From the start of this book I was drawn in to the story and I could not put this book down! The ending is not what I was expecting in the best way but after that I also feel like it left me with more questions which is why I didn’t rate it 5 stars. This YA Thriller was a gripping story about complicated friendships, secrets, characters you love but also hate and it was written so well! This is a story that’s going to always stay in the back of my mind it was that good.

4.5 stars!

I am FULLY in my Julie Soto era. If she writes it, I am reading it. I am apparent also in my thriller era? Who am I?!

I was enthralled from the START of this book. There were some twists I predicted, but a couple took me by surprise.

Apparently, if I guy is named Julian, I automatically like him too!

The intrigue! The suspense!! Ahhhh!

But just read it, okay?! It’s coming out in MAYYYY!

Thank you for the eARC Wednesday books!!!

Thrashers by Julie Soto is a fast-paced, binge-able YA thriller that explores the drama within a high school clique. This book has a dark edge and was such a quick read because you just want to know what the outcome will be. I liked it a lot and would recommend.
Trigger warnings: bullying and suicide.

Expected Pub day May 6, 2025

Thank you Wednesday books , Julie Soto and Net Galley for the arc.

This was my first Julie Soto book and it gripped me from the start. If Pretty Little Liars and One Of Us Is Lying got made into one book this would be it. The thing that intrigued me most is that each character was heavily flawed, which made you question if anyone was capable of telling the truth or were they all just manipulating to get what they want.

The addition of a paranormal element was the perfect creepy addition to the storyline and at times gave me chills.

This was a well crafted, fast paced YA thriller. And, with the way this book ended, I would love a book 2.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the arc.

“Thrashers” by Julie Soto

4⭐️/5⭐️

I devoured this book in less than 48 hours; couldn’t put it down. The story was so gripping, and it didn’t take long for me to become invested in Jodi and her friends’ predicament.

“Thrashers” takes place a couple months after the suicide of Emily Mills, a sophmore who desperately wanted to be a part of the elite group of friends known by students to be ‘The Thrashers’. Jodi, Jullian, Zack, Lucy, and Paige don’t refer to themselves as a silly nickname, and generally try to keep to themselves. Of the five, Jodi is the outlier. She’s not wealthy, she’s not an all-star student with straight A’s, she’s self-described as ‘average’ in appearance, she doesn’t participate in sports; she often wonders why she’s included in this friend group. After Emily’s death, the group finds themselves under investigation for her death, with information revealed in her journal pinning the blame squarely on The Thrashers. But things aren’t adding up, and Jodi finds herself singled out for the first time when she’s asked to testify against her friends.

This is a YA thriller with a mix of paranormal elements. For the first 95% of the story I was hooked and wasn’t sure who was going to be revealed to be the main culprit. However, once everything was revealed things fell flat. The higher rating is due to that first 95%, although I’m tempted to drop the rating to 3.5 stars.

I thought the ending was completely lackluster and boring. It was the most logical conclusion, and with all the elements running through the story, I thought it could have gone in so many different directions that would have been more shocking. When I reached the end I thought, “is this…is this it? Really?”.

Some parts of the story made no sense. You’re telling me Zack’s high power attorney father would be ok with him hanging out with a 16 year old girl, while Zack is being charged with statutory rape? And yet he tells the friend group to stop hanging out with each other so often? That makes no sense.

And why have Julian beat up Oliver while he’s under investigation, and NOT mention it again? Especially since Oliver said he’s pressing charges?

There were a lot of different aspects to the story that never got explored properly, and I’m sure that was a bit of a smokescreen to hide what was really happening with Emily. But I think that just contributed to the unsatisfying ending.

Also, if you’re going to bring up a paranormal subplot, at least commit to it! It just fizzled out by the epilogue.

☆5/5

I was truly blessed with the opportunity to read The Thrashers early and omg. I can’t even begin to describe my thoughts!! I just want to scream!? I can’t stop thinking about this gem. This book was SO GOOD. I’ve been a Julie Soto fan for a while now, but I didn’t know what to expect from this YA thriller. And let me tell you, I was sucked in from the start. All of my favorite things are in The Thrashers: characters who you love but also hate, suspense, a little enemies to lovers vibe! It was also lowkey scary sometimes, which I kind of loved?!
There was even a seance!! So many crazy things and wild twists, I truly loved this book. There is so much I want to say, but can’t! All I will say is that Julie Soto never misses and if you are a thriller lover, then this is the book for you. The Thrashers comes out 5/06 and it’s a must read!!

