2⭐️

*Sadly, a minority review*

The Thrashers…The Thrashers…The Thrashers…Where in the world do I begin???

To be frank, I have no idea who Julie Soto is as an author. Upon reading this book, I found out that she is a Romance Author. So, one can color me surprise that she has decided to not only write a thriller/murder mystery novel but also decided to make her debut in the YA genre this year. Good for her. And while I do believe that Julie Soto is a wonderful writer, I might have to make this my one and only book that I read by her (unless she makes a sequel for this particular book).

I am aware that my ARC review is past the publication date. So, yes, I’ve had time to skim both ARC reviews and post publication date reviews and I’ve come to discover that it’s the 4 and 5⭐️ reviews that motivated me to push this one forward. It’s the 4 and 5⭐️ reviews that keep reminding me of how books are the one thing that carry a subjective quality. It’s the 4 and 5⭐️reviews that have me saying “I am so glad that someone liked this book because I did not!!!”

Ugh. I am so disappointed right now. This book only gets good towards the last few chapters, which helped me bump this up from a 1 ⭐️ to a 2 ⭐️. I am the type of reader who needs more than the last 20% of a book to keep me entertained.

When I first read the title of this book, I thought that I was going to be reading about some popular, rich siblings who’s last name is Thrasher (definitely not the case). When I saw the cover, I thought I was going to be reading a dark academia book where a murder takes place and these Thrasher siblings are to blame (again, there are no Thrasher siblings and there really isn’t a murder). After finishing the Prologue, I thought I was going to be staying up late to devour a book where our main character (Jodi Dillon) was going to turn into a detective and spend this whole book trying to solve the “so-called” murder. All my expectations went out the window after I finished Chapter 2. No way is an adult cop allowed to bully a 17 year old girl all because said cop may or may not have been bullied by the popular crowd during her high school career. No way can cops use name calling and play on a teenager’s insecurities just to get information out of said teenager. And there definitely is no way that cops can just call up the media and think it’s okay to ruin 5 high schoolers lives without truly having all of the facts about a crime/case. Officer Chelsea Harding and her cop buddies will go down as some of the WORST written law enforcement officers in a YA murder mystery novel.

And let’s not get me started on the main character and her 4 “friends” (Zachary Thrasher; Lucy Reed; Paige Montgomery; and Julian Hollister). No one had a personality. These characters were hated just because some of their classmates were miserable and had nothing better to do with their own lives. To be honest, all 5 of these characters were all teenagers who smoke and drank “under” the bleachers. They were teenagers whose parents were absent at the worst times in their lives. They were teenagers who were awful not just towards themselves/each other but also towards others who dared to get too close. And while I wasn’t a fan of none of the characters in this book, I will say that the female friendships were done with taste. Then we soon had to add Emily Mills into the picture, which only made these characters, as a groups, worse. I don’t know how I am supposed to feel about Emily. This girl lied a lot, was too nosy for her own good, was obsessed with both Zachary Thrasher and Jodi Dillon, kept weird little journals, and motivated her sister to be weird too. Emily Mills made me so uncomfortable that I wanted to DNF this after I encountered her 2nd journal entry.

Ugh. And the romance subplot was just gross. A BULLY-TO-LOVER RELATIONSHIP IS NOT ROMANTIC!!! There is no way in this world that a male bully can be forgiven quickly after spending 3 years humiliating the girl he so-called “loves.” Nope. Nope. Nope.

Yes. This book is binge worthy, attention grabbing, and the audiobook narrators are perfect. However, the book, itself, is juvenile (at best), annoying (at worst), problematic (at the center), and makes me truly thankful to have survived high school when I did!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for granting my request for an Advance Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for my honest and personal opinion!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book to review.

This was a amazing thriller novel, and I enjoyed it a lot. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

I’m truly not sure what I was expecting when I picked up 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 but let’s just say I binge-read it and now I’m left wondering where to go to recreate the twisty YA thriller vibes Julie Soto so wonderfully wrote! This story encompasses a lot, and I’m trying to write a review that won’t give away too much of the plot…so if you want all the unreliable, mystery-filled, twisty school clique vibes, with a hint of what could be paranormal elements…
This one is a must! It’s hard to put down once you’ve started the book, and I loved the Pretty Little Liars vibes that were present throughout! I really would recommend this one, but make sure to check the CW first as there are some serious elements covered!

I haven't been loving YA books lately but this on hooked me right from the start. It was so smart and entertaining and the characters were great. the mystery was very compelling and I really like how it ended.

This is a socially relevant young adult thriller than was fast paced and an enjoyable read! All about a nickname given to a group of high schoolers, and a tragic event that shapes them all.

