The Trashers is Julie Soto's first foray into YA and I really enjoyed it. It is a mystery with a slight supernatural tilt.

On prom night, Emily Mills commits suicide. The Trashers, a group of five friends, are looked at as instigators in her suicide. Made up of mostly rich kids with the exception of Jodi Dillon, the student body has been waiting for the moment the group was finally thrashed, the term for outing someone from the group. Told mostly from the POV of Jodi, we see what happens to this group as they are suspected of different activities against Emily, who once upon a time was invited into their group reluctantly by Zach, the ringleader. Jodi is searching for clues about what happened to Emily and if her friends were really part of it. The more she continues to investigate, the more weird things continue to happen to her friends.

While not all of the characters were likeable, I really found myself rooting for Jodi and hoping she would come out of this unscathed. I thought Julie Soto did a great job of keeping up the momentum throughout the novel to make readers want to continue reading. The ending leaves it in a way that perhaps there could still be more to the story. If there is, I'd be fine with that but also I won't be hurt if it's a one and done story. I've read all of Julie's romance novels and am glad to see her write in another genre. I hope this isn't the last mystery she writes, YA or adult.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

I have never met a Julie Soto book I didn't like and I'm so glad this was no exception. Absolutely devoured.

This was absolutely my favorite Julie Soto novel. I love that she brought burrs back to life for the Sacramento novel. I love the little Sacramento elements throughout the book. Definitely a five star read.

This book was unexpectedly excellent. Having read Soto’s other books, I didn’t know what to expect going into a YA mystery but I found the writing to be elegant and elevated, the characters to feel very real, and the story to be captivating. This book was definitely hard to put down and while it is YA it was not juvenile. The multiple story lines twisted together and crafted a very well rounded, rich story I would highly recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for the arc! Really enjoyed. Great setting & plot twists. Hope we get more thrillers from this author.

This was such a thrilling read! The beginning was very much giving Pretty Little Liars, but halfway through, I think it also had some 13 Reason Why vibes as well. I'm not a huge fan of paranormal but it worked in this book and the epilogue left me absolutely shook. I didn't think any of the characters were particularly likeable but I think that was the point. I was rooting for the FMC, but she was proven to be an unreliable narrator in the end, which is what made this such a thought-provoking book!

This book wasn’t written for me per se- I am not a YA reader, but I absolutely loved Julie Soto’s first two books, so I gave this one a shot. The Thrashers tackles a lot of mature themes, and overall it was a quick read. Jodi was an interesting character. The ending was excellent but IMO the epilogue ruined the book for me. Honestly I felt like Emily’s history at the old school wasn’t explored enough, I really felt for Julian…Not sure if the epilogue was to set up for a sequel or something. But man, leave the kid alone! I’m also a Hopeless romantic, so I’ll say anything to get the FMC and MMC (although he isn’t in this case) together. Zack honestly really annoyed me. Everyone worships the ground he walks on, and I did appreciate his role in the flashback scenes with Jodi, but he was kind of just another kid to me and his actions in the present were just meh. Hoping Julie Soto turns out more books in the contemporary romance category because I’m not sure her 2025 books and genre changes are for me.

Thank you to Net Galley and St Martins Press for the e-ARC. Truly a privilege to read this book several months in advance.

It was an AMAZING BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was thrilling from the first page till the last.
Normally I am not a fan of ghosts and the paranormal but this book was a great paranormal thriller mystery that deserves a genre all by itself. I hope Julie Soto writes a sequel that explores more of Julian’s character. Definitely a 5/5

3.75
Putting the spiritual stuff aside, this was a decent book. I was intrigued from the moment I started the book, and I found it very easy to read. However, I had pretty much predicted the entire thing right from the get-go. And that says a lot, as this was the first time that my predictions were right in a thriller/mystery book. That isn't particularly a bad thing, but that's only because I'm ecstatic that I was finally correct &a. Overall I do think the book was decent and I am looking forward to seeing the physical copies appear on the shelves. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for letting me read the ARC of this book.

