I've long been a fan of "Prep Novels" and this book was fun to read. It was perhaps a little predictable at times but this didn't detract from the story. Loved the characters and loved how relatable they all were! Good read! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Anyone who likes Elin Hilderbrand will likely pick up this book, one of the few not set in Nantucket, and co-written with her daughter. I am really happy for the author that she is starting on a new phase of her career, and got to create this book with her daughter. It is recognizably an Elin Hilderbrand book, with chapters written by the collective mind, and a focus on food and fashion. The storylines were interesting, but they didn’t hold my attention like her Nantucket books do. I still plan to read the sequel to this book, whenever it comes out, but mainly out of curiosity about whether the series will improve.

SPOILER ALERT
Although in some parts the plot was a little slow, I enjoyed this book quite a bit. My only beef is that I want to know WHAT WAS IN THE EMAIL?! The email from Cinnamon was mentioned so many times in the plot. Unless this book is the first in a series why would the author not reveal what Cinnamon's last words were to her love?
Still a worthwhile read with strong characters and all the drama you would expect from a private academy for the rich.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the advance review copy!

A slow burn that has all the trapping of being incredible but fizzled at the end for me. The payoff wasn’t big enough at the end to warrant such a slow lead up. There needed to be a truly explosive series of happenings for this to have reallllly worked. Boarding school is perfect in terms of a setting, there just needed to be more unph.

I absolutely love the premise of this book. It's so intriguing and interesting, but I found that it fell flat. The introduction (first 30% or so) is so slow-paced, a lot of character introduction (why do they all have strange names?) and awkward real-life references to Taylor Swift and Alix Earle. I could totally do without those. The rest of the book was fast paced, I found myself wanting to read more and more. It was working its way up to 4.5 stars—until the end. Why did it end so abruptly? There was practically no closure. So much promise to this book, but I felt that it didn't deliver on all fronts.

The new school year is underway—move-in day at Tiffin—and the rankings reveal they’ve jumped to the number two spot among boarding schools. The pressure is on. The year unfolds in a series of small but compelling dramas: new faculty, drunken evenings (both student and faculty), cheating, lying, social media scandals, and then—The Zip Zap app, which torments everyone on campus. This glimpse into the lives of students and staff at an elite boarding school offers a sharp look at this particular academic world.

I’m torn on how to sum up this book. I loved so much of it—the setting, the characters, the quintessential elements of boarding school fiction—but there were moments that left me stumbling. Where is the document from Cinnamon at the end? Why does the POV shift so randomly and awkwardly? That said, I couldn’t put it down. As someone familiar with independent school life (at a lower level, not high school), the depiction rang true in many ways. East, Charley, and Davi were standout characters, and I loved the intricate, messy web of relationships. Some parts felt entirely believable, others less so, but the tone and atmosphere were spot on.

I do think the novel could be tightened—streamlining it into a single POV and clarifying the email from Cinnamon would help give it a more satisfying finish. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good campus novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This is truly a book that will appeal to so many readers, for so many different reasons. First, it's Elin Hilderbrand, who already has a huge loyal readership. She's teamed up with her daughter to write this one. Instead of her usual setting of Nantucket, it is set in a fictional eastern boarding school and chronicles one school year there. It features strong stories of both adult and teen characters -- I can see this book appealing to adults of all ages and also to teens. There is romance, mystery, gossip, intrigue -- so much going on! I loved it, and because there are a few loose ends, I'm hoping Elin Hilderbrand and her daughter plan on making this a series. I truly look forward to recommending this title.

Elin does it again! While some people are bummed she is no longer writing beach books (myself included), I will take anything I can get! This is the perfect YA book, but also perfect for anyone that loves Elin.

Set at Tiffin boarding school, we see into the lives of students and teachers. It has the typical Elin style: menus, descriptions of people and places, and revolutions that readers love! This book touches on lots of teenage issues. Suicide. Eating disorders. Cheating. Social media. Highly recommended!

Elin Hiderbrand and her daughter have found new scenery to write in: Tiffin Academy, an exclusive college-prep/boarding school. Readers spend a year in the school, digging into student drama and teacher drama.
Hilderbrand's daughter, Shelby, and son, Dawson, both attended their respective boarding schools and brought back stories of their shenanigans and dramas. Hilderbrand tasked high-school-aged Shelby with helping her write this book, and the descriptions of the teens and what they find cool is timely because of it.
Much like Hilderbrand's other books, it's a hefty read, over 500 pages. This shouldn't be a deterrant though - I loved settling in each evening with the story and knowing I could read for an hour and still have plenty more to go. With all the drama it was still very much a comfort read - there's plenty of romances, some more fun than others. The chef's cooking (and descriptions of his food) made my mouth water. Cunningham and Hilderbrand also leave loose threads that can be picked back up in future books (I'm hoping this will be a new series). Other reviewers might fault them for this, but I don't think a book needs to answer all our questions, and even if this ends up as a standalone it still works.

