⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars

[ thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the eARC! ]

This was Julie’s debut young adult novel and I was here for it! It’s no surprise around here that I love a good YA thriller/mystery!!

This is high school drama at its best. “The Thrashers” is a nickname for a group of friends — Zach, Julian, Lucy, Paige, and Jodi. They are the popular kids at school; everyone wants to be them and everyone wants to join their friend group.

I was hooked! I was intrigued by the mystery, the characters, and even the supernatural elements. It was messy at times and had me second guessing what I thought I knew. Looking at you, epilogue!! 👀 Does that mean we are getting a sequel?!

Julie Soto, you've done it again! I will read everything you write, from Dramione to trade pub YA thrillers, because I know it's going to be great. And, I mean, you do enemies to lovers so so well. Julian does give a bit of Draco, right?

And THE ENDING! What a delightful experience this was to read. I will delight in reading whatever you decide is next.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

Ok this was absolutely amazing. I was invested from the start, I couldn’t put it down!! The characters were intriguing, the story was mysterious and I loved every second of this. Bravo to Julie Soto, is there anything she can’t write?

I couldn’t put this book down??? What did Julie put in here???

The ending?????????? HELLO????

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Julie Soto & Wednesday Books for the early copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of the Thrashers. Julie Soto did not disappoint and this had an added layer of interest for me as a Sacramento native. Many million dollar neighborhoods here are separated from some of the most economically disadvantaged by a road or a fence with people sharing grocery stores, schools, libraries, and activities. As someone who grew up in a lot of these environments and locations (although many years earlier) I feel like this was the perfect setting to highlight the extreme juxtaposition of class differences, which Julie did expertly in her book.
I thought the story itself was engaging and the tension and thrills fit the high school slasher vibe to a T. I loved that she explored how class deeply affected the characters’ relationships with each other and how bullying, treating people as beneath you and indifference are closer than they seem and can be excruciating to experience as an insecure teenager. I struggled a little with the tone of the book in dealing with some deeply triggering and traumatic topics and I definitely recommend the content warnings. I would have also liked to see more character growth instead of just extremely privileged kids worrying about the consequences of their actions and playing victims. I did find the main character very relatable though, if flawed and immature, and I was happy with the way she grew in the book and the way the plot was wrapped up. Ultimately, though I would appreciate a sequel where a few specific people suffer more. I love that Julie wrote this book, something completely different from what she has become known for. It shows how universal her writing skills are and the interesting perspective and relatability in the voice of all of her books.

Holy fun read. The Thrashers def gave me more than I expected. Red herrings everywhere as well as a dash of paranormal goodies too.

So much more than your typical revenge/bully YA thriller this one has teeth. I will read Soto again. So well done! Thanks for the early copy.

Such a fun read!! I wasn't sure how I would feel about a YA thriller after only reading Soto's contemporary romance but I was happy to see The Thrashers live up the level I've come to expect from Soto, who has quickly become an auto-buy author for me.

Engaging and compelling, I had no idea where this book was going to go next. Highly recommend.

I’m obsessed? And I say that as someone who is not generally a thriller girlie. I think I have been maybe missing out on YA thrillers. This was so much more enthralling than any of the adult thrillers I've ever read. I think YA really lends itself to thrillers since the emotions and situations get to be a little crazier and believable because teens are messy and crazy and terrible and lovely without some of the thought processes that stop adults from doing things.

My favorite part of this book was truly not knowing who to trust at any point and Julie Soto flipping it on me like five different times. And to be honest EVERYONE was a little morally grey!!!! And I think I LOVED that because it meant I couldn't fully condone or dismiss anyone's actions or feel like I could trust a character and that felt more real to me than other books that are staunchly bag guy hurting good guy. I think it made the MC look more closely at herself and her friendships and will make readers do the same.

I also loved that there was a magical realism/spooky element, and the end of the book made me want MORE!!!

Also, the romance.... Julie. How do you always make me root for these bad bad guys and then the ending of this????!!?!?!? It hurt. I want Julie to go back to her roots and write her own fanfic and give us a college story for these folks.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! I would recommend to anyone! I would have finished this in lowkey one sitting if I hadn't gotten violently ill lol.

Such a fast paced YA thriller with so many twists and turns! I stayed up so late, not being able to put it down. The friendships, betrayals, plot twists, and revelations, I was kept on my toes through and through. I definitely recommend this one if you want a ya HS thriller with paranormal elements and hidden twists!

I loved this book. It had all the questions to keep me reading and engaged. Who did it? Why? What happened the night of the prom? Who are "The Thrashers?" I think not only YA readers will enjoy, but also adults who are looking for a good book to curl up with! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for.the ARC! I definitely recommend this one!!!

The Thrashers is a gritty, intense tale of loyalty, survival, and the bonds that hold us together. Julie Soto delivers raw emotion and unflinching honesty, making this a powerful read you won’t forget anytime soon.

In her YA debut, Julie Soto hit all the right notes. A group of friends called the Thrashers, after their popular leader, Zack Thrasher, are accused of leading a wannabe member, Emily, to end her life. It appears the group is being haunted by Emily, as some strange and dangerous things keep happening to them. Jodie is our main character, and the story is told from her perspective. She is the most likable of the group, which made me want to root for her. But as the story went on, it was difficult to cheer for any of the Thrashers. I flew through this audiobook. The narration was suburb and I couldn't wait to see how the story resolved. The epilogue, ya'll 🤯.

