2.5 stars
I was excited to read this book but it didn’t pan out as well as I’d hoped. It was a weird experience as none of the characters were appealing and the twist wasn’t compelling. I’ll still look forward to the next book by Julie Soto though!

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Publishing Group for providing me with this e-ARC!

This was a fast paced, thrilling, extremely fun adventure. Julie Soto writes like her life depends on it and this was no exception. Every single character had flaws, and BOY were they prominent, which were so fun to discover and read about. I had so many theories and none were correct, and it just goes to show how brilliantly thought out and structured Soto's writing really is. I will be sleeping with the lights on for the foreseeable future, I fear, especially after that epilogue. It's not even out yet and I want a second book immediately — so it's safe to say this book is an incredible addition to Julie's catalog. I want to read it again but I think I might be too freaked out. No notes!

Thank you Wednesday Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Ok total mindfuck!! Like just oh my god! Jodi has been friends with Zack since the 2nd grade and with him comes the rest of the Thrashers. The beautiful, rich, and popular Paige, Julian, and Lucy. Jodi feels like she sticks out like a sore thumb amongst the four of them. She most definitely not rich and does not see herself as beautiful especially as she’s not as thin as Lucy and Paige. And forget about popular, next to the other four she’s invisible. A fact that Julian never lets her forget. Last year Emily Mills inserted herself into their group, but none of them like her, she a little creepy and obsessive. Then a few months ago on the night of Prom Emily ended her life. Now it’s July the Thrashers are getting ready to enter their final year of high school but the police have some questions about Emily Mills. Why would they know anything about that? But as accusations of bullying begin Jodi’s about to learn she may not know everything about her so called friends. Is there more to what happened to Emily? And just who can Jodi trust? To make things more complicated strange things keep happening and there is every indication that sometimes the dead don’t want to move on. Jodi is determined to find out the truth but at what cost? Julie Soto packs so much into this book and it all blends so perfectly! You’ve got a thrilling mystery and secrets and lies and an mc who constantly feels like she’s not good enough plus the rich/poor dynamic with the beautiful/popular and invisible dynamic add a mix of supernatural and top it off you’ve got an enemies to something moreish romance! The anxiety that I felt throughout the book constantly waiting for other shoes to drop! A stunning thrill ride that will have you hooked from the start and will have you on pins and needles the whole damn time! Do yourself a favor and read The Thrashers!!

Thank you for the early copy of The Thrashers. I could definitely tell this was a YA Thriller but it wasn't a bad thriller but just seemed a little too high schoolishy feeling for me. I did enjoy the whole story and learning more about Emily and all went down the night she died. The characters were okay, I didn't feel really a connection with any of them, they were just there. I am curious though with how it ended if there will be a second book or thats just how the author wanted it to end? Guess we will find out!

I don't even know where to begin with this one - once I started, I had such a hard time putting it down! "The Thrashers" explores the aftermath of a student who recently took her own life and blames the "Thrashers", a group of pretty, popular, rich friends, for bullying her to death.

For starters, the storyline was immersive from the first chapter. Soto has an excellent writing style, making for a suspenseful storyline and quick pacing. As far as character development, I absolutely loved Jodi - she was so relatable in the ways that we doubt ourselves as teens and question who we are and who our true friends are. I'm still not sure if the Thrashers were really her "friends", but that's a difficult lesson we all have to learn on our own. I don't want to give toooo much away, but her chemistry with one of the other characters is to die for!! I'm not usually a fan of paranormal thrillers, but Soto used it in a way that elevated the suspense without feeling too over the top or cheesy.

Thanks so much for the ARC!

This was an absolutely wild ride. As someone who really enjoyed shows like pretty little liars and it's spinoff ravenswood. This gave off a very similar vibe. A group of teenagers are accused of possible harassment and bullying. The girl they are accused of harassing killed herself. There are several layers that we find out throughout which I found were interesting but overall I found parts of it felt disjointed. I also felt the paranormal elements felt unnecessary and that there was enough going on with out it.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

I am a huge fan of Julie Soto and was so grateful to be chosen to read this early on. This book was a little juvenile, a little spooky. Jodi’s obsession with Zack took me out of it multiple times throughout the story because it felt like she was missing the bigger picture. Maybe that was the point? To show how flawed each of the Thrashers were? Otherwise, I had a good time. I will say the paranormal aspect was what did it for me! The ending was a 10/10. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys paranormal stories in high school settings.

Ok, Julie Soto! Take my money! What a page turner! I devoured this book, I need more. Please give us more! Friends, just to read it. It was incredible.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

There is so much I want to say but I also don't want to give anything away. I will say that there were some moments that surprised me - not an easy thing to do, especially in a YA book. My initial theory was WAY off.

What really made this a five star read for me though was the writing. It's not a literary masterpiece but the way Julie wrote this... you can feel the uncertainty, the strangeness, the feeling of "do they really like me," all while wondering if our main character is a reliable narrator.

YA thriller and wow im so here for it! I loved everything about this one from start to finish. The pacing throughout the book kept you wanting more and more!!

This was my first ever YA thriller and I can’t say enough how fantastic it was. West Side Story references & the way I accidentally started watching Veronica Mars in the middle of reading. Correctly administered CPR?? The absolute cherry on top. I want a follow up book to know how everyone is doing in 10 years. I want everything Julie has to offer.

4..5 ⭐️
I really enjoyed this book! The pacing was great, once I started I didn’t want to put the book down. I found the characters and their group’s dynamic really interesting. The entire book I kept going back and forth on what I thought the truth was, who was guilty, who the real villain of the story was and it all came together so well. I also felt the underlying storyline of being a teen and struggling with fitting in and feeling insecure was done well. I’m still unsure how I feel about the ending, I both loved and hated it, as it wasn’t fully satisfying but it was realistic and made sense. The epilogue also had me shocked and wanting even more. Overall such a fun, intriguing, fast paced YA thriller!

A great YA thriller! I love a clique, rich kid mystery. This feels like a teen netflix show you binge in a night. I was seated and could not put it down!

Wow. Just wow. I LOVED this book. YA, thriller, paranormal, with a little romance thrown in?! Count me in. The characters were interesting, the story moved quickly, there were twists and surprises. It's been a while since I stayed up too late to finish a book, and this one did it. I couldn't stop. The epilogue is *chef's kiss*. Fantastic entry to the YA genre for Julie Soto. I can't wait to share it with my teen daughter, she's going to love it!

This reminded me of mean girls with Gen Z mixed in. This was a great thriller. I liked that the author didn't do a cliche plot and adjusted the story to the proper generational theory.

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.