An enjoyable YA thriller that masterfully characterizes the ups and downs of the teenage mindset and how lonely it can be on top!

For fans of Pretty Little Liars and 13 Reasons Why, after the death of fellow student, Jodi Dillon and her fabulous, rich friends known as "The Thrashers" are the subject of an impending investigation, but when mysterious messages blow up their phones and freak accidents keep happening, they each realize how very deadly high school can be....

I really enjoyed this one! I'm obviously not the target audience so I had to give grace to the ridiculousness of teenagers.
However, I appreciated how the author was able to convey the teenage experience. They are each so self centered but also deeply insecure and it is creative how it all manifests. Although a bit of a slow burn, the mystery immediately pulled me in. Emily Mills is a fascinating victim and Jodi is a relatable MC, so it made for a great read. No one is perfect and no one is innocent and it is truly a roller coaster. And that ending specifically the epilogue? WELL WORTH THE READ.

Thank you to the publisher for my advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

Wow…just, WOW.

As a reader, have you ever had a moment where you stop and think of the history and evolution of all the books and genres you’ve read throughout your life leading you to question and analyze how your literary tastes evolved? Looked back and tracked your evolution from a fanfiction and YA fiction reader to someone obsessed with high fantasy and its intricate world-building. To suddenly a young adult with a taste for dark, taboo romance that had you clutching your pearls only to end up knee-deep in a reverse harem that’s 97% smut at 3am? No, just me?

Ever had the good fortune of then having a book come along at the crisp age of 29 that hard-resets your mind and makes you feel the same way you did when you read your first haunting romance or great tragedy ?

This was Thrashers for me.

At page one, I was captivated not only with the writing style but also with the fact that you never really know what’s going on and you’re just along for the ride to figure out. Living the suspense and mercurial emotionality through the eyes of Jo was an incredible rollercoaster that leaves you second guessing yourself, the characters and the course of events that followed; fighting to decipher what was real or imagined, only to find yourself with a theory that immediately becomes muddled with the sprinkling of self doubt, mistrust and insecurity.. Thrashers is a unique book with a refreshing take on growing up, growing apart and accepting that not everything is as clear as we think and not everyone is as clean as they say they are. Jo and the rest of the Thrashers will have you questioning everyone and everything in pursuit of what’s real!

A shoutout to the ending that leaves us with more questions than answers and a desperate need for a sequel to figure it out !

Emily unalived herself on prom night and whispers and suspicions about The Thrashers, an exclusive friend group, bullying her to the breaking point begin to fly.

Julie Soto dipped her toes into the thriller genre and it’s great!! I really enjoyed the ride. Overall it’s a slow burn sort of thriller, with some jaw-dropping situations along the way, as well as straight-up chilling moments. I thought Soto wove a provocative and mysterious story with a realistic peek into the realities of highschool hierarchies, bullying, and friendships.

Read if you like YA thrillers, young adults behaving badly, supernatural elements, drama drama drama, he said/she said, Pretty Little Liars and Thirteen Reasons Why vibes, and suspense.

Thank you so much, Wednesday Books and NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

The Thrashers hooked me from page 1! This was a wild ride and I loved every minute of it. A girl died on prom night, the popular kids in school--The Thrashers--may have played a role, and maybe the dead girl is haunting them? This book will be so good for teen readers because it is fast-paced, suspenseful. has interesting characters, has a lot of twists, and will spark a lot of great thoughts/questions about how we should treat others and where to draw the line between right and wrong when your best friends are involved. I will definitely be adding a copy to my classroom library! Also, after that epilogue....sequel?

An eerie, part paranormal, part whodunnit YA thriller that had me questioning everyone at some point and thoroughly creeped out! Exactly what I signed up for. 👏🏻

I blew through this, and I can’t stop thinking about Julian - hot, broody but cares, bad boy but make him Theo Nott type of guy (Dramione ladies, you get it!) - I need his vibes but in new adult, about 10 years older asap! lol!

The suspense was perfect, the plot was juicy, and Soto’s take on the mindset of a high school kid with trauma was raw and heartbreaking.

Very well done YA that I’d recommend to any thriller lover. 👏🏻

This was SO different from Julie’s other two books, which were both spicy romances (that I LOVED.). The Thrashers is a mystery/paranormal thriller involving a group of teenagers in their senior year of high school. I was skeptical, I and it took a bit to really hook me, but once it did, I was truly HOOKED. So many twists and turns and the ending gave me CHILLS. This is gonna be a TV miniseries for sure. Fun read!

Super grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

I started this around 8pm with the intention of reading a couple chapters to get the vibe and then go to bed, and maybe read all day the next day. Then I said a couple more chapters. Then I was on Chapter 10, and I thought I might stay up a while. Shortly after that, I knew I'd be staying up until I finished reading.

