This novel provides an absolutely horrific and harrowing exploration of the human loss of autonomy and identity, as the main character is held in captivity! It starts out with a slow burn to lay out who Gia is and how desperately she needs financial assistance. As the novel gets deeper and deeper into the horror and her gradual transformation, I was on the edge of my seat and biting my nails. It goes from creepy and unsettling to full-on ghastly.⁣
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This is a compulsive and necessary read, as it dives fully into domestic violence and abuse metaphor, while the main character remains resilient and determined to survive.⁣
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I recommend checking out the trigger warnings. There were definitely times I scrunched my face in disgust or cringed with horror, even though I’m probably a bit desensitized to extreme horror. It’s intense, it’s gory, it’s glorious!⁣
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This is my first novel from Mia Ballard & it will not be my last! She navigates the horrors and fears of humanity with thought-provoking and provocative writing to the end.⁣
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Read this for:⁣
☑️OCD representation⁣
☑️The potential horrors of sugar dating⁣
☑️Feral feminine rage⁣
☑️Body horror⁣
☑️Unlocking that dog in you⁣
☑️Good-for-her moments⁣
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Many thanks to NetGalley and to Galaxy Press for this e-ARC!

This was SO. GOOD. It's Nightbitch on steroids (and with an actual plot).

Despite being a short book, boy does it pack a punch. A semi-slow start but when we get into the story, you are locked in and I couldn't put it down. The feminist rage flows through, along with some fantastic writing and quotes, and you can really feel this in the second half. I enjoyed the time jumps and thought the ending was really well done with a nice little twist. You may think this is a unique sugar-dating story but it has some brilliantly-written gore and body horror and a few unexpected turns.

I've been thinking about this constantly since I finished and have already recommended it to lots of people (and will continue to). This has also made me aware of Mia Ballard's other book Sugar which is a definite read if it's anything as good as Shy Girl.

This book was incredibly engaging. It was one of those reads that I just could not put down, despite the fact that I spent ~75% of the book absolutely disgusted. Shy Girl is dark, upsetting, and anger-inducing, but it is well-written and fast-paced enough that it gets away with so many things that may otherwise be deal breakers. My only complaints were that the time jumps often felt a bit abrupt and left some story lines unfinished. I also became frustrated with the overuse of the word "metallic." I apologize in advance for anyone who reads this review and internalizes that thought, because you will notice it every single time. I really enjoyed the ending and thought it was all wrapped up nicely! No stone left unturned, really. We're less than two weeks out from the pub date for this one and I think there will be a lot of people who really like it, but also a lot of people who really hate it. Despite enjoying it quite a bit, I will understand both perspectives. I think great conversations and debates will come from Shy Girl!

Anyways! Mia Ballard's other book, Sugar, has been on my TBR for a while and this has convinced me I need to pick it up! I can't wait to see how this one is received! Thank you to Galaxy Press and NetGalley for giving me early access to this book in exchange for my honest review.

Shy Girl starts off as a sugar dating story and, at first, might be mistaken for a fetish book—but wow, it quickly spirals into something completely unhinged and feral. It’s feminine rage at its most raw and angry—gruesome, depraved, and utterly intense. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down and devoured it in one sitting. That said, be sure to check the TWs—the cute cover is misleading, as this book is deeply disturbing, horrifying and repulsive.

Thank you to NetGalley and Galaxy Press for the ARC.

This book is NOT for the faint hearted. It’s like if Metamorphosis and Raw had a baby. There is a trigger warning at the start (thank you Mia Ballard ilysm) so like you have been WARNED

Gia is really down on her luck, and desperate to have any form of income, so when an interesting offer to be Nathan’s dog falls into her lap, how can she say no? But the longer she stays, the further away from a human she becomes, and eventually, all dogs bite back.

This was truly grotesque, in such a bad ass way. Gia’s story is truly so heart breaking, and the metaphors for control especially of women in the sex industry? Insane.

