Julie Soto the woman that you are!
Like WHAT DID I JUST FINISH READING!
Thrashers is such a work of art. The build up on this story was amazing. Easy to say that I was hooked from the very first chapter.

So we’ve got the famous “Thrashers” clique formed by Zach Thrasher himself and childhood bestie Jodi, followed by Julian, Paige and Lucy. All of these kids whom are rich except Jodi, which doesn’t bother the rest of the clique at all. Except for Julian the asshole (but we later find out he’s rude for different reasons) Then we got an obsessive Emily added to the mix!

We deffinitely have an intriguing murder mystery situation going on with this book.
Did the Thrashes really push Emily Mills to “off herself”? Or was it a plan gone wrong? I don’t knowww, you’re gonna have to read till the end to find out!

Totally recommend! It’s such an easy and fun read, mixed with loads of thrill and suspense! I also had a lot of WTF moments in regard to not expecting certain events to take the turn they took. So with that being said, yes it did keep me on my toes the entire time. And that alone makes this book a 10/10 for me knowing that I wasn’t expecting any of these scenes to unfold the way they did gave me a sense of freshness.

Another round of applause for Julie!

P.S - Julian I love you! You shall live rent free in my head for eternity. <3

I have loved Julie’s adult romances and couldn’t wait to get my hands on her YA thriller. Thrillers are not my typical genre but something about YA ones really do hit for me. While this story feels very textbook (pretty little liars, etc) it was done extremely well! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and I pretty much binged it in one sitting. I also didn’t mind the paranormal elements in the story I think it was intriguing and leaves the book on a mysterious note.

I do wish we had a bit more drama in the secrets that are uncovered within the Thrashers and I think more time should have been spent on the plot twist at the end and on Emily’s psyche.

If you like books about toxic high school groups with secrets, this is for you. This starts with a mysterious death, followed by odd happenings, and the people in the group, the "Thrashers," aren't how they seem. Right when I thought I knew what was happening, it felt like everything switched. I like that in a thriller.

It’s been a few days since I have finished this book and I genuinely cannot stop thinking about it. A teen thriller that is familiar enough to pull you in yet unique enough to keep you guessing and fully invested page after page.

The Thrashers are a friend group of their school’s most popular students who have earned a reputation of ghosting and destroying many individuals who dare to try and be their friends. Dubbed “Thrashing” this public and brutal ritual might not be intentional, but when a recently classmate has been found dead (by suicide) after being Thrashed, the school and community turn on these promising students.

Told through journal flashbacks and through an unreliable narrator, The Thrashers is teen drama with a new twist and a pretty satisfying conclusion. Also, I will go down for the ship of Jodi and *ahem* well….read it and find out.

Julie Soto releases a new book and everyone is lining up. Julie Soto releases a YA paranormal thriller and we all come crashing through the walls.
This book is not what you expect going on in, and when you're done you sit there and wonder what the heck just happened?!
The Thrashers, aka Zack Thrasher, Julian, Paige, Lucy, and Jodie, take you on their journey of their senior year after tragedy struck at junior prom. Told from Jodie's POV, this book follows what happens when a young, obsessive teen dies and rumors start to circulate of whether or not she was 'Thrashed.' It explores high school cliques, popularity, parental pressures, alcoholism, and asks who really are our friends and can we trust them. Twists and turn with a paranormal flair, The Thrashers has it all. Stepping into a new genre, Julie Soto shows she has multiple tricks up her sleeves and we're all just waiting around too see what she pulls out next!!
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for the chance to give my honest opinion in the form of a review.

The Thrashers
By: Julie Soto
St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books
Pub Date: 5/6/2025

3.25/5 stars – A bit of a letdown, but not a total miss

Now listen… I really wanted to love this one. I’ve loved Julie Soto’s adult romances, so I was excited to see how she’d handle something darker and more YA-leaning. The premise had me hooked—girl dies by suicide after being bullied by a group of “cool kids,” and the story unpacks the aftermath. Sounds intense and promising, right?

But here’s where it lost me a bit: the main girl who was bullied… was honestly one of the most frustrating characters I’ve read in a while. She was overly clingy, constantly trying to mold herself to fit in, and just hard to root for. In a story like this, I really wanted to feel for her, connect with her, but instead I found myself annoyed more often than not.

