You're either in or you're out, and no one wants to be 'thrashed'. The Thrashers was such a great book, and very relevant to today's time with bullying teenagers and a classmate's suicide at the center of the storyline. Add in some odd happenings to the main character group and you've got a suspenseful mystery with a bit of a twist I didn't expect. Highly recommend picking this one up when it is released!

Exactly what I'm looking for in a YA thriller! It's like a 13 reasons why but with even more twists and turns and a paranormal aspect. I was captivated by the mystery and complex characters, and some of the reveals near the end definitely surprised me! Would say that this is probably appropriate for older teens (or maybe I was just very sheltered growing up?) and still enjoyable for adults.

If what you're looking for is a YA mystery that touches the paranormal, filled with doubts and lies, with a ship where the angst is chef kiss and a heartbreaking, what-could-have-been-if-only type of ending… look no further because Julie Soto will have you on your knees, begging for more.

The drug this woman puts in her books comes directly from Ali Hazelwood’s stash but, never in a million years, I’d have thought of having this type of reaction for this genre of stories.
But OMG. There's so much to unpack here, and I have no one to talk about it because you just have to experience it for yourself, I don't wanna spoil you anything and I don't wanna you to have a preconceived idea of the people you're going to meet.

There’s one little detail about the ending that still bothers me, especially thinking how could it change one of the other characters’s ending but that's only because I'm a hopeful romantic, so don't mind me.
But, again, OMG — I kinda already saw where this was going and the big wow, but what a roller coaster!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Thanks to @wednesdaybooks and @netgalley for the #gifted copy of this book.

Summary: Emily Mills wanted nothing more at her new school than to be part of "The Thrashers," the popular group of 5 that revolves around Zack Thrasher. Unfortunately, she discovered it was much harder to be part of the group than anticipated. After being rejected, she commits suicide on prom night. And then things get interesting..

My Thoughts: Well well well... I binged this one in a day!! It was one of those books where you don't like any of the characters, but you cannot look away from them. There were secrets upon secrets upon secrets in this one and it was so fun to try and piece them together (and generally be very wrong). In addition to the police investigation, it felt like someone else was always lurking around and watching them. Could it be Emily hanging around after her death? Overall, this was such a fun ride that made me really glad high school was so very long ago.

What you will find:
📔Drama, Drama, Drama
📔YA Thriller
📔Paranormal Activity
📔One of Us is Lying Vibes

The clique of wealthy kids at school are heaped with blame for a classmates death. I liked that the characters weren't depicted as bad actors simply due to their proximity to money. A fun, twisty high school thriller, where teens limited perceptions render them to be unreliable narrators of their own events.

I enjoyed most of this book but there were some weird psychic parts added in that I thought took away from the book.

I will read anything Julie Soto writes but I was really curious how the writing and storytelling I love from fanfics and contemporary romance would translate into ya thriller. And from the prologue, I was immediately obsessed and couldn’t put it down!

The Thrashers grounds the over-the-top thrills of Pretty Little Liars and Heathers with the horrifying realness of what it’s like to be a teenager, to not know or always like yourself, your friends, your place in the world… or if your dead classmate is haunting your friend group.

The characters are an extremely believable mix of being dumb teens and Everyone Sucks Here, and I was surprised by how much I liked the romantic subplot. The supernatural element is also done really well, riding the line between freak accidents/things that can be explained away and lingering doubt that maybe Emily really isn’t done with them.

And the epilogue!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC!

4⭐️

13 reasons why meets pretty little liars in this high school mystery drama.

This was both a fun and heartfelt read that kept me hooked the entire time. The twists and story progression combined with the paranormal elements were well executed so that the events still felt “real” and fitting into the real world setting to keep everything feeling believable.

The characters were all multilayered and had me rooting for them despite the uncertainty surrounding them all and their clear morally grey depiction. The social hierarchy of the high school brought me to emotions of my high school days and I felt connected to so many different characters in different ways.

I was hoping for a little more consequence for some of the characters at the end, and I did have a few questions surrounding Emily at the end, but rereading it and focusing more on some details may help answer those.

And as someone living in the Sacramento area it was fun to have little “Easter eggs” if you will, with some of the local highlights!

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Publishing for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This book was an unforgettable experience and I loved every minute I spent with the characters. The mystery aspects were great as it really showed the bond these friends created and maintained through their adversities.

I loved this book! I’m a teacher and mom of two little ones. Therefore, my time is limited. I read this book a little over a week. The plot was very interesting and kept me guessing. I loved the character development. I think the way Emily was made to keep coming back around throughout the as golden. Also, probably my favorite character was Julian. He was played out to be such a bad boy, but in the end I loved him. I will definitely recommend this book to my high school students! I hope to buy a signed copy too! Thank you for the ARC!

This book was incredible!!! I am a huge Julie Soto fan… if she writes it, I will read it! This paranormal mystery is so well done. I love the imperfect characters and I was on the edge of my seat this whole book! The FMC was written so well and I could relate so much to the angst she felt in her group of friends and the self-doubt that she truly fit in. As soon as I saw this book was available to read on netgally I neglected all of my adult responsibilities and dove right in. Masterfully done!

THE THRASHERS

Julie Soto’s YA Debut, The Thrashers is a non-stop ride. I was hooked from page one and could not put it down.

Taking place in the aftermath of a teen’s alleged suicide, an “elite” group of friends, The Thrashers are implicated in her death. What follows is a twisty tale filled with the best (and worst!) parts of being a teenager — the gossip, the self-doubt, the secrets and, somewhere underneath it all… the truth.

Julie taps into all the angst and fear with ease. You’ll trust everyone and then no one and then you’ll stop trusting your own gut — but in the best way. It’s fun, it’s raw and it’s a one of a kind mystery that has a lot to say.

The Thrashers is out 5/6!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Literally read this in one sitting and it was good!!

I love a cliquey friend group with drama. But in this case it was drama surrounding a mysterious suicide of a fellow classmate who was obsessed with them... YES PLEASE.

It was very much giving Pretty Little Liars, and I'm wondering if that's why I enjoyed it so much.

Fun YA thriller if you're looking for a quick read.
It's got:
-High School "It" Group
-Supernatural Theme
-Teen Drama
-Unrequited Love
-Mystery
-Social Outcast

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. I look forward to picking it up on release day.

The Thrashers was omg...so goooood! It had me from page 1. I couldn't put the book done. I kept trying to guess what the outcome was going to be and it was better than I imagined. I enjoyed all the characters in the book. I loved Julie Soto's other books and this was no different. You are in for a ride in this book from start to end. Jodi, Julian, Lucy, Paige, and Zack the friendship...what are lies and what truths. I can't wait to read more from Julie Soto!

I know this is a YA book. But if Julie Soto writes it, I’m going to read it. This book had me questioning. Do you really know your friends? Did I really know my friends back in high school?
At the very beginning, we start this book with a death. The whole book we learn more and more overtime about events that happened that led up to the death. Now, something that I like that Julie did is that we learn about it through journal entries. But also at the same time we know we can’t trust what we’re reading. And that’s come to be one of my favorite things.
I thought the characters were great in the beginning. There was one specific one. I really thought I was going to dislike, but ended up being one of my favorites. And I liked how Julie developed each individual character.
I liked the paranormal type aspect of the book. The log at the end had me smiling because I thought it was a nice little touch. It just added something extra to the story.
All in all a great young adult debut.

This book, from literally the very first page, GRIPS you! I was sucked straight in and didn’t put my kindle down again until I had read it front to back. I feel like this book may miss the mark for some older adult readers despite being clearly marked as YA, but for older readers with teens at home or who work with teens I think it does accurately depict the overall high school coming of age angst and I think younger readers and YA enthusiasts are going to go wild for this book! Five star read for sure.

I received this book as a Read Now on NetGalley from the publisher (Thank you St. Martin's Press / Wednesday Books!), and am so happy that I branched out from my usual type of read. This book was utterly captivating from start to finish.

The premise is: When one high school classmate unexpectedly takes their life on prom night, the rest are left dealing with the consequences. The ones to blame? The Thrashers…Allegedly… and now they’ll have to uncover the truth in order to prove their innocence.

I was completely spooked by this thrilling ride filled with secrets, lies, and a sprinkle of paranormal intrigue. Told from the perspective of the least popular member of The Thrashers, we’re left wondering who might have been the one to send their classmate over the edge. I loved the way I questioned Jodi’s ability to be a reliable narrator. She’s the only one not being labeled a bully, and there were moments when I wondered if she was telling the entire truth. With each bit of information she gathered, I was forming my own theories about what happened and questioning if these popular kids were truly being haunted. I’m happy to say my instincts were half correct. The other half? Let’s just say, it left me completely bamboozled.

Julie Soto knocked it out of the park with this YA novel debut. It was intriguing and oh so addicting as it dove into the complicated hierarchy of high school. I loved looking from the inside out. I felt like I was part of the popular crowd right alongside our main characters.

This book was filled with so many twists and turns. I devoured it in less than 24 hours. It was truly unputdownable. This book left me raging in the best way! The last few chapters gripped me so intensely. I couldn’t believe the way it all played out!

This is a book that’s going to sit with me for a long time. I could easily see it being developed into a TV series. I cannot wait for everyone to get their hands on this in May. The Thrashers is going to blow your mind.

4/5 stars!

Julie Soto has been been an auto-buy author since her debut novel so I had no doubts that I would enjoy this one! I think the best way I can describe the vibe of this book is kinda like the Heathers - the plot is completely different but the vibe is similar in a high school drama thriller way (with a little bit of supernatural in there)! I really enjoyed this one. I will say the only reason that I gave this book one star less (because Im pretty sure I gave the rest of her books 5 stars) the transition from one genre to the next can be hard (and Soto does it well) but I just like her adult contemps better than this one, that's it.

I fell in love with Julie Soto’s writing via her contemporary romances, but I love when my favorite authors venture into new genres. This book grabbed my attention and kept me reading late into the night… thankfully without the flickering lights (IYKYK). It captured what it feels like to be a teenager who’s just trying to figure out where they belong, but aren’t we all still trying to figure that out well into adulthood? Relatable. The Thrashers was a fun, creepy, angsty ride from start to finish, and I devoured it within 24 hours.

The epilogue though. 👀

*I received an eARC via Netgalley. Thank you!

Julie Soto is an instant read author for me, and this book was no exception. I think I inhaled this book within 12 hours of getting my hands on an ARC and I enjoyed every second.

In terms of vibes, it reminded me generally of Pretty Little Liars and One of Us is Lying (both of which I only saw the tv shows for so not sure if the book comparisons hold up). I’ve been reading Julie Soto since her HP fan fiction so the supernatural notes in this one were such a delight!

She really nailed the suspense throughout also. Even though it’s 3rd person, we’re following Jodi and get some of her inner monologue. Sometimes I found myself wondering if Jodi was naive, lying to herself, or if everything wasn’t as it seemed… just overall did a great job keeping that tension throughout.

Also…. The romance was swoon worthy for me. Absolutely unexpected highlight of this book, since I wasn’t expecting it in a mystery/thriller. I’m really hoping the ending means we’re getting a sequel, or at least that someone adapts this to TV so we can get 9 more seasons of how the characters grow apart and together again