Oh boy! It took me a few days to think about this book before writing the review because I had to process all of the feelings that came up. I originally started the book before its release date but wasn’t enjoying the experience at the time. I don’t know if it was more about my mood or the heavy topics the book addresses. I recently switched to listening to the audiobook (narrator and production were good) and quickly finished it.

The book starts strong with the self inflicted harm on prom night of a young woman and goes on to explore what lead to the end of her life. The book address bullying and other problematic behavior that faces teens. There are elements of the paranormal and unreliable narratives.

In the end I enjoyed the book but totally recognize this is not a book for every reader. Although written for a younger audience I would suggest parents be ready to have important discussions with their readers about what is covered.

I would recommend to fans of Trish Lundy’s The One Who Got Away With Murder or A Good Girls Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson.

The Thrashers is an entertaining novel that blends romance, tension, and a behind-the-scenes look at the music world. Julie Soto’s writing style is sharp and easy to read, and she captures the intensity of complicated relationships well. The banter and emotional push-and-pull between characters create engaging moments, and the story has plenty of drama to keep you turning the pages.

That said, the pacing is uneven, and some plot beats feel a little repetitive. While the characters are likable, they could use more depth to make their choices and conflicts feel fully earned. The novel is enjoyable but doesn’t quite reach the level of emotional punch or originality that would make it stand out in a crowded romance/drama field.

Overall, The Thrashers is a solid read with entertaining moments—great if you enjoy character-driven romance with a musical edge—but it lands more in the “good, not great” category.

This was a super bingeable as an audiobook. Extreme teen angst - lots of relatable teen relationships and secrets. Fast-paced and twisty - this one was an enjoyable read overall. The central friend group felt like a representation of that one friend group everyone knows in high school, just a little more twisty and under a microscope.

There were some diabolical characters and the ending was really enjoyable to me - I liked the way that it ended for sure. The structural decisions with inserting diary entries as part of the case files was a fun red thread to pull the story together and drop the breadcrumbs from a couple different points of view. I'm a big fan of Julie Soto in general and it was great reading her thriller/YA work as a new genre that I haven't read of hers. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC.

As far as YA thrillers go, this one was very good. I was on the edge of my seat most of the time.
If you are looking for a good spooky season read with that time right around the corner, then this would be a good choice. I had my suspicions about what was going on, but there was more to the story than I had predicted. The ending was realistic enough, in that I was annoyed things worked out the way they did, but even in real life justice doesn’t always work out the way that you want it to. The very end may just give you goosebumps; the creepiness was off the charts.
The characters were both likeable and not. You will question whether or not the narrator is reliable, which is an added stress to the narrative. My favourite character was actually Julian because his character is the one that I felt experienced the most growth, but maybe I’m not actually supposed to like him - it may be time to question my choices…
There are some heavy themes throughout the book, so I highly recommend checking out the trigger warnings before picking it up.
Many thanks to Wednesday Books (St. Martin’s Press) and NetGalley for a digital copy of the book. The opinions expressed are given freely and are honest and my own.

Oh. My. Goodnesssss!I loved this audiobook. I loved the narrators Eva Kaminsky and Jesse Vilinsky were amazing! They brought the story to life! I gasped out loud so many times. I had no clue of the truth at any point during the book.  The writing flowed well, and the plot kept me coming back to listen to more at every opportunity.  Y'all, I actually wanted to do chores; so I had a reason to listen to this book. 🤣 That says a lot because no one wants to do chores!

My favorite parts are the parts with the lights. IYKYK. I still don't know how I feel about Emily, tbh. I don't think I liked her all that much. 🤣 The ending with Julian saying he was also haunted by her. Then, the epilogue! Also, the fact that Julian was the only one to go to her plays was heart-warming. There was definitely a nice guy deep down and he put on a tough guy front.

So. Freakin. Good. This was a story about bullying, friendship with some spooky ghost stuff mixed in. Jodi was a great character, someone with a pretty rough home life who is friends with the “in” crowd at school. When a girl from their school commits suicide while prom is happening the Thrashers, as they are known, come under scrutiny. When a journal that purportedly belongs to the dead girl shows up and implicates certain members of the clique, Jodi needs to figure out exactly what’s true, and who is guilty.
I have to say, the ending absolutely had me surprised. I was hoping for a happier ending for Jodi and the guy who apparently likes her but it ended up being more of a creepy pseudo cliffhanger. I’d be interested in a sequel for sure!

This book was such a wild ride. Very quick paced and easy to read, I flew through this one. I wasn't sure what to expect since this was more YA than what I've been reading lately, but I had such a good time with this and all these characters!

really enjoyed this book and the journey of the main character and all that they went through. It kept me on my toes and what would happen in the story.

You know - it has been WHILE since I read a book that caused me to almost miss my subway stop and stay up super later reading, but The Trashers is that book.

I'm not sure what compelled me the most about it - the feeling of being left out from your friends. The feeling of uncertainty that plagues the whole book.

THE POTENTIAL GHOST FUCKING AROUND??? Lord!!!!

I really also liked that we had no idea what was real or not. The friendship was so creepy but also Jodi's friends, at point sucked. Or were they keeping an eye out for her??? Goodness it could go either way.