The ending also didn’t quite land for me. Some threads were tied up, sure, but it still felt a little open-ended in a way that didn’t satisfy me—especially if this isn’t going to be a series.

That said, the book had its moments. There were definitely emotional ups and downs, and the pacing kept me turning the pages. But those two big issues kept it from being a standout for me.

This was a very well written YA book. It was a page l-turner and the writing drew me in. I couldn’t put it down!

The premise of the story isn’t new, but her take on it was well done. Parts of the story get a bit paranormal and I am torn on whether I like that or not. But it all makes sense overall. I did however need more Emily. More character background or more flash backs. I needed her why and I didn’t feel like I really got that.

The other characters were easy to connect with. The story had good twists and I truly didn’t know how it was going to end.

That epilogue, however, is making me want a book two!

High school is tough. Everyone just wants to be accepted, to fit in and at New Helvetia High that means getting in with and being chosen by infamous Zack Thrasher. Welcome to The Thrashers, the elite friend group at New Helvetia High. Zack, Jodi, Julian, Lucy, Paige are The Trashers. The cool kids. Not just anyone can play with them. They're an elite clique that everyone wants to be apart of. But are they as perfect as they seem? Is it even possible to make the cut and not end up thrashed and ousted embarrassingly? Is that what happened to Emily Mills who desperately wanted in? The author did a great job of creating a suspenseful, tense, mysterious atmosphere surrounding the death of Emily Mills and The Thrashers. It was interesting to see the dynamics of The Thrashers friend group play out. An important message in the lengths these high schoolers would go to in order to fit in. How far did they go to protect their personas. For such a cast of unlikeable characters I was into it. We get just enough information to keep you flipping through the pages to find out what happens next. Things are definitely not as they seem. If you love a good YA thriller, mystery with so many twists and turns plus paranormal elements that will have you on the edge of your seat then read this book. Omg, the ending definitely did it for me. It left me shook because everything still wasn't what I thought it'd be. There has to be more....?!
The kids are dealing with a lot definitely check trigger warnings. There are some important but heavy topics covered in this book such as bullying, suicide, child abuse, death of a parent, alcohol and drug abuse, etc.
Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, MacMillan Audio, NetGalley for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I've been trying to rack my brain about why I devoured this book, despite not being much of a YA reader, and I think I finally settled on an answer. This book feels like all the best of the creepy high school movies of my youth (90s and early 2000s). Like, you can't tell me that this book doesn't give you the same vibes that The Craft does and that is, quite possibly, the BEST compliment I can give.

The book follows a group of high school friends, referred to as The Thrashers by their classmates, in the aftermath of a "friend's" suicide. That friend, Emily, was more of a hanger-on, annoying each of them in turn, and showing an unhealthy devotion to our narrator, Jodi. When the police decide to bring charges against everyone but Jodi for criminal harassment (and other crimes), she tries to uncover what really happened. Did her friends bully Emily and hide the results from Jodi? Why has Jodi remained unscathed? Does she really fit with this group when everyone is keeping secrets?

Soto does a great job of tying Jodi's position in the clique (not rich, not thin, not perfect) to Emily's, with her own mental health being challenged by feelings of being an afterthought to the others.

The book has aspects of the supernatural, as all five of the Thrashers are being haunted by the ghost of Emily, though you begin to question what is real and what is not pretty quickly.

And that epilogue? COME ON. Soto's social media seems to hint that more will come for this series and I cannot wait.

* Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! *

I’ve been following Julie Soto since her early days. Her writing is fire and she can weave a story that you will not put down. Thrashers is right there with her best. This is a thriller that will keep you turning the pages until late in the night. Highly recommend anything Julie writes!

I loved this book so very much. A YA thriller about the danger of cliques, or is it?

The book opens with the death of Emily Mills. The remainder of the book explores the popular kids, the Thrashers, named for Zack Thrasher, the New Helvetia heartthrob. Did they cause Emily’s death by suicide? Is everything really as it seems? Is Emily still around and haunting them?

This book drew me in from the beginning, and I really enjoyed it.

Wait... wait... wait.... I need more! you can't end such an awesome story like that! I never knew what to expect or how this book would go. I definitely have a book hangover! I love the way Julie writes and the landmarks from my hometown of Sacramento. It made the book easier to visualize and connect with. Definitely recommend!

