this was such an addictive read! every time i started this back up, i was constantly telling myself just a few more pages and this was such a fun read! i enjoy soto's romances, so seeing her write another genre was interesting and she killed it!
this is was extremely fast-paced, with a somewhat predictable plot but it was so quick and fun i didn't mind!

As someone who’s loved Julie Soto’s romantic comedies, I wasn’t sure what to expect when she announced a young adult thriller. The Thrashers is a departure from her usual feel-good fare, and I’ll admit—I was hesitant to pick it up. Thrillers aren’t usually my thing. But once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down.

From the jump, the story pulls you in with high stakes, constant questions, and twists that just keep coming. Soto proves she’s just as skilled at building tension and mystery as she is at writing swoon-worthy banter. The characters are morally gray in all the right ways—complex, unpredictable, and deeply human. I found myself loving (and second-guessing) all of them, sometimes in the same chapter.

What really impressed me was how satisfying the resolution was. The ending delivered on all the tension and questions the story built up, and it stuck with me long after I finished the last page. Even though I came for Julie Soto, I stayed for the story—and I’m so glad I did.

If you’re a YA fan, a lover of twisty plots, or just curious to see what happens when one of your favorite rom-com authors goes dark, The Thrasher is absolutely worth the read.

Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Overall: 4/5
Romance: 3/5
Plot: 4/5
My introduction to thrillers did not disappoint. This was a fun read. Once I actually started I struggled to step away. It was a fun story that I absolutely needed to see through to the end. Not only was this my introduction to thrillers it was also my introduction to Julie Soto and she lived up to her hype. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this unfamiliar genre. Soto’s storytelling abilities shone and kept me engaged the whole book!
The ending, while only partially satisfying, felt very realistic, and the epilogue makes me want to demand a sequel ASAP. I liked how real the story and characters felt at times. I also want to know everything about the characters now, like I'd be so down for a prequel novella. So, in summary, I am a bit too invested in the lives of a fictional friend group now!
The Thrashers is a YA thriller with (maybe (; )some supernatural elements and all the drama that comes along with high school. It’s a fun and easy, engaging read that will leave you wanting more. I’m also just about to order all the books on Julie Soto’s blacklist that I don't already own.

This was a rollercoaster from start to finish. I was completely and utterly obsessed with this crew of friends. The twists and turns throughout had me on the edge of my seat. It felt so real, and exactly what could happen in highschool… well aside from a few things maybe. Julie has a way with words that makes you completely emerged in the book, the outside world goes away. The ending had me angry only because I needed more! More answers! More of the Thrashers. Just MORE! But overall it was 5 stars.

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC of The Thrashers by Julie Soto. Once in a while I absolutely love a YA book, and this was the perfect one to binge.

The book followers the elite friend group, The Thrashers, at their local high school. Emily Mills desperately wants to be in the group, but finds herself “thrashed” and when she dies, her journal surfaces. There were a few points in time in which I wasn’t sure where the story was going - There’s definitely a paranormal aspect to it. I enjoyed the audiobook, and felt satisfied at the ending.

I love everything Julie Soto writes. I’m not a big thriller/mystery/suspense reader because I’m a big scaredy cat but I really enjoyed this.

I have no choice but to give this five stars. I dropped everything to read this almost in one sitting. I don’t read a ton of YA, but this one reminded me of shows and movies from my young adult years. And the ending! It had me wanting to immediately re-read the entire book.

This book covers so much. High school cliques, bullying, and sadly suicide to name a few. Emily Mills takes her own life and all eyes are on The Thrashers, a group of five friends. Jodi Dillon has been best friends with Zack Thrasher since the 2nd grade. In high school he brings more and more people into their group, and Jodi starts to feel like she’s being left behind. She is also in love with him, and knows her feelings aren’t reciprocated. She is close with the other girls in her group, Paige and Lucy, but she doesn’t always get along with the fifth person, Julian. And now that they’re under so much scrutiny, secrets will be unearthed.

There was so much to love about this book. All the character dynamics and interactions, the mystery of what happened leading up to Emily’s tragic decision, and a few swoon worthy moments.

I’ve seen comparisons to Pretty Little Liars and Thirteen Reasons Why, and those are spot on, but it also has a bit of Veronica Mars in there, and that’s one of my favorite teen dramas.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, Macmillan Audio, Julie Soto, and NetGalley for the ARC and ALC of this book!

I ATE THIS UP. The perfect amount of secrets, the paranormal suspense, the characters with so many layers. And can we talk about THE ENDING?! Cause I would have continued this forever. Julie can switch genres as many times as she wants - I will continue to read

I’ll start off by saying this is not my preferred genre, but I love Julie and her writing so much I was obviously going to read it anyway. Did it feel similar to other things I’ve read in the past? Yes. Would I still recommend it? Also yes, especially if ya thrillers are your thing. I had a good time. I was entertained. I wanted to know how it ended. Also the end is giving “Hi Dad” from Next to Normal (iykyk).

I didn't want to put this down. I haven't been this obsessed with YA/Suspense since One of Us is Lying. I loved it. The characters, the story, the intrigue/suspense, the hint of romance. It was flawless and I really, really, REALLY hope there will be a sequel. (or a movie...or both.)

