This book gives off major 13 Reasons Why vibes to me! The narrators were perfection and made the mysterious vibes of the book so enjoyable. I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into going into this book - admittedly I got this book as a read now on NetGalley. However, I found myself so engrossed in it and never wanting to put it down. It was easy to follow the story line and the connections between all of the characters. I would recommend this for anyone looking for a mystery with a touch of supernatural and a friend group dynamics. Thank you to author, publisher, and NetGalley for the gifted ALC and eARC. All opinions are my own.

Rating : 4.5

The Thrasher gave me throw backs to Veronica Mars and Pretty Little Liars with a touch of 13 reasons why. It felt new and fresh with hints of nostalgia to the early 00s!

The Thrashers follows a group of friends nicknamed “the Thrashers” by other students at the school. Jodi Dillion, Zack Thrasher, Paige Montgomery, Lucy Reed and Julian Hollister.

After a girl named Emily Mills commits suicide on prom night, the Thrashers are being accused of bullying Emily into killing herself with using evidence from Emily’s diary…. But is it actually Emily’s REAL diary? Every time the Thrashers get together something bad always happens to them and they think… it’s Emily looking for revenge.

This book was such a whirlwind of lies, secrets, from the living and the dead.

Review: I absolutely loved this book it felt like it would be such a good book to turn into limited series or movie!
These teenagers also felt like actual teenagers. They do and say stupid things as teenagers do. One of my favorite elements of this book was the light paranormal activity that occurs throughout the book and their visit with the medium! This is such a fun read, and I’ll read anything Julie Soto writes!!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to have early access to The Thrashers in exchange for an honest review!

Trigger Warnings:
• Bullying
• Suicide (off page)
• Accidents
• Hospital / Injuries
• Alcoholism
• Child Abuse
• accusation of statutory rape
• accusation of battery
• prison

Julie Soto has not disappointed me yet. I really enjoy her writing style and the atmosphere she creates. THE THRASHERS WAS OUT OF BOUNDS! The character, world-building, plot, and mental strain the twists and turns in this story put you through were genius! Poor Jodi Dillion. What is a girl to do when trying to remain loyal to your popular friend group?

Emily Mills commits suicide, and because of carefully placed information, “the thrashers” are the prime suspects. During the investigation, Jodi finds that people around her are not as honest and innocent as she thought, leaving her with a hard choice.

I could not put this book down; it was that good. At the end of each chapter, you wanted more!

I read the ARC, and after I finished, I was given the ALC of The Thrashers and enjoyed myself all over again! This has to be a series, Julie, please make this a series.

The ALC just added to my reading experience; a dramatized version would have really set it off! Eva Kaminsky and Jesse Vilinsky did a great job, but I think there are so many different personalities that a cast would have done this audiobook justice.

Thank you, Netgalley, Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners, and Julie Soto for the ALC of The Thrashers. We need a part 2 at least!

I wouldn't have expected anything less than stellar from Julie Soto!
This book was excellent! It had all the great elements of a great YA thriller with a little paranormal mixed in! It wasn't so much paranormal that it seemed outlandish; it was just enough to give the creepy element and spook the reader just a little bit.
An exclusive high school friend group (The Thrashers) set the tone for the plot. It takes the reader back to the classic toxic friendship groups in high school and the groups that "rule the school"/get away with everything because of "who" they are in the community.
Without giving too much away, because I think you should read this if you love thrillers, a girl commits suicide. The blame game happens. Journals are found. Strange events occur. The MFC finds out who her true friends are, and self-discovery happens throughout.
Disclaimer - I am NEVER a fan of paranormal in books, but it was done so well in this book, that I LOVED it.
The plot is well-developed and structured. The pace of the writing is ideal, and the characters are perfectly developed and understood.
The only thing I wanted was more of the very last chapter! It is from a different POV, and I wanted more! Please give us more, Julie?!
Quick read, you will enjoy it if you like a quick thriller!
Thank you to NetGalley and Julie Soto for the opportunity to read this ARC and review it!
Happy Reading!

Thank you to Wednesday Books, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ARCs. Here are my thoughts.

The Thrashers are the cool kids at New Helvetia High, and everyone wants to be friends with them. They are wealthy, beautiful and talented, and Jodi feels like she’s only in the group because of her friendship with Zack. Emily desperately wants to be one of The Thrashers, and after a series of events she dies, and the Thrashers are being blamed. Can Jodi figure out what happened to Emily, and did her friends have something to do with it?

