I think Sage must be genius levels of smart and also a giant? Because at 10 years old I had neither the brain capacity she does, nor knew a single girl or boy at 5’9”.

The story was okay. I felt the character jumping didn’t do enough to build depth. And Sheena was one note dull.

I always look forward to Noelle’s books and for good reason! Inspired by true events, Such Quiet Girls is loosely based off The Chowchilla kidnapping in 1976, where three men hijacked a school bus, abducted the 26 children onboard and their bus driver and then buried them alive in a truck trailer.

Man, this entire book is a mother’s worst nightmare (I currently don’t have children but this still completely gutted me at times) and whilst it was more of a slow burn, it definitely kept my attention throughout. Told through multiple POV - the bus driver, one of the children, that same child’s mother and even one of the kidnappers - I found this to be a gripping, tension filled read that I devoured in just one day.

Such Quiet Girls completely pulled me in from the first page. Noelle Ihli’s writing is tense and atmospheric, with a creeping sense of dread that builds with every chapter. The characters felt so real—complicated, vulnerable, and strong in ways they don’t even realize. The friendship at the heart of the story was raw and powerful, and the mystery kept me guessing until the very end. This book is dark, emotional, and beautifully written. Highly recommend to anyone who loves psychological thrillers that actually stick with you after you finish

I was so excited when Noelle sent me a copy of this book in the mail last week! I love how she was able to make a smooth transition when she was going between the main characters 4 different POV’s: the bus driver, a 12 year old bus rider, her mother, and the kidnapper himself. The way she was able to really make each character their own and make them sound different based on their age/social class was so smart. She really made the thoughts of the bus rider, Sage sound like an actual child. I love how Noelle seems to put little personal touches in all of her books. When you read hers, make sure to read the authors note! She usually points out what they are. I also want to commend Noelle for really doing her diligent research when she writes stories based off of true stories. She treats these stories with such respect, yet really makes them her own. And I’ve loved all of the ones she’s done. I love how much suspense she was able to add into this book. And I really love that she was able to keep me on the edge of my seat the whole time waiting for an answer to all the questions I had stirring in my head. She made you wait for some of the answers and I was 100% here for it. If you love fast paced, suspenseful books that involve kidnapping — you’ll have to check this one out! It comes out on 4/29/25 and I can’t wait for all of you to read it!

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to @netgalley and @noelleihliauthor for the advanced reader copy of this intense novel. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes true crime fiction and thrillers.
Loosely based on the Chowchilla incident in the 1970s that involved the kidnapping of children and their bus driver. The author took a modern direction on the events. I enjoyed the multiple points of view, each with their own sense of desperation.

Noelle has an intense way of writing story lines that have you feeling like you’re in it! This was a really good read with multiple POVs. Although middle of the story was a bit dragging, it picked right back up towards the end and I felt like I was holding my breath the whole time — trying to read as fast as I can cause WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?! Looking forward to adding more of her books to my TBR. P.s I LOVE SAGE!!

Inspired by the true story of 1976 Chowchilla, California school bus kidnapping, author Ihli presents a fictional fresh twist with the addition of 21st century tech— how can you kidnap a bus load of kids in a world that now has text messaging, dash cams, cell phones, GPS mapping, highway cameras and drone surveillance?

In this update, the bus driver is a woman and there are ten children ranging in ages from 7 to 12 who are abducted. In another 21st century twist, the bulk of the ransom is to be delivered in Bitcoin.

The story is unveiled via four diverse POVs:
Jessa, the bus driver, started only weeks ago, and is hiding a disturbing background.

Sage, sixth grader, the oldest (and tallest) student on the bus, who has her third grade sister Bonnie with her, and is a fan of “Harriet the Spy.”

Sheena, divorced mom of Sage and Bonnie, also caring for her retired Idaho police officer dad with Alzheimer’s, whose job gives her access to city funds.

Ted, one of the kidnappers with his accomplice Andy; he’s the one with the plan and possibly a conscience.


The plot is similar to circumstances of the Chowchilla incident, but significantly there’s a dynamic between headstrong Sage and her bus driver, Jessa, who wants to be subservient and not try to escape. As in true life, there is an escape attempt, but how they get there is far more dangerous than initially imagined.

I recently discovered this author and I love the way she structures her plot through varying viewpoints and creates well-developed characters with backgrounds and motivations that come into play in the thriller.

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES But it’s only Karen the cat.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO But even if it is Idaho, I wonder how many home gardeners grow potatoes.

Thank you to Dynamite Books/Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

thank you so much, netgalley, for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for an honest review. i’ve read many of noelle ihli’s books, and have yet to find one i didn’t enjoy. it was absolutely unputdownable, and i finished it in two sittings. it was well written, every point of view felt unique to each of the characters telling it, and i appreciate that ihli took great care with a fictional story based on an event that actually occurred. i was on the edge of my seat until the very last page!

