Such Quiet Girls is everything I want in a psychological thriller—tight pacing, smart twists, and characters that feel unnervingly real. Noelle W. Ihli crafts an atmosphere of creeping dread that had me hooked from the first page. The tension builds steadily, and I found myself constantly second-guessing what was really going on behind closed doors.

The friendship between the main characters adds a deep emotional core to the story, making the stakes feel that much higher. I loved the way the story played with trust and perception—who do you believe, and what happens when the people around you start unraveling?

If you’re into dark thrillers that keep you reading late into the night, Such Quiet Girls is a must-read. Noelle W. Ihli absolutely nails it. Can’t wait to read more from her.

Noelle has done it again! This book had me wanting more and more and I didn't want to put it down. It had my heart racing and my eyes tearing up a bit. Such a good thriller! Definitely recommend!

It’s a seemingly normal day when Jessa follows a detour sign on her afternoon bus route. What follows is anything but normal. Held at gunpoint, Jessa can only watch as she and the children in her care are kidnapped. Meanwhile, Sheena, the mother of two little girls on the bus, receives a ransom note with precise instructions to follow. If she notifies anyone, the children won’t be returned. Can Jessa keep the children calm and safe while Sheena races against the clock to save her girls?

This book sucked me in immediately! Ihli was HEAVILY inspired by the 1976 Chowchilla kidnapping, and it was captivating. While the major details are almost identical, the characters are all her creation, and they add so much depth to the story. I loved the way the book was told from several different points of view. It kept me hooked, and I read it in just two days!

I highly recommend checking out Such Quiet Girls when it’s released!

*thank you to NetGalley and Dynamite Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This is every mother’s nightmare. I literally hugged my personal kiddos every time as I was reading this book! I love the multiple perspectives as well.

Okay, first of all, I absolutely LOVE books with different POVs! I didn’t want to put this book down ((but life)). SOOOO much anxiety while reading just NEEDING to know what happens next. It’s so crazy to know that this was based on something that really happened! Noelle Ihli is definitely becoming one of my favorite authors. I am so very thankful for receiving this Arc.

Y’all know how much I love a good thriller and this one did not disappoint! Jessa just landed the job of being a bus driver and hopes she can get a fresh start. Sage, a 12 year old on the bus is just ready to get home after a long day of being with her sister Bonnie. Little do they know that they won’t be getting home that night and are instead kidnapped alongside the rest of the kids and Jessa.

From the start, I was already hooked. I wanted to know why they were kidnapped and who were their kidnappers. I enjoyed how the story was split up between different POV’s because not only did we get to see Jessa’s POV but Sage’s, Sage’s mom and then one of the kidnappers. It added to the dimensions of the story and as a reader, I was able to start putting the pieces together of what was going on. The emotional rollercoaster I went through each chapter had me in a chokehold, where I could feel the tension and how afraid the characters were. Books don’t typically get me like this but knowing it was inspired by true events makes it even more chilling. That students actually went through this makes my heart hurt even more. Noelle’s writing truly made this one memorable and I will be thinking about it for a while.

I am the odd one out and didn't love the other 2 books I have read by Noelle W. Ihli. The synopsis of this one intrigued me and third times a charm! This one completely sucked me in, had me on the edge of my seat with my heart pounding. I loved that it was told in multiple POVs. Knowing it was based on true events made this hit even harder.
Thank you to Netgally and Dynamite Books for the ARC.

A really interesting thriller, finished in a day! A bus load of children and their bus driver held for ransom.

Absolutely loved this book. I did not want to put it down. Vivid scenes. I felt I was there with them.

Inspired by the events of The Chowchilla kidnapping of 1976, comes Noelle Ihli's newest book, Such Quiet Girls. Jessa is the newest bus driver of bus 315. She is tasked with safely transporting children from school to the daycare nearby when the unthinkable happens. The bus is detoured when two men in disguise hijack the bus forcing Jessa and the kids into a van and then 20 feet underground in a shipping container. In pitch darkness and with little air flow, Jessa and the kids are desperate to escape and save themselves. But, can they make it out in time?
Review:
Noelle Ihli has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Much like her other books, Such Quiet Girls, is fast paced and high stakes. Because Noelle often writes based on true events, it is easy to connect and picture the events taking place. I believe this is why I have such an easy time becoming emotionally invested in the characters and their stories. This one definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the multiple POVs including the victims, kidnapper, and parent. It gave a full picture of the events taking place from every angle in a way that shows you instead of just telling you.
Such Quiet Girls releases on 4/29 and I highly suggest pushing this one to the top of your TBR!
Thank you to NetGalley, Noelle W. Ihli, and Dynamite Books for this ARC of Such Quiet Girls in exchange for an honest review!

