This is an intense, atmospheric read that draws you in with its compelling storyline and layered mystery. Fans of 13 Reasons Why or A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder will feel right at home with its gritty academic vibes and morally gray characters. While the plot follows a somewhat predictable path, it still manages to keep you engaged with steady pacing and drama that doesn’t let up. There’s enough tension and twists to satisfy without straying into overcomplication, making it a solid and entertaining read.

That said, the ending had me side-eyeing the book for a moment. I was initially annoyed at how everything wrapped up—like it was just a little too tidy, too convenient—but then came the epilogue, and it changes everything. It forced me to mentally rewind the whole story, rethinking character motivations and events with a new lens. That final twist didn’t just redeem the ending—it elevated the entire book. Four stars, easily. Maybe even 4.5, if I’m being generous.

ALC 🎧📖 Review: The Thrashers by Julie Soto
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I had so much fun with this YA thriller! I thought the twist was a tad predictable, but the journey to get there was filled with toxic friendships, lies, and betrayal. What more could you need? Highly recommend checking this one out when it publishes May 6th!

Thank you, @netgalley and @macmillan.audio, for this ALC in exchange for an honest review!

📓✏️📝

The Thrashers rule New Helvetia High, and Jodi Dillon doesn’t fit in—except she’s childhood friends with Zack Thrasher. When wannabe member Emily dies, dark secrets surface. As creepy events unfold, Jodi must choose: protect her friends or herself—because Emily may not be gone for good.

#advancedlisteningcopy #audiobookreview #read #audiobooks #booksbooksbooks #reader #bookish #books #booklover #bookworm #netgalley #book

I had the ALC for the The Thrashers by Julie Soto, narrated by Eva Kaminsky; Jesse Vilinsky and I really enjoyed this book. This is Julie Soto's first YA thriller and visually - I could see it. This will make a great film. Five close friends referred to as the Thrashers after the last name of Zack, one of their group. Zack, Julian, Lucy, Paige and Jodi are the Thrashers. Popular, sophisticated and rich, well, everyone except for Jodi. They had just finished their junior year and it was prom. A sophomore that had been trying to hang out with them all year killed herself on prom night and everyone blames the Thrashers. The police are investigating them. Bullying for all the Thrashers and statutory rape for Zack. They are all getting weird text messages and overhead street lights flicker on and off. So, what really happened? Where is Emily's phone? Where is her diary?

This was a fast paced read and I gobbled it up. What is friendship and popularity? We are getting this story from Jodi's pov, and she questions everything. Especially her own self worth. Really well done. The narration by Eva Kaminsky; Jesse Vilinsky is excellent. Teen-agers, adults all voiced to perfection and really kept the story hurtling to its conclusion.

Thank you to Net Galley and MacMillan Audio for my ALC. This book releases April 29, 2025.

After devouring Forget Me Not and Not Another Love Story, Julie Soto became an instant auto-buy author for me. I've adored everything she's written. When I heard about The Thrashers, I was beyond excited. And let me tell you, she did not disappoint.

The story centers on Jodi Dillon, a girl on the fringes of the elite high school clique, the Thrashers. She never truly feels like she belongs, and her outsider status becomes increasingly precarious following the tragic suicide of Emily Mills, a classmate who desperately sought acceptance into the group.

As the investigation into Emily's death unfolds, tension escalates. The discovery of Emily's journal, filled with unsettling accusations, casts suspicion on the Thrashers and thrusts Jodi into the spotlight. Then come the anonymous messages and the eerie coincidences. Is someone messing with them? Is it guilt or paranoia? Or is Emily not as gone as they thought?

The Thrashers is the best YA thriller since A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. Soto masterfully blends psychological suspense with the complexities of teenage social dynamics. The uncertainty keeps you on edge, questioning what's real and imagined.

I especially loved Soto's character work. They are deeply flawed and morally ambiguous, and some are deliciously creepy. Soto's skillful writing made me care about them regardless, especially Jodi and Julian. I was invested in their fates even as I questioned their choices.

The audiobook was so good. Eva Kaminsky and Jesse Vilinsky's narration captures the fear and creepiness perfectly.

I listened to this in one sitting—I couldn't put it down. The ending left me in shock; my mouth was agape. I can't recommend it enough.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for gifted copies in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a good bingeable read. It gave Pretty Little Liars meets I Know What You Did Last Summer vibes, and I was into it from the start. I love when thrillers include journal entries, and the drama within the friend group was wild. The paranormal twist was unexpected but done really well. If you’re into fast-paced YA thrillers with secrets, this is one to check out… it definitely got me out of my reading slump!

This book was so fun and easy to binge. I think YA thrillers are my favorite kind of thrillers. I just love the teenage drama, the easy yet twisty stories, the characters, the mystery. I liked that no character seemed all good or all bad, and I really liked the supernatural element. I have been thinking about the epilogue since I finished!

I listened to most of it and the audiobook is superb.

