This book was super nostalgic for me. I’ve been a lover of YA thrillers for longer than I can remember. I loved how one minute I could be feeling anxious about what was happening, but then the next the budding romance could have me kicking my feet giggling. Such a great mix of everything. The characters really felt like they grew throughout the story too! And that ending 🤯 I need more!

Five stars! Julie Soto can do no wrong.
This book is Pretty Little Liars meets Mean Girls with a chilling twist—and I was absolutely hooked. Secrets, lies, toxic friendships, and just enough paranormal to keep me up late flipping pages. Jodi is the perfect reluctant insider, and I loved piecing things together through Emily’s haunting journal.
Drama? Check. Suspense? Check. Ghosts, betrayal, and morally gray characters? Triple check.

Julie Soto, you’ve done it again. I’d follow the Thrashers into another book in a heartbeat.

Happy pub day to The Thrashers!

Thanks, Wednesday Books, for the arc! Thanks, Macmillan Audio, for the ALC!

I don’t understand Julie Soto. What does she sprinkle in her books to make them so addicting? Her adult romances are the chef’s kiss. But for her first YA thriller, THE THRASHERS? Honestly, I think she just knew us PLL and Veronica Mars fans needed something new to feed us.

The number of twists made me dizzy. Sometimes, I was so sure I knew something, only to be fumbled entirely by a plot point that it felt like I was back at the beginning. Julie Soto is a mastermind in how she plots the book.

I loved that the book is about the Thrashers, a group of five friends, but it’s told from one person’s PoV. It was a strong choice to only hear just from Jodi as it elevated the suspense and made you question everything more.

I split my time splitting THE THRASHERS between the book and the audiobook. Eva Kaminsky and Jesse Villinsky are excellent audiobook narrators. You can’t go wrong with whatever way you choose.

THE THRASHERS is a fantabulous YA thriller that will keep you guessing until the last page. Then, you’ll be like me and can’t stop thinking about it after it ends! I only hope that we get more!

While THE THRASHERS entertained me, it is a heavier novel. Sujçjde, which happens in the first few pages, is a significant plot point. Check your content warnings and read with care.

For a complete list of content warnings, visit Julie Soto’s website.

Wow, wow, wow! Thrillers aren’t my normal read but when I saw it labeled as Pretty Little Liars in book form I knew I had to try it. Not to mention it’s my favorite author Julie Soto! It definitely lived up to that label and was fabulous! Such a fun read.

Just like PLL everyone is toxic and even to the end you’re like are you really friends or not. They were pretty well developed and I loved getting bits and pieces of their lives so you kind of get to form your own opinion of them. Julian was absolutely a surprise and to the end I’m still wondering if he was nice to our FMC, Jodi, because he likes her or if it’s something else. There are a lot of heavy topics covered in the book and I feel like they were handled well. It’s all things high schoolers feel and have to navigate: peer pressure, bullying, alcohol/drug use, abusive parental relationships, grief and more. Really 👏 well 👏 done

I loved the ghost angle and I didn’t see how she died! I mean in one way yes I know how but not HOW! IYKYK. No spoilers here! Absolutely devoured this book and I mean if there was a follow up I’d devour it as well! Definitely lives up to the hype.

Julie Soto’s "The Thrashers" is a haunting, tightly wound YA mystery that peers into the toxic undercurrents of high school social hierarchies. Set in the glossy, high-stakes world of New Helvetia High, the novel begins with a tragedy: Emily Mills is found dead on prom night, an apparent suicide that quickly becomes the center of a chilling investigation. All eyes turn to “The Thrashers”—a coveted clique of rich, charismatic teens—as rumors swirl that Emily’s death wasn’t just a personal tragedy but a social punishment.

At the heart of the story is Jodi Dillon, a quiet, thoughtful outsider on the inside—close to the Thrashers by history, not status. As investigators unearth Emily’s journal, which points to bullying by the group, Jodi becomes both a suspect and a moral anchor. Her internal conflict—torn between loyalty to childhood friends and the mounting evidence of their cruelty—grounds the story in emotional realism. Soto deftly uses Jodi’s perspective to explore insecurity, complicity, and the ache of belonging.

