This was such a compelling read! I loved the multiple POVs. I had to remind myself to slow down because I needed to know what happened next. The subject matter was a rough read for me personally, especially as a parent—it hit hard and felt incredibly real. Despite the heaviness, the storytelling was so strong that this author is quickly becoming an auto-read for me. Definitely recommend, just be prepared for some emotional moments. Thank you Dynamite Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Ihli is my new favorite writer she can write anything and I will read it . She is a master at crafting plot and characters and this book is another winner
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

4.5 ⭐️ I kindly received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was familiar with the true crime story this was based off of, so I was curious how the author was going to portray it. I think she did an excellent job. The novel is told from four different view points: Sage, Jessa, Ted and Sheena - all of them really bringing the book to life. For some reason when I was reading this I somehow pictured the captors to be older than what they were discovered to be at the end of the book. I loved the Harriet the Spy references throughout. Overall, I definitely recommend checking this book out!

4.5 stars

This is not the book for you if you are easily triggered and is a multi POV book with quite a few POVs if you find those hard to follow. It is inspired by the Chowchilla school bus kidnapping in 1976 although a fictionalised version of it. Such Quiet Girls is emotional and intense at times. The book includes child endangerment, kidnapping of children, domestic abuse as well as living with someone with Alzheimer’s.

Ms Jessa shouldn't be on that bus, or working with children at all, and neither should Sage. She is 12 now and doesn't need to be in afterschool care. But they are all the younger ones have when their school bus is hijacked and they are buried alive.

The book also follows from Sage & Bonnie's mom's POV as she deals with the kidnapping plus cares for her father who has Alzheimer's and one of the kidnappers including some of the planning. The characters are all very different so the multiple POVs work without confusion.

This one hits on a lot of 'worst fears'. Children being kidnapped, one of their teachers/carers not being who they say, being buried alive and more. You feel the claustrophobia from the kids in the shipping container. The toxic thinking that they just need to stay good and quiet like girls should and not make the men mad. While at the same time, the strength of Sage as she works to get them out.

Jessa's trauma is front and centre as she becomes a patsy for the kidnapping but has to pull through as the only adult and mothers the kids as best she can in the shipping container while seeing the defiance in Sage that she lost while trying to be the 'good girl' and keep her daughter safe in a previous situation.

It did feel like there were a few details that would have made it a full 5 star read. The police don't pay attention to the one parent who has access to money at a afterschool program that is subsidised so lower income? There is a scene later when the kids were likely more scared as their situation in the container but it was kind of glossed over for Sage's experience. But still a really good read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dynamite Books/Xpresso Book Tours for the advance copy for review.

Where do I even begin with this review? Such Quiet Girls is a first person thriller with 4 POVs. Sage, a tween girl, her mother Sheena, her bus driver Miss Jessa, and her abductor, Ted. Each characters development is so thorough and ties together so wonderfully at the end!

Sage and her sister Bonnie are students at Bright Beginnings aftercare center where Miss Jessa is a bus driver. One seemingly normal day while en route to the center Ted and his accomplice Andy abduct the children of the Bright Beginnings bus, as well as the driver, Miss Jessa. Ted tells the kids and Miss Jessa that they just have to cooperate and wait for the random to be paid. Simple right? Well Sage doesn’t believe that. She’s in her Harriet the Spy era and is determined to save her sister and classmates.

Now you might say, “wow Kourtnee, spoiler alert much?” And to you I say WRONG. This all happens in like the first 5% of the book, but don’t be fooled; the last 95% is just as much of a nail biter.

Such Quiet Girls is claustrophobic, tense and unputdownable.
It’s also inspired by the Chowchilla kidnappings that took place in 1976.

Thank you 10 times over to Noelle W Ihli and NetGalley for this ARC! I can’t wait for Such Quiet Girls to be published on 4/29!

Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC of 'Such Quiet Girls' by Noelle W Ihli - expected release date of 04/29/2025

ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Welp, she did it again. Another well-written, pulse-pounding, emotionally-charged book by Ihli. The story was told from multiple points of view but Ihli gave such a concise account for each character that it was easy to follow their parts. The storyline flowed nicely and it was action packed but not overly done. She's so perfectly descriptive I actually felt like I was watching this as a movie instead of reading it. The way she incorporated the faux Rolex watch was...chefs kiss! I'm just so sad that this was based on a true story, that real people had to live thru this horror.

Such quiet girls by Noelle Ihli

First off I have to commend this author for taking actual events and creating a story close to it, recreating a horrid tale of what all of us would deem a nightmare and keep you on the edge of your seat!
This novel did just that for me!

Jessa is a bus driver for the school with a past she has been hiding from when the bus is hijacked by a couple of men out to put a ransom on the children in the bus to the parents.