I absolutely devoured this book from the very start, and while I agree with others who have said that this didn't feel like a typical Elin Hilderbrand story, I got sucked in from the start and couldn't put it down. The characters were so diverse and well developed and I loved the timeline of the story spanning an entire school year. I did feel that the ending felt somewhat rushed and that there was a huge plot hole that didn't get revealed by the end - but maybe since most of the main characters were juniors, we'll see a book two that spans their senior year? I can only hope! Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

Overall this was an enjoyable read but I finished the book with a few frustrations. There are SO many characters and many of their storylines were underdeveloped to the point that I didn't understand their purpose in the book. I was waiting for a grand reveal at the end (Cinnamon's email to Dub) and it went unanswered. Maybe because there will be a part two? In any case, I flew through the second half of the book and was very entertained. I would recommend this to a reader with an interest in boarding school/rich people behaving badly.

As much as I adore Elin Hilderbrand, it pains me to say that this one just wasn’t for me. It could be that I’m so familiar with and have grown to love Elin’s signature beachy escapism and richly developed characters that this foray into boarding school drama fell a little flat for me. The premise is undeniably juicy: a posh New England boarding school thrust into the spotlight, teeming with scandals courtesy of a rogue app spilling secrets. The setup promises intrigue, drama, and the kind of delicious chaos that fuels page-turners. Yet, despite the glossy exterior, I had a difficult time connecting with the setting and its characters didn’t resonate deeply with me.

The co-authorship with Shelby Cunningham may have introduced a fresh perspective, but it didn’t quite gel with Elin’s established style, leaving me yearning for more of her signature warmth and depth. While it didn’t capture my heart, I can appreciate how it may appeal to fans looking for more of a Gossip Girl-style drama.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for providing me with an eARC of The Academy prior to its publication.

I love Elin Hilderbrand and all her books have been 5 stars for me - she is a top 5 favorite author - which is why I was stunned to have this one fall completely flat for me. To be honest, it felt like it was written by her co-author and she put her name on it - it was all over the place, inconclusive and it felt like it never got off the ground. I hope her next collab will work better for me!

Elin Hilderbrand teams up with her Gen Z daughter to take her signature Nantucket breezy beach read with heart to…a New England boarding school? Sign me up! In theory this is a great idea as a boarding school setting promises lots of rich kids doing bad things and potential for intrigue, but in reality it was kind of a mess. There are SO many characters (Elin fans rejoice though, because they all have INSANE names—Rhode Rivera, Cinnamon Peters, and Cordelia Spooner are just a couple standouts, but there are so so many) a whisper of a plot (why did Tiffin Academy suddenly rocket up 17 places in the rankings, who is behind an anonymous Gossip Girl type app that doesn’t even show up until 40% in), some lukewarm romance/coming of age stuff/bad teacher scandal (the bad teacher borders on ludicrous for how insane her behavior is with students), and so many cliffhangers (even if they are planning for a sequel, the ending felt criminally lacking). A lot of it felt like some commentary on queen bees and mean girls (there’s literally a Mean Girls performance late in the book), but it never really goes there and actually makes a point about anything. I guess this is a good light beach-y read if you love Elin, but it didn’t work for me—sadly!

I love EH books, and I had never seen her co- author with her daughter, so this was a treat. I didn’t realize that it was a YA book. I stuck it through and realized that it was written in EH’s usual format of multiple characters from multiple points of view. I had forgotten how much I liked that. It was interesting, but I feel like it was too young for me. I will be recommending to the young adults in my life.

Charley Hicks is admitted to Tiffin Academy as a late admittance to take the place of Cinnamon, a student who tragically died. She leaves her high school and new stepdad behind to live a solitary life - one where she can read and study. The Academy follows Charley, her peers, and Tiffin's faculty as they live and learn together.

Unlike anything Elin Hilderbrand has written before, I loved it! WIth that being said, it is nothing like her usual beach reads. Think Beverly Hills 90210 in boarding school. It did leave me with some unanswered questions, but I love the drama and characters too much not to give it five stars.
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Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this entertaining read!