I love reading thrillers in the summer, and this was an amazing one to start with. I absolutely loved it. I stayed up way too late two nights in a row finishing it with no regrets. I could not put it down. The characterization was spot on. I had strong opinions on all of the characters and loved sitting in as the mystery was unraveled. It was paced out flawlessly with an ending that still has me screaming internally.

There is a paranormal piece that I was a little worried might come off as a little silly, but it was woven into the story so seamlessly, and it ended up being one of my favourite parts of the book! There is also drama, romance, teenage angst and shenanigans and of course a whole lot of suspense.

There are some heavy themes in the book, but I thought it all wrapped together so nicely. I hope Julie Soto writes more thrillers because I am so here for it!

✨ ARC REVIEW ✨

The Thrashers by Julie Soto (OUT NOW)

4.5⭐️

Wow, wow, wow! 😍 This one is an absolute must read for all lovers of YA mysteries!!

Jodi feels like she wasn’t meant to be cool or popular and was absolutely never supposed to be considered as part of the “elite” but thanks to her childhood best friend Zack, that’s exactly what she became… a Thrasher. The spotlight is even more focused on Jodi and her group of friends when Emily Mills tragically dies - and everyone is convinced that The Thrashers had something to do with it.

One of my favourite series of all time is A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. I read them almost three years ago and have been desperately searching for a YA mystery to fill the void ever since! Happy to report, I just found her! 😍 This mystery was EVERYTHING - edge of my seat grippy, with complex characters and relationships that had me second guessing their morality and intentions from one page to the next!

The audiobook was extremely well done with dual narration that really helped bring these characters and story to life! Totally bingeable.

I will say, there is some dark content here that I struggled with a bit and I most definitely would have struggled with as a young adult. Reading the synopsis and checking content warnings prior to starting really helped me to enjoy the story while also being mindful of my own feelings! Highly recommend that everyone do this as well, I promise it won’t take away from the story one bit!

I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to read AND listen to this book prior to release date! Julie Soto is an auto-buy author for me and I absolutely LOVED this genre jump from her! Thanks to @macmillan.audio @stmartinspress and @wednesdaybooks ❤️

The Thrashers by Julie Soto
(Macmillan Audio)
Pub Date: May 6, 2025
🎧 Format: Audiobook | Source: NetGalley | Rating: ★★★★☆

I think I just got THRASHED! This book got me. I haven’t read anything quite like The Thrashers before, and I mean that in the best way. It’s like 13 Reasons Why meets Final Destination—with a supernatural twist that never goes too far off the rails. It balances thriller, suspense, teen drama, and grief in a way that still feels grounded in high school reality.

The near-death scenes? Absolutely had me on edge. There’s this eerie, building tension that kept me hooked. The "coincidences" were very Final Destination, very "wait, are they really just accidents?" and I loved how it kept me questioning what was real and what wasn’t. It felt unsettling in the right way.

Jodi’s journey—navigating shifting friendships, the trauma of loss, class divides, and just straight-up surviving high school—felt painfully relatable. The friendships and betrayals were complicated and messy in a way that made sense, and I appreciated how the book let the emotional weight of that linger without overexplaining it.

Emily? Wild. Fully unhinged and a little terrifying, but you can’t look away. And Julian? Gives enemies to lovers, but also he was always looking out for Jodi. Loved the softness and slow-build of that little romantic thread, it gave some much-needed warmth amid all the darkness. On the flip side, Zach was the worst. No notes. Just ugh.

Also, shoutout to the epilogue: it landed. Hard. Without spoiling anything, it gave me chills and made me want to go back and look for all the clues.

As an audiobook, the narration was solid. I felt immersed, and the pacing worked well with the suspense. The voices felt age-appropriate and emotionally grounded, which is key for a story like this. I’d absolutely recommend this format.

Finally—yes, there’s a light supernatural element. And as someone who grew up with stories of spirits, signs, and things we don’t mess with 👀, that part hit. I wouldn’t mess with a séance either, but the way the supernatural aspects were woven in really worked for me—it felt believable in a “don’t f*** around with the spirit world” kind of way.

This is a YA thriller that manages to be both chilling and honest, tackling grief, guilt, and growing up with the right amount of eerie vibes. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio via NetGalley for this audiobook!

