This YA thriller about a popular group in high school that faces scrutiny after the suicide of a classmate might sound like a story you've heard before, but this book takes you to entirely new places. Julie Soto perfectly captures the desire to belong, to be included, as well as the idiocy of teenagers, while still humanizing many of their mistakes. It's a fun ride, despite some unevenness in the storytelling, with a shock ending that is worth every minute of read time.

I’m gonna be completely honest that I don’t even know where to begin with my review of this book. I spent some majority of the book trying to figure out what was going on and what was happening, but that same confusion is what kept me turning the pages and determined to figure it out. So in that sense, the book was completely engaging. The story about a young girl who has taken her own life because she is bullied by the group of popular kids is a tale as old as time. What makes this different is that one of the members of the popular group has a conscience and finally has her eyes opened to what the rest of the world already sees. It has an interesting supernatural element that you’re never really sure if it is real or not and as the true colors of the various characters, come out, you realize that not any of them are people you’d want to be friends with or would want your child to be friends with. As someone who teaches high school students the meanness of teenagers is never far out of my world and this book really drives home how mean kids can be to others. I definitely felt like the book was a little too long, but that seems to be the standard with YA books these days, it seems that there has been a recent trend of adults, reading these books, and so I think the authors have changed their writing to do that, and I wish that they would not, because my students who are reluctant readers who might really enjoy this book are not going to sit down to read a 400 page book. I definitely will be buying this one for my classroom if only because I want some students to read it so I can talk to them about it.

I’m sure this book will be for others, but it was not for me.

What I liked:

It was a quick read

What didn’t work for me:

To be honest, I was so bored for this entire book. I didn’t care about the characters, the mystery, the plot - all of it was not for me.

I was not shocked at all by the ending, which is odd for me. I never see twists coming, but I saw this one from a mile away.

The pacing felt a bit off at times

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are entirely my own.

First, Julie Soto, the author that you are…once again, another fantastic read!!

This is pretty different from my normal reads and I almost wasn’t sure if I would even enjoy it before I picked it up. I was promptly proven wrong and all preconceived notions of this book went out the window. I was incredibly addicted to this and I finished it within 24 hours!

The writing flowed very well and the dialogue felt incredibly natural. It truly felt like a real group of friends interacting and incredibly well-written in the perspective of teenagers in high school. The dynamics were perfect and the drama felt incredibly realistic. Some parts of the relationships felt frustrating and annoying to read but, this honestly added to the plot as it felt true to how a teenager would reason through things if in a similar situation.

There was about 1% of a romantic subplot and I am already banging my head against a wall for there not having any more. I needed more of the chemistry and relationship than I got and I’m pretty sad about there only being that tiny part of it within the book.

Also, the ending is superb. I was not expecting it and I felt I just got whiplash reading it. I think there absolutely needs a sequel because I have so many questions I need answers to.

Conclusion: everyone should run and preorder this so we can get a sequel!

Another 5 star read!

I consider this book an absolute must read. Once the plot got going it had me feeling all kinds of ways and wanting to know what would happen next. Think Veronica Mars level of teen drama and mystery. The best part - you won't be able to predict the ending! I still have chills thinking about it. My only wish now is that there is a sequel. Enjoy!

Thank you St Martins Press, Wednesday Books, and Net Galley for this ARC.
Very high 4 stars for this read! It was so spooky and reminded me of Pretty Little Liars in all the best ways. I truly did not know where it was going and the supernatural elements kept me guessing.

Julie Soto’s The Thrashers is a rollercoaster of twists and turns that kept me on my toes from start to finish. Just when I thought I had a handle on where things were going, the story would shift in an entirely unexpected direction. The way she plays with the “is it or is it not paranormal activity” element is masterful—just enough eerie moments to make you question everything, but never so much that it feels over-the-top. And the characters! Jodi, Emily, and Julian are all so well-developed, each with their own complexities and emotional arcs that made them feel completely real. Their relationships, struggles, and growth had me fully invested. This may be a hot take, but I could NOT stand Zack. I found him childish and emotionally immature.

That being said, I’ll admit the first twenty pages were a bit slow for me, but once the story found its rhythm, I was hooked. And that ending? I had to close the book and take a moment to process. Without spoiling anything, let’s say my jaw was on the floor. I would love to see a bonus epilogue someday to know what happens next after THAT EPILOGUE. Julie Soto delivers an unforgettable reading experience that blends suspense, character depth, and a touch of the supernatural in a way that feels fresh and unpredictable. If you love a book that keeps you guessing until the very last page, this one is definitely worth picking up.

I could not put this down-just kept turning pages faster and faster to see what happened until way too early in the morning. The characters held my attention with their actions because they read like real young adults, slang and poor decisions included. I would recommend this to multiple ages. Teens and adults will enjoy working through the events of the evening in question.

Julie Soto’s The Thrashers is a rollercoaster of twists and turns that kept me on my toes from start to finish. Just when I thought I had a handle on where things were going, the story would shift in an entirely unexpected direction. The way she plays with the “is it or is it not paranormal activity” element is masterful—just enough eerie moments to make you question everything, but never so much that it feels over-the-top. And the characters! Jodi, Emily, and Julian are all so well-developed, each with their own complexities and emotional arcs that made them feel completely real. Their relationships, struggles, and growth had me fully invested. This may be a hot take, but I could NOT stand Zack. I found him childish and emotionally immature.