This is def outta my comfort zone, and like when they say grotesque, they mean it! I did wanna know what happened with Kennedy, but like holy shit. This was insane. In a good way.

Gia, who is facing some unfortunate life changes including financial troubles, leads her to Nathan, a mysterious man who she encounters on a sugar daddy website. Desperate for a solution, Gia accepts Nathans offer- in exchange for living as his devoted pet, he will erase all of her debt. How long until Gia begins to lose sight of who she is as the more animalistic she becomes.

Don’t let this cutesy cover fool you, Shy Girl is such an unsettling and emotional read. This is definitely going to be one of my top reads of 2025. We get a lot of insight into our main character, Gia and we learn who she is and how she manages any control she can in her life. Needing help out of an unfortunate financial situation, she finds herself entangled in Nathan’s messed up fantasy. We watch chapter by chapter as Gia loses control completely and I sympathized with her every step of the way, it was heartbreaking. I loved this story, I thought it was raw in the best way possibly and I HIGHLY recommend this when it releases.

3.5/5⭐, rounded up

I was thoroughly absorbed and engaged in this story for almost the entire first half. The relationships the MC has with those in and around her fractured life were fascinating, and beautifully written. I was impressed with Ballard's writing, as she compellingly illustrates a deeply depressed and unmoored woman who's almost non-existent self-worth and desperate economic circumstances lead her to make some very shaky choices.

Unfortunately, halfway through it took a bit of a turn that was, for me, disappointingly predictable. Just from the elegance and deftness of the writing up to that point, I had hoped that this was going to be a fully fleshed tale of a women's mental and emotional battle for agency. And it was! But it turned into an unexpected thriller that I felt swamped the emotional impact. But then... then it took 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 strange detour that grabbed my interest in a different way, as it started to become more of a clever allegory.

The ending was a bit of a conflict for me - there was beauty and bloody brutality mixed in, but then there was also a surprise element right at the end that I found off-putting and unnecessary. Many of the elements of the story really worked for me, and some just prevented it from rising above to truly excellent. That said, I look forward to reading more from this author as she develops into a truly accomplished wordsmith and storyteller.

𝘔𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘹𝘺 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘌𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺.

Reviews - Reviews aim to be as spoiler-free as possible.

Ratings - Historically a low rater.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Enjoyed it!

Darkness:
🖤 - Extreme Dark (Check trigger warnings)

Gore:
🔪🔪🔪

Bookshelves:
Horror ‎
Splatterpunk
Fem Rage

Diversity Check:
Gender Diversity: ✅
Disability Representation: ✅
BIPOC Voices: ✅


WOW - SO grateful I received an arc for Shy Girl by Mia Ballard. This was my first Mia Ballard book and it will NOT be the last. I immediately ran to check what else Mia has out there. As a full time horror and splatterpunk lover- this was amazing. I love a fem rage/ fem revenge story and this is DEF that. I found the FMC to be extremely relatable especially regarding OCD and navigating the world through OCD and trauma.

Spoilers:
I really would have loved to see the book explore the darker side of the recordings and the FMC being recorded and "the viewers".

Final thoughts- GIRL DESERVED WAY MORE THAN $200k for 7 years are you JOKING. Try $200k a YEAR. WTF. Glad he got his. omgggg.

Boy do I LOVE feminine rage stories. The beginning of this book vs the end feels like two completely different books in the best way. The twist, incredible. The karma, unmatchable. This is by far one of the most wild stories that I've read and I would definitely recommend checking the TW beforehand

For the girls who bite back ♥️

So goes the dedication in Mia Ballard’s Shy Girl, which is similar to Rachel Yoder’s Nightbitch but turn up the intensity 1000x. Get ready for body horror and an immensely satisfying revenge story.

A broke 30 yr old facing eviction from her apartment comes up with a last ditch effort to keep a roof over her head - she finds a sugar daddy. What follows is a story about manipulation, control and captivity.

