I am not a YA thriller reader, so I was reluctant about the Thrashers, but I also love Julie Soto, so I gave it a try. A few chapters in, I was hooked, and I read it in a day. Literally could. not. put. it. down. As one reviewer said, this book is full of “flawed, morally gray characters” who are also teens uncertain about their place in the world and who make some really unfortunate choices.

Jodi Dillon, the narrator, has found herself in the most popular, exclusive clique at her high school, The Thrashers. As a close childhood friend of Zack Thrasher, she is in the clique even if she is not wealthy or model-gorgeous like the others. She fights feelings of inadequacy throughout the book, though Soto masterfully leads the reader to see how the others truly care for Jodi.

The golden reign of The Thrashers ends when one of their friends, Emily Mills, commits suicide, and the family, community and law enforcement blame The Thrashers. Emily’s journal is discovered, accusations and rumors fly, and The Thrashers face judgment and blame. While awaiting possible criminal charges, many terrifying paranormal events happen to all of them. After multiple freak accidents put their lives in danger, Jodi and the other Thrashers wonder if Emily is coming back to haunt them and seek her revenge.

The Thrashers are pitted against each other and forced to come clean. By the end of the book, Jodi has learned a great deal about each of her friends, and clearly sees who each of them are. She has to decide between betraying them or lying to the police about what happened with Emily.

This book literally had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Secret after shocking secret about each of the Thrashers are revealed, and I kept thinking that the book was almost over, but then the author would throw in another confession from Jodi or her friends. This book is rich with the angst, drama, loneliness, and love all teenagers experience. Soto slowly builds a beautiful relationship between Jodi and another Thrasher that comes to a head as senior year wraps up and the trial dates get closer. Soto creates in Emily a mysterious, obsessive, chilling, and haunting character whose creepy nature and paranormal role in this novel creeps the reader out until the last word of the epilogue.

Soto has converted me into loving YA thrillers. In the Thrashers, she created incredibly complex young characters caught up in a huge web of deceit. This story has so many shocking twists and turns, and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat until the last word. This novel is a solid 5 star read. The Thrashers was one of my favorite 2025 reads and I highly recommend it!

Ms. Soto, what happens between Jodi and ______? (don’t want to share any spoilers) I NEED A THRASHERS SEQUEL!!

Thanks to Julie Soto, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader’s copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Julie Soto has done it again with an enthralling YA novel! Soto’s debut in this genre is truly worth the read. I was hooked from the first paragraph, and I loved getting to know the characters. Each time I thought I could trust a character, I was thrown for a loop and loved every minute of it. I really enjoy this author’s romance novels and writing style; I can’t wait to see what she releases next!

Thank you so much to Julie Soto, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for the opportunity to access and enjoy an eARC of this wonderful book!

First off, I would like to thank St. Martin's Press|Wednesday Books and author Julie Soto for allowing me to read this book via #netgalley. All opinions following are my own.

Before I start the official review, I would like to say a big "Happy Publication Day" to @juliesotowrites!

This novel is not her first, but it is the author's debut #youngadult novel. The story follows a group of five popular high school students nicknamed "The Thrashers" after their ringleader, Zachary Thrasher. The Thrashers run the school.

The Thrashers become embroiled in a huge controversy when a girl from their high school, a year younger than them, Emily Mills, commits suicide on prom night. When a notebook written by Emily is discovered and turned into the police, it appears that The Thrashers bullied Emily so much that she felt suicide was the only option.

The only Thrasher that eventually isn't charged in her death is the female main character, Jodi. Jodi already feels like she doesn't belong: she's not rich or, in her opinion, beautiful. However, she has been Zach's best friend since second grade. Now, though, with Emily seemingly determined to ruin her friends' lives from beyond the grave, Jodi must decide to stand by her friends or save herself.

This book was delightfully twisty, and I certainly hope this isn't the author's last young adult thriller. I felt the beginning was a little slow, but it definitely picked up and didn't stop. However, and maybe this is just a personal opinion, I was not a huge fan of the ending. Therefore, I gave the book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Read it yourself to see if you agree!

