By Julie Soto

“Welcome to the Thrashers, the elite friend group at New Helvetia High. They’re everything everyone wants to be. Jodi Dillon was never meant to be one of them. Julian, Lucy, Paige, and the infamous Zack Thrasher are rich, sophisticated, and love attention. Jodi feels out of place, but Zack’s her childhood best friend, so she’s in. Then Emily Mills, who desperately wanted to be a Thrasher, dies—and the whispers about the Thrashers begin. As Emily’s journal surfaces, detectives close in, and Jodi faces an impossible choice: betray her friends or protect herself. But as eerie messages and strange occurrences escalate, it becomes clear—Emily isn’t done with them yet. A twisty thrill-ride of unforgettable drama and suspense that “encapsulates the vulnerability of adolescents playing adult games” (Ali Hazelwood) from USA Today bestselling author Julie Soto, The Thrashers will keep you up at night desperate to read just one more page.” (Goodreads).

I could not put down this ghostly teenage thriller! From exploring complex questions of what bullying really is, the effect is has on people, and whether or not teens can be blamed for being thrust into popularity to the rich character growth subplot of the main character, Soto did an excellent job pulling me in and keeping me hooked. If you love dark thrillers with teens in way over their heads (I would say those who like One of Us Is Lying will like this one but I say that a lot I feel like soooo) you’ll love The Thrashers.

I really enjoyed the pace at which clues were uncovered and the mystery was unraveled – it gave the characters time to grow, change, and discover truths about themselves. However, the amount of time that passed in this book seemed excessive given the limited information we received about all that time. Logistically, I wanted to know more than a summary statement or two about the months passing in between important scenes.

The premise was just so interesting and the truth was completely unexpected. I love the kind of books that just string me along and make me think I could figure out the mystery just to turn it around at the end and make me realize I was clueless all along. I think the most well done part of this book though was how the death of Emily brought out all of the toxicity, secrets, and lies within the group and allowed everyone to work through everything and come to some kind of forgiveness.

I also loved that the consequences for character’s actions were never sugarcoated. If a character did something warranting a legal punishment, they went through with that punishment regardless of their relationship with the main character (guys I’m trying so hard not to spoil anything right now). It made me respect the author a lot – she didn’t just shove characters into situations without real-world impacts. In fact, the realism of the whole book was just impressive. There were no unrealistic levels of discrimination (I just read the Payback Girls and it got super annoying), no personal victimization, no easy escape from justice – just truth, lies, and a really good thriller story.

I LOVED Soto’s writing style. I’ve already mentioned (a few times) the realism of the whole book, but the dialogue, maturity, and actions of this group of high schoolers was some of the best I’ve read in a while (I should know, I only graduated a year ago). I loved reading it from Jodi’s POV – I already felt a connection with that character, and Soto let the reader in so close to Jodi that it felt like you truly were seeing everything through her eyes.

I deeply connected with Jodi. Her role as the “odd one out” in the group or the ride-along felt a lot like how I was treated for my first year of middle school. Even though she was technically a part of the “in-crowd,” she had to constantly wonder if suddenly she would just be “out.” The dynamic between her and every other person in the group was so complex and interesting. From her (slowly dying) infatuation with Zach to her changing feelings for Julian and her “sidekick” vibe with the other two girls, Jodi felt like the most realistic and interesting character – partly because of her boringness. She wasn’t someone who drinks or smokes, she did pretty well in school, and she even spent time discovering new hobbies and figuring out what she liked to do. Despite how normal she was compared to the others, the author also didn’t leave her some innocent little angel. She too made some mistakes and said things she shouldn’t have, and the author doesn’t try to hide that or make her seem better than the others. I loved the way Soto showed the complexity of the situation and where “blame” could lie through the way each character is involved with Emily in some way yet all with varying intensity. I just really saw myself in Jodi and appreciated her realism as a teenage high school girl.

As for the other characters, they also all felt three-dimensional and realistic, though some seemed less complex than others. All of Jodi’s friends are kind of the spoiled, pretty rich kid type who aren’t necessarily purposefully mean but don’t understand the consequences of their actions or the impact of their words. Zach was a really good example of this – he was an interesting character with his own conflicts and motivations. He seems like a nice guy, but his apathy is hidden under his charming smile. He and Julian had kind of an opposite character arc – Zach seemed worse and worse in the reader’s eyes as the book went on, while Julian slowly redeemed himself. As for the other two girls in the Thrasher group, I felt like they seemed less important and more just there, but they still played a big role in the story.

Emily was just crazy. I don’t know what to think about her. I can’t tell you anything without spoiling, but Soto did a really amazing job writing her character and using it to show how crimes, suicides, and blame are a lot more complicated than they seem sometimes. Everyone had a unique situation, but that doesn’t always excuse your mistakes. You’ll see 😉

Yeah, this one definitely gets five stars. Excellent thriller with perfect high school vibes and real-world consequences. The main character was both relatable and familiar while also having a unique personality and plenty of realistic flaws. From the writing style to the mystery itself, The Thrashers explored complex questions and deep topics. Okay I’ll do it – you’ll like this one if you liked One of Us Is Lying. I’ve gotta get a Karen M. McManus mention tracker at this point, I swear…