Guys... Julie Soto has RANGE. First romance, then romantasy and now a YA thriller? She nailed it, and this was such a fun twist on the classic YA thriller genre.

The pacing did start off slow but picked up around 30% of the way through. The character development of the main cast was really well done, flipping the classic high school clique stereotypes on its head. The conclusion felt quite anticlimactic and a little too open ended for my personal liking but otherwise great. I also cannot BELIEVE that I was rooting for Julian behind the end.

I'm particularly interested in the reaction to this book once it's released. Comparisons to 13 Reasons Why definitely check out but I predict that some people will find this controversial. Personally, I thought the discussion of teen suicide a bullying was handled with nuance and provided a different perspective on the issue.

Thanks so much to Harperfire and netgalley for this e-arc, I am simply obsessed.

5⭐

Thank you Julie Soto and Harper Fire for the ARC!

Let's talk about debuts, especially a YA Thriller debut after writing fanfiction for years and a trad debut being Adult Romance. Julie has expressed multiple times on her social media that it has been daunting and she'd been waiting for this book for years to be published and now it finally gets to see the light!

The Thrashers was an amazing novel. It gave me the same feelings that Holly Jackson's THE REAPPEARANCE OF RACHEL PRICE and A GOOD GIRL'S GUIDE TO MURDER gave me. This book was literally sending chills down my spine and I binge read it in one setting.

The twists and turns were impeccable. Despite knowing so many things early on, there's always more twists and turns left.

The ending . . . let's just say that if we blow this book up, there's a heavy chance we might get justice for a sequel. There's so much space left despite it being a standalone novel and you will not regret reading it. This book will have you flabbergasted by the end. It's an amazing read for thriller and an amazing YA Thriller debut from Julie Soto!

Absolutely brilliant! I had no clue what to expect and even when I thought I knew the potential “mystery” I was proven wrong.
This was such an engaging and addictive read, I flew three the first half in one sitting and finished it the next day.
Elements of the book reminded me of final destination - this story is like a modern day version (with more suspense than actual gore).
Julie is an auto-buy author for me and this proves she can smash any genre!

Thank you to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was delighted to have been picked for a copy of The Thrashers, having been a fan of Julie Soto for years.

The book follows Jodi, a member of the notorious group called The Thrashers, as she tries to navigate both personal and social relationships when The Thrashers are implicated in the suicide of a fellow classmate, and she is forced to confront the demons of her own past.

The Thrashers carries powerful messages about bullying, ostracisation, relationships, and the potential harm that comes from social media. I fully believe that all teenagers should read this book and understand that words can be deadly.

Fans of "Before I Fall" will resonate with The Thrashers.

This book follows a friendship group, notoriously nicknamed The Thrashers, as they are caught up in the police investigation of a suicide at their high school.
As a fan of Julie Soto’s previously published adult romance books, I was sceptical going into this book because I often find that I’m now a little too old for YA and find them cringy. Saying that, I was blown away by this book. I found myself unable to put it down once I’d started reading. Soto has crafted a story that truly has you on the edge of your seat throughout the book as new details emerge. I found myself second guessing each character’s motives at points throughout the book and I was desperate to uncover the truth.
This book has been one of my top reads of the year so far and I would like to extend my thanks to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for the privilege of receiving an advanced copy.

WOW, Julie has done it again! this proves that she can write anything in any genre and make it work.

✨3 stars✨

This was a decent YA thriller.

I found the twists to be quite predictable, especially the ending but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There were other parts that let this book down for me.

Firstly, every single character in this book was so unlikeable! They were supposed to be “friends” but they never acted like it. I don’t understand why the group was named after Zack when he was such an awful person. In the end I found myself not caring about what happened to the characters because none of them had any redeeming qualities!

Secondly, the length. This edition is apparently 480 pages and boy did it feel it! Normally, thrillers are shorter and punchier but this dragged for me.

Thirdly, nowhere in the description I read did it mention there would be paranormal aspects so when they did occur (although I may have missed it so if that’s the case I apologise), I just felt they didn’t add anything to the story. I personally would have much preferred if those bits were cut out.

Overall, I definitely seem to be in the minority in regards to my indifference towards this story. Therefore, if this books sounds like something you like then I would recommend giving it a go. I’m glad loads of other people seem to be liking it.

I received an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

If Julie Soto writes it, I will be the first in line to read it.
This book was so much fun! It had everything you would want in a thriller: plot twists, mystery, tension and betrayals.

From the start of the book, I was addicted to the story and I devoured it in a sitting. It was fast-paced, with a little hint of the paranormal, which I loved.

The cast of characters was phenomenal; there were morally gray characters everywhere.
Jodi was such a great main character; she had this amazing arc of self-discovery, preservation and standing up for what is right.
The tension between Jodi and Julian was so good and had me second guessing myself throughout this book. I really love a slow burn with a little bit of distaste and hostility.

The epilogue had me in shock and it left me wanting more. I would love to read more about the characters in a sequel.

I was hooked from the first page and read this in one evening.

Julie Soto is such an auto-buy author for me, and this is definitely one I will need to add to my collection.

Jodi Dillon is part of the 'Thrashes', an elite friend group named after her childhood best friend. When Emily (who was desperate to join the group) commits suicide, suddenly all eyes are on the Thrashers. And after Emily's diary is discovered and it points to Jodi's friends, she has to make the decision to protect herself or betray her friends .

I won't say too much because the twist and turns are what make this book so incredible. This book covers some difficult topics including suicide, domestic violence, statutory rape and bullying but Julie Soto handles them with such ease and sensitivity, without making it feel unrealistic.

I do have a slight pet peeve around an unreliable narrator but I think in this instance, it worked.

If you're put off because it's YA, I beg you to give it a chance!

JULIE SOTO????? I'm going to need another book right now. I'll even take a novella, PLEASE. That ending had my jaw on the floor, I so desperately need more of Julian and Jodi. My heart is genuinely shattered, this was insane. Everything about this book was just perfect to me: the FMC, the found family, the writing style, the mystery, the supernatural elements, the setting, THE CRUMBS OF ROMANCE.... don't even get me started.

"And she wondered what it was they were doing, and if it was wise to let him crack her chest open a second time, just to see if he fit inside.” Julie Soto really just changed the brain chemistry of my brain in a single sentence.

This book hooks you in from the first page and doesn't let you put it down until you are down with and feeling like an empty shell of a person. This is a YA mystery/thriller done right, it had some twists that I didn't see coming and kept me on my toes. I loved the whole cast of characters and the relationship dynamics between one another. One one hand, it was entertaining drama about the rich kids in school, but it also explored other complex feelings about friendships and how when you're a teenager you can drift apart from your friends and it feels like your world is ending. I truly felt that pain deep in my chest. And so in regard, this book does feel more character driven than plot driven, but fear not the plot is there and boy does it get juicy.

Y'all need to go pick this book up as soon as it releases, trust me you're not going to want to miss this gem. Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

wow wow wow. julie soto what did you do to me? i could not put this book down, i kept turning page after page needing to know what happens next and wanting more!
the thriller atmosphere julie weaves into the thrashers is tense and eerie, it had me in a chokehold the whole time! i'll probably be thinking about it for months, it was SO good.
the friend group dynamics between the thrashers were written really well and i found myself torn between liking the characters and my trust issues screaming at me that i should not trust anyone. i loved how none of them were inherently ‘good’ or ‘bad’ which kept it very engaging and had me guessing how everyone fit into the story. i enjoyed how julie soto explores high school/friend group hierarchies and the pressure of fitting in.
i REALLY liked the paranormal elements and how you never knew whether something was actually paranormal or just a coincidence. besides making the characters paranoid, it made even me paranoid and i was questioning everything.
and the epilogue??? WHAT??? i'm seriously unwell. @julie soto save me from this agony and give us a sequel i'm begging on my knees
～thank you to harpercollins uk and netgalley for the arc!

This is one of the best YA thrillers I've read in a long time! The tension build up was intense but excellently executed, with an intriguing cast of characters. I found Jodi to be a sadly relatable FMC and I really enjoyed the journey she went on