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Mayra
An eerie, hypnotic literary 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
First published July 22, 2025
165 people are currently reading
30207 people want to read
About the author
Nicky Gonzalez
1 book149 followersNicky 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, a literary gothic novel set in the Everglades, is her first book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,132 reviews
November 4, 2025
is there any creature more horrifying and powerful than an ex best friend.
i'm not a big horror person, usually because either the setup is boring and then i'm reading hundreds of nothing pages before getting to a spooky conclusion and then, oop, it's over, or because the setup is too good and i'm having fun for hundreds of pages and then the conclusion is lame and, once again, oop, it's over.
this was the latter. and if pressed, i guess that's better than a whole boring book with just a little bit of fun.
nothing really happened in this book, but it was eerie. i can't deny that.
bottom line: vibes.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
i'm not a big horror person, usually because either the setup is boring and then i'm reading hundreds of nothing pages before getting to a spooky conclusion and then, oop, it's over, or because the setup is too good and i'm having fun for hundreds of pages and then the conclusion is lame and, once again, oop, it's over.
this was the latter. and if pressed, i guess that's better than a whole boring book with just a little bit of fun.
nothing really happened in this book, but it was eerie. i can't deny that.
bottom line: vibes.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
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.
November 9, 2025
Mayra is a slow burn, debut Horror novel set at a mysterious house deep in the Florida Everglades. We follow Ingrid, who after years of radio silence, finally hears from her childhood best friend, Mayra.
While it might seem strange for Mayra to call Ingrid so suddenly, out of the blue, to invite her on a private weekend getaway, it's actually pretty true to character. Mayra did always march to the beat of her own drum.
Desiring a shake-up, Ingrid impulsively accepts the invitation and sets out on a solo road trip towards her destination, using only the sketchy directions Mayra provided her with.
The Everglades are a tricky place. She's out of reach of cell service, and as the swamp starts to feel like it will swallow her little car whole, Mayra wonders if she'll ever actually get to reunite with Mayra.
Luck is on her side though, as she does eventually arrive at the quirky little house where Mayra is staying. The two fall into their old patterns of relating with one another pretty quickly, but soon enough the fun reunion is covered by a dark cloud: Mayra's strange-behaving boyfriend, Benji.
Mayra did deliver on the solid Southern Gothic atmosphere I was hoping for, but unfortunately, it didn't deliver much else. The setting was definitely my favorite aspect.
I enjoyed the way Gonzalez described the house, as well as the area around it. It had a true sense of place, which is something I always appreciate, and it was unsettling. I could feel the heaviness of it, of the air and natural surroundings.
Additionally, I did feel the development of Ingrid and Mayra's characters, as well as their relationship history, was strong, but as far as a plot goes, it just didn't go anywhere for me. It was too long-winded in the build, and sadly had me bored and frustrated.
I wanted answers, mystery abounds, but as I got to the end, I ultimately ended up with more questions than I had even at the beginning. The finale was way too fever dream for my tastes, and I was left feeling disappointed.
Too much build, too little payoff.
Overall, the 1st-half, that anticipation, was stronger for me than the 2nd-half. I wish it could have kept a solid level of interesting set-up, followed by an actual conclusion that made sense. It would have been a more satisfying read for me if that had been the case.
Sadly, we can't love them all, and even though the content of this, stylistically, didn't work for my tastes, I would still recommend it for fans of more Literary, character-driven, Horror, or fever dream narrative styles.
Thank you, Random House, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This is a very solid debut, and I look forward to seeing what Nicky Gonzalez delivers next!
While it might seem strange for Mayra to call Ingrid so suddenly, out of the blue, to invite her on a private weekend getaway, it's actually pretty true to character. Mayra did always march to the beat of her own drum.
Desiring a shake-up, Ingrid impulsively accepts the invitation and sets out on a solo road trip towards her destination, using only the sketchy directions Mayra provided her with.
The Everglades are a tricky place. She's out of reach of cell service, and as the swamp starts to feel like it will swallow her little car whole, Mayra wonders if she'll ever actually get to reunite with Mayra.
