Wow! This is an excellent book and I highly recommend it to anyone who is wanting to read suspense, thrillers, mystery and fantasy books! The true meaning of this book really resonates with me personally. This book gave me all the emotions! It made me feel happy, sad, anxious, hopeful, doubtful and fearful. It is an unforgettable, hard to put down book!

Do not let this beautiful book cover fool you, this story has great depth to it. Please read the trigger warnings before picking up this book and reading it.

Shy Girl is a novel that is about a thirty year old woman named Gia who has OCD, along with other mental health issues. She has struck out on her luck recently, so she is looking for a way to earn an income. For example, one of her struggles is that she desperately needs to pay rent or she will be evicted. So, she thought about trying out a Sugar Daddy website to make some money. I don’t want to give any spoilers away, but you’ll just have to read what happens next.

A big THANK YOU to NETGALLEY and the amazing author MIA BALLARD for letting me receive an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

#NetGalley
#ShyGirl

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy.

Tom Waits once said he liked beautiful melodies telling him terrible things, and Shy Girl fits that bill to a tee. The writing is just gorgeous, fitting the lovely cover perfectly. The story, however, just pummeled me emotionally. I knew it was going to be heavy going in, but it hurt exquisitely, and I devoured 2/3 of it in one sitting. Triggers abound here, so tread lightly. The ending is absolutely worth the tough journey. 5 stars

Thank you, Mia Ballard NetGalley, for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you publishers for your hard work!

Wow, this definitely was a hard read. Not so much as I didn't enjoy it. It's more to do with what all happened. The cover beautifully explains what the book is pretty much about. It's full of despair, desperation, horror, sadness, soul breaking, and so much more. There are definitely a lot of triggers in this book, which the author makes sure to put at the beginning of the book. I'm glad I decided to read this book as it definitely fills me with a rage as much as it did, Gia. The ending is definitely needed and will more than satisfy most of us. There is gore and death in this book. The deaths will leave you squirming on one and the other. Well, I'll leave it up for you to find out.

What would you do if you had too much debt, was on the verge of being homeless, and it seemed the world was crashing around you? Gia has tried to get a job, but nothing was working, so next, she tries a sugar baby dating site and gets a match. What does this match mean for her? Can she do what he wants? Be his pet? And actual dog? What will happen if she fails? What horrible things are going to happen to this woman the longer she is made to be his pet? Read and find out.

This book really pulled at my emotions. There are just so many raw emotions, dark things going on, and just the pure rage at the end. It also makes me more wary of dating sites than I already am. It makes you question can you can really trust someone based on pictures, the way they act, and just so much. All I'm saying is don't rush into things no matter the situation. Take your time.

What a time this book was. I loved the deceptive cover, soft and delicate and nothing like the story to come. Mia Ballard has crafted such an artful piece of feminine rage with lots of sharp teeth.

Gia is a woman who is governed by routine. Things are ordered, structured, and they make sense if only to her. Gia is also desperate. There are bills she can't pay, jobs that won't call her back, and a blank space when she thinks of who she is and what she wants to become. She doesn’t seem the type to sign up for a sugar baby arrangement but she has done plenty of mental calculus and pros and cons to the situation. Being in dire straits will make you consider things you never would under better circumstances. It wasn't the best plan, perhaps, but how could she know just how terribly it would all go?

This book really sunk its claws into me in so many ways. It is dark and deeply upsetting. Watching Gia be stripped of her humanity is hard to bear. Her voice, her time, her desires, her choices - all taken away with ease. It's a bit hard to stomach and yet her fire doesn't go out, not really. She makes her self sharper, remaking herself from the remains of who she once was. If you've ever wondered if you've got that dog in you, you do. Maybe not like this, but it's there.

Mia Ballard has cemented herself as an auto buy author for me. After loving her debut Sugar, I knew I needed to read this one asap. And it did not disappoint. I’ve never read a book quite like this one, and it was so fun, unique, unhinged, and horrific. And to top it off, the writing itself is top notch. For anyone who loves a story of a FMC coming into her rage, this is for you.

This was short yet it felt very long while reading it. I wanted to love this but I just felt like it didn't deliver all I wanted.

Shy Girl is not for the faint of heart. The story deals with extreme topics and it has graphic scenes. Don’t let that cover fool you.

Gia has no job, no money, no future. Her only hope is the sugar daddy website she’s signed up to. The men all want the same thing and their messages give her the ick. But Nathan is different. He’s handsome and well-spoken, and he’s not looking for a transactional relationship. There’s only one caveat: He doesn’t want a lover, he wants a dog.

I’d read reviews of my GR friends before I requested this book from NetGalley, but I think I was still unprepared for this novel. The first 20% are slow and harmless, lulling you into the illusion of safety. Once Gia’s torment begins, the novel becomes impossible to put down. Ballard writes with a sharp blade that keeps stabbing the reader when we’re already down. The narrative twists and turns before it finally ends in a horrific finale. You can probably see it coming, but you won’t be able to look away.

I don’t say this often, but I think this novel needed to be longer. A few things didn’t quite add up in the story, which is why I only rated it 4 stars. For instance, Gia never seems to use the restroom? I also don’t like how the blurb makes out OCD to be a disorder that “flares up”. OCD is a lifelong condition, and I think the second half of the book misses that point.

Anyway, I think this novel will strike the horror community like a grenade. I can already see it being read in my local book club. Recommended for lovers of extreme psychological horror.

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.⁣
⁣
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.⁣
⁣
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!⁣
⁣
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.⁣
⁣
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⁣
⁣
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.