I was ecstatic to get approved for Noelle Ihli's new book on NetGalley. I fell in love with her when I read "Ask for Andrea" and the fact that she was a fellow Idaho girlie was even better!! And now, I've read almost all her books.

"Such Quiet Girls" was an addictive read. One of the great things about her books is the need they invoke in you to get to the end. You want to make sure the characters in the book end up alright, and this one was no different. A bus driver and 10 kids are kidnapped and held for ransom. The book highlights being strong and courageous under pressure. It was amazing and had me tearing up at the end!!

Thank you NetGalley, Dynamite Books, and Noelle West Ihli for an eArc copy of the book for review.

One of my most anticipated books of this summer. Let me preface this with: I will 100% autobuy anything and everything Noelle Ihli produces. I absolutely adore her social media presence/personality, love her books (multiple 5 star reads), and was salivating when I heard about this book!!! Literally checked NetGalley every day just for this book.

Now, I am saddened to say this book didn’t catch traction for me. I definitely think it was a “me” thing- and mostly because of the close relation to the Chowchilla kidnapping in 1976. This was not the first time that Ihli wrote a book related to a sensationalized new story- but from a fictional standpoint. Her two previous novels in this category were very closely related to the stories they were based on and I think that’s where she lost me on, “Such Quiet Girls”. I knew about the Chowchilla story long before this book came out and I think I anticipated this book to be a fictionalized rendition of that story vs a storyline different from- but similar in concept.

The story itself was well paced, enjoyable, and a quick read. I found it hard to recognize the FMC as a 12 year old as she was initially portrayed much younger. Then to imagine a younger child with the thought process and actions of the FMC, seemed unrealistic. Though likable, I feel like Ihli failed to capture the essence of a 12 year old girl. I do love the idea of updating the story to meet real time changes- like the consideration for cell phones and GPS.

Overall, I think this book will do well on publication. I am grateful to NetGalley and Dynamite Books for this ARC!

3.5 ⭐️’s! This book definitely kept me engaged throughout. Some plot twists were predictable but still enjoyable.
I had no idea it was based off of a true story and my heart breaks for those who experienced it. The author did a great job in portraying this story. I will definitely be reading more by this author.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

Great book. Based on a horrific true life crime, this story explores the various accounts of what happened. From the bus driver all the way to one of the kidnappers.

I found the chapters so immersive through all the characters and the author re-created an absolute fear that these children must have felt.

I would definitely recommend this book and look forward to increasing my knowledge reading up on the actual case.

Great job again Noelle. I love your writing style and this is just another example of how well you write page turners with emotion.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review this before release.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this pulse-pounding, intense thriller that had me riveted to the edge of my seat. I am grateful for the ARC, which introduced me to an author, Noelle W. Ihli, who is new to me. I definitely want to read more of her books.

Two armed masked men hijack a school bus carrying ten children and the bus driver. They plan to take them hostage for ransom. The kidnappers have prepared a shipping container in an abandoned lot with a small amount of food and water and will transfer the frightened children to the large container and bury it ten feet underground. There is a small supply of fresh air and a couple of buckets for toilets. The terrified hostages are told they must remain calm and quiet, and if they do so, they will be released unharmed when the ransom is paid. What could be more of a locked room, claustrophobic ordeal? The abandoned school bus has been hidden away in the bushes, and there is no way for searchers to locate the shipping container, which is now well-hidden underground. There is no trace of what happened to the hostages. The air is becoming putrid from the bucket toilets, and children throwing up. Fresh air, food and water are running out, and the children must sit quietly in the darkness.

The story is fast-paced, and the characters are well-developed and engaging. The story is told from the viewpoint of four people. Sage, the oldest child of twelve, tries to calm her younger sister. A kidnapper, Ted, is having second thoughts about the crime in which he has participated. Jessa, the bus driver, begins frozen in fear. She feels guilty about her failure to protect her passengers and has been separated from her own child due to a troubled past. Sheena is the mother of Sage and her other young daughter, who are both missing from the bus. Sheena is the only parent who has received a ransom demand and must make a desperate decision in the hopes of saving her children. Sheena cares for her father at home. He has Alzheimer's but is one of the more engaging characters.

One of these people becomes an unlikely hero. They manage to break free through much determination, effort, and pain.

