I enjoyed most of this book but there were some weird psychic parts added in that I thought took away from the book.

I will read anything Julie Soto writes but I was really curious how the writing and storytelling I love from fanfics and contemporary romance would translate into ya thriller. And from the prologue, I was immediately obsessed and couldn’t put it down!

The Thrashers grounds the over-the-top thrills of Pretty Little Liars and Heathers with the horrifying realness of what it’s like to be a teenager, to not know or always like yourself, your friends, your place in the world… or if your dead classmate is haunting your friend group.

The characters are an extremely believable mix of being dumb teens and Everyone Sucks Here, and I was surprised by how much I liked the romantic subplot. The supernatural element is also done really well, riding the line between freak accidents/things that can be explained away and lingering doubt that maybe Emily really isn’t done with them.

And the epilogue!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC!

4⭐️

13 reasons why meets pretty little liars in this high school mystery drama.

This was both a fun and heartfelt read that kept me hooked the entire time. The twists and story progression combined with the paranormal elements were well executed so that the events still felt “real” and fitting into the real world setting to keep everything feeling believable.

The characters were all multilayered and had me rooting for them despite the uncertainty surrounding them all and their clear morally grey depiction. The social hierarchy of the high school brought me to emotions of my high school days and I felt connected to so many different characters in different ways.

I was hoping for a little more consequence for some of the characters at the end, and I did have a few questions surrounding Emily at the end, but rereading it and focusing more on some details may help answer those.

And as someone living in the Sacramento area it was fun to have little “Easter eggs” if you will, with some of the local highlights!

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Publishing for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This book was an unforgettable experience and I loved every minute I spent with the characters. The mystery aspects were great as it really showed the bond these friends created and maintained through their adversities.

I loved this book! I’m a teacher and mom of two little ones. Therefore, my time is limited. I read this book a little over a week. The plot was very interesting and kept me guessing. I loved the character development. I think the way Emily was made to keep coming back around throughout the as golden. Also, probably my favorite character was Julian. He was played out to be such a bad boy, but in the end I loved him. I will definitely recommend this book to my high school students! I hope to buy a signed copy too! Thank you for the ARC!

This book was incredible!!! I am a huge Julie Soto fan… if she writes it, I will read it! This paranormal mystery is so well done. I love the imperfect characters and I was on the edge of my seat this whole book! The FMC was written so well and I could relate so much to the angst she felt in her group of friends and the self-doubt that she truly fit in. As soon as I saw this book was available to read on netgally I neglected all of my adult responsibilities and dove right in. Masterfully done!

THE THRASHERS

Julie Soto’s YA Debut, The Thrashers is a non-stop ride. I was hooked from page one and could not put it down.

Taking place in the aftermath of a teen’s alleged suicide, an “elite” group of friends, The Thrashers are implicated in her death. What follows is a twisty tale filled with the best (and worst!) parts of being a teenager — the gossip, the self-doubt, the secrets and, somewhere underneath it all… the truth.

Julie taps into all the angst and fear with ease. You’ll trust everyone and then no one and then you’ll stop trusting your own gut — but in the best way. It’s fun, it’s raw and it’s a one of a kind mystery that has a lot to say.

The Thrashers is out 5/6!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Literally read this in one sitting and it was good!!

I love a cliquey friend group with drama. But in this case it was drama surrounding a mysterious suicide of a fellow classmate who was obsessed with them... YES PLEASE.

It was very much giving Pretty Little Liars, and I'm wondering if that's why I enjoyed it so much.

Fun YA thriller if you're looking for a quick read.
It's got:
-High School "It" Group
-Supernatural Theme
-Teen Drama
-Unrequited Love
-Mystery
-Social Outcast

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. I look forward to picking it up on release day.

The Thrashers was omg...so goooood! It had me from page 1. I couldn't put the book done. I kept trying to guess what the outcome was going to be and it was better than I imagined. I enjoyed all the characters in the book. I loved Julie Soto's other books and this was no different. You are in for a ride in this book from start to end. Jodi, Julian, Lucy, Paige, and Zack the friendship...what are lies and what truths. I can't wait to read more from Julie Soto!

