Zach Trasher has a tight knit group of friends. Get too close, and you’ll be thrashed.

This YA thriller has all the vibes of Pretty Little Liars and 13 Reasons. When someone close to their group commits suicide on prom night, seemingly after being scorned by the social group, all eyes are on “The Thrashers” as more is uncovered about what it means to be in this group, or what happens if you try to work your way in.

All of the high school drama met with thriller twists and shocking revelations as more comes to light and the group tries not to fall apart while also keeping each other’s secrets.

I could not put this book down, and was lucky enough to be able to listen to the audiobook and read the e-ARC. Both were phenomenal and captivating.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC and ALC. All opinions are my own.

Thrashers by Julie Soto is a gripping YA thriller that explores toxic high school dynamics, obsession, and the cost of belonging.

Emily Mills’ tragic suicide on prom night sends shockwaves through New Helvetia High, especially among the Thrashers, an elite friend group led by the charismatic yet ruthless Zack Thrasher. Jodi Dillon, an outsider within the clique, clings to her childhood connection with Zack, desperate to maintain her fragile status. But when Emily’s diary surfaces, revealing dark secrets—including allegations of assault—Jodi is thrust into a dangerous game of loyalty and survival.

As investigators close in, Jodi must decide whether to stand by her so-called friends or protect herself. Meanwhile, eerie messages and strange occurrences make it seem like Emily isn’t done with them yet. The novel expertly builds tension, blending psychological suspense with an unexpected paranormal twist reminiscent of Pretty Little Liars.

Soto crafts deeply flawed yet compelling characters, capturing the high-stakes social hierarchy of high school. The story’s slow-burn mystery unfolds effectively, though the pacing drags slightly in the middle. While the ultimate reveal may not be a shock to seasoned thriller readers, the epilogue is chilling and unforgettable, leaving just enough ambiguity to haunt the reader long after the last page.

More than just a mystery, Thrashers delves into themes of bullying, trauma, and justice. It’s a thought-provoking, immersive read that lingers in the mind. Perfect for fans of dark YA thrillers.

Wow, wow, wow! 😍 This one is an absolute must read for all lovers of YA mysteries!!

Jodi feels like she was never meant to be cool or popular and was absolutely never supposed to ne considered as part of the “elite” but thanks to her childhood best friend Zack, that’s exactly what she became… a Thrasher. The spotlight is even more focused on Jodi and her group of friends when Emily Mills tragically dies - and everyone is convinced that The Thrashers had something to do with it.

One of my favourite series of all time is the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series by Holly Jackson. I read them almost three years ago and have been desperately searching for a YA mystery to fill the void ever since! Happy to report, I just found her! This mystery was EVERYTHING - edge of my seat grippy, with complex characters and relationships that made me second guessing their morality and intentions from one page to the next!

The audiobook was extremely well done with both narrators bringing these characters to life.

I will say there is some dark content here that would have made it extremely hard for me to read this one as a young adult and quite honestly, I still struggled a bit as an adult! Please check the trigger warnings before proceeding.

Julie Soto's range is truly impeccable!! I am a huge lover of Young Adult thriller and this would did NOT disappoint. Soto did a fantastic job creating characters who you can't decide if you love or hate while crafting a thrilling story of the extents people will go to try to fit in with the popular crowd. The supernatural element to the novel was also a delight and the epilogue had me like JULIE!! YOUR MIND!! The narration was fantastic and left you on the edge of your seat wanting to know what was going to happen next. 10/10 would recommend

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

I don’t read many thrillers, but if Julie Soto writes it, I WILL read it. Julie’s storytelling is *chef’s kiss* with the tension, suspense, and layers she weaves, and her entry into the thriller genre was solid. I could not stop listening and needed to know what was going to happen next,

I appreciated how this is in many ways a cautionary tale of how the people you choose to surround yourself with can have far reaching impacts, and I am hoping it will resonate with readers. While fictional, there are many elements and outcomes of this story (i.e. bullying, toxic relationships, abuse) that are far too real and it’s gutting to know that there are many Emilys out there who have been on the receiving end of such cruelty.

The Thrashers is compelling and unputdownable, and I was so excited that Eva Kaminsky and Jesse Vilinsky were narrating - they always do an incredible job! I will say there was one loose thread that irked me and I really wish it had been resolved and there had been some justice, but overall, I really enjoyed this.

IM RECOMMENDING THIS TO EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!! I love a good YA mystery. Very realistic characters. Plot was there. Edge of the seat page turner for sure.

