Incredible. 4.5 stars. I haven't rated something this high in a long time! I think my favorite part about this book was the messaging behind women taking their power through violence, contrary to the socialization of women being docile and nice, even when they're in a position that demeans and dehumanizes them (particularly without their consent) and put in dangerous situations. I'm on my way to read more of Mia's work!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Broke, lonely, and battling OCD, Gia is desperate for a way out when she stumbles across Nathan—a wealthy, mysterious man on a sugar dating site. His offer? Erase all her debts in exchange for one thing: becoming his devoted pet. At first, it seems like a bizarre but manageable arrangement, but the longer Gia stays, the more she starts to change. The lines between human and animal blur, and captivity begins to feel less like a deal and more like something she might never escape.

This book was gory as hell (and I mean that in the best way). We’re talking teeth pulling, parasitic worms in eyes, and full-on spaghetti intestines—so yeah, definitely not for the faint of heart. But if you love horror, especially body horror, this one delivers.

At its core, this book is all about female agency and reclaiming it in a world that constantly tries to strip women of their freedom and choices. It’s got that full-force good for her energy, fueled by pure, unfiltered female rage. Completely feral, unapologetic, and impossible to look away from—I couldn’t help but love it for that.

In the best way possible, what the fk was that?!
Dark and depraved in such a unique way. I loved the exploration of power and control, the desperation people can feel when short on means, and the reality bending changes that occur. I wish we got more time with our characters. The years flew by at a speed that made things feel rushed. This was what I expected Nightbitch to be, but darker.

Thank you to Galaxy Press and NetGalley for granting me access to an advance copy of this book.

Shy Girl is an intoxicating, visceral descent into horror that lingers long after the final page. The prose is hypnotic, drawing you deep into the mind of our main character Gia, whose thoughts and struggles feel unnervingly relatable. Her journey is steeped in dehumanization, bodily transformation, and an unraveling sense of self that is both stomach-churning and deeply compelling.

The body horror here is executed masterfully—disturbing yet never gratuitous, designed to crawl under your skin rather than shock for shock’s sake. The novel’s atmosphere is suffocating, its claustrophobia pressing in with each chapter. As our antagonist grapples with his growing revulsion toward the very thing he desires, the tension becomes almost unbearable, leading to a finale that is as inevitable as it is horrifying.

Fans of psychological horror and body horror that leans into the existential will find this book unforgettable. It’s grotesque, it’s mesmerizing, and it’s one of the most unsettling reads I’ve encountered in a long time. Author Mia Ballard has gained a new fan!

I’m beyond grateful to my spirit guide, @literarylandlivin, for walking me through SHY GIRL by Mia Ballard. I was hesitant going in, especially with the content warnings, but she assured me that there was a reason for the intensity. This horror story dives deep into themes of autonomy, trauma, and resilience, and while the first half felt disturbingly realistic, it’s the escalating chaos that, although brutal and unsettling, ultimately provides a kind of relief. So, readers beware: strong content warnings ahead! But if you’re in the mood for a top-tier female rage revenge story, this one’s a must-read. Rating: I liked it! A big thank you to @netgalley and @galaxypress for the free eARC. SHY GIRL hits shelves March 1, 2025.

This was insanely good!! Ugh! This novella was visceral, honest, and gory. I loved it! I ate. This. Novella. Up. Five ⭐️!!!

"I've learnt to press myself into neat, soft shapes, to smooth over the parts that snag or bite."

Mia Ballard's novella is about Gia, a lonely, broke and depressed woman with a serious case of OCD, she 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.

A while back I read "Sugar" by this author and to this day it still sticks in my mind for the shocking twists. As soon as I seen a new novella was due for publication, I knew I had to check it out.

This one turns dark real quick. There's hints as to where this story will go however the way in which the author flips the switch on the madness that occurs is swift and disturbing.

Many scenes stick out that had me questioning where this was about to go and even at the end I was left surprised.

This is was a quick dark horror tale that will leave the reader unsettled.

Oof. I mean ... damn.

I don't normally go for horror, but I'm trying to broaden my horizons this year and read things I wouldn't automatically reach for. My feet are firmly planted in the fantasy world. And, I have to admit, I was lured in by pretty soft colors and a gorgeous typeface on this cover. Coupled with the glowing reviews and description, I requested it.

Look, this is no easy book. This is a visceral, horrifying, disgusting type of horror novel. But I'm still glad I read it. It was hard, but it was good. And all the suffering just led to THE most satisfying ending to read for someone like me, who loves being a misandrist <3

Of course, there are deeper meanings in this novel. I have never been good at interpreting things, at thinking past the surface level, at assigning meaning to things that might have never been intended to have meaning. The author's note hits the nail on the head, and that is all I will say about that.

TLDR: Damn.

Long review but I have thoughts and this is not an easy read.

This book probably traumatized me. Which, to be fair, was to be expected. First and foremost I will say, as well as the author herself did, that this book is not for the faint of heart, despite the cute cover. It is gruesome and it depicts abuse and violence in a straightforward manner. So, if you feel that these topics are a trigger to you, I would suggest passing on this story.

However, if you have a strong stomach and are ready to be upset and to confront the topic of sexual exploitation and female liberation, then please read this!

The plot is straightforward: Gia is battling between risking homelessness or becoming a sugar baby for a man she doesn't know. Well, there would be another job offer lined up... but the economic security of the sugar baby job is too tempting. After all, she just has to pretend to be a dog for 8 hours a day, and, sure, it's a weird request, but it pays well. What could go wrong?

Except this is a horror book and of course everything goes south pretty quickly. I won't go into the details because it's best not to know what to expect, but I will say that the story moves fast and that I have rarely been as horrified and anxious reading a book as I was reading Shy Girl. Every single time I thought "okay, this can't get any worse"... it did. Somehow, it always did.

Yes, there was body horror and extreme gore, but that was not it. What really got me was the fact that this book plays on the fear that most women have felt in their lives: can we really trust a stranger? Will we be able to get out unscathed if something goes awry? Will people believe us or blame us? Are we truly safe? And it played the game really well. I was on the edge of my seat, my heart beating hard, and I was truly scared. Despite some fantastical elements, this story felt real, because the truth is that it is real for many women, and for that reason this book is also terribly sad. Yes, the ending was satisfactory and I could feel myself basically salivate to see it unfold, but it still left a deep sadness in me, because I had just experienced a woman being dehumanized and losing herself slowly but surely.

So, tough read but I really want everyone to read this. Alright, mostly women because I feel that they will get it, but it could beenfit men too. You will enjoy this book, in the way you can't stop looking at a car crash and wonder what happened and if everyone made it out fine.

To be fair, there was some repetition in the writing style and I could not tell if it was voluntary since Gia has OCD, and it bothered me slightly, but still didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book. What really bothered me was the fact that she could actually get another job, but I get it.

I am utterly speechless, Ballard is a truly remarkable writer and I am genuinely blown away. Horror isn't usually a genre I gravitate towards and I naively assumed that the cute cover would reflect somewhat soft horror, but I was very wrong haha. It was relentlessly grotesque and creepy, with visceral body horror that add to the sheer terror of this book. Definitely not a read for someone who is squeamish or sensitive to body horror descriptions, but that's what trigger warnings are for so I'll delve into my review of this masterpiece. Typically, I will take lots of notes and have quite a few points on books I read, but I was so gripped throughout that I genuinely don't have too many comments to make. Other than the book-long jaw drop and many moments where I re-read sentences because I thought no way is that happening, no way!

This book really plays with the theme of control and obsession at its most extreme end of the spectrum But an interesting thing to note, is the entire plot and each of the characters motivations revolve more centrally around the 'illusion of control' as opposed to actually having it. It brings up interesting questions about the interplay between freedom and control. More specifically how certain aspects of freedom, in Gia's case financial freedom, can come at the price of giving up autonomy and control. The plot progresses with the backdrop of an agreed sugar daddy arrangement which ultimately turns out to be darker and sinister than what's on the label which was a really interesting premise to enter this world from.. Gia, the protagonist has such a strong need for control to regulate her emotions and exist which felt very human and relatable despite how extreme her need for control played out in her life.

Ballard starts the book off with such a poetic writing style and I think it's a testament to her talent that the writing style warps from being poetic and floral to more blunt as we follow Gia through the story. I also noticed that Ballard has an incredible affinity to descriptions ('a knife wrapped in velvet') that once again set up the premise so delicately and definitely lured me into the false sense of security as the descriptions became darker and more disturbing. I was genuinely so enamoured by some of the wording that was used ('she packed a suitcase big enough to hold forever') which definitely makes this book arguably a cross between classic horror and lit fiction which was really fun to read.

I also found it endlessly enjoyable to read Ballard's character descriptions. Early on, we are introduced to some of the guys Gia has become obsessed with and they are described in the most creative and sometimes funny ways. One of my faves was Matt ('he sold weed and talked about golden showers like it was religion'). I felt like I saw every character under an x-ray which is a really brave thing to do because it meant any plot twists did fall in line with what you'd expect from the character but it was made unpredictable by how complex each character felt. Despite Nathan's coldness, he was oddly caring at points and this made some of his kinder reactions still feel genuine because of how many different shades we'd seen to him. Ballard is also very good at describing feelings in an undeniably visceral manner ('it was like finding a scratch on something you thought was smooth, and you can't stop running your finger over it, feeling the jagged edge').

The way Ballard captured the modern human condition effortlessly and Gia's relationship with her phone felt incredibly genuine and relatable ('set the phone down on the table like it might bite me'; 'I unlock the phone with a clumsiness that betrays me'). I think it was a really clever move to root so much of the books beginnings in online dating and technology to make it feel modern before shifting into a setting completely void of anything modern which could've taken place during any era which further emphasises how time feels like it stops./ceases to exist or be important after she goes to Nathan's house.

Gia is such a great character, she is one of those characters who has such a distinctive identity that by the end of the book I feel like I knew her remarkably well. Her OCD comes through the plot in such a subtle yet consistent way and I was a big fan that despite her self awareness, the OCD isn't labelled as such it added to the feeling of Gia being human rather than a list of labels or boxes she was fixed in. Throughout the plot, we see Gia mainly by herself and it did feel immensely lonely a times to read her perspective because she had such a desperate need for connection and I'd even argue for love but was constantly experiencing severe bouts of isolation even before the book took a darker turn. I also respected that her character wasn't written in a self pitying way, there was a real layer of fearlessness and courage written into the DNA of her character which was refreshing to read a female protagonist who wasn't the damsel in distress despite there definitely being an angle where she could've been seen as such. I saw Gia almost as comparable to a porcelain doll, very fragile to both her inner and external world but surprisingly independent and a character who was fiercely independent throughout.

An incredible book that I won't be forgetting any time soon. The only tiny detail that I want to critique, is when Nathan pulls out the wad of $1200 cash, it just felt a little unlikely that he'd have exactly the right amount of cash to pay Gia's rent within reach but that's my only critique!

Well-written and intriguing, but ultimately not for me. I liked Gia—some of her internal dialogues are definitely outstanding—and the depiction of Nathan in the first act. But perhaps because I’ve read many explorations of feminine rage before, I was expecting something much more incisive and tense. Instead, many elements of the narrative felt driven by shock value rather than substance.

A decent and entertaining read, but not groundbreaking. 2.75 stars rounded up.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

As soon as I finished this, I had to sit in my bed for a couple of minutes and reflect on what I just read….. As disturbing and infuriating as this story was, I think this author’s writing is absolutely beautiful! I was hooked instantly.

I work in a very busy ER as an EMT, so I’m not always able to read things as quickly as I want to, but every ounce of free time I’ve had in the last week, I’ve dedicated to reading this! I definitely want to purchase a physical copy once this releases. The detail, the stomach churning descriptions, raw female anger…. Nicely done!

I was immediately sucked in with this book. I started reading and didn’t set it down until I finished, then needed to stare at the wall to process what the fuck I just read.

This book is HEAVY. Shy Girl is a disturbing and gruesome commentary on issues that are so incredibly topical right now, and it felt like such an important read to me. It centers around bodily autonomy in an absurd way, yet still feels grounded in reality. I could see versions of the situation the FMC, Gia, finds herself in actually happening, and I think that is the most gut-wrenching part of this book.

It’s definitely an uncomfortable to read, but it’s supposed to be. I’m newer to reading horror, but as a lover of horror movies and games, I can genuinely say I’ve never had a piece of horror media make me feel this way.

I had to get up and do a lap around my apartment after some of the body horror I read, but even before I was audibly gasping from that, I was so anxious for Gia. Genuinely from the from the first page, I had a rising sense of doom for her that didn’t subside until the end.

Shy Girl is dark, gruesome, weird and disturbing but I genuinely believe this is such was such an important read and it really resonated with me.

This bitch is fine being a good girl.

Overall I enjoyed it.
The only criticisms are that you have to suspend your disbelief:
Gia didn’t tell ANYONE where she was going? Girl we all sharing our locations with friends when going to a man’s house.
Also only two attempts at escape in 7 years? When he put the mirror in her room I thought she would for sure smash it and slit his throat with a shard.
Also, only $200k for 7 years?!?!

Gia is quirky, jobless, and facing eviction from her apartment. Out of desperation, she signs up for a sugar daddy website. Soon, she connects with Nathan, and they arrange a meet-up. In need of money, Gia agrees to go to Nathan's place.

"That's when I see the cage. It is big, larger than any I've seen before, with thick metal bars painted a dull black."

This book takes you on a journey through the relatable financial and emotional struggles of the average middle-class life—only to make a sharp "wrong turn" into a chilling and brutal reality. It exposes the lurking dangers that prey on the vulnerable, drawing them into a trap. Mia Gallard masterfully explores themes of feminine rage, reclaiming power, and survival instincts. Since her debut novel, Sugar, I’ve been a fan.

