"But sometimes, the only way to heal is to rage. Sometimes, justice isn't quiet or clean; it's feral and bloody and unapologetic."

Not sure how I'll write this review when I have NO WORDS. Never has "don't judge a book by its cover" rung more true than when it comes to this one but I love the juxtaposition. Those needing a real heavy, brutal dose of female rage, this is definitely the one for you.
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I loved Ballard's writing style all the way through this; it almost felt lyrical or poetic in some ways. There's a bit of a staccato style to the writing which to me made the general story all the more intriguing & horrifying as well as making it a faster paced read. Before the real horror got going in the plot, I was taking this as another 'weird girl litfic' & though it still had me hooked from the beginning, things just got better and better after each chapter.
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Even with how quick the story evolved, it was still so tense; I was constantly on tenterhooks just waiting for something else to happen to our FMC Gia & always expecting the worst. Talk about gore galore! — So many moments had my stomach churning & a few times I had to put my kindle down to prepare myself to keep reading with how each scene was so visceral & graphic. It never once felt it was all in the name of shock factor though, at least not in the traditional sense. It all made sense to the context of the plot & honestly, just kept me gripped.
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The ending felt ever so slightly predictable but this wasn't enough of a gripe to lower my overall rating & I still really liked how this was written. This is definitely one that'll stay in my mind for a long while. I've also heard great things about Mia's previous book Sugar so consider that added to my wishlist!

Thank you Mia & Netgalley for my free eARC!

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“And I wonder, late at night, when the house is quiet and the fur brushes softly against my skin: Who did he want in the first place? A girl pretending to be a dog? Or a dog pretending to be a girl? And I wonder which one I am.”
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“I chose the man who wanted not who I was, but who I could become.”
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This story was pretty wild tbh! Teeming with symbolism and imagery highlighting oppressive societal barriers, psychological manipulation, victimhood, and retribution, we accompany Gia as she is thrusted into a caninic existence, losing herself in the process. This story focuses on women’s autonomy and agency to make their own decisions, resilience, self-worth and identity, and my favorite, RAGE. It’s about one woman’s descent into captivity, literally and metaphorically, and how she reclaims her dignity and freedom. I’d categorize this as a revenge/survival/psychological/body horror story; its bizarre, graphic, evocative, gripping, and will (100%) be added to my “female ragers” obsession era!
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Mia is a propulsive and poetic writer, and SHY GIRL was such a unique and compelling story. If you loved Maeve Fly, Full Brutal, or Bloom, you will love this! Thanks so much @netgalley and @galaxypress for my ARC. SHY GIRL releases 3/1/25!
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Rating: 4.5/5
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“But sometimes, the only way to heal is to rage. Sometimes, justice isn’t quiet or clean; it’s feral and bloody and unapologetic.”

Don’t let this cover fool ya. This is one hell of a ride. Disturbing one too.

When Gia loses her job she decides to sign up for this sugar daddy app to try and find someone to make her life easier.

What she wasn’t expecting was to all of a sudden being on all fours and wearing a collar.

Being a dog for 8 hours a day was the deal that she agreed to in exchange for a good amount of money. More than enough to cover her rent and bills.

But the first day, at the new “job”, things don’t go as expected and being a pet will take over her whole life. Whether she wants it or not.

I couldn’t stop reading this book. The fact that we see everything through Gia’s eyes makes it so easy to follow the story to the point that there were some moments that I started to feel as claustrophobic as her. So check your trigger warnings.

This book will be released on the 1st March and I only have one thing to say… WOOF!

An uncomfortable but quick read.
Explores a lot of interesting themes and I did get through this very fast.
Writing flows well and there was no messing about in this book.
4.5⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.
All opinions are my own.

I think this is my favorite cover ever.

Hard to put down. Hard to sit with. My own autonomy has never felt more important and I kinda wanna give myself a hug.
I’m gonna need a physical copy, there’s a lot I wanted to highlight and comment on. Mia Ballard did a good job depicting something so unusual yet understandable. And scary. This was so disturbing, please heed the author’s warning in the beginning. I spent much of this book nauseated and stressed out. I’ve seen other reviews mentioning ‘Nightbitch’ and I get it; but while ‘Nightbitch’ is more…. tongue-in-cheek, ‘Shy girl’ is like a punch in the throat. It’s a very visceral take on dehumanization. But I loved it as much as you can love any story that connects with and mildly traumatizes you. I feel a little weird even rating it though I think it’s worthy of 5 stars.