Luck is on her side though, as she does eventually arrive at the quirky little house where Mayra is staying. The two fall into their old patterns of relating with one another pretty quickly, but soon enough the fun reunion is covered by a dark cloud: Mayra's strange-behaving boyfriend, Benji.
Mayra did deliver on the solid Southern Gothic atmosphere I was hoping for, but unfortunately, it didn't deliver much else. The setting was definitely my favorite aspect.
I enjoyed the way Gonzalez described the house, as well as the area around it. It had a true sense of place, which is something I always appreciate, and it was unsettling. I could feel the heaviness of it, of the air and natural surroundings.
Additionally, I did feel the development of Ingrid and Mayra's characters, as well as their relationship history, was strong, but as far as a plot goes, it just didn't go anywhere for me. It was too long-winded in the build, and sadly had me bored and frustrated.
I wanted answers, mystery abounds, but as I got to the end, I ultimately ended up with more questions than I had even at the beginning. The finale was way too fever dream for my tastes, and I was left feeling disappointed.
Too much build, too little payoff.
Overall, the 1st-half, that anticipation, was stronger for me than the 2nd-half. I wish it could have kept a solid level of interesting set-up, followed by an actual conclusion that made sense. It would have been a more satisfying read for me if that had been the case.
Sadly, we can't love them all, and even though the content of this, stylistically, didn't work for my tastes, I would still recommend it for fans of more Literary, character-driven, Horror, or fever dream narrative styles.
Thank you, Random House, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This is a very solid debut, and I look forward to seeing what Nicky Gonzalez delivers next!
November 11, 2025
Love a weird little book in a weird (not so) little house…
Read for my Halloween Horror reading vlog: https://youtu.be/Lgu4XOoLWGk
Written review to come!
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!
Read for my Halloween Horror reading vlog: https://youtu.be/Lgu4XOoLWGk
Written review to come!
You can find me on...
Youtube | Instagram | TikTok
You can join our book club over on Patreon...
PBB Book Club
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!
June 30, 2025
If the books “House of Leaves” and “Alice in Wonderland” had a baby it would be called “Mayra”! If you like strange books, this one is for you! 3 Stars⭐️⭐️⭐️!
July 19, 2025
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.
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.
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.
October 9, 2025
Totally not sure what happened in this one.
Ingrid and Mayra were childhood best friends that grew apart when Mayra left for college. Out of the blue, she reaches out to Ingrid and invites her to come stay with her in a rental she got deep in what seems to be the Everglades. Initially trying to get out of it she decides to go. Once she arrives, Mayra introduces her to her friend Benji, who currently is in charge of managing the property. The house itself is very strange, as is Benji, and is very easy to get lost in. Things then begin to get weird. Almost so weird, that I lose track of what is going on. There are a bunch of flashbacks to the women’s childhood along with a hidden diary from a previous occupant of the house. I enjoyed these more than the present day happenings.
I came out of this one completely confused. For such a short novel, it took me a long time to finish it. I think all of the elements were there and the writing itself was good but the plot and resolution got lost on this reader.
2.5 Stars
Ingrid and Mayra were childhood best friends that grew apart when Mayra left for college. Out of the blue, she reaches out to Ingrid and invites her to come stay with her in a rental she got deep in what seems to be the Everglades. Initially trying to get out of it she decides to go. Once she arrives, Mayra introduces her to her friend Benji, who currently is in charge of managing the property. The house itself is very strange, as is Benji, and is very easy to get lost in. Things then begin to get weird. Almost so weird, that I lose track of what is going on. There are a bunch of flashbacks to the women’s childhood along with a hidden diary from a previous occupant of the house. I enjoyed these more than the present day happenings.
I came out of this one completely confused. For such a short novel, it took me a long time to finish it. I think all of the elements were there and the writing itself was good but the plot and resolution got lost on this reader.
2.5 Stars
May 5, 2025
This was boring :( I really liked the idea of it but found it to be way too slow & kind of a mess. The most interesting parts were the flashbacks to Mayra & Ingrid’s childhood friendship. I also hate when a character finds a journal & reads like 1 page a week. Who finds a journal & doesn’t read the whole thing in one sitting?! I didn’t connect to any of the characters & had a hard time picturing a lot of the scenes.