I flew through Shy Girl ravenously. The storyline was propulsive and shocking. The second act was a little hard to stomach, but ultimately made the message that much more powerful - don’t strip women of their bodily autonomy, or else.

Thank you to Victory Editing and Net Galley for the advanced copy!

(This review is published on Instagram, TikTok, and The StoryGraph as of February 17, 2025)

This book is unlike anything I’ve ever read. And perhaps reading a Mia Ballard book as my first horror was a mistake.. or perhaps not. If you want to dive straight into the deep in, this is a wild dark ride with beautiful writing. Gia is struggling in her life and finds herself in a situation that she never expected. There are twists and turns (the final twist was crazy!). Don’t skip the trigger warnings, because some of this book had me needing to watching a Disney movie afterward so I could sleep!

4.5 ⭐️

“I built my life around spreadsheets and formulas, around the certainty that numbers didn’t lie. Until they did”

Gia is down on her luck, freshly unemployed and quickly running out of money, when she finds Nathan on a Sugar Dating website who is offering money in exchange for a rather peculiar ‘job’… what’s the worse that can happen? 

Shy Girl by Mia Ballard is not for the faint of heart. It’s a visceral, splatterpunk horror novel drenched in feminine rage, pushing boundaries in the best (and most disturbing) ways. From the very first page, Ballard’s writing had me hooked—sometimes with beautifully relatable lines, other times with moments so grotesque they made me queasy and yet, I couldn’t look away.

As mentioned in the author note, Shy Girl explores the tangled intersection of power, control, and resilience. Gia’s transformation throughout the book was fascinating, and I found myself rooting for her every step of the way.

The storytelling is sharp, the horror elements are unrelenting, and there’s a particular twist that had me shook. As for the ending? I’m all for Women’s Rights and Women’s Wrongs! 

And then there’s Cupcake—so many questions! I’m desperate to know more!

If I could change one tiny thing, it would be Gia’s OCD storyline. The OCD and mental health rep was great and it played a significant role early on mentioned frequently but seemed to fade into the background once the chaos took over. Given everything Gia endures, this shift makes sense and is only a minor point for me. 

That said, Shy Girl is an absolute must-read for horror fans who can handle the grotesque and the unsettling. Don’t let the stunning cover fool you—this book is less cute and more dark. If you’re considering reading it, check the trigger warnings first. However, if you’re looking for a fast-paced, fear-inducing, anxiety-ridden experience, this book delivers.

“Who did he want in the first place? A girl pretending to be a dog? Or a dog pretending to be a girl?”

I’ll be thinking about Shy Girl for weeks and will definitely be picking up a physical copy when it’s available in the UK. 


Thank-you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book, all opinions are my own!

This started so innocuously and then (in true Mia Ballard fashion) devolved into a bat shit crazy nightmare. This was hard to get through (but impossible to put down), Gias experience was fucking horrifying. There were some scenes that were so grotesque I had to do the etch-a-sketch shake to get them out of my head. Ballard is quickly making a name for herself in extreme, wild ass horror - and I am living for it.

CREEP ALERT, this is one of those books that gets under your skin and doesn’t let go. Gia is lonely, broke, and drowning in a mix of depression and OCD. when she stumbles upon Nathan, an affluent man on a sugar dating website, she thinks she’s found her way out. Nathan offers her a deal: in exchange for becoming his “pet,” all her debts are erased. desperate, Gia agrees. but what starts as a seemingly innocent arrangement quickly turns dark, twisted, and downright terrifying.

as she lives under Nathan’s control, the line between human and animal blurs. her mind starts to crack, and the longer she’s trapped in his grip, the more she loses herself. what starts as a simple escape from debt turns into a nightmare of submission, manipulation, and a deep, growing sense of fear. the real horror isn’t the creepy, controlling man—it’s the way Gia’s own mind slowly betrays her. the more she conforms to Nathan’s bizarre demands, the more animalistic she becomes, until you’re left wondering: how much of yourself can you lose before you stop being you at all????

this isn’t just unsettling—it’s terrifying in the way it plays on your deepest fears: losing control, losing yourself, and realizing too late that you’ve already given up everything. If you’re looking for a thriller that will make your skin crawl and have you checking over your shoulder, Shy Girl is your next must-read!

