I hate books where the ending isn’t really a conclusion 😭 the rest of the book was good so 4 stars but idk im kinda pissed bc the wrong person was getting [redacted] imo which idk maybe it’s my romance reader heart or if that makes me a bad person or what but [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] 😭

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

I received an eARC and ALC from the respective publishers. All opinions are honest and my own.

This book was full of secrets, complexity, lies, and so much more. After Emily takes her own life, this book follows a group of her girls who bullied her. The group's outlier Jodi begins to unravel many secrets and drama that keeps you wanting to know more and more the mystery. Julie Soto wrote complex, morally grey characters who were all struggling to find themselves. I couldn't put this book down! It is perfect for those who love thrillers with a dark academia vibe!

The way I devoured this book should be studied by professionals. The mystery and the intensity built up so much over time and the suspense was *chefs kiss*

This is YA - the characters, the setting, a lot of the conflict - it is about high schoolers set within a high school timeline with typical high school behavior. But the depth of the emotions is beautiful. And there’s a supernatural component that is unexpected but so fascinating.
(CW at the end of my review)

One of the reasons this book hit so hard is because of how much I could relate to Jodi. Her constant anxiety and fear over not being chosen within her friend group is all too real and it made the events of this book feel that much more believable.

By the end, my brain was melting out of my ears over how the twists were unwound and the resolution came to be.

CW: suicide, bullying, harassment, bodily injury, underage drinking, legal drinking, drunkenness leading to violent actions, fear of drowning, near-drowning, mentions of spirits/ghosts, use of spirit medium

I've never not loved a Julie Soto book, and The Thrashers was absolutely no different. YA is just what hits sometimes, and it was exciting and thought provoking and emotional. I highly suggest it and will be grabbing a physical copy as soon as possible

Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Thrashers releases May 6, 2025

Zack, Lucy, Paige, Julian, and Jodi make up the friend group that is known as <I>The Thrashers</I>.
When a girl at their school commits suicide, they are the ones held responsible.

It’s typical to characterize the popular, clique friend group as the villains, while painting the outcast they “bullied” and “raped” as the victim, but I don’t think that dynamic was accurate for this story.
Emily clearly had severe behavioural and mental health issues that were unaddressed, and to blame her suicide entirely on those that didn’t accept her was unfair in my opinion.

The plot and underlying supernatural elements were painfully predictable, and despite this being Soto’s genre debut, I found that it didn’t add anything new to the table.
I would have loved if the journal entries made a more prominent appearance in the story, almost taking shape as its own character, as it would’ve added more dimension.

cw: suicide (drug overdose), alcoholic parent, physical abuse

What a fun read! I loved the twists and turns, always leaving me second guessing. This is how a YA thriller is done.

Julie! Soto! I did not know what to expect in this thriller and it blew me out of the water.

I devoured this book in a day. It immediately hooked me and I could not stop. Some things I guessed would happen, but there were still some twists that I did not expect that had me shook. The mystery and investigation of why Emily decided to take her own life and adding in the supernatural touches were great. That epilogue!!

Julie has a way of creating such loveable characters (and some not so loveable characters..). The tension she creates between the friends and the banter was just top tier. She had me wanting pretty much everyone to have their own HEA.

I finished it today, but why am I wanting to read it again already?

If you're looking for a book with the vibes of 13 Reasons Why, Pretty Little Liars, and I feel even Mean Girls - this is the book for you!
CW include: suicide, abuse, alcoholism

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC ✨

A good YA thriller that seems like it might be turned into a series. I enjoyed that the perspective was from the main character as it really kept me guessing till the end and damn that epilogue.

Julie Soto doesn’t again!
This was just what I needed to end my reading slump. I stayed up way past my bedtime to read this. I was so invested in the characters and story.

Thank you so much @wednesdaybooks for this gifted copy!! I was SO excited to read and review this new thriller by Julie Soto!! Julie Soto can do no wrong in my eyes! I’ll read whatever she writes!! 👏🏻👏🏻

This was such an addictive YA thriller! It follows a group of popular kids called the Thrashers, and things spiral after a girl named Emily, desperate to join them, ends up taking her own life. The group gets pulled into the mystery, and secrets start to unravel fast. When everyone in the friend group is a murder suspect, but one, you don’t know who to trust!

It’s written from the POV of the main girl, and you’re never totally sure if you can trust her—which I loved. The story touches on bullying, toxic friendships, unrequited love, trauma, and even has a slight paranormal twist.

The pacing hooked me right away. I kept guessing and still didn’t see the ending coming. Some things were left open-ended, which almost left even more mystery to the book that I really liked. There’s a small romantic subplot too, but it doesn’t take over the story.

I could honestly see this having a sequel because there was just so much that happened and so questions left unanswered! I could also see this being a really good show!! I hope we get a lot more thrillers/mysteries from Julie soon!! 👏🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

Absolutely loved this! Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ahead of time. This was such a page turner. I blasted through it! Needed to know how it ended. Really kept me on my toes. Very unique. Will definitely recommend.

4.5⭐️

It’s been a while since I stayed up until almost 5 a.m. reading a book because I couldn’t put it down!

I was a little skeptical at first, if I’m being honest, but Julie proved me wrong from the beginning. Oh lord—she had me hooked instantly!

I really liked the story and how everything developed. The plot, the paranormal elements, the characters—everything was so good! And the pacing? Amazing!

The only thing is… I don’t know if I was 100% happy with the ending. Don’t get me wrong—it wasn’t bad. It just didn’t give me the justice I was hoping for (if that makes sense).

AND THE EPILOGUE?? Julieeee, why did you do this to me?? I don’t know if this is going to be a series (I hope so, or at least a novella), because that epilogue is going to haunt me forever. 😭😭

I honestly loved this book so much! The release date is May 6th—do yourselves a favor and get it. You’ll thank me later!

This is my first Julie Soto book, but I've always heard good things about her writing, so when I had the opportunity to read The Thrashers pre-release, I jumped on it. Our book starts with a student's suicide, then we go back to the beginning to find out who this student was, and why she took her own life.

Our MC, Jodi Dillon, is one of an exclusive, tight group of friends called known as "The Thrashers", that includes Julian, Lucy, Paige, and Jodi's best friend since childhood, Zach Thrasher. Jodi is the only one who is not wealthy and sophisticated, and she has always felt like a bit of an outsider. When a girl named Emily makes a nuisance of herself trying to join their group, always hanging around trying to get Zach's attention, and taking a weird interest in Jodi, kills herself, everybody looks at The Thrashers as somehow to blame. When the police get involved because a diary written by Emily turns up that starts them asking lots of questions about The Thrashers, Jodi is put in a position of betraying her friends or protecting herself.

This was a suspenseful book with a compelling storyline that moved at a comfortably fast pace. It had great characters that were well written and fleshed out, and the relationships between them were realistic and believable. My only complaint is that I would have loved to delve more into the relationship between Jodi and Julian as there seemed to be a real, unexpected connection there. I thought the ending was good, if not a bit rushed, but then there was an epilogue that knocked my shoes off, and left me wanting more. A second book, perhaps? One can hope.

All in all, I enjoyed this book very much and highly recommend it.

5/5 stars.

*** I would like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Julie Soto for the opportunity to read and review The Thrashers.

I would like to give the BIGGEST thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the incredible Julie Soto for an ARC!

I will happily consume any book Julie writes, and I was practically foaming at mouth when I read the synopsis.

It took me a little bit to get into this one and some parts felt a bit repetitive, but overall I really enjoyed the twists and reveals. This felt like an ambitious book, but I think Julie did a good job of juggling the thriller, supernatural, drama, and even a sprinkling of romance (my favorite part).

I'm calling it now, this book will be made into a Netflix or Hulu show! It read like a tv series/show and the DRAMA would make for a high rated show.

This is a YA novel/thriller that introduces us to a group of friends: The Thrashers. This book weaves in the intricacies of school cliques, toxic friendship dynamics, and school bullies in a high drama manner.

We learn that a student name Emily has taken her life on the night of prom. This sets the stage for the rest of the book. The Thrashers get thrown into the spotlight after a journal of Emily's is found noting that they'd been bullying her. A large part of the book centers on Jodi, one of the thrashers, as the investigation unfolds - who can she believe? did she have a part in this? etc.

This book is pretty fast paced and full of tension and twisty drama. Held me to the very end. Thrillers always make me put my imaginary detective hat on and though I thought it was going to be predictable, I felt like I was guessing until the very end.