Thank you to Random House & NetGalley for the ARC.
Thank you to Random House & NetGalley for the ARC.
August 16, 2025
the potential this book had to be way creepier and way more lesbian….
November 7, 2025
An exploration of friendship and identity with an eerie twist.
Definitely low energy - 98% flashbacks and 2% mystery, but something about it just worked for me.
Definitely low energy - 98% flashbacks and 2% mystery, but something about it just worked for me.
October 27, 2025
I should have sailed through this at 229 pages. This started out interesting because I thought we were going somewhere but the ride just went in circles.
Reading this felt like the author was just putting words to a page most of the time. Yes it’s a slow burn- which I can totally dig done correctly- but this was like slow melting. Just unenjoyable as a whole.
I gave it a two because some pets were interesting and kept me reading, but when those led to a bunch of ??? at the end, I just sighed heavy and felt the time spent in the book wasn’t worth what the book had to offer. Disappointing read for me.
Reading this felt like the author was just putting words to a page most of the time. Yes it’s a slow burn- which I can totally dig done correctly- but this was like slow melting. Just unenjoyable as a whole.
I gave it a two because some pets were interesting and kept me reading, but when those led to a bunch of ??? at the end, I just sighed heavy and felt the time spent in the book wasn’t worth what the book had to offer. Disappointing read for me.
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August 2, 2025I would call this literary horror. Mayra is a slow, eerie novel about messy friendship, identity, and queer desire set in the swamps of Florida.
Ingrid hasn't heard from her former best friend in years, ever since she left their Cuban-American neighborhood in Florida for an Ivy League university. But when Mayra calls to invite her for a weekend stay at an isolated house in the Everglades, she agrees to go. What she finds is a strange and disorienting house owned by Mayra's new boyfriend - a man who tries to be the perfect host to the point of overstepping boundaries at times. The novel weaves between past and present, the complicated relationship between the women, Ingrid's repressed desire, and the things that separated them. The last part of the book is strange and dreamlike, and I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending. I received a copy of this book for review via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
Ingrid hasn't heard from her former best friend in years, ever since she left their Cuban-American neighborhood in Florida for an Ivy League university. But when Mayra calls to invite her for a weekend stay at an isolated house in the Everglades, she agrees to go. What she finds is a strange and disorienting house owned by Mayra's new boyfriend - a man who tries to be the perfect host to the point of overstepping boundaries at times. The novel weaves between past and present, the complicated relationship between the women, Ingrid's repressed desire, and the things that separated them. The last part of the book is strange and dreamlike, and I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending. I received a copy of this book for review via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
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.
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 Goodreads! 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 Goodreads! 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!
August 12, 2025
(⭐1.5)
I was so, so bored reading this, ohhh my gosh. It was so painful oh my goodnesssssss
I honestly have nothing much to say about this book, because I felt next to nothing reading it. I understand it's a debut novel, and the prose is just gorgeous but there was literally next to nothing happening for so so long. It only began to get interesting in the final 20 pages and by then I just didn't care.
I have nothing much else to say, ummm... yeah. This was super disappointing 😔
I was so, so bored reading this, ohhh my gosh. It was so painful oh my goodnesssssss
I honestly have nothing much to say about this book, because I felt next to nothing reading it. I understand it's a debut novel, and the prose is just gorgeous but there was literally next to nothing happening for so so long. It only began to get interesting in the final 20 pages and by then I just didn't care.
I have nothing much else to say, ummm... yeah. This was super disappointing 😔
September 14, 2025
MAYRA reads like a Stanley Kubrick movie, with a dash of HOUSE OF LEAVES and A SIMPLE FAVOR. The book is about two Cuban girls, Mayra and Ingrid, who used to have a close and toxic friendship. Then Mayra went out and made something of herself while Ingrid remained largely unchanged. When Mayra invites her, out of the blue, to a weekend retreat in a mansion in the everglades, Ingrid is suspicious but ultimately down. Maybe a digital detox is exactly what she needs. But her enthusiasm wanes slightly when she finds out Mayra's boyfriend, Benji, is coming. Benji, who is very strange...
