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lost_between_the_pages 's review for:
Shy Girl
by Mia Ballard
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Let me first say, that at the beginning of this book, I was thinking, eh it will be ok - nothing crazy... but then, something changed... and when I tell you that I have NEVER had a book make me FEEL so much - anxiety, dread, absolutely SICK TO MY STOMACH... I have never read anything like it and I don't think I ever will again... what Mia Ballard manages to put into only 247 pages is absolutely wild and beyond my comprehension - but that's what makes it so... damn... good. And because I can't eloquently put into words just how, I don't even know the words to describe it... I am going to quote some of the authors note in the back that will make it all the more real while not giving away any spoilers even though I will put a spoiler tag just because I dont want to be that person. You can't really go into the story blind because the blurb gives it away but I PROMISE you will never see what's coming once you get into the *meat* of the story... see what I did there? ;) This is God Tier, top #1 horror book for me -- taking place of Stephen King's IT which should say everything I can't in the best way.
"It's a visceral dive into the claustrophobic grip of captivity and the psychological toll of manipulation - a situation far too many women around the world have faced in one form or another.
At it's core, this is a story about reclaiming agency. About revenge not as an act of malice, but as an assertion of autonomy in a world that often strips women of choice, dignity, and freedom. It is about confronting systems - be they societal, relational, or internal - that silence and oppress, and dismantling them piece by piece, no matter how messy or unpalatable the process might be.
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 rage. Sometimes, justice isn't quiet or clean; it's feral and bloody and unapologetic.
Shy Girl holds a mirror to the darkest parts of control and trauma while also asking questions about survival and resistance. What does it mean to escape a cage, whether physical or metaphorical? How do you reconcile the parts of yourself shaped by those cages? And what does freedom truly cost?
More importantly, it's a reminder: Women deserve to own their stories, theirs bodies, their futures - on THEIR terms. And when that autonomy is stripped away, revenge becomes less about vengeance and more about rewriting a narrative in which women refuse to remain victims." - Mia Ballard, Shy Girl
Let me say, PLEASEEEEEE check trigger warnings... this is NOT an easy read. In fact, it's the hardest read of my life so far....but it's important. Especially with the way our world is right now. Women, every single day, are seen as victims instead of survivors, and we have to change that narrative for ourselves. We have to support one another because even though we are all different - different races, different opinions, different mindset, different religions or beliefs - we are still WOMEN. that right there should band us together against the evil in the world. We need to stop tearing each other down and instead look inside one another and see each other for the amazing, strong, miraculous beings that we are.
As someone who is a survivor herself, due to something that happened when I was a child and had no control.. to even now, as an adult that got caught in another web of abuse, just differently, but now with the power to take back my control -- this book is special, and it gives me hope that one day I will always claim my own freedom from someone who's tried to strip me of my self.
So, thank you Mia Ballard... for reminding me of what it is to be a woman, to be strong, to be capable, to be worthy.... that is a gift that will never be able to be repaid, but I hope you see this review and know just how grateful I am that you wrote this important, although terrifying and horror filled story -- I have a feeling it's going to change my life. Thank you 1000s times over and PLEASE - write another soon!! I just know that brilliant mind of yours is holding so many amazing stories that are waiting to be told.
Also, I want to add - I am absolutely heartbroken that I didn't just go ahead and purchase the physical copy of this book... I'm not sure if it's being traditionally published or what but I BEG YOU not to change the cover. It's absolutely stunning and I would give my left foot to have a copy of it but I'm unable to find it anywhere. If anyone has a copy they don't want.... PLEASE LET ME KNOW!! This is a book I NEED to have on my shelf, for when I need a reminder of just how strong and worthy I am of true freedom.
Thank you to NetGalley, Mia Ballard, and Galaxy Press for gifting me with this eArc. All thoughts and opinions are of my own.
"It's a visceral dive into the claustrophobic grip of captivity and the psychological toll of manipulation - a situation far too many women around the world have faced in one form or another.
At it's core, this is a story about reclaiming agency. About revenge not as an act of malice, but as an assertion of autonomy in a world that often strips women of choice, dignity, and freedom. It is about confronting systems - be they societal, relational, or internal - that silence and oppress, and dismantling them piece by piece, no matter how messy or unpalatable the process might be.
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 rage. Sometimes, justice isn't quiet or clean; it's feral and bloody and unapologetic.
Shy Girl holds a mirror to the darkest parts of control and trauma while also asking questions about survival and resistance. What does it mean to escape a cage, whether physical or metaphorical? How do you reconcile the parts of yourself shaped by those cages? And what does freedom truly cost?
More importantly, it's a reminder: Women deserve to own their stories, theirs bodies, their futures - on THEIR terms. And when that autonomy is stripped away, revenge becomes less about vengeance and more about rewriting a narrative in which women refuse to remain victims." - Mia Ballard, Shy Girl
Let me say, PLEASEEEEEE check trigger warnings... this is NOT an easy read. In fact, it's the hardest read of my life so far....but it's important. Especially with the way our world is right now. Women, every single day, are seen as victims instead of survivors, and we have to change that narrative for ourselves. We have to support one another because even though we are all different - different races, different opinions, different mindset, different religions or beliefs - we are still WOMEN. that right there should band us together against the evil in the world. We need to stop tearing each other down and instead look inside one another and see each other for the amazing, strong, miraculous beings that we are.
As someone who is a survivor herself, due to something that happened when I was a child and had no control.. to even now, as an adult that got caught in another web of abuse, just differently, but now with the power to take back my control -- this book is special, and it gives me hope that one day I will always claim my own freedom from someone who's tried to strip me of my self.
So, thank you Mia Ballard... for reminding me of what it is to be a woman, to be strong, to be capable, to be worthy.... that is a gift that will never be able to be repaid, but I hope you see this review and know just how grateful I am that you wrote this important, although terrifying and horror filled story -- I have a feeling it's going to change my life. Thank you 1000s times over and PLEASE - write another soon!! I just know that brilliant mind of yours is holding so many amazing stories that are waiting to be told.
Also, I want to add - I am absolutely heartbroken that I didn't just go ahead and purchase the physical copy of this book... I'm not sure if it's being traditionally published or what but I BEG YOU not to change the cover. It's absolutely stunning and I would give my left foot to have a copy of it but I'm unable to find it anywhere. If anyone has a copy they don't want.... PLEASE LET ME KNOW!! This is a book I NEED to have on my shelf, for when I need a reminder of just how strong and worthy I am of true freedom.
Thank you to NetGalley, Mia Ballard, and Galaxy Press for gifting me with this eArc. All thoughts and opinions are of my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail