Days later and I’m still trying absorb “The Thrashers” by Julie Soto because IT’S THAT GOOD. It’s the kind of book that’s running in the back of your mind as you try and blankly move throughout the rest of your day. Julie gave us:

🎇 Suspense

🎇 Supernatural

🎇 Thriller

🎇 Mystery

🎇 Sprinkling, early buds of romance



To outsiders, Jodi Dillon is part of the elite friends group know as The Thrashers. Everyone knows them, everyone wants to be them. More specifically, everyone wants to know Zack Thrasher- the epicenter of The Thrashers friend group and Jodi’s best friend since second grade. But to Jodi, she feels like an imposter who’s socio-economic status is different than her fellow Thrashers.

We find our Thrasher friend group months after a fellow classmate and acquaintance, Emily Mills, has committed suicide. They are coping with their feelings and about to enter their senior year of high school when they become suspects in Emily’s death.

🎇 🎇 🎇 🎇 🎇 🎇 🎇 🎇 🎇 🎇 🎇 🎇 🎇 🎇 🎇 🎇 🎇



I was hooked in right from the prologue and if sleeping wasn’t a necessary human function I would have finished this in one sitting. I honestly can not put into words what I want to say about this book. The mix of mystery, suspense and even supernatural had me questioning everything as much as Jodi was. I’m not going to go into too much of the plot here- I went into this book blindly and I recommend doing so too!
I chose this book based on the author, and while this is completely different than her first two published books, I can whole heartedly say that this book cemented Julie Soto as an auto-buy author for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced copy! The Thrashers is set to be released on May 6, 2025 but you should most definitely preorder a copy now! Treat yo self!

4.25 stars

As a big Veronica Mars fan, I was getting a lot of those same vibes in The Thrashers- there's a stark class divide, a recently deceased character haunting our protagonist, and a MOODY love interest. I loved the writing- it was atmospheric and didn't lean into cliches or tropes like so many in this genre usually do. While there is a central mystery, I was more interested in the character dynamics and how the friend group was constantly unraveling and coming back together. I loved how the book tackled those insecurities you have as a teenager about your friends and feeling needed, and the power dynamics of the Thrashers were so interesting. I really enjoyed reading this book and thought it brought something new to the genre.

The queen herself, Julie Soto, is back with a YA thriller. Yay!

Did I jump on this as soon as I got the email about my accepted ARC request? Yes, I did. Do I regret it? Not one bit.

A group of friends, the Thrashers, as the other students love to call them, are an interesting bunch. Rich kids, who seemingly all have something in common, besides Jodi. She's the poor kid in the group. She's the black sheep of the group to the outside world and sometimes in her own mind. But she was chosen by Zack Thrasher, the leader, in the second grade and got stuck with them all.

Our story picks up during their senior year at high school. The group finds themselves in the middle of a criminal investigation of Emily Mills' suspected self unaliving after she's been "Thrashed" by the group.

<b>Are the Thrashers guilty or is this some sort of twisted revenge Emily's playing from beyond the grave?</b>

The ending <spoiler>was frustrating, but necessary to the plot, I think. The Thrashers once again shows how manipulative your closest friends can be and how important it is to check your surroundings. Zack getting only a slap on the wrist and Julian going to Juvie was anticlimactic, BUT unfortunately, I can totally see that happening IRL. I didn't buy Paige and Lucy being "oblivious" to their actions, but their storyline made so much sense.</spoiler>

I'm debating rereading it again just because I want to see how many clues I missed now that I know what happened.

Overall, 8/10. The pacing felt a little off and I struggled with the timeline a little, but everything else was top tier.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for my eArc copy!

The Thrashers clique rules their high school, seemingly the mean girls of their halls. The group, comprised of Jodi, Paige, Julian, Lucy and the eponymous Zach Thrasher, rues the name, arguing that they are approachable and kind to anyone and everyone. When Emily, an outsider who wants nothing more than to become a Thrasher, commits suicide, the group finds themselves at the center of the investigation, and the target of New Helvetia High’s derision. Jodi is determined to get to the truth to clear her their names and avoid the long arm of the law.

The Trashers is a fun, entertaining YA thriller that serves up lots of drama and a little bit of the supernatural. The twists the book had in store mostly remained a surprise though there were a few that came across as a tad obvious and the haunting storyline came across as pretty heavy-handed. 3.75 stars, rounded to four, for this easy to enjoy teen mystery.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

Thank you NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and Julie Soto for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! This is a really entertaining YA-mystery that discusses some heavy topics. The main characters are “the Thrashers” - the popular friend group at a high school - after a tragedy occurs.

This one follows Jodi Dillon and her friend group after Emily Mills, a fellow student and wannabe Thrasher, dies. People start to wonder how much the group had to do with her death and evidence starts to pile up, such as her diary. I really enjoyed how Soto explored high school life and the stress that friend groups and fitting in can cause.

Speaking of, none of the characters are strictly “good” or “bad”, which was so interesting and kept me glued to the story to try and figure out everyone’s intentions. This is seen especially with Jodi, as you never quite know just how much she did to fit in and if her memory is completely right.

