i LOVED this!! I love anything Julie Soto writes and I am so happy I was able to listen to this early!! The audio was fantastic, I really enjoyed the story

3.5/5
The first half of this book I was so in love with and excited for it, but around the halfway point it did fall flat for me. It was built up so well and being near the Sacramento area I thought it was so cool it was based to an area local to me.
After the halfway point it started to lose me and drag on and on and then by the actual ending of the book I was kind of left with a "....that was it?" question.
This one is listed as a young adult book and I feel like it would be a great read for high schoolers but not sure it is one I would recommend.
The narrators for the audiobook were great!

🕵️‍♀️ Just finished The Thrashers by Julie Soto and WOW. Obsession, secrets, lies—and a twist I did not see coming 🔥. Think One of Us Is Lying meets Pretty Little Liars but darker 🖤. Bingeable, addictive, and that epilogue?? Don’t. Skip. It. ⚠️

Content warnings: suicide, bullying, drug use, alcoholic parent — take care of you first ❤️‍🩹

Full review on blog. https://brewsbooksandbffs.blog/

Eva Kaminsky did a phenomenal job with the narration. She captured the California teen sound without sounding like a caricature. However, Jesse Vilinsky is also listed as a narrator, and I never heard him once? Eva read the entire book in my version. Did I miss something?

This was an amazing thriller book. I loved the young adult high school friend group vibes and I loved the way the secrets slowly got revealed. All the characters were unique and morally gray. I loved the twists and the narration was great!

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the chance to read an advance copy of The Thrashers by Julie Soto! This book delivers a moody, atmospheric blend of romance and supernatural intrigue that kept me engaged from the start. The premise is unique and intriguing, and Soto’s writing brings emotional weight to the world she’s created. While there were moments where the pacing felt a bit uneven, and I didn’t connect as deeply with the characters as I’d hoped, the overall story was strong enough to keep me turning the pages. A solid read for fans of romantic fantasy with a darker twist.

Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for an ARC of Julie Soto's YA debut, ' The Thrashers". Emily kills herself the night of prom after being bullied by a popular group of students called, "The Thrashers". When they start being investigated for the harassment, weird things start happening. Is Emily haunting them? Does the defense have a case? I really REALLY wanted to get into this one, but it really fell flat for me.

UGH. THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD. I cant believe this is Soto’s first thriller. It’s catchy, well-written, and edgy. The narrator for the audiobook was great, and Soto dives into some heavier topics in a way that subverts the typical high school thriller. Still and auto-buy author for me, and I hope we get more from her like this.

Thank you @NetGalley and @Macmillan.Audio. I have been sitting on Julie Soto duology and now I have to read them ASAP. The Thrashers was so good. Jodi is part of The Thrashers, named after Zach Thrasher, and is in love with Zach. Emily wants to be long with the group, but can not get fully integrated. Than Emily dies and everyone in the Thrashers group is a suspect, except for Jodi. Jodi has to find out what happened to Emily and why was she not a suspect. Great YA thriller.

Ａｕｄｉｏｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
For this to be a YA thriller, this book was written so well and literally had me on the edge of my seat. If I didn't have to work the next day, I would have devoured this book in one day. It was that good.

The Thrashers are the elite five-friend group at New Helvetia High. They're everything everyone wants to be. Then Emily Mills, who desperately wanted to be a Thrasher, dies—and the whispers about the Thrashers begin.

The audiobook was good. The narrator did a great job, telling the story and also bringing it to life. She brought so much emotion and suspense to the story. I didn't want to stop listening. I listened at 2x speed.

𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
•YA Thrillers
•Paranormal Elements
•Lies & Deceits

Thank you, NetGalley, and MacmillanAudio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

ARC Audiobook Review: The Thrashers by Julie Soto

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

This book is rich with atmosphere and tension. Think secret societies, dark secrets, and danger that feels just a little too close for comfort. Julie Soto creates a layered, immersive world full of eerie moments and slow-building suspense that pulls you in and doesn’t let go.

The audiobook narration takes it to another level. The performances were spot-on—bringing out the intensity, the mystery, and all the creeping unease. The pacing felt tight, the tone matched the story perfectly, and I was completely absorbed from beginning to end.