There is a strong, action-packed finish as they rush to get help for those remaining behind before they become seriously injured or die from polluted air and thirst. A gunman is in pursuit. Will anyone survive?
This may seem like a farfetched crime story, but it is based on a similar event in 1976 California, which drew worldwide attention. Twenty-seven passengers from a school bus were buried underground in a truck trailer. I remember the crime and found many pictures online from the day the hostages escaped their imprisonment.

This book will have you reaching for tissues while your heart pounds hoping for the best. I was lucky enough to read an Advanced Copy of this book and I think it has to be the author's best so far. When a bus full of elementary school children are abducted in broad daylight it will take the ingenuity of the children, their bus driver and one desperate mother to save everyone. I loved that in the book a child has the forethought to find a way out, while her mother is also able to find a way to find her children's location. This was an adrenaline ride filled with panic and desperation that places you directly in the mind of the characters.

I have been looking forward to reading this book since I first heard about it. When I saw it on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read this and review it. Luckily, I was approved. Knowing that this was inspired by true events, the Chowchilla kidnapping story made it even more haunting. This book shook me to my core. From the very first page, you can feel the tension. Although this book is a thriller, it's not about the thrills. It's about the trauma, their survival, and the quiet strength that people summon when they're trapped.

I always laugh when people, when authors put a character saying they let out a breath they didn't know they were holding. I literally did not breathe for the last five chapters, and then I let out a breath I definitely knew I was holding. Jess's character had so much dimension to her. I was tentatively rooting for her, but waiting for the ball to drop with news, but I didn't know what it was going to be. I knew there was more to her story, and Ihli gives you breadcrumbs to it throughout the entire story. I love the multiple points of view from the bus driver to the children, and even the kidnappers. The pacing is perfection; if you don't want to have anything to do for the day except read this book, which is what I did, it grips you from the first page, and it does not let you down. Every moment in this book counts, and it never drags. This is one of those books that you can't let go. I sat here after I read it for a good half hour, just in a book coma. It was hard to move on with life.

On a personal note, the sad story of the grandfather with Alzheimer's really touched me. Not only have I had family members with Alzheimer's, I also have a husband with multiple sclerosis, and his memory is failing. So much of the book just hit me hard in the feels. I experienced every range of emotion in this book, from anger to sadness to elation. I cheered, I cried, and I cannot recommend it enough. Such Quiet Girls is such a powerful mix of true crime inspiration and fiction that grabs your emotions as much as your nerves. Ihli creates raw, believable characters that make you care deeply about what happens to them. If you're looking for a thriller that delivers, this one absolutely does.

The Vibes it Brings
🚌 School bus gone terrifyingly wrong
🧠 Psychological tension with emotional depth
👩‍👧 Parental grief and fierce protection
😱 Buried alive nightmare fuel
🕯️ Grit, guilt, and quiet resilience
🚨 Based on chilling true events
🕵️‍♀️ Claustrophobic survival suspense
📖 Quick chapters that pull you deeper
💥 High-stakes with real heart

Noelle W. Ihli’s Such Quiet Girls is a masterclass in suspense, weaving a chilling tale inspired by true events that grips you from the very first page. The story follows Jessa, a new school bus driver haunted by past trauma, and twelve-year-old Sage, a fiercely protective sister. Their ordinary day spirals into a nightmare when their bus is hijacked in broad daylight, leading them and eight other children into a buried shipping container with dwindling air and rising panic. Ihli’s narrative is both claustrophobic and expansive, capturing the intense psychological landscape of her characters as they confront unimaginable terror. 

What sets this thriller apart is its emotional depth and authenticity. The dual perspectives of Jessa and Sage offer a profound exploration of resilience, courage, and the will to survive. Ihli’s writing is unflinching yet compassionate, making the reader feel every heartbeat and held breath. This isn’t just a story about survival; it’s a testament to the human spirit’s capacity to endure and fight back. Such Quiet Girls is not only a gripping read but also a poignant reminder of the strength found in the most unexpected places. It’s a must-read that will stay with you long after the final page.

Noelle Ihli is one of my favorite authors. She is the queen of survival thrillers! I looked forward to this book and it did not disappoint me! On the contrary, I was hooked from the beginning! It's told from the pov of four people including one of the antagonists.
Like all the other books of the author, this one too is fast paced and totally gripping! It made me emotional, and I felt claustrophobic at times, more so because it was based on a true incident!! I was in tears towards the end but those were happy tears 🤗

Thanks Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the advance copy!!

