Spectacular. Loved it from start to finish. Even set aside another book I was already reading to focus on it instead. And I don’t want to give spoilers, but there’s a trope I was so invested in because she absolutely nailed it. Great premise, great plot, great mystery! I look forward to future thrillers from Julie Soto.

I love Julie Soto but unfortunately this one didn’t work for me. The pacing was glacial, the plot was going in circles and once everything finally came to a head it all just felt really anticlimactic.

The Thrashers by Julie Soto is a young adult thriller that follows a group of five friends after a girl from their school dies and they may to blame.

Since this is a thriller, I don’t want to go more into what it’s about because it’s best to go in blind and enjoy the ride but this book was juicy. Full of twists and turns and characters that you don’t know whether or not you can trust them. This feels kind of like 13 Reasons Why mixed with Pretty Little Liars with maybe a sprinkle of Heathers on top.

I know that if I read this as a teen, I would have been obsessed! I feel like all the characters felt real and distinct. There was one character that I loved so much and I was prepared to riot if anything bad happened to them (I don’t want to say who it was because of spoilers but I have a feeling a lot of readers will feel the same way).

My only issue with this book is there was just SO much going on. I felt like there wasn’t really time to breathe because things just kept happening. I would have liked if there was another 75 pages added to this because it really one thing after another.

Solid 4.5 star rounded up! I think this is going to be a big hit and I cannot wait to recommend it, especially to teen readers!

I love Julie Soto’s romances in all forms (fanfic, trad published, fanfic-adapted-for-trad, etc.) but imho she really shines when writing an ensemble cast. It’s the chemistry between her characters and their individual interactions that add just that littleeee bit of extra spice to her stories. This book had me SEATED; I kept saying “just one more chapter” until it was 3AM and I have absolutely no regrets.

Julie Soto is back and this time delivering the chills with 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬! This YA paranormal thriller had me hooked from page one, blending mystery with all the drama. Picture 13 Reasons Why meets Pretty Little Liars - it’s that good! The wild epilogue took it to another level, making this a total page-turner. If you’re looking for fast-paced suspense and unforgettable twists, this one's a must-read. Trust me; it's a five-star thrill ride that'll keep your heart racing!

The Thrashers book is a gripping, suspenseful ride that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Jodi’s struggle to navigate the complex dynamics of being a “Thrasher” is compelling and relatable. The mystery surrounding Emily’s death and the eerie, supernatural occurrences that follow will captivate readers, blending suspense, intrigue, and deep emotional conflict. Perfect for YA readers and adults alike, this story explores themes of identity, friendship, and the consequences of secrets, all while delivering an unexpected, page-turning twist. If you love stories with a mix of mystery and psychological tension, this is a must-read! Thanks Netgalley and St. Martens Press for this ARC.

“Either you’re in or you’re out” This book was an absolute roller coaster of emotions and not at all what I expected! I love Julie Soto’s books and although I’m not usually a huge fan of YA, I was happy to give this one a go and I was extremely happy with it!

Jodi and her friends group are known as “The Thrashers” and when a tragedy happens at their school, the group is blamed and Jodi realizes that she might not know as much about her friend group as she thinks she does!

This book was full of great characters, a great plot, amazing writing (obviously in true Julie Soto fashion) and a little bit of the paranormal too. My girl Jodi goes through so many emotions and I felt myself going through those same emotions with her!

Also, the last couple of chapters had me feeling some type of way and that EPILOGUE WHAT?! I’m really hoping there will be more to this story because I need more Jodi and Julien in my life!

Thanks so much to Julie Soto and Netgalley for an ARC of this book for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I’ve really enjoyed Julie Soto’s previous writings so I was excited to get an early release of this book. This was definitely a departure from her norm. Where she typically writes romance, this was more of an eerie YA psychological thriller. That being said, it was well written and it kept me guessing and second guessing until the very end. The characters were so convincing that I couldn’t figure out who was being honest; a good ending that wasn’t too convenient. 3.75⭐️

This book was AMAZING. great story kept me on the edge of my seat! Wonderful complex characters. 5 stars

Okay, The Thrashers is what happens when you throw elite high school drama, morally grey best friends, and a dead girl’s diary into a blender—and the result is messy, dramatic, and honestly kind of addictive. Jodi Dillon is very much the outsider-insider: she's in the group thanks to childhood ties with golden boy Zack Thrasher, but she's not really one of them. And when Emily—desperate to be part of their exclusive clique—dies in deeply suspicious circumstances, the skeletons come flying out of everyone’s walk-in closets.

