The Thrashers

THE THRASHERS is a twisty and riveting YA thriller. The story follows Jodi, an upcoming senior, who has always belonged in the elite group of friends that circle Zack Thrasher - and as a result are known as The Thrashers. She never felt like she quite fit in with the group, but her unrequited feelings for Zack and their best friendship has been going strong since second grade. Emily, a girl in the grade below, desperately wanted to be in their group, and after a bad rejection, her death became a focal point for the media, the school, and the police.

Accused of criminal bullying and potentially other crimes too, the Thrashers are stretched thin. Unsure what is true or not, Jodi is not sure how to feel about the people around her, but they are her only friends. With Emily seemingly haunting them from beyond the grave, their friendships are feeling thin.

What I loved: This was a slow-building thriller that became riveting about halfway into the story. Although I planned just to read a few pages there close to bedtime, I ended up finishing the whole book, staying up late - it was unputdownable! Jodi's perspective takes a central focalpoint throughout the story with her emotions running high as she begins to reevaluate her friendships and what matters to her. At the same time, she is also struggling with her father at home and his alcoholism/mood swings. Jodi's journey is ultimately one of character growth and coming-of-age as she evaluates what she wants out of life and relationships.

Themes around cliques/bullying, complicated friendship and family relationships, addiction, abuse, grief/loss, and obsession are all really thought-provoking. There are some very heavy topics in the book, so this ends up being a pretty emotionally challenging at times. There is also a potential paranormal element to the story which creates some great suspense and some twists at the end.

The main characters (The Thrashers themselves) were all compelling characters. While they at first seem like caricatures, their personalities and sometimes depth grows as the story continues, particularly for Julian who becomes an intriguing and complex character. Others seem more thoughtful and deep at the beginning of the story, but turn out to be more shallow by the end of the book. These insights come as Jodi's opinion of them begins to change, and these transformations also reflect her personal growth throughout the book.

What left me wanting more: There are some major, heavy topics that were not entirely handled or not handled well in the book, such as around revelations that come out of Jodi's background (being vague to avoid spoilers). A therapist would be so helpful, or at least someone to give some insight and help with her mental health - even just the suggestion so that YA readers could know some options. There are not a lot of great examples for how to encounter this and other difficult things for teens who might also experience them, including alcohol/drug use, assault, and death.

Final verdict: THE THRASHERS is a twisty, riveting YA thriller that I would recommend for older teens as it deals with some difficult topics.