Wow! I was captivated from the first chapter and couldn’t stop reading until the end. This is my new favorite from this author! I really appreciated the multiple POVs. The emotion was truly felt, and the ending was perfect! 5 huge stars

A big shout out to NetGalley, the incredible author Noelle West Ihli, and Dynamite Books Publishing for providing me with an eARC of Such Quiet Girls in exchange for an honest review! 🙌

Such Quiet Girls delves into a gripping nightmare: ten children abducted in broad daylight, buried alive, and the desperate fight for survival that follows. This is not just another thrilling tale; it's a meticulously crafted narrative that showcases the sheer brilliance of Ihli’s writing.

From the moment we meet Jessa, the new bus driver grappling with the weight of past trauma, the tension crescendos to a nail-biting crescendo. As Jessa and the children find themselves trapped in a dark, confined shipping container, the clock is ticking, and every passing second heightens the stakes. Ihli's ability to weave suspense into every word kept me on the edge of my seat, and the pacing was nothing short of phenomenal. 🕒

I have read each of Noelle West Ihli's books, and I can genuinely say I do not have a single complaint. Her stellar plot execution and exceptional writing make her one of the best thriller writers in the genre today. The cover art is captivating and perfectly encapsulates the dark themes of the story, drawing readers in from the get-go. And the inspiration taken from true events? That added layer of authenticity made every tense moment feel even more chilling. 🌌

🔔 Trigger Warnings: Domestic violence, murder, and kidnapping.

Whether you're a seasoned thriller aficionado or new to the genre, I cannot recommend this book, or this author, highly enough! Such Quiet Girls is a heart-pounding, anxiety-inducing journey that will leave you breathless—literally and figuratively.

Grab your copy on April 29 and prepare yourself for an emotional rollercoaster you won’t soon forget! 🎢

Oh my.. tears. Such courage, thus book touched my heart in so many ways. Cheering them on. And such a perfect ending. Great great book.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this book.

it was a bit slow at the start but once it got there i couldn't put it down. anxiety inducing and heart pounding. noelle really has a way of gripping you with both her stories and her characters. always so fleshed out and human.

thank you to netgalley, noelle and the publisher for the arc.

This was a great book. It had me on the edge of my seat from the start. I loved the multiple points of view, including the “bad guy” in the kidnapping situation to see his moral dilemma. I really liked that it had short chapters. My only issue is pacing was a little bit slow at times but other than that I really enjoyed it.

Such Quiet Girls is an absolute rollercoaster from start to finish. I was hooked from the very first line: “Sage and her sister won’t make it home from school today.” That haunting opener sets the tone for a chilling, suspenseful read that never lets up.

The story follows Jessa, a new bus driver carrying the heavy burden of her own past tragedy, who finds herself in the middle of every parent’s worst nightmare. When Bus 315 and all its passengers—including young children—go missing, Jessa blames herself. But unlike the loss she faced three years ago, she’s determined not to let history repeat itself.

Buried twenty feet underground in a shipping container, the fear is claustrophobic and real. Noelle Ihli does a phenomenal job building tension. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, desperate to find out what would happen next. The twists kept coming, and just when I thought I had it figured out—bam! Another turn I never saw coming.

Sage, one of the kidnapped children, brings a spark of strength and intelligence that really shines throughout the book. And Jessa’s fierce determination to protect the kids is both heartbreaking and inspiring. I was rooting for them the whole way.

I loved everything about this story—the high stakes, the fast pacing, the emotional depth, and especially the clever twists. It’s one of those rare thrillers that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. Without a doubt, Such Quiet Girls has earned a spot as my new favorite book.

Highly recommended for fans of intense thrillers with strong female leads, unexpected turns, and heart-pounding suspense.

I never thought a thriller would have me in tears, but this book had me crying. As a mom of boys who ride a bus, this scares me, because it was based on true events.

This follows the story of a bus driver and 10 students who are abducted and kept in a shipping container pretty much buried alive. You are following the POV’s of 4 people, the bus driver, one of the kidnappers, one of the children, and that child’s mother. Normally with this many POV’s I get confused but she made it so easy to follow.

The beginning was chilling and intense, had my heart racing. But then the middle of the book dragged a bit. But, then at about 70% it took off and I was on the edge of seat needing to know if they got out alive. The ending was really good. 4⭐️This comes out on 4/29 def recommend reading it!

