It was just a normal day for Jessa, trying to move on from her traumatic past, shuttling kids to and from day care in the bus. Everything was fine until she approached a detour out of nowhere, following it until a man appeared with a gun threatening her and the kids. Scared and not sure what their future holds the kids are moved from a bus to a buried cargo container where they wait for help, unsure of their fate. Sage and her sister are both kidnapped but Sage takes things into her own hands attempting to escape. Will she be successful? Will Jessa move on from her past life to help the kids? Will the kidnappers get away with their attempt at ransom, money for the kids?

This book was suspenseful from the start with the action beginning pretty quickly. It was nonstop from there and at certain points I wasn't sure what would happen. I felt for Jessa and the kids, being a parent myself the torture the parents must have felt and the fact that a parent was in charge of getting the ransom money together but couldn't tell anyone had to be horrible! If you like a good thriller this is for you! Would recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley, Noelle West Ihli, and Dynamite Books for allowing me to review this ARC!

This book is based off of true events where a school bus full of children is kidnapped, and walks through the story through the eyes of the bus driver, a student, the kidnapper, and a parent.
This book started off suspenseful right from the get go! It was easy to get hooked in and want to know how it was all going to end. It did wrap up a little quickly, but overall a great book by an author I really enjoy.

This book is based on the Chowchilla bus kidnapping of 1976, where a school bus was hijacked and the kids and bus driver were buried alive in a shipping container.

This book was told from multiple POVs -- the bus driver, one of the kids, one of the kidnappers, and a parent of two of the kidnapped kids. I really enjoyed this approach due to being able to see how truly complex the emotions and choices are in this situation for everyone involved.

If you are a fan of thrillers, especially thrillers based on true events, I definitely recommend that you pick up this book!

Thank you NetGalley, Noelle and Dynamite Books for the eARC in exchange for my thoughts & review.

This book hooks you from the beginning! It is one of those books that does not have a dull moment. I loved the multiple point of views. Enjoyed being able to be in multiple places at once and seeing the events play out from different perspectives. I also really enjoyed Sage’s character. I think the only thing that kept me from giving it 5⭐️ is that I love thrillers that have a jaw-dropping twist, and this didn’t. But I would 10000% recommend this book!

I really like this author. I don't think this was her best book. I did find the plot interesting, but I feel like it was lacking something. I also got confused with each chapter being told from a different character's POV. But I did like this,s just not my favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so good! I was hooked from the very beginning and I kept me invested the whole way through. Not one part of this book dragged. If you have claustrophobia, this one might not be for you. There's a fair bit of diminishing oxygen and struggling to breathe mentioned.

Definitely recommend this book if you're after a quick, fast paced thriller you can read in one sitting!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7466652548?type=review#rating_847116892

Such Quiet Girls is a suspenseful story, inspired by the Chowchilla school bus kidnapping in 1976, although is a fictionalized version. The story is quite intense and includes child endangerment, kidnapping of children, domestic abuse as well as living with someone with Alzheimer’s.

Ms Jessa is driving children to after school care, but she shouldn't be on that bus, or working with children at all. Neither should Sage who is 12 years old and maintains that she is too old to be in afterschool care. Still, they both involved, along with eight other riders when their school bus is hijacked and they are put into a dark underground bunker containing very little oxygen.

The book also follows the story from Sage and Bonnie's mom's viewpoint as she deals with the kidnapping and kidnappers demands while caring for her father who has Alzheimer's. Another point of view is of one of the kidnappers. The characters are all very different so the multiple viewpoints work to make the story flow effectively.

If you are claustrophobic, beware as the writing throws the reader into claustrophobia as viewed from the kids trapped in that buried shipping container. The title containing the word quiet is due to the thought that the captives must be good and quiet so as to not make the kidnappers mad. As escape attempt progresses, it is a good thing Sage was on that bus as her the strength and stamina proves vital to any attempt to get out of that hole.

Jessa's trauma is becomes front and center as she falls for the ploy that facilitates the kidnapping, still, she is the only adult and mothers the nearly hysterical kids as best she can, even though her own fear is great. Her mind wanders to her past while viewing the defiance in Sage that she lost while trying to be the 'good girl' and keep her own daughter safe in a previous situation.

This relentless story is for readers who like stories based on true events, unexpected acts of bravery, and characters with a change of heart, This reads like a documentary on a true crime series.

I couldn’t page fast enough to learn the fate of the buried captives.

This book … was a very easy 5 stars for me.

This was the claustrophobic, suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat thriller that I have been looking for the past few weeks!

Loosely based on the Chowchilla kidnapping in 1976 that has been described as “the strangest mass-kidnapping in US history”, this book explores what survival means to children as well as mothers. It was interesting to see two mothers with different stories go to such lengths to save their children, even the ones that didn’t belong to them.

I thought this book was so beautifully written and I frequently caught myself holding my breath waiting to see what the next page was going to bring. I binged this in two sittings and that was only because sleep and adulting got in the way, otherwise I would have finished it in one!

Ihli created a scene of claustrophobic dread that will leave readers hooked from the very beginning.

💭 What I loved:
Strong, complex female leads
A haunting, claustrophobic setting
That ending? Chilling.

Such Quiet Girls is based off a true story(Chowchilla 1976 if you would like to know). This is my second book by Noelle and I feel like I have to go read her backlog. Both of her books I read have been a five star, edge of your seat story. I was hooked from the beginning. What wonderful, string characters. So many feelings and emotions for the families and children on the bus. I love how the book is told in several different POVs so you get the story at so many different angles.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dynamite books for an advance copy in exchange for a honest review.