Thrashers by Julie Soto

4 stars
352 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books
Release Date: May 6, 2025

Fiction, Teens, Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Suicide, Relationships, Peer Pressure, Obession

Emily commits suicide on prom night. The police come into possession of Emily’s journal. They believe she took her own life because she was bullied by the Thrashers. The Thrashers is the name other students give to a group of seniors led by Zack Thrasher. The others in the group are Jullian, Paige, Lucy, and Jodi. During the police investigation, everyone except Jodi is set to be arraigned for bullying charges. Jodi only receives a subpoena which makes the others suspicious thinking she is throwing them under the bus. Everyone knows when they are finished using someone, the person is thrashed.

The story has a steady pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. Bullying is a difficult subject to discuss and when you add obsession, it makes it more disturbing. If you like stories about high school and peer pressure, you may enjoy reading this book.

Julie Soto is an auto-buy author for me and for good reason!

Her stories are so captivating and "The Thrashers" is no different. I was so excited to see that she was going to tackle YA thriller and I feel that she did so expertly.

"The Thrashers" had plenty of twists and turns to keep readers guessing and I really appreciated that.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for selecting me for this ARC.

This was such a refreshing surprise from Julie! I’ve read her romance books and loved them, so I shouldn't be surprised that I really enjoyed this. It’s definitely different from her usual writing, but in the best way. The supernatural elements added such a cool twist, and the whole story had a dark, eerie vibe that totally pulled me in. I loved not knowing what would happen next. It kept me at the edge of my seat the entire time. Even though the tone and style were a departure from her earlier work, it was still so well written. Julie knows how to build characters and atmosphere, and she brought those strengths into this book in a completely new way. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about her stepping into something darker, but I’m so glad I gave it a chance. Definitely a strong, spooky read that’s perfect when you want something a little different.

I'm a big fan of Julie Soto's romance books, so I was excited to hear she was coming out with a YA thriller and jumped at the chance to read it.

This book had me on the edge of my seat and trying to guess what the heck was going on. I really enjoyed it. My only complaint is that it felt open-ended, and kinda ended on a cliffhanger, but I don't think there are any plans for it to be a series. If so, great, I'll continue to read it, but if not, it's a bit of a letdown.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central) Publishing and NetGalley. I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

I was excited about this book because the premise sounded promising & I do love a YA thriller but this one wasn’t for me :(

The beginning was very slow, and it just felt like the plot was all over the place. I wasn’t sure is it was a mystery thriller or a supernatural thriller & then all of a sudden it was none? Plus the ending was a bit underwhelming. I was left confused & wanting more.

2.5 rounded to 3.

⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
The Thrashers by Julie Soto
This one delivers full-on I Know What You Did Last Summer vibes—with a creepy paranormal edge.
Jodi, Zack, Julian, Lucy, and Paige are the kind of messy friend group that keeps you flipping pages. Suspenseful, twisty, and darkly addictive, this book had me racing through chapters.
That said, I felt the characters could’ve been more fleshed out emotionally. Definitely recommend checking trigger warnings first—there are several right out of the gate.

Wow, what a wild ride! I wasn’t really sure what to expect with this story, but I had read one of the author’s books previously so wanted to give this one a shot.
It took me the first three chapters to really get into the story, but once I did I could not turn the pages fast enough! There were so many twists & turns, and the supernatural/paranormal theme kept me on the edge of my seat. And my jaw dropped with that ending!
It’s difficult for me to write anything more with giving away spoilers, so I’ll end with saying I hope you check this one out!

The Thrashers is my first Julie Soto book, and I absolutely ATE. IT. UP. Like, I read this in less than 24 hours, and had I not started it so late at night, I’d have read it in just one sitting.

Seriously, this book was fantastic. I loved Jodi’s story, and I was so sucked into this plot. I am so thankful that I got to read this early, and I may just have to pick up more of Soto’s books now.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my copy of THE THRASHERS.

I really loved this YA thriller!! I was so invested in these kids and this story. They mystery was slowly unfolded in the perfect recipe to keep me from putting this one down. I highly recommend this one!

As soon as I heard the Veronica Mars comp for this book, I was sat and ready!!! Did I sleep after I finished? No I sure didn't, but I was scared in a way that I found very enjoyable. Julie Soto what can't you do girl?!

A great YA thriller that is suspenseful and keeps you guessing. While none of the characters are particularly loveable, you still find yourself invested in their drama and story. Deals will difficult topics, such as suicide and abuse, but does so well. I think this could be one of the most popular teen books this year and has tv series written all over it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ARC Review

Tropes:
YA
Mystery
Paranormal
Psychological
Morally Grey

This was the first book I've read from this author, but it definitely will not be my last! It's been a while since I've read a full "murder" mystery and psychological thriller and it was so refreshing and I loved every minute of it! There are very heavy topics in this book, so please do take caution while reading.

Jodi is part of "The Thrashers" as her high school likes to call her friend group that's suddenly under investigation for causing the death(suicide) of Emily Mills. During this investigation, their friendship is tested and unfortunately, nothing will be the same as before.

I was hooked from the beginning and with each new chapter or information I was more intrigued. While I was expecting some of the plot & plot twists, the story was still very much entertaining. I loved the mix of suspense, psychological & paranormal aspects of the story.