This book leans hard into its tropes—toxic friend group, secrets, and rich-kid rot—but it does it well. The vibes are immaculate if you're into high school politics and twisty drama. Is it subtle? Absolutely not. But is it entertaining? Oh yeah. The writing is snappy, the tension builds steadily, and the diary entries + investigation combo give it a dark, true crime-y edge.

Jodi’s character had me rooting for her even when she made some very questionable choices, and while the other Thrashers were very much villains with great hair, I kind of loved hating them. The plot got a little too over-the-top at times, and some twists were a bit predictable, which is why it’s not a full five stars for me. But still—I devoured this like a bag of sour candy: sharp, chaotic, and weirdly satisfying.

If you’re into YA thrillers where popularity masks danger, secrets destroy friendships, and no one is as innocent as they seem, you’ll have fun with this one.

I don't ever reach for YA Thriller but decided to give this book a shot because I love Julie Soto's writing. This book kept me so invested. I had a love hate relationship with the characters and I'm so happy I didn't skip this book.

I did not finish this book. It was way too young for me, and I DNF’d at 30%. This is not what I expected from Julie Soto, given her previous books. I am looking forward to reading more of her books, this one just wasn’t for me personally. I’m not sure which age group I would recommend this book to - definitely school-aged, probably middle school.

I am gobsmacked.

I have chills over my entire body and am writing this through the blur of my tears.

This book had me in a chokehold from start to finish. It was addicting, jaw-dropping, and unpredictable in the best possible way.

Julie Soto is such a talented writer and I have wholeheartedly loved everything she’s ever written.

Sometimes you finish a book and sometimes a book finishes you.
If you need me I’ll be staring at my ceiling for the next foreseeable future.



Thank you Julie Soto for writing this masterpiece and thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I feel so lucky to have been able to read the advanced copy of this masterpiece. Thank you Julie and NetGalley for the opportunity!
I honestly cannot praise Julie enough or love her and her writing more. I devoured this book and was left wanting more and more. The characters were wonderfully written, the twists and turns were so well placed and unexpected. I felt so intertwined with the story the whole time. Please read this book when it comes out, you will not ever regret it!!!

Very bingeable as this is my first Soto novel. I’m rating this four stars for a young adult thriller, and I would’ve rated it three stars if it was just a regular adult thriller. This follows a hierarchy of high schoolers in a group with a tragic ending to one of their classmates. Even though there’s multiple characters, I feel like the reader can follow the storyline easily. I’m curious to see how I like photos other novels since they are romances. Thank you, NetGalley for my arc!

Before I get into the review, a quick thank you to both NetGalley and the publishers over at Wednesday books for allowing me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Thrashers follows an elite group of friends who are everything everyone wants to be. Either you're in. Or you're out. Jodi Dillon was never meant to be one of them, but Zack's her childhood best friend so she's in. Then Emily Mills, who desperately wanted to be a Thrasher, dies and the whispers about the Thrashers begin. As do eerie messages and stranger occurrences that escalate until it becomes clear--Emily isn't done with them yet. The Thrashers comes out on May 6th and is available for preorder now.

I want to start by saying that I was so unhinged about the first two-thirds of this book. I was so emotionally attached to these flawed, messy characters that I was on the edge of my seat for the entirety of this book. It was easily sitting in a 4.25 to 4.5 star range for over 85% of the book (yes, that is a specific point in the novel) and I was so completely unwell about two of these characters. Julian Hollister is my morally grey baby and I love him. Jodi Dillon is the strong, courageous, righteous young woman we all aspire to be. Also? This is how you do a contemporary enemies to lovers. (It can be argued that we never go from enemies to lovers, but I know what I felt in my heart.) I've always struggled with that because it's a trope I loved to see in Fantasy novels but never got to see it go far enough in contemporary novels. I want the enemies to TRULY be enemies. I want to see the lovers truly be lovers. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded and the way the plot points all came together at the end. Well, almost.

