claustrophobic personality), but after a while, I found myself wishing the house would just get to the point.
Overall, Mayra feels like a story that was trying to be a gothic masterpiece but got caught up in its own confusion. The plot is all over the place, the pacing is erratic, and the sense of danger is more “please tell me this makes sense soon� than “I’m on the edge of my seat!� It’s got all the right elements—friendship, secrets, dark atmosphere—but it just never fully pulls them together in a way that feels satisfying. It’s like a Gothic Pinterest board that went a little too hard on the wannabe spooky.
In conclusion, this book is a wild ride that might appeal to some readers, but for me, it was more like being trapped in a house with too many rooms and not enough clues. Do I want a reunion with Mayra? No, thank you. I’d rather stay in the swamp. At least I’d know what to expect there.
I gave this book 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 solely for the setting as that was probably the best part about the entire book. It was a vibe for sure.
Special thanks for NetGalley and the publisher, Random House, for sharing this eARC with me in exchange for an honest review. Though this book wasn't for me, I'd try more from this author in the future.
The premise seemed solid enough—childhood best friends reunite at a mysterious house in the Everglades, surrounded by danger, tension, and a strange sense of foreboding. But, oh boy, it quickly spirals into something that made me feel like I was reading multiple books at once. One minute it’s a dark thriller, the next it’s a weird meditation on the complexity of female friendship (but only if that friendship also involves some seriously unresolved trauma). And then, out of nowhere, the house is alive—I guess? Add in some weird lizard-dodging and questionable decisions, and I started to wonder if I was in a twisted version of Survivor: Everglades Edition.
The main character, Ingrid, is a bit of a puzzle, too. One second, she’s driving deep into the swamp to reconnect with Mayra, and the next, she’s acting like she’s just wandered into a house of horrors where everything is supposed to be deeply symbolic (but honestly, I was mostly confused). Mayra, her old friend who fled to the Northeast for college, is still an enigmatic mix of seductive and unpredictable, but honestly? I was mostly annoyed by her constant “I’m too cool for this world� energy. I get it, Mayra. You’re mysterious. But do we really need to spend the entire book staring into the abyss of your complicated personality?
Then there’s Benji, the boyfriend who� I’m still not sure what his purpose was, other than to throw off the balance of the two women’s already highly unstable friendship. And let’s not forget the house itself, which definitely had a personality of its own (a very weird, almost claustrophobic personality), but after a while, I found myself wishing the house would just get to the point.
Overall, Mayra feels like a story that was trying to be a gothic masterpiece but got caught up in its own confusion. The plot is all over the place, the pacing is erratic, and the sense of danger is more “please tell me this makes sense soon� than “I’m on the edge of my seat!� It’s got all the right elements—friendship, secrets, dark atmosphere—but it just never fully pulls them together in a way that feels satisfying. It’s like a Gothic Pinterest board that went a little too hard on the wannabe spooky.
In conclusion, this book is a wild ride that might appeal to some readers, but for me, it was more like being trapped in a house with too many rooms and not enough clues. Do I want a reunion with Mayra? No, thank you. I’d rather stay in the swamp. At least I’d know what to expect there.
I gave this book 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 solely for the setting as that was probably the best part about the entire book. It was a vibe for sure.
Special thanks for NetGalley and the publisher, Random House, for sharing this eARC with me in exchange for an honest review. Though this book wasn't for me, I'd try more from this author in the future.
February 3, 2025
I went into Mayra expecting a deep southern gothic horror. What I got was slightly off center of that. Mayra weaves a tale of a turbulent and toxic adolescent friendship that is rekindled in adulthood. Ingrid is quick to come to the siren call of Mayra, traversing deep into the swamplands of Florida to disconnect with the world and reconnect with Mayra.