The characters' actions and thoughts were very much high school like and I appreciated that. They were emotional, filled with doubt and made mistakes people their age would definitely make. None of them were completely innocent or completely guilty. I wouldn't go as far as to say they were morally grey, but they weren't squeaky clean either. Their character development at the end was appropriate as well. They all grew in different ways and at different levels.

There were some weird love interests throughout the story. This was a major reason why, even though I felt for Jodi, she annoyed me. She was too in her head to see that the others were suffering and had problems just like she did. I didn't see or feel the connection between Jodi and her first love interest at all. I was shipping her with the second love interest so much more and would have loved for that to be explored a lot more.

Their friendship group was a bit weird, but great as well. They were always there for each other and genuinely got along so well.

While I loved the character development with all the characters especially Jodi, I have very mixed feelings for the ending. I LOVED the very end of the story and still trying to wrap my head around that epilogue. I feel the character that was found to be at "fault" didn't deserve it. Yes, the actions were wrong, but it was a desperate person who didn't know what else to do to protect the people they cared about. As you see throughout the book Emily wasn't as innocent as she seemed.

Overall it was an amazing story that will keep you on your toes and rushing to turn each page! The way I would describe this book would be a mix between Pretty Little Liars and Thirteen Reasons Why(the book! Not the tv show).

It’s giving 13 Reasons Why meets I Know What You Did Last Summer with the essence of Perks of Being a Wallflower.

This book was everything I expected and then some. It was the way Julie Soto took the things that make Sac, Sac, and intertwined them into the story. The character were developed beautifully. The dynamic between Jodi & Julian was something even the best enemies to lovers authors couldn’t capture. I also loved how she had that constant feeling of inadequacy that we all felt as teenagers. Do we really fit in our friend group? Is it all a farce?

SO many ARCs and just not enough time. Here's Julie Soto's "The Thrashers."

["Either you're in or you're out.

Welcome to the Thrashers, the elite friend group at New Helvetia High.

They’re everything everyone wants to be.

Jodi Dillon was never meant to be one of them. Julian, Lucy, Paige, and the infamous Zack Thrasher are rich, sophisticated, and love attention. Jodi feels out of place, but Zack’s her childhood best friend, so she’s in.

Then Emily Mills, who desperately wanted to be a Thrasher, dies—and the whispers about the Thrashers begin. As Emily’s journal surfaces, detectives close in, and Jodi faces an impossible choice: betray her friends or protect herself.

But as eerie messages and strange occurrences escalate, it becomes clear—Emily isn’t done with them yet."]

Friend groups are hard, especially when there is an odd number of people. Someone is always feeling left out. There are so many secrets and pasts and Feelings. I frequently felt left out of groups in high school; then again, thats just a fact of high school, feeling left out, no matter the truth in the matter.

I did really appreciate how this book grabbed my focus and kept it. There hasn't been a ton of mysteries lately that did that. Even if a lot of the driving force of this novel was the feelings of inadequacy and abandonment.

There was a thread of romance, which I obviously loved. Especially since it was from a place we didn't expect. That subplot grew so steadily and perfectly. Well, almost perfectly.

I loved the sheer number of plot twists. Though, I also kinda hated a few of them. Wish that it would have effected the plot and the characters more. Then again, I got a little soft on a few of them and maybe they didn't deserve soft. A few of them definitely didn't deserve soft.

Trigger Warnings: suicide, alcoholism, abusive parents, bullying, and more.

#netgalley #arc #arcteammember
#thethrashers #juliesoto #thriller #yathriller #murdermystery #yamurdermystery #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

I loved Julie Soto's romance debut Forget Me Not, so I was intrigued when she also decided to publish a thriller read. There are authors who straddle more than one genre, but it is rare they can do both so well. The question is, can Soto really do it all? He'll yeah she can! A 4.5 star read for me.

The Thrashers follows a group of popular teens on the verge of high school graduation. Reminiscent of the movie 'Heathers', the 'Thrashers' are an it-group that gets their name from their ringleader, all-American teenage heartthrob Zack Thrasher. One of his best friends is Jodi, who I felt was sort of like the Wynona Rider character, who sits on the outskirts of the group. Like most of the girls, Jodi also harbours a crush on Zack she hasn't yet admitted. When a girl who is obsessed with the Thrashers dies, at first it is assumed to be a suicide. However, as more information about her death is uncovered, things don't add up and the group is soon targeted by the police. Did the Thrashers have to do anything with this girl's death? Are her friends really who Jodi thinks they are?

This was such a propulsive, well written thriller! Even though it is marketed for YA, I didn't feel it was too YA at all and could also be enjoyed by older readers. The characters are all likeable yet untrustworthy, which really upped the ante and the intrigue. Jodi herself is very nuanced and dealing with some really grown up issues, and I appreciate how the author handled these. There was also a little of the paranormal going on- up to the interpretation of the reader- and an ending and epilogue that totally blew me away. This was a wild ride that I highly recommend! A fun summer read.