Mayra, by Nicky Gonzalez

I did not love this horror novel about a young woman, Ingrid, who goes off to the Everglades for a weekend visit with Mayra, a friend she hasn't seen in a long time. They're staying in a home with Mayra's boyfriend, Benji, who is obsessed with caring for the house. The house itself is strange and seems to grow and develop organically, reflecting its occupants' lives. As days pass, it's clear that the house is causing Ingrid to lose track of time and her life outside. When Ingrid finds a diary of a former occupant, she begins to realize what's happening and plans an escape. In the end, she gets out, but Mayra decides to stay behind in the house with Benji. While the premise is interesting, the book didn't coalesce well for me. In flashbacks, Ingrid delves into her and Mayra's past relationship, but none if it seemed to shed light on what's happening in the present. Similarly, the diary did lead to Ingrid's figuring out what was going on, but it seemed like an unnecessary digression from the plot. I also didn't like the author's overemphasis on gross descriptions of sweat and dirt. At one point Benji wipes his finger along a dusty windowpane and then eats the dust ball. I didn't get the point of that at all, given that he's not in any other way depicted as a monster or demented (other than being bewitched by the house).