Despite this being a Thriller and YA, I found myself yearning for more story between Jodi and Julian. If you've read Julie Soto's other books you know she can write a steamy romance - so would I be mad if they got their own book someday... heck no. (That painting scene IYKYK).

Lastly, I will say as a parent of teens - I struggled slightly with the abundant drug use and drinking - but I can admit it might have seemed like a less dramatic storyline without any of it.

4 out of 5⭐

The Trashers opens with the shocking suicide of Emily Mills on prom night, and her discovered journal points to a privileged high school friend group—the Thrashers—as being involved. What follows is a twisty, layered mystery filled with secrets, betrayals, and shocking revelations.

At the center is Jodi, longtime member of the Thrashers but different from them in key ways—she’s not rich, and she’s far more grounded. As Jodi digs deeper into Emily’s death, she starts to unravel the toxic dynamics of her friend group and confront uncomfortable truths.

I loved Jodi’s character and her growth throughout the story. The light romance subplot was a lovely surprise—I definitely wanted more of that slow-burn pairing! While the paranormal elements felt a bit out of place at times, the book delivers strong tension, compelling relationships, and a gripping mystery. The ending felt a bit rushed, but that final epilogue? Totally unexpected.

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. I am thoroughly convinced that Julie Soto can do no wrong. I have read nearly every one of her books and they never disappoint, this one is no exception. I loved the (dislikable) characters, the twists and turns were unpredictable, and I really was on the edge of my seat. I can't wait to see what else she publishes, but I will certainly be recommending this one! A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads for release.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin Press, Wednesday books and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for honest review.

4.5 stars! Julie Soto is quickly becoming an automatic read with every book she puts out! Thrillers aren't my typical go-to genre but I've loved everything Julie Soto has put out so far! This was no exception. I could not put this down and if I'd started it before 9 PM, would have definitely read in one sitting!

Based in Sacramento, CA, The Thrashers is as if Gossip Girl met the OC met Pretty Little Liars. The most popular guy in school, Zack Thrasher, has a tight friend group that rarely lets anyone new into the group. Our story follows Jodi, one of the Thrashers and Zack's first best friend. The latest teen who had tried to make it into the Thrashers died by suicide on the evening of prom. Jodi had been the nicest to the new addition, but all of the Thrashers are feeling the impacts of her death and sensing supernatural things.

There were so many twists and turns that I hadn't expected and the ending was a masterpiece! I can't wait for everyone to read this and am honestly wishing for more from this quintet of friends!

This was a freakin good book and has proven without a doubt that I am a fan of YA. It was a harrowing return to adolescence that made me immensely relieved I was not popular in high school. Our main character, Jodi, is beginning her senior year when a pseudo-friend commits suicide and names her friend-group as the (13th) reason why. While perhaps not the most original concept - bullied and crazed gal seeks revenge on her tormentors, Julie Soto’s spin makes for an absolute page-turner. I could not put it down. With a nod to the paranormal interspersed throughout a deeply contemporary story, there’s something for everyone in Thrashers. It wasn’t a book I personally could read through the night, but only because I’m a scaredy-cat. Major trigger warnings for suicide, abuse, and near-death experiences (final destination fans will not be disappointed) described in harrowing detail. The range displayed to seamlessly cover sordid family issues to the stressful albeit less series social dynamics of navigating romance, friendship, and popularity in high school was executed flawlessly. Like all of the author’s books, the writing is excellent and the audiobook narration is fantastic.
Thank you to St. Martin Press/Wednesday Books, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for the eARC and audiobook. I promise I do read many things I don’t like, but haven’t come across a bad Julie Soto book yet.

When high schooler Emily Mills commits suicide on prom night, a group of five friends called “the Thrashers” become front and center for their potential involvement in the case.

From the beginning, I really enjoyed this book. For a YA thriller, it felt very original and kept me turning the pages, despite the fact that all of the characters came off as pretty dislikable. Unfortunately, the ending let me down a little bit. Throughout the book, there was a really good use of suspense and mystery building up to what I thought would be some very satisfying plots twists, but the end felt a little rushed and abrupt. Overall, considering that this is Julie Soto's debut into this genre and the first book I've read by her, I was pretty impressed by her writing style, so I will definitely be trying her other books.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!