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A review by changenotcoins
The Thrashers by Julie Soto
3.0
I went into The Thrashers with high hopes because Julie Soto is a fave, and the setup was promising. Elite high school friend group? Secrets? Creepy messages from beyond the grave? Count me in. Unfortunately, this one unraveled fast and left me more frustrated than entertained.
Let’s start with what I felt worked: Julian. He was honestly the only character I connected with and felt had any real depth. He wasn’t overly cruel or fake deep like the rest, and his arc felt the most grounded, though even his ending felt weirdly unfair compared to others (Zack, looking at you 👀).
But everything else? Kind of a mess.
Jodi as a protagonist made no sense to me. We’re told she’s not really close to the Thrashers, yet she’s somehow constantly involved, sticking around people who openly treat her like an outsider. It felt like the book couldn’t decide if she was part of the group or not. And for someone who repeatedly felt left out, she went so hard trying to protect them… for what? Loyalty? Peer pressure? Nostalgia? The book never gave a compelling answer.
Then there’s Jodi’s whole "I’m the good one" act. While the rest of the crew at least owned their messy behavior, Jodi’s self-righteousness just came off as irritating and fake. I found myself liking her less and less as the story went on.
Also, let’s talk about the police in this book. I mean… what were they even doing? Some major plot points required them to overlook the most basic evidence. The investigation felt like a cardboard cutout of what should’ve been a high stakes mystery.
And Jodi withholding critical info from the cops? WHY. Especially since she wasn’t even close with Emily. It felt like drama for the sake of drama, not a decision grounded in character logic.
The supernatural stuff? Super vague and underdeveloped. I couldn’t tell if we were leaning into paranormal or just using it as a plot device. Either way, it left more questions than answers and not in a satisfying “ooh, mysterious” way, but more like “wait… did I miss a chapter?”
The pacing also suffered. The beginning pulled me in, but halfway through, the tension fizzled out and I just wanted to be done. And the ending? Wildly unsatisfying. I expected some twists to not land, but the entire resolution felt absurd.
Was this the worst book ever? No. I think teens who like twisty drama might still enjoy the ride because it does have that YA Netflix drama feel. But if you’re looking for something coherent and emotionally resonant, this isn’t it. At all.
This had all the ingredients for a great YA thriller, but the execution just didn’t deliver. I’m still a fan of Julie Soto, but The Thrashers wasn’t the hit I hoped it would be.
Let’s start with what I felt worked: Julian. He was honestly the only character I connected with and felt had any real depth. He wasn’t overly cruel or fake deep like the rest, and his arc felt the most grounded, though even his ending felt weirdly unfair compared to others (Zack, looking at you 👀).
But everything else? Kind of a mess.
Jodi as a protagonist made no sense to me. We’re told she’s not really close to the Thrashers, yet she’s somehow constantly involved, sticking around people who openly treat her like an outsider. It felt like the book couldn’t decide if she was part of the group or not. And for someone who repeatedly felt left out, she went so hard trying to protect them… for what? Loyalty? Peer pressure? Nostalgia? The book never gave a compelling answer.
Then there’s Jodi’s whole "I’m the good one" act. While the rest of the crew at least owned their messy behavior, Jodi’s self-righteousness just came off as irritating and fake. I found myself liking her less and less as the story went on.
Also, let’s talk about the police in this book. I mean… what were they even doing? Some major plot points required them to overlook the most basic evidence. The investigation felt like a cardboard cutout of what should’ve been a high stakes mystery.
And Jodi withholding critical info from the cops? WHY. Especially since she wasn’t even close with Emily. It felt like drama for the sake of drama, not a decision grounded in character logic.
The supernatural stuff? Super vague and underdeveloped. I couldn’t tell if we were leaning into paranormal or just using it as a plot device. Either way, it left more questions than answers and not in a satisfying “ooh, mysterious” way, but more like “wait… did I miss a chapter?”
The pacing also suffered. The beginning pulled me in, but halfway through, the tension fizzled out and I just wanted to be done. And the ending? Wildly unsatisfying. I expected some twists to not land, but the entire resolution felt absurd.
Was this the worst book ever? No. I think teens who like twisty drama might still enjoy the ride because it does have that YA Netflix drama feel. But if you’re looking for something coherent and emotionally resonant, this isn’t it. At all.
This had all the ingredients for a great YA thriller, but the execution just didn’t deliver. I’m still a fan of Julie Soto, but The Thrashers wasn’t the hit I hoped it would be.