#BrenBreathesBooks #BrenReviewsBooks #4starreads #juliesoto #thethrashers #thrillerbooks #ThrillerAddict #bibliophile #reader #readerlife #readingaddict #publicationday #stmartinspress ##wednesdaybooks #debut #netgalleyreviewer #ARC #arcreader #Bookstagramcommunity #booksofinstagram #kindlereads #booknerd #bookworm

The Thrashers | Julie Soto
Slinking back into my thriller-girly era, thank you very much.

Jodi Dillon feels like the outsider of the in-crowd, even more so when her friends are all arrested facing charges in relation to Emily’s tragic death. The tight-knit crew begins to unravel under the pressure of not only the legal concerns, but all the other strange happenings as well. They might be a privileged pack of rich kids (aside form Jodi), but all their careful plans for senior year and beyond are under threat.

The driving theme for me was the quest for belonging and connection which is SO strong when we are young. These students are placed in an impossible position holding the truth I one hand and public perception in the other, and they don’t all have the support they need to face it. Everyone in the group has reasons to feel on the outside or less-than, and it doesn’t always align with the general perception. I loved seeing the faceted personalities and insecurities play out facing the reality that things are not always as they seem. Entwined with the dramatic teenage landscape is an enticing mystical undercurrent that plays my favorite brand of mind games - it kept me turning pages like a madwoman.

The Thrashers wraps up with a handful of unexpected turns (which is exactly what I expect from a thriller) and I couldn’t help but imagine the story playing out on screen. It is written with incredible visuals and characters that come to life (even Emily who is dead to begin with) and that adds to the fast pace and fleshed-out feeling. Don’t be fooled by the YA, this is not a surface-level kid’s story. This left me wanting more in the best possible way.

5/5 stars!
Big thanks to Forever, NetGalley and Julie Soto for the ARC for review!

YA mysteries just get me. This was in the vein of A Good Girls Guide to Murder and One of Us is Lying. It was high school and prom and lies and death and the power of wealth all wrapped together in a very good read.

This was a book I didn’t want to set down and the epilogue 👀

Amazon & Barnes and Noble reviews submitted
Imgur link goes to Instagram graphic scheduled for May 8th
Blog link goes live May 9th
Will be covered in Friday Reads on May 9th


**TL;DR**: A surprisingly fast paced and gripping thriller.
**Source**: NetGalley - thank you so much to the publisher!

**Plot**: One girl’s death rocks the It crowd clique.
**Characters**: No one here was good, but you truly end up enjoying all of them.
**Setting:** Not the strongest but it wasn’t necessarily needed with the strength of everything else.
**Mystery/Thriller:** I genuinely liked this setup and execution.

**Thoughts**:

The Thrashers is not my usual cup of tea. I don’t read a lot of YA, let alone Thrillers. But occasionally I’ll grab one and this one scratched the itch SO well. If more thrillers were this well done, I’d be gobbling them up.

No one here is good, no one here is without blame and as the story progresses we see more of the cracks and broken edges of our characters. Even our primary PoV character, who I deeply cared about by the end has to face some hard truths on her own behavior. The best part for me, the BEST part, was climax and the reveals. I spent a good chunk of this book convinced of one thing, actively disliking and hating a character to somehow end the book feeling empathy for them? Well done.

If I had to complain about something it would be the epilogue, which I think was completely unneeded and actually killed a bit of the mystery in the story. I would recommend perhaps not reading it, but it’s up to you ultimately.

Do I recommend this one? Yes! This is a great thriller with a great subtle message about bullying. I would especially like to see this in the hands of some younger folks as I think it might be a great read for them to explore. Julie Soto should definitely look to write more books like this, it was a fantastic read.

Jodi Dillon, is a Thrasher, an elite high school friend group centering around Zack Thrasher, Jodis childhood best friend..
When a mysterious tragedy shakes their community, Jodi begins to question the loyalties and secrets within her circle.

I felt so bad for Jodi, she was stuck in such a tough situation, and it was hard watching her struggle with who to trust, and what was right.

