The Thrashers

I really enjoyed this book! I listened to it on audio and the narrators did a wonderful job!This book follows Jodi Dillon, who is apart of "the Thrashers", what everyone calls her friend group. This group of five teenagers are the clique that everyone wants to be a part of. But now a girl has died and her journal implicates the Thrashers. It seems that this girl seems to be haunting the fantastic five. Or could it be a coincidence that the lights flash, dreams are nightmares and anonymous texts are incoming?This was a fun read. It definitely will bring back to your high school cliques. Not sure if this is a good or bad thing. It definitely made me thankful to be out of high school. It is very bingeable. If you are a fan of the Heathers movie or the show Pretty Little Liars, then you will love this book! . The characters are morally grey (some are even more black then gray). The story is fast-paced with twists and turns and full of tension. There is definitely YA thriller vibes. While I did enjoy this book and the ending, I would have liked a little more clarity in regards to some of the reveals.Eva Kaminsky and Jesse Vilinsky were amazing on audio. I definitely recommend the audio for this one!Read if you like:-YA thrillers-Pretty Little Liar/Heathers vibes-DRAMA-Paranormal-Bullying

Just as the title says. It’s only 4 stars because there was a second mystery that was teased and mentioned but never fully finished.

Julian Hollister stole the show for me. OMG! This was hauntingly freaky YA character driven can’t put this down kind of book. I mean I have read two other books by Julie Soto and I really hope she had intentions of writing dozens more because she is a fantastic writer. She grips you into her stories and you can’t stop turning the pages when you start. Who needs sleep. To think I almost skipped this one because it was about high schoolers.Was hesitant with a YA genre and wasn’t sure as I read some paranormal was included and that’s just not my thing. However reading about Jodi and her navigating her friendships and her worries of shortcomings and lack of self esteem are all human traits that I enjoy reading about and rooting for. There were times when Jodi annoyed me. But the real star of the book is actually Julian Hollister for me.Spoilers here:What was the obsession with Zach the constant idolizing of him was what annoyed me about Jodi. She also had bad self pity moments that worked my nerves at times. I also wanted to shake her. I knew there was more to Julien then what met the eye in the beginning. The guy covered her with his own body at the drive in to protect her. That told me he had his flaws but he was the more sincere one of the pack. Hello how many times did he ride to her rescue. These two were everything.It left me feeling sad that Julian seemed to be truly the only one that paid for Emily and not the others. In the end he wasn’t perfect but he told it like it was. If there isn’t a follow up one day I would like to think he and Jodi somehow stay together in the future overcoming Emily.Either way this story will haunt me for a while. What a twisted ending.

Could not put this down. What a wild ride this was. Not much else I can say!! Still need to process what I just read…

This was different than what I usually go for, but it’s Julie Soto so I had to read it. YA isn’t my favorite genre either. That all being said, I enjoyed it.

I will read anything by this author!!!This book hooked me by the first line. I loved Julie’s romance books but wasn’t sure how things would go when she switched to a thriller. But she did not disappoint! This book is sooo good!!!And that ending….Add this to your TBR immediately!!!

It’s going to stick with me, the twists, the revelations and all the crazy moments. This book and audio kept me wishing I had unlimited time to finish the book quicker because I needed the resolution. I needed to see just how this crazy story ended. It was worth it.

This book had me hooked from the very beginning. The story was so engaging that I stayed up late listening to the audiobook — I just couldn’t put it down! The suspense, the secrets, and the atmosphere kept me guessing the whole time. Julie Soto did an amazing job with the characters and pacing. Highly recommend if you love YA thrillers with a dark, twisty vibe.

(4.5⭐️)This just might be my favorite YA thriller to date.Julie Soto just doesn’t miss and I wouldn’t even be mad if this book got a sequel.That epilogue- WOW! Absolutely did not see it coming and I absolutely need more.This one definitely gives Pretty Little Liars vibes and as someone who was obsessed with that show, it really kept me engaged throughout the whole book.The paranormal activities intertwined made it nearly impossible to want to put this down.Each character’s complexity was perfect for the story. They all had their own secrets and it made the drama SO GOOD.Plus a little slow burn romance mixed in as well? Perfect. I was eating it up.I absolutely recommend picking this up ASAP.

Loved the character development and the twist at the end. Three were a few story lines that all.came together nicely.

Take a deep dive into the social dynamics of the high school social elite group “The Thrashers” in this YA thriller. Jodi, Zack, Julian, Paige, and Lucy navigate their senior year after losing a classmate. The drama, suspense, heartbreak, and paranormal activity that accompanies them will keep you on the edge of your seat and questioning what the real truth is.

