The Thrashers is an intriguing and thought provoking YA novel. It blends many different topics that are highly relevant to modern day teen struggles and reflect how badly teens want to fit in. I thought the subjects were approached well and felt very realistic. It was definitely a slow burn, but it still managed to hold my attention throughout. I loved the blend of high school drama, toxic friendships, mystery and supernatural twist had me glued to the pages.

The characters were fun to discover and I enjoyed getting to uncover their personality little by little. All of them are flawed and complex, each struggling with their own secrets and pain. They felt real and relatable. There were a few twists and turns, although some were predictable, for me it didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book.

Overall, this was a highly entertaining YA mystery/thriller that I really enjoyed reading and kept me flipping those pages until the end.

🎧 The narration by Eva Kaminsky & Jesse Vilinsky was really good. I enjoyed listening to them, but I do think it would have benefited from a full cast of narrators. It would've just added that extra to the audio. They still did a wonderful job and kept me engaged throughout.

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @wednesdaybooks, @macmillanaudio & @juliesoto for my gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review.

The Thrashers is a YA paranormal mystery novel that follows a group of friends called "The Thrashers". Either you're in or you're out. Zack Thrasher, Julian, Paige, and Lucy are your typical popular high school kids. Stunning looks, good at everything, rich with affluent parents, and the whole shebang. Our protagonist, Jodi, is not at all like her Thrasher peers. She is the smart, artsy girl who grew up poor with a deceased mom and a truck driver alcoholic father, but she is solely in this group since she had known Zack since childhood. The story opens with the tragic suicide of their classmate, Emily Mills. She is found on prom night, in the bathtub wearing her gown, and this sets the haunting and mysterious tone that we will see throughout this story. Now, how do The Thrashers fit into Emily Mills' ultimate fate?

I did not expect how deep and thought provoking this story would be. It had you really taking yourself back to high school and looking into that lens to remember the hierarchy that cliques really held and how complex it is finding yourself in a group like The Thrashers. It touches on triggering topics like suicide, friendship dynamics, obsessions, and socioeconomic statuses. All of which play a huge role into where this story ultimately leads us. Like I mentioned, this story had a paranormal element. With these core five teens in The Thrashers being investigated for what happened to Emily, weird things keep happening to each of them that are unexplained, and it seems like Emily is trying to communicate from beyond. This specific plot line could have totally fallen flat and come of cheesy, but I really enjoyed this and it helped to keep you wondering what actually happened to Emily Mills and who is to blame.

Overall, this was a super enjoyable YA read! Even though we are following a group of high school students, it was written in a mature nature and reminded me a lot of Thirteen Reasons Why but with a twist. I think any mystery or YA friends would really dig this one! The audiobook was narrated by Eva Kaminksy and Jesse Vilinsky, and it was a great listen overall.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and Julie Soto for this ALC!

This broke my reading slump! It was super fun with lots of twists and turns. While parts felt a bit predictable, the author did a great job at keeping the story interesting and moving in new directions. The ending alone is worth picking this one up! The narrator is excellent.

This YA mystery thriller was a roller coaster ride.
Emily takes her life on prom night. When a detective finds her diary suggesting the thrashers had something to do with her death, the story unfolds.
The story is unpredictable, holds lots of twists and turns, and has a great ending.

Emily has been friends with Zack Thrasher her whole life. She’s nothing like the other Thrashers but being popular has its benefits. But its not worth dying for, except apparently it was so to Emily. She took her own life on prime night and when a detective finds her diary implicating the Thrashers in her death they are arrested, charged and ostracized. However something isn’t adding up and its up to Jodi to find out the real truth.

This is very different from Soto’s other books but I’m still just as obsessed. The Thrashers are your typical popular crowd but what’s happening to them is anything but ordinary. Criminal charges, weird messages and more than one near death experience.

Just when you think you’ve figured out what’s really going on you get thrown for another loop. It’s unpredictable and quite dark at times but its handled with care. TW discussions of suicide, alcoholism, violence, drowning and so on.

The ending alone makes this one worth a read. I couldn’t have predicted it if I’d tried. It bears a lot of resemblance to PLL and A good girls guide to murder so if you liked those this ones a must read.

Read this if you like
💙YA thriller
🌊Mystery
🥂High school setting
✨PLL, AGGGTM, 13RW

I listened to this one while running 21 miles and it kept me very entertained! I'm hesitant about YA thriller books especially when it's got the popular kid vibes but this was pretty interesting. Just when it started to slow down it would have something over the top to hook me back in (it was usually during a part of the run that I needed a boost too which was nice. )

I've seen people mention that it's got 13 reasons why mixed with pretty little liar vibes which I could see. Some of it was a little predictable and unbelievable but it's still kept me hooked. I kept hoping for a little romance and was oddly rooting for the couple we did sort of get. Tho the ending had me waiting more. I do wish some people got more justice. It had me conflicted on how I felt about some characters..

Overall, it might not be the best YA thriller I've read but I enjoyed it. Definitely a popcorn thriller that keeps you going and guessing. Some parts were even a little spooky. The audiobook narration was great!!

OMG I ATE THIS UP. If you were a teen who was obsessed with Pretty Little Liars or Riverdale, The Thrashers gives the same addictive feelings.

The story follows a group of five friends & high school seniors whose classmates have deemed "The
Thrashers" because once they're done with you you're thrashed out of their group. The story is told in the point of view of Jodi, who has the least in common with everyone in their group. It's through Jodi, that a classmate Emily latches on uninvited into their friend group- particularly to Jodi and Zack Thrasher the groups "leader". Emily thinks she's spending junior prom with the group, but ends up committing suicide that night. At the start of the following school year, all of the Thrashers except for Jodi are charged with harassing Emily to death, and that's when it starts to get weird.

As someone who only reads romance, I was intrigued by the book since I loved Julie's last adult book and I was not expecting to love this as much as I did. It truly gives the same feelings of the teenage drama shows. All of the wild things that start happening to them after the investigation into them start are things that truly feel like have a supernatural explanation (so there's no eye rolling at cheesiness like what happens in a lot of TV shows). I felt like the pacing of the book was great and I stayed up late to finish it all in one day. I also really enjoyed the arc we see Jodi's character go through over the story and how she struggles with doing the right thing, keeping herself out of trouble with the law, and whether or not she should try to offer that same protection from the law to her friends.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC of The Thrashers!

First off, thank you so much for allowing me to leave feedback and review.

I liked this book, I didn’t necessarily love it and that’s probably just my preference. The narrator was really well spoken and I enjoyed listening to her voice.

I enjoyed The Thrashers by Julie Soto right up until the end. But no spoilers here! Narrator was good.

This book had me hooked from the very first chapter. Gossip Girl meets Pretty Little Liars with a slight paranormal twist, The Thrashers was riveting!

Set in a world of the rich high school elite, dangerous obsessions, lies, and secrets fuel this story. Follow The Thrashers as they navigate a trial after the death of a classmate, and watch their worlds unravel.

I definitely enjoyed this YA thriller from Julie Soto. Hope to see more from her in this genre!

🎧: I enjoyed the audiobook narrators, they were excellent and did a great job distinguishing between the many characters. I did get a little confused during the flashback scenes since there wasn’t any clear distinction that was happening, except when I looked at the Kindle version.

The Thrashers is a high school thriller that gave me the nostalgia of back in the day. It was a very fast paced book that I did not want to stop. The narrator made it easy to distinguish between characters. The story had a paranormal feel to it and the ending gave me chills. Thank you NetGalley, Julie Soto, and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!!

4.5 stars - I had such a fun time reading this and couldn’t get through it quick enough. The Thrashers is a YA thriller with supernatural/paranormal elements. It had Pretty Little Liars and Riverdale vibes, which I loved.

I liked the majority of the characters, especially Julian. The audio book narrator had a soothing voice and was easy to follow. Her male character voices didn’t annoy me or sound weird. I can absolutely see this story being turned into a tv series or movie.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

First off, many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book as an audio ARC! I greatly appreciate it!

This isn't exactly what I usually read, but it's good to branch out, right? This was a pretty good time, with some nice twists and turns, though I don't think any of the writing itself did anything for me. That's fine. Utilitarian prose has its place! A bitchy teenage ghost is pretty fun, and I wish she had more page time, though I definitely get why that wouldn't work. I have to admit that the mentions of TikTok and Instagram and such were super jarring. Yes, timely, but also so weird. And no one calls Twitter X unless they're trying to suck Elon's dick, but it is what it is, I guess.

Four stars out of five for The Thrashers!

I absolutely loved The Thrashers! Julie Soto’s storytelling is engaging and fast-paced. It reminded me a lot of Karen M. McManus’s books, which I also enjoy—full of mystery, drama, and just the right amount of suspense.

I’ve been following Julie Soto since her fanfiction days, and it’s been incredible to see her transition into publishing. Her writing has always had that spark, and The Thrashers is no exception. I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

4 stars

This is my first Julie Soto book, and I am now a confirmed fan of this writer. _The Thrashers_ does all of the things that a solid YA mystery/thriller should, and then some!

Jodi is part of the titular Thrashers group, which is named for a popular kid. Most of the other kids in this group are also popular, and Jodi is definitely the odd one out, or at least she very much feels this way. When another classmate, Emily, dies, there's an immediate spotlight on the Thrashers, and it becomes clear quickly that there are some real problems afoot. Emily's life ended tragically, but she is far from forgotten.

