Julie has never failed me!

The Thrashers had me on the edge of my seat from the first chapter. This book seems to be an interesting combination of mystery, paranormal, and a tiny bit of romance, that blended together just right to create a truly addictive book.

I will literally read this authors grocery list.

I love this book!! Julie!! This young adult thriller sucked me right in. The book flowed together so nicely and it was such a nice read! I’m hoping Julie writes more books like this because I absolutely loved it. Also? The ending!!!

This book was SO good! I’m pretty picky about my YA books, and my thrillers, so I was hesitant to pick it up, but when Julie Soto writes it, I will read it - and it’s another slam dunk!

There were a lot of twists and turns in this story. Without giving too much away, it has all the best characteristics - scheming friends, inner circle drama, paranormal activity, and a plot where you never know what’s going to happen next.

Definitely pick this book up!

NetGalley ARC

I don’t usually read thrillers, but I do read Julie Soto, so decided to give The Thrashers a try. I loved it! I read it all in one day.

It was interesting reading through the lens of Jodi’s insecurities, especially later when you realize her interpretation of the world is not 100% accurate.

The epilogue was especially thought provoking. I have so many questions!!

I will definitely buy a physical copy of this book and reread.

This plot was not what I expected. I got a little frustrated thinking it would turn into a sci-fi book, but I feel like I could NOT stop reading once I really got into it. The end made me want more. Julie Soto outdid herself with this one.

The best way to describe this is 13 Reasons Why meets Gone Girl meets Dear Evan Hansen.

I loved the characters purely because I felt like I knew them all. Did they frustrate me? Yes. Were they good friends? Sometimes. Did they make for a great plot? 100%

That ending 😱

YA-mystery-drama—FYI

And it took me almost a month to read it because I couldn’t read it at night because it creeped me out.

Feels like maybe 13 Reasons x Mean Girls x The Skulls if they were all Sytherins. IYKYK

The end though. First time being mad at Julie Soto!

Thank you so much to Julie Soto and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for the eARC. This was such an amazing book. I could not put it down. I read it in just 1 sitting. This YA Mystery/ Thriller is a perfect read for any teen or adult. Can't wait to read more from Julie.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/♾️

MY THOUGHTS 💭:
I am a huge fan of some YA lit, ya’ll and this one did not dissapoint. So many jaw dropping moments throughout this one! Even with all the characters and side characters it was easy to keep everyone seperate (which is something I have a hard time with). The plot was so well done. The ending was not expected at all! I was up late Sunday night before having to be at work on Monday reading this one! Could NOT put it down!


⚠️TWs: suicide, alcoholism, alcohol abuse, violence due to alcohol, bullying, absentee parents, physical violence, use of a medium ( some light dabbling in the occult)

Okay firstly I just want to say as someone who once lived in the 209 area. This is something that totally would happen in north cal. I stood up all night reading this because I couldn’t put it down. I needed to know what happened and who did what and why it happened! JULIAN YOU HAVE MY HEART😭

This book is absolutely addictive! Not only did I devour it in one sitting, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it for days. The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat and I’m already contemplating a reread to try to find more crumbs that I missed the first time.

Julie did such a fantastic job entering not only into the YA realm, but the mystery / thriller genre as well! The raw emotions of navigating friendships, toxicity, and insecurities was done masterfully. Every single character was so dynamic, complex, and messy and never at any point did I know where the story was going next.

Julie has absolutely out done herself!

Thank you to NetGalley and Julie’s team for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 ⭐️ ok, but is there anything Julie Soto CAN’T write?

What a profound and thrilling debut YA novel. Five teenagers are the prime suspect of bullying that supposedly lead to the suicide of a classmate on prom night.

The haunting feelings, flashes of light in their pictures, and near death experiences had me constantly on the edge of my seat as the investigation unfolded in this story. I even found myself screaming as I tripped over my dog after reading this in the dark. (Sorry, Luna 🐶)

Jodi, the protagonist, was great as self reflection in an age appropriate way that had me cheering her on while my own heart was beating out of my chest.

I can’t say enough thanks you’d to St. Martin’s press, Wednesday books, and NetGalley for this advanced copy.

3.5/5 stars rounded up

Thank you Wednesday Books for the advanced reading copy!