The actual ending of this novel is the only major flaw for me. When I realized that [SPOILER AHEAD] Emily was truly haunting them I lost a lot of the respect what the characters had gone through. [SPOILER OVER] I felt like the ending cheapened the stress and anxiety that all of the characters were feeling as the investigation and case were hanging over their heads. And, also, how dare you make me fall in love with a character and then give them that ending. It's rude, and kind of hateful, if I'm being honest.

Overall, I had such a good time. I read the whole book in basically 24 hours and I so rarely find books that just consume me like that. I feel so bad for not giving this one a higher rating given how much I enjoyed it, but I just cannot get over the ending. I DO think this is great for fans of Mystery/Thriller novels (not just YA, either). And I also think this is great for people who like a little "What if" with their ending.

“ 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.

Jodi Dillon was never meant to be one of them. Julian, Lucy, Paige, and the infamous Zack Thrasher are rich, sophisticated, and love attention. Jodi feels out of place, but Zack’s her childhood best friend, so she’s in.

Then Emily Mills, who desperately wanted to be a Thrasher, dies—and the whispers about the Thrashers begin. As Emily’s journal surfaces, detectives close in, and Jodi faces an impossible choice: betray her friends or protect herself.

But as eerie messages and strange occurrences escalate, it becomes clear—Emily isn’t done with them yet.

A twisty thrill-ride of unforgettable drama and suspense that "encapsulates the vulnerability of adolescents playing adult games" (Ali Hazelwood) from USA Today bestselling author Julie Soto, The Thrashers will keep you up at night desperate to read just one more page”


This book was such a fun read & 100% worth the ride!! It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time while reading! It delved into the complexities of high school, cliques, and the complexities of dealing with relationships within them. Julie absolutely nailed her first YA/Thriller and I’m excited for what’s to come from her in the future!

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martins Press, & Wednesday Books for this ARC!

Julie... I need another now please. I absolutely devoured this book! I wish I started it on the weekend so I could finish it in one day. In a way we've seen this type of plot before. Girl wants to be in the popular friend group, but tragedy happens when she's snubbed. But what happens when our MC's are the popular friend group, and everyone's shocked when charges are brought up. Add in a bit of unexplained phenomena and you've got an addictive story.I absolutely loved this book, and definitely understand the hype.

Thank you Wednesday Books for providing an E-Arc!

This story had me hooked from page one and I enjoyed it so much! Thank you thank you to the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to receive an eArc on NetGalley!

I’m not normally a thriller girl, but knew that I would definitely want to read this one and I’m so glad I did. I felt as if I was part of the story and included/part of the Thrasher friend group with the way the story is told! I absolutely loved it. It is so well written, I loved all of the characters, the side characters were great and there was no lapse in momentum with every event that happened. I also loved how it ended and really hope we get more books with these characters!

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday books for an earc in exchange for an honest review!

Julie Sotos ya debut is was a captivating, page turning piece that explored the complexities of high school friendships and the desire to be apart of the ‘it group’.

There is something so satisfying about the way Julie Soto writes. I’ve only read two of her books but the way she writes is something that just makes the story come alive.

The Thrashers are a group of five students who seemingly have everything, money, power and the attention of everyone and Jodi our main character has none of that. But she’s childhood friends with the Zach so she joins the group anyways. Then enters Emily, a young girl who wanted nothing more than the be a Thrasher and in doing so, ends up dead.

I LOVEEED THIS. Okay so the characters are all extremely morally grey which I feel made them a lot more realistic. The book talked a lot about how you’re perceived by an outside person and how you even perceive yourself and I felt like that added so much to this book. Jodi was great and everyone was so complete I wish we got to be inside their heads but oh well.

The supernatural element was a nice added touch but I think it would’ve been fine without it also.

Emily was an interesting character…I felt bad that she died. But the more that was revealed about her character the less I did…and I feel bad for that😭 (she was lowkey insane but she was also a teenager so I’m torn)

The Thrashers were also insane. They read exactly like a group of friends that all hang out and then talk about each other behind their backs. Just very toxic and strange, but not bad. Complex. I really enjoyed Julian’s character actually and the epilogue was sooo good.

Overall this book was super enjoyable. The writing was great, the plot was quick and super engaging. And I am now going to buy every Julie Soto book and binge them! :)