Huge thank you to Noelle Ihli for allowing me to read an early ARC of Such Quiet Girls from Netgalley! Noelle Ihli has always been an auto buy author for me, her writing is amazing!!

I was on the edge of my seat the whole book, wanting to know what was going to happen next. For me, this was a fast paced read, a real page turner! I could not put this book down and wanted to keep reading it with every free moment I had! It was such an emotional rollercoaster. I was on edge and felt anxiety for the children, cheering them all that they could figure out a way to escape. Then other moments my jaw was dropped to the floor. The character development was phenomenal, I really enjoyed hearing about their individual stories that made them who they are!

Such Quiet Girls is about a horrifying abduction and the hours of terror that follow.

Inspired by true events, Such Quiet Girls tells the story of the abduction of 10 children and a bus driver in broad daylight, only to be buried alive for ransom.

Such Quiet Girls is an emotional roller coaster. The story delves into the thoughts and feelings of both the suspects and victims of a kidnapping. Inspired by true events, Noelle offers a fictional perspective that allows readers to connect with the character’s deepest, darkest thoughts and emotions. And connect, I did. The story evoked a range of emotions on multiple levels: sadness, anger, joy, and even frustration. The frustration stemmed from some of the characters’ actions, prompting me to pause and consider what I might do in a similar situation. I've often lost myself in thought, which is why I love to read, especially stories like this. It provides different perspectives from entirely different characters, forcing the reader to think from the suspect’s and the victim’s points of view. Sometimes, it comes as a surprise, but you might shockingly empathize with the villain. You can only get that deeper with good writing; this story had precisely that.

The chapters focusing on the teacher and the students were heart-wrenching and uplifting. These chapters were from one of the students’ points of view, Sage. She’s the older sister of one of the students and also the oldest of the group by a few years. She was my favourite part of this story. Despite being terrified, she stopped at nothing to protect her younger sister. Her character development was fantastic; she was brave. Honestly, she was such an inspiring character, and even though those were sad chapters, I was excited to get to them because I just loved her character. I also want to mention the additional stresses that weren’t tied to the main story, which were well done. This can be tricky at times, and it almost feels like they detract from the story, but I thought they subtly enhanced it. Again, it’s all in good writing.

Lastly, I adore Noelle W. Ihli’s writing, especially her stories inspired by tragic events. She does an exceptional job of reviving events that have long been forgotten or remain unknown to most. She gives the reader the space to learn but also makes way to allow the reader to reconnect with these people in a fictional way. Immediately after finishing "None Left to Tell," I spent time researching to learn more, and the same was true for "Such Quiet Girls." I was more familiar with this story, but again, I felt it was necessary to do more research.

Some of her stories have a deeper meaning, and I’m always here for it.

I had the privilege of receiving an ARC for Such Quiet Girls by Noelle W. Ihli and I rated this book 5 stars. From the beginning of the book I was captivated by her easy flowing writing style and I just wanted to keep on reading it as fast as I could. She has a writing style that makes you feel as if you are there seeing everything happening as if inside of a movie. The book was so emotional and heart pounding and I was so grateful for the privilege of this being my very first ARC as she's one of my favorite authors and Gray After Dark has been a book that I read months ago and still to this day think about and I'm sure I'll be thinking about Such Quiet Girls just as much.

Ten elementary school children and their bus driver Miss Jessa are kidnapped in broad daylight during the afternoon bus ride from school to daycare. Their captors trap them in a bunker buried deep underground, and with time and air both running out, Jessa and the children must find a way to escape. Inspired by the true story of the 1976 Chowchilla kidnapping.

This is such a suspenseful, pulse-pounding novel! The fear and tension were so intense for those trapped kids and their bus driver that my heart was in my throat the entire time I was reading. Four different perspectives give the reader the perfect 360 view of the whole terrifying situation: Miss Jessa, the bus driver; Sage, the oldest and bravest of the ten children; Sheena, mom to Sage and her little sister Bonnie; and Ted, one of the kidnappers. Each one is nuanced and richly developed, making this a much more emotional story than a typical thriller.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dynamite Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Thank you to Xpresso book tours via Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A bus full of schoolchildren goes missing, kidnapped and held for ransom in a shipping container buried under ground. The bus driver blames herself for not being able to protect them all. With time and air running thin will they make it out of this alive? Inspired by a true event.

Oh my goodness this was a wild ride yet again by Noelle W Ihili! Man I love her books and this did not disappoint yet again. Told from multiple points of view and well told from each side I felt gripped and engaged. I did not want to put it down to go to bed because I wanted to know what was happening. The grandfather and his struggle with Alzheimer’s disease hit me in the feels as I watched my own struggle with his. I truly loved every minute of this book and would definitely read it again.