Set in a small town in Massachusetts at a prestigious boarding school, this book is driven by its large cast of characters. Most memorable are Charley, an independent young woman who refuses to conform; East, a wealthy nineteen-year-old who hasn't graduated, but no rules apply because his father is the board chair at the school; Davi, a young social influencer who is the envy of all; Audre, a caring but stern headmistress; Simone, a young teacher who is about as mature as her students; and Haz, a chef who has been given another chance. There are many more characters, each as interesting as the next, and as the door was held wide open at the end of the book for a sequel, I imagine we will be introduced to more characters.
This book is fun, but also relatable and unrelatable at the same time. Without a boarding school experience, this world is new and introduces us to privilege of the highest order. That doesn't take away from the book, though, as it is balanced out by real kids handling real teenage problems. The book is really about how all the students, teachers, and staff interact and connect (and disconnect), with some unexpected results.
I am thrilled that Elin Hilderbrand and her daughter Shelby Cunningham started what I hope to be a new series. I have not encountered characters as memorable as these since reading the novels of Maeve Binchy. I look forward to the next novel by either one of these authors.
Thank you NetGalley for a ARC.

The Academy was everything I wanted in a boarding school drama—juicy secrets, cutthroat social politics, and an addictive mix of privilege and chaos. The authors created a world so immersive that I felt like I was right there at Tiffin Academy, watching the drama unfold in real time.
From the very first page, the story hooked me. Tiffin’s unexpected rise in the rankings set off a chain reaction of power struggles, ambition, and backstabbing, all fueled by an anonymous gossip app that threatened to expose everyone’s deepest secrets. The rotating perspectives—from queen bee Davi to outsider Charley to the mysterious new teacher Simone—kept the pacing fast and the stakes high. No one was safe, and I loved every second of it.
The characters were messy, flawed, and completely compelling. Davi was the ultimate influencer with a sharp tongue and a hidden vulnerability, while Charley’s refusal to conform made her an instant favorite. Even the adults weren’t spared from the drama, especially Cordelia, whose admissions “methodology” was both questionable and fascinating. As ZipZap’s anonymous posts sent shockwaves through campus, friendships crumbled, unexpected alliances formed, and Tiffin’s carefully curated image began to crack.
The authors captured the intoxicating mix of glamour and pressure that comes with elite academia, making The Academy feel like Gossip Girl meets Big Little Lies, but set in a prestigious New England prep school. The twists were sharp, the scandals delicious, and the ending left me desperate for more. If you love drama, intrigue, and characters you love to hate (and hate to love), this book was an absolute must-read.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

It took me a minute to get into this book, probably because of all of the characters. But once I was about fifty pages in, I became very invested. It's a boarding school romp, that (while set in America) reminded me a lot of the British author Jilly Cooper. The intrigues big and small of boarding school scandals felt both outrageous and believable. The book was definitely adult, but it captured both the stories of the teachers and administrators of the school with the students. I felt particularly connected to the story of new girl Charley Hicks, who has run away from her mother's new marriage to boarding school but doesn't particularly fit in. But really all the stories, even the ones from unlikable characters, were full of twists and turns that kept me reading. There was one loose thread at the end of the book that is still needling me (I won't spoil it here) but otherwise reading this book was a delight!

Elin Hilderbrand takes a fresh detour from her Nantucket novels to deliver a buzzworthy peek into life at Tiffin Academy, an elite East Coast boarding school that’s suddenly the talk of the town. On move-in day, amidst the familiar chaos of reuniting friends, snapping selfies, and hustling to unload cars, the campus erupts in celebration when America Today ranks Tiffin #2 among boarding schools—a jump that seems more like a clerical miracle than a true achievement.

But just as pride fills the air, a new app called ZipZap starts releasing scandalous blind items about everyone on campus, from the glamorous influencer queen Davi Banerjee to the intriguingly rebellious transfer student Charley Hicks, and even the idiosyncratic Admissions Director, Cordelia Spooner. As secrets begin to spill and alliances shift, the carefully curated world of Tiffin’s social scene unravels, revealing that even in a prestigious school with exquisite facilities, the drama never ends.

Hilderbrand crafts a layered narrative that weaves together the lives of students and faculty alike. The rich descriptions of school events—secret tunnels leading to speakeasies, high-energy dances, and intimate conversations in the student lounge—create a vivid portrait of boarding school life where academic rigor is secondary to social maneuvering. Although the novel introduces a sprawling cast of characters and several intersecting plotlines, the gossipy tone and engaging voice keep the pace lively, even if some segments feel a tad overstuffed.

Despite occasional pacing lags and the challenge of keeping track of so many voices, The Academy is an entertaining read that combines biting social commentary with just the right amount of humor. If you enjoy a juicy, drama-filled campus tale that explores the dynamics of popularity, power, and secret scandals, then this novel is sure to captivate you.