Thank you to netgalley and Noelle Ihli for this arc.

Ten children abducted in broad daylight — and buried alive while being held for ransom.

This novel is a work of fiction, but Noelle W. Ihli drew inspiration from real events — the Chowchilla kidnapping of 1976. Which, in my opinion, makes this even more terrifying.

The POVs bounce from 4 different people: Ms. Jessa, the bus driver who has also been abducted with the kids; Sage, the oldest of the kids being held captive at 12 years old and big sister to Bonnie; Sheena, Sage and Bonnie’s mother and the key player who receives the ransom note; and Ted, one of the men who has put this whole scheme into play and is struggling with the morality of holding kids hostage in exchange for a big pay out.

The multiple POVs really made this story work. From the terrifying voices of Sage and Ms. Jessa trying to find a solution, to Sheena’s frantic journey to meet the ransom demands, to Ted’s internal struggle with how to pull off this heist without hurting anyone. Noelle W. Ihli makes it so easy to put yourself in any one of their shoes.

I highly, highly recommend this one. This story is emotional yet thrilling and will keep you on the edge of your seat. The short chapters made it so easy to keep reading and I flew through this book in about 2 days.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. I’ve read several books by this author and this one did not disappoint! I was invested from the beginning and loved the way the story was told from the different character’s perspectives.

This book is based on a true story of a bus driver and a group of children kidnapped and buried underground in a shipping container.

This book was pretty intense. I knew going in that it was based on a true story, which just added to the feelings of dread throughout. Told in multiple perspectives, the courage and strength of these characters was something else. The tension and emotions from Sheena's perspective were palpable; her story was told with such sheer desperation of a panicked mother. Sage was also a remarkable character, tough beyond her years. Definitely recommended, though not a light read.

Can Noelle Ihli write a bad book? No. Such Quiet Girls was so good. It immediately pulled me in a didn't let go til the very end. The pace was excellent. The multiple POVs helped keep me engaged and seeing the story from others perspectives. Such a roller coaster of emotions. Highly recommend.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.

This was everything I had hoped it would be. Terrifying, gut wrenching, anxiety inducing, tearjerker. I love that this had 4 different POVs. You got to see every side of the story which was really nice and it didn’t feel like anything was missing. Overall, this was an easy 5 stars for me.

I was thrilled to receive this ARC and am happy to say it did not disappoint! This is based on real events of kidnapped children who were buried below ground in a shipping container while the kidnappers demanded their ransom. In the authors note at the end of the book, it mentions a podcast to listen to for more information on the real kidnapping, and I'm incredibly intrigued and will be checking it out!

I appreciated the multiple POVs as you see the characters work through their own battles over the course of the event. It gave a complete picture of what was going on and helped to relate and understand the characters. The last few chapters I tore through, I couldn't get through them fast enough to find out how this ended. A fast-paced thriller that will have you teary eyed by the end. Would highly recommend!

Genre: Thriller | Mystery

Rating: ★★★½ (Rounded up to ★★★★)

If Taken had a literary cousin with a female lead and no punches pulled, Such Quiet Girls would be it.

Jessa has just started working part-time as a school bus driver for a childcare centre. She’s trying to rebuild her life after surviving an abusive past relationship, jail time and losing custody of her daughter, who now lives with Jess’s sister. That alone sets a heavy tone—but we’re just getting started.

Then there’s 12-year-old Sage, a resilient and observant kid often tasked with looking after her younger sister, Bonnie. One ordinary day on the bus to child care turns into something terrifying: the kids are abducted, and from there, the story becomes a breathless, high-stakes race to rescue—or be rescued.

Told through alternating first-person perspectives—Jessa, Sage, their mother Sheena, and one of the kidnappers (Ted)—this story grips hard and doesn’t let go. Each voice brings its own emotional weight and urgency, creating a visceral, confronting read.

And here’s where it gets even more chilling: the story is inspired by the real-life 1976 Chowchilla kidnapping, where a group of schoolchildren were abducted and buried alive in a truck trailer. That historical link adds an extra layer of unease to an already intense plot.

Jessa is a fighter, trying to find her footing after years of trauma.

Sage is whip-smart and brave in that understated, quietly fierce way that feels completely real.

Sheena is doing her best to hold her world together, juggling a father with Alzheimer’s and the devastating fear of her missing children.

