Literally SO MUCH happened in this. Start assigning this as required reading for teenagers honestly.

The plot was so engaging, the themes were important, AND a cheeky lil romance that made me want to scream????????

The dynamics of this friendship were so interesting and I was so curious about what would happen next every single time.

I was really rooting for my boy Julian. His and Jodi’s little relationship was so precious and I knew from the start it was going to happen. I was kicking my feet like crazy. He knows what he did and he owned up to it so I can’t blame him TOO harshly. I mean we can only expect so much from these 17 year olds.

I’m not super familiar with the ya thriller genre but I’d love to read a million more books like this I was HOOKED.

ARC from NetGalley

This book was a lot of fun to read and kept me hooked to find out what happens next. We’re in a high school setting where one girl has committed suicide and five students who make up a tight-knit popular friend group are accused of bullying. We get the whole story from Jodi’s perspective, one of the five, but who often feels like the odd one out. It was super interesting to see the friend group dynamics change over the timeframe of the criminal investigation for these teens. Add in some possible haunting and we’ve got some eerie things happening.

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced read of this book.

4.5/5 Stars

The good:
- The twists were top tier. I really could predict absolutely nothing.
- Jodi is such a unique perspective for a main character, where she is so self aware yet just continuously ignores her gut instinct? She is just a character I thought was so interesting.
- The cast of The Thrashers all had their own individual voices that kept me on my toes.
- The prologue was one of the best I've read in a while that kept me guessing, but makes so much sense once you finish reading the book.

The loss of a half star:
- I feel like there was just one plot point that didn't fully wrap up and it's been bugging me a bit, but maybe that means there's going to be more in this world going forward? I'd definitely read it.

Overall, for a YA thriller debut, exceeded my general expectations and I'd highly recommend it if you like YA Thrillers.

Thrillers typically aren’t my preferred genre, but since Julie Soto wrote one I had to read it. This was a fun book with some paranormal aspects. The ending felt like it’s leaving an opening for a second book to be written. While this wasn’t a romance novel, there was a slight romance plot line and I need more of those two characters. Overall, I enjoyed this book.

I have said it repeatedly, but I have never had a book that made me want to skip to the end to see what happens so many times. This entire book was me going “WHAT?!” I loved it.

The Thrashers is a group of 5 high school aged friends named by their peers after one member’s last name. To be a Thrasher is to be in, but once the 5 members are done with you, you get “Thrashed.” They cut you out and cut you down. Emily wants to be a Thrasher, but they refuse to let her in. She ends up taking her life, which leads to questions about if was she Thrashed? Were the Thrashers to blame?

This book felt like a mix between the movies Mean Girls and Cruel Intentions with a supernatural twist. I have also heard it compared to the show Pretty Little Liars, but I have never seen it so cannot confirm.

This book had me on the edge of my seat. It is an intense thriller that makes it difficult to put down. We are given just enough information to start putting the puzzle together. That is until a new piece of information is made available, suddenly the picture isn’t as clear as it seemed. Julie Soto weaves a story that leaves you confused yet engaged. It has some surprise elements that make you question what is happening. The characters are charismatic and teeter between being loveable and unlikeable with every new element revealed.

I’m hoping Julie Soto continues this story in the future with a sequel. Initially, I had reservations about Julie Soto's transition to young adult and thriller genres. However, I am now convinced that any work authored by her is worth reading.

Thank you to Julie Soto, St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this eBook.

Part of the reason I think that YA fiction remains so resonant is that when you're a teenager, everything is so raw and emotional in a way it just can't be as an adult. Thank goodness.

The Trashers is a book that recognises that teenage social dynamics can be incredibly traumatic, both for those on the outside and those who constantly worry that they will be. The book has incredible empathy for Emily, the character who we know from the prologue has committed suicide, and our protagonist Jodi, who has always felt vulnerable and singled out amongst the "Trashers", but also for Julian, the broody American Eagles model (in my day, it would have been Abercrombie), and for the other girls who are in love with the school prince, Zack Thrasher.

This book is incredibly vivid of the fears and stress of high school (it is not a beach read), but it's a book that is thoughtful about how easy it is be a bully when you're afraid of being bullied, and how hard it is to be your best self when you're afraid all the time.

Soto has mentioned that this book might have a sequel and I hope it does. Jodi and Julian (and of course Emily) have some unfinished business. Perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Kristin Dwyer.

CW: suicide, child abuse

It needs to be routine to always include content warnings at the start of a book about suicide. And that's even more important when that book is being marketed to teenagers. This book didn't have so much as an author's note at the beginning or end and didn't offer any mental health resources. Reputable medical organizations have provided clear recommendations on how to address this topic with youth in order to prevent harm. Those recommendations were not followed by the author or publisher here. In the US, the lifeline is 988 if you or someone you know needs help.

On to my review:
It's a little tough for me to write this, as I find it difficult to separate my feelings about the books as a novel from the harm it could cause. Personally, this book wasn't my favorite because I didn't like any of the characters. I started caring a little about Jodi about halfway through. I didn't like any of the other Thrashers, especially Zach. And that meant I didn't feel particularly invested in what happened to them.

