𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: April 29, 2025
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

I am the biggest fan of Noelle and her books are always a 5 stars for me. Ihli knows how to get your heart racing, anxiety running and your nerves on edge. This book was INCREDIBLE from start to finish. I am a sucker for books that are inspired by real life events and this book was inspired by exactly that. We follow students on a bus and their bus driver on their way home from school. We have multiple POVs which I enjoy a lot. This book had me in tears by the end probably from a combination of anxiety and the emotions from the story itself that I had to take a few days to put myself back together. If you want a heart pumping read that is written beautifully and will leave you thinking about this book long after you finish and then begging for more books from our author, this book is for you.

Large thank you to our Author, NetGalley as well as Dynamite Books

‘Such Quiet Girls’ starts off slowly, but it’s worth the patience. Once it finds its rhythm, the emotional pull is undeniable. The characters feel so real, their bond powerful and raw. By the end, I felt like I truly knew them. A gripping, character-driven thriller with a lingering impact.

Okay, you have to read Such Quiet Girls. It’s inspired by that real-life case where a bus full of kids was kidnapped and buried—remember that? This book takes that idea and runs with it in the most stressful, can’t-look-away kind of way. I flew through it. It’s fast, tense, and honestly had me holding my breath at points. If you’re into true crime or just love a thriller that grabs you and doesn’t let go, this one’s for you.

This book had me hooked pretty much from the start. As a mom to three kids, I really understood the turmoil that the mom went through trying to decide what to do about her situation. On the flip side, I only hope I raised my kids to be liked her oldest daughter, Sage. The determination to get out and get help- I was really rooting for her! I keep wanting to say things here but I don’t want to accidentally spoil anything. But definitely a good, quick read! Thank you @Dynamite Books and #NetGalley for the chance to read #SuchQuietGirls early.

3.75 stars. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and I love that the author's two most recent novels have been based off of actual events. I had only just recently learned of the Chowchilla Kidnapping so I was intrigued when I began to read and noticed the differences between the novel and the real-life kidnapping. I appreciated that all of the POVs felt like real people with their own flaws and traumas but I thought having the multiple perspectives slowed the storyline down quite a bit and there were times where the pacing didn't work for me. I had a truly difficult time putting down "None Left to Tell" so although I'm a little disappointed that this book didn't have the same affect on me, Noelle W Ilhi is still an auto read author for me. Thanks to NetGalley, Noelle W Ilhi, and Dynamite Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is my third Noelle Ihli book and I am firmly cemented as a fan. Once again, she expertly crafted a novel based off of true events. The writing was excellent and the stress of the situation was palpable. This story, the telling of a bus of children kidnapped, is terrifyingly real but somehow maintains hope.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. Can’t wait to see what she writes next and what new piece of history I can learn more about.

Wowza! This book was like driving a race car you were careening along super fast and banking corners going way too fast. I loved every second of it. Each character played a significant role and love them or hate them they were needed. Noelle knocked it out of the park!!

Oh my heart! This book was terrifying to read as a parent! I'm a huge fan of Noelle Ihli's books knowing that this book, like a couple others, is based loosely around a real event. She brings the edge of your seat, disturbing thriller of a book along with the viewpoints of several people in the situation, a mom of 2 of the kidnapped girls (Sheena), the bus driver (Jessa), one of the kidnappers (Ted), and one of the kidnapped children (Sage.) It gives a 360 view of what is happening and how everyone is reacting to it. I was fully engrossed in this book and also, at some points, nervous to read more! Noelle has a way of writing characters that you get attached to and you just hope for the best outcome for them.
A daycare bus is rerouted on the way to drop kids off at the after school program. A new bus driver is skeptical, but decides to take the detour and then she sees she's driven a bus full of kids into a trap. So scary, but so well written!

It was harrowing and gripping. Noelle has a way of making you feel what the character is feeling. Her writing grabs your attention. This story was captivating and beyond crazy that’s it’s based on a true story

Five stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

First of all thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the amazing author for letting me arc read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Just wow. I love this author and I knew I’d love this one too, but was a little wary with the children theme. Oh, and I’m claustrophobic 😂 but I’m also a mother, and this story had my heart racing and eyes damp at times!

I absolutely loved Jess’s & Sage, and of course Grandpa. I highly recommend this to anyone wanting a face paced thriller! Loved it.

so much tension! My heart was racing with the roller coaster of emotions it had me going through. A bus disappears, and Sheena, the mother of two girls on the bus, will do anything to get her girls back. The kidnappers have the bus driver and the kids in a hole underground and won't let them go until they receive their ransom money.

First and foremost, I want to thank Noelle Ihli and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Such Quiet Girls in exchange for my honest review.

I don't often give five stars, but Noelle really earned it with yet another incredible novel. Similar to Gray After Dark (another stellar read by Noelle), Such Quiet Girls is loosely based on true events. Noelle brings to life an already unbelievable story, giving each character so much personality, you can't help but empathize with characters on both sides of the moral divid. Fast paced and told from multiple perspectives, this story hits the ground running and will keep you intrigued until the very last page.

I would highly recommend this thought provoking novel for a wide variety of readers and book clubs.

This book took me by surprise, I have had such a hard time finding a good sit on the edge of your seat mystery/thriller, but I finally found one! I enjoyed the different points of view throughout the book. As confusing as it was at first, it turned around and became less confusing around Chapter 5. The author did a good job describing the different settings that everyone was in, while giving very good character development. I thought Sage's character development was very well written. Jessa's story I felt came together rather slowly, I would have enjoyed if that had been introduced a bit quicker. I am leaving this review voluntary.

