Such Quiet Girls is a fast-paced, gripping thriller inspired by actual events in 1976. The novel follows Jessa, a new school bus driver, and her children passengers, as their routine daily drive turns into a nightmare when their bus is hijacked by masked kidnappers. Then they are forced into a van and transported to a quarry where they’re buried underground in a shipping container. Meanwhile, Sheena, a mother of two of the kid hostages, is sent ransom demands with a strict timeline. As the oxygen supply in the shipping container dwindles, Jessa and the children desperately search for a way to survive.

This gripping novel will keep readers in suspense and gasping for breath, with its claustrophobic setting and heart-wrenching, race-against-time narrative. The story is told via four POVs: Sage (sixth grader), Sheena (Sage’s mother), Jessa (bus driver), and Ted (one of the kidnappers). Thrillers with so many POVs can become confusing, but it isn’t the case here. Each POV is straightforward and distinct, making the narrative easy to follow at all times. Having readers connected to all these different characters creates a completely immersive experience. It also allows readers to get an understanding of the inner workings of the villains, which comes across as more foolish and ruthless than inherently evil.

Sheena is highly emotional, a devout mother, and a loyal daughter. She makes some very questionable decisions that many readers will be shaking their heads at. But put in an impossible situation, she does what she believes is the best thing to keep her daughters alive. Her fear of losing her daughters, coupled with her mounting frustration of dealing with her father’s Alzheimer’s, brings her to the cusp of a breakdown. She is forced to make quick, difficult decisions that add great suspense and uncertainty to the story. Jessa is a complex and flawed character who’s difficult to like, especially in the first half of the story. Her unhealed trauma sends her into full flight mode once the kidnappers take her and the kids captive, and she becomes more of a hazard than a beneficiary to their safety. Once her full backstory is revealed, readers may be able to empathize with her more, but she still remains unlikeable in many ways. By the end, her character arc is the most pronounced, and she comes to accept her fate, which is satisfying to read!

The story has great pacing throughout and culminates in a high-stakes, thrilling climax. The ending that follows feels a bit rushed but does provide quick character resolution and something unexpected. The author’s note at the end is definitely worth reading as it provides insight into the novel’s inception and character development. Ihli emphasizes that this is a work of fiction but was inspired by the 1976 Chowchilla kidnapping, where 3 men hijacked a school bus with 26 children on it. The inclusion of Alzheimer’s in the story comes from the author’s experiences with her grandfather—what she learned contradicted many of the stereotypes of the disease. Sheena’s father in this story is not to be taken as an entirely accurate portrayal of the disease.

Overall, Such Quiet Girls is a novel that grips you from the very start and holds you in a chokehold the entire ride. Ihli weaves a story that is fully captivating and addictive, even without any major twists and turns—a rarity for psychological thrillers and a testament to her immense talent. If you enjoy fast-paced survival thrillers, unexpected heroes, and stories inspired by actual events, grab a copy of this book!