Writer denies it, but publisher pulls horror novel after multiple allegations of AI use

Hachette pulled Mia Ballard's horror novel Shy Girl from the UK market and canceled US publication plans after a New York Times investigation and multiple allegations suggested significant AI use in the writing. The self-published book had gained social media buzz in 2025, but critics, a viral Reddit post, a YouTube video with 1.2 million views, and AI detection company Pangram all flagged the prose as likely AI-generated. Ballard denies the allegations.