But it was well written and a twisty psychology thriller. And I think a lot of people who don't feel the need to have a character they can root for will like it a great deal. The audiobook was well produced and added to the suspense.

I am not sure what just happened, but I loved it, I couldn’t put it down and I am going to need more! I was already a huge fan of Julie Soto before but now I know she can not only wreck me with romance she can also completely haunt me with a good YA mystery. Gave “I know what you did last summer” or “A good girl’s guide to murder” vibes and was executed so well.

This book however should come with strong trigger warning. Suicide, parents with a substance abuse and bullying. Thank you to NetGalley, St-Martin’s Publishing and the author Julie Soto for the advanced reading copy, all my opinions are my own.

A cross between 13 Reasons Why, Gossip Girl, PLL, and Single White Female. This was my first Julie Soto book and being a fan of thrillers, I enjoyed her YA thriller debut. It follows 5 popular high schoolers aka The Thrashers (led by Zach Thrasher) being linked to the bullying and suicide of Emily.

The plot was addictive but there were some parts that dragged out for longer than needed. There is also paranormal activity which I am not a fan of in the least but that’s my fault for going into the book completely blind. The ending however was completely unexpected and 🤌🏽. This being said, I like her writing and looking forward to reading another one of her books in a completely different genre.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing me with this e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Gripping from the very first page!

I ADORED this YA mystery/thriller! This is my first book by Julie Soto and I was so excited to start it since I have such amazing things about her other works. The Thrashers did not disappoint! It is sexy and scary and earnest and heartfelt. The ending was messy perfection!

I don't want to spoil anything so I will leave it like this: go preorder this book!!

This book was such a ride! This was different from the books I normally read and it was a nice change. It was filled with mystery, suspense, and paranormal aspects that gave some serious spooky vibes. 😱 I didn’t know what to expect with this one and it honestly had me on the edge of my seat wanting to know more!

The Thrashers is an elite group of friends in high school who have acquired this title — for a reason. Emily Mills, is a not so popular girl who desperately wants to befriend this group. However Emily Mills keeps a journal of her experiences along the way. When she commits suicide, clues and pieces of evidence are brought into question. The story begins to unravel and everything you thought you knew about these characters suddenly changes very quickly. There’s lots of twists that will have you guessing the whole time!

Readers should check trigger warnings— death, suicide, abuse, substance abuse.

Overall I give this book a solid 4 🌟. This book releases May 6, 2025!

Thank you Netgalley, Julie Soto, and St. Martin’s Press for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read this if you like:
•13 reasons why
•drama
•suspense

I flew through this one. When a girl dies on prom night, this elite friend group is in the spotlight for bullying. Jodie is the only one in the group not rich and entitled and she’s also the only one not suspected of bullying Emily leading to her suicide. Pretty little liar & 13 reasons why vibes! Thank you Wednesday books!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and LibroFm for providing me with an advanced e-book and audiobook in exchange for an honest review of “The Thrashers” by Julie Soto. This YA suspense/mystery novel, with its intriguing supernatural elements, quickly became one of my favorites of the year.

The plot was fast-paced and the premise was well-crafted. While the novel primarily focuses on Jodi Dillon, the character development for each of the Thrashers was well-written and distinct. Despite its YA genre, the book is enjoyable for adults as well, making it a perfect fit for fans of Natasha Preston, Karen McManus, and Holly Jackson.

This was a 2am, I can’t put the book down read. While often times I find similar plots to be predictable, I was pleasantly surprised by all the twists and turns here. There was no point where I could have expected the exact chain of events that Jodi discovered in her attempt to learn more about what led to her classmate’s suicide. Along with the plot, the characters and their relationships with one another made this one of my favorite reads this year!

Despite not being a big fan of high school bullying troupes, Julie Soto being the author encouraged me to make an exception—and it did not disappoint. While it would have been very easy for The Thrashers to be very stereotypical high school bullies, their characters were more complex than I expected. Zack, Julien, Lucy, Paige and even Jodi all expected in the grey space.

Jodi leads the story. She spends a lot of it talking about how she often feels left on the outside of the friend group. I think those insecurities coupled with the motivation to learn more about what happened to Emily really drives the plot. Most of the story is fueled by emotion, the volatile nature of teenage emotions creates a frustrating, but amazing unreliable narrator learning about the mysteries surrounding the plot.

Unexpectedly, Julien quickly became a favorite character. Often times it felt like he was the only person who could “see” Jodi. He played a great foil to Zack’s golden boy character as Jodi struggles to work through both the mysteries and her own emotions. I couldn’t put the book down once I started reading. After reading the ending, and specifically the epilogue, I’m eagerly waiting for the announcement of the squeal!