This book was so addictive and hard to put down from beginning to end. The ending was not super satisfying to me (and almost seemed like this might have a sequel? Honestly it better.) But I still can’t bring myself to rate it anything less than 5 stars even though I’m a bit let down by how it all came together. I liked the suspense, danger, creepy ghost vibes, secrets, and mystery throughout. It felt nuanced and the high school relationships and dynamics were more relatable than what normally is portrayed in YA. It felt like much more than a thriller/mystery and explored the concept of bullying in a way that really highlighted how hard high school can feel when you’re in it and the weight of people’s expectations and wanting to fit in. I really enjoyed it and hope we see more of The Thrashers in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by Julie Suto, and it absolutely blew me away. The writing, storytelling, and characters were all top-notch. I’m definitely grabbing her other books to devour as well! This book was exciting, intriguing, and that last chapter? It had me gasping. I LITERALLY had to find people on Instagram to talk about it because I needed to discuss the ending. LOL. It was such a wild ride, and I loved every second of it.

I believe this is Julie’s first thriller with minimal romance, and it’s completely addicting. It’s the perfect one-day binge read if you're looking for something quick. You can’t go wrong with high school drama, popular kids, secrets, and someone trying to unravel the truth behind a suicide.
The main character was so relatable, she’s part of the popular group, constantly worried about losing her spot if she misses a party or says the wrong thing to her friends. She fears no one actually likes her, and it was refreshing to have a main character with such relatable stress.

I won’t spoil too much, so you can go into the book blind, but PLEASE put this on your TBR.

With that said, fk Zach. I love Julian, and I low-key wish there was a second book coming soon out so I can get a glimpse into his future…...

A huge thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for the ARC!

The Thrashers are (mostly) a group of spoiled, entitled teens who are bored and cause unnecessary pain and drama to people for fun. But then a girl who was desperate to be one of them dies, each of the Thrashers start facing the consequences of their actions.

I love Julie Soto's first two books but this book is a huge departure. I thought I had set my expectations appropriately before reading. Don't get me wrong, I still find Soto's writing brilliant. I enjoyed many of the twists and turns in this book, though it was a bit too long in my opinion, but you aren't leaving it with a warm and fuzzy happily ever after. While the book is in third person perspective, you get to know Jodi the best. She's the classic "wrong side of the tracks" character who isn't really "meant" to be in this group. She is easily to identify with if you were a kid who wasn't accepted in high school, even though she was "accepted-ish". She's easily the best character in the book because she's the only person who isn't 98% shitty. I know I'm not the target audience of this book, but perhaps that's why it's so striking to me that teenagers treat the lives of others with so little care. Especially when they have access to power and privilege. Then again, maybe that explains a lot about why the world is the way it is right now.

I have such mixed feelings about this book because while I hate everything the Thrashers stood for, it got me thinking back to when I was a preteen and teen. Was I that horrible to someone? Was it just because my brain was not fully formed or because I wasn't at all comfortable in my own life? Is that an excuse if I did act horribly?

The romantic in me was hoping for a redemption arc for Julian and maybe he did get that in some form. I won't spoil the ending, but it left me wondering if that redemption happened only because of what was hanging over his head.

"Either you're in or you're out. Welcome to the Thrashers, the elite friend group at New Helvetia High. They're everything everyone wants to be."

WOW. Just—WOW. I’m not surprised, and yet, I’m still completely stunned. Julie Soto has once again proven there is nothing—and I mean nothing—she can’t write. Her YA thriller debut is nothing short of electric. What a pulse soaring, compelling, and yet, beautiful, story. The Thrashers are a group of deeply flawed High School students, who you truly can't help but root for. I was hooked from the very first line of the story and completely unable to pull my Air Pod from my ear.

This gave Pretty Little Liars meets 13 Reasons Why in the best way. I am forever changed.

Oh this book was a creepy one, I dove into this book and forgot COMPLETELY that this is a Julie Soto book. I love this author, and this book did not disappoint. The Thrashers are a group of kids, who are popular at school, and Emily, being the new girl in school wanted in, and what she ends up dead, that group is public enemy number 1. Secrets get revealed, and Emily left behind a journal, and its WILD. This YA read was a huge win.

(Did I forget to mention that this book is a little creepy?)

I kept wanting to know what was happening and how we got to where we were in the prologue. Every chapter kept me enthralled because the secrets that kept unraveling as we went on had me shook. I definitely recommend this to anyone that likes a typical YA Thriller/Mystery.

Different for Julie Soto, but I enjoyed it! I really enjoy her as a fanfic writer, and now I enjoy her as a thriller writer too! I won’t give anything away, but I will definitely be buying this book and recommending it.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press & Julie Soto for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Woooo eee! What a RIDE! I did not know what to expect with this genre pivot of Julie's from romance to YA Thriller.. I LOVED the use of paranormal activity (Seance, visiting a medium, the vibes, the dreams..) in this book. Loved it. And one of the major settings is a major setting from a previous romance title- LOVED that connection.

I would say as an adult reading this YA novel- the heavy themes and actions were.... accurate to the teenage experience? But also- you might not want your teen to read this and feel numb to/normalize these themes, activities and choices. Does that make sense?

This book will leave you with questions- which is GREAT for a book club pick! Grab your besties- read the book- and THRASH it out!!

Julie Soto’s thriller debut was absolutely perfect. The twists were everything I needed and more! I never once expected what would be coming next. The ending had me completely shocked! I’m excited for Julie to write more mystery/thrillers!!

This was a fast moving YA thriller. I really enjoyed it and found it hard to put down. I just HAD to know what was happening next. I liked all the drama and all the lies. Hoping for a sequel!!