Despite the pretty cover this book is anything but demure. This story has razor sharp teeth and ending that will leave your jaw on the floor. I absolutely loved the book. I guess I don’t have much critique for it. After reading the authors note I have so much more respect for the story. I think having the two women respond so differently to being abused in the same way was very interesting. I’m excited to see more from this author.

My favorite read of the year so far?

A horrifying and disturbing tale of trauma, revenge, autonomy, power and control - this was such a compelling read.

Our main character is depressed, uninterested in her life, and resigns herself to the idea of eventual and inevitable suicide. When she comes across a man on a dating/arrangement site who offers her a job as a dog, she feels she has nothing to lose and agrees.

The horror in this is so real, visceral, and insular, but also has larger commentary on women's bodies, bodily agency, the silencing of women, etc. The descriptions of depression and suicidal thoughts were so raw and brutally honest. I loved this so much.

Feral, bloody, angry and delicious. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy for review.

Shy Girl by Mia Ballard is a sucker punch to the soul messy, raw, and impossible to ignore. Gia starts as a wreck: broke, lonely, and drowning in the suffocating grip of OCD. When she stumbles into an arrangement with Nathan, a wealthy but deeply unsettling man, it feels like desperation wearing a pretty dress. But what begins as a transaction spirals into something darker, uglier, and far more animalistic. Yet, this isn’t just a story about victimhood. Gia claws her way through every ounce of degradation, turning pain into power in ways that are as horrifying as they are cathartic.

Nothing is sugarcoated by Ballard. In addition to revealing the horrific reality that women face, her writing often captures moments of subdued defiance, such as a female-to-female gaze or a wordless "fuck you" to the outside world. Long after the book is finished, lines like "justice isn't quiet or clean; it's feral and bloody" will still be felt.

This is anger on paper, not simply horror. And you weren't listening if you weren't yelling "YES" at the end.

Shy Girl is one of those books that pulls you into its twisted world and refuses to let go. Gia’s journey from lonely and broke to trapped in an unsettling arrangement with Nathan was both disturbing and fascinating. The exploration of control, survival, and autonomy was raw and unflinching, making it impossible to look away—even when things got dark.

The psychological tension was intense, and Gia’s descent into something more primal was haunting. It gave off major Nightbitch and Animal vibes, blending social commentary with gritty, almost feral storytelling.

It’s not an easy read, but if you’re into dark feminist fiction that pushes boundaries and leaves you questioning everything, this one’s for you.

Hell yes. “No what you don’t understand is that I’m crazier” comes to mind. This is feminine rage-good for her at its finest and I ate it up.

I am not the same person I was when I started reading Shy Girl. This book is small, but mighty. It took me three days to get through for all the real dread I felt at Gia's situation. This novella is a master class in sheer terror. I'm writing this review fresh off reading the ending, and my chest is still tight, my heart still racing, sweat still beading my brow.

Woof.

Let's put this on the list of books that I will only be recommending if I know the person well enough. This is a well-crafted book, but this is something else. I can't fully explain how horrific the tale it paints is, and it is incredibly messed up and brutal. honestly, the warning at the beginning about how the cover doesn't do it justice is well-earned.

If you like feminine rage and watching the character descend into utter madness, this is one to read, but do not go in blind, read the warnings.

This book is terrifying, heartbreaking, and horrifying. The first half of the book is a brilliant look at a lonely woman with what seems to be OCD trying to navigate a life that is quickly spiraling out of control. When she decides to get on a Sugar Daddy dating app, things seem to be looking up for once. But she soon realizes his motivations are not pure and in fact she is about to be put through some of the most degrading and abusive acts I’ve ever read about. The last 15% or so of this book is absolutely jaw droppingly horrific and insane. I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Well, this makes Nightbitch look like an episode of Paw Patrol. An absolutely insane story from start to finish, something I will be thinking about for the rest of my life probably. The author's note wraps it up with a beautiful bow - Mia Ballard I love your brain and cannot wait to read more.

I am left mouth wide open at this novel. What I love about this is it took feminine rage and made it darker and more visceral. It takes bodily autonomy to the next level. This novel discusses grief of self and grief of life without so many words. And without trying (although probably trying) how white men degrade and throw away women. Women who are not able to entertain or perform or submit. Once these women are useless they discard them. This also shows the way (slightly at the end) of how the system will cater to a wealthy white man than it will to a woman captive by the ideas of freedom and safety.

This book will not be for everyone because of the red picture it paints but by god is it a masterpiece.

This was a wild ride! I do think the ending was a bit predictable but it was still satisfying. There were definitely parts of this book that made my skin crawl. This isn’t my normal genre, and I can say I was hooked the whole story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I came for the gorgeous cover... I stayed for the wild and disgusting story.

