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.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | FIVE STAR READ

The Thrashers are the elite group of their high school and even well known at surrounding schools. Comprised of 5 students and named after the “it boy", Zach Thrasher. Everyone wants to be a part of this group. Some even have the rare opportunity to experience what it is like. But at what cost? For Emily, it was her life.

This story follows Jodi, the one Thrasher who doesn’t seem to belong. Jodi gets put into a tough position where the only way out seems to be to betray her friends. Instead of accepting this position, she decides to dig into everything herself to free her friends. All the while it seems as if Emily isn’t done with the group.

I really enjoyed this book and most of the characters in it. Everything was really easy to follow while also having enough suspense to keep me wanting more. Pretty sure I finished this in two days because I couldn’t put it down. Every time you turn around, something else shocking is coming to light.

If you love an easy, suspenseful, and dark read, this one is for you. I would also say this book makes you think about the events that transpire inside and the consequences that can follow.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, an Julie Soto for the opportunity to listen to this ARC. I truly enjoyed it and it is worth every bit of five stars. Really enjoyed the narrators as well. I look forward to reading more of Julie Soto’s work.

firstly, thank you so so much to the publisher for an arc and an alc! 💗

if you know me, you know that julie soto is an autobuy author because i have absolutely adored her fanfic on ao3 since 2019/2020 — her fanfic helped me get through the dark times that were covid.

while i enjoyed her adult romances, her ya debut has absolutely blown me away in every possible way — the characters, the plot, the writing, and the psychological mind-fuck were all absolutely phenomenal. i had a fantastic time piecing together the timeline alongside our fmc jodi dillion.

the thrashers takes place a few months after emily mills commits suicide, and “the thrashers” — a popular friend group of five — are the key suspects and labelled emily’s former bullies, but as evidence is unravelled and discovered for the court case, jodi learns that both her friends and emily’s journal are not as truthful as she was lead to believe…

i tore through this and stared at my kindle like “where’s the rest?!” i have a feeling we may return with the way the epilogue shared some new information…

as for the audiobook — while i did enjoy the narrator and think they did a great job, i think that this would have been such a fun book to have a full cast and sound effects!!

Um wow…. First of all, thank you SO much for the ALC of The Thrashers. This title was absolutely a step away from what I normally read, though not entirely. While I enjoy YA and have read many titles in YA contemporary, I have grown to avoid high school settings and high school aged kids in a contemporary setting without fantasy. I am absolutely glad that I ended up deciding to break my rule about high school books and read this one. I have been so deep into fantasy or just rom com that I was not sure what to expect. With this narrator and the story and writing itself, I was absolutely entranced and could. Not. Stop. Listening. I had to absorb every little piece of it. The book felt at first almost predictable but the narrator helped keep you hooked and entertained. There were certainly points that kept me on the edge of my seat and not where I thought it was headed. Then it felt like it wrapped up nicely… and FINALLY you get to the very very end. Just a fragment and my mind said hold up a second! This is not a book to skip out on and just enjoy the ride all the way through! I truly felt Thrashed after the end of this book. It is going to live rent free in my mind for a while now.