This was good!! I love YA thriller/mysteries like AGGGTM and this really delivered on that end. I wanted something engaging and mindless because I felt a slump coming on. This book kept me hooked and I truly didn't know how things would turn out! All of the characters were so unique and frustrating but I ate up the drama. Could also relate so much to the FMC feeling like the overlooked, afterthought friend!! Ouch!! Everyone was connected somehow and the relationships were so complex that I couldn't look away. I listened to about half of this on audio and REALLY enjoyed the audio! Highly recommend when this releases. Julie Soto can basically write any genre she wants and I admire her so much for that. This was twisty, engaging, and filled with drama. At times it maybe felt a bit long but I enjoyed my time!! Thank you to the publisher for the eARC and ALC <3

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I have heard so much about Julie Soto's romances and was really intrigued when I saw this YA thriller from her. Her writing and this story did not disappoint. Her writing is addictive and hard to put down.

This story gets started right away and we are thrust into a dark and mysterious high school story about friendship and obsession. There are a lot of highly sensitive topics discussed in this story (including the opening!!) so please look up trigger warnings before diving into this.

I don’t read many thrillers, but if Julie Soto writes it, you know I’m picking it up—and this one completely delivered. It’s a YA thriller that grabs you from the very first page and keeps you guessing the entire way through.

At its core, this story is a sharp and thoughtful look at friendship—especially the kind that forms in high school and the complicated, sometimes painful, cost that can come with it. Jodi has been best friends with Zack Thrasher since second grade, but she's always felt like she’s hovering on the edge of his inner circle, a tight-knit group known as The Thrashers.

Things take a chilling turn when Emily Mills—who is desperate to be part of that friend group—dies under mysterious circumstances. Her journal, filled with unsettling entries, hints at secrets and events that may have led to her death… and once it surfaces, strange things start to happen. Emily might be gone, but she’s definitely not finished.

The story weaves in subtle paranormal elements that give it an eerie edge, and I loved how the tension slowly built as more secrets came to light. You’re never quite sure who to trust, or what’s really going on—and that’s part of what makes it so gripping.

The audiobook narration is fantastic. Eva Kaminsky and Jesse Vilinsky do such a great job embodying the characters and really bring out the emotional weight and tension of the story. They even weave in Emily’s voice periodically, which adds just the right amount of creepy atmosphere—it gave me chills in the best way.

Julie Soto does such an incredible job capturing the vulnerability of being a teen: the need to belong, the fear of being left out, and how the choices you make—even the ones that seem small—can leave lasting marks.

When Emily Mills dies on prom night, it's ruled a suicide. Her family believes she had been harassed by a popular teen crowd at school, the Thrashers, and they pursue legal action. Meanwhile, the Thrashers believe they are being wrongfully targeted. As if legal troubles aren't a big enough threat to their senior year and college plans, the group begins to receive strange texts from an unknown number that knows too much. Then, mysterious and dangerous accidents begin to follow the teens wherever they go. Are the Thrashers as threatening as they're made out to be, or were things more complicated than they seemed with the alleged victim?

This YA thriller dives deep into the complications of teenage friendship and social hierarchy and there are several heavy topics covered including rape, addiction, obsession, stalking, suicide, and loss of family. I felt Soto handled these topics with respect, and I did not find them overly triggering as presented (and I'm a sensitive soul). Soto does a wonderful job writing from the perspectives of teens with the ups and downs of friendship, love interests, and pressure to build toward a future outside of school.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced listening copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I downloaded it blindly, and being new to the author and I really enjoyed it! The audio narration was very well done. The narrator highlighted the emotions of each scene and transitioned between voices subtly but effectively. I would recommend this book in print or audio format!

The Thrashers is like a mash-up of One of Us Is Lying with a hint of 13 Reasons Why—equal parts gripping mystery and teenage angst. Julie Soto knows how to reel you in, and this one had me hooked from the first page.

The story follows Jodie, the outsider in a rich, “It kids” friend group known as the Thrashers. She's constantly battling her own insecurities, terrified of being left out, and harboring an obsession with the group’s golden boy, Zach. But when a school outcast, Emily, dies by suicide—and the Thrashers are the only suspects—Jodie starts digging. What follows is a suspenseful unraveling of lies, guilt, and the haunting reality of how cruel teenagers can be.

There's so much delicious drama here—scheming, backstabbing, and tension bubbling under every interaction. Soto doesn’t shy away from dark topics like suicide, rape, and bullying, weaving them into a story that feels disturbingly real. The mystery is layered, and the emotional weight hits hard, especially as Jodie starts to reckon with her own role in the tragedy.

That said, it was frustrating at times to watch Jodie more fixated on her social standing than the gravity of Emily’s death. Her growth feels a bit delayed, and by the end, I was still questioning the choice she makes in the final moments.

Audiobook:
Jesse Vilinsky and Eva Kaminsky elevate this story in a big way. Vilinsky perfectly captures Jodie’s vulnerability, insecurity, and inner conflict, making her voice feel authentic and emotionally raw. Kaminsky brings depth and variation to the secondary perspectives, especially in scenes heavy with tension or moral ambiguity. Their performances added so much texture and intensity—it felt like I was living inside Jodie’s mind and the halls of that high school. If you're an audiobook fan, this one is definitely worth the listen.

