What would you do if someone approached your school bus with a gun? In Such Quiet Girls, Noelle W. Ihli has crafted a gripping, heart-wrenching story that delves into a parent's and educator's worst nightmare. The narrative (which is loosely based on the true events of the Chowchilla kidnapping) focuses on the abduction of 10 young children and a school bus driver, that was in the process of delivering the children home. The children, along with their bus driver, are trapped in an underground bunker, creating a suffocating and tense atmosphere that resonates deeply with both the characters and readers.

The story is told through multiple perspectives: Jessa, the bus driver; Sheena, the mother of two of the missing children on the bus; Ted, one of the kidnappers; and Sage, Sheena's eldest daughter.

Jessa, struggling to rebuild her life after escaping an abusive marriage and the tragic death of her husband, is facing a difficult past she’s tried to conceal. Despite her own struggles and PTSD, she puts her past and fears aside to focus on the well-being of the children in her care, determined to keep them safe and calm.

Sheena, on the other hand, is forced by the kidnappers to steal money for the ransom, knowing that defying their demands would put her children in grave danger. The constant fear and emotional toll she experiences are palpable as she grapples with the decisions she must make to protect all the children.

The emotional weight of the story is intensified through the lens of Sage, Sheena’s eldest daughter. Sage is a strong, intelligent, and resourceful child who fights her own fear and takes on a leadership role among the younger children. Her perspective adds an intimate and poignant layer to the narrative, making her one of the most memorable characters in the book.

This novel is a tense and emotionally charged thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seat. The pacing is fast and effective, building suspense and dread as the story unfolds. The claustrophobic setting of the underground bunker mirrors the emotional entrapment of the characters, drawing the reader further into their desperate plight.

Such Quiet Girls is a thrilling and thought-provoking read, one that strikes at the heart of a parent’s deepest fears. Ihli has created a story that is both terrifying and emotionally resonant, and one that will stay with readers long after the final page.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dynamite Books for providing me a digital copy in my exchange for my honest review of 4.25-4.50.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Dynamite Books, and Noelle W. Ihli for the advanced reader copy of Such Quiet Girls—I was hooked from the very first page and genuinely couldn’t put it down. Knowing it’s based on a true story made it all the more chilling and powerful. The tension, the pacing, the emotional weight—it all hit hard. One of those books that make you unintentionally hold your breath. I really enjoyed Ihli’s multi-character point of view. Such a compelling story. This is easily a five-star read for me. Absolutely unforgettable.

This book was a slow burn. It took me a minute to get into it but then I couldn’t put it down because I was so invested in the rescue.

The characters were great. I connected with each of the 4 POVs. I wanted to yell at Sheena and Jessa at times. I loved Sage’s determination and I even connected to Ted.

While there were a few small twists, it was pretty much what you see is what you get.

4.25⭐️ Pulse-pounding and thrilling. This kept me on the edge of my seat wanting more the whole time.

Tops from multiple POV’s, a bus of children from a daycare are kidnapped for ransom by two men. Sage thinks she knows one of the kidnappers and after overhearing the men speculate about whether or not to kill them all, she is determined to escape and save everyone.

This was such a quick and compelling read. I loved the short chapters and the multiple POV’s, including one of the kidnappers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dynamite books for this advanced e-copy in exchange for this honest review.

Easy 5 stars. You feel like you are right there with the characters. I loved the little “Easter egg” from the Thicket. I couldn’t get through the pages fast enough to see what happens next! Add this to your TBR!

Another great thriller from Noelle W. Ihli! This was a fast paced book told by multiple POV’s. Also like many of her other books it’s based on true events. A school bus of children that goes missing? Say no more! You’ll be hooked from the beginning!

Thanks to NetGalley and Noelle W. Ihli for the ARC!

I was absolutely hooked beginning to end! I think this just may be my favorite from Noelle. I felt as if I was experiencing everything alongside the characters. I'm excited to read her next book Forget you saw her!

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC! Such Quiet Girls releases April 29, 2025 📚

ᴍʏ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ: Told from multiple POVs; the bus driver, one of the children, the mother of two of the children, and one of the hostage takers— the story developed quickly, but the sense that time was running out kept me nervous and anxious the whole way through! The ending was full of emotion (for a few reasons that I won’t spoil), and I felt that it handled difficult topics with so much thought and depth— particularly the Alzheimer’s storyline of the children’s grandfather. The anecdote of the little red life jacket is going to stick with me for a very long time.

This is my 4th book of Ihli’s, and I absolutely love the way she tells stories— piece by piece, letting you sense where it’s going but never revealing how you’ll get there until the very end.

I want to thank Noelle H Ihli for an advanced copy of Such Quiet Girls. Again, she hit it out of the park with a fast paced thriller, and this one is based on true events. It makes you want to never let your kids out of your sight! I cannot wait to read your next novel!

Phenomenal read! Such Quiet Girls had my heart racing and was so fast paced I flew right through it. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Such Quiet Girls is based on a true story in 1976 which makes it that much more of an emotional ride. Two men hijack a school bus and kidnap the bus driver plus the 10 kids on board, burying them in an underground bunker. It follows Sage, a 12 year old girl on the bus, her mom Sheena, the bus driver, Jessa, and one of the kidnappers, Ted. Everyone is on a race against time to find the kids, survive, or get away with the kidnapping.

