The Academy

A Novel

By: Elin Hilderbrand, Shelby Cunningham

Narrated by: Erin Bennett

From #1 bestselling author of The Perfect Couple, Elin Hilderbrand, and her daughter, Shelby Cunningham, deliver the irresistible, deliciously scandalous story of one drama-filled year at a New England boarding school.

It’s move-in day at Tiffin Academy and amidst the happy chaos of friends reuniting, selfies uploading, and cars unloading, shocking news arrives: America Today just ranked Tiffin the number two boarding school in the country. It’s a seventeen-spot jump—was there a typo? The dorms need to be renovated, their sports teams always come in last place, and let’s just say Tiffin students are known for being more social than academic. On the other hand, the campus is exquisite, class sizes are small, and the dining hall is run by an acclaimed New York chef. And they do have fun—lots of parties and school dances, and a piano man plays in the student lounge every Monday night.

But just as the rarefied air of Tiffin is suffused with self-congratulation, the wheels begin to turn—and then they fall off the bus. One by one, scandalous blind items begin to appear on phones across Tiffin’s campus, thanks to a new app called ZipZap, and nobody is safe. From Davi Banerjee, international influencer and resident queen bee, to Simone Bergeron, the new and surprisingly young history teacher, to Charley Hicks, a transfer student who seems determined not to fit in, to Cordelia Spooner, Admissions Director with a somewhat idiosyncratic methodology—everyone has something to hide.

As if high school wasn’t dramatic enough ... As the year unfolds, bonds are forged and broken, secrets are shared and exposed, and the lives of Tiffin’s students and staff are changed forever. The Academy is Elin Hilderbrand’s fresh, buzzy take on boarding school life, and a thrilling new direction from one of America’s most satisfying and popular storytellers.

not your typical Elin Hildebrand romance novel

this books seems more like a young adult novel with some adult bedroom scenes. the storyline dragged on. I was excited to get this new book but just couldn't get into it.

So Fun!

Reading it felt like I was living a boarding school experience that I never had before!

Good but soooo predictable

Good story…. Great narration. The one mystery in the book was extremely predictable. Would still recommend as the story was original and told very well.

What was that?

This was such a weird attempt at trying to be culturally relevant. The wedging in of slang, song titles and, recent events was awkward and clumsy. No resolution of the story, or even appropriate ending. Felt like an AI written cash grab.

Fun read!

This book was such a fun read. It kept me engaged and intrigued throughout the characters were well developed and flawed, but likable at the same time.