I don't want to give anything away, so I am having a hard time putting my feelings about this book into words. I don't want to say what I liked or didn't like, because even that would give away crucial parts of this story.
I will say, I stayed up till 2:30am reading this, for reference my bedtime is usually around 10:30pm ... I could. Not. Stop!
So if you are looking for an intense YA thriller with strong characters and lots of twists, then pick this one up.

This book was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. Julie Soto can write.

This book follows Jodi, the unconventional 5th wheel in an elusive group of friends, known as the Thrashers. Many others have tried to join this group of friends, only to be “thrashed” and left on the outside, humiliated. After a student dies, claims are made that she was a victim of one such “thrashing” which led to her death. Some damning claims are made and suddenly the friend group is questioning what really happened. What secrets have they been keeping from each other? When their friendship is put to the test, who will come out unscathed?

I’m someone who tries (and usually succeeds at) figuring out the “whodunnit” early in a story. But this book had me questioning everything I thought I knew EVERY. STEP. OF. THE. WAY.

The fact that any human who has questioned where they belonged amongst friends can relate to this book, shows just how beautiful Julie Soto writes. She hit all the marks when diving into the dynamic of the friend group. Raw and real. She allowed us to follow Jodi and feel all the questions and uncertainties along the way, never sure what or who to trust. I’m still processing this book days later and I know I’ll continue to think back on it. I’ve told everyone I know that they need to read this book.

13 Reasons Why meets Mean Girls, with a paranormal twist. We have teen angst, suspense, drama, romance, action, mystery… it never stops.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

5/5 ⭐️s
🫑 - kissing only

LOVES:
- Jodi is a really interesting FMC. I think everyone has felt like her before. Am I anyone’s first choice? Do people even like me? Are my friends hanging out behind my back? Classic stuff. The dynamics of this friend group are interesting for a lot of reasons and they only continue to get more and more so.
- I wasn’t necessarily expecting the paranormal element, but it was done in a way that had me creeped out and questioning reality and believing it (I’m not one for believing in ghosts or related things so that’s quite a feat).
- The media and attention surrounding a case like this was really tough to stomach sometimes. It made me question where people draw their lines of morality. Who’s willing to lie for their moment in the spotlight? Who is outraged by someone being bullied enough to harass the bully in return? 😨
- No question that the mystery and unraveling of the true events had me locked in on this the whole time.
- There were definitely things that surprised me. And that epilogue fvcking SHOOK me. 🥺😳🫠😵‍💫😵🥴🫨

Make sure to check your TW/CWs.

This absolutely lived up to my expectations. Honestly, the romantic in me wants more 😆 I’ve read too many romances so I just long for that HEA, but I loved this ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC 💝

I have read and absolutely LOVED Julie Soto's adult romance books && was so excited to see how she would do a YA Thriller. And boy am I SO GLAD I read it! While maintaining a YA-status, this book thoughtfully and thoroughly explored topics ranging from bullying, suicide, social hierarchies/cliques, people-pleasing, and so much more. I honestly could not stop reading it once I started last night, and ended up staying up until 3am to finish. The plot, the characters (hello, 5 morally grey teenagers that we get to follow & root for while they are definitely misbehaving), the writing & pacing – all superb.

This book has vibes of 13 reasons why, pretty little liars, and I know what you did last summer (also maybe some final destination?) with some added paranormal flare. It kept me on my toes and THAT ENDING?! Ma’am. My jaw was on the floor!!! I am going to need another installment of our favorite toxic quintuplets STAT (and if I could specifically pls have more Jodi + Julian, that would be even more amazing)!

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, incredibly well-written thriller to read!!

Rating: 5 ⭐️

4.75 stars

Ok yes Julie Soto romance writer who also wrote an amazing YA thriller! You did that thing! I really enjoyed this book and felt that some twists I saw coming in a good way (great foreshadowing without hitting you over the head with it) and some twists I did not see coming (that epilogue! And the actual ending incident!) but that weren’t a twist for the sake of a twist. I felt like I was constantly back and forth on what was real and what was rumor just like Jodi was. What was bullying and what was just not liking someone - which is sometimes a really blurry line. I couldn’t put it down (but I actually HAD to because I have responsibilities ugh) and really hope there is a sequel because I would love to see more especially with Jodi and Julien. If you like the authors other books, I’d recommend giving this a shot despite being a different genre. And if you like thrillers, definitely check this one out!