While I didn't feel the horror until the last quarter, Gonzalez does a phenomenal job breathing life into the setting and the characters and masterfully switching the tone from dreamlike to foreboding on a dime.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
While I didn't feel the horror until the last quarter, Gonzalez does a phenomenal job breathing life into the setting and the characters and masterfully switching the tone from dreamlike to foreboding on a dime.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 10, 2025
Damn, “Mayra� had me touching grass just to feel something real� What an eerie, disorienting, odd, beautiful debut from Nicky Gonzalez!
If you like weird creepy houses, and feel like going on a fun little fever dream, add this to your summer TBR stat
Thanks so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for a review
If you like weird creepy houses, and feel like going on a fun little fever dream, add this to your summer TBR stat
Thanks so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for a review
February 16, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley for the free ebook in exchange for my honest review.
“Mayra� by Nicky Gonzalez is a truly unique and odd experience in the best possible way. From the very first page, I was entranced by the author’s beautiful writing—each sentence feels like it was crafted with the utmost care. I found myself highlighting something on almost every page, as the prose is not just beautiful but poetic, making it easy to lose yourself in the rhythm of the words. The novel takes you on a hallucinogenic fever dream, where reality and fantasy blur seamlessly. It’s a wild, captivating journey that leaves an unforgettable impression. The haunted house vibes are also executed to perfection, which is a tricky element to pull off in literature but Gonzalez nails it. The eerie atmosphere and unsettling tension create a sense of being trapped in an otherworldly place, making the narrative all the more immersive.
I also admired how well Gonzalez developed the characters, especially Mayra and Benji, despite the story being told from Ingrid’s first-person perspective. Typically, we get a limited view of other characters in such a narrative, but here, I felt I really got to know Mayra—particularly her teenage version—and Benji in a way that’s rare for first-person accounts. This debut has me craving more of Nicky Gonzalez’s writing, and I can’t wait to see what she does next. Gonzalez’s talent for blending surrealism with deep emotion creates a work that is both haunting and mesmerizing. If you’re looking for something unconventional, this is a must-read.
“Mayra� by Nicky Gonzalez is a truly unique and odd experience in the best possible way. From the very first page, I was entranced by the author’s beautiful writing—each sentence feels like it was crafted with the utmost care. I found myself highlighting something on almost every page, as the prose is not just beautiful but poetic, making it easy to lose yourself in the rhythm of the words. The novel takes you on a hallucinogenic fever dream, where reality and fantasy blur seamlessly. It’s a wild, captivating journey that leaves an unforgettable impression. The haunted house vibes are also executed to perfection, which is a tricky element to pull off in literature but Gonzalez nails it. The eerie atmosphere and unsettling tension create a sense of being trapped in an otherworldly place, making the narrative all the more immersive.
I also admired how well Gonzalez developed the characters, especially Mayra and Benji, despite the story being told from Ingrid’s first-person perspective. Typically, we get a limited view of other characters in such a narrative, but here, I felt I really got to know Mayra—particularly her teenage version—and Benji in a way that’s rare for first-person accounts. This debut has me craving more of Nicky Gonzalez’s writing, and I can’t wait to see what she does next. Gonzalez’s talent for blending surrealism with deep emotion creates a work that is both haunting and mesmerizing. If you’re looking for something unconventional, this is a must-read.
March 31, 2025
I read an ARC of this book through NetGalley. Thank you to the publisher for reaching out and inviting me to read it.
This book was� odd. It’s said to be gothic horror, and while there was a gothic vibe, I didn’t get horror at all. It was more� what is going on? vibe.
Ingrid is a 20-something (I think) living in her hometown and working as an assistant at a real estate company. Her estranged former best friend, Mayra, calls her up one day and invites her out to a house in the swamplands of Florida. While there, she meets Benji, Mayra’s boyfriend who is cute but all too eager to please and wait on the girls hand and foot. The house is odd and Benji spends all his time fixing and cleaning it.
As her stay at the house gets longer and longer, and her memories start to fade, Ingrid tries to figure out what is going on with the house and how to get her and Mayra out.
