This book was very hard for me to read as a mom and former educator. There were times I considered DNFing it but I'm glad I pushed through because it was truly a beautiful story of resilience. I was so invested in the story and everyone's involvement.

I was gripped by Such Quiet Girls as the hours ticked down and the oxygen grew thinner, cheering on Sheena and Sage, hoping that Jessa would find her strength and racing to the end.

Reviewed on my Dark Mysteries podcast for www.artdistrictradio.com.

Such Quiet Girls By Noelle West Ihli

Wow. This book gave me chills. Let me start off by saying I’m a 33 year old bus driver myself, so I was SHOOK reading this. I have never thought of the possibility of someone, or multiple people, abducting me, my bus, or students. And then to find out this story was inspired by a true abduction/kidnapping from the 1970s? New fear unlocked. But, honestly, well done. These are the types of books that keep me engaged and on the edge of my seat!

Your children are on the bus to the childcare center they go to every day after school. There is nowhere safer for them, right? One day the bus is stopped by a car blocking the road, and two men step on with guns. Suddenly you’re in a van on the way to a hole in the ground. Will you make it out alive before the air runs out?

This is the first book I’ve read from this author and I really liked it. It was suspenseful and had me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole thing. It was a race against time.

I rated this book 3 stars.

Thank you to Negalley and Dynamite Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book so much that I read it in one sitting. Noelle West Ihli did it again with this book!!! I could not put it down, I had to know what was going to happen. I loved the storyline and did not realize it was based on a true story. I really felt for the characters in the book. I would definitely recommend this book.

This book was on edge of your seat fun. Thanks so much for letting me read it. Looking forward reading books by this author in the furture.

I loved this book! It kept me page turning and I stayed up late reading. I have yet to be disappointed by any of Noelle’s books and will continue to support whatever she comes out with next. The characters were well developed! The bus driver had me hating and loving her she was so relatable.

Thank you for the ARC!

3 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

After seeing so many glowing reviews, I decided to go ahead and request this one - my first Noelle W. Ihli book. The premise sounded really thrilling, but the execution wasn’t.

Ten kids on a bus headed to daycare get hijacked and buried in a storage crate. This is based on a true story. While it sounds terrifying, I think it was a rather tame thriller. I found myself skimming a bit towards the middle, but the last few pages were much better.

I know this author has lots of fans, so I’ll prob give her another try.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dynamite books for my advanced copy to read and review.

This book was based off of a true story, that I have heard many times on podcasts. This was very fast paced and enjoyable. i love Noelle West Ihii's books and this one didn't disappoint!

I absolutely loved this book! I was sat from beginning to end! The writing was easy to comprehend, giving such a dire situation in the book. I did not read what the book was about going into it, (that's my fav way to do so) so I was not aware this was based on a true story! But as the book went along I thought to myself, wow this sounds a lot like a case I watched on the ID channel! The details were similar enough, but different enough at the same time, if that makes any sense!

3.75 starts. A mothers worst nightmare, a bus full of 10 children disappear, and only one mother receives the a ransom note. Unsure of what to do ahead follows the instructions she was given not knowing if her own kids, and the others will make it out alive. Will the kids survive? Did the mom make the right decisions? As the story takes place the pieces will fall together in this harrowing tale.

I enjoyed this book, I read it in one sitting. It kept me on the edge of my seat from the first few chapters. This author does a great job of creating suspense and keeping you in it for the whole ride. I would highly recommend anyone who loves a good fast paced thriller to pick this one up.

I recently received a copy of Such Quiet Girls and I am eager to share my thoughts on it.

This book is an emotional roller coaster, with a narrative that had my heart racing. The use of multiple perspectives, including those of Jessa, Sage, Sheena, and one of the kidnappers, adds depth to the story. However, the book deals with sensitive topics, such as child endangerment, domestic abuse, and kidnapping. Without revealing too much, the plot revolves around the kidnappers' demands for ransom and the captives' struggles to survive underground. Sheena's desperation to rescue her daughter adds an extra layer of tension. Overall, it's a gripping tale that kept me on the edge of my seat. Interestingly, the story is inspired by the real-life Chowchilla kidnapping.

This book is so good! Based on a true story, I loved the themes of courage, bravery, friendship, and hope. A must read!

Whew! Heart pounding thriller but that ending bout had me in tears!!

Excellently written! Four POV, Sage the oldest daughter of Sheena, Sheena, Jessa the bus driver and Ted one of the kidnappers.

Easy to follow.

A bunker, a devious plan, a mom who’ll do anything to get her girls back, a bus driver who is trying to redeem herself after an event in her past. Woven together greatly!

Loving more and more by this author.

Thanks to netgalley for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Noelle delivers, yet again. There’s something about her writing that gets to your core. She isn’t afraid to push the envelope and to write about situations that are less than warm and fuzzy. She takes our worst fears and brings them to life. Reminding us we can never be too careful.

As a Mother, this book pushed me past my comfort zone, raised every hair on my head and gave me full body chills. I love Noelle’s writing style and bold topics. I’m still recovering from this story!!

Another great read by Noelle West Ihli. I have seen some reviews where they found it predictable, but this was based on a true story, so that didn't bother me. Reading it from the perspective of the bus driver with a less-than-stellar past (on paper) and a few of the children is what set this book apart for me. The dynamic between the teacher and the students hits you in the feels because these young children were able to be there for the teacher just as the teacher was there for them in this situation. The student who helped save these children by risking her life showed me just how much books and other positive strong female role models can influence what a young girl feels they are able to do. This does have to be one of those books that shows how a normal day or small actions can lead to something like this. Being cognizant of safety, not blindly trusting, etc is always important. I will always recommend this and all of Ihli's books to friends and family.

My first Noelle Ihli novel, and I now completely understand her popularity! She has delivered a amazingly face-paced, suspenseful thriller! I couldn’t stop reading. Thrillers with children involved always have me highly invested and so I had to read this in one go, to find out how it ended before time ran out for the victims. Such a heart wrenching read that I will definitely be reading again!

Thank you to NetGalley, Dynamite Books and the author for the ARC of this book.

I seem to be in the minority but I really didn't like this book. I found the characters to be frustrating and hard to connect to. I often had to put the book down and found myself reluctant to pick it back up again.

I can see how it would be a great read for some but I feel like this author just might not be for me.

Noelle W. Ihli is an auto read author for me, yet I will never understand why I always find my self surprised at how much I have enjoyed my reading experience as I turn the final page of any of her books (okay technically I’m using my Ereader but that doesn’t sound nearly as poetic and you get my point!)

I love that Ihli’s books are often inspired by true events, and they always make me wonder: if I were faced with the same situation, what would I actually do?

Such Quiet Girls, inspired by the 1976 Chowchilla kidnapping, is one of those stories that had my heart racing as I wondered what would happen next. The volume level at which I gasped at several points while reading was completely out of control—I felt like I was right there in the story, living it alongside the characters. Most of all, as a domestic violence survivor, I deeply appreciated Ihli’s portrayal of the abuse experienced in the book. It was written in a way that never came across as victim-blaming, which is something I truly value.