Okay well this was the paranormal thriller of my dreams! As always, Soto’s writing is INCREDIBLE. I loved to hate and then love and then hate the Thrashers. A hard look about belonging, finding your people, and who becomes disposable to who and when and why. UGH I loved every second of this. Super quick, fast paced read that kept me on the edge of my SEAT.

Thank you Wednesday Books & NetGalley for the ARC!

omg this was INSANE. This was very reminiscent of a Holly Jackson YA thriller. I could not put this down once everything got going. The relationships between all the characters was so integral to the story and made it so interesting. Every character had traits that made them likeable and unlikeable, which made it really hard to figure out who, if anyone, was the “villian” of the story.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

thank you netgalley and the publishers for the e-arc!!! ah, the things we do to feel seen, to fit in. this story was not only spooky as hell (paranormal will always give me goosebumps) but was also extremely impactful; our actions affect others. “you don’t have to like somebody to be kind.” i honestly had no idea where this was going at times. it gave pretty little liars and thirteen reasons why vibes and i ate it up!! also, i am officially a jolian stan and will be in ms. soto’s DMs asking for a follow-up adult book regarding them ;-) please please read this when released - 5 stars!!!

I enjoyed the Veronica Mars type setup of this book. This was a little slow for me, but started to sing with the Jodi / Julian interactions. The ending was perfect.

The Thrashers
By Julie Soto

The Thrashers is a compelling new adult thriller that delves into the tangled lives of a tight-knit group of high school friends, known as “The Thrashers.” Set just months after the tragic suicide of Emily, the story unfolds as Jodi prepares for her senior year, eager to reconnect with her friends. The group earned their name from Jodi’s best friend, Zach Thrasher, and has always been a close, almost impenetrable unit. While Jodi and Zach have been inseparable since second grade, the others were brought in gradually — with Emily being the last to attempt to join their exclusive circle. However, Emily's attempt to be a part of their world would prove to be her undoing, as anyone who doesn't truly fit into the group gets "Thrashed" — essentially pushed aside and discarded.

When a journal belonging to Emily is discovered, it becomes the catalyst that upends Jodi’s life and the lives of her friends. With secrets buried deep and the mystery of Emily's death hanging over them, Jodi begins to question not just her place within the group, but also her ability to trust those closest to her. Haunted by Emily’s memory and the unsettling revelations from the journal, Jodi finds herself unraveling the truth behind her friend's suicide — a truth that leads her down a dark and dangerous path.

I rate The Thrashers 4.5 out of 5 stars. This gripping thriller kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The mystery is expertly woven, with twists that kept me guessing until the very end. The conclusion was especially shocking, leaving me with my mind racing long after I closed the book. Julie Soto has crafted a story that is both captivating and thought-provoking, and I am eager to see more thrillers from her in the future.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for providing me the opportunity to read The Thrashers.

I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this story! It has those familiar vibes reminiscent of shows like "13 Reasons Why" and "Pretty Little Liars," which really drew me in. The characters were spot on for the roles they played, adding depth to the narrative. However, I couldn't quite wrap my head around the bizarre three-way obsession the girls had with Zack—definitely left me scratching my head!

What really intrigued me was the lack of exploration around Emily’s obsession with Jodie. I found myself wondering: Was Emily trying to take out Jodie to assume her identity, or did she genuinely develop romantic feelings for her? And then there’s Julian—the mysterious, behind-the-scenes protector. I wish we could have delved deeper into his perspective during all the chaos; his character had so much potential!

Zack, on the other hand, was just plain unlikable from the very beginning, along with Lucy and the other girl in their clique. The story leaves several loose ends, and while I haven’t heard anything about this being a series, I’m left craving closure on so many unresolved moments. All in all, it was a captivating read, but I definitely need more answers!

This book had me hooked after a few short chapters and I couldn't put it down. It deals with the death of a high school student and the way that death impacts "the Thrashers", who may or may not have been her friends. This story touches on suicide, bullying and harassment as well as alcoholism and abuse, but it does it in a way that I felt was done respectfully. This story also had a few paranormal elements woven in that I wasn't expecting, and a little bit of romance. The protagonist, Jodi, is different from her friend group, but they basically rule the school and their world revolves around Zach Thrasher (golden boy). When Emily dies, there is a mystery that this story revolves around as a journal filled with details about her relationship with The Thrashers comes to light. Jodi has to figure out if she really knows her friends as well as she thought, to navigate a new normal with them and face the potential charges against them for involvement in Emily's death. This story reads fast and it will be very popular with some of my students. The ending was good, but it did leave me hoping for another book because I feel like there may be other avenues for Soto to explore with this group of freshly graduated students. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed the weaving of this story. It kept me suspended with anticipation and I couldn’t put it down! I will absolutely be adding this to my shelves! Thank you for the opportunity to review!

Holy crap. Thank you for this ARC!!

I was on the edge of my seat for some of this book lol. I hate that the stereotypical “rich kid” who “does no wrong” trope was solidified with Zack’ not going to jail and being able to still live a normal life while Julien is in prison lol

OH MY GOODNESS! All the FIVE STARS. Perfect YA thriller. Page turner. Read in on sitting type of book. Could NOT put this one down.
Truly a masterpiece and I NEED MORE.

Perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars, 13 Reasons Why and One of Us Is Lying

I didn’t really have any expectations going into this book but I ended up enjoying this a lot! I was a huuuge veronica mars fan growing up and that’s what the book was giving plus a little I know what you did last summer and one of us is lying vibes. Excited to see where the story goes next 👌🏽

Thank you netgalley and st. martins press for the advance copy!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of The Thrashers. This book will be released on May 6, 2025.

