Just like “no one left to tell” this is a story based on a true story. I did recognize some of the events as something I’d watched in a documentary. I devoured this book in a span of hours. I couldn’t put it down from the first chapter. It’s told from four points of view that gives you a wide angle of the whole story which I love but not so many vantage points you lose focus. There’s not a single book by this author I haven’t been immediately enthralled by. This one may be my favorite, Ask for Andrea it may still be neck and neck with. Read this book as soon as you can, you’re welcome in advance.

This was such in interesting story. It wasn’t a super suspenseful story but it definitely kept my interest.

Although Sage was a tall 6th grader there were times I thought her part was a bit over the top but it all ended up melding together regardless.

I will definitely read this author again.

I’m pretty sure this book will be living rent-free in my head for a LONG time. From the first page I was hooked. This book will have you on the edge of your seat and biting your nails down to nubs.

Hands down one of the best books I’ve read in a long time!! Many thanks to NetGalley, Dynamite Books, and Noelle West Ihli for the opportunity to read this book and share my thoughts.

Wow. Noelle can tell a story. I’ve read two of her other books, and even though they were positively terrifying, I couldn’t stop reading them. She takes some of your worst nightmares, connects you to some captivating characters, and creates an atmosphere that leaves you turning pages faster than you thought you could.
Love her books. They are special and unique and sometimes loosely based on true stories.
This book follows a bus full of children that is hijacked. I don’t want to give anything away, but that sentence alone sets the stage for a thriller worth reading. So read it! I’m off to tackle more of her backlist…
Thank you Netgalley and libro.fm for the advance read and listen!

Thank you, Net Galley, for the E-ARC of this book. I was so excited, scared, and nervous to read this book. I love Noelle W. Ihli's books. Such Quiet Girls took my emotions on a ride for two days. I would have finished it on one sitting, but "life" got in the way. The way my heart was pounding in my chest and I was chewing my fingernails off through most of this book.

Release: April 29, 2025
Author: Noelle H. Ihli
Publisher: Dynamite Books

Rating: 4.75 ★ 

Such Quiet Girls is an absolute rollercoaster of emotions—heart-pounding suspense, raw fear, and moments that will have you holding your breath. I finished this book in one sitting because I simply couldn’t look away.

The story wastes no time pulling you in. Ms. Jessa, the new bus driver, is taking ten children on their usual route when a detour forces them off course. What starts as a minor inconvenience quickly spirals into a nightmare when armed kidnappers hijack the bus and imprison Jessa and the children in a shipping container buried underground. The captors demand ransom, but survival becomes the real battle.

Told through multiple POVs—including Jessa, Sage (a brave 12-year-old girl), Sage’s mother Sheena, and even one of the kidnappers—this novel delivers a gut-wrenching look at courage, fear, and resilience. Sage was a standout character for me—wise beyond her years, yet still undeniably a child facing an impossible situation. Watching her navigate both terror and leadership was both inspiring and heartbreaking. Jessa, with her own painful past, had moments of hesitation, but her bond with the children made her someone to root for.

The pacing is relentless, with every chapter adding to the tension. There are moments of pure anxiety, emotional gut punches, and glimpses of hope amidst the horror. While the subject matter is heavy, Ihli handles it with care, ensuring that every moment feels real and earned.

Ten children board Bus 315 expecting an ordinary ride home—but they never arrive. Instead, they are kidnapped in broad daylight and buried alive in a shipping container, trapped underground with no way out.

New bus driver Jessa is wracked with guilt, blaming herself for failing to protect the children—just as she failed her own daughter three years ago. But this time, she refuses to be powerless. The kidnappers claim they’ll release everyone once the ransom is paid, but Jessa and 12-year-old Sage aren’t convinced they have that long. As panic sets in and oxygen dwindles, Jessa and the children must find a way to outsmart their captors before time runs out.

Favorite Quote:
"sometimes silence is the only answer we have left, even when it screams louder than words ever could."

This is the first book I have read by this author. Such Quiet Girls is based off the actual events: The Chowchilla kidnapping in 1979., where a bus of children are kidnapped and held in an underground bunker. The book is told through the POV's of one of the children, the bus driver, one of the kidnappers and the mom of two of the missing girls. We learn the bus driver has a past with her daughter, whom no longer lives with her. This thriller was fast-paced and I loved every second of it. This book is an emotional rollercoaster, and I made have cried a tear or two, or three!

If you haven't read any of Noelle W. Ihli previous novels then i have to ask what are you doing JUST DO IT!! Right now i have tears streaming down my face so please bare with me while i'm writing this.

Firstly, I was so excited to see i got an email in which i was approved to read Such Quiet Girls and straightaway i got right into it. It will have you biting your nails, sitting on the edge of your seat, you're praying for the safety of the children and Ms Jessa. It is heartbreaking, will pull at your heartstrings and will make you feel every emotion in the book.

Straightaway the novel starts with Jessa and the children on bus 315 going to their destination when a detour is in the way of their usual route. What everyone thinks is just a quick detour soon becomes something much worse. Trapped in a shipping container twenty feet underground by kidnappers who want ransom money for each children taken hostage. What should of been a simple bus drive soon turns into a scary story of survival and courage.

Told in the POV of Jessa the bus teacher who holds a hidden past that we later learn about, Sage the oldest member of the children, Sheena the mother of Sage and Bonnie and lastly the kidnapper.

I loved everything about this novel, all the characters apart from a few. Sage was such a brave girl that i loved following alongside her, there were times she tried to act bigger for her age at the beginning but later we actually see how young she really is and her relationship with her sister as well as the other children and Jessa was heartwarming but heartbreaking at the same time. Now Jessa at first i was shouting at her to be the adult in this scary situation but then as we delved into her past which was just equally as sad i also loved her and enjoyed the relationship between her and the children always trying to calm them and rooting for Sage when she was being so brave. The characters full stop we so relatable and were all full of love and courage for one another. Jessa, Sage, the other children and their stories and resilient strength for one another in such a situation i could never imagine is going to hold a piece of my heart for so long.

