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! :)

I am absolutely obsessed with The Thrashers.

I feel like I need to preface this by saying that I am certainly not the target demographic for this novel, but I was no less drawn in and hooked than I would have been if I was reading this as a high schooler. Everything about the pacing and the plotline progression was reminiscent of the Lois Duncan books (i.e. I Know What You Did Last Summer) that I lived for when I was younger, only with a more modern feel. The more I read, the more consumed I became with figuring out what was going on with each of the characters. I lost sleep because I couldn't even think about putting the book down, and now I can't concentrate on nearly anything else. And that ending? Julie, I can't believe you'd do that to me. I have so many questions!

Internally, I'm still screaming. My coworkers all got a very chaotic review and partial recap this morning because I couldn't bottle up my thoughts any longer. I am so invested in these characters, now that it's over I feel like I've been "Thrashed" myself. The character growth of Jodi alone was so significant because I feel that everyone has been a "Jodi" at some point in their lives. Seeing her character develop from being a desperate-to-fit in people pleaser, to someone who understood just how quickly a seemingly inconsequential action or conversation could completely derail someone elses life was so powerful. The decisions that she made upon realizing the true implications of everything that had happened with her family and friends were impactful and inspiring. Julie Soto can do no wrong, but this? This was absolute perfection.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for the digital ARC.

Thrilling and provocative is what comes to mind after blasting through this book in two sittings. I went into a little reading slump at the end of the month and this has successfully kicked me back out of it. Julie Soto’s delve into YA is spectacular and thrilling. The dynamic of the characters as they move through what’s real, what’s hidden, and the paranormal is gripping. The story follows a group of high school friends called The Thrashers as a tragic event leads to a criminal investigation. We see the intricate dynamics of a popular clique and the tension and drama of toxic friendship. Jodi was an intriguing protagonist as a member of the Thrashers that is constantly worried she’ll be kicked to the side. The way Julie wrote about these flawed and complex characters is well done. The twists weren’t surprising to me, but they remained equally impactful as different versions of buried truths leaked out. The epilogue was absolutely incredible and I cannot deny that this was a gripping read from start to finish.

Whoa that ending, I usually don’t read Ya thriller but this one had me glued to the seat. Did not expect to see all the twists! Netflix go ahead and make this a movie so glad.

This had a great start. The author did a great job building suspense. Overall, it was a great read! Definitely would recommend to a friend.

Julie Soto has become a favorite of mine! When I saw she had a YA…YES PLEASE!

This one has drama, secrets, jealousy, social clicks…it’s all fun and games until someone dies.

Twist and turns are throughout! I loved it!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this as an ARC.

Thank you @wednesdaybooks for an eARC and @macmillan.audio for an ALC.

Julie Soto is the queen of… ya thrillers?? And romance?? And also fantasy?? Like queen what can’t you do!!?

I ended up listening to this one and I’m so glad I did. The narrators did a fantastic job and it felt like a movie in my brain!

I’m not going to try and say this is the most inventive or mind-boggling thriller but it was incredibly entertaining and I was pretty invested from the very beginning. I enjoyed the characters and unraveling the web of what happened. The epilogue was honestly kind of insane?

Truly, I will read anything Julie writes from now on and forevermore!!! 🫶🏼

I thoroughly enjoyed this! I loved the drama, mystery, and paranormal aspects. I was very impressed with the overall maturity that Jodi showed, which made her a very likeable character.

The Thrashers by Julie Soto is everything you want in a YA thriller. If you loved A Good Girl's Guide to Murder or One of Is Lying or 13 Reasons Why, this is for you. If you loved Heathers or Riverdale, this is for you. Sheesh if you love great storytelling, this is for you.

Check trigger warnings as this book takes place in the aftermath of a teen suicide. The Thrashers is the not-so-flattering name of a group of friends - the friend group of Zack Thrasher, to be precise. It's good to be in the in-crowd, at least until they are seen as the ones who caused Emily to take her own life. They're under police scrutiny but also strange things are happening that make it feel like Emily's out for revenge.

I was hooked from the start and loved every page. The friend group and seeing everything through Jodi's point of view - so good! It was tense and eerie and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

And ofc the little hints of romance had me kicking my heels up and squealing and wanting more.

This was 5⭐️! I would also like to request temporary amnesia so I could read this book for the first time again. Also Jolian forever

This was a great YA mystery/thriller. If you love some high school drama mixed with a mystery, you will love this. The characters were really interesting, sometimes you loved them and sometimes you didn’t like them. I did enjoy Jodi’s character overall, I appreciated how she had her own moral battles she was facing throughout, and I appreciated how her character was at the end. I definitely don’t love the idea of a clique/group and never have, but I can definitely understand how that concept added to the overall mystery and story. The mystery part kept me hooked the whole time, and the reveals at the end were done really well. The epilogue confused me a bit, and I had to reread a few times to understand, but honestly I loved that. I’m interested to see if there will be a second book as the ending felt like it could have been a bit open for another book. I love Julie Soto’s writing, and I loved seeing her branch out into a new genre.

