The Thrashers, an elite friend group at New Helvetia High, are the epitome of a high school clique. Even though it's been a while since I was in high school, the bullying and the characters rang true for me. I liked not knowing who to trust, and that kept me invested in the story. There was also a paranormal angle that acted as a surprising addition to the mystery plotting. The ending was a bit open for me, and I'm hoping there is a sequel in the works. I think YA fans will really enjoy this one.

Overall a fun story with mystery and shitty kids.

The supernatural bits I could have used a bunch more of. I ate those parts UP!

A girl dies and the It group of the school is blamed. The story follows one of the group that is at times the odd one out which gives an air of a possible unreliable narrator. I enjoyed her pov and was sat until it all played out.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for an alc

[Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC in exchange for an honest review]

I keep going back and forth on this one.

On one hand, I really feel like we should be past the "suicide as revenge" concept at this point. I feel like the book *almost* got to a point of addressing how toxic Emily's behavior was while also acknowledging the circumstances that led her to dying by suicide, but it just didn't quite connect the dots there. Also, I think Julian was far too mean for the "enemies to lovers" arc to feel comfortable. There were also SO many plot elements that I feel it could have been 10-15% shorter and covered one or two fewer "Topics" (alcoholism, suicide of a peer and of a parent, drug use, verbal and physical abuse, bullying, social media, economic class, parental neglect, body image issues, stalking, ghostly possession, religion, inequity in the legal system, and more were all featured.) I also got a little fatigued by how often CPR was administered throughout the story.

On the other hand, I actually really liked that we were given so many examples of different kinds of toxic relationships without the author romanticizing them OR hitting readers over the head with "THIS IS A BAD RELATIONSHIP THAT YOU SHOULD NOT ASPIRE TO." I will ALWAYS appreciate a YA author who trusts their audience enough to make their own judgements. The characters (particularly Jodi) were believable and complex, and the treatment of Jodi's home life was superb. I can't remember the last time I read YA that treated alcoholism with such complexity and care.

Overall, 3.5 stars - you will particularly like it if you enjoy paranormal flair layered over your teen drama.

This was such a fun read. I was glued to it. When I wasn't flipping pages in the ebook, I was listening to the audiobook.

A group of high schoolers known as "The Thrashers" finds themselves at the center of an investigation after another high schooler commits suicide. They are viewed as a popular group that keeps their associations limited and exclusive - - sometimes to the point that it seems cruel in how they keep others out.

As the story progresses, you get some of the story from the dead girl's journal. But she isn't a reliable witness and you can never be sure if her information is correct or just a little twisted. When mysterious things start happening around them, a few of the girls start wondering if Emily is sending them a message from beyond. It all really gets in their heads.

I really enjoyed the twists and turns that this book took.

Audiobook Review: The narration was exactly what the book needed. It was mesmerizing and kept me in the story. 5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of The Thrashers by Julie Soto. I want to start off by saying I don’t typically reach for a YA but after reading the synopsis I was intrigued - and wasn’t disappointed. The audiobook ended up being good and I flew through it in 2 days. The story follows a popular friend group in high school who’s classmate commits suicide. That’s all you need to know, oh and there’s lots of drama with a hint of spookiness. Don’t hate me but Julian was definitely my favourite character ;)

God Jesse Vilinsky really is The GOAT.

The story was riveting and if I'm honest anxiety inducing (in a good way!) and Jesse Vilinsky sold it SO WELL. The tension and the depth of characters made for a very engaging mystery. I'm super picky about Thrillers and I wasn't expecting it to cook this much god this was so much fun.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed listening to Julie Soto’s first YA and thriller. I’m a huge fan of her adult romances so I was excited to listen to this. It was entertaining and well-narrated, but I was hoping for something more mysterious overall. The epilogue gave a hint of what I would have liked to see more of, but I liked it and will read anything Julie Soto writes!

