Wowwww!! I was not expecting this to be such a great read! Feminine rage at its finest!! I love this and everything about.

WOW! Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC! I finished this book in a day. It was Nightbitch (another 5 star for me) on steroids. Everything, from the first page to the last had me hooked! I would recommend to anyone who enjoys feminine rage/weird girl books 🖤

So, when I heard my friend talking about this book and how she was unable to put it down or look away I knew I had to get my hands on it.

As soon as my NetGalley request was accepted I went in and LORD I was not prepared.

What starts off as a relatively normal spirals quickly into madness. And just when you think it can’t get any more disturbing, it does. I could not put this one down or look away from the madness unfolding in front of my eyes. There were scenes where I caught myself clenching my jaw and I had to remind myself that I would mention “not for people with a weak stomach” in my review.

The underlaying message in this book is a strong one and the story is incredible original and well written.
A dark, disturbing and not your everyday “revenge” packed novel which I would recommend picking up and giving a go “Woof!”.

Where to even begin with this book?? Don’t let the beautiful, calm, peaceful cover fool you…this is *not* for the faint of heart.

Having read Mia Ballard’s debut novel Sugar last year, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what I might be getting myself into here. This was backed up by the content warning at the start of Shy Girl. And despite all that…forewarned was definitely *not* forearmed!

The second half of this novel is insane. Violent, bloody, gross, fucked up and satisfying to the point where you want to scream in victory. It is feminine rage, good-for-her stuff but like you’ve never seen it before. There’s a tooth extraction scene that had my toes curled, a set piece with tweezers that actually made me moan with revulsion when I read it, and a finale that makes the elevators in Kubrick’s version of The Shining seem dry as a bone.

So it’s something of a shock at how calm the first half is. Still unpleasant though - the dread that builds and the looming sense of threat as Gia, our desperate main character, meets Nathan from a sugar daddy website in the hope of solving all her financial woes. You sense something bad is on the horizon, but the whole setup is icky and uncomfortable more than anything.

Then it goes off and, wow, it’s quite something. Gia agrees to live as Nathan’s dog for eight hours a day, before realising that this new life arrangement is a lot more permanent. The moment that prompts Nathan to waver does the same for me - disgusting, sickening, brilliant horror…and that’s without mentioning the rat!

As an exploration and examination of control, of trauma, of power, it is fascinating. As a portrait of the resilience of women, of escape, of taking the power back it is stunning.

In two releases, Mia Ballard has established herself as a force of nature and a vital new voice in horror. I am terrified and excited by what might come from her next!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Shy Girl by Mia Ballard initially captivated me with its intriguing premise, and I was drawn in by the character development and emotional depth. I found myself invested in the story and excited to see where it would go. However, as the plot unfolded, I found that the body horror elements, particularly the amount of gore, became too overwhelming for me. While I can see how this would appeal to readers who enjoy intense, graphic body horror, it just wasn’t for me. It’s a shame, as I was really enjoying it up until that point. For those who are fans of body horror, I think this book will definitely find its audience, but personally, it wasn’t a good fit.

This is probably a classic case of “not for me,” so I’m not being as harsh on the star rating as I am inclined to be. But honestly, the purple prose was a bit much for me and I found it really hard to dive in to this story.

I love this authors writing ! So poetic in the most gruesome beautiful way! And how she expresses women’s woes and converts it into rage is just iconic! Definitely a wild ride and I loved it

Devoured this in a day! Quick, sharp, depraved: I couldn’t have asked for more. Ballard’s voice is pointed and jarring, i couldn’t look away. Sooooo good

I really wanted to love this book, as the description is right up my alley and the reviews are so overwhelmingly positive! Unfortunately this read like a first draft to me. Yes the horror elements are there, with one truly excellent moment, and the concept is well thought out. However, I think the Gia, Nathan, and even Cupcake needed more development. Gia's constant interiority felt repetitive in a non-intentional way and often dull/frustrating. The horror scenes are the strongest, the rest fall flat. There are nice elements here but I think it could have benefitted from more development. This animal/female rage niche is quite popular atm and I don't know if this is carving out as much of a space for itself as it could. I just wanted more from it, and more from and for Gia!

Thank you very much for the ARC!

𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘
Release Date: March 1, 2025

𝓢𝓱𝔂 𝓖𝓲𝓻𝓵 𝘣𝘺 𝘔𝘪𝘢 𝘉𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘥 is a horror and women’s literary fiction book that explores the darker side of being a sugar baby.

