4.5 -5
This book had me HOOKED! I have read some other books by Noelle Ihli and really enjoyed them, so I was excited to get my hands on an early copy of Such Quiet Girls, and it did NOT disappoint. The story follows along with a couple different POVs and how they are all experience & navigating the dire situation they are in. Who know a bus full of student could disappear so easily. You need to grab a copy of this book and follow along to see what the students & kidnappers are up to during the whole process.

This was not as gripping as I was told it was going to be. A good thriller, yes, but not the gripping-edge-of-your-seat-page-turner it was set out to be. I don't know exactily what it was, but it felt kind of monotone and flat, while the subject matter had much more meat to it. The fact that this story is based on true events does send shivers down my spine though! All in all, not a bad read, but something was definitely missing.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Omg! This book! I had a feeling I knew what it was loosely based on. So we'll written I read it so fast. Had me holding my breath in some spots to gasping out loud in others.
There were a few spots where I was so mad at Jessa and then others where I could see what she was going through. Sage was so strong for her sister and all the other littles. I could see what she was feeling while trying to save everyone. The pain that she had to go through.
Again like I said so well written.
I grew up close to this area of ID and had heard the 1976 story so I knew right away I wanted to read this book and put it on my TRB. Then I got it as an ARC on here and was so exited.

Received an eARC from NetGalley.

WOW! The roller coaster this book took me on was crazy! I was rooting for those kids to get out. Each turn of the page had me on the edge of my seat hoping everything would be ok. Highly recommended

Thanks for the opportunity to read this early advance copy.

It is indeed every parent’s worst nightmare. It was an intense read for me, and kept me on the edge of my seat.
I found myself swiping my Kindle faster and faster towards the end.

This started out really slow for me. But, when it picked up, I was on the edge of my seat waiting for what was coming and going to happen next.

I am a BIG fan of Noelle Ihli and she did not disappoint with this one. I love the different POV's and seeing things from multiple characters perception!

Thank you NetGalley and Dynamite Books for sending me this ARC for my honest opinion.

#NetGalley #SuchQuietGirls #NoelleIhli

Was great! Suspenseful! Kept me guessing!! Highly recommend! She is one of my favorite authors in the thriller/suspense category!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of Such Quiet Girls. Every parent's nightmare is that you arrive to pick up your child and they aren't there. Great story based on actual events.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dynamite books for an advance copy of this incredible book.
Such Quiet Girls is a chilling, pulse-pounding thriller that grips you from the very first page and doesn’t let go. Noelle Ihli masterfully weaves a story of survival, desperation, and the quiet strength of the human spirit in the face of unthinkable terror.

The premise is haunting: ten children and their bus driver vanish on their way home from school, kidnapped and buried alive in a shipping container twenty feet underground. As they struggle to survive in complete darkness, the kidnappers issue a multistep ransom demand for over $2 million and debate what to do next. Above ground, one mother is racing against time, forced to make impossible choices to save her children.

Told through multiple points of view—including one of the children, the bus driver, a desperate parent, and even one of the kidnappers—this story offers a rich and emotionally complex look at all sides of this horrifying situation. Ihli does a phenomenal job building each character with depth and nuance; you don’t just read about them—you feel their fear, pain, and resilience.

The pacing is relentless and the tension nearly unbearable at times, but it’s the human element that makes Such Quiet Girls truly unforgettable. It’s more than a thriller—it’s a gut-wrenching, heart-stopping ride that stays with you long after the final page.

Highly recommended for fans of psychological suspense and emotionally driven storytelling.

I want to thank netgalley for this ARC and opportunity to read this amazing book.

This book will have you on a rollercoaster of emotions but it is absolutely amazing. It shows so much development through the story of all the characters. I cannot recommend this book enough!!

I love this author so much! This was an easy 5 stars. I have read several books from Noelle W. Ihli and never rated anything less than 4 stars.

This books is fast-paced and will keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters are very well done. I can't say enough good things about this book or the author. Highly recommend! If you haven't read a Noelle W. Ihli book then do yourself a favor and pick one up. You won't be disappointed.

@noelleihliauthor you’ve done it again! This book had me so stressed out that I was up till 2 am on a work night (gasp) trying to finish the audiobook because I had to know what happens! As a parent that sometimes has to depend on after school or summer care programs, this was an absolute nightmare, and that’s the kind of terror and tension I want when reading a thriller! I LOVED the cast of narrators in this audiobook. You could tell they were really into the story and could hear the emotion being portrayed.

📖 Such Quiet Girls (ARC)
🖊️ Noelle W. Ihli

🚌 What’s it about?
It’s a race against time when a bus of young children and their driver are taken hostage. What follows next is a story of perseverance, making difficult choices, and doing the right thing when faced with difficult situations.

🚌 My thoughts:
I’m a huge fan of Noelle Ihli’s work and this didn’t disappoint! It was a little bit slow in the beginning but like with most suspenseful books, the scene had to be set. I loved the multiple point of views throughout the story and I especially LOVED Sage! She was such a brave and bad ass kid! She was so well written. You can’t help but compare the two moms that also share narration and I found myself really liking both of them. They’re each put in impossible positions and trying to make the best choices possible. I especially loved that this was based off a true events- I’m a huge true crime nerd!