This is definitely a MUST read if you love mysteries/ thrillers with a hint of paranormal !! 👏🏼👏🏼The way this book had me on the edge of my seat!!

You are instantly sucked into the world of the thrashers. Its filled with teen hierarchy, trauma, and many secrets that will having you second guessing EVERYTHING.

Julie Soto truly out did herself with this one. And that ending !!!! PURE CHILLS!!

This is not your regular Julie Soto book. This is YA to the core with mystery and spirits. It opened up like a murder mystery and as the book unfolds Jo wanted to find out the truth and protect her friends. Only to realized, the very people whom she wanted to protect may not reciprocate her feelings for their friendship as she thought.

By all accounts, Jodi should not have been one of the popular kids, but by default and her wanting to be ‘special’ to Zach so much that she held on. Little did she know, the entire group all felt the same, that they too are holding on, they too are all insecure about their standing in the group.

First off, love-love the pacing. Not too much lingering, details to help move things along. Though I would’ve love the details come together sooner and more instead of little morsels still dripping in at the end. Mystery typically not my genre, but this one hit just right.

The audiobook was interesting, it had one narrate as Emily, and the rest from Jodi’s pov. Both are well known and did an outstanding performance. I would’ve love more of a duet situation since there’s quite a bit of Emily in the book. But this turned out well.

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the ARC

Forget Me Not is one of my all time favourite romances. And while its sequel had a synopsis that didn't really suit me, I've been itching to pick up Julie Soto again.

Even though this is a YA Thriller, it still honestly kinda rocked?

The characters were very realistic in my experience-- they didn't seem overly adult, but nor did they seem too childish. The mystery and information was perfectly paced to build a constant intrigue without feeling overly manipulated or landing flat. And in some really positive ways, it reminded me of some of my favourite Veronica Mars episodes.

I'd very easily recommend to YA Thriller fans, and would optimistically recommend even to people who don't usually love the genre. (But if you're very sure YA Thrillers aren't for you, I don't think this one will be suddenly unconventional enough to change your mind.)

Audiobook Notes:
I like the narrator and the way she subtly conveyed the characters so that they were recognizable, but the narration never took center stage.

4.5 ⭐️

Perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars & Euphoria-- a high school girl, Emily, commits suicide and all eyes are on "The Trashers" as being the group of students responsible. Plenty of secrets will be revealed as The Trashers are investigated. In fact, the police aren't the only ones who seem to have eyes on The Trashers. There's a feeling that someone else may be watching them. Is it Emily haunting them or something/someone more sinister? Makes for a great listen on audio!

Jodi is Zack Thrasher's best friend, the person she always put above herself and the rest of their friend group. But after Emily Mills, the girl who wanted in on the group, ends up dead, the group must come to terms with what they do to outsiders.

This book was amazing! Here's what I loved:

Jodi: I really liked her characters. She's conflicted for so much of this book. Her thoughts on being left out really hit hard at times. I also liked the little romance-ish story that she had. I wanted her to make the right decisions and rooted for her.

The thriller of it: There were so many heart-pounding scenes that kept me wanting to read! It's not really a mystery per se, but there were some things that kept you guessing to what kind of secrets the characters were telling.

The narration: Eva Kaminsky and Jesse Vilinsky do great jobs with this. Their voices fit the characters and made the audio even better.

All in all, this is a really good YA thriller!
A top read for the year for sure.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy!

Julie Soto is really out here releasing two banger books within the just a few months. Simply insane. I wasn't initially planning on reading The Thrashers because I don't typically read YA Thrillers, but after how much I loved Rose in Chains, I decided I needed more from Julie Soto immediately.

The Thrashers ended up being an INSANE read! Like these kids could not catch a break!! I swear one of them was on the brink of death every 20 minutes! (My angst loving heart was eating it up though. Especially when it came to Jodi and Julian 👀). At no point, did I predict what was going to happen, but I feel like that's the mark of a truly good mystery.

I will say that I listened to the audiobook and I don't think I would recommend it. I honesty think that was the reason this wasn't a 5-star read. I'm not sure if this was a Netgalley issue, but the quality was not great and I had a hard time understanding what was being said during the first 20% of the book until I got into the swing of things. This is a book I wish I had read with my eyes and will probably end up rereading with my eyes as soon as the physical book is released.

I'm so glad that Julie Soto is branching out genre wise. I will 100% read more mysteries from her because The Thrashers was a great time!

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for my ALC.