Still, this was a wild ride—a fast-paced, intense, and emotionally tangled thriller that kept me turning pages late into the night. If you're into messy friendships, morally gray characters, and suspenseful teen dramas, The Thrashers will absolutely pull you in.

I really enjoyed both the story and the narrator. The book was suspenseful and had lots a twists and turns! It was a great twist of suspense and mystery and thriller and paranormal with a touch of romance! A great older YA novel!

It took me a while to get into the story but eventually it got really interesting and I was curious how the story would resolve. The epilogue blew my mind!

This was a fun YA mysterious/paranormal read à la Heathers, Mean Girls, and Pretty Little Liars. If you enjoy those, you will LOVE this book.

The narrator for the audiobook is engaging and interesting to listen to. She did a great job! In fact, I recommend listening over reading.

The Thrashers is Julie Soto’s first venture into YA and it doesn’t disappoint. A thriller with some twists and turns that I didn’t see, it was a satisfying read that posed some interesting questions about friendship, bullying and even the supernatural. I enjoyed the character development, although I felt like some side characters could’ve been taken further. Soto’s normal writing style is clearly present, and her surprises hit the same as some of her other works. I didn’t love the emphasis on ghosts/afterlife presence personally, but it wasn’t a major barrier to the overall narrative. Great first thriller from a fav author! Note: I received an ARC from the publisher but this is an independent review.

The picture painted of this high school setting, this group of friends and the entire community was so well done I can picture it in almost any suburban small town. The hook of the story is pretty intense, and I caution the reader about the initial shock of a suicide. (This is not a spoiler, as it is in the description.) However, I could not put this book down. The group of five Thrashers- Zack, Jodi, Julian, Paige and Lucy are the popular kids that everyone envies. With that envy comes jealously. Unfortunately, Emilly gets caught up in her own emotional game with them that doesn't end well. Lots of secrets amongst the friends cause trust issues and often make the characters ruin perfectly good relationships. As the reader you are sort of screaming at them from afar- No! It's not true. :)
The other impressive layer of this story is the supernatural vibe. The flickering lights, the unexplained texts and the use of fortune tellers. I found this very creative and cool way to have the deceased have a voice. With criminal accusations and senior year on the horizon this story has some serious consequences.

Topics: friendship, high school, parental abuse, suicide, trust, secrets, bullying, hazing, mediums
Recommended: high school and above with the caution of the suicide trigger
book alike: One of Us is Lying by K. Mcmanus

#netgallery #Thrashers

Narrator was great, very intriguing plot, and shocked by the final reveal of everything. Ending wrapped up things nicely

I already reviewed this - but the audiobook was even more phenomenal. Boosted this book to 6 stars wow!

I am forever blown away with how Julie completely captivates her reader across all different genres. This book keeps you hooked on the edge of your seat and is so fast paced. I thought this book had the perfect combination of suspense and mystery and the twist definitely took me by surprise.
The high school dynamics felt so realistic to me - Julie captured that unique "high school friend group" relationships and the feeling of never really "fitting in."
Overall it was giving pretty little liars in the best way possible. Will recommend this story to anyone who will listen to me and I cannot wait to see what she give us next!

This book was SO good in my opinion.  As of late, most of the young adult mysteries that I have read have been disappointing me, and I just wanted something fun and exciting.  The Thrashers totally fit that bill.  I really enjoyed the premise of the book, with Jodi feeling on the outskirts of her friends and also dealing with the repercussions of Emily taking her own life.  

Jodi's particular perspective of someone being on the outskirts of a friend group is something that is really relatable to me.  I have been there, and so I am definitely predisposed to relate to that kind of character and empathise with them.  There were other aspects of Jodi's story that I didn't relate to as much, but on the whole she was an incredible empathetic character.  She was very well-developed, and I found her motivations and actions understandable.

The execution of the story was fantastic.  I thought that it would be mostly written in Jodi's perspective, but we also got some snippets from Emily.  The novel opens and closes in her perspective, which added a very unique flavour to the story.  We also got excerpts from the journal that was the basis of the case against Jodi's friends.  It really helped to bring Emily to life as a character.

I ended up listening to an audio ARC of the story, and I found myself wanting to do nothing but listen to it.  I wanted to know what was going to happen next, and what would happen to the characters.  They each had great depths to them.  What I didn't expect at all were the supernatural elements that were included.  I don't want to say too much here, but they were definitely a fun twist.

On the whole, I found this to be a super compelling, super interesting mystery.  I highly recommend it.

Ahhhh! Such a sucker for YA Thrillers &&& this was fantastic! Such a great genre debut! I found The Thrashers to twisty & super fun. While it did cover some heavy topics I think it was done well, I really enjoyed the twists, that final one really got me! & I was surprised how much I enjoyed the super natural aspect! The audio was also fantastic! The narrator did a wonder job & really enjoyed the way she did the “party” scenes!

Julie Soto delivers another sharp and emotionally charged story with The Thrashers. The characters are complex and flawed in all the right ways, and the tension—both romantic and situational—keeps you hooked. 4 out of 5 stars 🌟