A mild two/five, but I may have just been the wrong audience. I wanted to like this book, but I struggled to get past the first chapters. I struggled to relate to the character(s). The pacing felt inconsistent. I admittedly wondered if this was an unedited copy. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend it but I wish it luck!

Thank you — I appreciate NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced by the author, publisher, or any third party. My reviews are voluntary and not sponsored in any way.

I don't think there are enough words to explain how much I love Julie's writing. INJECT IT INTO MY VEINS! She's one of my favorite authors now and I will devour every single book she writes.

This book slapped and that's all there is to it. The storyline is unique and captivating. The characters, while not always likable at times, had me rooting for them. I didn't want to put this down. I needed to know what was going to happen. It's a YA thriller and I loved the creepy undertone throughout the book. I didn't know what to expect. The ending shocked me. Like what???

PLEASEEEEEEE tell me we are getting more from this world! This can't be the end of The Thrashers!

Huge thanks to Julie Soto and Wednesday Books for the ARC of The Thrashers coming on 5/6/25! This book had me hooked from page one—it’s a bingeable YA thriller with just the right touch of the paranormal. I loved the dynamic between the Thrashers themselves; their tension, loyalty, and secrets made for such a compelling group. And honorable mention to the fake journal aspect—such a clever layer to the mystery that gave me Gone Girl vibes in the best way. If you love YA thrillers with a unique twists, this one needs to be on your radar! 4.5/5.0 stars!

The Thrashers is YA mystery/thriller at its finest. Something that I love about YA mysteries is that they truly succeed in making you feel unsettled and second guessing everything in the best way, something that even adult thrillers sometimes lack. The overall premise and writing style of this novel was so intriguing and kept my attention throughout the whole entire reading journey. There were really no slow parts in the plot which I appreciated because I never felt like the story was dragging. I feel like this book would make a very good TV show, because it reads like a teenage true crime show. The drama within the friendships and never really knowing what is true/false really keeps you on your toes. I really liked Jodie’s character and I think she was a great character to read the story through. The way the case wraps up and especially the ending epilogue – utterly bone chilling and so mind grappling. I was really satisfied with how the ending played out. The way Julie Soto finishes the novel truly will leave a lasting impression on your opinion of how mystery novels are done.

Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and Julie Soto for ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Thrashers tells the story of a clique-y group of High School friends who are implicated in pushing a fellow classmate, Emily, to commit suicide. The book is from the point of view of Jodi who doesn’t quite feel like she fits into the group of friends called “the Thrashers”. Jodi soon realizes maybe there are things shes’s being left out of when it came to Emily.

The Thrashers really reminded me of the 90s teen horror movies. Very “I know what you did last summer” vibes. I thought the character development for Jodi was really well done. We really feel her pain and isolation. The book kinda lost me with all the incidents happening to the group. I thought the story could have held its own as strictly a mystery without adding in paranormal elements. I don’t read horror books, and I don’t know that I would fully call this a horror book, but maybe that’s why the story didn’t resonate as much with me as say a mystery novel.

This was my first time reading a Julie Soto book, and I will definitely go pick up her romance novels now! I was really holding out for the crumbs of the relationship building between Jodi and one of the characters. Would love to see these characters continue in another book!! Thank you to St. Martin’s press for providing this book for consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

3.5🌟 (rounded up to 4)

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.
Pub date: May 6th, 2025

Unpopular girl wants to fit in with the rich popular clique, but she ends up not being alive instead. But popular kids are the ones to blame after some important information is revealed. Things start falling off the rails.

I liked the idea of this book. It was a thriller/mystery and YA (which I don’t usually mind). But it left me feeling meh. It wasn’t a bad book it just didn’t hit the spot for me. It was slow and confusing as some parts. I got some of the characters mixed up (probably a me problem). It was a mix of third person and first person, so I was a little confused when it switched

My first Julie Soto book and what a book it was!

The Thrashers started from the first page and kept me guessing and entertained until the very last page. It is suspenseful. It is thrilling. And it brought all sorts of goodness my way, including a slow burn.

I never knew what was going on. I was lost, second guessing myself, wondering who was really who they were portraying…just all of that and more. I would get a good feeling from someone and then that good feeling would be ripped from under my feet with new information. The good were bad and the bad were good. I never knew!

And that ending! What a freaking epilogue! It turned a high four star book into a five star book.

I received the ARC and this is my honest opinion. Thank you, Netgalley, for giving me this honor of reading The Thrashers.

WOW. This is my first Julie Soto book and when I heard this was a YA thriller I was all in. This did NOT disappoint.

This book was SO compelling and mysterious and hooked me immediately. I also GASPED at the ending. WHAT. SO GOOD I SCREAMED.

But honestly what I loved even more was the message behind the book. This book covers bullying in high school through a lot of different ways that some might not realize and I thought it brought SUCH good and real awareness to it. I was so glad to see this topic discussed in some way.

This book was great. I definitely recommend it, and am so grateful I got to read it early.

This book was a very interesting YA thriller! I really enjoyed how this book brought back all the feels from high school and the challenges that some people face during their high school journey. I truly was not sure what was going to happen through this whole book! Oh my that epilogue!!!! Please tell me there is going to be another book?!?!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange of an honest review.

I’m not gonna lie I was a bit hesitant about this book going in (I love a teen drama once in a while but it’s not my main genre), but wow was this such a gripping book!!

The Thrashers follows a high school friend group after the tragic death of a classmate. Throughout the following months you learn about the events that may have lead to her death and the actions of these five “friends”.

The main character Jodi was a bit of an unreliable narrator in a way which really helped develop the mystery and intrigue as you learned about this friend group and how they “Thrashed” Emily.

Deeply proactive and through provoking, it had be second guessing everything and thinking back in the complexities of friendships in high school. Is no attention as bad as negative attention?? The characters are all flawed but in very realistic ways and it makes you think about how far should you go for someone’s attention.

Julie Soto has done it again. I never should have doubted her especially when she said this was Veronica Mars-like.

Also can we talk about that epilogue!?!?

Thrilling, Twisted and Perfect 🤩.

This book had me on the edge of seat in shock almost every chapter!! I’m missing The Thrashers so much😩. Emily had me so frustrated but at the same time I understand her. She gave me Hannah Baker vibes which I thought was intentional because she has a sister named Hannah( I may be wrong🤷‍♀️). The way The Thrashers got hurt left and right, you didn’t even have time to process what happened because something else would happen. The “freak accidents” that had my heart racing. I was praying that none of them died in this book so much I couldn’t even think!! Jodi is my favorite girl ever in this book besides Lucy. Jodi’s character development was so good to see, she faced her father and his actions with drinking and told him to stop,she got out of Zach’s shadow and realized things not only about herself but the people around her and Emily had a lot to do with that, i just wish she didn’t have to die for that to happen. Even though Emily knew that Jodi didn’t like she still protected her best friend 🥹. I hope I’m not the only one that wants Julian and Jodi together in the future, I’m glad Jodi didn’t end up with anyone because everyone needs to grow especially Zach and Julian and I hope that in the future we see more Oliver, Jodi and Nikita. I was shocked about what Hannah did and I resonated with her because she misses her sister and everyone grieves differently, I can’t imagine watching your sister die and everyone moving on while you’re stuck with the most gut wrenching memories of her death , she was traumatized and devastated. I’m glad Jodi was there to comfort Hannah even though what she did was wrong, she was able to also understand her because she didn’t deserve what happened and I’m glad Hannah got to let everything out and gained a friend in Jodi. PAIGE!?! THE EPILOGUE!?! My jaw was on the floor!! I 1000% recommend this book and I hope it will be a book series because I love these characters with my whole heart. It might be too soon but I really hope that this becomes a MOVIE 😁🤩