This book was pretty wild. There were a lot of twists and turns, which definitely made it hard to figure out who was lying and who was telling the truth. I think the mystery was solid and I’m a big fan of the characters. The paranormal elements were pretty good, and I liked the ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the copy of this ARC. This will be out in May of 2025!

YES YES YES. This books is a ride! From the beginning I loved Julian, way more than I should admit. The most unlikeable character is for sure the detective, if she was deleted fully from the story it would still be good! If you liked good girls guide to murder you’ll like this. Good YA thriller with a paranormal twist!

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this book as an arc

I think if you liked a good girls guide to murder, you will enjoy this. Attention, the plot lines are completely different but the ya mistery thriller vibe is there, and the case entrances really reminded me of that
With that being said, I unfortunately think I might have outgrown this genre and therefore I didn’t become as obsessed with this as I one day would have been
But if you want something that grips you, is fast paced and has some unexpected twists and turns, this will be the book for you

This was good!! I love YA thriller/mysteries like AGGGTM and this really delivered on that end. I wanted something engaging and mindless because I felt a slump coming on. This book kept me hooked and I truly didn't know how things would turn out! All of the characters were so unique and frustrating but I ate up the drama. Could also relate so much to the FMC feeling like the overlooked, afterthought friend!! Ouch!! Everyone was connected somehow and the relationships were so complex that I couldn't look away. I listened to about half of this on audio and REALLY enjoyed the audio! Highly recommend when this releases. Julie Soto can basically write any genre she wants and I admire her so much for that. This was twisty, engaging, and filled with drama. At times it maybe felt a bit long but I enjoyed my time!! Thank you to the publisher for the eARC and ALC <3

Julie Soto does such an amazing job at building a storyline with characters that immediately sucks you in. I was invested from the start. Especially once the journal came into play. I constantly was piecing together tidbits and wondering where the story would take us. The whole Thrashing also made things interesting. I finished this book and I’m still thinking about it. There were so many tiny details and twists and turns. I loved this book so much! But that ending?! Wow.

This YA suspenseful thriller captivated me from the very first moment and kept me on my toes. I sat, riveted, through all the twists and turns, fully immersed and invested in narrating character Jodi Dillon's journey. This is an excellent and well-written book, but it is very dark. I encourage all readers to check the Content Warnings before reading.

Not only is this Julie Soto’s first YA, but it’s also her first thriller so I was on pins and needles trying to see how this was going to play out. And let me just say….. I thought it went great! More than what I was expecting and I can say I liked it a bit more than I thought I would.

Ok so first of all the characters in this were all terrible. But since this was a thriller it was expected. I knew that they were all going to be unreliable. And let me just say, yes they are. And there’s just enough of them to confuse you while trying to figure out who did what and when. And it’s even more confusing because they’re all guilty of something even if it’s not the main thing.

Ok so the plot itself was kinda cool. There’s these kids that are popular and rich and everyone loves them. So much so that there’s someone who is desperate to be one of them. So much so, in trying she loses her life. And the Thrashers are the ones on the hook for it. But Jodi has a choice…. And omg Idk if I was strong enough for the one she chose. I don’t think I could have done that. Especially after what just happened lol

The mystery was good, but I promise you, you won’t be able to figure out who did it. There’s lies and all the clues aren’t introduced until a secret is ready to be revealed. I hated that, but it definitely worked. I hate guessing who did it early, but at the same time, I would rather have these things given to me and still guess it wrong if that makes sense.

The actual winner here is the way this book takes a look at the complexities in being a teen nowadays. The bullying, the romances, the lies, the backstabbing, the body shaming, the obsession, and more. All of these things seem like trivial things to those who aren’t experiencing it and some may even think teens aren’t experiencing these anyway. But these things are real, and I thought it was refreshing to see this represented in a book. Reading about them causes awareness. And if it helps them look out for or recognize these things, then that’s a win in my book.

