Mayra

A Novel

De: Nicky Gonzalez

Narrado por: Frankie Corzo

An eerie, hypnotic debut about friendship, desire, and memory set against the sultry backdrop of Florida’s swamplands.

“A mesmerizing, hallucinatory adrenaline rush of a novel.”—Claire Luchette, author of Agatha of Little Neon

LONGLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE

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, 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 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 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.

Weird book

Great if you like weird Florida and intense friendships. Will listen to anything Corzo narrates.

passionate forgetting

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez in exchange for an honest review. This book felt like I jumped in a time traveling mirror 20 times and then tried to explain it. It was completely fascinating and yet somewhat confusing in a way that made me want to read it twenty more times just to understand it better.

A scary trip down memory lane.

The best part of this story was the narrator. I feel like I could listen to her read almost anything. Definitely a surrealism story with a few turns I didn't expect. It was entertaining and different from what I normally listen to. I enjoyed the poetic language but nonliner timeline didn't work for me with this story. I wouldn't say it took away from it, but it feels lacking somehow and I personally can't tell if that was intentional on the author's part for the story or if it simply was because I can't relate to the characters. Not a bad debut novel. While I won't personally be seeking out this writer's other work, if I come across it I imagine I'll enjoy what comes of it.