The Thrashers is a young adult mystery thriller.
The thrashers is a name given to a group of teenagers who come very affluent families who are considered to be the popular kids in high school. The Thrashers get their name from the leader Zack Thrasher but the name means that the group thrashers peoples characters for the benefit of themselves.
The story starts with the death of Emily Mills, a teenager who was trying her best to fit in with the Thrashers. Emily is found dead in her bathtub and it is considered to be a suicide on the night of the 11th grade prom. The cops start to look into this group called the Thrashers to see if they played a role in the death of Emily. As the story progresses we learn that Emily was obsessed with Zack Thrasher and her one true friend Jodi Dillion. Well at least that’s what her journals say. Unlike the rest of the Thrashers Jodi isn’t rich like her friend group but she is best friends with Zack Thrasher and he does a lot to protect Jodi.
The story focuses on the police trying to build a criminal case against Zack Thrasher and the other Thrashers. The cops are following the clues and the stories that Emily has left to find out what pushed her over the edge. This story becomes mysterious when the group believes that Emily is haunting them from the grave. Weird things begin to happen and the thrashers start to question their sanity.
As the story is being told we learn a lot about the characters of the thrashers and it reflects how some kids will do anything to hang with the rich popular kids. Even if it destroys them they still want to be popular and envied.
I enjoyed this story but what really got me was the ending. I kind of thought that I saw how the ending would go, but when it ended I was nope. I didn’t see that one coming. I recommend this book for fans of YA mystery thrillers that have a crazy plot twist.
I want to thank Netgalley and Macmillan audio for the opportunity to review this arc.

This is the first book I've read by Soto and WOW this book calls for a binge read.

The Thrashers is a knockout YA Thriller driven by the dark complexities of insecurity, high school drama, infatuation, and the "hierarchy" of friend groups. Drama, mystery, unexplainable events, and a hint of the paranormal? Count me in.

I highly recommend the audio for this one if you're an audiobook fan. The narration is fantastic.

Description:

The Thrashers is THE "It group" at New Helvetia. How do you get in? You don't. When a new girl, Emily dies after cozying up to The Thrashers, whispers start. As Emily’s journal surfaces, detectives close in, and Jodi faces an impossible choice: betray her friends or protect herself.

But as eerie messages and strange occurrences escalate, it becomes clear—Emily isn’t done with them yet.

Audiobook Review: The Thrashers by Julie Soto
Narrated by Alex Picard

I received this audiobook from NetGalley, and I truly appreciate the opportunity to discover and read new authors and share my thoughts.

This was my first book by Julie Soto, and it was a tough but powerful listen for me. As a teacher who has personally experienced the heartbreak of losing a student to suicide, the opening chapters hit very close to home. The raw emotion and realism in how the book handled this sensitive topic reminded me of 13 Reasons Why, and while it was deeply moving, it was also incredibly difficult to get through that first part.

That said, once I moved past the most emotionally intense section, I was able to focus more on the story and found it to be both compelling and thought-provoking. The Thrashers follows a group of teenagers in the aftermath of a tragic loss, blending themes of grief, friendship, secrets, and the complexities of youth. It’s a haunting story that doesn’t shy away from exploring the dark and often uncomfortable emotions that come with trauma.

The narration by Alex Picard was well done. She brought the characters to life with strong emotional range, smooth pacing, and the right tone for each moment. Her performance added depth to the already emotional subject matter and helped maintain the listener’s connection to the story, even in the heaviest moments.

While the content was difficult for me personally, I do believe that The Thrashers is an important story. It opens up conversations around mental health, responsibility, and the ripple effects of pain. It’s not a light listen, but it is a meaningful one.

Thank you again to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. I’m glad I was introduced to Julie Soto through this experience, and I appreciate the care she took in handling such a sensitive subject.

Julie Soto writing my favorite contemporary YA thriller wasn’t on my 2025 bingo card but i’m certainly not complaining🙂‍↕️🫶🏻

it’s no secret that I love the way this author writes and her new adult romances are incredible. so when I found out she was writing a YA thriller I was super interested to read it! it seems the addictive, immersive quality Soto’s books have is not limited to a particular genre because WOW. this book was amazing!

