The Academy

A Novel

De: Elin Hilderbrand, Shelby Cunningham

Narrado por: Erin Bennett

This thrilling novel from #1 bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand and her daughter, Shelby Cunningham, follows an intertwined cast of characters over the course 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.

©2025 Elin Hilderbrand (P)2025 Little, Brown & Company

Cliffhanger☹️

The answer to the biggest question was left with no resolution. I feel like I’ve binged an entire series and it was cancelled with the main character in peril.

I liked the book but frustrated with the ending.

Great beach read

Excellent narrator and a very fun story that I read quickly. Worth your time. Always enjoy this author.

We still don’t know…

I feel like a key part of the cliffhanger was left out at the end

Boarding school life

I disliked that the note that cinnamon Pete is left for Dub was never opened. There is no way that it wouldn’t have been opened.

Would have enjoyed it more….

I always enjoy the narration provided by Erin Bennett. She’s excellent!
While the story was good, I would have enjoyed it much more without all of the F-Bombs! The crude language was not necessary. I suppose it was meant to reflect the generation of the characters, but I was disappointed.

Shenanigans at the boarding school

I had high hopes for this but it would be more enjoyable for younger people. I got bored with the teenagers after a while. I have enjoyed previous Nantucket stories by Elin Hilderbrand.

The characters of Charlie

Drug out to long. Not your best!!
Good storyline and narrator. Needed to have loved faster.

I’m Hooked!!!

I was transported to Nantucket in Hilderbrand’s previous novels and I was equally transported to Tiffin Academy!!! I am beyond ready for another story for the boarding school world! We need to know what’s in the file from Cinnamon!!

Didn’t get the answer we were promised!

Story was good, characters were explained well, ending lacked the POP we were waiting for….. The author didn’t revisit a crucial part of the story. Easy enough to listen to.

Good!

The 1st chapter was unnecessary. Why do we want a roster of characters up front? That made for a very slow start.
The story was otherwise enjoyable; great ensemble story with rich character depth. Although now a common trope, an underlying storyline added intrigue - in fact, lots of intrigue throughout. I think this book would make a great read for families to enjoy reading together; YA/mom, parents/grown children, mother/daughter book clubs, etc. A fun experience to share, especially since mother/daughter authors (maybe that’s the intention).