Things I Liked:
-I appreciated the realistic view of high school, cliques, the harshness of people doing whatever to fit in, peer pressure, the impact of money, the fear of falling out of the "in" crowd, & how quickly everything can change.
-Even though I hate that Zach got off on a technicality, I appreciate that it depicts the injustice nature of the system & how this happens all the time.
-I liked reading this story from Jodi's perspective. She seemed very genuine & I liked her honesty even about her own shortcomings/failures.
-The ending is the type I like from thrillers...it wraps this story up in a way that leaves me wanting to know more about the aftermath.

Things That Didn't Sit Quite Right With Me:
-I wish that readers had gotten to see more about how things turned out in the aftermath (like between Jodi & her father, did Jodi's mother die by suicide?, do Jodi & Zach start friends [I hope not], do the Thrashers go their separate ways after high school, does Emily haunt Julian forever?, etc.).

Overall, I gave it 4 stars.

Is there anything that Julie Soto can't do?? What a phenomenal YA thriller debut!!

I loved this book so much! I really wasn't sure what I was getting myself into with this one, but I was truly hooked from the very first page. This book follows a truly dynamic group of teens, the thrashers, and the rollercoaster that occurs when their group is being more closely examined following the death of on of their classmates who had wanted so desperately to be closer to them. This was a true page turner, you were constantly wanting to know what would happen next. Even when you thought you had answers, you were still left wondering. Even the epilogue left me wondering and waiting for Soto to revisit this world (please Julie, I am begging!!!).

If you love a good twisty experience that has red herrings, secrets, what occasionally feels like an unreliable narrator, and even some unexplainable events? Guess what, I've found your next read!

This is a YA mystery about a group of popular teens who come under fire when it turns out that the girl who killed herself was bullied by them. Or, rather, had been Thrashed -- so named for when a newcomer tries to ingratiate themselves into the Thrashers and then is, unceremoniously, dropped. Things escalate as we see the Thrashers through Jodie's eyes; she who never quite fit in, wasn't in the same socio-economic class, but was still part of the group, suddenly wonder : was it true? And, worse : as accusations started to heat up for the others, but not her, would she be the next one Thrashed?

Right out the gate I want to say : I want a sequel. I thought I knew what I was in for when everything was all done and wrapped up -- which is to say, I wanted more because I wanted to live through another LoVe-esque pairing (iykyk) -- but then Soto hit us with the epilogue and the want became a need. For the same reason and yet.. more reasons, too.

Which isn't to say this was perfect. Jodie, for all her dislike if not outright denial about the act of Thrashing, sure leaned into wanting it when a certain character was introduced to the group. Zack, the inspiration for the group's name, was.. bafflingly naive and never quite had the character development to back it up (maybe this was the point?). And in hindsight I question the choices made for Jodie's father. Finally, the detective character, who we thankfully didn't see much of, felt a little thinly characterised, too. And her behaviour was somewhat unnecessary.

And yet.. I still want that sequel. Julian was such a nostalgic character for me, and likely for all other Veronica Mars lovers out there. And even if the mystery, and some of those unexpected events, hit me out of left field.. I was still into it. Even though there was maybe one too many things happening here, I was glued to these pages. This was my first Soto but definitely won't be my last.

3.5 stars

If you read the premise for The Thrashers, it appears to be a depressing story of high school bullying and it driving someone to suicide. However, this book consistently surprised me. It ended up being a compelling story about friendship and how much of ourselves we allow to show to those close to us. The action doesn’t stop in this novel. It was definitely a page turner! The ending went in a direction I didn’t expect. But what glued this story together was Jodi, our main protagonist. Her voice in the book drew me in, and I liked that she was a nuanced character. She was overall good but hardly blameless. I liked how the story depicted high school cliques. How teenagers will mold themselves to fit in while seeking to expel anyone who they view doesn’t belong. This dynamic hardly ends after high school. And it’s not a new phenomenon born out of smartphones. It predates it. I like how technology is in the mix but hardly the instigator of the cruelty teenagers can show. The Thrashers is YA but I think even adults might garner much insight from it.

Thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy.

This was so good. I loved the plot and characters. It was paced perfectly. I didn't wanna put it down and was on the edge of my seat

I'm a little late in posting this review but a big thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the ARC.
Have you ever felt like you just don't fit in? Meet The Thrashers – the clique everyone at school knows, whispers about, and secretly wishes they could join.
This book delivered everything you'd expect from a YA thriller. It's packed with intrigue, eerie hauntings, and twists that kept me guessing at every turn. Julie has proven she can shine in any genre, creating a gripping, suspenseful atmosphere that fans of One of Us Is Lying and 13 Reasons Why will appreciate.