My only qualm is I wish the school counselor came up again because it did sound like Jodi was interested in returning and I wanted to know more about what Emily’s sister was claiming about Jodi to her.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

“Either you’re in or you’re out.”

Sometimes I see people rate books infinity ♾️ stars and I wonder if it really is that good, and you know what, THIS ONE IS! Holy. Freaking. Smokes. If you love Pretty Little Liars, Veronica Mars, or Mean Girls, you are going to dieeee for The Thrashers and it really is THAT good. Consider me obsessed.

“It’s really hard to not have the life you imagined. And to be alone for it.”

I knew this would be good because, hello, it’s Julie Soto and the woman does not miss, but I truly did not expect to blow me away as much as it has. The Thrashers follow Jodi, Paige, Lucy, Julian, and Zack after the death of their classmate Emily and the investigation that follows, and the paranormal experiences they’re faced with. I was literally on the edge of my seat, gasping, kicking and screaming, swooning, and just overall on a wild freaking ride with this one. Ughhh and that ending?! THAT. ENDING. Miss Ma’am - there better be a Thrashers 2.0 because I neeeed to know what happens next, and I’m frothing at the mouth for more Jolian.

Read if you like:
💋YA suspense/thriller
💋paranormal experiences
💋high school setting
💋toxic secrets
💋betrayal & revenge

Check tw - yes this ya but it deals with many dark and difficult subjects that should be taken seriously. They’re beautifully done and heartbreakingly portrayed, but this story is raw and the feelings expressed are honest.

“It’s not fair that you can shave your hair—your career-defining hair—and still look this good.”

If this book isn’t on your radar it needs to be.
It’s set in high school, but, as an adult reader, don’t let that deter you. The things these students are dealing with go well beyond the classroom.
This book starts with a death and is a story of the aftermath, but also trying to understand why it happened.
It has a paranormal side, but I found it deeply moving as a middle school teacher about how a relationship among a friend group can affect so many people outside of it.

I enjoyed this one! It was full of mystery, betrayals, toxic friendships with paranormal elements! It did start off slow to me, but when I got that first creepy feel, it picked up lol.

The Thrashers is about an elite friends group at New Helvetia High, Zack, Jodi, Julian, Paige, and Lucy. Everyone wants to be them and be around them. However, when Emily Mills is found dead, could the Thrashers be at fault? This story unfolds through the main character, Jodi.

Jodi Dillon has never really felt like she fit in with her friends. They are rich, refined, and gorgeous. She has always been the odd ball out, felt like an outsider. But she's in and has been since the 2nd grade and she won't lose her spot. Each character was well developed and had distinct flaws which made them not only interesting, but also added a bit of mystery. I was constantly questioning, did they or not?

Jodi was certain they would have never done what they are being accused of to Emily or anyone else. But when Emily's journal is found, truths begin to come out that start to fracture their friendships as Jodi realizes her friends have been keeping secrets after all.

This YA thriller was riveting and eerie! And that epilogue… it was chilling and left me speechless!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for eARC.

The Thrashers by Julie Soto

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jodi is a high school senior and is part of THAT group in school. You know the one.. everyone wants to be around them or a part of them, some way or somehow.

Jodi, Paige, Lucy, Julian and Zack Thrasher make up “The Thrashers” and Zack, is the glue that holds them all together. Jodi doesn’t live on the same rich side of town as the others but she’s been Zack’s BFF since they were kids.

When Emily Mills, a classmate who wanted desperately to be accepted into The Thrashers dies on prom night, the clique tries everything they can to distance themselves from the story that they had anything to do with it.

But weird things keep happening to The Thrashers and it feels like Emily has something to do with it..?

This was an entertaining, page turning, mystery. Easy to read and hard to put down.

Thanks to #netgalley, the publisher and the author for this e-arc! It’s out today, 5/6!!