I wasn’t sure where this story was in the beginning. It wasn’t until at about 50% that I couldn’t put the book down. I had to know what was happening. This was my first Julie Soto book, but it won’t be my last. This story was well written, left me hanging and had my jaw on the floor with that ending, I’m hoping we get another book about the thrashers soon.

Just when I thought I had officially aged out of YA, The Thrashers came barrelling in like a caffeinated teenager with something to prove — and prove it did. This book didn’t just reignite my love for the genre; it defibrillated it.

Julie Soto hands us a fast-paced, razor-sharp novel that’s dripping in teenage tension, quiet heartbreak, and just enough paranormal intrigue to keep you guessing — but not distracted. The core friend group (the Thrashers, obviously — because teens love ominous nicknames) is a masterclass in morally grey, deeply layered characterization. Are they suspects? Are they victims? Are they just kids playing grown-up in a world that doesn’t give second chances? Yes. All of it.

Soto tackles big-ticket issues like bullying, suicide, and the brutal social hierarchy of high school with a kind of grace that doesn’t sanitize the pain but doesn’t wallow in it either. It’s nuanced. It’s empathetic. And it hits hard. There’s no plot twist to punch you in the face at the end — and honestly, that’s the point. The strength of this story is how real it feels beneath the ghost of Emily Mills and the echoes of what her classmates did (or didn’t) do.

Jodi, our precariously placed protagonist, gives us the perfect lens: one foot in the clique, one foot out the door. Her struggle to belong — and her fear of becoming someone she doesn't recognize — is palpable. Her chemistry with Julian? A+ slow burn. Her friendship with Lucy and Paige? Tender enough to make even the snarkiest reader clutch their chest. And Julian? Oh, Julian. That boy is a Rubik’s cube of guilt, grief, and buried loyalty. The final chapter and epilogue? Wrecked me.

In short: this book slaps. It's emotional, it's sharp, it's exactly what YA should be when it's firing on all cylinders. Julie Soto, if you're listening — sequel, spin-off, crumbs, anything. I’ll take it.

Ten times minimum - that’s how many times I got full body chills while listening to the audiobook for The Thrashers by Julie Soto! I cannot begin to tell you guys how good this book is, but you NEED to read it immediately. Every time I thought I knew what was happening, the rug was pulled out from under me.

In this YA Thriller we have a group of friends notoriously dubbed as The Thrashers by their classmates, due to the “king” of their group Zack Thrasher. Our FMC, Jodi, has always felt like the odd one out but she’s been friends with Zach since they were kids and as his circle grew more glamorous she somehow stayed within it, even if she thinks she’s on the outskirts. Everyone wants to be a Thrasher, including Emily Mills, but after her death suddenly everyone’s talking about what part the Thrashers may have played in it. What becomes of their group when fingers start being pointed, rumors start to escalate, and thanks to a journal - Emily doesn’t seem to be done with them at all!

I have so many thoughts and big feelings on this book because it’s WILD and I loved every minute of this ride. And you guys, the ENDING!!! I haven’t stared at a wall from the ending of a book like this since Metal Slinger. A true WTF just happened and please give me 3-5 business days to process ending. Don't sleep on this book, definitely give it a read because it's excellent!

Just like the tagline suggests—once you’re in, there’s no turning back. This YA thriller was incredibly sharp, thought-provoking, and unputdownable.

Dark academia is my guilty pleasure, and this teen drama delivered everything: layered secrets, tangled lies, and all the juicy tension I crave. Fast-paced, intensely atmospheric, and packed with suspense—it had me hooked from the first page.

Soto masterfully crafted morally gray, deeply flawed, and vividly complex characters—each one guarding secrets that kept me guessing. And honestly, how could I not be drawn in by a dead girl’s diary?

Narrators Eva Kaminsky and Jesse Vilinsky were phenomenal. They brought the Trashers to life with such authenticity and emotion, I felt like I was smack in the middle of all the high school chaos.