For a full list of content warnings, please check out Julie's website.

This was my first Julie Soto book. I’ve not well-versed in YA thrillers having only read 2 in the last year, but this didn’t grip me and have me questioning everything and everyone. I didn’t get any heart palpitations. It was a pretty straight forward story to me. I enjoy finding out the plot twist and having call backs to details from earlier in the book and be like “omgggg!! That’s what that was!!” I didn’t really get that with The Thrashers. I still enjoyed reading the book.

Supposedly, there might be a sequel and if my bb is in it, I’m still going to read it.

That epilogue got me effed up. I don’t need that in my life.

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC!

The thrashers follows Jodie and her 4 friends after someone they knew unalived themselves. All 5 of them become entangled in what happened with Emily, the police, and a haunting? I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.

Having devoured Julie Soto's romance Not Another Love Song, I was intrigued but slightly hesitant to dive into her YA debut. While I'm not typically a YA reader, the buzz around this book was undeniable, and I'm so glad I took the plunge!

Soto masterfully crafts a compelling narrative around Jodi, a high school junior navigating the complex social dynamics of "The Thrashers," a clique orbiting the seemingly perfect Zack Thrasher. Jodi's long-standing crush on Zack is complicated by the lingering shadow of Emily's death the previous year—a girl who desperately craved their acceptance. Whispers and rumors of the Thrashers' potential involvement create an undercurrent of unease that soon escalates into something truly bizarre.

The twists and turns in this book kept me absolutely hooked! Soto brilliantly captures the tumultuous landscape of high school, where insecurities run rampant and self-discovery feels like navigating a minefield. I particularly appreciated how she built a palpable sense of unease and confusion as the investigation into Emily's death intensifies, allowing me to viscerally connect with Jodi's growing sense of disorientation. While some elements of the high school hierarchy felt familiar, they served the story perfectly, and I found myself completely engrossed.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing an earc in exchange for an honest review.

All I have to say is WOW!! Julie Soto truly outdid herself with this one per usual. I was so hooked from the moment I started reading. It had me on my toes the entire time, wondering if there was paranormal activity or truly just guilt manifesting itself. I’m going to need an explanation on that epilogue stat and about 400 more pages of Julian and Jodie…tysm

Wow! I was hooked from the first chapter, couldn’t read this fast enough. Great for fans of Pretty Little Liars and 13 Reasons Why. A haunting story and reminder of how high school really is the most binding yet toughest years of your life.

Thank you NetGalley and Julie Soto for the opportunity to review this ARC

Not really my cup of tea! I loved Julie Soto's previous books but this one just wasn't for me. Would still recommend to others to see if its for them, because I can see why people like it.

I wanted to love this because it came so highly recommended by my friends but.....I just couldn't with these characters lol
The mystery part was great! At times intense and I WAS curious enough to keep going as I really want know "who dun it".
But alas, as the story kept going besides wanting that answer I found myself caring less and less what happened to the character.
NONE of them were likable, AT ALL. There was ZERO chemistry in the tad bit of romance forced into the story and I feel after everything nobody got their just dues. The victim was psycho, the suspects were spoiled high school bullies that cared for no one but themsleves, and the FMC was blinded by a crush of all things, and then there was all that messing with spirits stuff.
Also I'll never understand why girls stick with boys that treat them like crap lol
But yeah, a lot of high school jealousy drama that was over the top and it overroad the mystery plot, sadly. This book just wasnt for me.

The Thrashers is a YA thriller that reminds me of why I love YA so much!
This book is centered around popular/rich high school kids, a clique called "The Thrashers." These high school years are very important to these kids. They are worried about it all- the impression they make on others, what people think about them, fitting in, and cliquing up, all while being so fragile and dealing with their own personal issues, be it domestic or internal.
The Thrashers are the kids everyone wants to either be, be like, or be liked by. Anything other than that simply isn't good enough. And that's what Emily Mills thought, and unfortunately, it led to her unaliving herself. All eyes are on the Thrashers now more than ever, as we uncover what really happened in this "friends" group. Emily's journal is the one major thing that police have to rely on, however, it is soon proven that not even they can trust all that is written in said journal.
I really enjoyed this book. It is a solid 4-star read, with great characters, a great plot, and even better twists. There is a lot going on throughout the story, however, it's all so good that you'd be invested and able to follow through from start to finish. The ending is a little anticlimactic for it to be a cliffhanger, however, the book itself was so good that I didn't mind!
Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Julie Soto for this ARC!

The Thrashers follows Jodi Dillon as she wrestles with her friend group’s secrets and deception following the allegations that her and her friends drove a girl to commit suicide. This was a wild ride of read. Soto excels as keeping the pacing up and on my toes. What definitely surprised me was the use of the supernatural and other genres intermixed in this thriller. I think that was a huge factor in my continued interest.