MAYRA is an intimate character study about the sometimes-feral nature of girlhood bonds, written in a way that I've only really seen Megan Abbott do. It's also a coming of age story, a mourning for the way old friends leave us and move on, and a criticism of how the U.S. tends to force BIPOC woman to whitewash their cultural markers. I do think it's also a little bit gothic, and a little bit of a haunted house story, but that's not really the primary focus I don't think, and the story doesn't go about tackling those tropes in the usual way.
If you want something thoughtful and weird and interesting, written in the vein of Mona Awad and Megan Abbott, you will like this book. I can actually see it being a better film than a story, because the atmosphere-rich nature of the book would really translate well to the unease and visuals that can be offered by a movie. So I think taking that approach going into MAYRA will also help shape your expectations.
3 stars
MAYRA is an intimate character study about the sometimes-feral nature of girlhood bonds, written in a way that I've only really seen Megan Abbott do. It's also a coming of age story, a mourning for the way old friends leave us and move on, and a criticism of how the U.S. tends to force BIPOC woman to whitewash their cultural markers. I do think it's also a little bit gothic, and a little bit of a haunted house story, but that's not really the primary focus I don't think, and the story doesn't go about tackling those tropes in the usual way.
If you want something thoughtful and weird and interesting, written in the vein of Mona Awad and Megan Abbott, you will like this book. I can actually see it being a better film than a story, because the atmosphere-rich nature of the book would really translate well to the unease and visuals that can be offered by a movie. So I think taking that approach going into MAYRA will also help shape your expectations.
3 stars
May 25, 2025
All of these horror books sounding pretty dang good but not fully delivering is starting to harsh my mellow you guys.
An old friend rings up, back in the area again, and invites you to hang with them at a secluded rental house in the middle of the everglades. You were too young to know it then, but they were a bad influence on you but you're aware of that now and worry that you might not find each other likeable now. But you go, reluctantly, and are surprised at how easily you pick things back up.
They forgot to tell you that their boyfriend is there, which was a little weird at first. And then they share that it's not actually a rental but a house the boyfriend inherited from his family, and it's kind of mazelike trying to find your way around inside but you're feeling at ease and kind of peaceful, the stress of real life slipping off your shoulders and you start to lose track of time and then... well... there's a lot of flashbacks, I mean A LOT of flashbacks and then there's this journal under the bed of the room you're in, which you start to read and which makes no sense until it kind of does and then everything just seems to sort of stop making sense.
The weird doesn't hit until we're almost at the end of the book, so the whole time I'm like yeah, ok, where's the horror, and even when it does finally shows itself, it's like meh, THAT's what I was sticking around waiting for? Nah. Not ok. That was crap.
The 'horror' probably comes from the horribly long wait for the criminally horrible payoff.
An old friend rings up, back in the area again, and invites you to hang with them at a secluded rental house in the middle of the everglades. You were too young to know it then, but they were a bad influence on you but you're aware of that now and worry that you might not find each other likeable now. But you go, reluctantly, and are surprised at how easily you pick things back up.
They forgot to tell you that their boyfriend is there, which was a little weird at first. And then they share that it's not actually a rental but a house the boyfriend inherited from his family, and it's kind of mazelike trying to find your way around inside but you're feeling at ease and kind of peaceful, the stress of real life slipping off your shoulders and you start to lose track of time and then... well... there's a lot of flashbacks, I mean A LOT of flashbacks and then there's this journal under the bed of the room you're in, which you start to read and which makes no sense until it kind of does and then everything just seems to sort of stop making sense.
The weird doesn't hit until we're almost at the end of the book, so the whole time I'm like yeah, ok, where's the horror, and even when it does finally shows itself, it's like meh, THAT's what I was sticking around waiting for? Nah. Not ok. That was crap.
The 'horror' probably comes from the horribly long wait for the criminally horrible payoff.
Read
July 18, 2025DNF so will not leave a review. This was not what I was expecting and not my type of book. It was vividly descriptive with an immersive atmosphere with two teenage friends reconnecting years later in an eerie house deep in the Florida Everglades amidst stretches of swampland. There were feverish touches of the supernatural, but wasn’t for me in style or storyline. I believe many readers will love this book despite my misgivings.
