⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5 Star Rating
First Person POV (Gia & Nathan)
Splatter Level: 🩸🩸🩸
Age Rating: 18+

🖤 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀 🖤
I was hooked from the beginning. Reading about Gia’s everyday life as she has to do everything according to schedule. Once her life starts to fumble, she becomes vulnerable which consequently causes her to lose all of her humanity. Ballard does a great job making you feel the most uncomfortable as you watch her struggles. But I absolutely loved it!

🖤 𝓹𝓵𝓸𝓽 🖤
Desperately trying to do anything possible to pay her debts, Gia, who has extreme OCD, signs up for a sugar daddy site, hoping to make a quick buck so she won’t be evicted. Instead, she meets Nathan who casually asks her for coffee. Hesitant at first because she’s new to the scene, she scurries off before actually meeting him. Agreeing to a second date, Nathan decides to help her out financially. In exchange, she must be his pet for eight hours a day. What begins as a curious new beginning soon becomes her drastic nightmare as reality starts to change around her. You see her softly turn from this innocent woman to this ‘beast’ as she loses her humanity. As the reader, you feel all the emotional ties she is stripped of in this very real moment.

🖤 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼 🖤
Gia is a strong female individual, but her desperate pleas for her financial debts have her not thinking straight. Nathan is a man with a fetish, who is up front with what he wants. Together they form this bizarre and utterly insane animalistic bond with each other that gets so visceral the further you get in the story.

🖤 𝓽𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓰𝓮𝓻𝓼 🖤
🖤 psychological manipulation
🖤 kidnapping
🖤 body horror
🖤 explicit gore
🖤 visceral descriptions

🖤 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓬𝓵𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷 🖤
I was already drawn to the author after reading Sugar and not being able to put it down once I began. I caught sight of the brightly colored cover for Shy Girl and knew that the beauty was hiding the monster underneath it. And I was not disappointed. I highly recommend for a more extreme version of Nightbitch, and for readers to check the TWs before advancing into this novel. Looking forward to future releases from Ballard!

this was so sick and twisted!!!!!!

Shy Girl follows Gia, a woman teetering on the brink of disaster. Struggling with unemployment and the threat of eviction, she makes an account on a website to find a sugar daddy. Gia eventually connects with someone, and what seems like an opportunity to escape her situation quickly turns into a horrifying trap.

From the outset, Ballard skillfully builds the tension, drawing me in with Gia’s initial sense of agency. But as the story unfolds, I couldn't help but feel the creeping dread. There’s an underlying sense that something is terribly wrong, even though it begins with an arrangement that seems, at first, like just a complicated kink. As the power dynamics shift, I found myself unsure of how deep this manipulation would go—and I was left on the edge of my seat, as the horror slowly revealed itself.

The most disturbing part of the book is how Gia’s autonomy is chipped away, piece by piece. At first, she enters this agreement with a sense of control, but that control erodes with every passing moment. The psychological manipulation throughout is chilling, and it's terrifying to watch Gia become more and more entangled in a web of submission and humiliation.

Despite the raw violence and trauma, the book is ultimately a tale of survival. It’s about Gia’s journey to reclaim her autonomy, to take back what was taken from her. It’s raw, unflinching, and hard to digest, but it’s also a story I couldn’t stop thinking about. If you’re looking for something that will challenge you, push boundaries, and explore the darkest corners of human nature, this book will grip you. But fair warning: it’s a tough read, heavy on explicit trauma, so be prepared for a journey that’s as disturbing as it is compelling.

I highly urge you to check trigger warnings before reading!

Big thank you to Victory Editing and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was so much more than I was expecting from the synopsis alone, and I enjoyed it immensely. Explores very heavy, dark themes, so definitely check trigger warnings if needed. Beautiful cover and descriptive, visceral writing. I had difficulty putting this down because I kept wanting to know what would happen next. It's a shorter read that can definitely be finished in a day or two. Highly recommend to people that enjoy body horror and weird lit!

This book will fuck you up!!
Don't let the cute cover fool you--- Shy Girl is extreme horror!! It's uncomfortable as fuck, yet weirdly relatable? Idk when the world goes to the dogs become a dog and bare your fucking teeth!!