I know this is a YA book. But if Julie Soto writes it, I’m going to read it. This book had me questioning. Do you really know your friends? Did I really know my friends back in high school?
At the very beginning, we start this book with a death. The whole book we learn more and more overtime about events that happened that led up to the death. Now, something that I like that Julie did is that we learn about it through journal entries. But also at the same time we know we can’t trust what we’re reading. And that’s come to be one of my favorite things.
I thought the characters were great in the beginning. There was one specific one. I really thought I was going to dislike, but ended up being one of my favorites. And I liked how Julie developed each individual character.
I liked the paranormal type aspect of the book. The log at the end had me smiling because I thought it was a nice little touch. It just added something extra to the story.
All in all a great young adult debut.

This book, from literally the very first page, GRIPS you! I was sucked straight in and didn’t put my kindle down again until I had read it front to back. I feel like this book may miss the mark for some older adult readers despite being clearly marked as YA, but for older readers with teens at home or who work with teens I think it does accurately depict the overall high school coming of age angst and I think younger readers and YA enthusiasts are going to go wild for this book! Five star read for sure.

I received this book as a Read Now on NetGalley from the publisher (Thank you St. Martin's Press / Wednesday Books!), and am so happy that I branched out from my usual type of read. This book was utterly captivating from start to finish.

The premise is: When one high school classmate unexpectedly takes their life on prom night, the rest are left dealing with the consequences. The ones to blame? The Thrashers…Allegedly… and now they’ll have to uncover the truth in order to prove their innocence.

I was completely spooked by this thrilling ride filled with secrets, lies, and a sprinkle of paranormal intrigue. Told from the perspective of the least popular member of The Thrashers, we’re left wondering who might have been the one to send their classmate over the edge. I loved the way I questioned Jodi’s ability to be a reliable narrator. She’s the only one not being labeled a bully, and there were moments when I wondered if she was telling the entire truth. With each bit of information she gathered, I was forming my own theories about what happened and questioning if these popular kids were truly being haunted. I’m happy to say my instincts were half correct. The other half? Let’s just say, it left me completely bamboozled.

Julie Soto knocked it out of the park with this YA novel debut. It was intriguing and oh so addicting as it dove into the complicated hierarchy of high school. I loved looking from the inside out. I felt like I was part of the popular crowd right alongside our main characters.

This book was filled with so many twists and turns. I devoured it in less than 24 hours. It was truly unputdownable. This book left me raging in the best way! The last few chapters gripped me so intensely. I couldn’t believe the way it all played out!

This is a book that’s going to sit with me for a long time. I could easily see it being developed into a TV series. I cannot wait for everyone to get their hands on this in May. The Thrashers is going to blow your mind.

4/5 stars!

Julie Soto has been been an auto-buy author since her debut novel so I had no doubts that I would enjoy this one! I think the best way I can describe the vibe of this book is kinda like the Heathers - the plot is completely different but the vibe is similar in a high school drama thriller way (with a little bit of supernatural in there)! I really enjoyed this one. I will say the only reason that I gave this book one star less (because Im pretty sure I gave the rest of her books 5 stars) the transition from one genre to the next can be hard (and Soto does it well) but I just like her adult contemps better than this one, that's it.

I fell in love with Julie Soto’s writing via her contemporary romances, but I love when my favorite authors venture into new genres. This book grabbed my attention and kept me reading late into the night… thankfully without the flickering lights (IYKYK). It captured what it feels like to be a teenager who’s just trying to figure out where they belong, but aren’t we all still trying to figure that out well into adulthood? Relatable. The Thrashers was a fun, creepy, angsty ride from start to finish, and I devoured it within 24 hours.

The epilogue though. 👀

*I received an eARC via Netgalley. Thank you!

Julie Soto is an instant read author for me, and this book was no exception. I think I inhaled this book within 12 hours of getting my hands on an ARC and I enjoyed every second.

In terms of vibes, it reminded me generally of Pretty Little Liars and One of Us is Lying (both of which I only saw the tv shows for so not sure if the book comparisons hold up). I’ve been reading Julie Soto since her HP fan fiction so the supernatural notes in this one were such a delight!

She really nailed the suspense throughout also. Even though it’s 3rd person, we’re following Jodi and get some of her inner monologue. Sometimes I found myself wondering if Jodi was naive, lying to herself, or if everything wasn’t as it seemed… just overall did a great job keeping that tension throughout.

Also…. The romance was swoon worthy for me. Absolutely unexpected highlight of this book, since I wasn’t expecting it in a mystery/thriller. I’m really hoping the ending means we’re getting a sequel, or at least that someone adapts this to TV so we can get 9 more seasons of how the characters grow apart and together again

My jaw is ON THE FLOOR. Ms Julie Soto does it again. I really mean this with my FULL CHEST. SHE. NEVER. MISSES.