August 24, 2025
okkk i understood what this was aiming to be, and it was unsettling in how it portrayed a slow descent into what read like increasing madness and confusion. an ex best friend plot? of course i was gonna read it. but this was a super slow burn, and i just wasn’t super into some of this book unfortunately
September 4, 2025
I don't believe in DNFing a book, especially because we never know what is going to happen, if it's going to get better, or if it still has hidden potential. And if I don't like it, I want to be an informed hater. I considered DNFing this book more times than I can count.
This is not worth your time. Read something else.
The synopsis seems really great, but it underdelivers. And even this is an understatement.
The author spends too much time going into the past to build Ingrid and Mayra's relationship to the point that it's boring, annoying and just too much.
The journal entries are unnecessary to the plot.
Ingrid and Mayra are even more cringe in the present.
The author doesn't build Benji up enough for him to matter to the story at all.
The author doesn't build the mansion, it's past and lore, for it to be haunting or for it to matter at the end of the story.
There is nothing "gothic horror" in this book.
No hate to the author, as it is a debut book and there is lots of space to improve. She does write well, but she doesn't develop well.
This is not worth your time. Read something else.
The synopsis seems really great, but it underdelivers. And even this is an understatement.
The author spends too much time going into the past to build Ingrid and Mayra's relationship to the point that it's boring, annoying and just too much.
The journal entries are unnecessary to the plot.
Ingrid and Mayra are even more cringe in the present.
The author doesn't build Benji up enough for him to matter to the story at all.
The author doesn't build the mansion, it's past and lore, for it to be haunting or for it to matter at the end of the story.
There is nothing "gothic horror" in this book.
No hate to the author, as it is a debut book and there is lots of space to improve. She does write well, but she doesn't develop well.
August 25, 2025
if it wasn’t for the goodreads challenge, i would’ve dnfed
wanted to kms almost the entire time 😃✌️
wanted to kms almost the entire time 😃✌️
October 6, 2025
Audiobook Stats:
⏰: 6 hours 52 minutes
🎤: Frankie Corzo
Publisher: PRH audio
Format: single pov/multi timeline
General Thoughts:
Mayra is a story about complicated friendships, obsession and memory. It definitely has a sinister atmosphere from the beginning. Set in an isolated and swampy area of Florida where our characters are cut off from easy access to communication only adds to the dread inducing feeling. The pages were dripping with tension between our reconnecting friends. By
Told in a series of present day POV's as well as flashbacks that detail our FMC's memory of their lost friendship, you definitely are given the opportunity to piece together the feelings of our FMC concerning their pairing and the complicated and often unsavory aspects of their connection. Obsession and jealousy is at the root of the friendship which at times gives the reader feelings of being uncomfortable and almost embarrassed for the characters. It added to the overall feeling of wrongness surrounding their pairing.
We did get hit with some repetition that was hard to push through at times. We seemed to get stuck in these cycles of flashbacks, diary entries and random philosophical conversations that came across as pointless. This cycle of repetition made me feel like the story wasn't progressing. This continued until the story seemed to shift from thriller to haunted house. It became more like a fever dream vs the best friend story it started out as. Which was a little jarring at first, but honestly ended up being pretty interesting.
Overall it was a mixed experience but I'm leaning towards liking it more than not. Definitely not a perfect read, but worth checking out to see where you fall.
Disclaimer: I read this audiobook via free ALC through PRH Audio. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.
⏰: 6 hours 52 minutes
🎤: Frankie Corzo
Publisher: PRH audio
Format: single pov/multi timeline
General Thoughts:
Mayra is a story about complicated friendships, obsession and memory. It definitely has a sinister atmosphere from the beginning. Set in an isolated and swampy area of Florida where our characters are cut off from easy access to communication only adds to the dread inducing feeling. The pages were dripping with tension between our reconnecting friends. By
Told in a series of present day POV's as well as flashbacks that detail our FMC's memory of their lost friendship, you definitely are given the opportunity to piece together the feelings of our FMC concerning their pairing and the complicated and often unsavory aspects of their connection. Obsession and jealousy is at the root of the friendship which at times gives the reader feelings of being uncomfortable and almost embarrassed for the characters. It added to the overall feeling of wrongness surrounding their pairing.