Such quiet girls is one of the best novels i have read, when i say i had tears streaming down my face throughout the last half of the book i well and truly did. You will feel full of anxiety, there is heart stopping moments, moments of suspense and your emotions will be all over the place. A fast paced thriller that will have you screaming, this is one novel you don't want to miss. I would most definitely be recommending this book to everyone, you have to give it a read because you won't regret it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Dynamite Books for the copy of this arc in exchange of my full honest review. I have loved every moment of this novel, thank you so much.

4 ⭐️
Expected publication date - April 29, 2025

WHAT I LOVED - The originality of the story. Even though it was based on true events, it was different than a lot of thrillers. A bus of 10 children being taken and trapped in a shipping container underground is definitely not something I have read before.

WHAT I LIKED - The multiple POV's of key characters. I like some backstory to go along with what they are feeling in the present time. The bravery of a young girl, the second-guessing by the kidnapper, the regrets of the bus driver and the fears of a mother.

WHAT I DISLIKED - I can not say I disliked anything. It was well written with no story gaps.

WOULD I RECOMMEND? Yes. If you like a well-grounded, quick thriller, this is a great choice.

Thank you, NetGalley and Dynamite Books, for this eARC for review. All opinions are my own.

Keep you on the edge of your seat read.
My heart was thumping and aching.

Ms. Jessa is one week into her new job driving a bus. On the way dropping the kids off she has to follow a detour. A detour is an understatement. Her bus gets blocked in when there’s a knock at her door and he’s holding a gun. Leading all kids and herself off the bus and into a van to take them somewhere they don’t want to think about.

This book has multiple POV’s, but it’s very easy to follow along. Fast read, that keeps you on your toes and breathing shallows breathes. Very heavy on the heart, especially coming from a mom.

Thanks NetGalley and XpressoReads for the arc!

This was a nerve wrecking, page turner. Read in one sitting, in about 4 hours. It was that good? Some harsh topics are wrote within, but it helps us to understand what hard, scary things are lurking in this world.
A truly suspenseful tale that you need to read.

I feel as though this was a run of the mill thriller. The twists and turns were really not all that shocking and a lot of the storyline felt unbelievable.

When i had an email to say I had been approved from Netgalley for this book I was so excited. Noelle W. Ihli is an author that I will read without reading the blurb she is amazing. Story starts with a bunch of kids on for bright beginnings like an after school club. Then they get diverted in the bus then the story kicks off missing kids, two kidnappers and two determined mothers. This book was so good like all her other books. It keeps you hooked engrossed and she can tell one hell of a story. I had tears at the end. So many times I was on the edge of my seat screaming surely this can't go that way. Add it to your tbr list immediately.

Five amazing stars

Will definitely be recommending this to the members of the plot thickens book club.

Noelle West Ihli has once again created a story that stays with you long after the last page is turned. This was a race against time that grips its reader so intensely. It was nerve-wracking, emotional, and vivid in its descriptions. When you can feel the characters' fear through the pages as the events are unfolding , that's when you realize the pure talent this author has. Each character was created meticulously with their own distinct personalities, backstories, and voice. Told from multiple perspectives between the kidnapper, bus driver, child, and mother of two of the children, this is a fast-paced roller coaster of a read that leaves its mark. Four and a half stars.

Thank you, Netgalley, and Dynamite Books for this ARC.

This was a heart pounding suspense, with a few sweet surprises. I love the cover of this book. I did feel it was a little surface level and I didn't really connect with any of the characters.

Wow! This one gave me all the feels. So emotional, both terrifying and uplifting all at once. I loved the detail of the characters and the journey that each is going through as you progress through their stories. No spoilers but this is a must read based on actual events. I feel so honored to have been a part of the early release to review this. Get yourself a copy and be prepared for the rollercoaster of emotions! Definitely recommend!!

Noelle W. Ihli has a way of writing that keeps you hooked from the first page and keeps you from wanting to put the book down until the last page and then leaves you thinking about the story she wove for a long time after, and this book was no exception. I stayed up late into the night reading this book so I could finish it because I couldn’t sleep not knowing what the resolution to the story was. This fast paced thriller keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. With the way the multiple POVs are written, the story is easy to follow and really gives you insight into each individual’s motivations and thoughts. The character growth throughout the story felt so realistic and all of the emotions I felt throughout will keep me thinking about this book for a long time into the future.

This was such a great suspenseful page turner. Had me turning the pages so fast. I laughed and cried with each page turn. It was a true suspense. As a mother with young children and working in a school, this story had me in a death grip.
I really enjoyed the multiple POV's and being able to get into each person head. I was so sad with Jessa's story. How her case went was devastating. Seeing how brave Sage was throughout the story was so heart wrenching. Getting first hand view of Ted's inner battle, was a little twist I didn't anticipate.
I think the author did a great job making this her own, but inspired by true events. I would love to read more from her.

Such Quiet Girls starts out quickly like so many of Noelle Ihili's books, so it grabbed my attention right away. It then took a step back and set the scene and developed the characters of the four POVs. Normally i do not like so many POVs , however she did a good job not making it too confusing and each characters played an important role to the story. The ending was very tense and climactic. Another great book by this author, definitely would recommend for a fast read.

this book has me STRESSING. start to finish anxiety. incredibly well-paced, quick read. easy visuals and felt realistic - I love when authors dive deep into the explanations of how a low probability event is successfully pulled off, not leaving room to poke holes in the plot. also felt very human, not everyone is just a hero or a villain, the characters are complex