I have never wanted an advanced readers copy for a book so much in my life. I have loved Noelle Ihlis books for a while now and the premise of this one just grabbed me. A story of survival and determination, and heart. It had me on the edge of my seat and tears in my eyes multiple times! Highly recommend this read!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you so much to Dynamite Books, Noella West Ihli, and NetGalley for this arc!!

Not many books can keep me up past my bedtime just to find out how it ends, but Such Quiet Girls did just that. I simply could not put it down. This book was so chilling and frightening I just had to know what was going to happen to Bus 315. While the book is not super scary and didn't give me nightmares, it was disturbing enough just to think about yourself or a family member being in this situation. I do not have children but if it did I could not even imagine what I would be going through if I was one of the parents. And these feelings were greatly heightened once I found out this book is based on true events.

I really loved that Noelle West Ihli used multiple POVs throughout the novel. That really helped not only the pace of the book but also gave a greater insight into what different characters were going through and how they were thinking about each event differently. I thought I would really hate getting a POV from one of the kidnappers but it was interesting to see why they were doing this in the first place and what events in his life led him to get to that point.

I think this was a phenomenally twisty thriller book. Once you start reading you will not be able to set it back down.

4/5 stars

Noelle Ihli has quickly become one of my favorite thriller authors, and this may be her best book yet! Her books keep me on the edge of my seat with tension and pacing that is unmatched. I also love how she always has strong, capable, resourceful female characters, unfortunately a rarity in the thriller genre as most female leads seem written to be idiots.

Thank you Dynamite Books and Net Galley for the ARC!

Plot: This book is based on a true story. A school bus driver notices the road is closed and takes a detour… before she knows it, a man stops her and holds a gun at her, threatening to shoot the kids if she doesn’t comply with his demands. The story uses four perspectives: the bus driver, a child, a parent of the child, and one of the kidnappers. I won’t say too much more to avoid spoiling!

Review: This is one of the most heart pounding thrillers I’ve ever read. I was hooked from start to finish. The plot was riveting, but also I felt connected to all of the characters. The writing was so smooth and engaging. I really just loved this, and I’ll be reading this author’s backlist ASAP.

I’m not even sure where to begin.

When I read the premise for the story I felt intrigued and further more to find out it’s loosely based on an actual event.

This book is heart gripping. Intense. It keeps you going wanting to find out the next thing that’s gonna happen.

How everyone’s POV in this book ties together (you read the story through four characters POV of the event’s unfolding)

It pulls at your heart if you are a mother yourself.

And you find some sort of redemption for a mother.

I couldn’t put this one down as soon as I started it.

It was my first read of by this author but it has made me interested in reading some of her other novels. And I would definitely recommend this book.

Five stars for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Dynamite Books for this arc opportunity.

I’m still processing this and will post a full review on my instagram but as always Noelle’s stories do not disappoint.

The fact this was also based on a true event.

The fiction story is of 10 kids and a bus driver kidnapped by two men.
In real life I believe it was 26 kids and 3 men.

This book should come with an oxygen mask as I had to remind myself to breathe.

Highly recommend

This was soooo good! It had me hooked from the very beginning and I couldn’t put it down! A page turner that had my heart racing. It was thrilling, tense, and heartbreaking. Definitely a parents worse nightmare! It’s inspired by true events which makes it even more frightening and emotional! I definitely need to read more books by this author.

3.5 rounded up to 4 because this author is amazing at setting the scenes and vividly felling like you’re watching this all happen a few feet away.

I’ve read quite a few of Noelle W. Ihli’s books and although this wasn’t as good as her book Run on Red, it still was wonderful. Well as wonderful as it can be for a book based on a true story of The Chowchilla kidnapping back in 1976. There were some similarities as just like the true story this book follows a bus full of kids and their driver being kidnapped and placed underground for a lengthy period of time. There are different chapters with 4 different perspectives. Jessa the bus driver who has a past she’s hiding. Sage the oldest of the children who has an obsession with Harriet the Spy. Ted one of the 2 kidnappers who is battling between right and wrong and Sheena the mother of Sage and Sage’s sister Bonnie who was also taken.

Thank you NetGalley, Noelle Ihli and Dynamite Books for this ARC in exchange for my absolute honest review

This was truly chilling! What a twisted but beautifully done and unique storyline. This book left me in so much fear of the ending I couldn’t put it down!

3.5 stars rounded up.

Like Noelle’s other thrillers, she keeps it fast paced, there is a lot going on individually with the characters, and it takes place over a pretty quick amount of time. I always enjoyed the different POVs because the voice and tone are just so perfect for each character. This story follows an insistent where a bus of school children is hijacked. Based on a real event, the book seems very believable and there are no wild events. For me, it fell a little flat because everything I assumed would happen, did. There were no real twists or turns or surprises, it is exactly what you think it is.

A great thriller! Fast paced, very quick read. Finished in 1 sitting!

A bit predictable at parts but I was still locked in the whole time.

This has become one of my new favorite Noelle W. Ilhi books. It was thrilling and emotional. The story built quickly and the characters immediately grew with it. I especially loved who the main hero turned out to be.