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 😁🤩

Julie Soto really said “let me tackle all the genres.. collect them like infinity stones” because wow oh wow did she have me on the edge of my seat this entire time. I could not put the book down, even on vacation!!

This is one of the very few thrillers I have read, and really only picked it up because Julie is an auto-buy author for me. I’m so used to having an HEA because hellllloooooo I only ever read romance and romantasy, so the ending didn’t wrap up with all of my questions answered. (A second book is in the works, right Julie?)

Some characters that I thought I’d love ended up pissing me off and others… I ended up screaming into the void, raising my fist to the air, chanting for Julie to give me MORE!!!

Thank you to Julie Soto for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn’t put this book down! From start to finish, it had me completely hooked, teetering on the edge of my seat with every turn of the page. It’s a masterful mix of psychological and paranormal thriller, blending the eerie and the emotional in a way that kept me eagerly turning pages.

As a 34-year-old, I honestly expected the drama to feel juvenile, especially given the high school setting, but Julie Soto’s writing drew me back into those teenage years effortlessly. It was a deep dive into the pressures, emotions, and complexities of high school life that resonated with me far more than I anticipated. Soto’s ability to build complex relationships between the characters really stood out—every interaction felt layered, real, and full of emotional weight.

And let me just say—there’s more than enough suspense and paranormal elements to keep you intrigued. Emily's ghost seems to have a vendetta, and as Jodi grapples with the truth and her own survival, you’re never quite sure where the story is going next. It's this perfect blend of psychological and supernatural tension that makes this book so captivating.

In short, this book completely transformed my expectations. Julie Soto’s storytelling is compelling, complex, and just the right amount of chilling.

The only thing that I didn't love about the story was the ending. The epilogue especially. We spend the whole book building these relationships and getting to see that in the end, no one was really innocent. Including Emily herself! But the one character in this story who seemed to truly grow as a person, and genuinely feel guilty...ended up in juvie and haunted? I didn't like that. Before the epilogue we get a bit of hope that maybe Julian can get out of juvie and finally have some peace....but not with a crazy ghost tagging along. I didn't love that

It was still fine, but I think I would've preferred to see him have a better ending.

WOW. What a wild ride! An easy 4.75
This has to be one of my favorite thrillers I've read. The plot, the characters, the secrets... I was hooked from the moment I picked it up!

This story follows a friend group nicknamed the Thrashers, and their possible involvement in the suicide of fellow student Emily Mills.
Our fmc, Jodi, has been best friends with the leader of the group, Zack Thrasher himself, since elementary school. So even though she doesn't quite fit into the elite rich social group of the Thrashers, she has always been treated as one of them. But what happens when accusations regarding a dead "friend" start to be pointed at all of them... except Jodi?

I 100% recommend this book to any YA thriller lover! It was super twisty, and had super compelling dynamics between the main characters. I'm crossing my fingers for a sequel after the ending! Pick this book up as soon as it is published on May 6th, 2025!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, and St Martin's press for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I couldn’t put down “The Thrashers.” This YA thriller is about a girl who dies and leaves behind a journal with accusations about the most popular group at school. Jodi has always been different than her friends, who seem perfect and well loved by everyone, until now. When they all get roped in by the police and supernatural occurrences seem to follow them, she’s got to help her friends or at least absolve herself. In this story, you won’t know who to trust and what to believe, but you’ll be on the edge of your seat the whole time.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

First, this was a great read. It was light enough to read in just one day and flowed well. The plot twists pertaining to how Jodi's friends actually treated her had tells throughout the book, but I am an adult reading what I perceived as a book geared towards teenagers who may not pick up those type of social tells.

Structurally, the story flows well, character building was developed early on in the story making it easy to identify with the characters early on in the story. Julian could have used more work. I feel like if there is a sequel that Julian's character needs more depth. I was most intrigued by his role in the Thrashers as it was established early on in the story that he was the, "bad boy" but by the end I saw him as the good guy who ultimately protected the group, particularly Jodi.

Relatability and relevance - I think the story is highly relatable, even for middle aged readers as high school bullying, teenage suicide, and the, "high school elite" have always existed. As a reader, it was easy for me to relate to the characters, particularly Jodi as I had a similar upbringing and social construct during my HS years. My friends were only so good and the ones who could have been best friends were often pushed to the wayside for popularity such as the situation with Jodi and Oliver.

The biggest takeaway for me was that that Jodi grew from her past, learned that the self-perceived good guy isn't always as good as you think he is, and that people grow and evolve really resonated with me. It gives hope to young readers that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It reminds older readers like I am that our stories are still relevant and worth the retell to our own teenagers. Jodi was able to confront the reality of her mother's death, her father's drinking problem and face head on a suicide her friends had a hand in.

Emily needed help - that one key topic that wasn't driven home enough in the story. If I have one complaint and one thing I would change is that Emily needed help and there wasn't a real resource in her corner helping her. She moved from one school to another - that isn't a viable solution. I understand the cautionary tale concept but I think there could have been more said pertaining to her needing help other than she was talking to a school social worker.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for honest feedback.

I used to love the “Fear Street” series and this book gave me very similar vibes. There is a supernatural element to it so if that’s not your preferred thriller type this one might be hard for you to get into.

It’s a very quick read (I finished it in 7 hrs) so it’s a great book choice for a lazy Sunday on the couch.

I really liked this book. It shines some light on bullying in high school, while I get the group of friends weren't trying to be bullies. Emily for sure had some mental health issues that caused her to obsess over people once they showed a little attention towards her, she needed help not what happened to her. Jodi is the perfect representation of the outcast in a group of friends. Zack is too much of a people pleaser, Lucy and Paige were the typical 'It" girls who didn't have to really try to get what they wanted. Poor Jullian was just trying to be straightforward about how the group when it came to Emily but it didn't work out the way he thought it would. And Hannah, she was coming from a good place but the actions she took were not good decisions.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants a mystery but also wants to get into the mind of someone with mental health issues.

This book was SO easy to get into. I loved the thriller/mystery element, and was shockingly surprised by most twists/revelations. The character development was very well done, so much so that I was genuinely upset by some of the revelations—equal to Jodi.

Loved it, and will definitely be recommending it to others.

JULIE!!! HOW ARE YOU SO GOOD?!? I haven’t read a YA thriller in so long but man I WAS SUCKED IN!

This story took me back to my middle school pretty little liars phase and I AM OBSESSED!!! Julie has crafted the perfect high school thriller. Violence, secrets, hauntings, cliques, freak accidents, the paranormal…. GOSH IT WAS SO GOOD!!! This is a more mature YA book. There is heavy language and lots of drinking, drugs, and sexual content….not to mention, more dark themes such as suicide, death, bullying, and violence. But wow this hooked me from the get-go and has further proven that JULIE CAN DO NO WRONG!!!

Please tell me there’s a second book because that ending…..GIRLLLLL🫣🫣

LOVED this one! Well-paced and stayed twisty all the way to the end. (I still think Hannah should have gotten in trouble, too, though.) This writer managed to make me adore Julian, identify with Jodi, resent Zack, and understand teens in a way that YA doesn't often achieve with an adult reader. This novel was creative and unique, both funny and scary, and something I would recommend to my friends as well as my students. I adored it! Some things about the Mills family ended up feeling like red herrings because they weren't explored (like the dad's role) - but maybe that was all those details were meant to serve as, though I think it would have been an interesting angle to hear more about. Some of the twists at the end did happen so rapidly that I still had questions, but overall it's a light enough piece that I didn't mind. This was a great, fun, spooky read!

If Julie Soto has a million fans I am one, if she has one fan it is me - so I might be a little biased when I say THIS BOOK IS 5 STARS! I am forever blown away with how Julie completely captivates her reader across all different genres. This book keeps you hooked on the edge of your seat and is so fast paced. I thought this book had the perfect combination of suspense and mystery and the twist definitely took me by surprise. The high school dynamics felt so realistic to me - Julie captured that unique "high school friend group" relationships and the feeling of never really "fitting in." Overall it was giving pretty little liars in the best way possible. Will recommend this story to anyone who will listen to me and I cannot wait to see what she give us next!

My first 5 star read of the year!! l've been a huge fan of Julie Soto's fan fics since last year and was not disappointed by her first published YA thriller. I was hooked by the end of the first chapter and absolutely devoured it within a few short days. If you've read A Good Gir's Guide to Murder or One of Us is Next, you'll enjoy this book - very similar vibes but with ghosts, near death experiences and a fast-paced plot.

There were some aspects of the ending (once some of the plot twists and secrets were revealed) that irritated me, but there was a set up for a second book which i am ready for TODAY! I highly recommend picking this up when it comes out in May, but definitely check the trigger warnings before you dive in. There are a couple for this book.

This book kept me on my toes, it truly was YA thriller at its finest. As soon as I thought I had it down, I was always a detail or two off. The ending was perfect. In spirit of “13 Reasons Why” it was very enjoyable and a quick read.

this takes one of the most scariest experiences (high school friendship dynamics) and gets it rightttt under our skin 😨

the popular high school clique is under suspicion after a student dies, making everyone reexamine their relationship with her & each other

📍Sacramento, CA
📺 a mix of The Clique, Pretty Little Liars, 13 Reasons Why
💡 deliciously creepy, couldn’t shake off this slow burn. at one point, I actually had CHILLS. my jaw droppped
📖 it says YA but I’d say like mature YA

truly what CAN’T Julie Soto do?!?! can’t tell if I need more romance or more mystery thrillers (or BOTH) from miss julie!!! 🙇‍♀️👑

thank you @netgalley for the e-ARC and @macmillan.audio for the ALC!!

#MacAudio2025

First off, thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press. I was so excited to be approved for an eARC of The Thrashers by Julie Soto.

I have thoroughly enjoyed Julie's previously published romance novels. The Thrashers is a YA mystery thriller, which is not the typical book I reach for, but I had to read it anyway. 

I immediately found myself sucked into the story and was kept guessing up until the very end. This story follows a group of high schoolers called “The Thrashers.” Weird things start to happen after a classmate, Emily, commits suicide. It's full of morally gray characters that keep you guessing, and just when you think things are all tied up the epilogue hits.

I received this book as an ARC and I was so excited because I am a huge Julie Soto fan. This book did not disappoint! The Thrashers had me hooked from page 1. This book had so many twists and turns, it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The story follows a group of 5 friends that are considered the popular group at their high school. Things get turned upside down when the group is blamed for a classmate’s death due to bullying. It turns out the friends have kept secrets from the world and each other.

I loved this book and highly recommend it! 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Julie Soto for an ebook in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Wowwwww this one had me so invested! I truly enjoyed the whole mystery of this book - and the crumbs of the romance. Had so much fun with this!!