Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez Book Review

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. 

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