Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Julie Soto is a new found author for me. I read Not Another Love Song and liked it so much I immediately requested this title without even reading the blurb! I can say, I was not disappointed at all. It may be my favorite by her so far. Usually YA is hit or miss with me, depending on the topic. This one was a hit. I didn't want to put it down. I wanted to call out sick from work just so I could finish it!
Jodi Dillion is part of The Thrashers, an elite group of teens who everyone would love to be "in" with. She was never meant to be part of their group but since Zack Thrasher is her best childhood friend, she was automatically in with them. But their group has been tainted by the suicide of a Emily Mills, who tried hard to befriend them and become a part of their group. When the group becomes the center of an investigation to see if their actions lead to Emily's death, Jodi begins to find out she may not be as privy to the inner goings of her group as she thinks she is.
I love a good mystery/thriller. Add in some paranormal elements, which I was not expecting, and it makes it even more fun. Soto kept me intrigued the entire time. She slowly leaked snippets of what truly happened and Jodi was collecting those clues to figure it all out. The pacing was fast and the plot was unusual. I loved the idea of there potentially being a ghost or spirit haunting the group and how they dealt with it.
The book is narrated from Jodi's POV. She definitely doesn't fit with her group of friends. She's the outsider who has infiltrated due to her association with their "leader". Her family is broke, she lives on the wrong side of town, and she isn't sophisticated. And she knows it. She's also been in love with her best friend Zack for as long as she can remember. But everyone wants a piece of him, including the two other girls that make up The Thrashers: Lucy and Paige. Plus she doesn't get along with Julian, Zack's best friend. I liked learning about all the characters from Jodi's POV and it was interesting to see how her idea of each of them changed as the story unfolded. There was so much toxicity with the friendships being portrayed, and a look into bullying that will make your head spin. And the romance was unexpected but I loved it. It is not the center of the book but it definitely has it's place and made for more interesting interactions with the characters. It's a slow burn that involves chemistry and banter with small gestures that build on each other.
I will say this, that ending leaves a ton of room for another book! I literally had goosebumps when I read the epilogue! Will there be another book? I cannot see that Julie won't write it. In any case, I really hope so because I need more. I need a conclusion that is satisfying for one particular character's plot line!
If you're looking for a YA mystery with Heather's/Pretty Little Liar's (think high school hierarchy) vibes, tons of secrets, light romance, and a bit of the paranormal (did someone say ghosts/spirits?), do yourself a favor and pick this one up. You will not be disappointed.