I also enjoyed how nuanced the characters are. Everyone is so human - no one comes off as a caricature. Everyone’s action is motivated well with defensible in their point of views even the victim. Jodi was a wonderful person to lead us through the world as she struggles with her own feelings of being in the periphery due to her socio-economic class, her family history, and her appearance. Even as Jodi learns this the audience comes to realize that everyone can be a villain in a story. Everyone can be susceptible to the “crowd.”

The only set of pull backs come from the conversations that are not fully explored. Whether it’s abuse, the “truth”, classism, these topics deserved some further examination and I truly believed it would enrich the plot beats if they were. All in all, a compelling genre bending tale where no one’s the winner. A tragedy if you will.

The Thrashers is a spooky ya thriller. I enjoyed the paranormal aspect (especially the one part at the end), but the entire time I felt like I was waiting to see if it was really something paranormal, or if the characters were going to have a legit reason why some things happened. I was reading at night during one point and had to stop because I was so spooked! Overall it was an enjoyable book and the ending made it worth it.
Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC!

The Thrashers 📓🏫🚓💡🚬
5🌟
1🫑

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for the chance to read and enjoy this free advanced copy!

WOW. I want to start this review off by saying that I need a cigarette after finishing this book, and I don’t even smoke. Holy moly, that was INTENSE!

Going in, I knew that I loved Julie Soto’s writing, so I was really excited to see how she would approach a YA thriller. I was hooked from the first page, and I could not put this book down (I literally read 30% of it at a concert between acts).

There were twists, there were turns, and there were “OMG” moments that literally kept me from falling asleep at night. I didn’t realize that this book was going to have a paranormal aspect to it, and that really rattled my psyche LOL.

I loved the third-person POV that this book was written in, the friendships between characters, and the parallels between Jodi’s life and her life with The Thrashers. ALSO- can we talk about that epilogue? My jaw was on the FLOOR!

I will say that this book has some incredibly heavy triggers. A good portion of them can be inferred from the synopsis, but if you are a sensitive reader, please move forward with caution.

This book is marketed as YA, and it definitely is YA in terms of graphic content both in aspects of violence and sexual situations, but it falls more into the upper YA category due to its dark and heavy nature.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I haven’t read a YA or a thriller in such a long time so having both of these combined in one book was an absolute pleasure because it was such a fun book to read! This is my first full length novel by this author, I’ve read MANY of her fanfiction writings and they are truly top tier, and I knew this would be just as good as, if not better. And to no surprise, it was. There was a plethora of secrets and a ton of mystery sewn in throughout this book. It kept me guessing the entire time, which I absolutely love about thrillers. It took me a little bit to get into it after the first few chapters but once I did, I was thoroughly sucked into it. I read from chapter 5 on in one sitting.

That epilogue.. SO GOOD! And I really want more. I highly recommend this if you’re looking for an intriguing, easy, filled with mystery, suspense, and something different.

P.s. I would thoroughly enjoy a romance book between Jodi and Julian. PLEASE AND THANK YOU!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have read very few YA thrillers, not because I don’t like them, but because I just don’t gravitate towards them in my mood reading. With that said, it did take me two tries before getting into it, but when I did, I finished it in one sitting!

I love Julie Soto and everything she has written, and this is no exception. These teenage characters felt so real and Jodi’s high school experience was dynamic and complex. Her shifting feelings and observations were well done.

The Thrashers friend group (reluctantly named by others) had such, at first glance, very cookie cutter roles, which seemed intentional. I enjoyed how I didn’t know what to expect from Zack, Julian, Lucy, and Paige, just like Jodi.

Emily’s death was a big question mark (honestly everything about Emily lol), and while I guessed some of what happened, there were things I didn’t see coming.

While this is not something I would usually pick up on first look, I’m so glad I did.

4 stars

First, I want to thank NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Wow! I don’t read a lot of thrillers nor YA anymore, but after loving Julie Soto’s romance books, I knew I wanted to give this one a try.
And wow, yet again, Julie Soto does not disappoint. This book had me gripped and I did not want to put it down.
The way the mystery and the incidents happening to the characters are interwoven throughout the book really kept me questioning what was happening now and what actually happened in the past.
The characters were all intriguing and easy for me to keep straight in my head. I feel like this is one of the best high school set books that I’ve read a long time.
I also wanted to give a special shout out to the Sacramento setting as someone who lives in NorCal, I love how I knew a lot of the places mentioned in the book.
Finally that epilogue - wow - definitely one last chill for the reader *shudders*