Julie Soto did not come to play with her YA thriller debut—this book had me completely hooked from page one. The tension, the secrets, the tangled web of friendships—I tore through it in one sitting. The group dynamics were so layered and realistic; every character felt raw, flawed, and unpredictable in the best way. Watching their relationships shift under pressure was equal parts fascinating and emotionally charged.

The paranormal element snuck up on me in such a cool, unexpected way—it added an eerie edge that gave me serious Pretty Little Liars nostalgia. And even though I guessed how things might wrap up, the execution still hit hard, and that final epilogue? Absolutely unhinged—in the most satisfying way. If you love high school thrillers with drama, messy loyalty, and just the right dose of creepy, this one is worth every page.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the eARC—this was such a sharp, twisty read, and I really hope Julie dives deeper into this genre.

This one was not good. I’m so sorry friends.

There were definitely some slower parts in this book. The middle bit kind of plateaued for me. This book was extremely predictable. For a "thriller" it didn't have any moments that really made me gasp or feel surprised. All of the plot points were things that I guessed or expected from the very beginning. That predictability kind of took away from my overall enjoyment of the book. The only part that was truly unexpected was the epilogue.

I also hated the characters? This would not have been an immediate negative towards the book because most of the characters were written to be unlikeable. The characters didn't have to necessarily be likeable or even "good," and I think that was the point. However, I think the author DID want the readers to like Julian. He was written in a way that made him "appeal" to the readers. But he was not likeable to me whatsoever. All of the things he did for Jodi because he liked her still did not build up his character or address his bullying of Emily enough for me to change my mind. I feel like this theme was similar with a lot of characters. The author never really tackled the extreme bullying which ultimately ended in someone taking their life. In spite of it being a HUGE plot point for the story, it truly felt like an afterthought to the romance and whatever else was in the book. I know a lot of people would disagree, but I'm so sorry I did not like anyone at all. I had an extremely hard time reading this book.

Despite my critiques on this book, I will say that the open ending was unexpected! It left the book open for another book or to leave a little suspense for the readers. If the author does decide to write another book. However, if she does decided to co tibie this story, I don’t think I’ll be reading any more. It was quite challenging to read this story to begin with.

Content Warnings: Suicide, Bullying, Death of a parent, drug/alcohol use, toxic friendships

4.5 Star Rating

Jodi is in love with the golden boy Zach Thrasher and always has been. They're childhood best friends so being in the The Thrasher clique is a given, or is it? Julian, Lucy, Paige, Zach and Jodi may seem the same but one of these things is not like the other, especially after Emily dies. Friendships are tested as the police continue to investigate Emily's death.

Something this book did incredibly well was demonstrate the insecurity in toxic friendships. But really toxic friendships in general. Were you invited to the party cause they liked you? or was making fun of you meant to be the entertainment?

I'd been having trouble finishing books lately but this one kept me engaged enough to keep turning the pages. Not surprising, since Julie Soto is an auto-buy author for me.

If you like stories that leave you questioning everything and trusting no one, then this one is for you.

The audiobook was great too!

Holy smokes, Julie Soto’s talent is incredible. She really can write a phenomenal and addictive story no matter the genre. The Thrashers is one that will appeal to readers of all ages in my opinion. The characters are realistically morally grey and hard not to root for. The mystery is nail bitingly tense, with secrets and skeletons and accusations flying. Absolutely loved this wild ride & definitely want more!!!

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the gifted ebook to read and review.

I consumed this book in one day. As soon as I started it I knew that I wouldn’t be able to put it down. Julie Soto’s writing is absolutely captivating. Her characters are complicated- we love them and we hate them. The drama is intoxicating and thrilling. The Thrashers is a great choice for those like me who loved Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl.

Julie Soto is seriously becoming one of my favorite authors. The Thrashers was seriously so good. I was hooked from the first page. I’ve recently been getting into YA thrillers and so far, this is the absolute best I’ve read.
The Thrashers is very fast paced with well fleshed out characters and one of the twistiest plots I’ve ever read. I’m seriously hoping there’s a second book because after that ending, I feel like there’s a lot more story to tell. Hands down, one of my favorite books this year. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC!

The Thrashers is a phenomenal YA thriller that will have you questioning everything, everyone and gasping from the adrenaline.

This book starts with a death, a journal and a million questions. Someone will be incriminated, coming together to figure out what comes next and feel the presence of the dead…are they being haunted for what they know or what they did?
This was a quick, engaging and deeply twisted read that has you hanging on to your next breath! Morally grey characters who weaving such a complex and engaging plot line that you’ll never guess what’s coming next. There is some light romance to break the tension, but truly an amazing read for all ages and a perfect balance of paranormal, mystery & cast of characters you won’t forget.

