3 ⭐️ — The “Thrashers” are a group of five high school friends caught in the investigation following a classmates death. We follow along with Jodi, the one friend in the group that does not get charges pressed against her. as the investigation unfolds, the friend group unravels a bit and lies and secrets are over turned.

This isn’t what i was expecting it to be, but it was still a fun story! The pacing felt a bit uneven at times, and none of the characters were likable, but it worked for a thriller and I didn’t see the twists at the end coming.

Certainly not the best YA thriller, but still an entertaining read!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a DRC in exchange for my honest review.

I don’t read many thrillers, but if Julie Soto writes it, you know I’m picking it up—and this one completely delivered. It’s a YA thriller that grabs you from the very first page and keeps you guessing the entire way through.

At its core, this story is a sharp and thoughtful look at friendship—especially the kind that forms in high school and the complicated, sometimes painful, cost that can come with it. Jodi has been best friends with Zack Thrasher since second grade, but she's always felt like she’s hovering on the edge of his inner circle, a tight-knit group known as The Thrashers.

Things take a chilling turn when Emily Mills—who is desperate to be part of that friend group—dies under mysterious circumstances. Her journal, filled with unsettling entries, hints at secrets and events that may have led to her death… and once it surfaces, strange things start to happen. Emily might be gone, but she’s definitely not finished.

Julie Soto does such an incredible job capturing the vulnerability of being a teen: the need to belong, the fear of being left out, and how the choices you make—even the ones that seem small—can leave lasting marks.

I am a big Julie Soto fan, so I was glad to get to read an advance copy of her YA debut, The Thrashers. This story of rich kids and high school cliques with a side of the paranormal is compulsively readable.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

Thanks, netgalley, Julie Soto, and St. Martin's publishing for an E-Arc! This is my first Julie Soto novel that I read by her, and I liked her writing style. The plot of this novel was an engaging and quick paced thriller that kept me guessing what would happen next! I really liked the characters and felt that Julie wrote them in a believeble way to where I could envision them being on the news or later down the line in a true crime podcast by a YouTuber like Bailey Sarian. I would probably recommend this to the older young adult range of 13 and up due to themes of alcohol and drug use, talks of suicide, suicide, talking about bulling and an police investigation. Overall, though, it's a great thriller and novel. my rating is 5/5 stars!

Triggers: suicide, alcoholism, drugs, physical abuse,

Looooooovvvved this freaking book!!! Holy cow!!! If this is not already on your tbr, ADD IT NOWWWW!

Okay, THIS was the perfect type of thriller for me—it ticked every single box and then some. Suspenseful? Check. Engaging? Absolutely. Incredible twist at the end? I did not see it coming, and I live for that. This story had the vibe of a paranormal version of Mean Girls sprinkled with that eerie, nostalgic tension from I Know What You Did Last Summer or Jawbreaker. And it pulled it off flawlessly.

We’re dazzled right out of the gate by this elite, popular friend group. A clique so magnetic, people are literally dying to get in. But it’s not all surface-level sparkle. There’s a darker, grittier undercurrent as we get into the inner-circle dynamics. Our main character is caught in this emotionally tangled web, trying to navigate messy romantic feelings while every single character is juggling their own complicated personal drama.

And the supernatural elements? Chef’s kiss. You’ve got psychics, mediums, possession, and a haunting tied to a tragic prom suicide that never quite got the closure it deserved. It’s spooky, emotional, and just unhinged enough to keep you flying through the pages.

At its core, though, it’s a story about complicated friendships. The kind that toe the line between love and manipulation, loyalty and rivalry. It made me question who I was rooting for more than once, which I loved.

Without giving too much away, here are a few keywords that will stick with me:
• psychic/medium
• prom suicide
• possession/ghosts
• complicated friendships

If you’re into thrillers that blend teen drama with supernatural chills and emotional depth, this one is an absolute must-read. It’s dark, twisty, and oh-so-satisfying.

A HUGE thank you to #NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a chance to read this early in exchange for an honest review. I have the digital arc, but will definitely be buying this for my physical bookshelf as well.