I never read mystery / thriller. I mean NEVER. I typically don’t love the genre, but if Julie writes it, I’m reading it. And man oh man am I glad I did. This story had me glued to my kindle all day until I finished the whole thing.

How Julie wrote this story kept you just enough on the edge. Yes, I was able to guess some things, but there were definitely things I did NOT see coming. The twists and turns were written so beautifully in a way that kept you intrigued but not so exhausted from going back and forth. The story hooks you on an intellectual and emotional level, and even though high school is so far in my rear view, this book had me relating to these kids and was fully invested in getting to the bottom of it all.

I don’t want to get into the details in case I slip on any spoilers, but even if you’re not typically a mystery / thriller lover (or if you are!), pick this baby up. 10/10 recommend.

What a wild ride!

Short Synopsis:
When Emily Mills starts attending New Helvetia High, all she wants to do is be part of “The Thrashers” - the group of five popular kids named after Zack Thrasher - who basically started the group. But unfortunately for her, things don’t go her way and she commits suicide on prom night.

My Thoughts:
The DRAMA. I don’t read a lot of YA Thrillers, but can I just say I’m glad to be out of high school? 😆

This was such a bingeable read with all the drama that made you want to keep going to find out the truth. I almost always prefer thrillers on audio, and this was such a good one. It really elevates the suspense level.

If you’re a fan of A Girl’s Guide to Murder or Pretty Little Liars, you’ll gobble this one up.

What You’ll Find:
Mean girls
Pretty Little Liars vibes
Paranormal
YA Thriller
Bullying

This is not your regular Julie Soto book. This is YA to the core with mystery and spirits. It opened up like a murder mystery and as the book unfolds Jo wanted to find out the truth and protect her friends. Only to realized, the very people whom she wanted to protect may not reciprocate her feelings for their friendship as she thought.

By all accounts, Jodi should not have been one of the popular kids, but by default and her wanting to be ‘special’ to Zach so much that she held on. Little did she know, the entire group all felt the same, that they too are holding on, they too are all insecure about their standing in the group.

First off, love-love the pacing. Not too much lingering, details to help move things along. Though I would’ve love the details come together sooner and more instead of little morsels still dripping in at the end. Mystery typically not my genre, but this one hit just right.

The audiobook was interesting, it had one narrate as Emily, and the rest from Jodi’s pov. Both are well known and did an outstanding performance. I would’ve love more of a duet situation since there’s quite a bit of Emily in the book. But this turned out well.

Thank you to NetGalley & St Martin Press for the ARC

WOWOWOW. 5 stars, I need 10 more of these right now. What a way to enter the YA genre.

The story begins with Jodi in the summer going into her senior year, hanging out with her friend group nicknamed The Thrashers after Zack Thrasher. The golden boy, the one every girl is hopelessly in love with - including Jodi. Jodi has been best friends with Zack since she was younger, and there are definitely times where she feels like an outsider among her own friends. Though they're trying to enjoy their summer, something dark looms over their head: a girl who had inserted herself into their friend group, Emily, committed suicide the night of prom. While the Thrashers are taken aback by her suicide, they chalk it up to being just a tragedy...until weird things start to happen, like mysterious texts from unknown numbers. Then Thrashers are charged with harassment, except Jodi. As Jodi works to uncover why she was the only one spared the charges, she finds herself with more and more questions about the people she thought she knew best, all while danger lurks around every streetlight.

Me 🤝 being scared more by YA thrillers than adult thrillers (for some reason). I genuinely enjoyed this so much and couldn't stop reading it. I think there was a perfect blend of knowing what was going to happen and the story being twisted on us. The story pulled me in and held me the entire time because I NEEDED to know what happened. It plays into the spirit of being in high school - having friends, but sometimes feeling like an outcast, the high school rumor mill going a million miles a minute, secret crushes and hurt feelings. I loved that Julie Soto branched out into YA and I hope she writes more stories like this. Also THAT EPILOGUE!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for the eARC via NetGalley!

Thank you to St. Martins Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for this arc!

This is my first Julie Soto book and I don’t regret it. I don’t usually dip too much into the YA genre but sometimes for thrillers I don’t mind and Julie did not disappoint. This was super well done!!!!