🚌 Should you read it?
Absolutely! It’s a solid book that has you hurriedly reading just to find out what happens at the end. You’re rooting for so many of the characters and it’s a unique plot!

Such Quiet Girls is available on April 29th!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dynamite books for the Arc!

Wow! This book was fantastic from start to finish & had my heart pumping! However, I dont recommend reading this when your own daughter is getting ready to take a class field trip somewhere. It will have you awake all night wondering about all the “what ifs”.
All the characters were really well written, but I think my favorite was “Grandpa”! I cant imagine how hard it was for him to be retired but to be dealing with the issues that he was dealing with… I also couldnt help but cheer the girls on and just kept crossing my fingers that everything was going to turn out okay for all of them!
I absolutely recommend this book to everyone. It has a little something for every type of reader!

If you have claustrophobia this book will make you sweat!

Imagine your two children are on a school bus that gets hijacked and all the kids and bus driver are abducted and buried underground.

I'm not the biggest fan of multiple POV's but I really enjoyed having the perspective from the bus driver, one of the kidnappers, one of the children and the mom of two. Not only did the entire book keep me on the edge of my seat it also nearly made me cry.
This is also based off a true story so that adds to the emotional rollercoaster.


Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and author for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This author is one of my favorites! She has a unique way of bringing each character's personality to life. I connected with this book as a mother, we would sacrifice everything just to save our children! This book has all the feels!!

4.5 for me what a wild ride!!
I will
Not lie at first in the middle I was a little stand off ish but everything pulled through and I’m so glad I stuck it out. I knew Noelle wouldn’t let me down any way lmao

The pacing was pretty well, what was supposed to be an average work day for Jess and the kids turned into one of the worst days of their lives.

Learning more about Jess and her back story I felt so bad for her, all she was trying to do was find some normalcy for herself.

And these poor kids, usually I don’t get sucked in if kids are involved- but this with the oldest kid it tugged at me with taking on responsibility and feeling like you’re the “grownup” on certain moments. I felt for her.

Maybe a spoiler idk but I fr thought these guys were like older not like 18/20s?!?!!! Kids!!! That one kinda blew me too but in a 8yr olds POV that’s a scary grown up.
So unraveling that in my brain as I thought back on the story was crazy and so good how Noelle wrote that. Along with the children’s POV it was good.

Over all a great story based on true events which is even scarier to realize.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dynamite Books for the advanced digital copy !!! SO GRATEFUL!! Anddddd of course all thoughts are my own!

This story is every parent's worst nightmare come to life. From start to finish, the anxiety was relentless—I was on edge the entire time. I’m still reeling, sobbing, and trying to catch my breath after that ending.
Noelle Ihli masterfully crafted a story that pulls you in and refuses to let go. I loved the alternating POV chapters, which gave such a rich, layered view of the story. Each perspective added depth and intensity, and the writing was absolutely phenomenal. Every thread tied together seamlessly—I wasn't left with any lingering questions, and the ending wrapped up in the most satisfying way possible.
This book releases on April 29, 2025—run to preorder it immediately! You won't regret this one.

First of all, huge thank you to Noelle W. Ihli and Netgalley for this amazing ARC opportunity, I greatly appreciate it.
I love a psychological thriller honestly my favorite genre, shhh... don't tell the others.

As far as I know this is based off of a real event which already makes the story gripping and rather eerie at the same time.
The story goes about an abduction of a school bus along with Sage and her sister, 8 other children and their bus driver Jessa, that get buried alive in a shipping container.
The story jumps back and forth between point of views to give you better insight on what the characters are going through, it helps to create depth and tension within the story.

As someone who suffers from claustrophobia, I could really feel the panic and the suffocation.
I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy.

Thank you to Simon Audio for the ALC!

“Sometimes the only choices are awful, with little hope that anything will ever be okay again…”

Noelle Ilhi is one of my favorites so I was excited to get an advanced copy of her newest story! “Such Quiet Girls” is inspired by true events, as ten children and their bus driver are taken hostage and held underground in a shipping container. As time and air runs out, the children and Jessa, the new bus driver, are forced to live through the unthinkable. As a mother, I can’t imagine a worse nightmare than your child going missing and not knowing where he or she was. Told through multiple points of view (including the kidnapper’s), readers feel the terror from everyone’s perspective - the children, Jessa, and the parents left trying to pick up the pieces. With a fast pace, this book was impossible to put down.

On audio, a full cast of narrators (including one of my favorites, Jennifer Jill Araya) brings this story to life. Based on true events, “Such Quiet Girls” shows true terror brought to life. This is, I believe, the third book that this author has written based on true events (others include No One Left to Tell and Gray After Dark) and she is doing such an incredible, respectful job at bringing these events to light. Included are notes about the true event itself. I truly can’t wait to see what Noelle comes up with next!

“Such Quiet Girls” releases April 29, 2025. This review will be shared to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)