Ooooh… this was a such a good book, it was very hard to put down and had me a bit freaked out at some parts! The Thrashers are a notorious friend group who are hard to infiltrate. The FMC, Jodi always felt different than her peers but had been best friends with Zack Thrasher since elementary school and had a sense of security in their friendship. After Emily (a wannabe Thrasher) dies, the friends experience supernatural events that some believe may be tied to Emily. Jodi is faced with some hard decisions after learning things about her friends’ characters. This is a must read if you love a good thriller! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.

Julie Soto has a way with words that can captivate any audience, This is her debut YA novel and it did not disappoint. I will literally read anything this author writes. I was captivated from the very beginning and rooting for two enemies who didn't realize they were in love. Rich kids, enemies, high school cliques and spirits beyond the grave - this YA thriller will have you gripping the pages.

This was so much fun! It had me hooked from the very beginning and I genuinely had no idea how things were going to go. The characters were all so multifaceted and I enjoyed how they interacted with each other, highlighting different aspects of their personalities. That said, I liked that we spent the whole story in Jodi's POV. I think swapping between characters would have gotten confusing, and I loved the focus on Jodi as a parallel to Emily. Her growing insecurities in the group made for great conflict and character development as she started to understand what Emily was feeling and empathize with her. That cliffhanger was killer, and I would totally read more about this group in a sequel! The hints of a love triangle between Zack, Julian, and Jodi were delicious. I both loved and hated Julian and would really enjoy a continued redemption arc for him! Despite being YA, the book tackled some heavy themes (sexual assault, bullying, suicide, domestic violence, alcoholism) so I never felt like the story was "too young." It gave me great flashbacks to reading Pretty Little Liars! I would have loved to know more about the backstory of the detective. It seemed like she had history with Zack's dad and knowing more about that and her motives would have added another layer to the story!

Thank you Wednesday Books for the advanced copy! All opinions are my own. This publishes 5/6!

I LOOOVED this. I devoured it! I couldn't put it down once I started it. I loved the writing and I found myself just unable to turn away.

Jodi is in her senior year of high school with her 4 friends, The Thrashers. Her friends are rich, sophisticated, and love attention - but she's none of those things. Zack Thrasher (the titular character who leads this group) is her best friend from childhood though so she's automatically in. Then Emily Mills, a younger girl who desperately wants to be a Thrasher, dies and Jodi and her friend group are being investigated for potentially being involved. Emily's journal is found, eerie messages are being received, and Jodi has to figure out whether she should protect herself or betray her friends.

I loved reading about this friend group, as entitled and spoiled as everyone but Jodi is. It's your quintessential popular group who everyone wants to be or be with. There's some real heart in a few of these characters and I really enjoyed being with them while I read. Team Julian. I need more Julian!!

This was a 5 star up until that Epilogue. It was a super short epilogue and ugh okay its a ME PROBLEM ok?! lol I'm just gonna pretend it doesn't exist 😬🫣 regardless, I HIGHLY recommend this YA debut!!

DNF at 10%. I respect Julie Soto for trying something new, but I just didn’t vibe with it. Part of it is due to me not being the target audience anymore, for certain. I respect Soto for capturing the vibe of messy teenagers and their interpersonal drama in the wake of a massive tragedy and its fallout. And I don’t mind reveling in that. However, Jodi was forgettable and bland, I couldn’t imagine following her for an entire book.

Julie wrote it imma read it. Beautifully written and showing the dangers social medias, cliques and just how terrible high school can be

I was THRILLED to receive this ARC as Julie Soto is an auto-buy author for me. However, when I opened up the prologue and saw “suicide” right off the bat I had to take a pause before reading it. Once I was in a place to read it I’m so glad I did!! This FAR surpassed my expectations (which were high) because I’m not usually a YA mystery reader. It was incredibly entertaining, blending vibes of many favorite TV show/movies of similar genre, but taking on a completely unique story of its own. I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy and making it book of the month for all reading groups come publication!

After absolutely adoring Julie Soto's two adult romances, I was so curious about how her writing style would translate to a YA thriller.

Let me just say, she killed it (😆). I absolutely devoured this book and was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The Thrashers sucked me right in and I felt like I was back in high school feeling all the insecurities, romantic angst and questioning whether I actually knew what exactly was going on.

