A review by alxisrae
Shy Girl by Mia Ballard

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.75

Holy fucking shit….this was one wild ride that I enjoyed! First you see the cover and you think “oh what a pretty cover” and then you read the summary and you think “oh, ok…this could be good. Interesting.” And then you’re reading it and all you’re think is “holy fucking shit what did I just read”

You have Gia, this 30 year old woman that is down on her luck, jobless and has severe OCD. On the other side you have Nathan, a 45 year old man that is on a sugar daddy site but has sinister intentions. I looooooved how the power dynamic shifted in this story and the pace most of all. Because it was almost like Nathan has to break Gia both mentally and physically for her to be “free”. 

Goddamn the manipulation that she goes through was almost suffocating at how easy he was able to do it. Like a predator. This story is very poignant to what is going on now with women having their choice stripped away, and how society is towards women. Very clever. 

And how slowly but surely she becomes the animal and escapes fully as this new version of herself. I was cheering for our girl as she was literally ripping her captor apart. This was grotesque, it was horrifyingly beautiful. I am so so happy I was able to read this. 

This story has trigger warnings. Please view before reading.
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