The Thrashers is a YA thriller centered around Jodie and her friends, The Thrashers. When a girl turns up dead on prom night, everything starts to come out as investigators center on The Thrashers. Never did I really know what was going on (in the best way). I had theories. I had guesses that may have been right, but largely I had no idea where it was going or what happened, and it was amazing.

I am long past high school and haven't been reading a ton of YA in the last few years, but I was able to relate to Jodie a little more than I care to admit.

I have said "I couldn't put it down" before about books, but this was on another level. I dreamt about it. I've thought about it most days since I finished it. I DM'd the author because I couldn't handle not saying something to someone and no one I know has read it yet.

It was such a thrill. A wild and emotional ride. I want more. No, I need more.

4.5 - I couldn’t put down this book.
After being found dead on the night of prom, Emily Mills, a student of New Helvetia High is all anyone can talk about. The Thrashers, a group of 5 students, are accused of being involved with the death. Jodi, our main character, finds herself navigating her complicated friend group, school gossip, and the murky waters of the ongoing case.
There’s a perfect mix of pacing, plot, and atmosphere threaded into these pages. You can feel Emily haunting you as she haunts them. AND DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE PLOT TWISTS. I beg for a second book to be written.

I had a really fun time reading this book. As a fan of Julie Soto from her romance book "Forget Me Not", I was really excited for the chance to read her YA debut! I loved the paranormal aspect that was weaved into the story without it becoming a completely paranormal thriller. Jodi was a very relatable main character, a high schooler who doesn't quite feel like she fits in and often feels on the outskirts of the friend group. I think a lot of people have felt this way at one time or another in a group of friends. "The Thrashers" was also an interesting group, with popular girls who were more nuanced than just pretty girl and cheerleaders. I do with that Lucy and Paige were a little more fleshed out in the story, but overall I really liked them. Zack Thrasher, who they all hinge around, is interesting as well. The guy who is a friend to all, but feels like no one really knows who he is. I liked the dynamic between him and Jodi, his childhood best friend, and how it changes throughout the story. I also liked Julian, who had some really interesting character development as well. Overall, a really fun high school murder mystery with some paranormal activity sprinkled in!

I love Julie's work and when I saw this one, despite it being a different genre from her other books, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it! This is most definitely YA and that is fine, but the addition of the paranormal aspects of this one threw me off. This book will take you back to nasty high school days with toxic friend groups and drama so if that is your jam, you will likely love this book! I think this was well written and engaging but ultimately it was like and not love for me. Despite this one not being my favorite, I will continue to read Julie's other books but maybe skip the YA ones in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Thrashers is a book about a high school clique and the power of words. It's a mystery and a bit of a coming of age story. I couldn't put it down and didn't see the ending coming! It's completely unlike the other books I've read by Julie Soto but just as excellent!

omg!!!!! julie!!!!! i just spent the last 12 hours reading this because i couldn’t put it down!! i was hooked and needed to know what was happening with the group known as “the thrashers”. the drama? the mystery element? the paranormal element? i really enjoyed this!!!!!

I have read Julie Soto’s past two books and I've loved both of them. When I saw she was doing something different I knew I had to get my hands on that book, so I put in a request for the ARC and it was approved. At first I was a little hesitant to start it, for this is not my usual genre. However as soon as I read the first chapter I was hooked. This book is amazing. The Thrashers by Julie Soto truly surprised me. The story is so intriguing and it is such a fun read. I loved each of the characters and their personalities. The story line was gorgeous. How they each interacted with Jodi Dillon differently really was interesting and when I got to the epilogue I read it four separate times. The Thrashers by Julie Soto is such a good book and I recommend you read it right away.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book.

The Trashers aren’t just a high school friend group, they are the high school friend group. The ones everyone wants to be a part of—so what happens when one of those Trasher hopefuls winds up dead? This story follows the twists and turns as truths begin to unfold and friendships begin to come apart.

I’ve read Julie Soto’s first two books, Not Another Love Song and Forget Me Not and immediately became a fan of her work. So when I found out she was working on a YA thriller I was pretty intrigued.

First off, I really enjoyed the epilogue. It was the type of ending that made you go back and re-think everything that’s happened between the two characters since the beginning. An epilogue like this also makes you wonder if there’s room for a second book to come?

I also liked how Jodi progresses throughout the story; you can really see her growth and see her come into her own and find herself as she uncovers more information regarding Emily and her friend group.

While there was enough to keep me turning the page and intrigued, I will say that I wasn’t very surprised by the truths uncovered or the overall ending/what happened with Emily. It was slightly predictable, but still enjoyable.

