The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand, Shelby Cunningham
on September 16, 2025
Genres: Fiction / Family Life / General, Fiction / General, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
Pages: 432
Format: Hardcover
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I’ve long been a fan of Hilderbrand, but this one easily lands among my new favorites of her books. Hilderbrand—this time teaming up with her daughter, Shelby Cunningham—delivers a dishy, page-turning novel that follows an intertwined cast of characters over the course of one drama-filled year at a New England boarding school, and I was hooked from the start.
I’ll admit it: I love a good boarding school book, and The Academy absolutely delivers on that front. The cast feels like all the “usual suspects” you’d expect—the popular kids, the smart kids, the shy kids, and everyone in between—along with teachers and staff who bring their own secrets and complications into the mix. It’s a familiar setup, but it works beautifully, especially as the story peels back layers and shows both the best and not-so-best sides of life at Tiffin Academy.
The teenage shenanigans were a particular highlight for me. Nothing truly awful, but just enough mischief and questionable decisions to feel realistic—and yes, I fully found myself rooting for certain kids not to get caught. That sense of investment is part of what makes this book such a fun, compulsive read.
With scandals unfolding, secrets spilling, and relationships constantly shifting, The Academy is buzzy, entertaining, and hard to put down. I sincerely hope there’s a sequel, because I need to know what’s in the letter Dub isn’t allowed to open until graduation. Until then, I’ll be thinking about this one—and happily recommending it to anyone who enjoys character-driven drama with a boarding school twist.
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