The novel’s structure is slow-burning but razor-sharp, with eerie developments and unsettling clues building dread as Jodi pieces together what really happened. Soto’s prose is evocative without being overwrought, and her portrayal of teenage relationships—full of shifting power, jealousy, and need—feels painfully authentic.

"The Thrashers" is more than a whodunit—it’s a powerful exploration of how far people will go to protect their image, and how easily silence can become betrayal. Gritty, suspenseful, and emotionally resonant, it’s a standout addition to the YA mystery genre.

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.

ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and Netgalley for a copy of this eARC. You know, I am the first person in line for a Julie Soto book always. My ride or die, and when I heard she was writing a YA paranormal thriller, I was so intrigued to see this switch. I know she can write dark well, but YA is a different world in its own right.

Thirteen Reasons Why meets Pretty Little Liars, and I ATE THIS SHIT UP. Julie... Julie my dear, that cliffhanger of an epilogue was rude af when we know there isn't another book coming. I always said I love open endings, but you have now proved me wrong.

Jodi Dillon is the girl I feel like embodies so many of us in this world. Thinking we have a significant friend group but still feeling like the odd one out. Never thinking someone will make us the priority in the group, and overlooking what we contribute, and thinking we are always replaceable. I love Jodi with my whole heart. Even though she cared, we learn in the end that she was also willing to sacrifice someone else to help life herself up. To seem worthy of the attention of her friends. To fit in.

I think a lot of us at this age take for granted just how hard that was to navigate. We misread signs, we sometimes trust the wrong people, and sometimes people are just above consequences. No one is ever without fault, even if we try so hard, one small thing could be misinterpreted and we could be the villain in someone else's story.

Emily was so an interesting character to explore, the obsession, and realizing just how dark and twisty it had gotten really sends you on a rollercoaster for the book. Some moments were a bit predictable, though I'm not sure if that's because I just read too much, but it didn't stop me from enjoying it at all.

You know a book has been written well when you can spend it making theories, and not being disappointed when it was exactly what you expected. To me the most unexpected twist of the entire book was how I left really feeling betrayed and disliking two of the Thrashers that I thought I liked most.

Moral of the story: you never really know what is going on in someone's life, nor their motivations, and that if you have to lie to be kind, it really isn't that kind at all. If you must choose anything in life to be, choose honest.

Also Julie, if you choose to write a sequel, I need Julien POV. Please and thanks.

My biggest problem with this book is not the book itself, but the lack of a trigger warnings page in the arc (or in physical books if sources are to be believed). This book is pretty graphic in it's depiction of suicide.
This felt very under-baked. Jodi is a confusing and meandering character- she has so much happen to her and her inner thoughts couldve been so interesting but they really aren't. Maybe because so many of them are about Zach.
I just don't understand what I'm supposed to like about any of these characters. They don't have enough depth to justify how awful they are to Lucy OR each other. They're supposed to be this elite group of best friends that everyone wants to know, but they have almost negative amounts of chemistry as friends. They really seem like they hate each other for a lot of this.
I also just. Idk. Maybe this is on me or maybe it's because none of the Thrashers have redeeming qualities, but I don't see the appeal of reading from the POV of someone who essentially bullied a teenage girl into suicide. Like. They're the bad guys here.
This feels like its supposed to be a mystery version of 13 reasons why, and it takes all the bad parts of that book and doesnt add anything interesting.

I like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing this book up for a 'free' read.

Hrmmm.

This book was entertaining but confusing at times. I feel like the friends group (The Thrashers) didn't really have any depth and I didn't understand the reason why the main character put up with them. Or, in reverse what any of them liked about her. She was obviously the poorer of the bunch, and she herself makes it clear she was taken in by them due to Zach (her friend since childhood). I just found their relationship a chaotic trope where it didn't really seem to meld.