We did get hit with some repetition that was hard to push through at times. We seemed to get stuck in these cycles of flashbacks, diary entries and random philosophical conversations that came across as pointless. This cycle of repetition made me feel like the story wasn't progressing. This continued until the story seemed to shift from thriller to haunted house. It became more like a fever dream vs the best friend story it started out as. Which was a little jarring at first, but honestly ended up being pretty interesting.
Overall it was a mixed experience but I'm leaning towards liking it more than not. Definitely not a perfect read, but worth checking out to see where you fall.
Disclaimer: I read this audiobook via free ALC through PRH Audio. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.
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.
November 1, 2025
TW/CW: Language, drinking, bullying, toxic friendships, death of a parent
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
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.
Release Date: July 22nd, 2025
Genre: Horror
Pages: 240
Rating: ⭐
What I Liked:
1. Cover of the book is nice
What I Didn't Like:
1. The writing style is odd
2. The characters are boring
3. The story is so slow
4. Not horror feeling
Final Thoughts:
I tried to get into this book. I listen to the audiobook and even read the physical book, but still it was boring. The characters are so flat and have absolutely no personality that I didn't care what was happening to them. I also found the writing style to be quite discombobulated. It all seemed to sound kind of gibberish to me.
I kept waiting for the horror to happen but it felt like it was taking so long to even get there. I feel like we spent so much time talking about our main characters childhood and how Mayra was more of a bully to her than anything else.
I ended up dnfing this book at 33%/page 80 because I just couldn't pretend to care anymore. It is a shame since I was pretty excited to read this book.Sadly nothing happens for as far as I got.
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
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.
Release Date: July 22nd, 2025
Genre: Horror
Pages: 240
Rating: ⭐
What I Liked:
1. Cover of the book is nice
What I Didn't Like:
1. The writing style is odd
2. The characters are boring
3. The story is so slow
4. Not horror feeling
Final Thoughts:
I tried to get into this book. I listen to the audiobook and even read the physical book, but still it was boring. The characters are so flat and have absolutely no personality that I didn't care what was happening to them. I also found the writing style to be quite discombobulated. It all seemed to sound kind of gibberish to me.
I kept waiting for the horror to happen but it felt like it was taking so long to even get there. I feel like we spent so much time talking about our main characters childhood and how Mayra was more of a bully to her than anything else.
I ended up dnfing this book at 33%/page 80 because I just couldn't pretend to care anymore. It is a shame since I was pretty excited to read this book.Sadly nothing happens for as far as I got.
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
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
January 27, 2025
obsessed with the voice, the feel, the vibe, and every single interaction.
April 11, 2025
Rating: 3.5☆
Thanks to Netgalley for this eArc in exchange for an honest review!
This book captivated me. I devoured it in almost entirely one sitting. The ending lacked a bit for me, and I felt like it was missing a final "oomph". However, most of the book was enthralling and this will definitely sit with me for a long time.
Thanks to Netgalley for this eArc in exchange for an honest review!
This book captivated me. I devoured it in almost entirely one sitting. The ending lacked a bit for me, and I felt like it was missing a final "oomph". However, most of the book was enthralling and this will definitely sit with me for a long time.
Want to read
July 31, 2025note-to-self:
read this book when you’re ready to confront your fears. it's a full package right here: 🦎+💀+🧟♀️. deal? 🤝
#helpme #disgustedandfascinated #iwillregretthis #masochisticbutcantlookaway #lizardsaremynightmares #thisbookwillruinme #WHYdidtherehavetoBeLIZARDS #iwantout #makeitstop #mymindstraumatized #exbestfriendsyougetit
read this book when you’re ready to confront your fears. it's a full package right here: 🦎+💀+🧟♀️. deal? 🤝
#helpme #disgustedandfascinated #iwillregretthis #masochisticbutcantlookaway #lizardsaremynightmares #thisbookwillruinme #WHYdidtherehavetoBeLIZARDS #iwantout #makeitstop #mymindstraumatized #exbestfriendsyougetit
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