If you love true event based books, thrillers, and Noelle W. Ihili books this is a highly recommended book for you!

I would highly recommend this book. The story draws inspiration from the true story of the 1976 Chowchilla Kidnapping. Still, it blends multiple perspectives, a modern setting, and twists and turns that even those familiar with the Chowchilla case will not see coming. Each of the four narrators is batting individual issues while also entangled in this horrific situation. These characters had depth and relatability. I found myself fully invested in all of their outcomes. While I still had a few questions at the end, I felt the ending was satisfying and not quite what I would have predicted. It was a read that I could see many finishing in one sitting.

𝑰 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒊𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆, 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒊𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆. 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏, 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑰'𝒅 𝒂𝒔𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇.

This author's books are exactly what true crime/inspired by true events are supposed to read like. The perpetrators are not sensationalized, the victims are humanized, and her storytelling is among the best in this genre.

Children are supposed to be safe at school, and by extension, on a school bus. But driver and single mother Jessa has no way of knowing that the detour sign is a trap, and she is about to unwittingly drive herself and ten children into a hell that they never could have imagined. Two armed men surround the bus and force Jessa and the kids into a shipping container buried twenty feet underground. Jessa is paralyzed by fear, and all she can think is that she couldn't protect her daughter that awful night three years ago, and now she's helpless once again. The men reassure their terrified hostages that as soon as the ransom is paid, they'll be released. But in their cramped, underground space, will there be enough air for them all? And can these men be trusted?

Told in alternating points of view from the kidnappers, Jessa, and the mother of two girls who are on the bus, Sheena, we're given a complete picture of this terrifying situation, both from the ones enduring it and the ones causing it. The tension was palpable, and if you are claustrophobic, some scenes may be difficult to read.

Inspired by the 1976 event in Chowchilla, California, this is more than just a story of a bus full of children and their female driver taken hostage. It's a story of resilience, courage, and breaking the stereotype that girls must be quiet and obedient. It's about trusting your instincts, the sheer will to survive, and listening to that quiet yet determined voice that says, "Yes, you can."

Many thanks to the author for sending me a copy. This book will publish everywhere on April 29, 2025.

I had the absolute pleasure of being approved for an ARC of Noelle’s latest thriller, Such Quiet Girls. Thank you NetGalley for this opportunity

This story is yet another superb novel inspired by real-life events, this time the Cochiwa kidnappings. I thoroughly enjoyed this tense, claustrophobic, and gripping read.

I’m a huge fan of Noelle’s writing and her remarkable ability to make you forget you’re reading as you’re transported into the pages, experiencing the terrors unfold like a movie in your head. I loved the survival elements of this book and I must say, it was surprisingly heartfelt!
Noelle did a fab job with this one.

If you’re looking for the definition of a page-turner, pick this one up—you won’t regret it.

Loved Ask For Andrea, so I couldn't wait to read another book by this author! I'm so happy I got my hands on this early because it was soooo good!!

First of all, thank you for giving me the opportunity to be an early reader and reviewer for this novel.

This was such a heart wrenching, emotional and anxiety driven ride that I need a minute to compose myself to write this.
Noelle in my opinion is absolutely brilliant when it comes to writing a story that hooks you from the first page and doesn’t let you go even after you’ve finished reading it.
I kept holding my breath more times than I think is healthy at this point, and I can’t even begin to imagine the nightmare these people had to endure. The fact that this is inspired by true event makes it all the more heartbreaking. What a story, damn.

As someone who vividly remembers the real-life Chowchilla kidnapping, I found the novel’s retelling both heartbreaking and tough. Ihli captures the sheer terror of the girls’ captivity, but there’s something tricky about imagining their escape when you already know how it ends. The tension between knowing the real-life facts and the fictionalized version was jarring at times. The book’s pacing is tense, and while it might seem slow at times, it builds a sense of suffocating suspense. This is a book that doesn’t hold back from the emotional weight of survival, and it’s a testament to the strength of those who endured unimaginable horrors. Thanks to NetGally for the advance copy.

Oh my goodness gracious!
I was given access to an arc of this book and I was so excited to read it as everything I’ve read by this author has hit it out of the park and this was no different
Be prepared it’s loosely based on a true story which I didn’t google before hand
This book is 10000% an emotional rollercoaster and it has a lot of intense moments! Absolutely worth the read!

Noelle..
This is another thriller that left me wide open!!

I was so afraid for the Miss Jessa and the children! Sage Sweetie you are so brave!

This was a fast paced thriller that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I was sometimes scared to turn the page because I was soo nervous to what was waiting for me on the next page.

It was even scarier to me because I knew this is was inspired by true events. Which is heartbreaking that there is someone in their world that had to live through such an ordeal.

