Wow what an amazing thriller! This was jam packed full of suspense right the way through! The multiple POV from the kidnappers, the children, the teacher and the mother worked really well!

I loved that we also saw the guilt from one of the kidnappers and how he was constantly questioning his morality, it made the book more suspenseful because i really didn't know if he was going to kill the girls or set them free. Overall a fantastic read and i'd definitely recommend to any thriller lovers i know.

Thank you to Netgalley, Dynamite Books, and of course Noelle W. Ihli for an Arc.

Pros-
Very entertaining
I did not want to put the book down
The storyline/plot was there
The pacing was great, gives you something, then takes it away
Point of views from all main characters
Never a dull moment

Cons-
The ending kind of disappointed me (this is a me thing) I am not sure why. It felt a little rushed.

i read “run on red” by this author a couple of years ago and i absolutely flew through it. this book was no different. ihli has a way of coming up with concepts that are TERRIFYING and make it possible to really capture the essence of a true thriller— something that makes you stay up at night, makes your skin crawl, keeps you on the edge of your seat, disturbs you, and creates the desperate need to know how this story will end.

such quiet girls follows a group of kids and their bus driver that get abducted during what should be a routine pick up/drop off. from there, they are placed in a shipping container underground in the middle of nowhere while chaos ensues above ground— with both the abductors and the mother of two of the children as she tries her best to fulfill their ransom demand. ( all of this is in the synopsis and is NOT a spoiler )

i loved being able to see every aspect of this event from different perspectives. we get to see it through the eyes of the bus driver that is abducted with the children, one of the children themselves, the mother of that child, and one of the abductors. this really made the story feel fleshed out and left room for us to grow to like, care for, and understand the characters— more so than i typically see in other thrillers.

another huge bonus for me— i would classify the ending as satisfying. i won’t give too much away, but i feel like all the loose ends were tied up efficiently.. sometimes thrillers will hit their climax and end too abruptly, leaving you with unanswered questions. other times the main issue is effectively resolved, and then we are forced to sit through another 50 pages of wrapping up. ihli tied a nice little bow on this book in under 20 pages!

I loved this book from start to finish. Never a dull moment.

The story was told from the POV of three people: Jessa the bus driver, Sage who was the eldest child on the bus, Sheena her mother and Ted, one of the kidnappers. As the story progresses we get to know more and more about each character and seeing the effect the kidnapping has on each character. I think this is part of what made the story so good and hard to put down.

Since I went into it without first reading the blurb I had no idea even what the story was about, let alone it was based on true events. Just the authors name had me wanting to read it. This book is definitely unique and hard to forget.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

Wow! This was a page turner full of suspense, unease, and fear. Great for readers who love multiple POV's and for fans who enjoy the writing styles with plot driven storylines and female protagonists who are mixed up in dangerous situations (similar to Freida McFadden). I would pay attention to the trigger warnings before going in as this is central to the plot. Overall, I really enjoyed this one! It was quick, short chapters, and kept me engaged with hope for the children. And to find out this was based on events that occurred during the 70's left me with no words.

Tw: Domestic Violence, Kidnapping, Alzheimer's,

Thank you NetGalley and Dynamite Books for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

*Book publication date: April 29, 2025*
*Reviewed on April 23, 2024*

Such Quiet Girls is a fast-paced and tense read about a bus full of kids that gets kidnapped. The story is told from different points of view which is easy to follow .Some parts felt a little unrealistic, and the characters weren’t very developed, but it was still a quick and exciting read. Great for fans of true crime-inspired stories.

I would like to thank Dynamite Books & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review

This is the first book I have read by Noelle West Ihli.
I really enjoyed the short chapters and different point of views. It really kept me on my toes wondering what was going to happen in the end.
This is definitely a scary book for anyone that has kids.
I'll update this when the post is live. I have it scheduled for release day, April 29th.

Such Quiet Girls by Noelle Ihli unfolds over 24 tense hours after a school bus full of children is kidnapped. Told from multiple perspectives—a 12 year girl on the bus, her mother, one of the kidnappers, and the bus driver—the story explores fear, survival, and resilience from every angle.

While clearly inspired by real-life cases like the Chowchilla kidnapping, Ihli adds a fresh, modern spin with elements like GPS tracking and cell phones that connect the story in the present day.

The multi-POV format works well, giving readers a fuller picture of the crisis. However, while the emotional stakes are high, the character development sometimes takes a backseat to the plot’s pace.