This book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I could not put it down. The characters were so very well developed and they made you want to keep reading to see what will happen next time. Make sure you have plenty of time to sit down and read from beginning to end because once you get started you won't want to put it down.

Just what I needed to get my out of a reading slump, and i couldn’t believe it was based on true events: armed men take a bus driver and students hostage, keeping them essentially buried alive in a trailer. Books by Noelle West Ihli are always fast paced and nail bitingly tense.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this one.

Noelle can write a thriller unlike anyone else. It will keep you on the edge of your seat while reading and feel ALL. OF. THE. EMOTIONS. You feel for Jessa, who is the bus driver. You root for Sage, who is the child that stands up for them all (so brave). And you may want to slap Sheena for most of her actions. It will have you on the edge of your seat to see how everything unfolds.

I know the true story this is based off of. That made reading this a little different as making comparisons is easy to do.

This was a fantastic book, hooked right from the beginning I seriously couldn’t put it down. My new favorite from Noelle The cover is amazing

The plot centers on the abduction of ten children in broad daylight, who are then buried alive. Among the victims are Sage and her sister, who never make it home from school. Jessa, the new bus driver, is wracked with guilt, feeling responsible for the incident, much like she felt after failing to protect her own daughter three years earlier.

Buried twenty feet underground in a shipping container, Jessa and the children must remain calm and devise a plan to outsmart their captors before they run out of air. The novel draws inspiration from real-life events, adding a chilling layer of authenticity to the story.

Thank you Dynamite Books for the gifted ARC!

This is by far my favorite book from Noelle Ihli yet, and if you know how much I've loved her previous books, that says a lot. The pacing is beyond intense, and there's such a deep sense of foreboding throughout the entire book. It's incredible that it's based on a true story, too.

One thing I didn't expect was how much I CRIED my little eyes out at the end. I found myself very connected to one character in particular and the climax and conclusion of her storyline were just an emotional gut punch. (I loved it - not at all complaining).

Highly highly recommend this one to thriller lovers, especially those who are already fans of Ihli.

Such Quiet Girls pub date is April 29.

ﾟ☆ 𝖲𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝖰𝗎𝗂𝖾𝗍 𝖦𝗂𝗋𝗅𝗌 𝖠𝗋𝖼 ☆ﾟ+｡★

𝖡𝗒 𝖭𝗈𝖾𝗅𝗅𝖾 𝖶. 𝖨𝗅𝗁𝗂
𝖠𝗉𝗋𝗂𝗅 29, 2025
𝖣𝗒𝗇𝖺𝗆𝗂𝗍𝖾 𝖡𝗈𝗈𝗄𝗌

𝖨 𝖺𝗆 𝗌𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝖺 𝗁𝗎𝗀𝖾 𝖿𝖺𝗇 𝗈𝖿 𝖭𝗈𝖾𝗅𝗅𝖾'𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝗋𝗂𝗅𝗅𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗋𝖾𝖼𝖾𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖺𝗇 𝖺𝖽𝗏𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾𝖽 𝖼𝗈𝗉𝗒 𝗍𝗈 𝗋𝖾𝗏𝗂𝖾𝗐.
𝖳𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗇𝖾𝗐 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝗂𝗌 𝗂𝗇𝗌𝗉𝗂𝗋𝖾𝖽 𝖻𝗒 𝗍𝗋𝗎𝖾 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗉𝖾𝗇𝖾𝖽 𝗂𝗇 1976 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗂𝗌 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗌 𝗇𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍𝗆𝖺𝗋𝖾.
𝖳𝖾𝗇 𝖼𝗁𝗂𝗅𝖽𝗋𝖾𝗇 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗂𝗋 𝖻𝗎𝗌 𝖽𝗋𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝖺𝖻𝖽𝗎𝖼𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖻𝗎𝗋𝗂𝖾𝖽 𝗂𝗇𝗌𝗂𝖽𝖾 𝖺 𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉𝗉𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗍𝖺𝗂𝗇𝖾𝗋.

𝖨 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝖾𝗇𝗃𝗈𝗒𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗁𝗂𝖿𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖯𝖮𝖵 𝖻𝖾𝗍𝗐𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗆𝖺𝗂𝗇 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌. 𝖳𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗄𝖾𝗉𝗍 𝗆𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗇𝖾𝖼𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖾𝖽𝗀𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗆𝗒 𝗌𝖾𝖺𝗍 𝖺𝗌 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗎𝗇𝖿𝗈𝗅𝖽𝖾𝖽.

