This book may have been short, but it certainly took me on a journey. It was a bit different, and far darker, than the book I was expecting it to be. I appreciated the author's note in the beginning, letting me know what I was getting into. I found this book to be gripping. In the midst of a reading slump, this book held my attention - it can't not hold the reader's attention with how bleak the main character's situation is. I couldn't help thinking about the captivity we are all in, living in late capitalism, and what it would feel like to escape. I loved the writing style, and the themes of female rage. My only issue was that the time jumps felt a bit abrupt - I think we could have dwelled more in each period of time before jumping ahead, especially as the second act moved into the third act. Overall, however, this was a great read!

Thank you to the author and to NetGalley for the advance copy. This is my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ARC.

This was definitely a different book and far more gory than I usually read. However, I oddly liked it. It was refreshingly weird and very well written.

By the description you know you are in for a weird ride for sure and take notes of the trigger warnings, this is dark and this is gory.

Gia definitely took "out crazying, crazy" to heart and this really explores what happens when you lose yourself. Sure, you most likely won't lose yourself this much, but the situation could be translated just as well.

If you are up for something different and can handle a body horror (think something like the movie Flesh), then give it a try. It's short and it's a quick read. I almost wished it was longer and more fleshed out but then I think it also might have been too much.

Overall I'm glad I gave something different a chance!

I saw the cover and knew I had to read this. I skimmed the synopsis and mashed the request button. I read the disclaimer at the beginning, and couldn't start soon enough…
This book was… insane. This one is for my buddies who like the dark reads, do not be fooled by the sweet and adorable cover.
In short - this book is about a woman who is down on her luck, so she signs up for a sugar dating website. She meets Nathan and is drawn to his odd request - that Gia becomes his pet dog. Sounds simple, eh? 🥲
The horror doesn't start right away. The anticipation of what's to come is thick, tangible even. The build up makes the peak so much more intense.
The last 20%, I felt like my skin was elevated two inches off my body. I didn't breathe. I couldn't breathe. My heart was racing. By the end, I was physically shaking and I cannot remember the last time a book generated an actual reaction like that.
I used phrases like “rocketed me into fucking outer space” and “I cannot pretend to be normal” after finishing it.
I know this book won't be for everyone but I think I've made it very clear that this book was for me.

5 big giant woofs outta 5. 🐶

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Mia Ballard and Galaxy Press for creating an instant fan in me. I cannot wait to explore more of Mia's work!!

this was everything I wanted and so so much more! I know when I see a cute/soft cover like this in horror the book is going to absolutely slap and that is exactly what this book did! I loved everything about this. It was dark and gory and heart wrenching. Ballard out did herself with this one! She didn't shy away from anything and I loved that! I would hands down recommend this so any horror lover.

Rating: 4.5/5, brilliant!
Publishing date: 01/03/2025
Thank you, Mia Ballard and Galaxy Press, for the digital copy via NetGalley.

"Sometimes, justice isn’t quiet or clean; it's feral and bloody and unapologetic."

Shy Girl by Mia Ballard is an intense, unsettling, and deeply psychological novel that explores manipulation, violence, sexual assault, and so much more. Be warned about the trigger warnings—there are too many to list, and I’ll refrain from naming all to avoid spoilers.

Gia is lonely and depressed, with a serious case of OCD that is exacerbated by the fact that she has no money, no job, and no one to lean on. Every day is a struggle. She has been searching for a job for the past five months with no success, and her savings have dried up.

“Reality creeps back in, messy and unwelcome. The mental list reassembles itself. Today, I need to apply for more jobs. Again. My cover letters have become mechanical, tweaked and polished until the words feel like they belong to someone else."

Desperate for money, she creates a profile on a sugar baby website, where she meets Nathan, a sugar daddy with a kinky proposition: to be his pet in exchange for financial support. With an eviction notice looming over her, Gia reluctantly agrees—only to find herself trapped in a situation she could never have imagined.

Mia Ballard does an outstanding job of portraying Gia’s internal struggles. Her OCD is handled with both care and ruthless precision, particularly in one scene where she realises that being treated like a dog is far from hygienic. These moments are visceral, making the reader feel her discomfort and pain through Ballard’s vivid prose. The psychological tension in Shy Girl is a highlight for me—brilliantly executed. Nathan’s presence is suffocating and ever-present; he circles and traps, dominates and subdues.

“But his words are still there, circling like vultures, their wings heavy with meaning. They loop endlessly, setting deeper each time, carving out a hollow I don't know how to fill.”

Nathan is terrifying, not just for what he does but for how Gia perceives him. She gaslights herself, trying to rationalise her situation, unable to see him as the predator he truly is. Ballard writes about these internal struggles brilliantly. Gia undermines herself, twisting reality in an attempt to make sense of the nightmare she is trapped in.

“I tell myself it’s nothing, that it’s just him testing me. Pushing my limits. A first-day trial to see if I’m worth the effort. This is what I repeat, over and over, like a mantra. This is fine. This is normal. He’s testing me.”

Ballard’s prose is haunting, poetic, and unflinching. Every sentence carries weight, drawing the reader deeper into the suffocating atmosphere of Gia’s mind. The writing is both beautiful and harrowing. This story will linger—it is thought-provoking and should be reflected upon beyond the situation's absurdity. The violence, both psychological and physical, is unforgiving but executed with prowess. The tension builds at a perfect pace, making it impossible to look away—like watching a car crash unfold. I dare you to! The characters are emotionally complex and tragic—Nathan is not a one-dimensional villain, and Gia is not completely submissive. What’s fascinating is observing how Ballard handled the nuances in the character’s behaviour and power dynamics.

Ballard’s narration feels claustrophobic and tense, forcing the reader to stare, gasp, and hyperventilate while navigating the emotional chaos of Gia’s captivity. The novel also touches on themes of control and self-harm—when people feel powerless, they often resort to self-harm as a way to regain agency. This is particularly evident when Gia contemplates a moment that feels devastating yet tragically inevitable.

Shy Girl is not for the faint of heart, but for readers who appreciate psychological horror that delves deep into the rotest aspects of human experience, this is an unforgettable read. The novel is deeply disturbing and I highly recommend it for those looking to drop their jaws on this female rage spree.

I really wanted to like this, but I got about halfway through and it just felt predictable and dull. The OCD rep felt very one note, and then all that traumatic buildup on a stupid decision for just a blip of revenge at the end?

I run to anything with female rage and revenge, but this one's just not for me. Still, thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I judged this book by its cover. And that was a mistake. There is brutality and pain on these pages. This story examines misogyny and how we value ourselves, what value and price we put on our own lives (self-worth), the power dynamics between men and women and the misconstruing of the word "concent". There is a warning in the foreword and it definitely belongs there for the graphic imagery but also the abuse. That said, this book really does a good job of being a female rage and revenge tale. I could almost guarantee Coralie Fargeat (The Substance, Revenge) and Julia Ducournau (Titane, Raw) would enjoy this read.
Now I have to go back and read Mia Ballard's other works.

Interesting in premise, I found the writing to be hard to follow and I was not a fan of the main character. there were one or two supporting characters that stood out to me but all in all, one that I will not revisit.

this was by no means an easy read, but an impactful one. i’ll definitely keep my eye on Mia Ballard’s future releases. What starts as a grim but relatable story of financial and emotional vulnerability quickly turns into something much darker. This book is filled with feminine rage, digging deep into control, power, and survival in a way that’s brutal but impossible to look away from

horrific and should be marketed as such. i could appreciate the messaging but this one was not for me.. too gorey, too descriptive (‘i feel this way’ instead of actually telling me what was going on). i felt like it had a lot of potential to be a spooky literary fiction but instead it’s way more horror leaning. please consider that when recommending this book.

I’m speechless.

First of all, thank you to both Mia Ballard and Netgalley for an advanced reading copy of Shy Girl. This is a title that will sit with me for a very long time.

The story follows our main character, Gia who we meet when she is 30 years old and in an incredibly rough spot and looking for anything that will help her out of it. After exercising all available resources she turns to a sugar dating app in hopes of perusing something with ease and as little attachment as possible, before too long after her inbox starts getting flooded by messages she meets with her first match which seems too good to be true. He’s real and normal enough, not trying too hard to impress or promise her anything that seems out of reach, and he’s willing to compensate her for her time. They meet a couple of times and after an audition for the role he’s hoping she’ll fill he pays her overdue rent, a few days later she accepts the offer and that’s when things take a disturbing and quickly disastrous turn for Gia.

Shy Girl begins with very real themes and depictions of depression and mental illness and then quickly becomes an incredibly engaging story of doing what you can to survive. “When that autonomy is stripped away, revenge becomes less about vengeance and more about rewriting a narrative in which women refuse to remain victims.” I couldn’t put it down for long and was absolutely floored.

Being able to read it early was such a pleasure, I was ready to order it as soon as the synopsis was released.

hey so that was insane actually

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for gifting me this advanced reader copy

oh boy where do I start with this one. I genuinely have no words because this has to be one of the most shocking, jaw dropping books I’ve read.

Our story centers around Gia, a 30 year old OCD unemployed woman just trying to make ends meet. Out of desperation Gia signs up for an online sugar daddy website where she meets Nathan, who offers her a considerate amount of money for her to act like dog for 8 hours a day. The lines blur as Gia accepts his offer, and starts to question her own humanity.

I think honestly going into this book blind would be best. But I highly HIGHLY suggest checking trigger warnings. The cover is stunning and absolutely is a red herring. This is a horror book with detailed descriptions of body horror, and dark content matter.

It took me about 15% of this book before I was hooked. I kept telling myself I’ll put it down when I get to a certain percentage and I genuinely couldn’t.

Every turn of the page I was shocked and shit get really crazy from about 70% on like even crazier than what’s already happened. At the 91% mark, my jaw literally hit the floor and stayed there till I finished. This book is unhinged, brutal, and honestly a little bit empowering. When you finish please read the authors note because it’s probably the most insightful part of the book.

If you think you’re up to it for this book I highly recommend but please be cautious!

This book is the most absurd book I've read so far. It is gory, disturbing, unsettling, disgusting, ughhh, trust me; don't read this while eating. It's underlining woman's rage, resilience, and survival.

Honestly it's a bit slow at first, but it gets better when you reach the 75% of the book—the gore, the rage, the action, the twist... It's good. Definitely a new reading experience for me.

Woof.

A gore filled romp wrapped in a hideously pink bow.

I’m not even sure how to articulate my thoughts on this book. Mia Ballard writes with a viscous reality to create this woven horror of what it is to have your autonomy stripped from you.

The writing is like unravelling a ball of wool covered in gore, you think you’ve pulled the right part just for it to slip away from you. I’ve never read anything like this but I already cannot wait to dive into ‘Sugar’ by Mia Ballard.

Gia is flat out broke and desperate to sort out her finances, this one decision will change her life forever. The longer she’s treated as a pet the less she remembers of her life before and with it loses herself along the way.

This is a poignant read, but please please read trigger warnings for this as they are many. The content is not what the cover conveys.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

This book was the perfect analogy for the theme it tackles. It’s perfection. Sick and twisted perfection. We are all Shy Girl to some extent and the horrible rawness of the dynamic between the two main characters is chillingly accurate. You will connect to this book (as a female), period.

Shy Girl is about women's rage in its rawest form (which Mia Ballard writes exquisitely about). This book was disturbing, incredibly dark, twisted, depraved, and above all, an excellent horror story.

Horror is about pushing boundaries, and Shy Girl does that. When a horror story is able to peel apart your psyche in layers and leave your nerves exposed and raw, you know it's a great book.

Mia Ballard is officially one of my favorite female horror authors. Thank you so much to Mia and NetGalley for this ARC.

3.75✰
as a woman in her early 30’s with some debt, it was startling to watch as this story went from relatable to unimaginable. the warning at the beginning was spot-on and very much appreciated. this is not a quirky, feel-good horror but something truly unsettling and, at times, deeply chilling. i sat down to read a chapter or two and ended up reading the whole book in one sitting. though the story was horrifying, i was absolutely hooked. gia’s transformation into shy girl is something that will stick with me for a very long time.

thank you to mia ballard, galaxy press and netgalley for the arc 🖤

a few key quotes:
⟡ “i exist in grayscale. i am thirty, alone, and unraveling quietly enough that no one’s noticed. yet.”
⟡ “i recognize the look immediately, though i have little experience with men like him. it’s primal, hungry, and unmistakable. every woman knows that look.”
⟡ “time here doesn’t have edges; it drips and folds, days bleeding into years, into nothing at all.”
⟡ “time is no longer mine.”
⟡ “i’m dissolving, piece by piece, into nothing.”

Wow!! Stunning! No notes 😬 excellent book I would recommend who likes suspense, thrillers and mystery! I loved it! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for early arc of this book!

⭐️4.25⭐️

This story follows Gia as she finds herself at a crossroads due to financial troubles. At 30, she is incredibly lonely, depressed, and completely broke. Desperation leads her to a sugar dating website where she meets Nathan. His proposition is unconventional, but what choice does Gia have?

From the very first page, Ballard bewitched me with her beautiful prose and I devoured this book in one sitting. The emotion scattered throughout this book is palpable, and I fell in love with it almost instantly.

This book is incredibly dark and disturbing, so don’t let the cute cover fool you. It’s an unhinged, traumatic experience with lots of body gore that had me screaming and squirming. I am not a huge fan of gore, but I still loved the underlying message of this book. It’s laced with feminine rage and is a mirror of what it means to be female in a world that desperately wants to control us. It’s about reclaiming our body autonomy and unapologetically embracing the rage that we should all feel when anyone threatens to take ownership of our bodies or rights.

Overall, I really loved this book. Certain parts were a bit too gory for me and despite the trigger warnings, I wasn’t prepared for how traumatic some of the themes would be. But, I am all about feminine rage and this book will stay with me for how powerful its statement is. If you enjoyed the message of Nightbitch or Earthlings, I think you’d really appreciate this one! Please make sure to check the trigger warnings first before jumping in. It’s very intense.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Galaxy Press for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Shy Girl is an intense, disturbing, and utterly consuming horror novel that left me completely shaken. From start to finish, I was glued to the pages, both horrified and fascinated by Gia’s descent into captivity and transformation. This book isn’t just terrifying—it’s thought-provoking, unsettling, and teeming with raw emotion.

Mia Ballard masterfully crafts a story that blurs the line between body horror and psychological terror. The premise alone is chilling, but it’s the execution that truly got under my skin. Gia’s experience is grotesque yet disturbingly symbolic, reflecting deep themes of autonomy, survival, and the consequences of power imbalances. Her journey is as much about reclaiming herself as it is about the horrifying metamorphosis she undergoes.

The tension is relentless. There were moments when I physically had to pause and take a breath because the atmosphere was so suffocating. Ballard doesn’t just tell a horror story—she forces the reader to live it alongside Gia, making every moment feel visceral and immediate.

My only minor critique is the pacing, which felt uneven in places, and certain repeated phrases pulled me out of the story momentarily. However, these small issues didn’t take away from the sheer impact of the book.

If you’re a fan of stories that explore feminine rage, psychological breakdowns, and body horror in a truly unique way, Shy Girl is a must-read. It’s brutal, it’s bold, and it’s impossible to forget.