I was frightened reading this story. The author did such an amazing job crafting what reads like a horror novel to me. I liked some of it but other parts were too much for me. I think the book will find the correct reader and be enjoyed. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

‘Mayra’ ended up being a little different than I expected. It was extremely atmospheric. I loved that it takes place in the Florida Everglades. So right away it feels mysterious and a little creepy. This story is definitely a slow burn. For most of the book it’s mainly just the MC going about her days in a strange house and reminiscing about her childhood friendship with Mayra. The ending however, felt like a fever dream. I really enjoyed this story, I just wish the creep factor was a bit higher.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!

Honestly this book wasn’t bad, but it was great either. I was kind of confused on how the book went back and forth in time. And I really did think it was going to be a bit more horror type, the suspense was great. But like I said I really did think the horror was going to be a bit more there, and I really didn’t understand the ending of it. Overall it wasn’t bad but like I said wasn’t really great.

Mayra is a quintessential Florida novel while being out of this world. The description and imagery is so beautifully SoFlo, including the Publix stop and python hunting dudes. Its exploration of a toxic childhood friendship is addicting and relatable. When I was reading I lost track of time and place, like I was in the house in the swamp myself. The simple diary entries are a delightful addition, taking us out of the story and adding another perspective of female friendship. It artfully tells a story on three timelines: Ingrid and Mayra’s friendship in the past, their current situation and Lizzie’s life leading up to her time in the house. A must read for any Florida girls who have had kooky strained friendships and enjoy a spooky twist.

Thank your for the Arc!

Over all I thought the book was well written and Ingrid and Mayra were well written as well. However I wouldn’t call this horror, but more creepy with a dash of suspense.

Fair warning the start is a bit slow and it didn’t get very interesting until maybe 60%ish in to the book. The author does a great job at taking us back to Ingrid and Mayra’s old friendship to how they are now and how toxic it still is even though they’ve been so part. Towards the end the book it seemed rushed and like everything was just thrown together which left me a little underwhelmed.

But my main issue is that it was promoted as horro when it really doesn’t read like that.

An intriguing novel of horror and suspense. The gothic vibes were immaculate. I am in love with book and will be raving about it. The author did a phenomenal job with the characters.

Ingrid and Mayra were childhood best friends, grown apart with time. Mayra reconnects with Ingrid and invites her to stay in the deep Florida swampland. Ingrid is surprised to find out that Mayra’s boyfriend will be staying with them as well. The longer Ingrid and Mayra are together the more disagreements they have about the past as well as secrets this Florida house holds.

I loved that this book was southern gothic. I also enjoyed that the book feels dreamy. However I felt as though the writing was a bit all over the place with many plots happening at once. We are taken from present day to Ingrid and Mayra as children/teens and we follow Lizzie who Ingrid finds the journal of.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this ARC! To be published July 22, 2025.

Review of Advance Reader’s Copy

When Mayra reaches out to Ingrid after years of silence, she invites Ingrid to come spend time with her in the isolated house where she is staying. Ingrid knows she should decline, but she and Mayra were once best friends . . . and it’s hard to say, “No,” to her.

So Ingrid goes. Unprepared for what awaits her, what will she do when she discovers the secrets held by the house?

=======

Atmospheric, dark, and creepy, this tale places a strong focus on the friendship between the two women. Toxic, yet deep, it was a friendship created during their adolescent years; one that Ingrid felt compelled to recognize and accept, even as an adult. Throughout the narrative, readers encounter the characters’ loneliness and isolation, giving the telling of the tale an undercurrent of apprehension.

With its disquieting gothic vibe, a setting isolated in the swampy Everglades, and the uncertainty surrounding the friendship, the feeling of something “not quite right” about Mayra’s boyfriend, Benji, simply adds to the eeriness. The unfolding tale keeps those pages turning [albeit with a bit of trepidation] as readers try to predict what will happen next.

Readers who enjoy friendship tales, creepy stories, and weird situations will find much to appreciate here.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Random House Publishing Group – Random House / Random House and NetGalley
#Mayra #NetGalley

I really liked this book! It was definitely horror verging on literary fiction, with a sense of unease that heightens with every page. Ingrid was a relatable main character: shy, reserved, and often plagued by daydreams and anxiety. Mayra, on the other hand, was her perfect opposite, and I really enjoyed the way the author portrayed their differences. The haunted house elements were very well done, and the diary entries that began in the later half of the book added a lot to the depth of the story.

Mayra was a dreamlike, mysterious book that kept me curious through to the end. Very quickly, the reader gets a sense that something is not quite right early on, but Gonzalez did a great job of showing not telling.

I did find the ending and plot a little underwhelming, but overall an unsettling and intriguing read.

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!

The publisher reached out to me and offered the opportunity to read an eARC.

I should’ve said no. I should’ve DNF’d. But, I kept reading thinking maybe it would get better. It never did.