The Thrashers are the popular group of five students that everyone idolizes (or loathes) and at their center is Zack Thrasher. After a girl commits suicide on prom night, the Thrashers become the center of a growing interest in what exactly led to this. I want to keep this spoiler free so will leave it there. Fast paced and delightful read. Highly recommend!

Many thanks to St Martins Press and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was VERY fun! A perfect YA thriller with some spooky elements. I really enjoyed how the characters felt like high schoolers.

I flew through this book because I just needed to know what really happened! I don’t read thrillers often but I was excited for Julie Soto’s YA debut. I enjoyed unraveling the mystery, but was put off by the supernatural stuff! Besides that I still had a good time and felt for the characters.

Thank you to the publishers for the ARC! I absolutely LOVED this book! It was a well-written, quick-paced story that had me hooked the entire time. I’ve already recommended it to several people that I know like thrillers and mysteries. It was just the right amount of spooky, and that epilogue?! I need 3 more books ASAP, please. Julie Soto absolutely crushed it with this one!

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Julie Soto’s YA debut, but this is my favorite of her published books so far! In this haunting thriller, a group of popular friends, called The Thrashers by their classmates, get accused of bullying a girl to death, placing them under investigation during their senior year of high school. The belief is that The Thrashers welcome people into their friend group only to “thrash” them when they’re no longer of use. Their latest alleged victim Emily was found dead, but her diary contained damning evidence against all but one of them: Jodi Dillon. Told from her POV, she tries to figure out what really happened on the night of Emily’s death. Were her friends truly responsible? Or are there other secrets to uncover? Oh, and let’s not forget that Emily may be haunting all of them too.

Veronica Mars meets Pretty Little Liars, "The Thrashers" by Julie Soto is a high school-set mystery that feels simultaneously fresh and nostalgic. Filled with a morally grey characters, complex social and class dynamics, the raging hormones of high school, and the very real consequences of FAFO, the book follows Jodi Dillon as her world implodes after a classmate's death on prom night.

Part of a friend group dubbed "The Thrashers," Jodi is the odd one out. She's never quite sure why she's part of the popular crowd—she has little in common with bubbly Paige, badass Lucy, and aloof Julian, all of whom come from privileged families that are a far-cry from her working-class single dad, but she's Zack Thrasher's childhood best friend, and that seems to count for something. Jodi is easy to like. Though a bit insecure and self-conscious, she's a hard worker, has a great sense of humor, and is an incredibly loyal friend. But after Emily, a sophomore who has a massive crush on Zack and tries to infiltrate The Thrashers via Jodi, dies and her journal implicates all of Jodi's friends, she begins to question everything she was once so certain of

It's a propulsive plot full of twists, turns, and increasing tension between all of the characters as a police investigation is opened, eerie occurrences unfold, life-threatening situations arise, and the stakes begin to shift as they each turn 18. Julie Soto does a fantastic job crafting her messy characters, capturing the angst of being a senior in high school, and articulating Jodi's increasingly complex thoughts, feelings, and motivations as the months go on.

Though this book is fun, the entire premise is one that is fraught and, at its core, incredibly sad—something that Julie never loses sight of throughout as her characters face the consequences of their attitudes and actions as they're forced to grow up and stop romanticizing their friendships.

The twists and reveals continue right until the very last page (I'm not kidding), and the epilogue? I've rarely gasped so loudly.

Julie Soto can do no wrongs. I honestly believe she could write anything and I would devour it. Another 5 star read!!!

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

4.25 stars

An addictive story with a questionable ending.

I had some small issues here and there with this book, but this was still real hard to put down. And this ended up being a little more supernatural than I was thinking it would be. I was thinking more of a something along the lines of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. Is still had that feel but with a little extra added in.

There's a little bit of romance thrown in, and I was devouring that, though I feel like there were some holes there and some explanations I would have liked to have. Still a really intriguing plot line that I was eating up.

But I was a little underwhelmed with the conclusion of everything. I was waiting for a fairly big event or reveal but it wasn't anything that I wasn't already thinking or something I wasn't surprised by.

Now the epilogue is COMPLETEY DIFFERENT. And I'm unsure if Julie is giving us the potential for a sequel or if it's just a crazy ending to mess with your head. Either way, was definitely a wtf moment.