It’s the kind of story that keeps you on edge in the best way, with twists you don’t see coming and a lingering sense of dread that builds until the final chapters. Absolutely worth a listen if you like your stories a little dark, a little strange, and totally gripping.

Omgoshhhh the Thrashers by Julie Soto was amazing!! The audio had me listening all night to finish. Finished in one day. This is how you do a thriller! I know it’s YA but my 32 year old self was enamored.

I found this to be a fast-paced, fun YA novel. I really liked the paranormal aspect and thought both narrators did a fantastic job. I really enjoyed it and will recommend!

The Trashers was reminiscent to Holly Jackson's work which si to be said: good and a lot of fun! I really enjoyed seeing the relations between the characters and friend group, and the novel did a good job as tackling the class differences between the main character and her friends who are rich.

I would definitely pick this up again! What a thrilling story from start to finish with lots of intrigue that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Pub Date: 5/6
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The Thrashers was a great YA thriller following a group of 5 students after the death of a classmate. The death was ruled a suicide however the group is facing implications of bullying which led to the suicide.
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I was immediately drawn into this story. The investigation, the teen drama, the diary, the eerie paranormal occurrences, even the budding romance; all of it just made for such a fun YA thriller. I loved the friend group and how they were doing what they could to protect one another.
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I listened to this while reading my ebook and this was narrated by Eva Kaminsky and Jesse Vilinsky. I loved the two of them, they were great! If you are thinking of picking this one up definitely check out the audiobook.
•
Overall, this was a win for me. I am always a fan of good YA thrillers!! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Julie Soto, MacMillan Audio and St. Martins Press for the ALC and eARC in exchange for my honest review.

4 ⭐: Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC! This was such a unique take on a mystery/thriller novel! This was very much so 13 Reasons Why meets Riverdale meets PLL, a very teen-esque high school friend group clique undergoes investigation kinda book. I have never read anything by Soto, which surprised me because I need to read more! Since this was Y/A, I felt like 4 stars made sense, but if it were a regular thriller, it may be lower in my eyes. As a thriller lover, this had gaps in the pacing that lost my interest, and the 3rd person POV also was a factor I didn't love, but the story was well done. Highly recommend you listen to this one on audio, too!

4.5⭐, 0.5🌶️

This was so different than Julie's other books and I was HERE for it! Think 13 Reasons Why vibe. This book definitely reads as a teen mystery/ drama. I loved the mystery of what-the-heck happened to Emily Mills and the drama within the Thrasher's group! I enjoyed the dash of teenage love we got within the story and it was rather unexpected. Overall I really liked this book and audiobook and definitely recommend if the TW aren't too heavy for you.

Tis book should definitely have some major Content Warnings as its a HEAVY YA topic (suicide, bullying, parent with substance abuse).

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/ Macmillian Audio for an eARC/ ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I love Julie Soto. She writes such great books. I just finished listening to The Thrashers and I loved every minute of it.

I was instantly hooked by The Thrashers—Julie Soto perfectly captures the pressure, insecurity, and intensity of high school, especially when you're on the outside trying to fit in. Jodi felt like such a real, relatable character. She's suddenly part of this ultra-popular, exclusive group thanks to her childhood best friend, but she never quite feels like she belongs. That tension alone was enough to keep me turning pages, but what really made this book stand out was how layered it was. The friendships are complicated, the social hierarchy is brutal, and every character has something to hide.

The death of Emily Mills adds this dark cloud over everything, and I loved how the book slowly unraveled the truth without rushing. It wasn’t about shocking twists—it was about atmosphere, secrets, and how far people will go to protect their image. The eerie messages and growing sense of paranoia were just the right amount of creepy to keep things tense without overdoing it.

This book seriously nailed the messy, emotional chaos of teenage life, and I could not stop reading. If you love stories about toxic friendships, blurred lines, and the cost of fitting in, The Thrashers is a must-read.

Thank you Julie Soto, St. Martins Press, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

My interest in The Thrashers waned as the story progressed, but I do think it would have appealed to me in my more YA-focused days. An interesting enough thriller for YA audiences.