There are also some paranormal elements, which some reviewers weren’t a fan of, but I personally enjoyed. I liked that you never knew what was truly paranormal and what was just a coincidence. It added to the paranoia surrounding everyone and the urge to find out what truly happened.

Overall, if you like mystery/thrillers, pick this one up when it comes out! I really enjoyed it and will continue to read what Julie Soto writes in the future.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read early in exchange for my honest opinion. Honestly, what can’t Julie Soto do? This is her debut YA thriller and it was PHENOMENAL. I really enjoyed every moment of it. All of the suspense, the supernatural. The story begins with Emily Mills who dies by suicide, but eventually a group of 5 friends known as the Thrashers get singled out saying they bullied Emily to death. A police investigation goes on, the group gets threatening messages, WEIRD things literally happen to them such as lights flickering on and off to the point that I, as the reader had no idea who was behind any of it.

Spoiler: can we talk about the epilogue?! Was Julian haunted the whole entire time?! Did Emily manipulate his feelings for Jodi?! Once he went through the door back to his cell, the light overhead flickered as if it sensed Emily’s presence.

I absolutely loved the Thrashers and I can’t wait until release day.

This book truly had me on the edge of my seat! I truly adore Julie Soto and every book she has put out so far and “The Thrashers” fits right along into that category. This book was the perfect young adult mystery thriller. And while I am no longer a “young adult” or a reader that really gravitates toward that genre, this book had me hooked! There was no part in this book that was “slow” or “dull”. The pacing of this book flowed SO well and was so appetizing. I absolutely LOVED this book! Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this early. And a huge congrats to Julie Soto with another AMAZING book!

I have not stopped thinking about this book since I put it down. This was a roller coaster of emotions and I'm not sure I'm ready to get off. The epilogue. Julie, my love, please please please give us more. This book was pure magic. I was hooked from the first page and finished it in 2 days. I wanted to know what happened so badly and was surprised around every turn. These characters are deliciously flawed and yet, I was rooting for all of them. I have no words for the ending or the epilogue and I'm still not sure how I feel, but this was so good!

This was a binge worthy YA Debut from Julie Soto. Pretty Little Liars meets The In Crowd with a smidge of Final Destination vibes thrown in. Absolutely loved it, could not put it down, especially the second half. Seriously, I stayed up late to finish reading because I simply couldn’t sleep not knowing what was going to happen!!

Jodi is a part of the Senior in-crowd, “The Thrashers”, though she doesn’t always believe she fits. Her best friend since 2nd grade, Zack Thrasher, is the sun around which the rest of the group orbits. Zack pulls everyone towards him, he’s charming and kind and knows how to make people feel seen.

Unfortunately, on the night of their Junior prom, Emily Mills is dead and all eyes are on The Thrashers. Senior year was supposed to be everything but the shadow of Emily’s death is looming over their every move. Strange things are happening and they can’t help but think Emily is still watching them.

*Upper teens +older would be my rec.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and #NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own. #TheThrashers

Thank you to Netgalley and the author/publisher for a copy of this book.

This book initially in the first half had me hooked right away and was another great YA read. However, about the 70% mark it got a bit weird with paranormal themes that were not mentioned prior to starting the book nor were they even hinted at. After the 70% those themes continued until the end of the book so if that is not your cup of tea you might want to skip. I don't mind that theme so I was still able to finish the book but it did change my opinion because the whole time I thought it was going one way when it ended up changing the storyline in my opinion.
Overall a decent book and still enjoyed it.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for my first Netgalley e-ARC!!
I was fortunate enough to obtain a physical ARC of this in December, but was so excited to obtain the e-ARC so that I could go through and highlight & overanalyze the shit out of this!

Re-read Review:
This was somehow even more fun & unsettling the second go round. I loved being able to pick up on little hints throughout the book. Despite a re-read and sitting on my feelings for a couple months, I am STILL thinking by that ending. I love any thriller with an ending that leaves you questioning your whole understanding of the book. Despite this being a YA thriller, I think it holds its own against some of the more popular Adult thrillers. The only real YA piece of this is that the characters are set in highschool!

I'm even more impressed by the motivations and dimensions of Jodi as a character. Without going into more detail/spoilers, that's all I can say.

First-read Review:
This book is a complete 180 from her previous books, and yet Julie Soto's writing is like a drug. It doesn't matter the shape or form - I'm an addict, and I read this almost in a straight sitting (with a brief interruption for sleep).

Each character felt so palpable and real, and the story felt like a careening roller coaster ride. I was on the edge of my seat until the very end, and still feel sick to my stomach from the Epilogue. I need a few days to process.

This book took me by surprise! I loved Julie Soto’s previous romance novels. So I had high hopes for her debut YA novel, but I was truly blown away by this one. The mystery, intrigue, and clever plotting had me immediately sucked in. Jodi was such a strong main character. And the group dynamics were so well-crafted. Where’s book 2???

The Thrashers by Julie Soto

First I’d like to thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the eARC of The Thrashers by Julie Soto for a fair and honest review.

The Thrashers is a YA thriller that is hard to put down. She weaves a story with characters who you can love and equally dislike. Everyone has secrets. How well do you really know your best friends? Ask yourself; if you keep secrets from them what might they keep from you?