I sincerely loved this book from start to finish. I received an audiobook ARC of The Thrashers and it was just SO well done. I can be a bit more picky when it comes to audiobooks compared to physical or e-books but the narrator and writing made me look forward to listening to this each morning and afternoon during my work commute. if a book can make me looking forward to driving to and from work, it has accomplished quite a feat in my eyes.

it was twisted, toxic, and had me hooked by the first line. each character felt fleshed out and Jodie meant everything to me. the way these characters were written perfectly captures what it is to be “morally grey”. each character had their own motivations, perspective, and secrets that made reading about them deeply fascinating. I really liked the pacing of this story and how the characters continued to keep me guessing. the painting scene will live rent-free in my head for the foreseeable future🫠
also the ending?!

if you’re wanting a good thriller made up entirely of morally grey characters, SPRINT to your nearest bookstore and pick up The Thrashers.

When I first started this audiobook I wasn’t sure how I felt (was it going to be “too high school” ya know?) however I quickly became intrigued by the story. “The Thrashers” covers the cost of belonging to a friend group, the complicated high school hierarchies, and even subjects such as suicide, obsession, and more. Each character was complex and I wasn’t sure if I liked or hated them (it really depended on the chapter). This was a messy, fast-paced, fun ride that is so much more than your usual YA thriller, perfect for fans of "Pretty Little Liars" — because who doesn’t love a little high school drama?! Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for my gifted copy!

I admit, I was a little nervous diving into a new genre from Julie Soto, because she does romance so well! This book reminded me of Pretty Little Liars meets One of Us Is Lying. So if you enjoy those types of YA mysteries then you will probably love this one. This book is packed with lots of twists and turns, and just enough paranormal flair to keep you second-guessing everything.

At times, I found myself a bit confused by the supernatural elements and backstory. Overall, it added to the thrill and my genuine curiosity. The pacing never lets up, and while mystery is the focus, there’s still that signature Julie Soto spark of romance woven in. Jodi, Julian, and Zach were all very well-rounded characters. Lucy and Paige fade into the background a bit, which I think was warranted to give Jodi the spotlight.

Read if you like:
- Toxic friendships
- Paranormal activity
- Pretty Little Liars

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was surprisingly amazing! I absolutely loved it. The audio version was great. I thought even though it could be classified as YA, it kept me entertained the whole time. I thought the pace was great. Highly recommend this one!

I just finished The Thrashers by Julie Soto and here are my thoughts.

Emily Mills wanted to be a thrasher so bad and it killed her….. Jodi, Julian, Paige, Lucy and Zack… Zack Thrasher…They are the elite friend group… Everyone wants to be in their orbit but when Emily’s journal surfaces.. The friend group comes under scrutiny and Jodi has to decide whether she is saving her friends… The people she isn’t the same as.. Or herself… But even as the police close in…. The weird occurrences are more frightening..

Firstly I got the ALC and ARC versions of this book. The narration was amazing! I switched back and forth between the two and they were both outstanding.

It was hard to really connect with the characters until closer to the end because you got the version of the characters they wanted you to see until you the real characters began to shine through and that for me, showed a real talent in the writing.

I really enjoyed the supernatural elements in the book. I would have loved more of that but I think it was done really well regardless. The focal point was the friend group and I loved the contrast of how the friends saw each other and then how outsiders saw them individually and as a collective. It was really clever and skillfully done.

It was well paced and all the mystery elements were executed really well. I enjoyed the heck out of it. I thought it was going to be a whiny teenage drama and it wasn’t that at all. The epilogue though.. OMFG! That just about slayed me.

Brilliant book!

4.5 stars

Thank you to @macmillanaudio, @netgalley and @wednesdaybooks for my gifted ALC and ARC.

#thethrashers #yanovel #wednesdaybooks #juliesoto #bookreview #bookishreview #bookishblog #readerblog #newrelease #bookreel #bookstoread #reelstagram #bookreviewblog #bookoftheday #mysterybookreader #readersofig

ARC/ALC REVIEW | The Thrashers

I have read and loved Julie Soto’s contemporary romances, so when I saw she was coming out with a book in a different genre I was intrigued. And honestly? This woman can do no wrong. This book was AMAZING. I was hooked from the start and could not put it down! I cannot recommend this one enough! It is a YA thriller that has a lot of depth to it, touching on a lot of important social issues while keeping the pace moving and the reading engaged. I was immediately sucked into the story, and it was so well paced and kept me hooked the whole time.

