More Than a Page Turner: Julie Soto’s Bold YA Debut is a Must-Study Mentor Text.

Fellow writers, we’ve all looked to successful kidlit authors (you’ll spot some of the best in the photo below!) for advice, inspiration, and tips on both writing and publishing. Across the board, two non-negotiables come up time and time again. I bet you already know what they are—but I’ll give you a millisecond to think, just in case you haven’t had your coffee yet…

Non-negotiable #2: Read in your genre. Read like a writer. Study author’s craft. Paying attention to market trends might rank slightly below the daily writing grind, but that’s still 50% of the must-do’s. Basic math says you’re trying.

All this to say: While doing my “market research” (procrastinating from writing) to find hot-off-the-press, buzzy, best-selling Young Adult novels to blog about as mentor texts, I stumbled on Julie Soto’s thriller, The Thrashers (May 6, 2025, Wednesday Books).

The cover! The title! The blurb! Oh my!

Thrillers aren’t really my jam, but The Thrashers had one of those title/cover combinations that was as inviting as it was unsettling. You know it when you see it: black magic marketing. Plus, it’s a YA debut from an author best known for writing romance. I had to see what she was up to.

The teasers below don’t do Soto’s prologue justice —but they do offer a glimpse into the suspense and raw emotion that sets the tone for the entire book.

Opening Line: “The night I died was supposed to be my prom night.“

Half-way through: “I slipped away with the hum of a slow dance in my veins.“

The Clincher: “Two words I whispered against their ears, until they were as quick on their tongues as followers, filters, and finals…The Thrashers.”

Without the full story, it’s hard to appreciate just how spot-on this prologue really is. So until you have a chance to read it yourself, you’ll just have to trust me (I’m a reliable narrator, am I not?) that it hits all the notes: clear, concise, captivating, and tightly connected to the story that follows. In other words, The Thrashers prologue doesn’t waste time—it throws you into an unnamed narrator’s final moment, piles on the tension, and drops just enough mystery to make you desperate to know how they got there. 

A-ha! I thought. Thriller-schmiller— with an opening like that, I knew The Thrashers wasn’t messing around—and just might be the mentor text I’d been looking for. Alrighty then! Cue the highlighter.

So there I was, diligently reading like a writer. Poised to pounce on the perfect craft element to share with WR readers. But soon, I was highlighting everything. Soto went ahead and jam-packed the whole darn book with smart craft moves. I tossed the highlighter and decided to read straight through, assuring myself I’d be able to circle back and pick just one of them to unpack, easy-peasy. 

Like the structure, for example: how the dual timelines flipped between flashbacks and the present, dropping breadcrumbs like a pro.

But then I’d have to skip how authentically Soto nails teen voice while tackling big themes like toxic friendships, guilt, grief, complicity, and justice—without ever sounding preachy.
 

And I couldn’t, in good conscience, ignore Soto’s genius genre-bending and blending. Goodreads has The Thrashers accurately tagged as mystery, thriller, mystery-thriller, paranormal, supernatural, and contemporary (plus a few others). I’ve read reviews that side-eye Soto’s genre mashup, but it worked for me. Yes, there’s a lot happening —but it’s deliberate and it all comes together in the end.

The struggle was real. I was mentally drafting five different blog posts and couldn’t land the plane. Until I read the final page. Total. Lightbulb. Moment. Turns out, the prologue and epilogue had been plotting their hijack the entire time — staring at me and shaking their heads, “You know this post was always going to be about us, right?” 

Just as the prologue launched us into the story with high stakes and a chilling question, the epilogue delivers closure, consequences, and brings it full circle with a payoff that ties it all together sans a neat bow. The epilogue makes one thing crystal clear—the antagonist hasn’t seen the last of what’s coming to them.

“I smile back at him. We’re just getting started.”

Deeply satisfied, I was legit evil-smirking at the page and drafting a strongly worded letter demanding a sequel.

That sneaky Soto bookended the story like a boss —prologue masterclass up front, epilogue mic drop at the end – proof that they can both work when done with purpose. For setup, payoff, and everything a YA best-seller needs in-between, consider The Thrashers your next mentor text.

Shoutout to Julie Soto…

Because releasing just one debut genre in 2025 wasn’t enough, Julie Soto also dropped Rose in Chains – Book 1 of the Evermore Trilogy (July 8, 2025 by Forever) her debut in romantasy. Kudos for flexing genres like it’s just another day at the keyboard. (It’s not. We’re watching. And taking notes.)

Got a go-to mentor text that helped shape your kidlit project? Drop it below and let’s build our kidlit cheat sheet together!