The Thrashers by Julie Soto is a good YA thriller that has a solid plot that kept me hooked. Soto’s writing really brought the action and characters to life. The twists were clever and surprised me. I also thought the portrayal of toxic friendships felt spot on for the YA genre. The added drama and tension made the story even more compelling.
The friendship dynamics were messy, but that’s what made them feel so real, especially in the context of a thriller. The Epilogue was exceptional and it provided a satisfying conclusion for the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and Julie Soto for the gifted ARC.

First, let me just say that I fully believe Julie can write in any genre and I would eat it up! This is Julie’s YA thriller debut (with a romance subplot) and I sure hope we get more in this world!

Julie hooked me from the prologue with her addictive writing and never let go. I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this one and it absolutely delivered everything I hoped for and more! The Thrashers perfectly explored the intricacies of high school friendships and cliques. It’s full of twists and not everything is as it seems. I had major trust issues with every character while reading this book and to be honest, I still do. Their intentions and motives are never 100% clear and it had me guessing the WHOLE time. And that epilogue gave me actual goosebumps! This would be the perfect choice for fans of Pretty Little Liars! (Wednesday books, if you’re reading this please let Julie give another book or 3 in this world 😍)

3.5 stars, rounded up because this completely sucked me in from the very first line, "The night I died was supposed to be my prom night." (Hooked yet?)

I must have said, "just one more chapter" a dozen times, and before I knew it, it was 3 am. 🤣 If this was Julie Soto's first thriller, I can't wait to read the next one!

I have to mention that this book is firmly in the YA camp, so set your expectations accordingly. The characters are predominantly spoiled and rather morally grey high schoolers who have never had to take responsibility for their actions, and they act and make decisions as such. The story was a bit of a slow-burn, and the twists were rather predictable, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the ride, especially the unexpected romance sub-plot that developed - I. Ate. It. Up.

I don't often say this, but I honestly think this book could be even better as a Netflix series, and I found myself fan-casting the series as I was reading (Joy Sunday from Wednesday would make the perfect Lucy!). It's like Pretty Little Liars, Thirteen Reasons Why, One of Us is Lying, Riverdale, and Euphoria all wrapped into one...and I would absolutely devour this on the screen!

If you enjoy other YA thrillers by Karen McManus and Holly Jackson, you'll probably love The Thrashers!

Please just let me read absolutely everything by this author! If you’ve ever read any of my reviews, you know I love to go in blind. I had no idea this was a mystery/thriller! I’ve read the authors other books, and I was so excited!
The writing flowed so well! I was completely engrossed to know what was happening. This gave me What happened last summer meets Veronica Mars vibes. AND I WAS HERE FOR ALL OF IT!
Can’t wait for everyone to read this one.! I’ll definitely be rereading it again when the audiobook comes out.

Julie Soto once again does not disappoint! This book is definitely a departure from her romance novels-but still so well written. If you’re a fan of Holly Jackson-this one is for you. There were enough twists and turns as we find out what led to Emily’s death (no worries, not a spoiler it’s how the book starts) but from Jodi’s (her only “friend”) perspective. Jodi was not perfect-but I found myself empathizing with her throughout the story. Great character development & enough of a mystery to keep me engaged.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books for the free review copy of The Thrashers through NetGalley. All opinions are completely my own.

This book was a wild ride where I was never quite sure what would happen next. I think the more I read, the more invested I became in the story. There were many intense moments that kept me on the edge of my seat as well as a strong sense of mystery about what really happened to Emily leading up to her death. I was able to predict some aspects of it, but was never quite sure until everything was revealed. The paranormal elements added an extra layer that seemed to make the story even more interesting. Most (if not all) of the characters were flawed in some way, and I found myself often wondering who could even be trusted. I thought some of the parents in the book were especially appalling. I found Jodi, the main character, to be relatable in a lot of ways, as she often feels like a bit of an outsider in the popular friend group, The Thrashers. I was happy to see some of the characters grow and evolve over the course of the story. I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to exploring more of Julie Soto’s work.

wow!! this book was wildly entertaining and kept me on the edge of my seat at every flip of the page. i wasn’t expecting this much depth from a YA thriller - but it was definitely there! with that being said, this is definitely more of a new adult or adult book and should most definitely have content warnings as some of the topics could be harmful to young readers.

i really enjoyed this story and these characters. while they could be unlikeable at times, i feel like they were very realistic teenagers and their attitudes and behavior reflected that. i could definitely relate to a lot of jodi’s concerns and feelings about being “thrashed” from her friend group when i was around that age and think a lot of other readers will resonate with it as well. i also think the fascination many characters had with zack is also something many will find their younger selves relating too. i feel like every school had one cool, popular kid who everyone was dying to be friends with or get a smidge of attention from to feel special. jodi finding herself outside of her relationship with this friend group & zack especially is such an important message to send especially to new adults who are really in that stage of finding themselves and moving onto new phases of their lives after graduation or other big life events.

julie soto’s writing is so seamless and made this reading experience so enjoyable for me. i never wanted to put this book down and felt like i was only reading for 20 minutes, yet 2 hours had passed!

the ending of this definitely had my jaw on the floor and im hoping this means there will be sequel to this because im dying for more thrillers from julie soto now!

