You know how sometimes it’s the little things that really hook you in? For me, it was definitely the title and the whole concept behind this YA thriller, "The Trahers."  Imagine a clique of five high school students totally worshiping the golden boy, Zach Trasher. They even wear their devotion like a badge of honor, calling themselves "trashers." They casually toss aside people they deem uncool, and honestly, because of what they are perceived as, the typical, mean, rich people pack, they even feel a little “trash” themselves. 

What really got me was how the title contrasts with the narrative tone. This isn’t just a juicy thriller about a mean clique; it’s written in such a smooth, subtle way. It kicks off with a bang, and we dive straight into the drama when Emily Mills commits suicide and the Trahers get arrested for allegedly pushing her to it. Things heat up even more when Zach is accused of sexual abuse. But the way the story unfolds isn’t what you’d expect. We’re in the head of our narrator, Jodi Dilloon, who can’t shake the feeling that she doesn’t truly fit in with this group, even though she’s known Zach forever. Her doubts and fears about belonging are very intriguing, especially when everyone else seems to just accept their world as normal. It creates this deliciously unreliable ambiguity as Jodi reflects on her friends. Can she really see them for who they are?

And then we have Emily, who seems a bit like a lost puppy. She’s not as cool, rich, or pretty as the rest, always trying to squeeze her way into the group. At first, Jodi paints her as this outsider with barely any interaction, but when the police find Emily’s diary, it blows everything wide open and adds layers to Jodi’s already shaky perspective.

There are so many threads that showcase the subtlety of the storytelling. For instance, Jodi lives with her dad, who’s a truck driver and seems like he really cares about her; he even picks up extra shifts for a fancy lawyer. But then, we get glimpses of his darker side, and it’s clear Jodi might be in denial about how abusive he really is. If she can overlook that, could her perceptions of Zach be equally skewed?

Oh, and let’s talk about Julian. This guy has a major adversarial relationship with Jodi, which leads to one of my favorite plot twists ever. Not much else occurs; in fact, there’s even a full-blown disaster scene at the outdoor cinema. Seriously, this is a well-crafted YA thriller that’s packed with intrigue, hints, and just the right amount of yes!, paranormal thrills. You’ll find unexpected twists around every corner, and the ending? It proves the author totally knew where this story was headed from the start. Buckle up, because "The Trahers" is a thrill ride!