I loved this! I was intrigued the whole time and a little freaked out reading it in the dark at times (not like, scary or consistently throughout) and it was the perfect balance of paranormal and not.

YA thrillers can be hit or miss for me but this one was a hit.

The Thrashers
3.5 ⭐️

YA thrillers are kind of hit or miss for me and I feel like this one was in the middle there. I enjoyed the first half, but the second half slowly fell as more of the plot came out.

The Thrashers are a group of high schoolers who have been accused of a lot, following the suicide of a girl they had recently cut out of their circle.

I think the friend dynamics were done really well, but I didn’t love the supernatural elements to this story. That epilogue honestly took away from the story for me.

Thanks to @netgalley for this arc

Jodi Dillon is in a group of rich friends who people call the Thrashers. Emily Mills is a poor, troubled teen who badly wants to be in the group. Emily dies and the group is blamed. They begin receiving eerie messages and paranormal things start happening.
This is a great book that I couldn’t hardly put down. I really enjoyed the characters and the twists and turns. Thanks NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

What an ending! It took me some time to get into this, maybe about halfway through I started feeling less uneasy and enjoying the story. It was very final destination. So different from Julie Soto’s other books, but I will definitely recommend it.

Oh I loved this book so much! This was a great suspense read and kept me on my toes the entire time!

“Either you’re in or you’re out.”

Julian Hollister, you sneaky little heart-thief

Tropes & Vibes:
• Third Person POV
• Paranormal
• Sensitive topics
• Morally Grey Characters
• Secrets Destroy Friendships

Okay, full honesty- I was on the fence at first. Jodi was tough to like in the beginning. Maybe because I saw a little too much of myself in her: guarded, messy, prickly in ways that hit way too close to home. But the second she started unraveling the mystery? I was locked in. Couldn’t look away. Couldn’t stop flipping pages like my life depended on it.

And then there was Julian...

The man. The myth. The absolute scene-stealing legend. He just started showing up… and never stopped. No grand gestures, no dramatic declarations. Just steady, subtle, unshakeable support. He didn’t need to shout his love from rooftops; he whispered it in the way he was always there. I wanted to give this two.5 stars at first, I really did, but Julian Hollister pushed it to three.

Their chemistry? Off the charts. The banter? Too good. The drive thru scene?? I needed to be sedated. I was screaming. Flailing. Considering calling someone just to say “DID YOU READ THAT???”

And that ending. EXCUSE ME. Julie Soto, you can’t just leave me like that. BOOK TWO NOW PLEASE. I am emotionally unstable and it is your fault.

This book might’ve started slow for me, but by the end, I was fully feral. Julian and Jodi have me in a chokehold. RIP me.


If you’re into:
• Veronica and Logan on Veronica Mars
• YA / high school hierarchies
• Ghosts/Spirits

this book was MADE for you!


Thank you to Forever Pub and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

2⭐️

Thank you to Wednesday books and Netgalley for this ARC.

When I tell you guys that my hopes were in the CEILING for this book? It came crashing down on me so quickly, and no one’s sadder about it than me 😭

Listen, I love me a YA thriller and I love Julie Soto. I will forever stan her and pretend this does not exist ok? But this was just… TOO MUCH. There’s the clique-y, rich, popular group, a thriller/mystery, a paranormal aspect AND a possible love triangle?? Sometimes less is more 😭 (Although I did enjoy the surprise relationship, I do feel like that their scenes were the ONLY reason why I finished this).

Zack was… annoying. He was going through a possible r*pe charge and he’s still dating a similar girl? Dude read the room, now’s not the time! You got court in 5 mins!! Julian was my fav and his ending?? I can’t believe he got the heat like wtf 😭✋🏼 Lucy was actually cool, although I will say this about all of the characters- I think with the exception of Zack, they felt underdeveloped to me, that they were just indifferent.