This was a fantastic book. I absolutely loved it. Definitely would 100 percent recommend this book to all.

This was good! I hadn’t read a thriller in a while and this reminded me how great they are. I was sad anytime I had to put this book down because it really draws you in. I honestly didn’t know where the story was going to go for a little bit and I loved how fast paced it felt. I also enjoyed reading about the high school hierarchies and the layers to this somewhat toxic friend group. I think Julie did a really nice job of writing that. After the I’m hopeful and excited to see her write more in this genre!

The Thrashers is a gripping YA Thriller debut from Julie Soto. The story follows incoming senior Jodi Dillion as she navigates life in high school following the death of classmate Emily Dillion the spring prior. Jodi herself feels like an imposter within her friend group, "The Thrashers," named thus by fellow classmates for their leader and her best friend Zack Thrasher. She is average and scraping by, her friends are beautiful and rich. As whispers and rumors grow of the Thrashers alleged involvement in the bullying that led to Emily's suicide, Jodi begins questioning if she really knows her friends at all. And, if she really knows herself. As Jodi feels the ever growing tension between loyalty and honesty she has to decide if protecting herself as she is, is worth betraying the people she cares about most.

As a young 30-something, I thought I had forgotten (read: repressed) memories of just how hard the adolescent years can be, but the memories flooded back as I followed along with Jodi as she tried to navigate her senior year as someone who never feels like they are quite enough. The mystery and story were perfectly paced - this is a book that you keep telling yourself one more chapter until you can no longer keep your eyes open. The writing and dialogue was realistic, allowing me to slip back and revisit my own experiences with the feelings Jodi contented with. My only complaint is that I need more! I did not see the totality of the ending, in tandem with the epilogue coming. While I would love to revisit this group again in the future, I appreciate the reflection invited by the ending. That we all must face the consequences of reality, no matter how strange, and move on with our lives.

Thank you Julie Soto, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of Julie Soto’s work, so I was really excited to be able to get to read this one early. I was intrigued from the get go and finished it pretty fast because I wanted to know what happened next. I enjoyed the twists and turns and loved that the characters kept me invested with all the suspense. The Thrashers gave me Pretty Little Liar vibes. The ending definitely threw me off a little and I was surprised that there were some paranormal aspects thrown into the book. Overall I enjoyed the book. It was a fun, quick read and I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys YA Mystery, suspense books.

Thank you to St. Martin’s press and Julie Soto for the opportunity to it on Netgalley.

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4.25 stars, this book was incredible!

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder/Heathers/13 Reasons Why vibes mixed into one addictive fast paced read.

The Thrashers follows Jodi and her group of fellow high schoolers (known infamously as "the Thrashers" at their school) who are reeling after being accused of bullying a classmate (Emily) to her death. Jodi is the only one of the Thrashers who was somewhat close to Emily and it falls on her to discover the truth of what happened between Emily and the rest of the group.
Are Jodi's closest friends really who she thinks they are?

The Thrashers started off with a bang and never dropped pace. The characters, the drama, the mystery, the intrigue, the plot twists, and the betrayals kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time!

After that truly insane epilogue I am dying hoping there will be a sequel from "someone else's" point of view please!!!

Thank you very much to NetGalley for the ARC!!!

Good book! Keep me wanting to keep reading! My first by this author and i will read more !! Highly recommend this author !!

From page one I was hooked. I couldn’t put it down. Hope that there is more books with these characters.

I devoured this!! This was so good!! I’m so impressed by the writing and the details of the characters!

I really liked the friend group dynamic, and each character’s personality! I was on the edge of my seat(bed) most of the time because I had to know what happened next! I’m not going to lie, I did not predict the ending and the epilogue has me wondering if there’s another book coming (I hope so).

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

"The Thrashers" is an exciting and unputdownable YA mystery/thriller. I've had a great streak with YA novels recently, and this book did not disappoint. This was my first Julie Soto novel, and I will definitely be reading more. I was actually surprised to see that this was her debut YA thriller, so I hope she writes another. From the very first chapter I was hooked, and I was turning pages late into the night to find out what happened next. The story is fast-paced and compelling, and you will either love-to-hate or hate-to-love the main characters, a group of popular high schoolers known as "the Thrashers." It reminded me of some of my favorite teen dramas growing up. I'm not typically a fan of books with paranormal elements, but I thought this was really well done. Overall, a fun read, and as I said, I really hope Soto writes more YA thrillers!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

omg is my first thought of many

I had no expectations going into this book and I am not disappointed! This is a YA book, so it reads like a YA book, which is a good thing.

This book follows Jodi, who is in a five-person friend group that people call The Trashers. Everyone wants to be them or be with them. While you read the book, you discover why they’re called that and why they’re so well-known.

After the unexpected death of a girl, they’re now the suspects in an investigation. We then get thrown into a journey of secrets, lies, unknown text messages, strange occurrences, and the possible downfall of the mighty.

I loved everything about this story! Especially how we watch Jodi realize she is the exact thing she thought she wasn’t and how she tries to correct it at the end.

I think Jodi is a character who will always have a special place in my heart. Her and I are one in the same in many ways.

The one thing I was I could change is how quick the book is but I say this out of pure selfishness. I wish it was spread out into more than one book so we could go into more depth with some of the events that take place.

Also I want to be delusional and hope we get some type of second book or novella with Julian and Jodi.

Jodi Dillon is not super smart, extremely pretty, or wealthy. It is only her childhood friendship with Zach Thrasher that has made her part of the ‘Thrasher’ group at their high school. A group of high school kids who are envied by most of the school.
When Emily Mills, a girl who desperately wants to be part of this group dies, guess who is blamed. Yup, Zach and the others for not only bullying her, but also for sexual abuse. Jodi was the only one who spent any time with Emily, though grudgingly. Now she is someone who has to decide if her friends were responsible for Emily’s tragic end.
Senior year was not supposed to be like this. With the student body now anti-Thrasher and looming court cases, the group is advised to sever ties with each other. This seems to hurt Jodi the most, oh and the fact that Emily is haunting them from the grave.
I didn’t love how it ended, but the epilogue changed my feelings. Holy high school angst! I can’t say more without spoilers, but I did not expect what happened.

The Thrashers is so wildly different from Soto’s prior works, and I’m now ready to say she is another author who can easily jump genres and succeed in each!

A group of five high schoolers are referred to as The Thrashers at their school, and when a fellow student dies and her diary implicates their group, the friends are forced to circle up and attempt to defend themselves. Jodi has always felt like an outsider in the group, and this occurrence only cements that feeling, as she learns that she may not know all of the secrets her friends are hiding.

I loved this! With creepy moments and hints of the paranormal, this book was such a fun read and would make an incredible thriller film. There are scenes that are incredibly cinematic, and they are described so well that I felt like I was already watching them on a screen.

The five friends in the Thrashers have their good and bad attributes, just like anyone else, and all five were interesting characters. They were well written YA characters who clearly lack impulse control and get stuck in feelings of insecurity and anxiety, and it all felt very authentic for high school. The dynamics between the characters were incredibly well done.

The audio narration had me absolutely hooked, with just the right intensity and tone.

Thanks to Wednesday books for the arc and Macmillan Audio for the alc. All opinions are my own.

The Thrashers are a popular clique centred around their "leader", Zack Thrasher. The story is told primarily from the POV of Jodi, Zack's best friend since 2nd grade. Not only does this book focus on the dynamics of this clique, but also surrounding the alleged bullying that led to the suicide of a classmate, Emily.

We follow how Jodi is coping with allegations that she and her friends could be responsible for what Emily did. Along with this, she is also dealing with her continuous struggle of feeling like she is the outsider of the group and doesn't quite belong. They are all rich and beautiful, while she is poor and average. Throw in one more wrench, she also has a father who is gone for long stretches as a a truck driver, and when he's home, he imbibes more than he probably should.

There are some supernatural elements in this book, but it is done in a way that you're never fully sure if it could just be a series of coincidences.

I really enjoyed this. Despite being far removed from high school, I still enjoyed the dynamics between the characters. I could relate to Jodi's feelings of being an imposter. The guilt she felt over Emily also helped give her character a lot more depth over her friends.

The mystery of the book unfolded at a good pace, and I never felt like there were too many things being dragged out or misdirected.

This was a strong YA book, and I'd definitely reach for more books by Soto in the future.