That being said, I’ll admit the first twenty pages were a bit slow for me, but once the story found its rhythm, I was hooked. And that ending? I literally had to close the book and take a moment to process. Without spoiling anything, let’s just say my jaw was on the floor. Julie Soto delivers an unforgettable reading experience that blends suspense, character depth, and a touch of the supernatural in a way that feels fresh and unpredictable. If you love a book that keeps you guessing until the very last page, this one is definitely worth picking up.

I LOVED this book! It’s giving I know what you did last summer but PG and I’m obsessed. I loved all the vibes and characters. They all felt real which doesn’t always happen for me with YA books. But they felt like teens just trying to get through the shit you know?

First thank you to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, the author and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

It's no secret that I'm a huge Julie Soto fan, so when I heard she was dipping her toe in the thriller genre I was really excited. I'm not sure if it was because this is a YA, but this book didn't hit for me the way I wanted it to. I enjoyed the story overall, but the pacing and characters were a little all over the place for me.

We follow a group of friends through summer break and their senior year, after an acquaintance of theirs has taken her own life. There are lots of small twists and turns, but no major GOTCHA moments for me.

Overall, if you're a fan of Julie and a fan of thrillers, I would recommend this for a quick fun read.

Julie Soto always delivers, and the Thrashers proves it. She can get me to read absolutely anything because she will always give you incredible character dynamics and vibrating tension.

This keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Jodi and her friends, The “Thrashers”, are best friends, but have a reputation. When Emily dies on prom night, the Thrashers face their own demons while being accused of causing Emily’s death. Themes people-pleasing, insecurity, hard home lives and friendship make you want to keep reading and reading until the end.

I finished this book in an unhealthy amount of time 😅, but I absolutely could not put it down. The Thrashers is about a popular group of teens and a girl who wanted to be one of them and subsequently dies. Her journal is recovered by the police and secrets are revealed. I absolutely love Juli’s writing style. The stakes were high, the plot was twisty, and the characters were neither “good” nor “bad”. The romance subplot was unexpected, but I really enjoyed the dynamic. Also the epilogue left my jaw on the floor and I absolutely need a sequel. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the ARC.

I am a slow reader and I haven't slept in 24 hours. This book captivated my attention completely, making it impossible for me to set it aside. This genre is perfectly suited for Julie, and each page had me on the edge of my seat in suspense.

Julie is my favorite author and I will absolutely devour anything she writes. I am not a mystery/thriller reader but this was PERFECT. The balance of adolescence with real adult situations was perfect. The characters exhibited a high degree of relatability, with Jodi being particularly complex and expertly crafted, making her a character in which you can easily find reflections of oneself. JULIAN FOR THE WIN! The subtle inclusion of the paranormal element was both surprising and thoroughly engaging.

"Either you're in or you're out." I am in!

I extend my gratitude to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for supplying this book in return for an honest review.

This is normally not a genre i read but I was intrigued and decided to give it a shot and I’m glad that I did. This book was pretty good and it had me on my toes the whole time. I couldn’t guess things that were happening because it was not predictable. I didn’t like that Jodi was so gullible though. The ending was hilarious and now I kind of want to a book from Julian’s POV being haunted by Emily.

This is normally not a genre i read but I was intrigued and decided to give it a shot and I’m glad that I did. This book was pretty good and it had me on my toes the whole time. I couldn’t guess things that were happening because it was not predictable. I didn’t like that Jodi was so gullible though. The ending was hilarious and now I kind of want to a book from Julian’s POV being haunted by Emily.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book blew me away- I got so invested I didn't move for over 3 straight hours reading this book. I abandoned all responsibilities and people to figure out how this book would end. It was that good. I didn't know what to expect with this being YA, but did it deliver.

This book follows a group of 5 friends in the aftermath of a fellow student's death. Some say suspicious circumstances, some say tragic loss. The Thrashers are there to get to the bottom of this mystery. Between ghost appearances and bullying, this book has it all. I cannot stress enough how much I loved and adored this book. I cannot wait to read what Julie writes next.

Wow this really delivered. Went above and beyond my expectations - especially with this being YA! It’s a thriller/mystery with some flavors of horror and romance mixed in, which makes this so well-balanced for me. Felt like a cross between Good Girls Guide to Murder and Pretty Little Liars, but with a lot of added depth to the plot, characters, and more powerful themes of insecurity, bullying, and self-awareness. The vibes were so eerie and enticing, the hauntings of Emily are palpable and full of tension, the twists were twisting, and the romance subplot was superbly done (this is how you do slow burn and yearning!).It was completely addictive from start to finish, no lulls or filler, and I could not put it down. My only complaint would be that I wish it was longer, but at the same time I also loved how the ending is abrupt and leaves you dangling a bit. Overall, the writing style is just so inviting and I am so excited to go read the rest of Julie Soto’s books!

4.5/5

And huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review

OMG! This book is a haunting YA mystery full of twists and turns that no one could see coming. "The Thrashers" follows a group of high schoolers as they navigate their senior year while being haunted by a peer's suicide (TW). One part "Pretty Little Liars", one part "Nancy Drew" (the TV show) and one part character study, delving into the intricacy of high school friendships and cliques. Exhilarating and my new obsession, "The Thrashers" is a must-read!
Also, I need/demand a sequel with Jodi and Julian STAT.
4.5/5 stars