Shy Girl Read the femgore revenge novel that EVERYONE is talking about!

It rarely happens, but when a book leaves me truly speechless, I immediately know that I have to rate it 5 stars. With this one I had to pause while reading, so I could process, but then again I felt like I could not stop reading this one as well. In fact, ever since I finsihed this one weeks ago not a day has passed in which I did not think about this book at least once. People like to compare Mia Ballard's "Shy Girl" to Rachel Yoder's writing, especially "Nightbitch" and while I haven't read it, the praise, which latter one has received was what made me read Ballard's work. Now; if I had to describe this book with three words, they would be 'pure female rage'. Because that's what it made me feel. It left me angry, sad and disgusted. I was genuinely questioning what on earth I was reading. The protagonist's story was heartwrenching and seeing how she slowly accepts her possible and at the same time gruesome fate, was terrifying. For the plot, Gia, our female protagonist needs money. And when she meets the slightly older Nathan, who makes her a generous offer, she at first hesitates. He offers her more than she needs, *if* she in return agrees to the rules he sets for their arrangement and wears the collar he gifts her. Gia soon realises that things are not the way they seem and that she has agreed to play her part in a dangerous game. But with time Gia changes. Not only mentally, but also physically. I have rarely read a book with this much emotional impact. If you decide to read the book, I do recommend reading the blurb, be sure to check the trigger warnings, as this one truly is gruesome in many ways. That being said, please if you are a reader who is not off age, do wait until you are older hence the topics mentioned in the book are not suited for readers who are younger than 18. This book is perfect for anyone who enjoyed the gripping insanity and gruesomeness of Sayaka Murata's books.