Review by creadsfantasy - The Thrashers

creadsfantasy 's review for:

The Thrashers by Julie Soto

4.0

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of the Thrashers. Julie Soto did not disappoint and this had an added layer of interest for me as a Sacramento native. Many million dollar neighborhoods here are separated from some of the most economically disadvantaged by a road or a fence with people sharing grocery stores, schools, libraries, and activities. As someone who grew up in a lot of these environments and locations (although many years earlier) I feel like this was the perfect setting to highlight the extreme juxtaposition of class differences, which Julie did expertly in her book.

I thought the story itself was engaging and the tension and thrills fit the high school slasher vibe to a T. I loved that she explored how class deeply affected the characters’ relationships with each other and how bullying, treating people as beneath you and indifference are closer than they seem and can be excruciating to experience as an insecure teenager. I struggled a little with the tone of the book in dealing with some deeply triggering and traumatic topics and I definitely recommend the content warnings. I would have also liked to see more character growth instead of just extremely privileged kids worrying about the consequences of their actions and playing victims. I did find the main character very relatable though, if flawed and immature, and I was happy with the way she grew in the book and the way the plot was wrapped up. Ultimately, though I would appreciate a sequel where a few specific people suffer more. I love that Julie wrote this book, something completely different from what she has become known for. It shows how universal her writing skills are and the interesting perspective and relatability in the voice of all of her books.