I'm honestly not much of a thriller girly but if Julie Soto writes it, beat believe i am going to read it! I was literally hooked from the beginning and was up VERY late finishing it lmao the tension, angsts and the mystery really had me hooked. I just know the audiobook is phenomenal so I will be doing a reread!

I enjoyed The Thrashers immensely. The plot was engaging, and the vibes were immaculate. If you like thrillers that remind you summer, and the best of the best vives of the 90s-2000s, this is the book for you! Hoping we get to continue the Thrashers story, because I believe there is more to tell! Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday books for providing me with this ARC!

What a complicated YA novel!

It doesn't follow any other YA that I've read. The characters here were complicated and really flawed. At times they were plain unlikable. But that's what I like in books, characters that make it hard for you to root for but you also kinda root for.

Our main character is Jodi, who's in the elite group called The Thrashers. Named after Zach Thrasher, Jodi's childhood best friend. And the reason she's in the group. The others, Julian, Lucy, and Paige, are all rich.

The story starts after a former clinger on, Emily Mills dies. And her journal reveals the cruelty of the Thrashers and points in their direction as being the cause of Emily's death.

This causes the fractions in the Thrashers to come to life. There's always been a sense of competition for Zachs attention. He's the "golden boy" who they all flock to. He's also the one who inadvertently causes the competition between the group.

They are insurable, and you really want the truth to win out. Are they responsible for Emily? Is she tormenting them from beyond?

This book had so many twists turns I felt like I was just like looking up at the ceiling every other page just going wow I just really appreciate it how the author was so flexible and could show that she could write in so many different formats. I’m so excited for her next book.

This was my first Julie Soto book and it definitely will not be my last. This is a fast paced thriller that is good for young adults! It's good if you love cliques, characters that don't feel/act/seem the same, and some supernatural/paranormal twists and turns! This was such a good start to reading a Julie book.

I want to personally thank NetGalley, as well as the author, publisher, and anyone else involved in providing copies, for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

WOW! This book was not what I expected…it was even more! I need book 2 like now! That epilogue floored me! Soo good!

This book was so good! I couldn’t stop reading it, and I could picture each scene in my head. I told so many friends about this book! Thanks for letting. me read it!

Julie Soto does it again! As a 35 year old, I don't typically enjoy YA books but this one was great! I really and truly loved it! Either You're in or you're out. Such a fantastic coming of age story. You've got this elite friend group that everyone wants to be called the thrashers. Jodi is one of them but it never really feels right. When Emily dies everything changes and Jodi gets stuck with all the hard choices. would you protect your friends or would you protect yourself?

I had trouble getting into this book. I am a septuagenarian and the culture represented by this novel was a long time ago. There were certainly clicks in my school and I was not in them so reading about them here was hard. The book starts out with a suicide so potential readers should be aware of that possible trigger. And I was not prepared for the paranormal aspect.

Because of the content, I would not recommend this book to readers under the upper high school age. I am sure they would enjoy the story but it was just not for me.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

The Thrashers is a YA thriller following a FMC, Jodi, and a group of high school kids known as the Thrashers. Emily is another character who was a former Thrasher member. I thought that this book was slightly predictable however I still really enjoyed it. I did like the ending and how it all tied together. The way that Jodi got sucked into the lifestyle, eventually getting wrapped up into the latest scandal, goes to show that even those you think you ‘know’ have secrets to hide. I felt so bad for Hannah throughout the entire book, she loved her sister so much.

“The Thrashers” is an exclusive group of teenagers. Emily was obsessed with joining the group, she killed herself on prom night. The group is rumored to have something to do with her death, and Emily’s journal entries detail the bullying she received from all the members, but Jodi. Jodi starts to uncover her friends’ secrets.

This was a fast-paced YA mystery/thriller told by Jodi. It was filled with toxic friendships and bullying. The characters were complex and I loved the supernatural elements. It was an entertaining and addictive read. If you enjoy YA thrillers, definitely read this one.

I thought this was an excellent ya thriller and I love that Julie Soto is branching out into other genres. I have already purchased a copy for both my daughters to read as I think they will really enjoy it. This book had so much drama and it makes me so happy that my high school experience was nothing like this book! The story was well paced and I found myself wanting to keep reading to find out what would happen next. I really liked how even though there were many characters they were easy to distinguish based on their differing personalities. The twists at the end were frustrating and satisfying at the same time. I wanted something better for one of the characters and something worse for another. But I also think that was the author's purpose and keeps the reader thinking long after finished.

Read this book is you like
- high school setting
- loads of drama
- twists
- suspense
- toxic relationships

YA thrillers will forever be one of my favorite genres and Julie did not disappoint with this one. The distinct different personalities of all the characters in this "clique" was quite entertaining. the epilogue had me floors....jaw dropped....no freakin way'ing out loud. Super fast read leaving you guessing who you could trust because everyone seemed suspicious. I loved protagonist Jodi and her perspective from inside The Thrashers. Julie Soto has a new fan because this was phenomenal.