This book had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning. I got Pretty Little Liars vibes with the mixed up friend group and the mystery behind Emily’s death. The story kept you engaged and guessing, thinking that you might have it figured out and then it completely changed! I kept my theories throughout the book and then something would happen to blow it out of the water….LITERALLY at one point. I loved the paranormal aspect to it as well, it definitely made me skeptical of those parts. The ending made me want more! There was one part of the ending with Emily’s sister that I caught that I was hoping would be clarified by the end of the book or in the epilogue but it never was. I’m not sure if that was me reading into her statement too much, if the author meant to keep it open for interpretation or was leaving it as a loophole into possibly another book…but regardless, it left me questioning. I hope that there is a sequel so we can find out more because the epilogue made me want to close out that book and go straight into more!

This book was exactly what I was looking for in a thriller. It gave me Pretty Little Liars and 13 Reasons Why vibes. I didn’t want to put it down. All the secrets that unfolded throughout the story caught me by surprise. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was my first Julie Soto and definitely won’t be my last. What a banger of a YA thriller! If you loved Pretty Little Liars, 13 Reasons Why, or just appreciate suspenseful & truly brutal stories about high schoolers behaving badly, this will be a winner for you.

From the prologue, I could not put this down! It’s a wild story about a cliquey group called “The Thrashers” and how they use and manipulate other students at their school—something that’s referred to as being “Thrashed.” The group is made up of five kids who exclusively hang out with each other and occasionally bring in someone new… if that person has something they want. But things go too far when one of their latest victims ends their life and leaves behind an incriminating journal detailing their experience with the group. That’s only the beginning—nothing is as it seems, and I was glued to the pages.

Each character had such a distinct voice and personality, and I loved the dynamic between The Thrashers. This story did not go the way I expected it to, and there’s a touch of the paranormal that you’ll either love or hate. I personally enjoyed it, even if it pulled me out of the story a little bit.

Overall, this was toxic, messy, and had all the components of a binge-worthy YA thriller that I eat up every single time. Cannot wait for Soto’s next thriller! I still haven’t read her romance books yet, but I’ll be picking them up very soon after this awesome experience.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC!

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this e-ARC.

I loved this way more than I expected! I’m already a big fan of Julie Soto, but was a little apprehensive to read a YA mystery/thriller from her. However, it grabbed me immediately, and didn’t let me go until the very end. She really knows how to keep things enticing - I was intrigued about the potential for paranormal (was it or wasn’t it? Hmm) and the secrets between the five friends. Each friend had unique personalities that I was interested in getting to know more - and it seems like Julie left the ending open for more too (fingers crossed this book does well so a sequel gets picked up!). She has a way of developing her characters in such a genuine way.

Julie has a great way of writing something so authentic - I was really able to connect with our fmc Jodi in ways that really brought me back to being 17/18 and feeling left out or as if you are always an afterthought with your friends. How easy it can be to engage in peer pressure even when your instinct is telling you not to join in. How you might not be the only one among your friends feeling a certain way.

This is a YA novel, but definitely doesn’t read that way at all!

I honestly loved everything about this. I thought it was well written, with smart characters, and an engaging story. Can’t wait for more!

how fun was this??
I've read only Julie's romance novels, and this was such a thrilling change of pace.
Entirely a let's read a couple chapters before bed, but oops, it's actually now 3am.

THE EPILOGUE? hope she kissed the brick she threw at my face. I'm really just not a fan of open-ended finishes. I shall redact that statement if Julie chooses to write a second book.

Julie Soto does it again!!!

Absolutely riveting. I could not put this book down. The layers to this story continued to unfold as the characters became richer and more complex.

Be aware you need to be in good health to read this as your heart will race it will take your breath away.

4.5 stars rounded up! I don’t typically read YA, and I’ve never read a book by this author (tho I’ve heard good things!) but I ATE THIS UP!! I was a little obsessed with learning more about The Thrashers, and what exactly happened to Emily. I didn’t feel like this read YA (although I guess I don’t really know if it did since I don’t read this genre), other than it was about a group of high school kids. Fantastic book, suspenseful, interesting, awesome. Highly recommend!

Pretty Little Liars meets One of Us is Lying in this story about a group of popular friends who now are being faced with the consequences of the death of a girl in their high school... who is implicating that one or multiple people within the group are the cause of her death. Everybody wants to be part of the Thrashers, the elite friend group at New Helvetia High. The Thrashers are made up of Zach Thrasher (rich, gorgeous, and loves attention), Lucy (tough girl who slept with Zach once and never got over it), Paige (bubbly girl who is all over the place), Julian (extremely handsome jock who cheats not only on tests but on his girlfriends as well, does not like Jodi at all), and Jodi (Zach's childhood best friend who is the only "poor" one of the group and the after thought friend essentially, always the DD for the group and bends towards everyone else). Then there's Emily Mills, a girl in a younger grade who wanted to be a Thrasher desperately but dies.... and when her journal resurfaces... everyone in the group except for Jodi is named as being implicated in her death and now Jodi must decide whether to betray her friends or protect herself.... and things only get stranger as mysterious texts begin to appear and it seems like Emily is haunting them. Jodi will have to unearth the reality of her friends... and what it actually means to be a Thrasher. This book was an odd read for me, as someone who loves a YA mystery friend drama with a splash of romance read, like I was expecting something along the lines of One of Us is Lying and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder... but this one was weird. The romance kind of just appears 80% into the book and the epilogue ending was odd too, like what?? I didn't feel the romance at all and the fact that nearly everyone in this friend group was a bad person who didn't have any real redeemable characteristics... yeah, this one missed the mark for me.

