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A review by alyssas_bookshelf
Shy Girl by Mia Ballard
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Brb while I go text my old sugar daddy and thank him for not being anything like this. 😂
Mia says it herself, but I feel it needs to be said again.. do NOT be fooled by the cutesy cover and make sure you read the warning/triggers before going into this story.
With that being said, this was an INSANE read. I don’t even know where to begin or end with my review, as my thoughts and emotions haven’t stopped raging ever since I finished the book. When I started dipping my toes into the Horror genre, THIS is what I was looking for.
Mia Ballard’s writing style is so smooth and flawless, I was quickly obsessed, and already have her other 2 books Sugar and We All Rot Eventually in the cart.
The way she portrays OCD, toxic relationships, the things that women go through on a daily basis, and the pure animalistic female RAGE that comes out of it all.. I couldn’t have been more impressed, seriously. I will think about this book, probably for the rest of my life, and continue to ponder on all of the deeper meanings hidden within it.
Favorite quotes:
• “‘Thank you,’ I say to the waitress reflexively. She widens her eyes at me. Get a load of this guy. I smile and cartoonishly widen my eyes back at her before she leaves the table. I love how we can telepathically converse like that. It was one of the only things women had that men couldn't take away.”
• “Rage. The word cuts through my thoughts like a knife. The sound of his voice, the sight of his face, the casual ease with which he dismisses everything he's done—it fuels the fire inside me until it consumes everything else.”
• “Women have always been cast as caretakers, peacekeepers, and forgivers. We're told to endure, to adapt, to rise above. But sometimes, the only way to heal is to rage. Sometimes, justice isn't quiet or clean; it's feral and bloody and unapologetic.”
Thank you to Mia Ballard for writing this amazing piece of art, and thank you to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read the ARC.
Mia says it herself, but I feel it needs to be said again.. do NOT be fooled by the cutesy cover and make sure you read the warning/triggers before going into this story.
With that being said, this was an INSANE read. I don’t even know where to begin or end with my review, as my thoughts and emotions haven’t stopped raging ever since I finished the book. When I started dipping my toes into the Horror genre, THIS is what I was looking for.
Mia Ballard’s writing style is so smooth and flawless, I was quickly obsessed, and already have her other 2 books Sugar and We All Rot Eventually in the cart.
The way she portrays OCD, toxic relationships, the things that women go through on a daily basis, and the pure animalistic female RAGE that comes out of it all.. I couldn’t have been more impressed, seriously. I will think about this book, probably for the rest of my life, and continue to ponder on all of the deeper meanings hidden within it.
Favorite quotes:
• “‘Thank you,’ I say to the waitress reflexively. She widens her eyes at me. Get a load of this guy. I smile and cartoonishly widen my eyes back at her before she leaves the table. I love how we can telepathically converse like that. It was one of the only things women had that men couldn't take away.”
• “Rage. The word cuts through my thoughts like a knife. The sound of his voice, the sight of his face, the casual ease with which he dismisses everything he's done—it fuels the fire inside me until it consumes everything else.”
• “Women have always been cast as caretakers, peacekeepers, and forgivers. We're told to endure, to adapt, to rise above. But sometimes, the only way to heal is to rage. Sometimes, justice isn't quiet or clean; it's feral and bloody and unapologetic.”
Thank you to Mia Ballard for writing this amazing piece of art, and thank you to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read the ARC.
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism and Car accident