THE THRASHERS by Julie Soto: A Haunting YA Masterpiece

Julie Soto's YA debut knocked the wind out of me. I devoured this twisted tale of elite high school cliques, deadly secrets, and supernatural vengeance in one breathless sitting.

The Thrashers follows Jodi Dillon, an outsider granted entry to New Helvetia High's most exclusive friend group through her childhood connection to Zack Thrasher. When Emily Mills—a girl desperate to join their ranks—dies, suspicious eyes turn to the Thrashers. As Emily's journal surfaces and eerie occurrences multiply, Jodi realizes the ghost of their past isn't finished with them.

What makes this story exceptional is how Soto transforms familiar YA elements into something profoundly unsettling. The psychological cat-and-mouse game kept me guessing until the final page, and that epilogue—I'm still processing it days later.

Key tropes that make this a must-read:

👑 Outsider trying to fit in
📓 Revealing journal/diary
👻 Supernatural/ghostly elements
🧩 Unreliable narrator
🔪 Psychological suspense
💀 Revenge from beyond
🌑 Dark past revealed
💣 Shocking epilogue

For fans of dark academia with supernatural elements and toxic friendships that cut like glass.

“Either you're in or you're out.
Welcome to the Thrashers, the elite friend group at New Helvetia High.
They’re everything everyone wants to be.”

Jodi Dillion may have been the very first member of “The Thrashers”, but that doesn’t mean she was the last. Even though she doesn’t fit in with the rich, sophisticated group of Zach Thrasher’s friends (Julian, Lucy, and Paige), she and Zach have been best friends since the second grade, so she’s not going anywhere.

Enter Emily Mills who is dying to be a Thrasher…literally. When Emily commit’s suicide each of their lives begin to fall apart piece by piece. Except for Jodi, who now must decide who is more important to protect: her friends or herself.

I’m not going to lie. I requested an ARC of this book solely because it was written by Julie Soto. Everything she has ever written is perfection. And I’m not even a thriller reader, but this book was so good I couldn’t put it down.

I loved how the story unfolded and after each chapter I didn’t want it to end. This story is the epitome of staying up until three am because you just couldn’t put it down. You seemingly never really know who the villain of the story is and begin to both simultaneously root for the redemption and demise of them all. Even that one character you hate the most.

I was lucky enough to score an eARC and an ALC and I traded back and forth between the two. The audio is great as well and it was the first time I ever listened to a single narrator audiobook. I recommend both versions, especially if you are into thrillers and a Pretty Little Liars vibe.

Both are out now and this has definitely made Julie an autobuy author for me. I just need to read Roses and Chains. Have pity on me Forever, Grand Central Publishing! Please!

A special thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books and also Macmillan Audio for advanced copies in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a free arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for a high school thriller novel, I would definitely recommend this book. It was very fast-paced and kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time. It does tackle some heavy subjects so I would look at trigger warnings before starting it. But plot-wise, it was really good. It was so hard dissecting who to trust and what everyone's true intentions are, which really amplified the mystery element. I also liked how certain high school tropes were subverted in the end. There were quite a few plot twists in there too, and the ending is just crazy.

Two things I didn't enjoy though: first, the supernatural element was a bit too strong for my liking. It takes away from the mystery, and I prefer more of a logical approach to solving things. Second, the drinking and drugs aspect was very strong. I get that there's a party culture among teens, but I found it hard to relate to any of the characters since they all participated to some extent. Even Jodi joined in with smoking at one point, despite stating earlier that she preferred staying sober? Not a fan of peer pressure into doing those things. Maybe she was wishy-washy and not very strong with her morals, which is fine I guess if she shows some growth in that area (but I didn't feel like she did?). Anyway, I just felt like the drug and drinking aspects were far stronger than I would normally like.

However, this still was a really good read! 4.5 stars

The audio for this book was great! I really liked the narrators vice and found it to be a great fit for the main character in particular. The only change I would have made with the audio, is that based on how many main characters there were I think it would have been less confusing (particularly in the beginning) if each of the 5 had a different person narrating.

The story itself I loved, I found it suspenseful without scaring me and I did not see the ending coming (in the epilogue)! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes suspense. I don’t typically love YA but this is an exception and I loved it!

The Thrashers follows a group of high school kids who are the popular kids. The group consist of Zach, Julian, Page, Lucy, and Jodi.Their junior year they ran around with a girl named Emily who committed suicide on Prom night. The story follows the group as they are accused of bullying her which they are stating resulted in Emily’s death.

This is my first book by Julie and I can’t wait to read more. This book was gripping and I wanted to keep reading to find out what comes next. In the beginning I thought Julian was a jerk, but he really grew on me through out the book. Zach is the typical self absorbed type. Julie did a great job at keeping her readers in grossed in the story. I really hope there is a follow up to the story.

Thank you for NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the ARC copy.

Although this was a bit slow I still did really enjoy it. I still find myself puzzled about what happened 😂

I did finish this in one sitting so it’s very bingeable.

The Thrashers are the 'cool kids' of their high school, the clique that everyone knows and no one can break into. But each of 5 - Jodi, Zack, Lucy, Paige & Julian - has a secret of some kind that they are keeping from the others. When Emily, a new girl at school who has been inserting herself into their group, commits suicide on prom night, things begin to unravel. And when her ghost starts haunting each of the Thrashers, dark secrets are sure to come to light.

