My first official popular fiction book review- The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham

A fun update: I recently joined NetGalley as an educator-reviewer! In between dissertation writing sprints, I've been turning to popular fiction as a way to give my brain a different kind of workout. So far in 2025, I've read 26 books and shared reviews through my Instagram Stories. When I discovered NetGalley- and the chance to receive advance copies of forthcoming books in exchange for honest reviews- I knew this was something I'd enjoy doing.

As academics, we're often asked to review scholarly books so that insights can be shared with the broader community. I view my NetGalley reviews as an extension of that practice for a wider audience. Fiction and non-fiction alike help to shape the ways that we think, and thoughtful reviews can point readers towards ideas and stories worth engaging with. My hope as a reviewer is to connect readers with authors, spark curiosity, and support lifelong learning.

So with that in mind- please enjoy my first-ever formal review of a forthcoming popular fiction book. We're starting off strong with The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham, which will be released on September 16, 2025.

Thank you to Little, Brown, and Company and NetGalley for the advance copy of The Academy in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Elin Hilderbrand novel. I was familiar with the titles of her many celebrated “beach reads,” but when I noticed that she and her daughter Shelby Cunningham had ventured into the campus drama genre- as an academic, I was intrigued. I immediately added it to my TBR, and I’m glad I did.

The novel is about Tiffin Academy, a fictional New England boarding school, and recounts one academic year in the life of its students and staff. After Tiffin unexpectedly jumps seventeen places in the national boarding school rankings, the campus community is buzzing with equal parts pride and disbelief. Then comes the arrival of Zip Zap, a new app where one or more anonymous individual(s) reveal the innermost secrets of students and teachers alike. No one is safe, and the fallout touches every corner of campus.

What really stood out to me was the eclectic cast of characters. They’re ambitious, flawed, at times over-the-top, and in some cases, pretty unlikeable. There’s Davi Banerjee, a famous social media influencer and the peers who idolize her; Annabelle Tuckerman, who is determined to gain admission to Princeton University; new girl Charley Hicks, a highly intelligent bookwork who is completely unbothered about fitting in; Dub Austin, the football quarterback still grieving the loss of his girlfriend, former student Cinnamon Peters; and Andrew Eastman, who struggled at his prior schools and was sent to boarding school by his father, who happens to be one of the school’s major donors. Presiding over all of them is Head of School, Audre Robinson, who supervises a team of teachers and administrators who have their own internal drama and personal secrets to protect.

A quick note for educators and students: one teacher’s storyline involves especially troubling behaviour. When I came across this, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep reading. It may help some readers to know that the teacher’s beyond inappropriate conduct is not celebrated by the authors and that it is addressed head-on by the school later in the story, which was very important and responsible.

To me, this book is about power, privilege, and sense of belonging in a cloistered academic community. It’s also about ambition, rivalry, and family dynamics when a child is away at boarding school. The authors have created a vivid and detailed academic world- I could almost picture myself walking the halls of Tiffin Academy. One small critique: a thread related to Cinnamon Peters wasn’t tied up at the end. I couldn’t tell if this was intentional, and am wondering if this might be leaving the door open for a sequel- which I’d pick up in a heartbeat. If you’re like me, you won’t want to leave Tiffin Academy behind.

If you enjoy campus novels with a sprinkle of Gossip Girl intrigue, you’ll really enjoy this one. The short chapters and multiple points of view make it a fast, binge-able read- especially once you get into the second section.

Overall, I rate this book 4.5 stars. It’s an entertaining and addictive story that kept me hooked, even if it’s more of a fun read than one with a message that lingers with you afterwards. Well done to the authors- I’d happily read more from this duo in the same genre.

Want to purchase The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham? You can check out these and other retailers:

Amazon (Canada)*

Amazon (USA and Global)*

Indigo (Canada)

*= an Amazon affiliate link