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

A reunion with a toxic friend becomes a terrifying descent into Southern Gothic horror in this compelling novella.

I approached this book with curiosity and left with a newfound appreciation for the haunted house genre. Nicky masterfully crafts an atmosphere of dread, where the true horror simmers beneath the surface until the explosive climax.

Even before the overt scares begin, the psychological tension is palpable, leaving you questioning the sanity of the characters and the reality of the events unfolding within the house. The toxic dynamic between Ingrid and Mayra is disturbingly familiar, offering a sharp exploration of how such friendships can subtly manipulate and erode, ultimately revealing a darkness that's both human and supernatural. This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys their horror with a side of psychological depth and Southern charm.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing and Nicky Gonzalez for an ARC for an honest review.

When Ingrid's old friend invites her out to a remote cabin, things get a little weird.

I actually really loved this. I think the author really captured a certain type of female friendship that a lot of women can relate to on a deep level, and the way she wrote about it was just superb. So evocative. I loved the whole atmosphere. The dream like quality of the second half was very nicely done. Just enough creep to be gothic, while not being 100% horror. Very strange and creative. If this is her first book, I can't wait to see what she will do next.

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.

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.

A sticky, sweltering heat. An old house that promises sanctuary. Two women who were once girls together, tangled in loneliness and desire, hurting and loving each other. These are the bones beneath the skin and flesh of Mayra, a gothic novel from debut author Nicky Gonzalez.

I was drawn in by the esca of the cover and the promise of an isolated, labyrinth house nestled in the swamps of Florida, a place I'm well familiar with. But for much of the book, the setting is secondary to the thorned relationship between Ingrid and Mayra. They met as young girls, at the peak of their insecurity and loneliness. And with one interaction, one misunderstanding, they doomed each other to a spiraling dance of unhappiness. Mayra forever playing the contrarian to catch Ingrid's approval; Ingrid forever trying to play cool for Mayra's. An unhappy mirror.

So, if you don't enjoy toxic codependent relationships, you likely won't enjoy a good part of this book, as there are large swaths of backstory that explore just that.

As for the supernatural element of gothic, this book definitely has that. Though it doesn't fully come to fruit until the last stretch. Some reviewers have called this section a "fever dream," and while that's fair, it's arguably the best part of the book. It ties together all the odd strands of the story, and it makes all the odd questions like "why are they sleeping outside so much" and "why does Ingrid's sense of direction suck so bad" make perfect sense. It's not oversight on the author's part at all, and I'm annoyed on her behalf.

Here, I'll get a little spoiler-y.

That being said, I found the book too anchored in the past. It makes *sense* why this is done, but... I really wanted to see more development between Ingrid and Mayra. Mayra is so lost, so unmoored, and Ingrid is so consumed with the idea of who Mayra was (a girl who once looked at her and assigned her value). It makes the entire book a tragedy. Mayra is described as an angler fish... but that's a hook I can't sink my teeth into. She didn't lure Ingrid to the house: it was a cry for help.

And so, the character arcs to me feel unfinished. Mayra and Ingrid still feel like stunted teenagers who've grown a little taller, might have gotten jobs and degrees, but are still very much who they once were. And in terms of Benji... what an odd can of worms. There is so much potential in him. But it feels like a missed opportunity to not crack him open and see what the house had left behind in the folds of his brain.

Is he Paul? How many women has he led to the same fate? Why did he pick Mayra? Is there any soul left?

With that said, Mayra is an excellent book with the best portrayal of codependent teenage girls I've ever seen.

For about 85% of the book, I was enthralled, super engaged, and unsettled. But then, the repetition started increasing, and I started skimming increasingly, needing to get to the big moment, the climax, where all the cards would be shown…which never actually happened. While Ingrid started to be more curious and suspicious the moment I was waiting, the satisfaction never came, and all I was left with was a myriad of questions. While I understand why the author left it that way, I'm frustrated because I read all that for what? I think even a mini epilogue to explain the outside world more and how Benji got there, and how no one raised the alarm about Ingrid's absence, would be beneficial to tie a few things up. Benji is seen doing some weird stuff that I assume, as the reader, is part of the story surrounding the house and its hold on the occupants, but it's never explained, so it ends up being just a strange scene with no weight behind it.

I surprised myself by really enjoying this book, as I didn’t think it'd be for me when I started. But the unsettling atmosphere kept me hooked, and I think the writing captured the setting and the deeply flawed relationships realistically and interestingly. Overall, while I did like the book, not having a solid or semi-solid resolution of the story brings my rating down.

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

Atmospheric and richly descriptive, Mayra stays true to the southern gothic tradition. While I was waiting for the horror to start, it crept up on me insidiously. Similar to Ingrid’s experience in the house, Mayra lulled me into complacency before sinking her claws into me. The final surreal trip back to reality felt a bit rushed, but isn’t that true to the story?

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC