First of all, please take the content warnings seriously as this book is very dark and not for the faint of heart or easily triggered. That being said, I absolutely devoured this book in a single day. The writing was so raw and the story so harrowing and just gut wrenching. But it’s truly an immaculate feminine rage tale. I’m so here for women’s wrongs in the most unhinged ways.

This book is beautifully written but I had to put it down half way through. It's a slow burn and so slow I lost interest even though this is a short book.

The author has a gift in writing things wonderfully but just not in a story I enjoy.

It was wild and weird to say the least, but also very sad. This book was a gripping and visceral story, sometimes brutal, that explored the very dark reality of power abuse and control, along with survival, resilience, and feminine rage.

Disturbing, disgusting at times, witnessing Gia slow transformation was revolting and horribly sad, but the ending was a very unhinged way of Good for her.

3.5⭐️

This was one heck of a read for how short it is...

Please check TWs ⚠️

Plot follows Gia who is unemployed and desperate turns to a sugar daddy...

The transformation was disturbing to say the least but I couldn't put the book down until I got to the end . Some parts of the plot dragged but with such an intense and short read you can't really complain, the ending was satisfying that's all I'm gonna say. If you're in the mood for a short weird read then try this but again check trigger warnings

Thank you Galaxy Press and NetGalley for the arc

Oh Mia Ballard you have done it again.
After reading Sugar last year I had my eyes peeled for the next book from this author, so I was thrilled to get a copy of Shy Girl and I read it in one evening, unable to put it down.
The story of a woman down on her luck who's in desperate need of money. She sign up to a sugar daddy website and, well, it all goes down hill from there.
I'm not sure who I'd recommend this book too, but I LOVED every second of it. Dark gruesome, beautifully written. 5 stars.
For a more indepth review you can check out my spoiler free youtube review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUdnMgRPkCI&t=338s

I finished this book in one sitting, wondering how far the story would go...desperation, rage and revenge. Disturbing and gory.

I got my email about being approved to review this book through NetGalley at 7:05am and it is now 10:54am of the same day and I just finished it and came straight to review it. I could NOT put this book down. From the moment we were introduced to the main character, Gia, I was hooked and I needed to know where it was all going. If I'm being completely honest, I was hooked from the moment I read the cover did not reflect the inner horror of the story. The cover art is stunning and had my interest, but by the end, the cover brings tears to my eyes.
Shy Girl is a horror story in the best way possible because the situation is extreme, but it speaks to a truth in life so many ignore. The story follows Gia, a thirty year old woman who recently lost her accounting job and has decided finding a sugar daddy to help her pay the bills she is behind on might be her best option. Gia has one friend in the world, Kennedy who is just a bit too perfect, and an alcoholic father she hasn't spoken to in years. Gia is also obsessive and needs rituals and habits to handle her anxiety and emotions, which is something I found myself relating to and then worrying over.
Gia's decision to meet a sugar daddy through an app on her phone leads her to Nathan. Nathan has an offer for Gia which seems extreme, but the pay is great and Gia finds she doesn't want to say no even when she is offered a "normal" job. As you are reading the story, you might wonder how Gia allowed herself to be in this situation, but when you think of all the situations we end up in throughout our lives and how it changes who we are and where we saw it all leading, especially if you are a woman, you start to truly see how this one extreme situation relates to all the small sacrifices we make in our lives. I know in my life, I find myself wondering how I got to exactly where I am and all the little things I agreed to or gave up to get here and some moments all of those things I missed weigh on me and I feel so much anger, especially at the pieces of myself I feel were taken.
I refuse to ruin this book for anyone, but my god, I wish I had someone to talk through this book with. The author wrote such an incredible story which not only explains the rage women feel when we are put into boxes or told our place in the world, but the dangers of doing it and how the small changes can grow into something with teeth and fangs. I live in the US, so I live in a world where my autonomy is slowly being taken away from me just because I'm a woman. I was raised to keep keys between my fingers when I walked alone to my car and pepper spray in my pockets, to always be aware of my surroundings, to pay attention to who was paying attention to me, to never drink to access because if someone hurt me while I was drunk I would be blamed, and to never trust a man I didn't know... and I have every right to be angry for having to be raised with those thoughts in my head every single day. This book beautifully encapsulates my anger at being a woman and how unfairly the world sees me because of it.
Who do I recommend this book to? Anyone who loves a fantastical horror story. Any woman who has ever felt like she was treated as less than because she's a woman. Anyone who is angered by women no longer having autonomy of their bodies. Anyone, who like me, found pieces of themselves taken away after an abusive relationship or a sexual abuse. (Please know this book will be triggering to some.) Anyone who has ever wondered why women are so angry. Any woman. Any man.

Thank you, NetGalley and Victory Editing for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review. This book was beautiful, heartbreaking, and terrifying. Thank you!

Oh this was absolutely amazing!!!!

DO NOT LET THE COVER DECEIVE YOU, make sure to read up on the trigger warnings!

I loved this book so much. I did not expect it to take the turn it did at all. It really shows you need to be so careful who you meet online and the things you’d do when you’re desperate for money.

I loved the writing style it was so addictive. The first few chapters, I’d say up to maybe chapter 10 is more going into Gia’s (our main character) background and getting us to know the characters. The story really picks up about chapter 11/12 and it’s so so worth the wait. The background story is definitely needed as it lets you dive deeper into Gia’s life and connect with her better.

I’m so happy I got to read this before release day. Thank you for the opportunity, it was amazing!!

WTF did I just read and why did I like it?

This was my first read by Mia Ballard but won’t be my last.

Gia finds herself stuck between a rock and a hard place in life. Desperate, she resorts to a sugar daddy website as a last-ditch effort to avoid eviction. Gia connects with an older man named Nathan and an unconventional offer is put on the table…be his pet for a notable ‘life-changing to Gia’ compensation.

The first part of the book is pretty ‘calm’. It is unpleasant and has you on your toes but then you step into the second half of the book and let me tell you… you are not prepared for what this experience turns Gia ‘Shy Girl’ into.

The writing is on point! Girl power and rage and revenge and all that jazz
The trauma & abuse transforms Shy Girl into a raging mad dog and her actions will have you gagging, grimacing, ewwwing, awwwing, and questioning your reading choices.
If you like horror & gore, this book is for you!

Thank you publisher & NetGalley for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review.
Release date: 3/1/25

I am trying to find the word to describe this book and the only thing that comes to mind is intense. Twisted, horrific and terrifying are also up there too, but living in Gia's thoughts while she goes through whatever fresh hell that was is... hard.
This was not my first Mia Ballard novel, I read Sugar a thoroughly enjoyed it, I would definitely put that a lower scale of horrific for sure, so she really brought it with this one. One of my favourite parts about psychological horror is the feeling you are left with once you are finished with it. The mind-boggling "was that for real moment" where you try to read between the lines and figure out what in the world is actually happening. At its core Shy Girl encapsulates feminine rage and it does a good job of that. I am indignant and furious on Gia's behalf too.
The story follows Gia a young woman who after losing her job has been struggling to keep up with her expenses. As things get increasingly dire, she turns to the internet to help her find a Sugar Daddy to keep her afloat. Gia lives her life compulsively and goes into her arrangement with Nathan, thinking she had figured out all the possible scenarios of how it could go. Of course to us the reader we can very quickly see that, that is of course not the case.
This book is not for the faint of heart, despite is soft and gentle looking cover this book contains extreme imagery of gore, body horror and SA. So make sure you read the author's note before diving in! I can safely say this book will stay with me forever and I would recommend to all who enjoy horror and also know that books are in fact political.

I simply could not put this book down. A disturbing but empowering story of captivity, abuse, feminine rage, revenge, and autonomy. Despite the cover, the story's tone drastically evolves over the course of 240 pages, and its pacing is perfect.

I appreciated the first person narration from a character with OCD. One part in particular truly made me nauseous, so that's how you know it's good horror! Some of the surrealistic elements turned me off at first, but they really fell into place.

Easily a 5/5 for me. A true horror story; I can’t wait to read more from Ballard.

Thank you Net Galley and Galaxy Press for the ARC! Shy Girl releases March 1, 2025.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc copy of this book!

I am not sure what I was expecting with “shy girl” but it definitely was not what I thought it would be. The first half of the book lived up to what I thought and I wondered this may be scary but where is the horror? Then came the second half of the book that left my jaw unhinged, my stomach turning and became nail bitingly scary. I could not put the book down but I will say there was so many times where I had to pause and genuinely try and process what I was reading.

I will preface with I am not an extreme horror reader. I read horror books here or there but not avidly. For someone who loves horror and opening up the larger meaning behind all of it and the metaphorical nature this will be amazing for you.

I devoured shy girl within a day. This was beautifully written but also so horrifying at the same time? It makes you really step back and think what would we do for money? What is worth the sacrifice? As a woman this book made me think a lot about my own bodily autonomy and my rights..

I couldn’t put this down and I couldn’t look away.

"Shy Gir" by Mia Ballard is about a woman named Gia who creates a profile on a sugar daddy dating website because she is desperate for money. She meets a man named Nathan on the website, and he offers her a lot of money if she will act like a dog for him.

This novella is dark, unsettling, surreal, and claustrophobic! The story becomes more unhinged the further you get into it!

"Shy Girl" is a nightmare that will leave you horrified. The last couple of chapters made my stomach churn, but I couldn't stop reading them! I highly recommend this novella! I gave it 5 out of 5 stars!

Thank you, NetGalley and Galaxy Press, for sending me an ARC of this amazing novella! "Shy Girl" comes out 03/01/2025!

ALL THE STARS. This book rules. So many of these other reviews are totally correct - do NOT let this majestic pouty pointy flowery dog face cover fool you! This book is powerful and vicious in the BEST way, just like its bad bitch protagonist, Gia.

We are introduced to Gia in the beginning of the book and learned that she is in dire straits - worked at an accounting firm but lost her job, struggles with OCD, no familial support, 1 friend who loves her but also has her own life - Gia is desperate and facing eviction. Thinks it cant get much worse and takes a Sugar Daddy, Nathan, who wants her to act like a dog. Unsurprisingly, things devolve VERY quickly. Over several years, Gia (now called "Shy Girl" by dog fk'er Nathan), handles the torment of her new life as best she can until one day - she doesn't. The desperation and hopelessness she once felt take on a whole new meaning after years with Nathan. The discoveries Gia makes as the book progresses only serves to make her more feral and dangerous. I hated that this happened to her, but loved this growth for Gia. Clearly though, this cost her significantly emotionally and physically so that was hard to imagine her successfully coming back from.

Hands down - this was absolutely one of the most satisfying endings to a book I've ever read. So often I find myself reading about women who "take the high road" and walk away into the sunset or some shit, when they should be disemboweling the men who harmed them. I am so glad that this book showed Gia taking a big swing. It was extremely satisfying.

Also... my girl Cupcake.. how dare you. Stockholm syndrome or not. Rude.

Thank you, NetGalley and Galaxy Press for the eARC!! <3

#shygirl
#netgalley

This book was perfectly written, had my jaw dropped my the end, and couldn’t have been paced any better. .
These are the kinds of books I live for. I love the irony of the beautiful cover because this story is unapologetically insane. Bloody, violent, brutal, raw, gross, fucked up and satisfying. Wish I could read it again and forget what happens.

The author’s name did a great job explaining themes that may have gone over people’s heads. Mia has definitely made a unique path into horror fiction.

This story follows Gia, a woman looking for some quick bucks from a sugar daddy when she is presented with an opportunity that seems strange but promising and it ends up being way more than she bargained for. Mia Ballard has done it again with her beautiful writing that can make even the worst possible scenario sound poetic. She is by far my favorite writer of feminine rage stories. I was completely blown away and disgusted by the subject matter in this book. I knew I’d be devastated by the journey Gia was forced to take but it felt like a car wreck I couldn’t look away from. I’m still thinking about this book and I’m sure I will for a good while. This is a horrifying story of power imbalance, desperation and revenge best served doggy style ;))) *woof*

The cover is also absolutely gorgeous though misleading. You will find nothing cutesy about this story whatsoever.
5 stars absolutely no notes except that I will read any and every book Mia writes.

Don’t let this cute cover fool you. Check your triggers before reading!

This one started off strong and had me hooked! I loved the way it was written. It was a bleak and disturbing story of survival and feminine rage. It made you really care about and get attached to Gia as she was a very relatable character. Towards the end it kind of fell off for me and got a little too far fetched/strange. I didn’t love the direction it went, but the ending was a great good for her moment and redeemed it for me!

Review posted on Good reads, 13 Feb 2025

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for a free arc in exchange for an honest review!

The novel follows Gia, a broke thirty year-old. Strapped for cash and newly jobless, desperation drives her to join a sugar-daddy website in search for money. She meets Nathan, who offers her money in exchange for some weird requests. As you can probably tell from the cover of the book, you can easily predict what happens.

Nathan wants Gia to engage in pet play, to pretend to be his dog and follow his commands. Then of course, everything takes a turn for the worse.

The first half of the book is giving very much Margo's Got Money Troubles combined with My Year of Rest and Relaxation. Though I imagine based on other reviews, I should give Nightbitch a try too.

The metaphor is good, relatable as a woman and of course the book keeps you rooting for Gia. It's visceral and disgusting, having me reconsider breakfast as I read, but it's brought down a lot by its predictability. It's a little funny to imagine though a man being surprised by how the events pan out.

All in all, a captivating little story, quick and easy read tinged with a thick sense of dread and fear. Would recommend it to a certain audience only!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. Shy Girl follows Gia, a down-on-her-luck young woman, who finds herself in a nightmarish scenario when a potential sugar daddy traps her and forces her to perform the role of a dog. It's ROOM meets NIGHTBITCH. The escalating tension kept me engaged throughout despite the dark/heavy subject matter (tw: physical/sexual abuse, body horror). The line between Gia's perception and reality blurs as she loses herself within the role she is forced to play. A reclamation of agency results in a bloody climax. It's a coming-of-*rage* story with bite, exploring unbalanced power dynamics and how identity is impacted by traumatic experience.

This was... something.

And this was a lot. So, check out the TWs in the beginning of the book.

I'm always on the lookout for weird books. And Shy Girl definitely scratched that itch for me. This straddled the line between social commentary and full-blown fetish. It could've easily lost the plot, but the author managed to control the narrative in a very effective way.

The setup dragged a little too long for me, but I understand that as the reader, you really need to develop a relationship with the FMC, Gia, especially since this is such a visceral and intense story.

But when the ball got rolling, my god. Gia's transformation into Shy Girl was disturbing and disgusting. I was glued to the page, wondering what kind of sick torture was coming her way, while at the same time, I was rooting for her 110%. As a consumer of true crime videos on YouTube, this felt like I was experiencing several crimes being committed at once, and over and over again. It was absolutely sickening. It was never-ending.

I won't spoil the ending, but truly, from the bottom of my heart: GOOD FOR HER 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

One thing I'll add: I appreciated that the author didn't try to humanize the abuser and make excuses for him.

I'll definitely be on the lookout for Mia Ballard's future works.

Thank you to Galaxy Press and NetGalley for this arc.