The pacing, characterization, and twists are all on point here, especially keeping the audience in mind. I enjoyed this read and will be recommending it to my students.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🎧Song Pairing: All of Us - Labrinth, Zendaya

💭What I thought would happen:

That looks about as burn book-y as it gets. Colour my drama loving butt intrigued. 💋

📖What actually happens:

💜Young Adult
📖Diary of the dead
💊Thriller
🙅🏼‍♀️Bullying/hazing⚠️
⚠️Suicide

🗯Thoughts/sassy musings:

The Thrashers are dubbed thee after their Mr Congeniality ring leader, Zack Thrasher (I 10/10 pictured Jacob Elordi), Tbh if I was in a group, especially a woman, in which people referred to me like property of a dude bro I’d be PISSED.

I consumed myself in this book. Spent a day with the audio. Snuggled my newborn baby, tidied, made pita…it was glorious. I couldn’t get enough of the unknown drama.

Needless to say I loved this one. I really cannot wait to hear what others think. If you don’t like it, don’t tell me 😂 but if you want some YA drama pick this one up.

For fans of One of Us is Lying, AGGGTM, 13 Reasons Why.

ALC. R E V I E W

Jodi feels like an outsider amongst her super popular, super rich, friends: The Thrashers. She’s been in love with Zack Thrasher since second grade, but being his best friend has been better than losing him.

When Emily Mills, a younger girl who is ALSO in love with Zack, tries to make her way into The Thrashers, things go awry and Emily ends up dead.

Following Emily’s death, Jodi’s life goes so far off of the rails. Their classmates, people around town, and the police have their suspicions about The Thrashers. Some are dramatic and others aren’t as bizarre.

This novel is full of suspense, emotional moments, drama, supernatural twists, and the incredibly relatable problems and insecurities of teenage girls. The Thrashers kept me hooked and I absolutely devoured it.

The Thrashers by Julie Soto is my favorite read of 2025 so far and definitely has me wanting to check out her other books!

It is also important to give credit to the talented narrators (Eva Kaminsky & Jesse Vilinsky) that really brought this novel to life and captured all the emotions and tension that run high throughout this story.

I definitely recommend this novel (in general) but especially for fans of Veronica Mars, Pretty Little Liars, 13 Reasons Why, and other teenage/ya thrillers.

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

cw: suicide, mention of SA, bullying, stalking, abuse, alcoholism, toxic parents.

Thank you to Julie Soto and Macmillan audio for this ALC.

🏷️: #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booktok #bookish #reading #books #readersofinstagram #booksta #audiobook #mysterybook #thriller #thrillerbook #youngadultbook#yabook #thethrashers #juliesoto

3.5 stars. Definitely a pretty typical YA thriller. Trigger warnings: suicide and bullying.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Macmillan Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I need more! I went into this book blind. I had no idea what to expect.

At first you get the sense that this is an about an elite group and the female main character is giving pick me vibes. The story continues, and it takes a crazy turn! When the paranormal parts started to come into play I was shocked and thrown. I was on edge wanting to keep listening! I would have finished this in one sitting but real life was disrupting. The story within the story was what I was most intrigued by, why did she do what she did. Why was she so obsessed?

This book reminded me of the movie Wicker Park mixed with Shutter and Pretty Little Liars. There’s so much going on plot wise. It is was a little bit predictable but that did not take away from the story itself. When you find out what’s actually going on it is shocking but at the same time it’s very believable. The ending was mind blowing in my opinion just because I was not expecting it. The epilogue was what had me needing another book. It definitely could end and I’d be fine, but it was so good that I need another one.


I listened to the audiobook. The narrators did a great job! I would highly recommend the audiobook!

I am now convinced that anything Julie Soto writes I will read and LOVE. I wasn’t sure what to expect when going into this YA mystery, but wow, was I blown away!

This book was intriguing, provocative, eerie, and bingeable. Once I started, I couldn’t stop reading. It has been a while since I have read a book and been legitimately sad it ended. When I got to the epilogue I was so disappointed the story was over. I could seriously NOT put this one down!

The Thrashers are the elite friend group at their high school. They are everything everyone wants to be. Jodi was never meant to be one of them, but the ringleader is her childhood friend Zach, so automatically, she was in. When Emily Mills, a desperate girl to be a Thrasher dies, the whispers about their friend group begin. Eerie messages and unexplained eerie occurrences escalate, and it becomes clear Emily wasn’t done with them yet. Jodie faces an extremely difficult choice: betray her friends or protect herself…

The drama, the mystery, and the paranormal occurrences drew me in and did not let me go. Teenage drama, morally gray characters, and unexpected twists that will leave you gasping and running to the next chapter.

An easy 5 stars for me and I cannot wait for Julie’s next book.

Thank you Wednesday books and Julie Soto for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.