Thank you, NetGalley and Victory Editing, for my advanced copy of Shy Girl in exchange for my honest review.

I am mentally and physically not okay after reading this book. Five stars. Oh my god. Never has a horror novel put me in such a chokehold. I stayed up all night reading—it’s a short, fast-paced, and utterly gripping read.

Be very aware of the trigger warnings—this book is not for the faint of heart. It’s the kind of story you should go into completely blind because it’s like nothing else I’ve ever read. Woof. Seriously, OMG.

What made it even more terrifying for me is how real the core of the story feels. This is the kind of thing that could happen to any woman—and likely has—minus the blood and guts (of course). Mia brilliantly intertwines the concept of feminine rage with the dog persona, creating a deeply unsettling yet powerful narrative.

There were so many moments when I was holding my breath, anxiety through the roof, yet I had to keep going. I felt enough fear and tension for both Gia, the main character, and myself.

Imagine Beauty and the Beast—but if Belle became the Beast and went on a full-blown rampage, Jennifer’s Body style. If that vibe speaks to you, you need to read this book. 10/10.

All thoughts are my own.

Wow, just wow. The trigger warnings had me anxious, we spent the first half of the book getting to know and empathize with Gia who's had a difficult life and struggles with OCD.
It's sad to me the reality that there are people desperate enough out there to get themselves into harmful situations. This book definitely gave me some feelings.
Gia doesn't get into the arrangement with Nathan until halfway through and even at that, the 'punishments' are not descriptive like I was anticipating. I spent a lot more time wondering about Gia's mindset.
Then once we hit 75% this book just took me on a ride I wasn't expecting but that was absolutely glorious. Totally satisfying ending.

This was the weirdest and most fucked up book I've read in a long time and I loved it! Does that make me sadist? 🤣 The story was insane and well written, but really showed the dynamic of power and survival in a way that was depraved. This was Horror to the next level. I literally finished this book in about 5 hours because it was so gripping. I was at the edge of my seat the whole time and just wanted to keep reading to know more. I'm definitely going to be checking out the other books from this author!

Listen-I read Sugar and was instantly obsessed with Ballard. She became an auto buy author and Shy Girl just cemented it. Her writing, prose and lyrical genius leaves me awe struck. The power, feminine rage and anger that drips off the pages are all too relatable and make you feel seen.

This novel starts off with Gia, who is drowning. We have all been there (at least I have) and her choices made sense for her at the time. This novel unravels so many things between the balance of power, survival and hope. This is being likened to Night Bitch (which I haven’t read) but I cannot imagine this being anything comparable. I would call this unhinged but …. honestly, I get it. Don’t tell me to smile sir and DON’T call me crazy, because guess what?! I am f*&^ing insane! LOL Thanks Netgalley for my advance copy!

i have to be honest, i own 2 white greyhounds and thought this cover resembled them and thats why i requested it. luckily shy girl turned iut to be a really great read and im glad that i judged this particular book by its cover!

this book was shocking and vile, and it kept me absolutely enrapt the whole time. i couldn't put it down, as i couldn't wait to see what happened next to gia. the body horror was well done, and the tension was mostly solid. would've been a five stars for me but the pacing was a little all over the pace and the constant use of the words "hum" and "sharp" led me to believe it was less a stylistic choice and more an issue of repetition. all in all, a solid, edge-of-your-seat read, and i can't wait to snag a physical copy because the cover is reason enough to keep it on the shelf.

Fantastic, love the building of tension all the way until the last few chapters.

I would say that I think it may have been more impactful for shy girl to kill Nathan / meet cupcake in front of the camera, what are the audience going to do? Phone the police and tell on themselves, idk something to think about but I’m not writer.

Really loved it and very excited to see what the author does next, I will defo be reading sugar asap.

"But sometimes, the only way to heal is to rage. Sometimes, justice isn't quiet or clean; it's feral and bloody and unapologetic."

Not sure how I'll write this review when I have NO WORDS. Never has "don't judge a book by its cover" rung more true than when it comes to this one but I love the juxtaposition. Those needing a real heavy, brutal dose of female rage, this is definitely the one for you.
•
I loved Ballard's writing style all the way through this; it almost felt lyrical or poetic in some ways. There's a bit of a staccato style to the writing which to me made the general story all the more intriguing & horrifying as well as making it a faster paced read. Before the real horror got going in the plot, I was taking this as another 'weird girl litfic' & though it still had me hooked from the beginning, things just got better and better after each chapter.
•
Even with how quick the story evolved, it was still so tense; I was constantly on tenterhooks just waiting for something else to happen to our FMC Gia & always expecting the worst. Talk about gore galore! — So many moments had my stomach churning & a few times I had to put my kindle down to prepare myself to keep reading with how each scene was so visceral & graphic. It never once felt it was all in the name of shock factor though, at least not in the traditional sense. It all made sense to the context of the plot & honestly, just kept me gripped.
•
The ending felt ever so slightly predictable but this wasn't enough of a gripe to lower my overall rating & I still really liked how this was written. This is definitely one that'll stay in my mind for a long while. I've also heard great things about Mia's previous book Sugar so consider that added to my wishlist!

Thank you Mia & Netgalley for my free eARC!

.
.
“And I wonder, late at night, when the house is quiet and the fur brushes softly against my skin: Who did he want in the first place? A girl pretending to be a dog? Or a dog pretending to be a girl? And I wonder which one I am.”
.
“I chose the man who wanted not who I was, but who I could become.”
.
.
This story was pretty wild tbh! Teeming with symbolism and imagery highlighting oppressive societal barriers, psychological manipulation, victimhood, and retribution, we accompany Gia as she is thrusted into a caninic existence, losing herself in the process. This story focuses on women’s autonomy and agency to make their own decisions, resilience, self-worth and identity, and my favorite, RAGE. It’s about one woman’s descent into captivity, literally and metaphorically, and how she reclaims her dignity and freedom. I’d categorize this as a revenge/survival/psychological/body horror story; its bizarre, graphic, evocative, gripping, and will (100%) be added to my “female ragers” obsession era!
.
Mia is a propulsive and poetic writer, and SHY GIRL was such a unique and compelling story. If you loved Maeve Fly, Full Brutal, or Bloom, you will love this! Thanks so much @netgalley and @galaxypress for my ARC. SHY GIRL releases 3/1/25!
.
Rating: 4.5/5
.
“But sometimes, the only way to heal is to rage. Sometimes, justice isn’t quiet or clean; it’s feral and bloody and unapologetic.”

Don’t let this cover fool ya. This is one hell of a ride. Disturbing one too.

When Gia loses her job she decides to sign up for this sugar daddy app to try and find someone to make her life easier.

What she wasn’t expecting was to all of a sudden being on all fours and wearing a collar.

Being a dog for 8 hours a day was the deal that she agreed to in exchange for a good amount of money. More than enough to cover her rent and bills.

But the first day, at the new “job”, things don’t go as expected and being a pet will take over her whole life. Whether she wants it or not.

I couldn’t stop reading this book. The fact that we see everything through Gia’s eyes makes it so easy to follow the story to the point that there were some moments that I started to feel as claustrophobic as her. So check your trigger warnings.

This book will be released on the 1st March and I only have one thing to say… WOOF!

An uncomfortable but quick read.
Explores a lot of interesting themes and I did get through this very fast.
Writing flows well and there was no messing about in this book.
4.5⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.
All opinions are my own.

I think this is my favorite cover ever.

Hard to put down. Hard to sit with. My own autonomy has never felt more important and I kinda wanna give myself a hug.
I’m gonna need a physical copy, there’s a lot I wanted to highlight and comment on. Mia Ballard did a good job depicting something so unusual yet understandable. And scary. This was so disturbing, please heed the author’s warning in the beginning. I spent much of this book nauseated and stressed out. I’ve seen other reviews mentioning ‘Nightbitch’ and I get it; but while ‘Nightbitch’ is more…. tongue-in-cheek, ‘Shy girl’ is like a punch in the throat. It’s a very visceral take on dehumanization. But I loved it as much as you can love any story that connects with and mildly traumatizes you. I feel a little weird even rating it though I think it’s worthy of 5 stars.

Despite the pretty cover this book is anything but demure. This story has razor sharp teeth and ending that will leave your jaw on the floor. I absolutely loved the book. I guess I don’t have much critique for it. After reading the authors note I have so much more respect for the story. I think having the two women respond so differently to being abused in the same way was very interesting. I’m excited to see more from this author.

My favorite read of the year so far?

A horrifying and disturbing tale of trauma, revenge, autonomy, power and control - this was such a compelling read.

Our main character is depressed, uninterested in her life, and resigns herself to the idea of eventual and inevitable suicide. When she comes across a man on a dating/arrangement site who offers her a job as a dog, she feels she has nothing to lose and agrees.

The horror in this is so real, visceral, and insular, but also has larger commentary on women's bodies, bodily agency, the silencing of women, etc. The descriptions of depression and suicidal thoughts were so raw and brutally honest. I loved this so much.

Feral, bloody, angry and delicious. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy for review.

Shy Girl by Mia Ballard is a sucker punch to the soul messy, raw, and impossible to ignore. Gia starts as a wreck: broke, lonely, and drowning in the suffocating grip of OCD. When she stumbles into an arrangement with Nathan, a wealthy but deeply unsettling man, it feels like desperation wearing a pretty dress. But what begins as a transaction spirals into something darker, uglier, and far more animalistic. Yet, this isn’t just a story about victimhood. Gia claws her way through every ounce of degradation, turning pain into power in ways that are as horrifying as they are cathartic.

Nothing is sugarcoated by Ballard. In addition to revealing the horrific reality that women face, her writing often captures moments of subdued defiance, such as a female-to-female gaze or a wordless "fuck you" to the outside world. Long after the book is finished, lines like "justice isn't quiet or clean; it's feral and bloody" will still be felt.

This is anger on paper, not simply horror. And you weren't listening if you weren't yelling "YES" at the end.

Shy Girl is one of those books that pulls you into its twisted world and refuses to let go. Gia’s journey from lonely and broke to trapped in an unsettling arrangement with Nathan was both disturbing and fascinating. The exploration of control, survival, and autonomy was raw and unflinching, making it impossible to look away—even when things got dark.

The psychological tension was intense, and Gia’s descent into something more primal was haunting. It gave off major Nightbitch and Animal vibes, blending social commentary with gritty, almost feral storytelling.

It’s not an easy read, but if you’re into dark feminist fiction that pushes boundaries and leaves you questioning everything, this one’s for you.

Hell yes. “No what you don’t understand is that I’m crazier” comes to mind. This is feminine rage-good for her at its finest and I ate it up.

I am not the same person I was when I started reading Shy Girl. This book is small, but mighty. It took me three days to get through for all the real dread I felt at Gia's situation. This novella is a master class in sheer terror. I'm writing this review fresh off reading the ending, and my chest is still tight, my heart still racing, sweat still beading my brow.

Woof.

Let's put this on the list of books that I will only be recommending if I know the person well enough. This is a well-crafted book, but this is something else. I can't fully explain how horrific the tale it paints is, and it is incredibly messed up and brutal. honestly, the warning at the beginning about how the cover doesn't do it justice is well-earned.

If you like feminine rage and watching the character descend into utter madness, this is one to read, but do not go in blind, read the warnings.

This book is terrifying, heartbreaking, and horrifying. The first half of the book is a brilliant look at a lonely woman with what seems to be OCD trying to navigate a life that is quickly spiraling out of control. When she decides to get on a Sugar Daddy dating app, things seem to be looking up for once. But she soon realizes his motivations are not pure and in fact she is about to be put through some of the most degrading and abusive acts I’ve ever read about. The last 15% or so of this book is absolutely jaw droppingly horrific and insane. I loved it!