With a plan all in place these two thieves think they have it all figured out, from where to hide the children to how the money will come filtering in.

Sheena is a mother of two girls that are in the bus who is facing every parents nightmare when she learns the school bus go carry her precious babies has been abducted and hasn’t been found.

What a crazy books that not only had my heart strings pulled but my interest from chapter one! I love this author and she will continue to be my instant buy book!

Thank you NetGalley and Dynamite books

Ngl being buried alive is top 5 worst fears…and to have a bus full of kids with me?? Well that’s Bright Beginnings bus driver Jessa’s problem. Her & 9 kids have been abducted on their way home from school. We read about their capture and struggle to escape before time runs out.

I realllly enjoyed this book. I love multiple POV’s to a story. Sage is a FIERCE girl in every aspect. Her character made this story, easily. I was rooting for her from beginning to end! The second half of the book had me on the edge of my seat, refusing to put it down until the last page! I need this to be a movie ASAP!

While reading this, I kept thinking that I can’t believe this story is based on actual events. It’s wild to me that a similar situation occurred. I was so engaged and invested in what was happening. I guess my biggest qualm was that this is a fictionalized story so I was expecting something a little more dramatized or some sort of twist. The ending sort of felt anticlimactic. Overall, I really liked the storytelling and characters. Loved the multiple perspectives.

I read about 15% of this book, and unfortunately could not continue. I really wanted to keep reading, but I was truly disturbed by the kidnapping and having the children's POV was too much for me. It had a captivating start, but I found it too dark.

Wow wow wow
I had heard about the Chowchilla kidnapping and that’s really it! I had never known the full story or the details as to what happened and this book was phenomenal. It was so well written that you feel like you’re actually a part of what’s happening and I feel like even if you knew the beginning middle in the end of this case you would still really enjoy reading this book!
She makes Ms Jessa and Sheena (mom) relatable in the sense that they would do anything for their children
This author is a favor of mine for sure.

I received a digital ARC from Netgally to read and review. After reading Ask For Andrea, I had high hopes for this book and was not disappointed. The story is told from multiple viewpoints and each one perfectly fits the storyline. There were a few times I thought some details may have been missed like the police not following up with a parent for more interviews, but then what I thought might be missing would be worked into the story. I didn't feel like any details were missed and it was a great book.

Wow! Hands down Best Book of 2025! It is currently living rent free in my head and I just can’t wrap it all up in just the right words except… TBR it! Read it now and Thank me later. From a Mama herself, I just didn’t know how much my heart needed this book. I could not put it down. My only wish is that I could read it again for the first time. Noelle W. Ihli Thank You for giving this Advanced Readers Copy to your #1 Fans. We can't Thank you enough for doing what you do. Until November …

Such Quiet Girls by Noelle W. Ihili, is my first ARC read from NetGalley, and the seventh thriller-suspense novel by Ihili. This story, captivated me from the beginning and didn’t stop. By the end, there were so many emotions. What a gripping story! I can’t recommend this book enough. Run out and read this book when it is released on April 29 and then read the rest of Ihili’s books, if you haven’t already.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dynamite Books for the ARC. I was glad to get back into a psycholigical thriller by Noelle Ihli as my last read was more historical fiction by her. This was fast paced and told from multiple points of views. Enjoy the ride.

I am so pleased that I was chosen as an early reader for Noelle’s newest book “Such Quiet Girls”!! This novel had me hooked from the very beginning. Noelle is a phenomenal author and this book was no exception. I binged the whole book in 2 days and have every intention of recommending it to ever reader I know.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

4.5
Wow. This was a unique and thrilling story. I binged it in one sitting because I needed to know the kids were okay.
What an amazing little girl Sage is!
Loved this one and can’t wait for more from this author!!!

Thanks netgalley for this ARC!

I really enjoyed this one! It’s a straightforward thriller with no major twists, but it still does a great job of keeping you tense the whole way through. Like many of Ihli’s books, it’s based on a true story, which only makes it more unsettling.

The first 80% was a claustrophobic slow burn. Just imagining what it must’ve felt like, trapped in total darkness inside that shipping container, with the oxygen slowly giving way to carbon dioxide… it was suffocating. The pacing reflected that perfectly, with Sage’s painstaking efforts to scrape her way out echoing the slow, creeping dread.

Then the pace really picked up in the last 20%, with all the puzzle pieces racing toward a resolution. I flew through it!

I lov3d this book! Fast paced, makes you anxious throughout, and love the dual storyline. Like the glimpses into Sheena past, while mainly focusing on the main plot. This was my forst book by this author and it will not be my last! Overall, and great, suspenseful read! Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!