The Thrashers are the it group and everyone loves them but also loves to hate them; wants to see them all fall. That’s just what happens when an acquaintances death may seem more than it appears. Jodi feels like the outlier of the group; how long can they hold together before all their secrets are revealed? Julian was my favorite stand out character and had great character development.

I feel into this one immediately and needed the answers. There was only one thing I figured out pretty quickly and when I was revealed I wasn’t surprised. The true shocker still has me stunned and hopeful for more.

This book does have mentions of suicide, child abuse, alcoholism and bullying.

maybe a 3.5? i'm not sure how i feel about this book. i wasn't expecting a paranormal element at all, and while i'm not bothered by it, i just don't see how it fits in this book. i also think the other members of the thrashers should have had more towards their characterization, specifically lucy and paige.

and the epilogue ?? with an ending like that, i really hope there's a sequel.

The Thrashers is a YA thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. From the very first chapter, the book gripped me with its tense atmosphere and intriguing mystery. I devoured the book within 48 hours!

Julie does an amazing job at making sure the characters are easy to follow and understand, as the story progresses. Each character feels distinct and well-developed, which makes it effortless to keep track of who's who. I thought Julian and Jodi were some of the more interesting ones. They stood out the most, especially with their developing complex relationship. Their connection was one of the emotional high points of the book and kept me invested in the story. There were moments between them that genuinely tugged at my heartstrings and made me root for them throughout the book.

One aspect that kind of threw me off, though, was the paranormal elements. Though it did add an unexpected layer to the story, it felt a bit jarring at times. I also felt the plot dragged on during the middle, but the intensity did pick back up quickly towards the end.

THAT epilogue though…. It left me speechless and honestly craving more. I really hope there is some type of sequel to continue the story because it feels like there’s so much more that could be expanded from that ending. I’ll definitely be thinking about that ending for a while.

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced E-copy of this book.

Julie Soto has delivered a nail biting, edge or your seat YA suspense with The Thrashers. Here I thought she delivered heart tingling romance novels. Some authors really can do it all.

Make sure you carve out a solid 3-6 hours of your day to read this book as you won't want to put it down.
This book takes a look into high school cliques, bullying, and how far we are willing to go for our friends. The feelings of being on a tightrope with the popular kids in school and how one wrong move could get you isolated. The public opinion of peers determining self-worth.

This book is dark, twisted and a whole lot of fun. All the narrators are semi-unreliable and as a reader, the most fun is that you have no idea who to trust. All the characters are flawed, and a spotlight is shown on each character's selfishness.

This book has vibes of '13 Reasons Why' mixed with 'Final Destination'. It's spooky, haunted, and addictive.

YA thrillers aren’t usually my go-to, but this one completely took me by surprise. From the first chapter, I was hooked by the suspense, twists, and constant sense of unease that kept me flipping pages late into the night. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, another reveal would throw me off. The characters felt real and layered, making me invested in their choices and fates! Fast-paced, gripping, and impossible to put down!

4.75 - Julie Soto delivers again! This book kept me entertained the entire time and managed to have me going through all the emotions right alongside our characters. I don’t always love YA books because they feel juvenile but this wasn’t the case. The story unrolled just like typical drama between friends (wealthy friends in this instance). The ending had me slightly stupefied, however I can truly say I didn’t see it coming!

This was my very first ARC (THANK YOU!) but all my opinions and thoughts are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Julie Soto for the chance to read this ARC.

Julie Soto could publish her shopping list and I would read it, that’s how good she is and this book is no different. While it doesn’t have the signature spice of the adult books she writes, it does have the same amazing story line.

The Thrashers are a group of friends, named for the last name of the most popular kid in the group. Zack Thrasher happens to have been best friends with Jodi (MFC) growing up, and he brought her into his popular friend group in high school. A new girl Emily comes to their school and is obsessed with not only Zack, but with Jodi also. When Emily commits suicide, everyone is looking at the Thrashers because they believe they are the reasoning behind the suicide.

This story has a little romance, but the mystery is the best part. Nobody knows what is true and what is not true. There are paranormal elements, and there are moments where you’re wondering who is to blame. Also, the epilogue is so shocking and makes you wonder just how much of the stuff that was happening was just coincidence and how much was actually paranormal.

It’s 6:26am as I write this.. I couldn’t sleep because this book had me in a CHOKEHOLD. First off, WOW WHAT CANT JULIE SOTO DO??? That was honestly incredible, had me hooked from the very beginning. But I’d like a few words because excuse my French but what the fuck. WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT ENDING HELLO? SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN PLEASE ELABORATE. Not gonna lie im a romance reader right.. so my romance self was excited for Julian And Jodi but of course, this isn’t a romance i was played. EXCUSE ME THAT ENDING PLEASE EXPLAIN. Anyways.. I’ll scream about that ending into the void until I’m blue in the face but onto the book. It was amazing lol. I never thought I’d enjoy a thriller so much but I just couldn’t put it down, it was addictive. I have chills as I write this, that ending is really messing with me to be honest. I’m not okay. Definitely not okay.