This one started and ended with a bang, but lost me a tiny bit in the middle! Things felt convoluted and it was hard to keep track of all the different things going on during that portion. However, I'm super glad I stuck with it because the ending was really unexpected! The entire book was fast-paced, and kept me hooked. There were some surprising twists, but nothing extremely mind-blowing. Our FMC, Jodie, was annoying at times, but I genuinely liked her and rooted for her the entire time. This was definitely and entertaining story and was great on audio! I'd call this a solid YA thriller with a few creepy elements, and would read more by this author in the future!

this was a really interesting thriller about a group of high school friends who seem to have it all, and the one of them who doesn't. it delves into the social dynamics and the cost of belonging to a friend group, as well as more difficult subjects like suicide, obsession, abuse and social ostracism.

i really liked jodi as a narrator, she was relatable for me - constantly feeling like she's one missed party or social outing from being excluded entirely since she's not as rich, conventionally attractive, or academically inclined, etc. and as the investigation into the death of emily mills unfolds, those feelings become stronger as she realizes she might not know her best friends as well as she thought.

i did think the pacing was a little slow, especially in the middle. in fact, throughout most of the book it was a solid 3-3.5 stars. the ending however, especially the epilogue? completely changed it for me. it was such a perfect, interesting way to wrap up the store that i still think about it sometimes.

overall, this was a really engrossing, mysterious read with a very compelling ending that i would absolutely recommend.

The Trashers is Julie Soto's first foray into YA and I really enjoyed it. It is a mystery with a slight supernatural tilt.

On prom night, Emily Mills commits suicide. The Trashers, a group of five friends, are looked at as instigators in her suicide. Made up of mostly rich kids with the exception of Jodi Dillon, the student body has been waiting for the moment the group was finally thrashed, the term for outing someone from the group. Told mostly from the POV of Jodi, we see what happens to this group as they are suspected of different activities against Emily, who once upon a time was invited into their group reluctantly by Zach, the ringleader. Jodi is searching for clues about what happened to Emily and if her friends were really part of it. The more she continues to investigate, the more weird things continue to happen to her friends.

While not all of the characters were likeable, I really found myself rooting for Jodi and hoping she would come out of this unscathed. I thought Julie Soto did a great job of keeping up the momentum throughout the novel to make readers want to continue reading. The ending leaves it in a way that perhaps there could still be more to the story. If there is, I'd be fine with that but also I won't be hurt if it's a one and done story. I've read all of Julie's romance novels and am glad to see her write in another genre. I hope this isn't the last mystery she writes, YA or adult.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

I have never met a Julie Soto book I didn't like and I'm so glad this was no exception. Absolutely devoured.

This was absolutely my favorite Julie Soto novel. I love that she brought burrs back to life for the Sacramento novel. I love the little Sacramento elements throughout the book. Definitely a five star read.

This book was unexpectedly excellent. Having read Soto’s other books, I didn’t know what to expect going into a YA mystery but I found the writing to be elegant and elevated, the characters to feel very real, and the story to be captivating. This book was definitely hard to put down and while it is YA it was not juvenile. The multiple story lines twisted together and crafted a very well rounded, rich story I would highly recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for the arc! Really enjoyed. Great setting & plot twists. Hope we get more thrillers from this author.

This was such a thrilling read! The beginning was very much giving Pretty Little Liars, but halfway through, I think it also had some 13 Reason Why vibes as well. I'm not a huge fan of paranormal but it worked in this book and the epilogue left me absolutely shook. I didn't think any of the characters were particularly likeable but I think that was the point. I was rooting for the FMC, but she was proven to be an unreliable narrator in the end, which is what made this such a thought-provoking book!

This book wasn’t written for me per se- I am not a YA reader, but I absolutely loved Julie Soto’s first two books, so I gave this one a shot. The Thrashers tackles a lot of mature themes, and overall it was a quick read. Jodi was an interesting character. The ending was excellent but IMO the epilogue ruined the book for me. Honestly I felt like Emily’s history at the old school wasn’t explored enough, I really felt for Julian…Not sure if the epilogue was to set up for a sequel or something. But man, leave the kid alone! I’m also a Hopeless romantic, so I’ll say anything to get the FMC and MMC (although he isn’t in this case) together. Zack honestly really annoyed me. Everyone worships the ground he walks on, and I did appreciate his role in the flashback scenes with Jodi, but he was kind of just another kid to me and his actions in the present were just meh. Hoping Julie Soto turns out more books in the contemporary romance category because I’m not sure her 2025 books and genre changes are for me.

Thank you to Net Galley and St Martins Press for the e-ARC. Truly a privilege to read this book several months in advance.