Thank you so much netgalley and Victoria Editing Netgalley Co-op for this amazing book!

2.5 rounded up.

There’s potential in this. It’s a fine allegory for abusive relationships, and in the light allegations leveled against a certain famous author, it’s a very timely subject, but there’s too many things that kept me from loving it as much as other readers have.

1. There’s a slow burn that’s confident with its pacing and slow burn that wanders into and lingers on tangential subjects, and here I mean the chapters that delve into the people Gia knows. Her past relationships should tell me more about her, but they don’t add much and she remains something of a blank slate.

2. We’re told she grew up taking on responsibilities beyond her years, and a child savvy enough to figure out how to pay the electric bills would grow up into a canny adult capable of doing some research. I expected her to do her homework before signing up, not because it would save her from the tight spot she finds herself in (no pun), but most people would have done that instead of relying on the potential “client” to tell them what to expect. Instead the research (and practice) comes later when she’s considering the position she’s getting into (again, no pun intended). Why though? What happened to the smart girl who managed to keep the lights on? She’s an accountant in her thirties but she behaves like a naive college student who takes her personal safety for granted. The arrangement raises red flags and would have made other offers appealing in comparison. What made it worse was that she had a well-off friend who might have helped her until she secured her stenographer job, or maybe even work as a freelance accountant. I don’t want to turn this into a “Why didn’t the eagles fly Frodo to Mordor?” argument because I’ll make allowances for human error and I’ll suspend my disbelief enough to get the ball rolling, but there’s “don’t go into the basement” level of ignorance, and then there’s jumping into shark-infested waters with fingers crossed.

3. The writing is fine but tends to be overdone to the point of detriment. Phrases like “the air around him tightening like a coil” or “[she] collapses inward like a dying star” all sound poetic on the surface but they’re too nonsensical to be evocative. When you have several sentences like this in every paragraph it becomes like light pollution blotting out the stars, calling attention to themselves and taking it away from the truly lyrical lines. There’s several iterations of “___ wraps around me like second skin” which is another sign you need to tone down the similes.

4. Plot holes and a convenient ending. I can’t go into details because of spoilers, but I will say this: Magical realism and logic are not exclusive. Take Kafka’s Metamorphosis, for example. The father hurls an apple at Gregor Samsa, resulting in an injury that slowly kills him. Gia, starved and having recently gone through a gruesome experience, is still able to act out her feminine rage towards the end because that’s what the book promised.

I’m obviously in the minority here. A lot of readers loved and seemed to have craved a cathartic story like this, and it’s always great when an author finds their audience. I just happen not to be one of them despite being a fan of horror in general and body horror in particular. The hype-train led me here and the gorgeous cover intrigued me, but the reasons above are why I can’t leave a raving review. But I doubt it matters since this title has the makings of a BookTok darling.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The second book I’ve read by this author and I am blown away! This book was everything I had hoped it would be and more. I don’t want to say too much without giving anything away but this is for sure a book you won’t want to miss if you like horror!

4 🌟

Viscerally upsetting and just horrific (complimentary). I will be thinking about this one for a long, long time. I think I don't really have the words to express how upset this made me, but there a pretty gratifying ending so there's that.

This was fucking crazy and I loved it!

Desperate and financially burdened, Gia resorts to a sugar daddy website as a last-ditch effort to avoid eviction. When she connects with an older, unassuming man, an unconventional offer is put on the table—be his pet for exorbitant compensation, slowly leading ‘Shy Girl’ into a brutal account of control, rage, and revenge.

Something I was so conscious of throughout this was how much I loved the writing. Regardless of whether Mia was describing something mundane or utterly disgusting, it was written like a dream. I genuinely appreciated how much this felt tailored to women too. Honestly, I would read her shopping list after this??

I don’t want to give away too much as I went into this with just a brief synopsis, and it was an EXPERIENCE. However, Mia centres such important themes of how we perform to survive, how abuse can completely transform you, and the grit, resilience, and bite (lol) of a victim.

Also, the OCD rep thankq!!!! Love to see it.

One thing about this book: do not let the cute cover fool you, this book is DISTURBING. I “loved” it. The writing really pulls you into the story, I couldn’t stop reading. I knew pretty early on this would become a five star read.

A few of my favorite quotes:

“I’ve learned to press myself into neat, soft shapes, to smooth over the part that snag or bite.”

“Weird means the world hasn’t gotten too comfortable. Comfortable is dangerous. Comfortable keeps you asleep when the house is on fire.”

“Let him see it, I think. Let him see what he’s created. Let him see me.”


Thank you to netgalley for the e-arc! I definitely added this author her other works to my tbr list.