This is a fast-paced thriller and you can’t ask for anything more from a book! Felt like watching a movie instead of reading a book. It is so sad how this was a true story and it made my heart hurt for the kids. I love Noelle’s books based off of true stories. They are my favorite! Pick this up if you want a fast-paced read.

Such Quiet Girls had an intriguing premise, but the execution fell flat for me. The character of Sage didn’t feel believable, she swung between acting like a wise adult and a young child, and the inconsistency made it hard to connect with her. The teacher meant to help them felt oddly helpless, contributing less to their escape than the kids themselves. The subplot involving the mother trying to gather ransom money was underdeveloped and lacked emotional depth. As for the kidnappers… they came off more like bumbling fools than actual threats.

Between the uneven pacing and mostly unlikable characters, this one just didn’t work for me. I made it to the end, but it wasn’t a favorite.

Wow !!
This book is amazing! Is one of the best thrillers I’ve read so far! I enjoyed the story so much, it had me biting my nails throughout the whole book! I really loved the different viewpoints we got , we knew exactly what was going on and it made the story more compelling. The end had me bawling.. I’m not saying no more, just go read it now, you won’t be disappointed.!

I really liked this one! This author can do no wrong in my eyes. I found it to be captivating!! It had me on the edge of my seat. Highly recommend.

After the hype for Ask for Andrea and enjoying it but still feeling just a little let down I was kinda skeptical about this one. It was good but I was just expecting more from it.

Omg i absolutely loved this book. It was very well written. Loved the different point of views. I highly recommend this book. Its such an easy to read book. It will have you so invested. I honestly could not put this book down once i started reading.

A fast paced thriller that I absolutely tore through. It seemed like an ingenious plan- or was it? While there were some definite giveaways as to what was coming, there were enough twists and suspense to keep me reading. I would have loved it to be a little longer of a book to explore more of the backstory of some of the characters. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC.

Wowee. This book was an intense page-turner! Noelle Ihli writes thrillers so well with characters you can connect to and a plot that will keep your heart racing.

The suspense is high, characters are faced with impossible decisions, and the clock is ticking for the children and bus driver who were kidnapped and buried alive in a shipping container. Inspired by a true story that I now have to learn about.

This is my second Ihli read and if you’re a fan of Ask for Andrea you will want to read Such Quiet Girls too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dynamite Books for the e-ARC!

The premise really drew me into this one, and it is my first Noelle West Ihli read so I was super excited after seeing how many people were excited about this book! I had read this was also based off a true story, so that definitely gives it a little different edge to the story and can make emotions run a little higher for me at least. Being a mom, I truly had a lump stuck in my throat reading a lot of this because moms think worst case all the time and how would we even deal with something like this so that was stressful!
I overall liked it, but I did have sometimes where I just put it down and it didn't fully pull me in to pick back up fast. I don't know if it was because as a mom it brings up thoughts of worst nightmare scenarios, or if it was that it felt like it fell a little flat being dragged out. I think it would've been better if it could've been condensed down more to keep the suspense up. I did like the grandfather being incorporated in and even though he couldn't always remember his role was well played into the ending, I never looked up to see if he was part of the actual story or not, but I liked the ending he was given along with the ending for the rest of the characters. Thank you to NetGalley, and the publisher for the gifted copy to review with my own opinions.

This is your average thriller. The story is very slow paced. The premise is interesting, but it is lacking in development. I wanted more intensity or twists and turns.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dynamite Books for the opportunity to read Such Quiet Girls by Noelle West Ihli.

This is a thriller that involves children abduction. There is a perspective from one of the kids. The POVs switch between 4 people. I felt the build up is necessary and has a decent pacing. This story checks off all the important plot points. You get a real sense of urgency and fear from all involved. I felt this author had a good balance between the urgency, fear and ‘what if’ moments.

I would recommend to those who are new to the thriller genre.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing an advanced copy for an honest review.

Imagine a normal school bus ride... until it isn’t. Such Quiet Girls opens with a gut-punch: ten children, including Sage and her sister, are abducted and buried alive in a shipping container. That’s our jumping-off point for a dark, tightly wound thriller.

The story is told mostly through Jessa, the new bus driver, who’s already haunted by a past tragedy involving her own daughter. She’s overwhelmed with guilt and desperately trying to hold it together as the tension builds underground. The setting—dark, cramped, slowly sinking—feels almost like a character itself. What hooked me was how emotional and real it all felt. It’s not about dramatic action sequences but more about raw survival and the emotional toll of being trapped and helpless. And knowing it’s inspired by real-life events? That gives it an extra layer of creepiness.

Final thoughts: If you like thrillers that are emotionally intense, claustrophobic, and grounded in reality, this one delivers. It’s the kind of story that lingers with you—and might even make you a little more grateful for the mundane bus rides in life.

I am such a big fan of this author so I was incredibly excited to read and review this one. A school bus of children goes missing, kidnapped, and held to ransom. They are buried underground in a shipping container, and as time goes on, it’s getting harder to breathe. Led by bus driver Jess and a couple of brave children, can they escape?
I really enjoyed the suspense of this, although at the same time, it’s my worst nightmare as a mum! This is a “read in one sitting” book, there’s never a good spot to put it down, you just want to keep reading.
Absolutely loved it, thankyou NetGalley, Dynamite Books and Noelle W Ihli for the chance to read an early copy in exchange for my honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Dynamite Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Jessa is a bus driver for a childcare centre and she picks up her 11 kids from school one day when she hits construction on the way to the centre. The detour takes her down a remote road where she encounters 2 men with guns. They board the bus and tell all 11 kids and Jessa that they are to do what they say and no one gets hurt. They are taken to another location where things get even scarier as they are placed in a shipping container under ground. This story is based o true events when a school bus was taken with kids in it and a similar situation in 1976. This was well written and showed the heroics of these young children in a devastating situation and a mother's love and lengths she would go to save her kids......Enjoy!!!

This book immediately drew me in from the very first page. It was fast paced and intense, but then it gradually lost its momentum. The narrative was presented from multiple perspectives, which isn’t usually my preferred style. Despite being the youngest character, Sage managed to captivate me.She was incredibly brave and strong. Her mother was also a great character, there is nothing like a mother’s love.
However, at times, the pacing of the book felt a bit off, and I couldn’t quite get the thrill seeking vibes I was expecting. Instead, it more resembled a young adult suspense story. I didn’t enjoy the fact that the main POV was a 12 year old. Some repetitive phrases and it just seemed juvenile.Overall, I wasn’t particularly impressed.

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for providing ARC. Opinions expressed are my own.

I wanted to like this book so much but it really just felt meh to me. don't get me wrong, I liked to premise but the actual executing of the premise was not something I enjoyed. I was hoping for a bit more terror and excitement and there really wasn't. I know a lot of people enjoyed this one, but it just wasn't for me. it definitely is a quick read but I found there was no true twist to this book. thank you to the author and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Noelle has done it again! An absolutely incredible read, at times there was goosebumps and moments where I was holding my breath. This is a fast, action packed story and the fact that this is inspired by a true story is both heartbreaking and mind blowing.

This story was heartbreaking! It was so dreadful and to think it’s modeled after real events actually gave me pause. Those brave babies. This was fantastically written and the outcome was just what my heart needed.

This book had so much potential, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite deliver for me. I struggled to connect with any of the characters, they felt flat and lacked the development needed to make them feel real or compelling. For a thriller, there was surprisingly little thrill. The plot was straightforward, with no real mystery or unexpected twists to keep me on edge.

Told through multiple POVs, I expected a richer, more layered narrative, but the tone remained the same throughout, making the different voices blur together. While the ending was satisfactory and wrapped things up neatly, the journey there lacked the suspense and emotional engagement I was hoping for. Ultimately, it felt like a missed opportunity.

Thank you NetGalley and Dynamite Books for an ARC of this book.

Such Quiet Girls is a gripping, atmospheric thriller that pulled me in from the very first page. Noelle West Ihli does a fantastic job weaving tension and emotion into a story about friendship, trauma, and the way the past refuses to stay buried.

The dynamic between the two main characters is raw and believable, and the slow unraveling of secrets kept me guessing the whole way through. The pacing is sharp, the writing is clean, and the suspense builds steadily to a satisfying conclusion.

This was my first book by Ihli, and I’m definitely interested in reading more. If you enjoy psychological thrillers that are both intense and emotionally layered, this one’s worth picking up.