At times I was also brought to tears..
in a thriller novel ..

Only Noelle can have me scared and crying at the same time!

Wow! This book doesn't disappoint. A throughly gripping read that is full of tension. The pages literally ooze with it. You won't want to put it down.

It's told from mulitple pov which I love. You experience events through Jessa, the bus driver, Sage, the eldest of the kidnapped children, Sheena, mother to two of the children on board, and Ted, one of the kidnappers.

All four are scared. All four have choices to make. Will they make the right decisions?

A book for everyone's tbr list!

Amazingly, this book is inspired by an actual event. The Chowchilla kidnapping. In 1976, three men hijacked a school bus and kidnapped twenty-six children and their driver.

Thank you so much to @netgalley, Dynamite Books, and @noelleihliauthor for the advance copy of Such Quiet Girls to read and review. My opinions are my own.

Found my next FIVE STAR READ!
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this digital arc read!
Inspired by a true event, this book unfolds into chaos as a whole bus of children and their bus driver get abducted and are buried underground in a container.
I was not aware that it was inspired by true events and I walked into this book blind and I finished this in two sittings (it’s rare)

This relentless, pulse-pounding thriller races through multiple POVs to bring you through the physical and emotional trauma these characters go through and I enjoyed reading this!

Such Quiet Girls is not just any other story but a breathless, high-stakes thriller that’ll have you on edge from start to finish. A story on courage, relationships and perseverance.

Thank you netgalley, Noelle and Dynamite Books for an arc of Such Quiet Girls!

This read was definitely emotional and suspenseful. Unfortunately I was not a fan of having the child’s point of view throughout the story, being a mom it made this a little hard to read. I also wasn’t aware this is a loose retelling of an actual event.

I think this just wasn’t the book for me however I enjoy the authors writing and look forward to reading more by her in the future!

Another amazing book by Noelle Ihli!!! Captivating from the very first chapter. So suspenseful, and a perfect ending. I loved the different perspectives and the character arc for Ted. Just a fantastic read.

𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧 𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗞
Ten children are abducted when their school bus is hijacked. Bus driver, Jessa, who is haunted by her own past, finds herself and the children trapped in a shipping container buried underground. As their captors demand a ransom, Jessa and the children must confront dwindling air supply and rising panic, striving to outwit their kidnappers before time runs out.

𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡
Based on the real-life Chowchilla kidnappings from 1976, I was really looking forward to this one. The action kicks off right away and the multiple POVs kept things tense and interesting.

We get chapters from Sage (the oldest kid), her mom, the bus driver, and one of the kidnappers. Sage was the standout for me - her emotional and physical journey felt the most real, and I was fully on her side the whole time.

Even though we get some backstory from her mom, her race against time didn’t pull me in. It mostly played out in her car while she was stuck in her own head. I wish she’d had a partner to talk to so it wasn’t just her thoughts going in circles.

The middle section slowed down a bit. I stayed with it, but it didn’t grab me quite as much as the start.

The ending made up for it - things picked up again, and my heart was definitely in it. I just wish I’d felt that same level of connection all the way through.

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗?
Overall, this is a compelling and exciting thriller. It’s definitely worth the read if you’re into tense, multi-POV thrillers with a strong finish.

Thanks to @Netgalley and
Dynamite Books for access to this advanced readers

5 ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Dynamite Books for the ARC!

I am speechless and mind blown. Noelle is the queen of thrillers. This book had me hooked for the first page and if I didn’t have to be a responsible adult I would have read this in less then 24 hours. Such Quiet Girls is a beautifully heartbreaking book based on a true story. Never once has a thriller made me sob the way that this did. I loved every word and I loved the Harriet the Spy references made me smile with memories of watching that movie with my sister. Highly recommend. Once again Noelle’s writing had me speechless.

I will read anything that Noelle W. Ihli write. She is the reason I fell in love with thrillers. This one in particular is my new favorite book that’s she’s written along with Ask for Andrea.

Although this book is fiction it was inspired by true events. It’s emotional, heartbreaking, suspenseful , and inspiring. Every parent’s worst nightmare has come true for Sheena. Both of her children have gone missing along with a group other kids and a bus driver. She’s forced to race against time to pay the ransom before it’s too late. That last 20% was so intense! I cried so much during this book.

I typically tend to not like books with such young characters who are one of the main narrators but Sage is a wonderful character whose personality and perspective brought this story to life. She was an unlikely hero that was so brave and mature at such a young age. She was truly inspiring.

I went from not really liking Jessa due to how dry she was with the kids to understanding the reason as to why she was this way and finally liking her due to her beautiful character growth. She went from not putting up a fight to finding the strength and hope to survive due to Sage’s courage.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.