“The Thrashers”, Julie Soto
Published May 6, 2025
Either you're in or you're out.
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.
The Thrashers is Julie Soto giving Sacramento another moment in the spotlight, and as a local, I am thriving. The setting isn’t just window dressing—it’s woven into the bones of the story, with familiar landmarks and that distinct Sac vibe that makes you want to grab an iced coffee from Temple and go solve a mystery. And while she didn’t outright name it, we all know the gang was at the West Wind Drive-In, right?
Julie mentioned during an author event that writing YA is fun because the characters treat everything like it’s life-or-death… even when it absolutely isn’t. And she’s right—the high-stakes-but-not-really energy here is spot on.
Of course, this mystery does have real bite. It’s got a kind-of-paranormal twist that kept me guessing and a pace that makes it impossible to “just read one chapter.” Sadly, Julie hasn’t confirmed a book two yet, so I’m just out here pacing like a ghost in Old Sacramento, lamenting the lack of resolution for that cliffhanger. In the meantime, I’ll be over here beaming with pride that my hometown looks this good in print.
Content Warnings
Note: This is not an exhaustive list of content and trigger warnings.
suicide • bullying • toxic friendships
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Owned: Netgalley ARC • signed hardcover from Capital Books on K