Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy for a honest review. This gave me pretty little liars vibes and I loved it. Completely different than Julie Soto other two books I've read. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it because of the YA aspect but was totally surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Super quick read that kept me hooked until the end. PS I would love a sequel that tells more of Julian's story.

MY GOODNESS!!!

This is my introduction to Julie Soto and what a place to start! I was hooked from beginning to end and was waiting on bated breath for the twists and turns and they did not disappoint!!

Can't wait to see what comes next.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press & Julie Soto for the opportunity to read this masterpiece of an ARC!

HOLY FUCK-A-MOLY

First and foremost I went into reading this book not really knowing what tf to expect and let me tell you Julie Soto did NOT disappoint.

I typically don’t reach for YA books but I really really love Julie’s writing, and I gave it a shot! I’m soo glad I did because The Trashers is unlike any other book I’ve read this year so far.

This book had me guessing and shocked at every twist and turn. It had me loving the characters I originally hated, and questioning every single persons intentions!

Who will be Thrashed next ??

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ♾️ Infinite Stars

Thank you NetGalley , St. Martin’s Press & Julie Soto for letting me read this masterpiece of an ARC!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC. Five friends are the popular kids in school but after a girl dies they are being looked at differently. Did they bully this girl and more or is something else going on? Is she haunting them or is it guilt? A thriller that pulls you in and keeps you reading until that shocking ending that makes you want more. It was slow at times in the middle but overall a good thriller that I am hoping for more of.

I couldn’t put it down. This definitely gave me Veronica Mars and Pretty Little Liar vibes, and I loved it. There was so much going on (in a good way) and it left me wanting more!

Thanks NetGalley for the eARC.

Holy mother of books this was an absolute masterpiece!

I’m so glad that I listened to my fellow book lovers and snatched this when it was a read now. This was absolutely fantastic and I’m not sure I will recover.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the eARC.

This was completely different from the other two Julie Soto books that I’ve read. I wasn’t sure how I would like the YA aspect of it, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this. It was a super quick read that kept me hooked and left me guessing until the end.

The Thrashers was thought provoking and fast paced. It made me think about how I view bullying and socially outcasting someone, regardless of their personality.

If you’re looking for a high school thriller with morally grey and toxic characters, this is the book for you.

PS I would love a sequel that tells more of Julian’s story!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press | Wednesday Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect and chose to read this book purely because I have enjoyed Julie Soto’s adult romances, but she did not disappoint in the least with this thriller-esque YA. This book gave all the teen drama of fitting in, combined with the mystery of a young girl dying, and spiced up with a little Final Destination outrageous “someone or something” is trying to kill us vibes. Read this if you enjoy stories from the outsider or underdog perspective of the teen that never 100% fit in with her friend group (they’re rich, she isn’t, they’re popular, she is by default). There are secrets galore, ghosts that may be haunting each of the Thrashers, and as I mentioned drama, drama, drama. Julie Soto can tell a story whether it’s campy high school popular kids getting what’s coming to them or prodigy cellists. So if you enjoy her writing style, definitely pick this one up even if it’s outside your wheelhouse. I received an early copy from the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Teenage drama with a touch of paranormal? Count me in! This is the first Julie Soto book that I’ve read and I loved it! The writing is great and it was absolutely bingeable! To say I ate this up is an understatement! It has such great twists and turns and morally gray characters that I was actually kind of rooting for (well most of them). I loved Jodi and her journey to really learn more about herself and her friends felt very genuine! I hope everyone picks this YA thriller up when it’s released!

After the death of a classmate, Jodi and her group of friends, known around school as "The Thrashers" become the focus of a police investigation into the death. At the same time, unsettling and strange accidents begin to happen to members of the group. I don't want to say too much more and risk spoiling anything but this was a fun, fast-paced read. Julie Soto does an excellent job of propelling the plot forward, and the teenage characters felt real to life, especially as Jodi begins questioning how well she really knows her best friends. Overall, a YA thriller that deftly handles a variety of complex topics, with a sprinkling of romance and a dash of the supernatural.

Thanks to NetGalley, Julie Soto, and Wednesday Books for the advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

I love Julie Soto and this didn't disappoint! I love how the story developed with the twists and turns of almost like a psych thriller with a little paranormal thrown into the mix. I loved how the characters were developed but to be honest, I wasn't in love with any of them. I feel like they were all just a group of unlikable characters. I would have liked a little more backstory on the character who offered insight into the case from the previous high school, but otherwise I feel like everything was well developed. I also feel like the ending offered closure but also was set up so that there could potentially be a continuation.

Read-ability: 5/5
Character development: 4/5
Overall: 4.75/5

Would definitely recommend!

This was a fun read and different from all of the other Julie Soto books I’ve read. I enjoyed the mystery and thriller aspect of the story, and I also really liked the dynamic between the Thrashers and how we learned more and more as the story progressed. I will say I wish the paranormal aspect had been fleshed out a little more, as it felt a little half hazard and I would have like to see more intricacy with those elements. I also feel like the ending was a little bit abrupt for me, but I did read somewhere that this may have a sequel and if that is the case… I will be reading! All in all I would recommend this if you are looking for a fun quick-paced YA thriller that is not your usual!