Huge props to Mia Ballard for crafting a story that dives into the need for and loss of control using beautiful writing that made me sick to my stomach. Shy Girl follows Gia who is at the brink of eviction and decides to solve her financial problems by finding a sugar daddy. Enter Nathan. What was supposed to be an easy (if humiliating) job-like arrangement turns into a horrifying scenario that dehumanizes Gia in a horrifying and ultimately physical way.

We're with Gia through the entire ordeal. We get to watch her lose herself as a man takes away her agency and forces her to act and become something sub-human. It's horrible.

I think this book was written extremely well. I was fully immersed in Gia's story. I always think I'll love a feminine rage story, but I hate reading through the cause of the rage. I didn't enjoy reading this story. I didn't learn anything from this story. However, I will pick up Mia Ballard's other books because I think she's an amazing writer. This story will stick with me for a long time.

Thank you to Mia Ballard and Galaxy Press via NetGalley for access to an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

nightbitch walked so shy girl could run. this book is absolutely unhinged and i loved it. weird girl lit at its finest. a really dark and twisted story that will leave you infuriated, sad, and a little grossed out.

4.25 ⭐️
Wow wow wow. I really enjoyed this. I decided I would go through NetGalley to try and find strange/weird books to read after reading Strange Sally Diamond and I was accepted to arc read for this. I really enjoyed this!!

This one is about Gia who is not only depressed with OCD but lonely and broke. She is going through quite the rough patch in life after losing her job and needs help financially as she has gone through the majority of her savings. She needs help paying for her apartment. One day, she decides she is going to sign up to a sugar daddy website to look for a guy who will gladly help her with her financial issues but doesn't want anything too serious. This is where she comes across a guy named Nathan. She meets up with him for the first time and wants to know what it is he is wanting as she needs financial stability. He is unsure as obviously he is wanting something more serious. He agrees to meet up again and this is where he starts helping her out and she is able to pay her overdue rent. He then tells her what it is he truly wants. She has to follow him to his house. This is where he tells her he wants her to be his dog for 8 hours a day and that he will pay not only her rent but he will pay double the money she needs all to be his pet for a few hours. She eventually agrees and this is where her world is turned upside down.

This book gripped me from the beginning. I went into this completely blind and it was well worth it. Gia ends up becoming a shell of who she was. The feminine rage in this was crazy good. I wish I could share my Kindle Highlights as I highlighted quite a lot in this book as there were so many great quotes and crazy things happening. This was such an impactful read and I must admit it was sometimes not an easy one. If you do read this please check triggers/content warnings because it can get uncomfortable!

This was the first Mia Ballard I have read and I'm so grateful for NetGalley for sending me this one!
Thank you.

Shy Girl is in the running for my top book of 2025. This book was unhinged feminine rage in the absolute best way and I loved every minute of it.

Shy Girl follows Gia, a young woman who is having a rough time in life after losing her job and is left to find a way to pay her piling bills before she faces eviction. In her desperation she turns to a sugar daddy website where she meets Nathan. Nathan is cold and mysterious, but is offering substantial compensation to Mia. All she has to do? Pretend to be his pet dog for eight hours a day. This request is not what Gia was expecting, but seems easy enough so she accepts his offer. On her first day, Mia quickly realizes the danger she is when Nathan goes back on his word of allowing her to leave and is forced into horrific circumstances in which all she can is try to survive.

**Please read the trigger warnings before you consider reading this book**

This book was an intense read that kept me engaged throughout the whole story. I was so engaged to the point where I stayed up to 2 AM to finish it because I could just not put this book down. I felt a wide array of emotions during my time reading, from disgust, anger, and anxiety (so much so that my heart rate was elevated at several points). From the warning given at the beginning of the book, I knew that I would be encountering some violent and gory scenes, and the author did not hesitate in delivering. One thing I appreciate about this book is how the author used descriptions of violence and gore in ways that made sense to the story. I have read plenty of books in which the violence and gore was written in a way to shock the readers and compete for which book could be the hardest to stomach. Shy Girl did have scenes in which I had to quickly read through in order to diminish the queasy feeling in my gut (one scene in particular near the end, again read the trigger warnings), but they all added to the raw emotions that the characters were experiencing and felt important.

I did not enjoy Night Bitch and was slightly hesitant diving into Shy Girl seeing the comparisons drawn by the author and other reviewers, but I was pleasantly surprised by Shy Girl. Shy Girl is the absolute and violent feminine rage that I was wanting from Night Bitch, and through its dirt and grittiness, it was one of the most enjoyable reading experiences I have had in a long time.

Thank you NetGalley and Galaxy Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.