The budding friendship between Jodi and Julian was a harsh thread to needle and I think it was done well. Started with not even wanting him on the page to the slow gradual buildup of "hey! I would read a solid romance about just them tbh"

BUT THAT ENDING??? Wow. Wow!!!

I had a truly delightful time with this book and would super recommend it to anyone who like teen thrillers. (Or thrillers. Teen non withstanding!)

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for a chance to read and review!!!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of Thrashers. Julie Soto is an automatic read for me & this one didn’t disappoint either. It was a fun easy read, a highschool mystery while dealing with bigger topics like bullying & suicide.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this eARC. All opinions are my own.

This was an enjoyable reading experience.

This book was a fun read. For anyone who enjoyed Gossip Girl, or newer fans who enjoyed Ginny and Georgia, I think you'll like this. I enjoyed the paranormal/ haunting aspect and totally devoted this book. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this story!

So this is a really quick read. I have different issues with this than others. While bullying is awful and never okay, what came out about Emily was BONKERS. Girl needed to be a 72 hour hold at the very least. And I'll catch stuff for that but we are responsible for only ourselves. While what Julian had done was simply wrong and not okay, the stalking wasn't either. He saw her for how she was and at the end it wasn't fair. .but is life ever? Neither should've ended up that way. But that epilogue? Ooh boy!

The Thrashers is a YA thriller that follows 5 high school friends, following the death of a classmate. I ended up really enjoying this book! All of the characters were flawed (some way more than others), but their flaws were part of the reason I kept reading. The twists were believable, and I liked the supernatural aspect to the story. I would really love a sequel to this one, specifically about Julian and Jodi 😂. Overall, this was a quick twisty YA thriller that kept me entertained from the beginning.

1.5 stars (rounded up)

The Thrashers are made up of Zack Thrasher, Julian, Lucy, and Paige...and reluctantly, Jodi (Zack's childhood best friend). Emily Mills wants to be a Thrasher but they don't want her. After extensive bullying, Emily dies by suicide on prom night and leaves behind a journal that points the finger at the Thrashers.

Overall, this book just didn't interest me. I don't think I'm a fan of high schoolers bullying others into suicide. It felt like there were no repercussions for the Thrashers. I was quite bored for most of the book and found the main friend group to be pretty annoying. I just feel like Julie Soto could've done a lot with incorporating more about mental health (and also providing suicide resources). There were no content warnings for a book that YOUNG ADULTS are going to pick up off the shelves...Also, this wasn't very thrilling or mysterious. It really just felt like rich kid drama and bullying.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

This was one of the best YA books I've read in a while. I was initially drawn to it based on the thriller aspects of the description, and while this was certainly part thriller, it was so much more. Often when I read YA books the characters (specifically teenagers in high school) don't act/think/speak like real teenagers, but that was not the case here. Jodi's insecurities surrounding her friends regardless of how much they obviously cared for her, Julian and Jodi's whole (he/shes only mean to you because they like you), Zach' whole oblivious act, as if he truly had no idea the affect he had on people, Paige genuinely oblivious to how beautiful and loved she is, there are so many examples, but they all perfectly portrayed how your typical teenage mind works and the actions those thoughts can lead to consciously or not. The story itself keeps you guessing, I especially enjoyed the fact that Emily being obviously not well lead to Jodi (and myself) having no idea what to believe - her friends who she knew didn't like Emily, and had said cruel things behind her back or Emily whose interpretations of things wasn't always based in reality. I didn't mind the somewhat supernatural aspects but if you're not a fan of that you may not enjoy as much, the only thing that went beyond what I felt necessary was the epilogue... but overall this was really well done thriller with amazing character development. I loved Jodi, Oliver and Julian, but more than anything I loved the relationships between them all. I was rooting for everyone even when I probably shouldn't have been. Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for this honest review.

This was the Mean Girls/Final Destination mash-up I didn't know I needed. I was so conflicted because I knew the Thrashers were terrible, but at the same time, I was rooting for them. I couldn't stop listening to this. Soto sucks you right into the story and doesn't let go. And that ending? I did not see that coming. This was the perfect summer YA thriller.

I loved the psychological, haunting thriller! This wasn’t your typical YA thriller and it kept me on my toes and guessing the entire time. The ending!!

Good to know my high school experience was uneventful and boring in comparison to what is depicted in The Thrashers.

The book follows a group of teens known as "The Thrashers", who are investigated by police for bullying following a classmate's suicide. The characters are complex and overall unlikeable, but in a way that captures and maintains the reader's attention. The book is Soto's first in the YA Thriller category, and does a great job with it.

I skimmed other reviews before writing mine, and interestingly enough, what others docked a star for made me bump up a star on my rating: the epilogue. Typically the twist is not something I would enjoy, but it gave an added eerieness to the story.

This was a fun, twisty mystery that reminded me a bit of <i>I Know What You Did Last Summer</i>. The beginning grips you right off the bat and some of the reveals I did not see coming. I liked the fast pacing and that this wasn't a regular murder mystery story. I definitely recommend this for a quick read!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the copy.