Easily one of my favorite books so far of 2025. Julie Soto needs to write more thrillers! I insist. I was hooked from the beginning and any time that I was forced to stop reading (work really can be annoying sometimes) it felt like torture. This book has Pretty Little Liars and Riverdale vibes, without the plot points that made you question what you were watching (by the end they could have announced that I was "A" and I wouldn't have been surprised lol). I am obsessed and will not be shutting up about it anytime soon!

What a wild ride. I have loved all of Julie Soto’s romance books and was intrigued to get this version of her writing - YA - and MAN did she deliver. From the minute I steered this story I was hooked. The friend group, The Thrashers, were tight knit and not like your typical rich kid friend group. Each member of the group has their own issues at home, all of which gave them different ways to connect with each other. This was such a realistic portrayal of the trials and tribulations of high school - with the added fun of ghostly happenings that added a creepy undertone to already heavy topics to include SA, murder, suicide, and alcoholism.

The writing, as I’ve come to expect with Soto, was magnificently done. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Soto puts some kind of drug into her words because every book of hers I’ve picked up, I haven’t been able to put down, they’re truly addicting.

Definitely read the trigger warnings before getting started.

⭐️ 5/5

THIS BOOK!! Oh my goodness! It had me in a chokehold and then doubled down with that epilogue! I sincerely hope it DOESN’T get a sequel because that ending was just utter perfection! I AM STILL SCREEEAMING! Dammit Julie Soto! 😍 Why is every book a total banger!?

I don’t know what else to say because I am flabbergasted and just plain in awe! What a story! 10/10! Perfect. I loved how the storytelling was interspersed with readings from Emily’s journal. With everything that was revealed as the mystery unfolded, I was at the edge of my seat. Just so so good! Highly recommend!

Thank you again to MacMillan Audio for the ALC and Wednesday Books for the ARC!

This is our April Booked with Babes Book Club pick and I am so excited to chat about this one because OH MY GOD!

Bingeworthy YA mystery thriller ghost story with some deep musings on bullying and the desire to belong. The characters were "morally gray", and by that I mean they all had bully tendencies that were difficult to read. I genuinely wanted them all to suffer more than they did; their lack of empathy made it difficult to empathize with them. In that same vein, I kind of hoped for more death? Is that wrong of me? Everyone had near death experiences and everyone survived. I feel cheated.

Some readers may dislike the supernatural vibe that developed, but that's the only reason I enjoyed the ending. Jodi and Julian were the most interesting and multilayered of The Trashers clique (fitting that they were the ones with a romantic subplot), but I still don't think they were good people, Julian in particular.

Though that paint kiss scene was 10/10.

4.5 ⭐️

Well I will not be sleeping for a while… I’m not really a thriller reader, but I’ll devour anything Julie Soto writes, anxiety and creepy dreams be damned!
I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish, truly never knowing what was going to happen next. The entire story left me feeling deeply unsettled and anxious, but what I really loved about it was Julie’s ability to intertwine the relatable complexities and insecurities of adolescence and the power dynamics that can impact friendships with the mystery and paranormal aspects of the story so that they felt equally “main plot.”

-.5 ⭐️ simply bc I think this is a standalone but I still have so many questions left unanswered. I feel like if there isn’t going to be a second book, then The Thrashers really needed more information and moments of focus on the obsessive behavior, stalking, manipulation, unacceptable boundary ignorance, etc. that clearly drove a lot of the events and how that also influenced the emotions and choices of the characters. Without it, it made the ending feel unsatisfying and quite frustrating while some dealt with consequences, others didn’t, and others seemed to be almost canonized post mortem.

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⭐