Lots of teen drama snd I couldn't put it down. I was also fortunate to get the audiobook snd that really enhanced the experience. Very enjoyable read. Thsnks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Really enjoyed this YA Thriller from Julie Soto! I’m a HUGE fan of her adult novels. This took us into the elite high school world of 5 friends. Did they “thrash” kids they didn’t want hanging around them? Did they bully a girl to suicide? How far would you go to protect your friends?

Five. Freaking. Stars. Julie. Soto. If I could give you more: I WOULD. Because you deserve them all. The Trashers was a phenomenal book and I had so much fun reading it.

Holy. Shit. That book was INCREDIBLE. It was full of angst and friendship and hardship and drama and made me experience every feeling. I was hooked from the very beginning but halfway through I did not want to put this down ever.

This was my first Julie Soto and I’m so glad I waited for it to be this one. I love her style of writing and especially how ambiguously she wrote these characters. It kept me constantly guessing, on my toes, and surprised until the VERY END.

I am still currently reeling from THAT ENDING! I can only hope that means we could potentially get more stories about the Trashers after this book?! But seriously… THAT is how an epilogue should be written and a book should be ended.

I want to say so much more but I’m trying to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible. Just: read this book. You’re gonna love it.

4.5/5 but rounding up since I DEVOURED this book. It is a YA novel, which I think is important to know going into it. I've been thinking about this book everyday since I finished it. The twists kept twisting and I never knew who I trusted or even liked. I think there's a lot of important lessons to be learned throughout the novel. I absolutely recommend this one.

Thank you to netgalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for the Advanced Copy of this book. This review and thoughts are my own. Pick it up 5/6/2025!

this book was really fun but I hated all the characters! I was eating it up and then they started to show their true colors... which I suppose was the point of the book and I started to dislike it! the book really does intrigue and suck in the reader to continue reading it. the ending left it open to continue to be in this world... would definitely read any sequel! the audiobook was really good!

The Thrashers by Julie Soto
Rating: 5 stars
Pub date: 5 /6

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for my advanced copy and Macmillan Audio for my complimentary audiobook!

This dark, twisty YA thriller dives into the messy world of high school cliques, secrets, and the lengths people will go to stay on top. It follows Jodi Dillon, who somehow ended up in the most exclusive friend group at New Helvetia High—The Thrashers—thanks to her childhood friendship with the group’s golden boy, Zack Thrasher.

But when Emily Mills, a girl who desperately wanted to be one of them, dies under mysterious circumstances, things spiral fast. Emily’s journal surfaces, full of explosive secrets, and suddenly, the spotlight’s on the Thrashers. Jodi’s stuck in the middle, forced to choose between protecting herself or staying loyal to friends who might not be so innocent.

This book gives major Pretty Little Liars vibes, with a good mix of psychological suspense and creepy, possibly paranormal twists. Soto does a great job capturing the drama and pressure of high school life, and the characters—especially Jodi—feel real and flawed in the best way.

Every time I thought I knew what was going on, something new would pop up and make me rethink everything I knew about the story. And the epilogue? Straight-up chilling. If you're into dark, addictive YA mysteries with complicated characters and secrets that refuse to stay buried, The Thrashers is definitely worth the read.

This book follows the thrashers, a group of rich kids (minus one) who may have bullied a girl into unloving herself. This book is full of lies and deceit and our main character Jodi doesn’t know who to trust when it becomes clear her group of friends may have been keeping her at arms length all along. When the dead girls journal reappears and criminal charges are pressed Jodi works hard to figure out the truth. Was the dead girl really just a stalker? Or did her friends really do all the things Emily claimed they did in her journal.

An absolutely fun, enthralling read that the teens at my library will devour (they're thriller/mystery fanatics). Addictive writing, with a plot that was fun enough to grip me from beginning to end.

Julie Soto’s The Thrashers is a gripping blend of mystery and paranormal intrigue that explores the dark complexities of friendship and belonging. At the heart of the novel is Emily, a girl desperate to be accepted into the exclusive circle of “cool kids,” only to meet a tragic end by suicide. Her journal becomes the catalyst for an intense investigation into bullying, forcing her so-called friends to confront the truth about their relationships and actions.

Told from the perspective of Jodi—an outsider within the elite group—the story offers a compelling look at someone who feels more akin to Emily than the rest of the Thrashers. While the book starts off at a slow pace, it quickly gains momentum once the investigation begins, unraveling secrets and pushing the characters into high-stakes confrontations.

The twists in this novel are massive, each revelation more impactful than the last, keeping the reader questioning who—if anyone—was truly involved. Soto masterfully builds tension, making it nearly impossible to predict the outcome. And then comes the epilogue—jaw-dropping and unforgettable, leaving a lasting impression long after the final page.

A must-read for fans of mystery and supernatural elements, The Thrashers is a chilling, thought-provoking novel that explores guilt, loyalty, and the haunting consequences of exclusion. Thank you to NetGalley and Julie Soto’s team for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

I know I am the outlier here, but I couldn't get into this. It didn't feel like anything new. I just thought it was ok.