The story begins with the death of Emily, who makes it clear that she blames her death on the group of other teens called The Thrashers. It then goes into the POV of one of the teens in that group named Jodi. We then experience the rest of the story through Jodi’s POV, with little clips from Emily’s journal throughout that give a little bit of insight into what she may or may not have gone through. If you like books with an unreliable narrator, this one is really intriguing in that aspect that you don’t really know if you can trust the information that is being presented. I don't want to say too much about the actual plot that happens because it really is good to just go in kind of blind but this one was so addicting! There was a ton of angst and tension, along with lots of mystery. I really enjoyed seeing something different from Julie and fully trust her to write any genre at this point!

Julie did such a good job in writing a group of teenagers who are friends and giving us a story about the pressures of being a teenager and the desire to be liked and included. She perfect encapsulated what it is like to be part of a clique and trying so hard to do everything to stay in that clique. Jodi feels like such an outsider with the group, but puts up with a lot of their behaviors as they are her only friends. As I mentioned, Emily is also not the most reliable source and she is also a pretty awful person. The characters in this story were so complex - none of them were really “good” or likeable, but you still found yourself drawn to them. I even found myself rooting for some of the characters, but mostly I wanted to know the truth of what happened.

The story is incredibly compelling and Julie ended it in SUCH a perfect way. It was realistic but infuriating! We also were given an epilogue that had me squealing in its perfection. I don’t think there could have been a better way to end it!

I listened to most of the book, either on it’s own or following along with the ebook. The narration was so well done and the narrator really captured these characters. I think it added a lot to their personalities and I felt they all had very clear and distinct voices and personalities. It was a phenomenal job!

Thank you Wednesday Books and Macmillan audio for early copies of the book!

In one word: addicting. This is my first book I’ve read by Julie Soto and it will definitely not be my last. Her writing is amazing. I was invested in each characters story. It tackled some pretty serious topics such as suicide and bullying. It definitely gave a little bit of “13 Reasons Why” vibes, but not as intense. It also gave Pretty Little Liars vibes and I’m a big fan of that show. I think stories like these are so important. This is definitely a slow burn thriller. The ending gave me actual GOOSEBUMPS.

As for the audio production. WOW! I loved the narration and it held my attention the entire time. The suspense was done so well. One of my favorite thriller audios I’ve read.

Emily Mills takes her own life on prom night but her family and the police seem to think there was foul play involved. Jodi and her friends, whom everyone in the school calls The Thrashers, quickly become the focal point of the police investigation. Weird things start to happen and Jodi is trying to come to terms with her role as the person in the middle of it all while trying to figure out what actually happened.

The story was so well crafted I found myself connecting emotionally with it at multiple points. I finished the audiobook in nearly one sitting, the narrative had me in its grip from start to finish (and the only reason I took a break was that it was way past midnight and I was falling asleep). The characters felt like actual teenagers, and the dynamics in the group were interesting to follow. After finishing the book I have so many thoughts about the story, and the ending left me feeling quite sad for everyone involved.

The narration was engaging and the characters each had a distinct voice, so it was easy to follow.

Are you ready to get Thrashed?!?

Follow the Thrashers and get an inside glimpse of being in the popular crowd. This is basically the story of the aftermath of what happens after bullying. The Thrashers are dealing with the consequences of how it will affect their future and relationship with each other.

I loved this book because it brought me back to high school and how everyone had a clique they belonged to. You could find these characters at any high school from the popular kids that everyone wanted to be and hang out with to the least popular kids who were Thrashed. This book was a reminder of how words can be deadly and you never know how your words can affect someone. So be kind to everyone.

I had no expectations going into this and didn't even read the blurb. It was written by a favorite author so I knew I wasn't going to be disappointed and boy was I right. While this book ended with no cliffhanger, I wanted to know more. There's potential for a sequel if the author would give it to us. *fingers crossed

Also, while I normally prefer dual/duet style audiobooks, the narrator did a great job at differentiating the character voices so I could enjoy the audiobook.

Eva Kaminsky and Jesse Villinsky keep the listener on their toes just waiting to see what happens next in this high school thriller/murder mystery. I was sucked into the story from the very beginning and thought the narrators matched the characters perfectly. Emotional and captivating, you will not regret this listen!