I liked the premise of this book a lot. I just felt it could have been more. I usually get good visualization of descriptions provided in books, but I found it hard to visualize the house and the rooms within. There could have been more horror elements within the house/rooms to make things scarier. There were many times near the end where I had to backtrack because I was lost on what was happening. I feel like with a bit of tweaking, this could be really good.
If you liked Mexican Gothic, I think you’d enjoy this one.
This book was� odd. It’s said to be gothic horror, and while there was a gothic vibe, I didn’t get horror at all. It was more� what is going on? vibe.
Ingrid is a 20-something (I think) living in her hometown and working as an assistant at a real estate company. Her estranged former best friend, Mayra, calls her up one day and invites her out to a house in the swamplands of Florida. While there, she meets Benji, Mayra’s boyfriend who is cute but all too eager to please and wait on the girls hand and foot. The house is odd and Benji spends all his time fixing and cleaning it.
As her stay at the house gets longer and longer, and her memories start to fade, Ingrid tries to figure out what is going on with the house and how to get her and Mayra out.
I liked the premise of this book a lot. I just felt it could have been more. I usually get good visualization of descriptions provided in books, but I found it hard to visualize the house and the rooms within. There could have been more horror elements within the house/rooms to make things scarier. There were many times near the end where I had to backtrack because I was lost on what was happening. I feel like with a bit of tweaking, this could be really good.
If you liked Mexican Gothic, I think you’d enjoy this one.
March 4, 2025
MAYRA begins with our protagonist, Ingrid, getting a call from her childhood friend Mayra. Mayra doesn't often visit their home state of Florida, so Ingrid is cautious but excited when Mayra tells her she's in the state and invites Ingrid to visit. We get some moments of Ingrid's recollection here and there--how her and Mayra's friendship began, some conflicts and teenage growing pains--that flesh out the girls' teenage bond. The house Mayra is staying in (oh and surprise, she brought her boyfriend!) is In. The. Swamp. No neighbors for miles.
So far, we have a great setup--two estranged-ish women who once shared an outsized bond in a way unique to tween and teen girls reconnect in an isolated labyrinthine house (and oh yeah the surprise boyfriend) and dig into the insecurity and confusion of what made their bond what it was. But what starts as an exploration into identity and belonging (and who we are in contrast to and because of those we love) turns into a surreal dark fairytale of...I'm not exactly sure what. And that's where it lost me.
I hate to admit that maybe this book was too nuanced for me to understand it. Either that or it was a vague concept that was not executed well, and I'm prone to believe it's a ME issue, not a MAYRA issue. I wanted to love it. There were things about it I did love: the layers of Ingrid and Mayra's relationship peeling back to reveal toxicity, the interiority of Ingrid's character, the sense of isolation, the prose. But I wanted more. I wanted more from the found journal, more from the jealousies and love and viciousness of the friendship, more from Mayra and Ingrid. More connective tissue between the things that were happening.
I'm definitely interested in subsequent releases from Nicky Gonzalez because the prose was lovely and the concept intriguing.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the review ARC. Mayra will be published July 22, 2025.
So far, we have a great setup--two estranged-ish women who once shared an outsized bond in a way unique to tween and teen girls reconnect in an isolated labyrinthine house (and oh yeah the surprise boyfriend) and dig into the insecurity and confusion of what made their bond what it was. But what starts as an exploration into identity and belonging (and who we are in contrast to and because of those we love) turns into a surreal dark fairytale of...I'm not exactly sure what. And that's where it lost me.
I hate to admit that maybe this book was too nuanced for me to understand it. Either that or it was a vague concept that was not executed well, and I'm prone to believe it's a ME issue, not a MAYRA issue. I wanted to love it. There were things about it I did love: the layers of Ingrid and Mayra's relationship peeling back to reveal toxicity, the interiority of Ingrid's character, the sense of isolation, the prose. But I wanted more. I wanted more from the found journal, more from the jealousies and love and viciousness of the friendship, more from Mayra and Ingrid. More connective tissue between the things that were happening.
