I was curious about Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham’s The Academy when it was released last fall, but at the time, I had never read an Elin Hilderbrand novel. I became an Elin Hilderbrand fan after reading the Winter Street series last December. After that, I decided to try to read all of Elin Hilderbrand’s novels. I read many of her summer novels this past summer, and I was really looking forward to reading The Academy this fall. I couldn’t wait until next summer for another Elin Hilderbrand book!
The Academy takes place at an elite New England boarding school called Tiffin Academy. The novel follows the drama that ensues at the boarding school, including tension that arises when a new app called ZipZap shares blind items about the school’s staff and students.
The Academy was such a fun read. I listened to it on audio and the narrator, Erin Bennett, was great. It was a very bingeable book and I found myself looking for opportunities to listen to it. I went into the novel expecting it to be similar to Gossip Girl, and it did have a lot of Gossip Girl elements, so if you were a fan of those books or that TV series, I think you’d like The Academy.
At the same time, the novel didn’t read like a young adult novel, despite some of the plot surrounding teenagers. If you’re like me and high school feels like a long time ago, don’t let that deter you from reading The Academy. Many of the characters are adults, and the elements of the novel that focus on teenagers reminded me of what it was like to be that age.
The Academy felt like a classic Elin Hilderbrand novel, filled with scandal and captivating characters. It also had mysterious elements that made it all the more intriguing.
Fall is the perfect time to read academia books. I had so much fun reading The Academy that I’m jumping right into the sequel, The Thoroughbreds. If you haven’t read The Academy, I’d recommend adding it to your fall TBR!
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