Finally, the story felt disconnected to me overall. But I think that just goes back got me feeling like there were too many components in this. ANYWAYS, JUSTICE FOR JULIAN

ok, that was FUN. i've read julie soto books before and enjoyed them, but this one hadn't been on my radar until recently since i don't read many thrillers. but then i saw several folks raving about it and decided i had to read it.

i made that decision at 10pm last night. it's now 4pm the next day and i'm already done. 😂

this book was ADDICTIVE. i'm so so impressed that this was julie's first YA thriller, because i literally couldn't put it down. i fell for the characters pretty quickly and was hooked by the storyline almost immediately. i was like, ok this is going to be a RIDE and i am buckled in. and the book absolutely delivered. the twists, turns, and revelations had me eager to turn each page.

🎧 if you're an audiobook girlie or want a more immersive experience, i HIGHLY recommend the audiobook. eva kaminsky was fantastic and her narration (along with the book itself) gave me goosebumps at times! imagine me with my headphones on and my comforter pulled up to my eyeballs. that was me last night. 😂

to me, the ending wasn't perfect but that's because of my personal feelings about one of the characters. ha. but i did appreciate that there was closure even if i felt some of it was unfair. the epilogue though?! IT GAVE ME CHILLS. honestly, it made me really want a sequel so that maybe a certain someone else will pay their dues and i reallyyyyy want more of jodi and a certain someone. 😍 i'm team him (trying not to spoil. hahaha) all the WAY. also, i'm just like EEK intrigued!

read if you love:
-thrillers/ya thrillers
-paranormal experiences
-toxic friendships
-twists and turns
-high school drama
-secretssss
-pretty little liars
-a little bit of romance
-books you cannot put down

thank you so much to st. martin's press for the arc and macmillan audio for the alc. highly recommend!

3.75 ⭐️

I’m not much of a thriller/mystery reader but this book had me hooked from the very beginning. It gave off Final Destination x 13 Reasons Why and I ate it up. This book had me glued to my seat until I got around to 80% and I just felt like the book dragged on. I didn’t like the ending much but that epilogue?? go on ahead get to typing book 2 Ms. Soto.


Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin Press for the arc

You know how you hate those taglines on books that say that this book is like another book? Why can't someone just explain it originally? Now I find myself doing it. This book was like Final Destination, One of Us is Lying, The Cheerleaders, and that one episode where Denny keeps saying "I'm here for you." IYKYK.
I thought the best thing I can say about this book is that I decided to give it a go for a few minutes before I went to sleep. Then it was 4 AM. I was fifty percent in. And I didn't want to quit. But then the other thing happened. As I'm nearing the end of the book, the weather is perfectly fine, and my lamp flickers on and off. My soul almost left my body. I kid you not. You won't understand the importance of that unless you read it, of course. But maybe don't be under lamp lights.

I'm not normally a mystery/suspense reader, however I love Julie Soto's romance and romantasy novels, so I thought I'd give this a try and I actually loved it! Reading it right after Rose in Chains was definitely an experience, but that just emphasizes how well-rounded and diverse of a writer Julie Soto is. The Thrashers definitely reminded me of other YA mystery stories such as "One of Us is Lying" and "A Girl's Guide to Murder" but it simultaneously felt new and original, with a supernatural twist.

Jodi, the FMC, is a very relatable character and the experience of needing to consider if your friends really are your friends is something that I feel that everyone can relate to at least a bit. And with the mystery of the death of a 'friend', Jodi's POV is so intriguing and compelling. Jodi isn't the perfect character, but then again she's a high school student, so I felt as though her thoughts and actions were quite realistic based on that. All of the side characters had depth and were intriguing in their own rights. No one was perfect, but in a good way, as that allowed for realistic conflict.

As a casual mystery reader, I thought that the plot was very well thought out and had me hooked from the start. There were enough variables to the circumstances that nothing felt quite certain, even at the very end. The supernatural element was very interesting and I thought it definitely allowed for an increase in the mysterious vibes.

The ending has stayed with me since I finished reading and, even though the mystery was solved, the reader is still left with some questions in the best way.