I'm definitely interested in subsequent releases from Nicky Gonzalez because the prose was lovely and the concept intriguing.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the review ARC. Mayra will be published July 22, 2025.
March 2, 2025
Ingrid receives a call from her estranged childhood best friend Mayra who invites her to a secluded house in the Everglades. Ingrid agrees and while there, has some very mysterious encounters while she relives memories of her past.
Some thoughts:
1. This was written extremely well.
2. This explores female friendship dynamics that can be toxic. It was raw, it was real and relatable. These relationships can be complex and I feel that Nicky Gonzalez captured it very well. I felt the awkwardness of some interactions they had and saw the reemergence of some old feelings between them.
3. I found the characters very interesting and they were fleshed out so well. Mayra and Ingrid had distinct personalities and I fully understood both point of views.
4. I know this was a gothic debut, however, this also had a cosmic feel to it, I think. There was some incomprehensible entity at the house, if I remember correctly. Also, some existential dread while being isolated. It was all very psychological and unsettling. I guess in a way, the sub-genres can share some thematic elements.
Overall this was an interesting read. The only gripe I had with it was that for all the atmosphere and buildup, I was expecting a more impactful ending and it just missed the mark for me, unfortunately.
Some thoughts:
1. This was written extremely well.
2. This explores female friendship dynamics that can be toxic. It was raw, it was real and relatable. These relationships can be complex and I feel that Nicky Gonzalez captured it very well. I felt the awkwardness of some interactions they had and saw the reemergence of some old feelings between them.
3. I found the characters very interesting and they were fleshed out so well. Mayra and Ingrid had distinct personalities and I fully understood both point of views.
4. I know this was a gothic debut, however, this also had a cosmic feel to it, I think. There was some incomprehensible entity at the house, if I remember correctly. Also, some existential dread while being isolated. It was all very psychological and unsettling. I guess in a way, the sub-genres can share some thematic elements.
Overall this was an interesting read. The only gripe I had with it was that for all the atmosphere and buildup, I was expecting a more impactful ending and it just missed the mark for me, unfortunately.
March 23, 2025
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.
3/5
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3/5
March 27, 2025
MAYRA is a story about a girl named Ingrid who one day gets a call from her childhood friend Mayra who invites her out to a secluded house in the Everglades. However we learn that Ingrid and Mayra have a very complicated friendship and once out of high school they grew apart.
This book goes from dark thriller to, female friendships with a lot of unresolved trauma. Also I would loosely say this "horror", because horror wise I was left wanting a lot more.
HOWEVER, I will say though Nicky's writing is phenomenal and she did a wonderful job of making the story very atmospheric with the whole swamp/marshlands vibes in the middle of nowhere Florida. Reading about Ingrid descent into madness makes you realize how sometimes our own identities are impacted by our friendships.
This book goes from dark thriller to, female friendships with a lot of unresolved trauma. Also I would loosely say this "horror", because horror wise I was left wanting a lot more.
HOWEVER, I will say though Nicky's writing is phenomenal and she did a wonderful job of making the story very atmospheric with the whole swamp/marshlands vibes in the middle of nowhere Florida. Reading about Ingrid descent into madness makes you realize how sometimes our own identities are impacted by our friendships.
March 30, 2025
i thought this book was fine! it had a great premise, but it felt overall rushed. i saw this book marketed as a horror, but tbh i wouldn’t classify it as such. the only true “horror� aspect in my opinion is with the climax at the end, but even that was rushed and could have been fleshed out more to be more horror-like.
if you like fast paced books with weird main characters, this book is definitely for you
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
if you like fast paced books with weird main characters, this book is definitely for you
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
January 4, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC of Mayra.