I really enjoyed this book. It is told from multiple POVs and many underlying story lines going along side the major story line. We get to know some historical background on some of the characters. I loved the twist at the end and that after the harrowing experiences you are given an ending that provides closure to the reader.

Ten kids and their bus driver are abducted during the day. They are all put in a trapped in a shipping container twenty feet below the ground. Everyone tries to stay as calm as possible as the kidnappers ensure they will be released when the ransom is paid. One of the children and their bus driver bus driver don’t know if they will be able to survive until the random is paid. They must come up with a plan to outsmart their kidnappers.

The book is written from multiple POVs that allow the readers to get the viewpoint of two of those kidnapped, one of the kidnappers, and the one who received the ransom note. The book also touches on how Alzheimer’s can affect relationships. This was a fast paced book based on a true story.

Thank you to Noelle West Ihli, Dynamite Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so hard to read, I hate when things happen to children. However, given that it was based on accurate events I felt compassion and a since of trying to help these kids. You have to read this and find out the outcome!

This book was a whirlwind of emotion—I absolutely loved it, but wow, it really made me think. I’ve spent (and probably will keep spending) so much time spiraling in all the “what ifs” and “what would I do?” moments this story threw at me. I even found myself asking my husband and friends, “Okay, but seriously… if this happened, what would YOU do?!”—because the situations and roles in this book really make you go there.

This was my first Noelle Ihli read, and I already adore her writing style. She puts you in the scene—you can see, smell, hear, and feel everything. It’s so immersive. Not a lot of books make you feel like you’re right there with the characters, especially when the situations are ones you honestly don’t want to be in. But she pulls it off. And because of that, you can’t help but connect with the characters on such a deep, emotional level.

As a mother, this one was heartbreaking to read—especially knowing it’s based on a true story. I plan to watch the Chowchilla documentary on CNN that Noelle recommends in her author note tonight.

This is definitely one of those books I started thinking, “Why the hell did I, as a mom, sign up for this emotional rollercoaster?” But by the end… it was so worth it. It did not disappoint. I absolutely devoured this novel and I’m giving it a very well-deserved 5 stars!

first off thank you Net Galley for sending me this as an ARC! I absolutely loved every moment of it 😍 this one gets all the stars from me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

10 kids, 1 bus driver in a makeshift bunker what could go wrong?! this was a heart pounding thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat as it all unfolds 🫣 its been a few books since I had that “just one more chapter” feeling and Such Quiet Girls kept me up at night and forced me to wake up early just to find out what happens. I will recommend this one to everyone I know who loves the thrill of the unknown.

I already really enjoyed Noelle W. Ilhi’s books, like Run On Red, Gray After Dark, and Room For Rent, so I was certain I would want to read her newest book, Such Quiet Girls. But when I realized it was loosely based on the Chowchilla Kidnapping of 1976, I was obsessed.

As a little kid, I remember my parents watching something on TV about a school bus full of kids being kidnapped and forced into some kind of underground bunker while they were held for ransom. It was some special with a reenactment that absolutely traumatized me (why was I in the room when they watched this???). I have always remembered images from that and was almost convinced it wasn’t real… turns out it was.

Noelle W. Ilhi took this terrifying concept and presented it in such an interesting way, with four competing perspectives: Jessa, the busdriver; Sage, an 11-year-old who was on the bus; Sheena, Sage’s mom; and Ted, one of the kidnappers who had more of a conscience. It was a satisfying way to tell the story because the reader desperately wants to know what’s going on on all sides of this traumatic event.

Jessa wants to do what’s right but is fighting with her own fears and desperate desire to make it out alive, frequently falling short of the adult the children needed in that bunker. Sage is brave and determined to save herself, her sister, and the other children; she takes things into her own hands, knowing someone needs to act. Sheena is desperate to save her children and grappling with the choices she has to make along the way, including the added stress of dealing with her father who has Alzheimer’s and doesn’t understand what’s going on. Ted thought he could make a better life for himself and no one would have to get hurt, trying to convince himself these kids are young and will bounce back from everything.

Through the four perspectives, the reader gets to watch the story unfold from all sides as they stare open-mouthed as the trainwreck unfolds, questioning what they would do if they were in their place.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This book definitely had that 'suck you in' thriller sort of vibe, although I will say that the beginning was a little bit of a drag, with a really effective middle, but an ending that was flat in some ways and absolutely killer in others. I did really enjoy a lot of this book, and definitely found it quite gripping, with a 'tear through the pages' sort of climax that was really fantastic.

The multiple points of view worked in some ways, but I did find that Ted's detracted a bit from the story. It was difficult to have the quasi-sympathetic baddie be the main focus at times, and not in an uncomfortable way, but more so because he was just not a good fit for the narrative or to have as a first person character.

Jessa was also a little bit too much, and I found that her twist just pushed things a bit too far. That's not to say that she wasn't interesting, but she did present difficulties at the beginning, and Sheena was also not quite what I would have hoped for. I get that we all respond differently in a crisis, but I thought all three of these characters could have been a little stronger. Bonnie and Sage were wonderful, however, and I found that their sections carried the book almost all the way through. The story through just the eyes of the kids would have proven quite powerful in and of itself.

All in all, this was definitely an edge-of-your-seat thriller, it just could have been a touch stronger, and that would have pushed it firmly into strong four star territory to me. As it stands, I give this one a 3.5.