Young adult usually isn't what I like to read. This book was very well done though. It was interesting to watch and learn the secrets of all the different characters. The book starts and ends with a bang. Very well done. I really enjoyed this story

I haven’t read a YA or a thriller in such a long time so having both of these combined in one book was an absolute pleasure because it was such a fun book to read! This is my first full length novel by this author, I’ve read MANY of her fanfiction writings and they are truly top tier, and I knew this would be just as good as, if not better. And to no surprise, it was. There was a plethora of secrets and a ton of mystery sewn in throughout this book. It kept me guessing the entire time, which I absolutely love about thrillers. It took me a little bit to get into it after the first few chapters but once I did, I was thoroughly sucked into it. I read from chapter 5 on in one sitting.That epilogue.. SO GOOD! And I really want more. I highly recommend this if you’re looking for an intriguing, easy, filled with mystery, suspense, and something different.P.s. I would thoroughly enjoy a romance book between Jodi and Julian. PLEASE AND THANK YOU!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was a wild ride—and I mean that in the best way. It was full of drama, secrets, and characters who are messy in a very real, very teenage way. If you love thrillers where you're never quite sure who to trust (or what to believe), this one’s for you.Jodi is the outsider on the inside—she doesn’t quite fit in with the rich, popular kids at New Helvetia High, but her childhood friendship with Zack Thrasher earns her a spot in their group. When a girl desperate to join the Thrashers ends up dead, the drama explodes. There’s a journal. There’s a possible haunting. And there are way more secrets than anyone’s ready to admit.What hooked me most—besides trying to figure out who did it—was wondering if something supernatural was going on. I was second-guessing everything, and I loved it. The pacing is quick, the chapters are short, and the tension never lets up.No, this isn’t a book that reinvents the genre. But I don’t need every book to be groundbreaking. What I want is to be entertained, and this one delivered that in full. I was fully invested, and it gave me exactly what I hoped it would: drama, tension, and the satisfaction of a story that knew exactly what it was doing. It’s sharp, moody, and fun in the way teen thrillers are meant to be.People often dismiss YA like it’s just fluff, but this book proves otherwise. These stories can hit hard, feel real, and be every bit as gripping as adult thrillers. These characters feel things deeply and make huge mistakes—just like real teens do. It captures the pressure of wanting to belong, even when that belonging might destroy you.If you're into Euphoria-level friend group chaos with a side of suspense and maybe-ghosts, you’ll fly through this one.Will it change your life? Probably not. Will you stay up way too late needing to know what happens next? 100% yes.

Jodi Dillon, Julian Hollister, Lucy Reed, Paige Montgomery, and the infamous Zach Thrasher make up the elite friend group, The Thrashers, at New Helvetia High School. Once Emily Mills dies on prom night, the Thrashers are under investigation for her death.If you enjoyed Pretty Little Liars, 13 Reasons Why or One Tree Hill this is a book I would recommend to you! You will get mysterious text messages, Emily Mills’ journal and characters that reminded me of Lucas/Nathan.

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!

I wasn’t sure where this story was in the beginning. It wasn’t until at about 50% that I couldn’t put the book down. I had to know what was happening. This was my first Julie Soto book, but it won’t be my last. This story was well written, left me hanging and had my jaw on the floor with that ending, I’m hoping we get another book about the thrashers soon.

Jodi Dillion is a bad ass! This book sucked me in from the first chapter. The story follows a group of friends called the thrashers and a dead girl named Emily. Emily was thrashed and took her own life leading the friend group into a whirlwind of possession/seances and final destination like situations. This is a perfect thriller/horror novel. If you like supernatural elements and mystery with a touch of romance you will love this! The final chapters had me so stunned!

I don't typically read YA, but I love Julie Soto and will read whatever she puts out. Naturally, I loved this book and really hope she continues it with a sequel!

THE THRASHERS is a twisty and riveting YA thriller. The story follows Jodi, an upcoming senior, who has always belonged in the elite group of friends that circle Zack Thrasher - and as a result are known as The Thrashers. She never felt like she quite fit in with the group, but her unrequited feelings for Zack and their best friendship has been going strong since second grade. Emily, a girl in the grade below, desperately wanted to be in their group, and after a bad rejection, her death became a focal point for the media, the school, and the police.Accused of criminal bullying and potentially other crimes too, the Thrashers are stretched thin. Unsure what is true or not, Jodi is not sure how to feel about the people around her, but they are her only friends. With Emily seemingly haunting them from beyond the grave, their friendships are feeling thin.What I loved: This was a slow-building thriller that became riveting about halfway into the story. Although I planned just to read a few pages there close to bedtime, I ended up finishing the whole book, staying up late - it was unputdownable! Jodi's perspective takes a central focalpoint throughout the story with her emotions running high as she begins to reevaluate her friendships and what matters to her. At the same time, she is also struggling with her father at home and his alcoholism/mood swings. Jodi's journey is ultimately one of character growth and coming-of-age as she evaluates what she wants out of life and relationships.Themes around cliques/bullying, complicated friendship and family relationships, addiction, abuse, grief/loss, and obsession are all really thought-provoking. There are some very heavy topics in the book, so this ends up being a pretty emotionally challenging at times. There is also a potential paranormal element to the story which creates some great suspense and some twists at the end.The main characters (The Thrashers themselves) were all compelling characters. While they at first seem like caricatures, their personalities and sometimes depth grows as the story continues, particularly for Julian who becomes an intriguing and complex character. Others seem more thoughtful and deep at the beginning of the story, but turn out to be more shallow by the end of the book. These insights come as Jodi's opinion of them begins to change, and these transformations also reflect her personal growth throughout the book.What left me wanting more: There are some major, heavy topics that were not entirely handled or not handled well in the book, such as around revelations that come out of Jodi's background (being vague to avoid spoilers). A therapist would be so helpful, or at least someone to give some insight and help with her mental health - even just the suggestion so that YA readers could know some options. There are not a lot of great examples for how to encounter this and other difficult things for teens who might also experience them, including alcohol/drug use, assault, and death.Final verdict: THE THRASHERS is a twisty, riveting YA thriller that I would recommend for older teens as it deals with some difficult topics.Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.