I'm a big fan of "descent into madness" books, so I was super excited to get my hands on this, but honestly it felt more like a free-fall into madness right at the end of the story. While I understand how some backstory on the relationship of the main characters is necessary, I would have preferred a lot more detail and time spent on the ending. To me, the story was just getting good when it ended. All that said, I very much enjoyed the author's beautiful writing style.
3.5 stars rounded down
I'm a big fan of "descent into madness" books, so I was super excited to get my hands on this, but honestly it felt more like a free-fall into madness right at the end of the story. While I understand how some backstory on the relationship of the main characters is necessary, I would have preferred a lot more detail and time spent on the ending. To me, the story was just getting good when it ended. All that said, I very much enjoyed the author's beautiful writing style.
3.5 stars rounded down
March 25, 2025
3.25 stars
I feel like I slightly missed the mark with this one. There was so much to love about this one! So much, but I feel like every aspect I enjoyed just needed it to go a bit further. There was something held back.
This is about early friendship and how the strength of that bond and the circumstances in which is was forged can play into it later in life, when people have grow and changed. Also, what it takes to try and preserve it.
Ingrid has been invited by her childhood best friend to a weekend retreat. Mayra convinces her to traverse the Florida swamplands, completely out of Ingrid’s comfort zone and we can see the cracks forming in the facade already. Upon arriving Ingrid is surprised by the presence of Mayra’s new boyfriend, Benji� but it’s his lovely house they will be enjoying, so she attempts to have a good time. Something is off though. Something is off through this entire book and you can feel it. It is palpable and you are just constantly on edge, waiting. I thought that aspect was done superbly. The vibe of this book was off the charts.
I loved the back and forth timeline. The times we get to see of Mayra and Ingrid as adolescents and teens were some of my favorite parts of the book. I feel like most girls have had a friendship like this at some point in their young life. There is a toxicity to it, a codependency, but you also couldn’t breathe without them.
I just wanted this book to go a little deeper into everything. A little deeper into the friendship, a little deeper into the dynamic of the present, and more of other things that will get into spoiler territory if I mention them.
This was good, I just wanted there to be MORE.
I feel like I slightly missed the mark with this one. There was so much to love about this one! So much, but I feel like every aspect I enjoyed just needed it to go a bit further. There was something held back.
This is about early friendship and how the strength of that bond and the circumstances in which is was forged can play into it later in life, when people have grow and changed. Also, what it takes to try and preserve it.
Ingrid has been invited by her childhood best friend to a weekend retreat. Mayra convinces her to traverse the Florida swamplands, completely out of Ingrid’s comfort zone and we can see the cracks forming in the facade already. Upon arriving Ingrid is surprised by the presence of Mayra’s new boyfriend, Benji� but it’s his lovely house they will be enjoying, so she attempts to have a good time. Something is off though. Something is off through this entire book and you can feel it. It is palpable and you are just constantly on edge, waiting. I thought that aspect was done superbly. The vibe of this book was off the charts.
I loved the back and forth timeline. The times we get to see of Mayra and Ingrid as adolescents and teens were some of my favorite parts of the book. I feel like most girls have had a friendship like this at some point in their young life. There is a toxicity to it, a codependency, but you also couldn’t breathe without them.
I just wanted this book to go a little deeper into everything. A little deeper into the friendship, a little deeper into the dynamic of the present, and more of other things that will get into spoiler territory if I mention them.
This was good, I just wanted there to be MORE.
March 28, 2025
One of the stronger debuts I’ve read. For fans of Sarah Gailey’s JUST LIKE HOME. Mayra reaches out to old friend Ingrid after many years and the women reconnect at a vacation rental in the Florida Everglades. Time starts to slip and the setting closes in. A claustrophobic, character-driven nightmare.
March 23, 2025
3.5/ 5 stars
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 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!
Want to read
January 27, 2025This looks amazing! So excited!!
ARC REC'D!! Thank you!!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
ARC REC'D!! Thank you!!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.