The paranormal aspects in relation to her mom also felt a bit weird. It seemed slightly random and didn’t feel necessary to keep the story line moving along. I think the connection between Jodi/her mom/and Emily’s death could have been accomplished without this.

Also, I would have liked to see a bit more of a back story with the other characters within the friend group. I think if we had gotten more background information I would have been more invested in the actions they took, secrets revealed, etc.

The Thrashers follows an elite group of friends at New Helvetia High accused of being involved in the death of their classmate, Emily. Not everything is as it appears as secrets are unearthed between the friends and Emily isn’t quite done with them yet.

The Thrashers is told from Jodi’s perspective as she and her friends attempt to clear their names of any wrongdoing as they receive mysterious texts related to Emily and unexplained supernatural occurrences. Jodi, at times, reads like an unreliable narrator and coupled with the investigation into Emily’s death, Soto makes it hard to trust Jodi.

The Thrashers is full of twists and turns keeping readers on their toes. These twists and turns relate back to Jodi’s friends. Can the reader believe what they’re saying? Is the friendship dynamic Soto’s presenting to readers the truth?

When The Thrashers was first announced Soto likened it to Veronica Mars, which immediately got my attention. There are echoes of Veronica Mars in the socioeconomic differences within the friend group and Jodi as a main character. Jodi is poor while the rest of the group are from affluent families. Jodi is also more connected to those outside of the friend group as compared to the others. While Jodi does some investigation work, it’s by no means in line with what Veronica does.

The ending of the novel is wild. It’s an ending that will either make or break the novel for readers. For me, I enjoyed it.

Overall, The Thrashers is a fun YA mystery novel that tackles socioeconomic differences, friendship, domestic violence, supernatural elements, and much more. Soto is proving herself to be a powerhouse writer excelling in any genre.

first off, thank you so much st. martin's press and netgalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

if anyone can make me a thriller girly, julie soto sure as hell can. she just solidified herself as one of my fave/auto-buy authors with this ya thriller that was reminiscent of my gossip girl era. this also had me harkening back to 'the clique" series that I was obsessed with in middle school. anyone anyone? all the twists and turns with the plot and the secrets kept amongst this group of friends...I could not put this book down! I truly had no idea where we were headed at some points and all the supernatural elements were 100% freaking me out lol.

the biggest thing that just kind of irked me a bit was the amount of cpr that was performed throughout the story...like the believability of that just sort of detracted from the plot a bit. and I think she was kind of going for final destination vibes, which is totally fine! but it just didn't quite land for me. and perhaps my high school experience was vastly different, but I completely grasp what a "typical" american high schooler goes through, it just seemed like for someone who spent literally every moment with her friends, jodi should not have missed out on so much.

overall, I still loved this and could totally see this being a movie sometime in the near future!

high school is its own kind of horror story and Julie Soto nails every unsettling detail. this book is literally all the best parts of Pretty Little Liars—toxic friendships,
manipulation, and twists that keep you second guessing—and my inner teenager was THRILLED.

and while I could predict some of the ending, the way it unraveled had me coming back for more. sometimes even double taking.
the characters are all shades of toxic, and even the ones you pity still make your skin crawl. It’s the kind of book that reminds me why you couldn’t pay me to relive high school.

while i personally would’ve loved to see it lean more into the supernatural, it was still a fantastic read. 5/5

I couldn’t put this book down! I read it straight through in one day! It’s part high-school drama, part thriller, part mystery. I always enjoy Julie Soto’s writing and this was no different. She knows how to weave a story and keep you engaged from the first to the last page. This will make the perfect summer read!

Really enjoyed this book! A fun thriller that’s adventurous and emotional. Julie Soto has proven her range of capability from steamy romcoms, to emotional fantasy, and now this intriguing suspense! Looking forward to whatever Soto cooks up next!

The Thrashers by Julie Soto is an addicting teen drama psychological thriller with supernatural elements.

I read this one in less than 24 hours - I was so captivated and invested in the story!

The Thrashers are the popular kids in school - everyone wants to be their friend… but those who try are likely to get “thrashed!” Named after the king of the group, Zack Thrasher, the group is made of a core 5 members: Jodi Dillon (who has known Zack since second grade), Julian Hollister, Lucy Reed, and Paige Montgomery. All of them are super rich…. Except for Jodi. Which has her wondering if she even really belongs.

A girl named Emily tries to infiltrate the friend group and ends up dead…. The media is having a frenzy saying that she was bullied to death by The Thrashers. This insane media attention has a heavy impact on their senior year. Amidst the chaos there’s some supernatural elements that will spook you.

I loved this one so much and would love to see it turned into a movie or series. This was so well written & I am so grateful to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Be sure to grab your copy when this hits the shelves on May 6th!! Julie Soto is a queen!! I will read everything she writes.