The concept of the story was intriguing and the character development for Jodi - the main character though not the main Thrasher - helps the reader truly see dark side of high school cliques. The story was fast-paced and intricate. Emily's journal excerpts throw in an unreliable narrator aspect that helps keep the reader guessing as far as what truly happened to her.

*It does include underage drinking and drug use, as well as bullying and physical abuse.

This was a really fun read! It felt like Pretty Little Liars and Mean Girls, and I flew through it. It was a little more paranormal than I expected, which isn't my favorite. But overall, if you love spooky thrillers, this is a great read for you!

Everyone knows I LOVE a good YA thriller and this was no different! I mean that epilogue left me in shock and desperate for more but at the same time it was perfect! You don’t fuck with perfection!!

The pacing was excellent but I am still not over the millions of questions I have!! Seriously, like what the hell?! But it works so well together! There was so much intrigue and lies, you just didn’t know who to trust.

If you want a thriller that will be impossible to put down and that you’ll binge read - this is it!!

Julie Soto just blew my mind. This was incredible and I am convinced she can write anything and I will be drawn in and captivated. She can write my grocery list and I will need it repeated to me immediately. She is a fantastic author and this book shows her talents can span all the distances. The audio is fantastic too and shouldn't be missed.

Two things I know for sure: I love Julie Soto romance books, and YA thrillers. The Thrashers has been an anticipated release for 2025 and a 5 star prediction. However, there were a lot of elements in this book that just unfortunately didn’t work for me. In my opinion this book has way too much going on and the characters for the most part felt bland. I cared about Jodi but there were moments that she was no better than the rest of the group. The rest of the Thrashers and the strange love triangle dynamics just didn’t work for me. I will say that the book reads really quickly and there are a good chunk of moments that will make you feel the tension.

Truth be told, if Julie Soto writes it, I’m going to read it! All the other books I’ve read by her have been adult romances so The Thrasers was stepping out of that zone as a YA mystery/thriller.

This book was totally bingeable and I blew through it pretty quickly. It kinda gave me #prettylittleliars or #goodgirlsguidetomurder vibes.

Having said all that, there were times that it felt a little young and really all the characters made me so mad! But that ending was 👌🏽.

I listened to this one on audio (thanks @macmillan.audio ) and really recommend going that route! The Thrasers is out now!

I’m giving this one 3.5 stars!

This was my first Julie Soto book, and I think I picked a good one. This was a much darker, twistier version of Mean Girls but not quite Heathers territory, in a good way and I was so here for it. Although, (and showing my age here) it definitely made me very glad that social media was not really a thing until after I graduated high school. Hell, I didn’t even have a cell phone to text my friends until I was 18. Before then I had to “torture” my friends through AIM after school. 😆

Every single one of the characters are morally grey in one way or another, and I found that utterly fascinating. The dynamics within the inner circle were more and more interesting to read the further the book unfolded…and the way it ended. Gah. Bravo. This was a great introduction into YA Thriller.

I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely read more of what Julie has to offer.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC for my honest review.

This was an absolute BLAST. I’m not usually a thriller fan, but I loved this one so much, I may have to explore the genre some more!!! I love some good morally gray characters and also i want Julian and Jodi to get together thanks!

First, I want to Thank NetGalley, Julie Soto and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I just finished listening to The Thrashers by Julie Soto and I cannot stop thinking about it. This YA thriller is dark, twisty, and completely addictive. Jodi Dillon is stuck in a web of lies and guilt. As Jodi unravels the mystery behind what really happened to Emily Mills, the story dives deep into guilt, manipulation, and a creeping sense that something supernatural might be at play. Twisty, emotional, and a little bit eerie—Julie Soto nailed the suspense and the teen drama. Drama!! I was so hooked, I could not stop listening to it. I would love a Sequel to this book so it could go more into depth on Emily's life. I am not a fan of third person writing, but it didn't feel that way because the narrator did it so well. Especially when she was reading Emily's journal, It seemed so real. I got shocked and then a little bit confused at the end.

I really enjoyed this one! I was in a reading slump, and this book got me out of it. Sometimes you just need a fast-paced YA thriller. I thought the characters were believable, and so was the plot. There is a supernatural aspect to it, but it was not over the top. This is a story about a student who committed suicide, and a group of popular and wealthy teenagers known as "The Thrashers" seem to be the blame. Jodi is a member of the Thrashers, even though she is not wealthy like them. The story is told through her eyes. This story is fast paced and sucked me in from the moment I started it. The narrator of the Audiobook did an amazing job as well.

This book was so addictive! I started it and finished in the same day because I didn’t want to stop reading.
This was giving Pretty Little Liars vibes but all the best parts of that show and not the eye rolling parts 😜
I genuinely think it’s worth the high praise it’s been getting. One of the ways I know I am really loving a thriller type book is when I’m having so much fun while reading it that I’m not trying to figure out how it will end. This was that for me. The pace was perfect and everyone was so interesting that I was just along for the ride. I really enjoyed the ending as well.
This was a great read.
I honestly loved it.

🎧
The audiobook was very good as well. The narrators gave each person a distinct difference so you could always tell who was talking during the dialogue scenes. I loved the audio and highly recommend it!

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.