𝖩𝖾𝗇𝗇𝖺 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝗎𝗌 𝖽𝗋𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗂𝗌 𝗁𝖺𝗎𝗇𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝖻𝗒 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗉𝖺𝗌𝗍.
𝖲𝖺𝗀𝖾: 12 𝗒𝖾𝖺𝗋 𝗈𝗅𝖽 6𝗍𝗁 𝗀𝗋𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗌 𝖧𝖺𝗋𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖲𝗉𝗒. 𝖲𝗁𝖾𝖾𝗇𝖺 : 𝖲𝖺𝗀𝖾'𝗌 𝗆𝗈𝗆 𝗂𝗌 𝖿𝖺𝖼𝖾𝖽 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖺 𝖽𝗂𝖿𝖿𝗂𝖼𝗎𝗅𝗍 𝖽𝖾𝖼𝗂𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇. 𝖳𝖾𝖽: 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝗐𝗈 𝗄𝗂𝖽𝗇𝖺𝗉𝗉𝖾𝗋𝗌

𝖭𝗈𝖾𝗅𝗅𝖾'𝗌 𝗐𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂𝗌 𝖼𝖺𝗉𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖺𝗍𝗆𝗈𝗌𝗉𝗁𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖼, 𝗉𝗎𝗅𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗁𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗌 𝗋𝖺𝖼𝖾 𝖺𝗀𝖺𝗂𝗇𝗌𝗍 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖼𝗅𝖺𝗎𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗈𝗉𝗁𝗈𝖻𝗂𝖼 𝗌𝖾𝗍𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗆𝖺𝖽𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖺 𝗀𝗋𝗂𝗉𝗉𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝖾𝗇𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝖿𝗂𝗅𝗅𝖾𝖽 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒.

𝖶𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗌𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗁𝗈𝗈𝖽, 𝗌𝖾𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖽 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗌, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗋𝖾𝖽𝖾𝗆𝗉𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇, 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒 𝗂𝗌 𝖺𝗅𝗌𝗈 𝖺𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗋𝖺𝗀𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗉𝖾𝗋𝗌𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾.

𝖨 𝗁𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗅𝗒 𝗋𝖾𝗈𝗆𝗆𝖾𝗇𝖽 𝖲𝗎𝖼𝗁 𝖰𝗎𝗂𝖾𝗍 𝖦𝗂𝗋𝗅𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝖺𝗇𝗒𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝖾𝗇𝗃𝗈𝗒𝗌 𝗍𝗋𝗎𝖾 𝖼𝗋𝗂𝗆𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖾𝗆𝗈𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝗀𝖾𝖽 𝗌𝗎𝗋𝗏𝗂𝗏𝖺𝗅 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌.

ARC FROM NETGALLEY- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this book! there’s always an element of creepiness when you find out what you’re reading is loosely based on true events, but this was done well imo. great read!!

This is Noelle's seventh thriller published and stands just as high as her others. This book is an emotional rollercoaster that'll have your heart pounding while following four different POV's. Without getting into spoilers, the book follows different characters while young kids are kidnapped and a ransom is asked in exchange for their safety. You get to experience this novel from both young eyes and from older more wise eyes. The reader is able to see the situation from all sides and so then gets to experience different struggles with different emotions. I really enjoyed this fast pace story that is actually based on a true story that happened in 1976.

The only comment I had about the book is that one of the villains in this story doesn't have an ending. There are two bad guys in this story and one goes to jail while nothing is noted about the other. I like to feel closure when I finish a standalone book, and for me that was the only open ending to this story. Mr. Edward's ending just kind of fizzled out and maybe it's because the book ends while all the events are still somewhat happening? I like to think that since he had remorse that his jail time would be different than his partner, but we'll never know since sentencing had not happened yet. I feel his sentencing could be a bonus chapter for the reader.

Thank you Net Galley and Dynamite Books for the chance to read this story in advance. I really appreciate being able to read it early in exchange for a review. Noelle is one of my favorite thriller authors and I highly recommend everyone that comes across her work to pick up at least one of her books because I can tell you right now, you'll be reading her backlog afterwards!

I simply could NOT put this book down! It gripped be from beginning, middle, right to the end! This is my first book by this author and I just might have to read some more!

I LOVED this! It kept me on my toes the whole time! I couldn't put this down. I read it so fast because I simply couldn't put it down!