You'll cringe, cry and want to go hug a dog

3 stars

**Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

Basics

Author: she/her (USA)
Genre: horror, magical realism
Setting: mostly in a house
Themes: power, control, rage
Vibes: dark, animalistic, horrific, gross

Characters

🐶 Gia/Shy Girl - sugar baby pet dog (unemployed woman who needs her debts cleared)
🎂 Nathan/Master - sugar Daddy owner (rich man obsessed with control)

Quotes

"his touch binds more than it soothes"

Pros

+ ⚠️ Note: This is a viscerally gross, disgusting, dark HORROR book, not a pet play BDSM lit fiction. Please do NOT confuse this book with BDSM. The cover looks cute, but IT IS NOT! ⚠️
+ initial vibes ~ this is about to be so fucking good ~~~ LET'S GOOOOOOOO
+ first chapter is a BANGER
+ Gia is quick to obsess 😬 (love to read it, hate to see it irl)
+ their dynamic is making me so freaking nervous (she is highly vulnerable in multiple ways & he wants someone who is in it because they want to be, not just for the money)
+ live-in dog pet play (collar, cage, crawling, barking) *note: this is NOT BDSM because it does NOT follow safe, sane, or consensual. It's psychotic and cruel.*
+ AHHHHHHHH! F*CK!!!!!!!!!!!! (at 50% it gets wild)
+ nope, nope, nope
+ this makes me feel sick to my stomach
+ praying for murder--his 🙏💀🪦
+ sudden magical realism insertion OR mental break 🤔
+ I hate it here

Neutral

/ I'm usually a huge fan of "good girl" IN ROMANCES. The "good girl"s in here make me wanna throw up. Really hope this book doesn't kill that for my romance reading 🫠
/ I feel like I would've been much more intrigued by a story where there is an ACTUAL 24/7 pet play sugar baby/sugar Daddy dynamic that changes her, rather than the guy just being an abuser from the outset (it's really an abusive captor/captive victim story rather than a sugar baby/pet play story)

Cons

- a lot of time is spent on a certain side character in the beginning
- "my body has betrayed me" = straight to jail (I hate this expression no matter what genre or context it is in)
- this did not stick the ending (very rushed)
- really don't know how to feel about the second woman or her finally identifying with the homeless man from the beginning (because having nothing but the clothes on your back = freedom?), but something about it makes me feel icky. So whatever takeaway (female empowerment?) was supposed to happen just landed all wrong for me
- I love female rage books. But you expect me to believe that in 6 years, with an alcoholic captor, there were no chances to stab him? Try to run again? I felt like the rage was internal until her magical realism transformation lent her physical strength. She could've attacked him long ago.

Comp Recs

+ Misery by Stephen King but make it pet play

TW

parent abandonment, parent neglect, alcoholism, suicidal ideation, depression, OCD, starvation, abuse, neglect, non-consensual confinement, non-consensual extended pet play, r*pe, gun violence, murder (off-page), alcoholism, non-consensual voyeurism, pregnancy from r*pe, animal death, blood, parasitic worms, intentional pica, miscarriage, gore, eating a fetus, murder

A short (and not so sweet) story of misery porn and bloody revenge. A woman is tricked into becoming a rich man’s literal dog. Then is subsequently manipulated and abused into subservience until she LITERALLY starts transforming into a dog. Enough said.
Well enough written, can’t complain about the content, which I knew I was signing up for. I’d semi hoped it would broaden the plot a bit more than just going through day to day horrors of being held captive, unfortunately that’s 90% of it. Very little hope is given, so it’s not really a satisfying story. Good enough, I’d read a full length book by this author depending on the concept.

I read this book in two days, it was so compelling and also very unhinged and disturbing that it was like assisting a car crash you couldn’t look away from. Gia is laid off from her job and is increasingly becoming more and more worried about how she’s going to keep her apartment with her dwindling savings and no work prospects in site. This leads her to take a more unconventional approach and downloads a dating app that is specifically designed for those men who are seeking to be a sugar daddy to a young woman, and Gia feels like this may solve all of her economic hardships.

But when she meets Nathan, she feels like everything will change for her, bringing her a life of economic freedom. But there’s only one caveat, Nathan has a kink that’s not typical, he wishes Gia to portray his pet dog for several hours a day. Gia thinks that she can manage this, but she will soon find out that being Nathan’s pet is far more difficult than she had anticipated.

Ballard’s writing is sharp and insightful, creating a nuanced narrative that is both relatable and inspiring. The protagonist’s internal struggles feel genuine and familiar, and her journey toward finding her voice is empowering. If you loved Nightbitch but felt like it didn’t quite go there, then let me tell you, Ballard goes there and beyond in this twisted tale of self-discovery and empowerment.

I recommend this book if you love unhinged plots with a dose of female rage.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley & Galaxy Press for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Woof. This book is an absolutely unhinged ride. I could not put it down. Please read it. It will keep you on the edge of your seat till the very last sentence.

Shy Girl was peak Weird Girl Book. It starts off with Gia, lonely, broke, and spiraling. She turns to a sugar dating website for a way out. Enter Nathan, a wealthy guy with an unhinged proposition: live as his pet, and all her money problems disappear. What starts as desperation turns into something way darker.

This book is soaked in feminine rage. It’s about power, control, survival, and what happens when a man pushes too far. It’s brutal, weird, and deeply unsettling, but at its core, it’s about taking back what was stolen—and making him pay for it. If you loved Nightbitch or Animal, you need to read this. Shout out to all the weird girls out there.

Thanks to Galaxy Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

Ok, damn. I thought I knew what I was getting into with this book, but nothing could have prepared me for what unfolded. This is the kind of story that lingers. It’s harrowing, raw, and unflinching in its portrayal of a woman pushed to the limits of her humanity.

Gia’s life is a bit of a mess. She’s broke and stuck in survival mode. Desperate for a way out, she turns to a sugar dating site and meets Nathan, a wealthy man with an offer that seems too good to refuse. But as we all know, nothing comes without a price. What starts as an unusual arrangement takes a turn, and before she knows it, Gia is caught in something far bigger, and far darker, than she ever imagined.

This is the second book I read by Mia Ballard and after this one, she’ll absolutely be an auto-read author of mine. In Shy Girl, she does a great job juggling psychological horror with an almost poetic sense of inevitability. The book doesn’t just ask what someone will endure to survive, it forces you to witness it.

Here’s the thing though, I can stomach quite a bit, but there were some moments in this book that tested me. Not in a way that seemed purely for shock value, but in a way that made me deeply uncomfortable—because it was supposed to.

By the time I reached the end, I felt drained in the best possible way. This was not an easy read, and it’s certainly not for everyone. But for those willing to take the plunge, it’s an experience that’s both horrifying and cathartic. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long, long time.

4.5 ⭐️ SHY GIRL
By Mia Ballard
Genre: literary horror
- body horror, feminine rage, survival, captivity, transformation, transactional relationships.
Pages: 237

Oof. This book was so dark, bleak, and visceral. I feel like this was bordering on extreme horror, so check the content warnings ⚠️ there's alot of gore and violence.

There were a few times when I had to put my Kindle down and just process the horrifying and brutal things taking place. This read is not for the faint of heart.

I feel like this book will haunt me forever.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Galaxy Press for sharing a digital copy. As always, opinions are my own. 🤘🏻💀🤘🏻

Shy Girl is a terrifying and thrilling story of abduction, abuse and the dark side of sexual fetishes. Our protagonist thinks she is taking on disturbing yet high paid sex work for a mysterious sugar daddy, in a desperate bid to swerve financial ruin. When things don't go according to plan, she quickly realises she's trapped in a hellish nightmare with seemingly no escape in sight. Forced to act the part of his pet dog, as well as submit to increasingly rough sexual acts, she slowly but surely begins to lose her humanity. Full of sick twists and exceptionally graphic violence, this is a story of female rage not for the faint-of-heart. Don't be fooled by the beautiful cover, this is a truly chilling horror story. If you're a fan of the more dark and twisted side of literary fiction, I'd highly recommend trying this out!

I finished Shy Girl in 24 hours. Feminine rage horror at its finest.

Gia is down on her luck and needs money quickly. She enters into an arrangement with a man she meets on a sugar daddy website. Money in exchange for her acting like a pet dog.

I loved the character of Gia and her internal dialogue. She’s very flawed but a character who has the possibility of a lot of growth. And grow she did. There was lots of gruesome body horror and some really uncomfortable situations, but I couldn’t put the book down and loved the ending.

Trigger warnings for SA, body horror, and kidnapping.

While it is stated by the author I feel that it needs repeating again. Do not be fooled by the pretty cover, this is a dark read and you should check all warnings prior to opening the book.

That being said, the first thing that attracted me to this particular book was the cover and then the synopsis pulled me in and I knew that regardless I had to read this.

This was beautifully written, dark and unhinged in the best ways possible. It was an engaging read from start to finish. I seriously sat down one afternoon and did not stop until I had devoured this novel. Gia is a wonderfully written character, a woman who is pushed to the limit time and time again and one you cannot help but root for at every single intense turn.

This was my first book by Mia, but it will definitely not be my last.

Thank you to Netgalley and Galaxy Press for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

What unfolds over this novel is a horror that goes beyond gore & violence, which I absolutely love and appreciate. It touches into the ways isolation, dominance and control can warp someone’s mind and break them down. I was gasping at several points at the psychological aspects of Nathan’s control. What I also really appreciated was Ballard’s note at the end. She wanted it to be very clear this wasn’t written just for shock value (because that ending is BRUTAL) but she wanted to have a conversation - and she was going to make sure it was had. This was more than just horror, it was an exploration in autonomy, especially a woman’s bodily autonomy, and how we can bite back.

SHY GIRL de MIA BALLARD

🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶/5
__ On suit une femme fauchée qui décide de s'inscrire sur un site de sugar daddy. Elle rencontre un homme qui va lui proposer de l'aide en échange qu'elle accepte de jouer à un jeu ou elle doit se comporter comme si c'était son chien huit heures par jour. Mais tout ne se passe pas comme prévu. Omg ce roman d'horreur était GLAÇANT, absolument glaçant et terrifiant. Je le conseille vraiment pas aux âmes sensibles ou aux personnes qui n'ont pas l'habitude de lire de l'horreur parce qu'alors celui là je l'ai trouvé DUR et pourtant j'en lis énormément comme vous le savez. En terme de trigger warnings la y'en a vraiment beaucoup. J'ai ressenti en le lisant des émotions hyper intenses en terme de frustration, de colère, de dégoût ou d'angoisse. Ça faisait longtemps qu'un roman d'horreur m'avait pas fait ressentir ce nœud dans le ventre quand je le lisais. J'ai compris le parallèle a Nightbitch de Rachel Yoder pour tout le pan métaphorique de transformation physique de l'histoire. La postface de Mia Ballard ou elle explique ce qu'elle voulu démontrer dans le livre est assez intéressante. Elle nous dit qu'on est une plongée viscérale dans une horrible captivité et une horrible manipulation psychologique, une situation a laquelle bien trop de femmes autour du monde ont fait face d'une façon ou d'une autre. Que cette histoire est un rappel que les femmes méritent de posséder leurs propres histoires, leur corps, leurs futurs selon leurs termes. Qu'elles n'ont pas a endurer, a s'adapter ou a pardonner comme ce qu'on leur a appris et que la rage peut être salvatrice. Et que quand cette autonomie est bafouée, la vengeance est moins a propos de la vengeance seule mais plus a propos de la réécriture d'un narratif dans lequel les femmes refusent de rester les victimes. On est dans un roman d'horreur qui te bouscule, qui te passe pas la pommade. Une lecture assez marquante mais que je peux vraiment pas conseiller a tout le monde. Je vais lire d'autres romans de sa plume car je suis curieuse du coup même si j'ai peur d'avance mdrrr.

I received a complimentary advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review—thank you, NetGalley!

I first heard about this book from the YouTuber Jordaline Reads and was intrigued enough to check it out when I saw it available on NetGalley. While the pastel flowers on the cover are undeniably beautiful, they’re probably the nicest thing about this book. The plot is horrifying, delving into dark themes of abuse, kidnapping, and the chilling transformation of a person into the creature they’ve been pretending to be. I highly recommend looking up the trigger warnings before diving in.

Overall, I give this 4 stars and definitely suggest giving it a read. I can’t wait to explore more of Mia Ballard’s work!

A quick and horrifying read, unlike any other. I had no idea where the book was going, yet I couldn’t put it down either. Definitely not for the faint of heart, but a must for fans of horror.

Thank you for the ARC!

4.5 out 5 ⭐️ This was super crazy, and way more unhinged than I thought she could be. But in the end I was rooting for her and anything she had to do. The whole time I kept thinking it couldn’t get any more crazier, but as her mind became more and more unravelled by her situation, I couldn’t blame her. In her desperation to find a solution to her problems, she resorted to a huge shock factor to get the upper hand on Nathan. Despite her shyness, I knew that with an enough push, the wild part of her would be unleashed. The visuals will always haunt me.

Gia is broke, lonely, and struggling with OCD when she meets Nathan on a sugar dating site. He offers her a way out of her financial mess, but there’s a catch: she has to live as his pet. As time goes on, Gia starts losing herself in ways she never expected.

I was hooked from start to finish. It’s intense, and had me on edge the whole time. The comparisons to Nightbitch make sense, but honestly, it’s its own thing. If you like unsettling, psychological stories that get under your skin, definitely give this one a read.