This was such an emotional ride. It has multiple POV, short chapters, and such well written characters! What an intense, suspenseful page turner! Loved it!

Inspired by true events, Such Quiet Girls tell the story of 10 kids abducted from a school bus, along with the driver, in broad daylight. They are then trapped in an underground bunker while the kidnappers await ransom payment.

This book was fast-paced and engaging; I was SAT waiting to see what would happen next. Though the plot feels like something I’ve read before, the inclusion of different POVs and the character depth make it something completely unique and real. At the end of the day, no one is perfect and everyone has to make hard decisions in the moment.

Thanks to NetGalley and Noelle W. Ihli for the ARC!

When Jessa gets the job to drive a bus of young kids from their school to their aftercare program she thinks life is finally starting to work out and maybe her past can get forgotten. But quickly things take a turn. As she is driving the kids she notices a detour sign and takes it but things get out of hand quickly. The kids and the driver are held at gun point and then transported to a dump yard and held hostage for ransom. Things might be okay for them when there is problem after problem. Will they be able to save the kids?

This book was an edge of your seat thriller and one I desperately needed to finish in one sitting. I really liked everything about this book and it kept me on my toes. I kept waiting for the next show to drop and it kept throwing new turns into it. I really liked this one and I thought it was one of the best books out there she wrote!

Noel Ilhi’s Such Quiet Girls is a gut-wrenching, claustrophobic thriller that grips you from the first sentence and doesn’t let go. Inspired by real-life horror, this novel feels terrifyingly plausible—and that’s what makes it so chilling.

When Bus 315 disappears without a trace, what follows is a breathless, high-stakes survival story that unfolds with emotional depth and nail-biting suspense. Jessa, the guilt-ridden bus driver with a tragic past, is a deeply compelling protagonist. Her fierce determination to protect the children in an unthinkable situation gives the book a relentless sense of urgency. And Sage—sharp, observant, brave—is the kind of young heroine you root for with all your heart.

The buried shipping container setting is brilliantly executed. You feel every inch of that tight space, every breath they fight for, every moment of growing dread. Ilhi masterfully balances the rising psychological tension with moments of quiet humanity and hope, crafting a story that’s both terrifying and deeply moving.

Such Quiet Girls is not just a thriller—it’s a powerful exploration of resilience, guilt, and courage in the face of unimaginable odds. If you're a fan of true crime-inspired fiction with emotional weight and relentless suspense, this book is an absolute must-read.

Throughly loved this book. I knew I had to read it because it was by one of my favorite authors and then it being based on a true events I was familiar with it did not disappoint. Loved the quick paced chapters told from multiple POV.

While I enjoyed the multiple POV's and the pace of this story, it unfortunately didn't grab my attention.
After finishing, it was interesting to learn this was actually based off true events!

“Such Quiet Girls” by Noelle Ihli is an intense, fast-paced thriller that had me hooked from the very first page. Inspired by actual events, the story kept me on edge the entire time—I genuinely wasn’t sure of the fate of the children. The tension is palpable, and the pacing is perfect. I also appreciated the thoughtful inclusion of Alzheimer’s disease—it’s portrayed with care and depth, adding an emotional layer to the suspense. Highly recommend for fans of gripping, emotionally charged thrillers.

What a way to write about every parents worst nightmare. Beautifully written and a quick read, Ms. Jessa and Sage will be close to my heart forever!

First off, thank you NetGalley and Noelle Ihli for this ARC! Noelle Ihli is one of my auto-buy authors. If she writes it, I read it.

Such Quiet Girls follows the story of a bus driver and 10 children who are abducted and kept in a shipping container underground. Basically, buried alive.

In this book you are following the POVs of Four different people. The bus driver, one of the kidnappers, one of the children, and the mother of that child. Normally I get confused with too many POVs but Noelle made it flawless and easy to follow.

The beginning of this book was CHILLING!! My heart rate was through the roof. However, I felt like the whole middle part of this book dragged a bit. And the POV of the kidnapper threw me off at times. The ending was good.

So, overall I am rating this 3.5 ⭐️

Noelle West Ihli has done it again. Such Quiet Girls is an intense story about children being kidnapped. As a mother it’s the most horrific scenario in the world. Through all the stress the book showcases the strength of women. Highly recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
🚌 multi POV
🚌 single timeline
🚌 large cast of characters
🚌 opens with the height of action

This book started with my absolute favourite way for a thriller to start: with the height of the action happening right off the start. It literally makes it impossible to not be sucked into the story immediately, and I absolutely could not stop reading!
I really loved the multiple point-of-views this story was told from!! It can sometimes get confusing when there are too many but this one was done perfectly!! It kept the story jumpy and entertaining the whole way through. It was very clear what POV was talking at what time so that was awesome. The POV of the kidnapper was kind of weird though? It kept the story from getting too thrilling and exciting, which is unfortunate.
This story was very similar to a crime that happened in real life, so the whole time I was reading I kept having deja-vu and wondering if I had already read this book before.
This one kind of fell a little bit flat for me… like the whole story nothing actually happened? This was like a “cozy” thriller where there is the event but then really nothing else scary happens.
I really liked the 2 sister characters in here, but there actually wasn’t much said about the younger sister, or really any of the other children on the bus. I hated Jessa and kept wishing she wasn’t so lame and weak and could have actually done something to help, or at the very least comforted the kids. She sucked!
Thank you so much to Dynamite Books and Noelle West Ihli for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review 💕