If you’re a fan of Karen M. McManus, Holly Jackson, or any teen drama—book or screen—this one’s a must. Just a heads-up: it tackles some heavy themes, so be sure to check those trigger warnings.

The ending HAHAHAHAHAHA. I honestly would’ve loved to read more about Emily because she was cuckoo.

Thank you netgalley for the ALC.

The Thrashers is a heavy YA thriller about social clicks, bullying, and trying to meld with what social trends dictate and the consequences that come with it. It’s emotional, gritty, mysterious, and has a touch of paranormal intrigue.

I really enjoyed it, but wow did it hit me in the feels! By the end I just wanted to wrap Jody in the biggest hug ever and tell her how proud of her I was. Please make sure you check the content warning for this, but I would definitely recommend this fantastic story.

The audio narrators, Eva Kaminsky and Jesse Vilinsky, were fantastic. The majority of the book is told in the POV of Jody Miller, one of the Thrashers, a tight knit group of popular kids. Although Emily has passed on, we hear from her in glimpses of her journal, how she got to hang with the group, how Jody was so kind to her.

It's safe to say I've aged out of this book's targeted YA category but as I'm new to thrillers I've been enjoying the lighter side of the genre in this age range. However, if you're older, you do have to be okay with reading about underage drinking, drug use, and off page sex.

You really feel the is it or is it not paranormal all throughout this book, with mysterious texts, flashes of lights, and memory walk dreams throughout. But it is hard to feel for the group of Thrashers when they are so obviously the popular kids who exclude others at the drop of a hat, so if you enjoy unlikeable characters (which I do) this might be for you..
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Jody is also such a relatable character for those of us who grew up with an alcoholic parent, which is part of why I connected so heavily with the book.

Overall: if you're looking for a lightly spooky thriller where the popular kids get what's coming to them and high school drama TV show vibes, this might be the book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC. All opinions are my own.

I can see how people might enjoy this one, but unfortunately it was a miss for me. I was never invested in the characters or the plot. Personally, I feel a lot of positive reviews are because of who the author is and not actually the quality of the book.

This book wasn't quite what I was expecting--I was expecting more fast-paced action and mystery. I had an especially hard time connecting with the characters; they all felt very flawed and unlikeable. The characters' bullying and outcasting behavior was very off-putting and the book seemed to go on far longer than necessary. For these reasons, I would hesitate to recommend this book to others, especially teens.

I was able to listen to this as an audio.
This book gives a lot of “ I know what you did last summer” vibes. This group of young adults go through some things in this story. From several near death experiences, to lies and accusations, and then the truth.
I was engaged through this whole book until the very end. The ending is a little weird and makes me think that there might be a second book in the series, but I don’t know.
This book does have a supernatural element to it and it also covers suicide.

JULIE!! Quickly becoming an auto buy author for me. Every book I’ve read of hers has easily been at least 4 stars. I really appreciated the continued ability to write such interesting characters while also branching out in the romance genre.

this book missed the mark for me. so much going on but yet nothing happening. is it supernatural? is it a murder mystery? i don't think this book knows where it was going. a lot of the characters sounded the same so I was easily confused.

My jaw is on the floor!! From the very start, this was un-put-downable!

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Seeing Jesse Vilinsky's name on this one, I knew I had to read it. And although she played a small part, she was HAUNTING!! I absolutely loved Eva Kaminsky's delivery with this audiobook. I was able to decipher each character (and there were many!) and follow along easily. She kept me captivated through the whole story! The audiobook really brought me into the story, and immediately left me wanting it to be adapted into a movie!!

Julie Soto...wow wow wow! I am not even mad that you veered from romance to YA thriller, because this was incredible. If you're a reader who liked A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, The Heathers, or Mean Girls, you will love The Thrashers!

After Emily Mills dies, her group of friends seem to be haunted by her whilst also being caught up in a criminal investigation. There are twists and thrills and so many OMG moments in this book! I am still REELING from that epilogue!!