Fun!!!
Julie Soto can really write a fun book (and it's her debut YA novel!) I had a great time reading THE THRASHERS and I love an ambiguous ending. Once I got to about the 50% mark I could not put the book down and flew through the second half.

- YA teen drama
- thriller mixed with some paranormal activity
- complex, flawed characters
- a mystery element

Now I need Julie to write a romance book starring Jodi and Julian. I love him!!!

Absolutely loved this YA debut thriller from Julie Soto! This was so fast paced, had all of the secrets and drama that come with high school friend groups, and kept me on the hook the whole time. I really liked that we got to see Jodi grow into herself throughout the book too. The clips of evidence interspersed throughout the book made me feel like I was a part of the trial and trying to piece it all together. I highly recommend this for a fast and thrilling YA read!

Julie Soto has quickly become one of my “must read” authors. My first Soto experience was with Not Another Love Song, and I was immediately hooked. I was curious to see how her YA thriller would be in comparison.
The Thrashers did not disappoint! Think of the 80s cult classic Heathers mixed with the vibe of Final Destination. Many students hate the popular group, The Thrashers, and have stories to tell about being thrashed. Some people, however, are dying to be a part of the group. After one student takes her life while attempting to connect with her idols, questions arise about the group’s connections to her and to their classmates. Were they the cause of her mental wellbeing? Or did she carefully construct plans to lead to their demise?
The level of tension for this ya thriller was chef’s kiss! Who can I trust? What’s the real story about the friend dynamics? What kind of Final Destination haunting is happening next? Soto threw in a gentle kindling of a slowburn, which I was definitely here for. Enemies to Lovers anyone? It was such a gripping read that I had a hard time putting it down. The ending, however, is what made this a 5 stars read for me. To be able to completely shift the possible motives within a couple relationships, left me with so many questions…in the best way possible. I absolutely loved the ending!
Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, MacMillan Audio, NetGalley, and Julie Soto for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Julie Soto has done it once again.

At this point, Julie Soto can write a book in any genre, and it’s going to be a banger. Her writing style adapts so well, and she’s able to immerse herself in a way that feels so organic, like she’s been writing in this specific genre for years.

The Thrashers follows a group of friends (nicknamed "The Thrashers" by their peers) after the death of one of their classmates. When they are accused of being involved in her death, we learn more about each of the characters and the secrets they’re hiding, even from each other.

This book was so addictive, I quite literally didn’t want to put it down. I was always itching to keep reading because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Throughout my time reading, I was constantly coming up with different theories about where the story was going and when certain plot points would be revealed. It kind of felt like I was playing Clue, but I was playing against Julie.

This book was written in such an intentional way. The pacing wasn’t too slow or too fast and emphasized all the right details to help further the plot along. The time jumps, flashbacks, and journal entries were all used expertly, and it never felt confusing or out of place.

I’ve never seen such a perfect depiction of high school teenagers. Sometimes you’ll read a YA book and the teens are acting like full-grown adults, but not here. Julie Soto captured the insecurity and awkwardness that perfectly encapsulates the teenage experience. I spent most of the book being like, “Oh, that was so me,” any time these characters did literally anything.

Julie, are we getting a sequel? That ending definitely makes me think we are and thank God, because I really want one!

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for gifting me an early copy of this book before its official release.

A JS book I enjoyed?! Color me shocked since her romance books are not my jam. The Thrashers was definitely a pleasant surprise.

If you’ve read any other JS books, it won’t take you many pages into this one to know it runs on an entirely different wavelength. It’s sort of a juvenile mystery. It had a lot of character names right off the bat which confused me. I don’t mind reading YA but I did find this one pretty juvenile and it didn’t hold my interest. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

Every high school has a small clique of rich kids that lacks self-awareness of their impact on their teen peers, but most of them don’t result in the death of a classmate and a police investigation into their treatment of others. Rife with impulsive, devil-may-care teen actions and attitudes, friends doubting friends - and themselves, and accusations galore, this book is a wild ride. Jodi’s introspection leads her to an awareness she never wanted; will it lead her into danger or just distrust? It won’t take you long to find out because you will not put this book down until you are done.

Just as an fyi in case you are not into it, there was a surprise supernatural element in the book that does not detract from the overall story telling but does play a role.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, Netgalley, and the author for early access to this thriller.

Amazing work! Julie does a great job with her books. This is her first YA book and I absolutely loved it. Great story line and sucked me right in.