The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham

 

 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.- elinhilderbrand.com

 

Boarding schools are one of my favorite settings for novels.  I was disappointed when I heard that Elin Hilderbrand was “retiring” and wasn’t going to write any more Nantucket books.  They were always part of my summer reading.  Fortunately, she announced soon after that she had co-written a new novel with her daughter, Shelby Cunningham, set at a boarding school. 

The Academy of course trades the familiar beach vibes for fall season academic vibes.  Hilderbrand’s past work shone with immersive setting details and a cast of characters.  The Academy builds on those past strengths.  Hilderbrand credits Cunningham, who graduated from a boarding school with providing the inspiration for this work and these experiences definitely seemed to add to the details.  Although I sure hope Cunningham’s time at school was less dramatic.  I was drawn into this new environment from page one and quickly found myself wanting to visit Tiffin Academy and meet the vast group of characters from the faculty/staff to the students.  While most of the plot lines are resolved by the novel’s conclusion, there are a few unanswered which will presumably be answered in the follow-up novel due next Fall.  Hilderbrand also teased on her socials that it would be up to Cunningham to continue the story solo after the next installment.  After reading The Academy I think you’ll agree, this series should become an annual treat.

I was on the waitlist for The Academy from the local library with and estimated wait time of several months.  I just couldn't wait that long to read this and picked it up at the mall.  You can find yours at your local library, bookstore or online retailer.  For more information, visit the author's website linked above.