I LOVED this book!!! I’ve read others of Noelle’s and this may be my new favorite. I find that her writing style keeps me thinking WELL past when I finish the book. These are stories that will stick with you! This was so well written and I love when an author is able to capture so many perspectives of the same events in a book, we get to see this all unfold from all sides. This truly played out like a movie in my head while I read it. Absolutely love it and will definitely recommend it!

4.5 stars!

Ten children are abducted in broad daylight and buried alive. The new bus driver, Jessa, blames herself for the tragedy and is determined to protect the children. Trapped in a shipping container underground, they must stay calm and outsmart their captors to survive. The story is inspired by real events.

This is my second book by this author, and I have to say, I'm a fan of the writing style. The way everything unfolds keeps me thinking long after I've finished the book, prompting me to do my own research. I'm not always a fan of stories based on real events, but as long as the author puts their own spin on things, I'm open-minded.

One of the main characters, Jessa, was a tough cookie to like and relate to. She just couldn't handle the pressure as well as the kids needed her to. It makes you wonder, what would you do in Jessa's shoes? Despite her flaws, she did manage to redeem herself in the end, but boy, did she get on my nerves along the way.

The story is told from multiple perspectives - Jessa, Sage, Sheena, and Ted - giving us a well-rounded view of the events, emotions, and motivations. My personal favorite was Sage, a spunky character who was determined to help everyone out. She was bold, brave, and smart - impossible not to root for.

Learning that the plot is based on a true story sent me down a rabbit hole of research once again. I just can't resist digging deeper when a story piques my interest. It took me longer to finish this book because I kept getting lost in my research while listening to true crime podcasts.

Overall, this book is a page-turner that will stick with you long after you've finished it. You'll find yourself delving into the actual events behind the story, rooting for the bus driver and the children to have a happy ending. It's hard to imagine the real-life impact this story had on parents and children - it leaves a mark.

If you're a fan of stories based on true events, unexpected acts of bravery, and characters with a change of heart, this book is right up your alley. You'll definitely find yourself doing some extra research afterward.

Thank you, Dynamite Books, for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Gave this 4.5 stars but ultimately rounded up! This book was so good. Personally I love books that feel like I’m watching a movie- and this book did exactly that. It was a thriller that kept me on my toes and quite frankly I would read anything by Ihli! One of my new favorites!

This was a fantastic read. So suspenseful I couldn't put it down! I didn't realize there was a true story that inspired this so that was shocking to read about afterward. Likable characters, easy to follow POV's, so well done!

First of all, I want to thank Netgalley and Noelle W. Ihli!!
I was fortunate enough to receive the ARC of this book and it's safe to say I DEVOURED it and left no crumbs behind!
LOL!!!
I like to go into my books blind and mostly thrillers/mysteries.
I knew about this released and after reading almost all of Noelle's books I trust her to just pick up any of her books.
Such Quiet Girls had me reading non-stop, I was reading whenever I had time, I was very intrigued the whole time. The multiple point of views WERE CHEF KISS!!! I really enjoyed the storyline, the multiple POV's. I think the addition of a mental health disease was done really well. I was rooting for the characters the whole time.
Thank You again Netgalley and Noelle!!!

Based on true events, this story follows the kidnapping of a bus driver and a group of kids that were riding the bus. There are multiple POVs following various people and their experiences, which I enjoyed. I was rooting for the kids the whole time and, as a mom myself, felt so worried about these poor kids. This book really kept me hooked from the very beginning and I enjoyed it very much!

Thank you to Dynamite Books and NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Noelle has definitely mastered the anxiety inducing suspense novel! This one was amazing!! A bus driver and ten children go missing, along with the after school care center’s transport bus they are on. The bus is found but the kids and bus driver have been abducted. A ransom note, a sketchy history, and of course money all play a part in this thriller that had me on the edge of my seat! Loved it! Loved these characters, especially Sage, a strong willed girl that gave this story so much heart. Highly recommend!

Such Quiet Girls by Noelle West Ihli is a gripping thriller that will stay with you long after the last page. The story centers on Jessa, a new school bus driver haunted by her own demons. On what seems like a routine afternoon, Jessa's bus, carrying ten children is hijacked. The group is buried alive in a shipping container twenty feet underground. Jessa tries to remain the adult figure, but the situation is harrowing. The narrative unfolds through multiple perspectives, including Jessa, Sage (one of the kids), Sheena (a mother of kidnapped kids), and one of the kidnappers, Ted, providing a multifaceted view of the horrifying ordeal. The writing is beautiful, the story is gripping and will keep you immersed for hours. Another one hit out of the park for Noelle Ihli.
4 stars.

This is my third book by Noelle and I’m obsessed as always!! Such great and riveting writing that kept me interested the whole time! I can’t wait for it to come out at the end of the month so all my book friends can enjoy it! Great book!!

Another great read from Noelle.

I half went into this a little blind - I did read the blurb but I didn't realize this was based off true events! I love that Noelle has the Authors Note at the end of the book which gives you all this info.

This was a nice quick read for myself, and I think being a mother myself my heart was in my throat a lot of the time reading this. I'm not 100% sure if I would classify this as a thriller - maybe mild suspense? Even so a good read that kept me turning the pages.

This was my first book by this author and I'm honored it was for an ARC.

Solidly 4 stars for me, and i want to read the rest of her books now!

Loosely based on the Chowchilla event, the story unfolds with kidnapped bus driver, Jessa and 10 children. Suspenseful and twisty at the end, it had be turning the pages as fast as possible. The end you don't see coming was satisfyingly perfect.