Gia has just lost her job, and all her efforts to find a new one have failed her. Distressed, lonely, and at her wits end - she joins an online forum for sugar babies. Nathan reaches out and Gia senses something different about him, and agrees to meet him. Nathan’s offer is unusual: Gia is to live as his beloved pet and in exchange all her debts will be relieved. Hesitant but desperate, she agrees. What unfolds is an intense story about endurance, autonomy, and instinct.

As everyone before me has stated, do not be fooled by the unassuming cover, this book is heavy in ways you don’t see coming. I could have easily read this book in one sitting but Im so glad I savored it instead. Kind of a slow burn, this book ended with multiple gut punches and I happily took each blow. Without revealing too much, I recommend this book to those who seek a narrative in which the creature inside us refuses to be tamed.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

*This book isn’t for the faint of heart, please read the TW before deciding to dive in*

Thank you to @netgalley, Galaxy Press, and Mia Ballard for the opportunity to read and review this eBook in exchange for my honest review. #NetGalley #ShyGirl

an incredible story with amazing prose. this was my first book of ballard’s and it was an Experience in the best way. this book had a strong grip on me and i am going to be thinking about it for a long time. that man deserved what was coming, and gia had every right to do what she did ‼️

thank you to netgalley and galaxy press.

This is not a book that classifies itself as horror and falls flat.
Mia Ballard beautifully sets the tone, builds anticipation and does not disappoint when the opportunity arises to be cruel, unexpected, imaginative, and gruesome.

From the authors note: “Sometimes, the only way to heal is to rage. Sometimes, justice isn’t quiet or clean; it’s feral and bloody and unapologetic.”

Shy Girl follows a woman named Gia who agrees to a sugar baby deal pretending to be a dog. Interesting enough, she finds herself intrigued and even looking forward to this idea; the looming manipulation, abuse and false promises, unbeknownst to her.
Who hasn’t worn rose-coloured glasses during a relationship or started a job that’s masking it’s true, dark colours?
Reading Shy Girl made me think about the roles that we transform ourselves into in order to survive. When faced with an abuser, it’s common to turn into a submissive fawn, but in this case, she becomes exactly what he created: a feral animal raised in captivity.
I have never read female rage like this.
And I have never been more satisfied.

“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.”

Thank you so much NetGalley, Galaxy Press and Mia for the Arc!

Okay wow umm this was very disturbing! Don’t let the cute cover fool you.

It was a wild ride and pretty gross at times, but I couldn’t stop reading it! At times I was like what am I reading?? But the writing was very good. I’ll definitely have to check out the authors other books. If you’re a horror fan, definitely check this book out! It’s not for the light hearted that’s for sure!

ARC 📖 Review: Shy Girl by Mia Ballard
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (more if I could lol)

OMG, I am speechless after finishing this one! Such a wild story about control and the lengths people will go for money… absolutely insane. Go read this book as soon as it publishes on March 1st! Buddy reading with my girl @spookylucyreads is always a blast!

Thank you, @NetGalley, for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

🐩🐀🪱

Lonely, broke and depressed with a serious case of OCD, Gia finds herself at a crossroads when financial troubles lead her to Nathan, a mysterious and affluent man she encounters on a sugar dating website. Desperate for a solution, Gia is intrigued by Nathan’s unconventional offer: in exchange for living as his devoted pet, all of her debts will be erased. But the longer Gia is in captivity, the more animalistic she becomes.

#horrorreader #bookworm #booklover #books #booknerd #bookaholic #booksbooksbooks #bookish #bookstagrammer #booksta #shygirl #miaballard

Thank you to Mia Ballard and Galaxy Press for this gifted ARC.

Good. For. Her. Good for her.

Shy Girl is easily the most horrifying book I’ve ever read. And one of the best written horror novels on top of that. It was poignant and disturbing. I found myself frequently recoiling and clenching my teeth.

That said, I do caution you to take this book in stride, but I recommend it especially after the author’s note. Horror always has a depth I appreciate, and Shy Girl is the perfect example. It’s never just face value, but a lesson in humanity and the depths we willingly descend to commit horror and atrocities against our fellow humans.

I finished the last 20% of this book with my face hidden beneath the collar of my sweatshirt. But then I found myself wanting to cheer and clap. Because good. For. Her. 👏

So say Good Girl meets Nightbitch…that’s Shy Girl, but it’s also so much more. While Shy Girl has some blood and gore you might think of when extreme comes to mind, it’s so much more than that. At its core, this book is about women. The struggles we face, whether it’s the fight for our own autonomy, or simply being in a world that wouldn’t exist without us yet we’re constantly being put down by men who think they’re more important, are at the heart of this heartbreaking story. It’s psychologically disturbing. It’s mind blowing that Ballard can cover some vile topics while creating haunting and breathtaking prose. I did not read the synopsis, or I certainly didn’t retain it if I did. I 100% judged the cover and knew it would be a banger simply because @galaxy wrote it. I could see the direction the book was going yet I was shocked all the same. There are a few scenes that stick out to me, particularly involving ***** and ********, but I do not want to give away those moments. I’ll leave them for you to discover. There are some moments that I was gritting through, some that made me queasy, some that I just couldn’t wait to get through, some that made me beyond uncomfortable. That’s the power of a gifted author. Ballard is most definitely an auto-buy author now.