I loved this book. I love to read or watch a good young adult thriller.. and this one just checked all of the boxes I was looking for. I think this book gave a very accurate description of what it’s like to be in a friend group and have normal teenage insecurities. Even with being a thriller, the experiences seemed very realistic for teenagers. and some of Julie’s romance writing came in when I just wanted Jody and Julie to kiss because they had so much tension between them

The Thrashers is an intriguing YA debut from romance author Julie Soto, and let’s just say, she understood the assignment. Soto mixes thriller elements with a tinge of the paranormal in this story… and even if readers guess certain aspects of the plot before they happen, the epilogue will leave you speechless.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, though there were parts of the ending that, for selfish reasons, I wished had unfolded differently. This is also a book that relies on more of a slow unraveling of events, so be prepared for that pacing-wise! But I could see this easily being turned into a limited series, and think it would transfer amazingly from page to screen.

I went into Julie Soto’s The Thrashers with zero expectations. I hadn’t read any of her previous books, but the synopsis sounded interesting enough to give it a go. Well, I ended up finishing it at around 3:30 this morning. White not perfect, it was certainly engaging. Soto knows how to write believable characters, and the story was nicely complex while still feeling plausible. If you enjoy thrillers but YA isn’t typically your thing, fear not. You won’t be disappointed. This a thriller first and foremost, the cast just happens to be on the younger side. I’d like to thank St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of The Thrashers.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R1JJ2G8IMQCXWW/ref=pe_123899240_1043597390_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I just finished The Thrashers by Julie Soto and here are my thoughts.

Emily Mills wanted to be a thrasher so bad and it killed her….. Jodi, Julian, Paige, Lucy and Zack… Zack Thrasher…They are the elite friend group… Everyone wants to be in their orbit but when Emily’s journal surfaces.. The friend group comes under scrutiny and Jodi has to decide whether she is saving her friends… The people she isn’t the same as.. Or herself… But even as the police close in…. The weird occurrences are more frightening..

Firstly I got the ALC and ARC versions of this book. The narration was amazing! I switched back and forth between the two and they were both outstanding.

It was hard to really connect with the characters until closer to the end because you got the version of the characters they wanted you to see until you the real characters began to shine through and that for me, showed a real talent in the writing.

I really enjoyed the supernatural elements in the book. I would have loved more of that but I think it was done really well regardless. The focal point was the friend group and I loved the contrast of how the friends saw each other and then how outsiders saw them individually and as a collective. It was really clever and skillfully done.

It was well paced and all the mystery elements were executed really well. I enjoyed the heck out of it. I thought it was going to be a whiny teenage drama and it wasn’t that at all. The epilogue though.. OMFG! That just about slayed me.

Brilliant book!

4.5 stars

Thank you to @macmillanaudio, @netgalley and @wednesdaybooks for my gifted ALC and ARC.

#thethrashers #yanovel #wednesdaybooks #juliesoto #bookreview #bookishreview #bookishblog #readerblog #newrelease #bookreel #bookstoread #reelstagram #bookreviewblog #bookoftheday #mysterybookreader #readersofig

The Thrashers is a YA thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. From the very first chapter, the book gripped me with its tense atmosphere and intriguing mystery. I devoured the book within 48 hours!

Julie does an amazing job at making sure the characters are easy to follow and understand, as the story progresses. Each character feels distinct and well-developed, which makes it effortless to keep track of who's who. I thought Julian and Jodi were some of the more interesting ones. They stood out the most, especially with their developing complex relationship. Their connection was one of the emotional high points of the book and kept me invested in the story. There were moments between them that genuinely tugged at my heartstrings and made me root for them throughout the book.

One aspect that kind of threw me off, though, was the paranormal elements. Though it did add an unexpected layer to the story, it felt a bit jarring at times. I also felt the plot dragged on during the middle, but the intensity did pick back up quickly towards the end.

THAT epilogue though…. It left me speechless and honestly craving for more. I really hope there is some type of sequel to continue the story because it feels like there’s so much more that could be expanded from that ending. I’ll definitely be thinking about that ending for a while.

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the ARC!