I'll start by saying that I read this book within 48 hours. I was super engaged throughout the entire book and I continuously wanted to know what would happen next.

This book follows Jodi, a high school student in Sacramento, who wants nothing more than to fit in with four rich kids known as "The Thrashers". Zack Thrasher has been her best friend since 2nd grade, but when a girl named Emily Mills transfers to their school, she works to insert herself into the group. Trouble begins as Emily commits suicide and the group is charged with bullying her.

**Check Trigger Warnings**

Overall, Julie Soto is a beautiful writer. I was on the edge of my seat the entire book. Though this book is YA, it deals with some tough topics that I think many kids can relate to. The book fell a little short for me as far as plot / twists & turns go. I kept waiting for some sort of big revelation, but it never came. The haunting aspect was interesting and wrapped up well in the epilogue of the book.

I'd also like to say that I was totally team Julian & Jodi! I wanted them together and I loved that he showed his softer side as the book went on.

Would I recommend this book? Maybe. If you enjoyed Pretty Little Liars and 13 Reasons Why, I think you'll connect with this book. A solid 3.5 stars for me.

The fact that this is Julie Soto's debut into the YA space is incredible. I genuinely really enjoyed this book and the plot. What I like about thrillers is that they keep me guessing, and I can't easily guess the twists and turns in the story. I was engaged the entire time and wanted to know more about what was going on with the characters and how their plot would unfold. I would recommend this if you are looking for a YA thriller. It gives Pretty Little Liars, The Weight of Blood, and is a little spooky but not too scary. I would recommend the audiobook as well; it makes the story feel more immersive..

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Julie Soto for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

I’ll start off by saying that this is my first ever Thriller and I’m glad I started with it being YA. I truly didn’t know what to expect going into the book as I didn’t read the synopsis, but am a huge Julie Soto supporter so here we are.

Overall, I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would! It kept me at the edge of my seat for most of the ride but do feel like some of it got a bit repetitive towards the middle of the book. Since I’m not well versed with Thrillers, I wasn’t sure how the Emily portion was going to come to life, but I thought Julie Soto did a good job at weaving her in with the paranormal aspect. Although it’s a YA, it does cover off on a number of heavy topics so I would make sure you double check TWs before reading. Despite the story being told from Jodi’s POV, I’m glad we were still able to get to know the “Thrashers” and what made each one of their storylines/traits different. I’ll be honest when I say that at the end, I was fully on the Jodi & Julian train 🤭🤭

I think this book was able to accurately capture a lot of feelings that you have growing up (especially high school) which played a huge part in the plot. Knowing it’s a two-book deal, I feel like there were a couple of unanswered questions and even more coming out from the epilogue…IYKYK…so I’ll be curious to know how this story can continue.

If you’re looking for a YA Thriller that doesn’t shy away from covering heavy themes (ie. obsession, alienation, alcoholism) to take you back to your PLL and 13 Reasons Why days, then this is the book for you!

4.75/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow. What a wild ride this was. I absolutely loved this from start to finish. While this is labeled as a thriller, there is also a paranormal aspect to it which I absolutely LOVED. It felt SO well with this book and the plot. Julie did an incredible job of writing out each character in a way that you felt shifted in what direction you wanted to go. Each character had equal parts likeable and unlikeable, and I loved that. I also love a book with dual POVs and with the added journal entries/court documents - it was so interesting. Overall, an incredible read that would be great for teens and adults - it was gripping, intriguing, and jaw dropping at times. Fantastic 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I am typically not a big YA thriller reader, but when I saw 1. this cover and 2. that this upcoming release was written by Julie Soto I just knew I had to read it. And ya’ll, let me tell you, I devoured this book in like 4 or 5 hours. Julie Soto did a fantastic job blending high school cliques, mystery, suspense, along with some romance and paranormal aspects.

It really does give off Thirteen Reasons Why and Pretty Little Liars vibes so if that’s your jam pick this up asap.

I’ve read Julie’s other books and was curious to see how a different genre from her would read. It started off slow for me, but as the story progressed I was hooked and invested. I had no idea how things were going to resolve, and I binged the last third of the book in one sitting. The ending had me gasping. Maybe setting up for another book? 🤞🏼

Overall this was a fun read with some good twists. This book gave me “One of Us Is Lying” and “Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” vibes, but it’s also unique to itself. Jodi is very relatable. Her insecurities regarding her place among The Thrashers, her jealousy, and the lesson she learns the hard way about the treatment of others and the things said about them is a coming of age experience that resonated with me.

Thank you so much for this ARC! This was SO good. I had no idea where this story was taking me but the end??? My jaw dropped!

Thank you Wednesday Books & Netgalley for the eARC!!

WOW! What a thrilling, addicting novel! I devoured it in one sitting. Such an amazing book and I love the plot, how it's a thriller but also brought in some paranormal aspects. I was at the edge of my seat the whole book! and the ending?! SCREAMING!!!

Will definitely be recommending this one to everyone I know!!!

✨𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 you NetGalley, SMP, and Macmillan Audio for the immersive reading experience✨
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𐙚 - 🅣🅗🅞🅤🅖🅗🅣🅢: What a ride✨
The Thrashers is a wild ride YA thriller that that left me questioning everything until the very end. This book explores toxic friendships, high school hierarchies, and the weight of guilt. Jodi is caught between loyalty and the truth as she unravels the mystery of Emily’s death. The pacing is gripping, the twists unpredictable, with a haunting setup. Absolutely worth the listen. The narration was fantastic.