As a high school teacher for the past 22 years, I thought this was a well-done and compelling YA story! When high school junior Emily takes her own life on prom night, the popular crowd she had been obsessed with is left defending their morally ambiguous and sometimes cruel actions leading up to her death. It dealt with a lot of issues facing modern teens today in regards to social media, substance abuse, pressures of college ,etc...., as well as decades-old insecurities like identity and fitting in, and finding your true friends and place in this world. It did get a bit far-fetched at times, and some characters were far more three-dimensional than others, but overall, I think my high school students would devour this book! There is an element of the supernatural to it, and that ending!!! Really hoping we see a sequel at some point in the future ;) Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's for this ARC!

The Thrashers by Julie Soto

Having never read a Julie Soto novel before, I wasn’t sure what to expect but I was not disappointed. Julie Soto delivers a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat YA thriller with The Thrashers. From the first page, I was hooked. The story masterfully weaves together suspense, morally gray characters, and an undercurrent of slow-burning tension that had me constantly guessing.

Jodi Dillon’s journey, caught between loyalty and self-preservation, was incredibly compelling. Watching her character grow and stand up for herself was both emotional and satisfying. Soto’s sharp writing and clever plotting made every twist land perfectly, and the eerie messages from Emily kept the suspense at an all-time high.

And that ending? Completely shocking. I’m still thinking about it and desperately hoping for a sequel!

If you love dark, twisty thrillers with complex characters and plenty of drama, The Thrashers is a must-read. Highly recommend!

5/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC! I will be sharing my public review first on my Instagram page @perusetheshelves and will publish the same day as I post this review 3/29/2025.
Thank you again!

Loved loved loved The Thrashers, and I'm not usually a YA-reader.
- Julian is the best high school boy I've ever read
- Navigated being an outsider at high school well
- Julie Soto's writing is the perfect mix of to the point, and descriptive, for me

4.5⭐️

This was such a fun read! I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this, coming from Julie Soto’s romance books. But it truly was a fun time.

All of the characters were very clear people that I could picture. It felt like I knew each person, both in the book from their personality, but also from my own life. Thriller/mystery is not my typical genre, especially YA thriller/mystery, but anything by Julie is an auto-read for me and I was definitely not disappointed!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC and the ability to read this early!

This one had me hooked from the start—drama, secrets, and an elite high school friend group with some seriously dark undertones? Say less. Set in the glittering-yet-claustrophobic world of New Helvetia High, the story follows Jodi Dillon as she’s pulled into the orbit of the Thrashers: a group that thrives on power, attention, and exclusivity. When a girl desperate to join them turns up dead and her journal begins to circulate, everything unravels—fast.

Julie Soto captures the messy intensity of teen friendships so well—the way they blur into obsession, the pressure to belong, and how quickly loyalty turns into self-preservation. The social dynamics and high school hierarchy felt believable, and I was second-guessing almost everyone. There’s a nice blend of suspense and emotional depth here, and the twist (plus that epilogue!) delivered. I would absolutely read a sequel if Soto ever decides to return to these characters.

The Thrashers is a captivating and suspenseful YA Thriller about an obsessive toxic clique of high school friends, The Thrashers, and the great measures others would take to be a part of this elite group. Taking place after the death of a classmate, the story is told through various POVs and journal entries, police reports, and interviews. When a journal is found, the story begins to unravel with what really happened to their classmate, and all eyes start looking at The Thrashers.

Julie Soto is known for her adult romances, this is her debut YA thriller and she knocked it out of the park. I devoured this book in less than 24 hours, it was an addictive read and twisty ride, with an intriguing plot and very well developed characters. I really enjoyed this story of dark secrets, lies, drama, deceptions, bad choices, and the mystery of this complex and toxic group of friends. I was hooked from the first chapter until the very end, with an epilogue that blew my mind!

Eva Kaminsky and Jesse Vilinsky did a fantastic job narrating the audiobook. Their tone and inflections not only helped to create the suspenseful setting but also with giving each character their own unique voice, making it easier to differentiate. The audiobook took this story to another level enhancing the overall experience.

Readers may want to check TWs, there are several complex topics like suicide, alcohol abuse, physical abuse, bullying, paranormal activity.

Thank you @stmartinspress, @wednesdaybooks, @macmillan.audio, and @netgalley for the #gifted ARC & ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Do you ever think a bad decision you made is going to come back and haunt you? No? Well you should.

In this thrilling read, we follow a group of high schoolers after they have been framed for a girls suicide. What they don't know is it's just getting started.

Emily, the dead girl, had everything documented in a journal, that would later frame all but one person in the friend group. Emily is soooo back for revenge.

I've never read a book by Julie Soto, and this one completely knocked me out of the water. The way she breathed life into this story, given the circumstances! It's a 5 star read for me!

Julie Soto delivers in this Young Adult/Thriller Mystery.

It is told in a third person POV and I was lucky enough to immersion read. Narration is brought to us by Eva Kaminsky and Jesse Vilinsky in dual style narration. It is a very enrapturing story that gives the vibes of Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl meets Thirteen Reasons. I was enthralled in the writing style and couldn't wait to see what was coming next.