Although there were some things I wasn’t a fan of, I do want to say, Soto’s first YA and first thriller were a hit! At least for me. I hope there’s more out there later. At the very least something that explains the epilogue. I need moreeeeeeee

I am not usually a YA thriller reader but boy did I devour this in one sitting.

Imagine if Veronica Mars and a dash of Pretty Little Liars had a baby. And that baby also came with a a set of characters that made you re-think them every few chapters, even in the final few paragraphs. Oh, and one of them reminds you heavily of Logan “I thought our story was epic, you know” Echolls. Yeah.

I wouldn’t be three books into Julie Soto’s backlist if I didn’t think she was a good writer but I was impressed with how well she delivered a thriller (seeing, obviously, that her other published works are in the contemporary romance genre). She had my attention hooked from the beginning, weaved the tension and plot twists expertly, and delivered a compelling cast of characters. There was just a hint of romance that never at any time overshadowed the main plot but it was intriguing. Plus that epilogue whew.

All of this to say, this was so good and Julie, we need more.

The way I love this book. I imagine this will be my top read of the year.

This book has ruined me for YA thrillers from here on out. The Thrashers is juicy and unputdownable. It had me on the edge of my seat from page one — a wild ride I never want to get off.

If you've loved Julie's fanfic or romance, I urge you to add The Trashers to your TBR. It's an absolute masterpiece. So much so that l'll be doing a reread via audiobook this month because I just can't get it out of my head (and I am not a reread person).

This book hooks you from the very beginning and it keeps you on the edge of your seat down to the very last page! I was so invested in the midterm and secrets between these 5 high school friends as they went through paranormal events, navigating the pressure of young adulthood, and very unwise decisions made as teens that led to the death of a classmate. The twists and discoveries along the way are so good! I couldn’t put the book down.

I would definitely read her grocery lists....

Julie Soto writes another winner for me. This was so intense, with so many twists I didn't expect, a well written and exciting YA thriller. I definitely stayed up way too late finishing it because I COULD NOT put it down. I like to think I'm rather disciplined about my sleep, and this one threw that out the window. I just had to know what happens.

Let me just say, Julie Soto can truly do no wrong in my eyes. Whether it is fanfiction, contemporary romance or a YA thriller, she has me hooked.

Once I really got into this book, I couldn’t put it down. This was so fast paced without feeling too busy or chaotic. I just kept needing to turn the page to find out what would happen next. I was so creeped out at multiple points while reading, and she did such a great job of instilling doubt in each of the characters so you never knew who to trust. And what an ending!!! My jaw is still on the ground!

I loved it and I cannot wait for everyone else to get their hands on it and be just as obsessed as I am.

The Thrashers is a YA thriller book that follows a group of friends—nicknamed, indeed, The Thrashers—as they are being investigated for the suicide of Emily Mills, their high school classmate and apparent friend. It is narrated in the 3rd person from the POV of Jodi Dillon, the only Thrasher who doesn’t come from money and the only one to actually be nice to Emily.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The writing kept me hooked, and I read it in only two sittings (it wouldn’t have been one if it weren’t for the fact I’m on a trip). There were a couple of plot twists I didn’t see, and the dynamics between the five friends were fascinating to read.

The reasons why I can’t give it five stars is that the main plot twists was too predictable to have a reaction when it hit the page, and I wasn’t really a fan of the supernatural stuff. But this is just my preference, and I know it will interest other people.

However, the epilogue really had me screaming into my pillow so I wouldn’t wake my boyfriend up. I swear, if there’s no sequel I will screammm out loud.

All in all, a very enjoyable book, one that I would totally recommend.

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

Oh my gosh! I could not put this book down. I was hooked from the start and it just kept getting better and better. I thought I had it all figured out it and then there was always a curve ball. That ending just blew my mind!! This book took me out of a 2 month reading slump so if you’re going through one this will help. I will say that is important people read trigger warnings before reading this since there are some sensitive/heavy topics. Overall I thought the book was well done and I enjoyed my time reading it.