Still, this is a gripping, straightforward read with enough tension and heart to keep you hooked. A solid pick for fans of true crime-inspired fiction though I wouldn’t quite call it a thriller

I would like to thank Dynamite Books & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC for Such Quiet Girls and I am SO THANKFUL!! this book was incredible. multiple POV’s without being confusing. this book had me feeling all the feels…. edge of your seat, lump in your throat, and at times gut wrenching. As a mom of 2 myself, I found myself constantly wondering what I would do in the situation our main mama was placed in. I will definitely be reading all of the books that Noelle West Ihli has to offer- past, present, and future!

This book was so good. A school bus full of children and the bus driver, don’t show up to their usual stopping place. This triggers immense fear in the community because what possibly could have happened to these children? Told from the prospective of one of the children, the bus driver, a mother and a kidnapper. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I devoured it in one sitting.

First of all, just want to say HUGE thank you to Dynamite Books for giving me the opportunity to ARC read this via Netgalley!

I truly do not feel there was a moment of peace throughout this whole book, and I say that as the highest form of compliment. From about 10 pages in, I sitting on the edge of my seat, needing to know what came next. The way the author built intrigue with little bits of information spread throughout the book hooked me and kept me stuck right from the start. And the way everything tied together so perfectly in the end left me completely satisfied (and completely mind blown). It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. It made me yell, it made me smile, it made me cry. It was a true roller coaster.

This may very well be a personal thing, but this is the 2nd book I've read by this author and the way she writes just makes everything feel so real. I could feel the panic, the worry, everything these characters felt. There were several times I almost DNF'd this book because I wasn't sure I could handle the anxiety the suspense was drawing out of me (just kidding, I was 100% going to finish this but it was a wild ride). By far the best thriller I have read in a long time.

This thriller kept me on the edge of my seat! I enjoyed the multi POV and it surprisingly was easy to follow. The flash backs of Jessa’s story really gave the character depth, and I wanted more on her past.

The anticipation I felt on this emotional rollercoaster made it hard to put down. I finished the book in 1 day! I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you Dynamite books and Netgalley for this Advance Readers Copy ebook in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the audio for this. There's a large cast of characters and four narrators so it was a ton of fun to listen to. The little kid POVs were by far my favorite - they literally sounded like children which upped the creep factor. I listened at 2x for most of the book.

The multiple layers to the plot worked well for me because it kept me engaged and was easy to follow. I didn't really understand the point of the abduction but it almost didn't matter because it was a fast paced journey. If you don't focus too much on connecting the threads of the story/logistics, it's very enjoyable.

Yes - a school bus of kids was held hostage and they were abducted and held in an underground bunker. Other than fear, no harm to the kids.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC..This book started slow for me, but once the plot picked up, I was hooked! The suspense was palpable, and the heartfelt moments had me invested. With a mix of sadness, relatable characters, and thrilling moments, I enjoyed the ride. Despite the slow start, I appreciated the payoff and the author's ability to balance emotions. Recommended for fans of character-driven stories!

This book was incredible!!! I had such a hard time putting it down…..I just had to know what happened! I enjoyed the multiple points of view,

I would first like to say thank you to the author. Netgalley and Dynamite publisher for sending me this book.

Wow! What a roller coaster! I really enjoyed this book, the chapters were relatively short, each chapter kept switching to different pov.
I extremely loved the character Sage, how she was so brave throughout the whole book. The story was very quick paced, I loved the ending also. I will definitely read more from this author. The story did tug on my heart strings, since I do have children of my own. Incredible book and I enjoyed the writing style. I also liked how we looked into the eyes of people who has dementia and their loved ones who have to live through it with them. Great book would recommend.

This was a pretty intense read with an intriguing plot and it’s actually inspired by a true story! I felt like I was experiencing everything with the characters as they were going through it. I enjoy this author’s writing.

DNFd 21% in. Too many characters. I couldn’t connect with the jumping of point of views.
Not the authors fault. Just a preference.

This book had me on the edge of my seat from the first few pages. This was a fast-paced, easy read for me. I enjoyed the viewpoints from multiple characters in the book. This was definitely a hard book to put down. Noelle has done it again with her intriguing, based on real life experience plot.

This one of my favorite authors!
I'm always so excited when I get selected to review her books!
I highly recommend this to everyone no spoilers here!