The Thrashers is a book about a high school clique and the power of words. It's a mystery and a bit of a coming of age story. I couldn't put it down and didn't see the ending coming! It's completely unlike the other books I've read by Julie Soto but just as excellent!

This YA book was a nice change of pace for me. It’s a contemporary thriller with mystery and a little romance. It delves into the complexities of high school, friendship and social hierarchy.

The story starts with a student (Emily) that tragically committed suicide on prom night. Then we are introduced to the high school royalty, a group of 5 kids called The Thrashers. Up until her death, Emily is desperate to be part of the Thrashers. Upon her demise, the police find a journal which can implicate the Thrashers as bullies which led to her alleged suicide. The FMC, Jodi, is one of the Thrashers who also feels she may only be in this group because of her childhood friendship with Zack Thrasher, as the other kids come from affluent backgrounds. Jodi struggles with her own family life and sees how her friends can be cruel. She grapples with the dilemma of protecting her friends or uncovering the truth.

The Thrashers was thrilling with all its twists and turns. It is a compelling read that combines suspense, emotion and mystery.

Both narrators were great. There is one voice I recognized, but she played a minor role. The main narrator was great as well and I was engaged all the way through. Great novel!!!

This is the first book that I've read/listened to by Julie Soto and I LOVED it. It was so good and I moved through it very quickly. I really enjoyed the layers to this novel and the supernatural component with an otherwise realistic narrative. I will definitely be reading more from this author! Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to read/listen to an advanced copy!

The Thrashers, written by Julie Soto and narrated by Eva Kaminsky & Jesse Vilinsky, was an absolutely amazing young adult drama and mystery that I could not put down!
Our main character Jodi Dillon, is a student at New Helvetia High where she is a member of the Thrashers, a group of friends that everyone wishes they were a part of. When a fellow student passes away after completing suicide, the police begin an investigation into the group of friends. But the questions Jodi is being asked cause her to start questioning her friendships, and the intentions of her friends.
I loved this book! I really enjoyed the different themes, the mystery, and the way it was mostly told from one of the characters. I also enjoyed the character development seen throughout the book, and that the ending did keep you guessing.
Thank you to NetGalley and to the author, narrators, and publisher of this book for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Anyone who had to endure cliques in junior or high school can relate to this twisty and dark young adult thriller. Even though I’m definitely not the target demographic, I still enjoyed this book. I’m not going to rehash the plot points above other than to say that there are enough twists and turns that even this old reading pro had a hard time keeping things straight, but it was in a good way. Any book that keeps you on your toes, guessing the outcome, is a Bonafide hit in my book! Soto really knew how to organize her plot points and kept me guessing, which is all I ask for in a thriller.

This book was narrated by Eva Kaminsky & Jesse Vilinsky. There characterizations were on-point, and I enjoyed listening to the story. I would definitely listen to something narrated by these two performers again.

I enjoyed this audiobook so much that I listened to the whole thing in one sitting. The Thrashers is perfect for anyone craving something in the vein of Pretty Little Liars meets 13 Reasons Why, but with a touch of the paranormal.

This was my first book by Julie Soto, and after hearing so many great things about her writing, I can confidently say she lived up to the hype. The story is packed with betrayals and twists that kept me hooked until the very end. I especially loved how the plot was structured, with sections introduced via court docket numbers—it added a unique touch to the storytelling.

One of the most compelling aspects of this book is its morally gray characters. It’s tough to fully root for anyone when each layer of deceit is peeled back, but that complexity made the story even more engaging.

I initially chose The Thrashers because MacMillan Audio produced the audiobook, and they never disappoint. Narrators Eva Kaminsky and Jesse Vilinsky did a phenomenal job bringing each character to life, making the experience even more immersive.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion. I’m now even more excited to explore Julie Soto’s other works and listen to more audiobooks narrated by Eva and Jesse!

ahhhh Julie Soto. I have a deep love for Julie’s writing style. It’s SOOO bingeable. No matter what genre she’s writing, you want to sit and devour the book in one sitting.

I wasn’t sure if this would be for me because while i like thrillers, YA thrillers are a hit or miss for me because they can sometimes just be toooo immature for my taste, but this one didn’t hit badly.

I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I was eager to turn the page and figure out what happened. I did kind of see what was coming so it wasn’t unpredictable but i don’t feel like overall it took away from the plot.

It’s not my favorite book by Julie, but if you’re a thriller girl and/or a Julie girl def don’t skip it! 😊

PS - The audio was very well done. The narrators did an outstanding job and delivering the emotions of the characters and keeping the listener engaged.