Release Date: May 6, 2025

Publication: ash-and-books.tumblr.com

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Rating: 4.7⭐️
Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARCs!

I’ve loved both of Julie Soto’s romances, so I was really excited to read a YA mystery book by her. With this book, she has proven that she knows how to write a book you can’t put down, regardless of the genre.

From the prologue of this book, I was absolutely hooked! The whole book JS had me questioning everything: is there a paranormal factor, what’s true and what’s lie, who’s in on it, are the Thrashers’ reputation exaggerated or real?..

As the mystery of Emily’s death is unraveled, many secrets are revealed, causing lots of drama and fracturing within the group. The mystery behind the death was kinda obvious but it was the mystery surrounding the Thrashers, the dynamics within the group and the characters that made it a really addictive read. The book did a great job of showing the struggles of trying to fit in, while always feeling on the outside.

All the characters of the Thrashers feel like three dimensional, well fleshed out characters. You come to really care about all of them, especially as you get to know the person behind the mask of how they represent themselves.

Aside from all the friendship drama and the mystery of Emily’s death, there’s also a romance. And oh my, what a romance. I was rooting for them from the get go, it's a slow burn, but also, the tension, chemistry, banter is all there! And how he cares for her, without her even fully being aware of it… The scene they had on stage with paint…. 😳 It’s what I dreamt my romances would be like back in high school 😀

Highly recommended YA mystery book, especially for fans of OOUIL, PLL and AGGTM

🎧I also really enjoyed the narration, allowed me to be fully sucked into the story and all its characters.

⚠️There are also a bunch of CWs in this book such as alcoholism, suicide, bullying…

I do not usually like thrillers. They don’t usually hold my attention and I usually reach the end and feel disappointed in the way things tied up. I absolutely loved this book. It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I even considered calling out of work to finish the book it was that good. The cast of characters were lovely and it was easy to get sucked into their dynamic. There were twists and turns the whole way and while I had inklings, I couldn’t tie the whole story together really on my own. The epilogue really hit me with the need for more more more. I felt like I couldn’t get enough, but it also felt like the perfect ending. I need all my friends to read this book so I can gush about it.

The Thrashers confirmed once again that if Julie Soto writes it, I WILL be reading it and LOVING IT! This YA thriller was a 10/10, 5 star, made me immediately want to reread book. As a fan of shows like Pretty Little Liars and The Vampire Diaries, it gave me the same vibes. Just when I thought there were no more surprises... BOOM - THE EPILOGUE! So so good!

I'm so beyond blown away. The Thrashers by the one and only @juliesotowrites was addicting and terrifying. The twists, turns and full body chills were 10/10. It reminded me of the movies Disturbing Behavior, The Faculty and The Craft. As an 80's baby who grew up in the prime of movies like I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scream, this book was everything I needed and more. I’m still obsessing over this book and I finished it a week ago.

Binged in one singular day.

I adored this YA suspense thriller! The book itself was phenomenal, but the audio was spectacular. I was driving home with the lights on bc I’m a big baby. 🤣

If I had to pitch this book in one sentence, I would say it’s like Gossip Girl was written as a thriller with paranormal and Final Destination-like interference. 👀👀

My sweet baby Julien 🫶🏻 I knew I was going to love him from his first utterance of bs to Jodi.

I knew part of what was happening, but the ending truly caught me off guard.

And wth Julie… that EPILOGUE?!? I need book 2 STAT. (Also, for those that don’t read prologues and epilogues, please, give me one good reason. You miss out on SO much).

Literally finished this book in less than two days!
I have been in such a big slump and this books audio book took me right out of it. It was so easy to listen to and the pacing was great. I felt so many different emotions for all the characters in the whole story had such an interesting arc. As someone who is a fan of Julie Soto romance books I was very interested and excited to see what her writing would look like in a different genre and it totally didn’t disappoint!

𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚 🎭: YA mystery/thriller
𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚: 🚫
𝙋𝙖𝙘𝙚 🏃🏼‍♀️: fast
𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 🖤: 13 Reasons Why
⚠️: mention of suicide

This is a super bingeable audiobook. It definitely is a YA high school thriller with a slight paranormal component but still enjoyable for adults. It reminded me a lot of 13 Reasons Why - and if suicide is a trigger please know there is quite a bit of discussion on page. I found the dynamic of the high school friend group / competitive clique / mean girl vibe to be fantastic. Slight romance subplot.

There's a large cast of characters to keep track of, but I did just fine with the audio. I listened at 2.25x for most of the book because I was so engaged and it was easy to follow. Really enjoyed the narration.

I love a good YA mystery and this one was no exception. Julie Soto is a must read author for me. I had an idea of what was going on throughout the story, but it was still a fun read.

I think I am in the minority on this one (and that’s okay!) but I didn’t love this story. Was it super bingeable? Yes. But I found it pretty predictable and kind cringey 😬 I will admit that it’s often hard for me to suspend belief and this was giving high school drama with paranormal activity vibes and ultimately just wasn’t really for me.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for allowing me to be an early reader. All thoughts are my own.

this book was fast paced and easy to keep up with. but it just didn’t hit right for me. i couldn’t stand any of the characters by the end and i was glad it was over when i finished it.

I wanted to like this book so badly, and maybe it just wasn’t for me, but I could not get into it. It took me months to read this book and I could only read pages at a time because it just didn’t hold my interest. I absolutely love Julie’s contemporary romances, but this book was not for me. I found the characters very unlikeable, unrealistic, and uninteresting.

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0

Wow this was so good! I loved the paranormal aspect and the epilogue was a great twist/end to the story. This book made me feel like I was back in high school on the periphery of my own "thrashers group. What a wild ride from start to finish!