This was a fast paced book that I couldn't put down. I was invested in the Thrashers, and who killed Emily. The ending had a nice little twist that I didn't see coming.

Okay, I can’t even begin to describe how much I LOVED this book! Being a YA thriller, I thought this would make a great pallet cleanser from all the romances I’ve been reading. And since it’s YA, I wasn’t really expecting any romance but OH My GOSH! I was hooked from start to finish! I LOVE the slowly growing school crush sub plot! I LOVE how you were kept guessing if there was really any paranormal activity or if it was all just coincidence until the very end! This was so good, so dramatic so angsty and with just enough romantic intrigue to make my feet kick! Julie Soto can officially write anything, and I’ll pick it up!

“They drew attention to themselves no matter what. The Thrashers.” 📓

I’ve seen nothing but glowing reviews for Julie Soto’s newest YA novel, THE THRASHERS...and I couldn’t help but cringe the whole time I was reading. It follows a high school clique - The Thrashers - in the aftermath a classmate’s apparent suicide on prom night. However, when evidence surfaces that the group had severely harassed and bullied that classmate, mistrust, blame and a bit of paranormal activity ensues.

This book just made me feel gross; every character was reprehensible and I feel like so many of their actions get written off as they are immature, developing teenagers - but they are truly all terrible people (even the victim is incredibly manipulative). There is a paranormal aspect to the plot - which, to me, felt random, out of place and not fully developed (although that epilogue was so well executed!). While the book does a good job at capturing the messiness that is high school social circles - the self-conciousness, the strong desire to be accepted and admired, the burgeoning romantic feelings - I truly felt like no character learned their lesson or grew from this ordeal, so...to me...it truly read like a bit of a trauma dump for others enjoyment.

Overall, while it was a quick read...it was anything but easy - be sure to review the trigger warnings carefully, as it is incredibly dark. And, unfortunately, I don’t think many of the potentially triggering topics are treated with much care.

CW // bullying; suicide; alcohol and drug use; car accident; assault; death of loved one; drowning

Julie Soto delivers a deliciously twisted high school drama meets murder mystery in The Thrashers. Think Gossip Girl with a touch of Pretty Little Liars darkness, where secrets fester under the glossy surface of an elite friend group, and loyalty has a deadly price.

Jodi Dillon is our relatable outsider on the inside—dragged into the orbit of the Thrashers thanks to her lifelong friendship with golden boy Zack. The cast is messy, privileged, and addictive to watch unravel. When Emily Mills, a wannabe Thrasher, turns up dead, the story shifts from glitzy teen drama to edge-of-your-seat thriller.

What I loved:

The suspense! This had me flipping pages well past bedtime.

Soto’s signature voice—sharp, witty, and emotionally raw.

The way Emily’s presence lingers even after death, creating a chilling vibe that builds perfectly.

Why not 5 stars? Some of the pacing dragged in the middle, and a few characters felt more like archetypes than fully fleshed-out people. Still, it all came together with a satisfying punch in the final act.

This one’s for readers who love high-stakes drama, layered friendships, and a good "WHAAAT?!" twist. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more thrillers from Julie Soto.

The Thrashers by Julie Soto starts off slow, but once it finds its rhythm, the tension builds fast, and I was hooked. While I initially found it a bit hard to follow, I couldn’t stop reading. There’s something about the way Soto unravels the mystery that kept me invested, even when I wasn’t sure where it was going. And that ending? Totally unexpected, I’m still not sure how I feel about it, but it definitely left an impression.

What I love most about this book is how perfectly it captures everything I crave in a YA thriller: morally gray characters, high-stakes friendships, slow-burning suspense, and just enough romance to keep things interesting. Soto knows exactly how to balance eerie atmosphere with emotional depth, and the ghostly, symbolic touches like the street lamps and supernatural elements gave the story an almost dreamlike edge.

If you're into YA thrillers with supernatural twists, slow-burning tension, and messy friendship dynamics, The Thrashers belongs on your TBR. It’s sharp, haunting, and lingers long after the last page.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press for the copy of this e-ARC!

What a great YA thriller! I had a hard time putting this one down between the high school drama, creepy visits from a ghost and figuring out what really happened to Emily.

The Thrashers are a group of friends that rule their high school, everyone wants to be one of them. Zack Thrasher leads the crew, and Julian, Lucy, Paige and Jodi all have one thing in common: they'd do anything for Zack. The girls all have crushes on him, as does the rest of the school. Emily tries to infiltrate the group, but right before junior prom she takes her own life. The Thrashers seem to be involved in her demise, and they all face possible charges. Jodi is the main POV in this novel, and reveals her own insecurities about being outed from the group while trying to discover why Emily is gone, and seemingly still haunting them from the grave.

Jodi was a great main character, and I loved how she developed over the course of the book. At first she just wanted to be cool, but then realized that her actions could have hurt Emily and some of her old friends. I loved that this was set in Sacramento, I recognized so many of the streets and landmarks mentioned so it was a fun element for me. The high school drama was very realistic, especially the rich kids behaving badly. The will-they-or-won't-they potential romance between Jodi and Julian was perfectly done! All around this was an entertaining thriller!

I'm a sucker for thrillers—this one delivered nonstop suspense and sharp twists. Loved it all! Four stars!