I am so glad to have been invited to view this ARC! The worst part about getting an ARC this good is how I want a sequel already and the book isn’t even out yet! I loved that it became a little bit supernatural/horror. I truly could not put it down- I needed to know what was going to happen next. The epilogue was incredible work. I really liked Jodi and I think shes a great “chaotic good” character. I felt for her in having to learn that not everyone will just protect her. I will say that I had a FEW questions that I thought were left unanswered, but I am wondering if there could be a possible sequel that would answer some of them. Regardless, 5 stars fully based on how glued I was to this book!

If you loved Holly Jackson’s ‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’, you’ll love Julie Soto’s newest release, ‘The Thrashers’! If that’s you, I cannot recommend Julie’s writing enough! Highly recommend picking this up when it releases on May 6th!

I absolutely love Julie Soto’s writing, and was so excited for an opportunity to read her newest release early, but YA mystery/thriller just isn’t for me. And that’s okay! I will continuously read (and absolutely devour) Julie’s romance novels.

Thank you so much, Julie and St Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books, for providing me with an ARC of ‘The Thrashers’!

Xx,
Kortni

This was more mystery than thriller but I was still hooked. A paranormal activity following 5 friends in high school who are struggling with the death of someone who commuted suicide. It was a wild ride to watch as the reasons fell into Jodi's (fmc) lap. I felt for Jodi. The feeling like you don't belong and others are hanging out without you. Zack, the character every one seems to love, I did not love. I didn't like him at all. Jodi sticking it to him at the end was it for me. Paige and Lucy were interchangeable characters and all I was thinking as an adult woman was "where are these kids parents and why aren't they interacting more". It was a healthy mix of paranormal, ya, mystery. Especially for a debut, well done. She left us with a bit of a cliffy in the epilogue so naturally, I gotta know more.

This was such a fun YA thriller and I can't believe it was her YA debut - such a fast, engaging read. This is perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars and One of Us is Lying!

I loved this audiobook!
I always feel a little nervous reading YA when I’m so much older, but I felt like this one was written in such a way that I understood the motivations of the characters even if I can’t relate anymore. The mystery was incredibly compelling.
Emily was found in her tub in her prom dress the night of prom and a group of friends was being blamed for bullying her. And she appeared to be haunting them in a way.
The book was from Jodi’s POV and it was fascinating to see things from that perspective. Was she mean to Emily? Were the rest of her friends?
Nothing was as it seemed in the book and I was on the edge of my seat. I liked Jodi as a character, even when she was being so short sighted, and I was so curious about what life was like before Emily’s death. I definitely recommend this to fans of mystery and YA thrillers. Lots of twists and secrets in this one. The narration was fantastic.

I have read and enjoyed Julie Soto's romance books but was not prepared for how much her YA thriller debut would blow me away. I had such a great time with this book. I really felt for Jodi's situation in this group. The need to belong but also find your own way is something that is very relatable. It would be easy for the characters in this book to be one note but they were all complex and different levels of morally gray. This was a true page turner, I had a hard time putting it down. I was not prepared for some of the twists and turns and that ending!! I don't think there is any intention of this being a series but I need more of two specific characters that I won't reference for spoiler reasons. But if you know you know. I really hope Julie writes another thriller soon.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When this was first announced, I was skeptical of a non-romance Julie Soto book, but she definitely proved how multi-facet she can be. This book encapsulates the teenage insecurities, sense of worthlessness, and idolization. Emily was a haunting character, and those who have known an Emily will certainly feel like Julie was spying on their life. I do hope we get a second book. I want to see how this crews handles environments outside of the comfort their town and high school provided them.

3.25 🌟

This book did not make me miss HS at all. 😬

Okay, I appear to be the odd man out for this book, but this just wasn't it for me. I didn't love the supernatural element. I don't generally love unkind characters and this book is full of them (which, in all fairness, it needs to me). I didn't think there were enough twists and it just kinda felt meh.

Julie Soto can do no wrong and this book proves that. Never once in this book did expect what would happen next. It just kept getting better and better all the way to the end. I felt the story was played out in that perfect climax and there never was any slow point in the book it just kept on getting better.