Such a good thriller, it keeps you turning pages and wondering what is happening! There was 4 different POV’s to keep you in the loop throughout the book, which I loved. It was such a page turner and I couldn’t stop reading. Highly recommend!

This was so good, i gotta say i devored this amazing thriller in 2 days. My heart was for those kids all the way through the books, but even tho it was about a bus full of kids that got kidnapped the story is just amazing. @ have a talent to write a wonderful novel, and i can’t thank you enough for this ARC. It’s out to the world on April 29th.

Ten children, abducted in broad daylight—and buried alive.

A bus full of kids gets kidnapped and buried alive. Only one parent is sent a ransom note, expected to keep quiet and save the children. This book is written in a four-person pov, and although we know who the kidnapper is at the beginning of the book, it has enough action to really keep the pages turning.

I enjoyed this book. I just recently discovered this Author, and Noelle Ihli is definitely now on my auto-buy/read list.

4 person POV-
1st- Bus Drive
2nd- One of the students kidnapped
3rd- Kidnapper
4th- Mother of one of the kidnapped students.

Another great read! Could not put it down. The main characters were phenomenal and loved that a young girl was a fighter and heroine. Noelle never disappoints!

This book gave me instant anxiety. I had no idea about the real life event this book is based on. The different POVS really put you in their shoes and helped humanize them.

I really enjoy how much emotional connection Ihli brings to her characters.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Dynamite books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book sounded SO SO good, and I absolutely fell in love with the cover art. Everything beyond that fell flat for me & unfortunately I was just super disappointed with this one. The book has too many POV’s which just drag things on, it feels like we’re not making enough progress in the story and nothing all that “thrilling” happens until about 80% of the book in. Too many unrealistic things like having the kids nap after hours of just being abducted? First of all that would have been around like 7pm (who’s sleeping at 7pm?) and also we all know your body would go into fight or flight mode and adrenaline would be pumping, there’s no chance these kids would have been napping. One of the main characters, Jessa, the bus driver is a storyline where you learn to love her, but I just found her character so annoying. A lot of the story is based off true events, but how could it be that the story was pretty much already written for the author yet she still has a hard time finding a way to add twists and turns to keep this story fresh and engaging? What really upset me most is reading the authors notes at the end and finding that she still gave undeserved credit the real life bus driver in the actual true crime, when he did very little to help those kids escape and ended up taking undeserved credit while it was one of the children that actually saved them. There was just too much about this story that frustrated me and unfortunately did not enjoy. I would not recommend this book.

4.5 ⭐️

Special thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to review this beautiful ARC. I'm absolutely in love with this author's work and was so excited to see that I got approved for this ARC.

Imagine if ten children were kidnapped in the middle of the day, buried alive, and had to struggle to survive. Doesn't that sound intense? 
Sage and her sister assume it's simply another school day when they board Bus 315. However, everything changes as Jessa, their new bus driver, battles her personal issues while attempting to keep the kids safe at all costs.

I developed a strong emotional bond with the characters and narratives of both mothers. She also makes use of writing from the viewpoints of the criminals, which enhances the entire experience. Every page was captivating and fascinating, and the entire book was incredibly well-written and well-executed. Sheena is a devoted mother, and a very emotional person. Many readers will be scratching their heads at some of the highly dubious choices she makes. But when faced with an unthinkable circumstances, she acts in what she feels is the best way to save her children' lives.

The plot appeals to every parent's worst concerns, such as being abducted or buried alive, and is made all the more terrifying and powerful by the fact that it is based on actual events. Even without any significant plot twists, this author creates a story that is completely engrossing and compelling, which is uncommon for psychological thrillers and a credit to her extraordinary talent.

This book's structure was fantastic: it had short, compelling chapters, several points of view that maintained the suspense, and even a cleverly done antagonistic redemption story.

Ihli never disappoints! The multiple POV writing style makes you feel so attached to the characters and their struggles as the book goes along. While the book was a little drawn out/slow in the middle, the stress and horror of the scenario kept me glued to the pages. There are definitely heavy parts, so make sure you're prepared (parents especially may want to check the trigger warnings). Quick, suspenseful, and gripping from the first page to the last!

Really enjoyed this book! Thanks to multiple povs, the story pulled me in and moved quickly from the first page (although it did slow slightly in the middle) to a satisfying conclusion. Definitely worth a read.
Thank you to Netgalley for the arc of this book to review

This is my second book from the author, Nichole W. Ihli and she never disappoints. Such Quiet Girls is about a school bus with a group of kids goes missing. As a mom, I couldn’t even imagine if my child went missing this way.

This book was a fast and quick read. I had a hard time putting it down. The author gives you just enough detail without making you feel as if it was too much to handle. It is book you absolutely need to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Ms. Ihli for the opportunity to review this book.