And Ted? His perspective is surprisingly compelling—not the caricature of a criminal you might expect, but a reminder that people aren’t always easily categorised.

What Worked:

The pacing: full-throttle from start to finish.

The first-person narration adds intensity and immediacy.

The real-world inspiration makes it all feel that much more unsettling.

A solid premise that plays out with tension and urgency.


What Fell a Little Flat:

While we’re given the characters’ backstories, their emotional depth feels a little underdeveloped. Their essence—the heart of who they are—never quite rises above the traumatic circumstances they’re reacting to.

It’s an incredibly dark read, with no real emotional breather. Not a criticism, just something to know going in.

This type of thriller—grim and go-go-go—might not be for everyone (myself included), but it’s undeniably gripping.


Final Thoughts:

Such Quiet Girls is tense, propulsive, and unflinching. With a chilling real-life event as its inspiration and a strong narrative voice, it delivers a high-stakes thriller that doesn’t let up. Not exactly a feel-good read, but if you like your thrillers gritty and intense, it’s definitely one to check out.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Such Quiet Girls by Noelle W. Ihli is an emotionally charged thriller that grabbed my attention from page one. While loosely inspired by the 1976 Chowchilla kidnapping, this is no retelling. It’s a reimagined nightmare all its own, centered on the abduction of ten children, their bus driver, and a mother left unraveling in its wake.

What begins as an ordinary day quickly spirals into chaos when an after-school daycare bus vanishes. The reader is pulled into the minds of those left behind and those trapped below. We follow Sheena, a single mother already stretched thin caring for her father with Alzheimer’s, as she learns her daughters’ bus has gone missing. We’re plunged underground with Jessa, the bus driver taken alongside the children, who struggles to stay calm for their sake while slowly coming undone. Through their perspectives, along with the voices of Sheena’s daughter, Sage, and one of the kidnappers, were taken through a journey of fear, guilt, and desperate hope.

What hit hardest, though, was the quiet courage of the children. The way they clung to each other, trying to be brave when nothing about their world made sense, was both devastating and beautiful. Ihli evokes claustrophobic fear, helplessness, and the desperate longing for rescue; most admirably, she also captures the incredible resilience of children.

This isn’t just a thriller. It’s an emotional gut punch wrapped in suspense, exploring the crushing weight of responsibility, the ache of helplessness, and the unexpected strength people summon when everything falls apart. The shifting points of view offer valuable insight into each character’s mindset, although occasionally it kept me at arm’s length emotionally. I craved just a little more space to connect deeply with some of the characters. But honestly? That didn’t stop me from racing through the pages…I couldn’t seem to consume the story fast enough.

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was definitely a page-turner! I don’t recommend starting it close to bedtime!
A day-care bus driver, with a past she’s desperate to keep secret. Innocent children picked up for after-school care; the oldest girl, 13, there to watch over her younger sister. Two men, with dastardly plans to get rich quickly. A single mom, whose two daughters are her heart and soul, forced to make decisions that could bring about tragedy. The paths of all these people intersect one sunny afternoon, leading to a series of events that none of them expected…
Due to some coarse language and some heavy topics (spousal abuse, murder, children in peril), this book is better suited for high-school age readers and adults.

*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*

I wanted to like this book so much, but this story was a tough one for me emotionally. As a mom, some of the themes hit a little too close to home, and I found myself needing to step away more than once. It’s a testament to Ihil’s powerful storytelling, especially since it is based on a true event. Ultimately, it made the reading experience challenging for me personally, so make sure to check your trigger warnings. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I was so excited to get an ARC of this book. I read Ask for Andrea by this author and loved it. Noelle just has this way to writing twisted but thrilling tales that hook you right from the start of the story. I enjoyed the multiple POVs that are used in telling this story. It helped to make a complete story in my opinion. I felt like the story was a bit slow in the middle and a bit rushed at the end but overall I really liked it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dynamite Books for this gifted eARC. All opinions are all my own.

Another hit by Noelle W. Ihli. Could barely put the book down. She does a great job of making you feel what the characters are feeling. Can't wait to add the physical book to my shelf when it gets released.

Ok I just loved this. I was on edge until the very end. Noelle really knows how to make a reader anxious lol (in a good way) Love her books!
5 stars!
Thanks for the copy!