4.5 ⭐️✨
thank you Galaxy Press!

5-Star Review

The cover is deceiving—this book is far darker than it seems. Gia’s desperation leads her to Nathan, whose disturbing offer quickly spirals into something monstrous. The tension is suffocating, and the dread only deepens as the story unfolds.

Check the trigger warnings before diving in—abuse and gore are just the beginning. But after all the anxiety, the ending finally had me smiling. A haunting, visceral read that lingers long after the last page.

Thank you to NetGalley & Galaxy Press for the gifted e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow. This had me hooked from beginning to end. I love how the cover art is gorgeous and painterly, to juxtapose how hardcore and sad the story is. I think this had a truthful depiction of OCD, which was cool. Overall, I’d recommend this if you’re looking for a unique story and are okay with weird/gross situations. It was totally a hit for me.

“This is who I am now. A pet. A shape carved by someone else’s hands, a thing devoured piece by piece, until there is nothing left but obedience, the quiet, and the hurt. Until hurt is all that remains.”

Lonely, broke, and depressed with a serious case of OCD, 30-year-old 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.

Rating: ★★★★★
It is not often that a book leaves me completely speechless and boy oh boy is this a wild ride. I absolutely devoured this (much like our main character Gia 😉). Beautiful, cruel, unexpected, imaginative, and gruesome; this is a story unlike any other. Literary fiction meets horror, this story perfectly captures what it means to be a woman reclaiming herself through any means necessary.

I cannot recommend this book enough for those who enjoy something weird. If you are a fan of Bunny, Tender is the Flesh, A Certain Hunger or The Vegetarian; this is a must-read. Please, please, please be advised of trigger warnings. This is not a light story, this is incredibly heavy, dark, and gruesome. Some of the trigger warnings include graphic depictions of gore, psychological manipulation, kidnapping, and body horror. Read at your own discretion.

Shy Girl releases on March 1st.

Thank you to Galaxy Press and Mia Ballard for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC to review!

4.25 stars!!!

First off the first thing I needed to yell while reading this was GET HIM!!!!

This was a wild WTF ride. But I enjoyed every minute of it. There is a trigger warning page before the story starts which is great for those who are always looking for one - so it's great that a warning / triggers are given

The writing was absolutely MWAH. If I had a physical ARC it would have been underlined, highlighted and tabbed to the high heavens.

The emotions within this and the rage along with the story about reclaiming back your voice, yourself, your power and control is just...YES! I know this will seep in my mind and I'll never forget it.

The premise sucked me in along with the stunning cover. There are parts where you will relate to Gia, I did especially at the start of the story before everything kicks off in so many ways, parts that will worry you, shock you, horrify you. Make you sad, angry, fearful, cheer Gia on. All of the sorts!

I'll start by saying it's a good idea to check the CW for this book because...it gets pretty disturbing. If that alone intrigues you, you won't be disappointed by this. The book starts with real dread and horror in the sense of desperation and being on the brink of losing everything. The horror quickly shifts to more of the extreme variety, starting with very common fears women have and devolving into body horror and some pretty gruesome things. It's truly unhinged.

The beginning could have gone a little more into Gia as a person, and I feel her personality was a little bit flat. We got to know her situation, but not too much about HER. I think it would make the climax a lot more impactful, seeing her progression.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.

Wow! What a wild ride! This was my introduction to Mia Ballard and I was so impressed with her writing style! She managed to demonstrate a fluent and poetic prose throughout, whilst also maintaining tension and character development. I was utterly gripped by this book, even when I put it down to take a break from the heavy content, I still couldn’t stop thinking about Gia and her situation, and was quickly picking the book back up to continue! I will be thinking about this book for a long time!