The best part of the book was the 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' esque stalking / text messages / diary story going on and who was behind it all. Was Emily really back from the dead?

There is also a strange romance that pops up in the book and while it really doesn't work on paper (the writing for it was messy), watching too much Veronica Mars and other shows of the like where the broody one that teases the girl is the one that ends up liking here is a low key trope I enjoy.

I'll call this one a chaotic mind thriller teen romp, but once you figure it out it has no re-readability.

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.

I'm a little unsure how I feel about The Thrashers. I think the premise sounded interesting, and the idea of a paranormal aspect was so exciting. Sadly, for me, it fell short. The story starts off strong, then goes in a bunch of different directions, and ultimately ends anti-climactically leaving more questions than answers. The potential was there, but I don't think it delivered.

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!

Thank you to Julie Soto, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was really good. It was a good thriller, with twists that kept me engaged. I enjoyed the writing.

Jodi is one of the Thrashers- a group of best friends revolving around Zack Thrasher. She is not like the rich, gorgeous group, but as Zack's childhood best friend she is instantly part of the group. When a new girl, Emily, tries to join the group and later dies by suicide, people start to view the Thrashers differently. Jodi tries to uncover what really happened, but in the midst of doing so she wonders who she can really trust.

This book was cute! It was a bit predictable, but a fun YA read. I could have done without the supernatural elements, but overall I enjoyed the book and sped through it in one day,

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

While reading this, I kept thinking to myself that I am so glad I am past my teenage years and that my high school experience was much tamer than this crazy wild ride of a story! But, I must say, all the drama of this so called Thrashers group makes for excellent reading and boy does a lot happen during this year after the death of Emily and the persecution of the Thrashers as everyone tries to figure out the truth of her suicide. No one is perfect, people make mistakes and decisions that have not been fully thought out (thanks to teen brains not fully developed yet), but it was easy to sympathize with Jodi who is definitely stuck between a rock and a hard place with her loyalties to the Thrashers, but also conflicting stories from others showing that maybe the Thrashers did have something to do with Emily's death.

While most of the book deals with the case being brought to charge the Thrashers, you do get a touch of maybe the supernatural and some crazy accidents and close calls with death. But you also get decent people, or at least ones that try to help get everything out in the open. Great story with plenty of thrills and chills, and the maturing of teens as they come to grips with their actions (mostly anyways). I liked the ending which had a nice touch of revenge for what happened with Emily (spooky!). If you like YA thrillers, this is a good option!

I've always felt that if you can survive high school, you can survive anything. THE THRASHERS takes that philosophy and adds a few twists that only serve to prove my point. This was a fast read. Julie Soto builds the back story and quickly throws readers into the deep end. When one student dies, it weaves a clear picture of who belongs and who doesn't.

First off, I would like to give my fullest gratitude for allowing me the opportunity to read this book! Julie is absolutely one of my favorite authors, and she absolutely killed it in this genre! I'm blown away by the depth of the characters, the twist and turns, and just how captivating the story was. Mystery thrillers are typically not my normal reads, though after this I might be giving the genre a new try, but it's fully possible Julie Is just THAT good.
This book had me in a choke hold from chapter 1. Jodi, our precious & good-hearted protagonist, dealing with the tragic loss of a casual friend. We see the complex nature of teens in todays world in the dynamic of her popular friend group, known to others as "thrashers." Their world is about to be flipped upside down, and maybe it should be.
I seriously loved this book, I get so excited when I see Julie coming out with anything new, and I cannot wait for more of her work in any genre!

Definitely YA but definitely kept me invested. There were some parts that were a little draggy and heavier topics than I was expecting. I'd read an entire other book of JodiJulian even if the genre was different. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes 5/6

"The Thrashers" is a quick read for those who enjoy YA thrillers/mysteries. Some of the high school behavior was not really my cup of tea, but I still think this is a book worth reading. I am intrigued enough to read Soto's romance novels after reading this one.

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!