As soon as I finished The Thrashers I knew I needed to shout about it to all! Just…..wow! Julie Soto is a mastermind. I didn’t fully know what to expect when going into this book, but it gave everything I could want and more. The blend of thriller with a dash of romance was sublime. I had a roller coaster of feelings throughout this book, and I wasn’t mad about it. But, just when I thought everything had been wrapped up…..had it?

Things I loved about this book:
* Julie got in there and wrote down what every high school girl felt in some way or another. Really, just what every girl/woman feels at one point in their life. I could relate so easily to the characters and their thoughts. Even if you don’t relate to everything, I feel like there is something in this book for everyone to relate to in some way.
* The play on the paranormal events was intriguing. Trying to decide if it was a real person or a “spirit in the beyond” kept my attention until the very end.
* The splash of romance was perfect. Though this is NOT a romance, there is a little bit of it here and there that played to my romance loving heart.
* The ending.

Things I didn’t love:
* A couple of things were predictable, but didn’t take away from the story.

This book was a perfect reprieve from the usual stories I lean towards, and I cannot wait for the next one. There will be a next one…..right???

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday books for the ARC!

I love a dark academic thriller and Julie Soto nailed it with her debut thriller. I love her romance novels and was excited to dive into this. Set in high school in Sacramento, we have the death of Emily.

The story centers on The Thrashers, a group of kids that hang out with Zack Thrashers. The Thrashers are all rich and popular except Jodi, who feels lucky to be part of them.

The story follows Jodi as she uncovers what happened and Emily's journal which was uncovered as part of the investigation.

The story is fast paced and there is an element of spookiness to it. I loved how it all played out.

Eva Kaminsky and Jesse Vilinsky did a great job with narration and bringing the story to life.

Thank you @macmillan.audio @wednesdaybooks for a copy of the book.

When the quest for popularity goes bad...it's not a new trope, but this one throws in a possible haunting to mix it up a bit. The tension levels are consistently maintained throughout. The psychology of friend groups was explored to good effect--in a group of five friends with one alpha, how do the other four compare themselves and jockey for position? What happens when someone new enters the mix? The story is told from Jodi's point of view, and she sees herself as the lowest member of the totem pole so there's a fair amount of angst, but it didn't reach what I consider to be annoying levels. There were several reveals that I saw coming, but that didn't diminish their effectiveness, even if I didn't quite buy every twist. All in all, it kept me turning pages.

Thank you Wednesday Books, Netgalley, and Macmillan for the physical ARC, digital ARC, and audiobook ALC respectively!

Julie Soto writes a compelling YA coming-of-age thriller about a clique, “The Thrashers,” under scrutiny as evidence of their supposed bullying surfaces toward a “thrashed” classmate who died by suicide on prom night.

I ate this book up: Julie Soto had me hooked from the first chapter and I read/listened to this quickly in 2 days. 

Soto from the first couple of chapters builds the characters and the suspense. The plot is easy to follow and the tension is held throughout. The story and writing maintains a YA language, but one I think will appeal to both a teenage and an adult audience. Soto’s writing style is versatile and has a range.

The story and reveals were easy enough to guess, but where this book really shines for me was the character studies of our leads. You see this clique in mixed light; one from Jodi’s perspective but also as you get to know them and their relationships with each other. They’ve all done some ambiguous and wrong things, but they also care. I liked Jodi’s perspective and seeing her growth. I connected with the idea of reflecting on your friendships with a more Birds Eye view as I experienced that transition with high school friends post-graduation and now talking to few if any of them. The pacing does reflect this character study and slow-burn, but audiobook wise I was addicted. The court case took a back seat after the beginning 1/3rd, so I was waiting for things to surface more especially when the initial findings gave me manipulated/edited evidence, which I think is an intriguing topic given AI prevalence now: l wanted more of.

I loved the audiobook. Jodi’s narration paired with evidence narrated by Eva Kaminsky and Jesse Vilinsky. It set the tone and story well and the speed and volume were congruent with one another. If you like the story formatting of A Good Girls Guide to Murder, this is similar.

A massive thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an early copy of this book 😊. I read a fair amount of YA and I felt like this was YA done right! This had a lot of layers and touched on a lot of serious topics. The pacing was perfect and this book was addicting. It was really hard to put it down. I liked the characters and was hooked on the storyline and plot. This read like an episode of Pretty Little Liars or Riverdale but without the YA cheesiness that makes you eye roll and want to turn it off 🤣. Overall this was great for a YA debut and I look forward to reading more from this author 😊.

Thank you to SMP and Macmillan Audio for the review copies!
This dark and suspenseful YA thriller draws stylish elements and themes from One of Us Is Lying, 13 Reasons Why, and even A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. It shakes them up and offers a story that explores the post-unaliving reveals from one of the characters. While the premise may not feel completely new, the storytelling is strong; many readers will likely question the ending, but it will definitely get people talking — always a win for this book reviewer!

The plot and pacing are perfectly coordinated, with media drop-ins that add an extra splash to the story and help move it forward. This is a perfect pick for Karen McManus fans or anyone looking for an edgy YA summer read. It especially stands out on audio, thanks to the excellent narration and the creative production of the media elements.