We NEED books like this now more than ever. And please for the love of whatever deity or entity you believe in, read the author’s note!

What a wild ride! A women in financial trouble agrees to become a man's pet. But ofcourse its not as simple as that..I decided to not read too much about the book before going in to it. I loved the cover and i was promised horror and a 30 year old woman main character with OCD.
First half was a bit slow, I was waiting for the horror to kick in but i still really enjoyed it. I liked the writing style and being introduced to the main character and her worldview. It was all necessary to fully understand and make sense of her desperation to agree to such a weird "job".
I loved how weird it all got in a way taking a bit of a fantasy turn.
I really liked the ending even if it did feel a tiny bit rushed.
The authors note helped me understand the deeper meaning that i personally wasnt looking for throughout the book but really helped give the book alot more meaning.

THIS is how you write feminine rage in horror!!
I absolutely devoured this book. This was my first book from Mia Ballard and I can safely say I will be reading everything she releases!!
This book touches on a range of topics including living with depression, OCD and financial struggles alongside exploring the societal views on women and the lengths women feel they have to go to in order to survive.
If you’re looking for a truly disturbing but beautifully written book filled with body horror, gore and animalistic female rage then I would definitely recommend picking this up (but please do check trigger warnings first!!)

Huge thank you to Netgalley and Galaxy Press for an early e-arc for review. I was really excited when I read the description for this book and thought the premise was unique. Unfortunately, I only made it 30% through before I decided this wasn’t the book for me. I felt like the main character, Gia, did not feel real to me, but I think it mostly in the dialogue and inner monologues than the character’s actions. We understand that the Gia suffers from OCD and It was interesting to get to see how that affects her life and how she acts when she begins the process of looking for financial aid by searching for a sugar daddy. But when it came to conversations between characters, it sort of felt flat. I also felt there was a repetitiveness, whether intentional by author is hard to say, that made it feel like I was rereading the same prose over again. The first chapter really caught my attention and the rawness was what got me really excited to continue reading. However, it sort of teetered and I lost interest in the story. Again, this is probably just one that wasn’t for me but can be another’s 2025 favorite.

Gia is turning 30 and the world around her seems to be moving forwards while she remains still. As well as struggling with her OCD, Gia is unemployed and broke so she decides to try a sugar-daddy app as a way to bring in some money. When she meets Nathan, a middle-aged man who promises money, she feels like things could get better. That is, until she finds out that Nathan wants her to be his pet dog, 8 hours a day.

This was a wild ride and I loved every moment of it. I haven’t read any of Mia Ballard’s work before (Sugar has been on my TBR for the longest time) but I will definitely be reading more of her work. Her writing was breathtaking and the style worked well with the story. I highlighted so many passages because I just adored the writing. Extreme horror written by women is my new favourite thing and I need to read more of it. The fact that the cover is pastel and cutesy doesn't make the reader feel like they are about to read the most guttural and disturbing story…which I think is genius. There was such a strong feeling of unease and dread throughout, it kept me hanging on and wanting to read more to find out the fate of the main character. The line between human and animal blurred as the story developed. Gia was held captive and could only live as a dog or there would be harsh punishments. Over time, this resulted in her becoming an animal. Seeing Gia slowly stripped of her own humanity and being treated so inhumanly makes the reader want her to do whatever she can to escape. My jaw was on the floor for the last quarter of the book. The ending felt right for the story and I was happy with the message that it conveyed.

As a horror fan, the mix of body horror and female rage was a combination I didn't know I needed until I read this book. Mixed with Mia Ballards captivating writing, Shy Girl is definitely one for the literary fiction and horror fans. Even after finishing it, it is still on my mind.

My only criticism is that the pacing of the story felt quite slow in the beginning but this was to build up that feeling of Gia’s desperation and hopelessness. While I understand why the build up was slow, it felt like it took a while for the horror to start.

Definitely check the trigger warnings before going into this. I did appreciate the author's note at the beginning of the book, warning the reader about the content.

Thank you to NetGalley and Galaxy Press for this advanced copy of Shy Girl by Mia Ballard in exchange for an honest review.