When I first heard that Elin Hilderbrand was ending her Nantucket summer beach read career, I was heartbroken, like most fans. As a long-time fan, I anticipated a new book to read each summer from one of my favorite authors. Then, I learned that she would not be stepping away from writing, but that for her next book, she would be partnering with her daughter for a boarding school drama called The Academy. I was intrigued. There’s nothing I love more than diving into a boarding school academia book at the start of the fall season. I was also curious how she would combine her adult writing style with her college-age daughter.
When I read the synopsis of the book, I thought it sounded like a fun Gossip Girl-style story. And maybe this could be the first Elin Hilderbrand book that I could pass down to my 13-year-old daughter. Most definitely not the case with The Academy. Here’s my review (without spoilers) on the latest Elin Hilderbrand book, written with her daughter, Shelby Cunningham.
What is The Academy about?
Released on September 16, 2025, this new book by Hilderbrand takes us from beloved Nantucket summers, salty air romances, and drops us into the dorms and dining halls of an elite New England boarding school. The Academy opens up with move-in day at Tiffin Academy. The cast of characters (and there are a lot of them) is introduced as they arrive at Tiffin, giving readers a sneak peek of who they are and what kind of families they come from. Thankfully, not only is there a map of the campus, but a list of characters in the introduction.
There is a buzz among the boarding school as students arrive. The boarding school just received news that it went from being ranked nineteenth in the U.S. among boarding schools to number two. While they’re happy about the news, the staff remains confused about how this happened. Tiffin’s sports teams are constantly outscored, and their academic reputation is not the greatest. But in true Elin Hilderbrand fashion, the dining hall is run by a star chef. And Tiffin boasts smaller class sizes, giving the school the possibility of climbing the ranks.
Sounds wonderful, and what could possibly go wrong? Well, an app called ZipZap arrives at the school, and rumors, evidence of betrayal, and secret crushes are anonymously posted and commented on. If you were a fan of Gossip Girl when it aired, you understand how this plays out. We come to find that teachers, students, and even the Admissions Director all have something to hide.
What’s different about The Academy (and what’s comfortingly familiar)
If you’re familiar with Elin Hilderbrand’s novels, you will know that her biggest strengths are ensembled casts, stories told from multiple points of view, and a decadent food experience (my book club loves this when planning what to eat!) Plus, she writes drama that unfolds within a setting explained so well, you feel like you’re actually there. You find so much of that in The Academy, though tempered with higher stakes, more secrecy, and harder edges. As I mentioned earlier, this is not a YA novel, and she allows things like sexuality, substance use, and adult relationships to play more of a central role.
If you loved the Nantucket novels for their seafood, wine dinners, and lobster rolls, you’ll find yourself nostalgic here. The descriptions of the dining experience at Tiffin are unlike any boarding school novel I’ve ever experienced. A New York chef prepares the meals, and the banquets are exquisite. In The Academy, these culinary moments amplify what’s at stake socially and emotionally.
Scandal and secrets in The Academy
It’s great to see Hilderbrand lean into scandal in ways she earlier touched on in her previous books more gently. In her Nantucket-based novels, secrets often center on love, betrayal, and past regrets. In this novel, the secrets and scandals are more public-facing and more volatile. With the Zipzap app, people can anonymously disclose, bringing rumors to the forefront and forcing characters into drama in a way that feels sharper.
In The Academy, the need to appear perfect and the anxiety of reputation are really high, not only among the students but with the adults in the book. Among the secrets and the drama of the book, there remains a lightness that Hilderbrand is also known for. There’s dorm room bonding, welcome dances, and cocktails at faculty functions. Romance isn’t the central point of the book, but readers see love in various forms of friendship and mentorship throughout.
Final thoughts on The Academy
While I love a Nantucket novel, this book exceeded my expectations. I thought I was diving into a YA novel after I read the description, which I do love reading as well (The Summer I Turned Pretty, anyone?) The Academy feels like a new start for Hilderbrand. It’s layered, a bit darker, but still full of the sensory and scene-setting aspects that I love to find in her novels. As a mom who grew up watching Gossip Girl, there’s something about reading about young people trying to find their identity in a very charged environment, alongside the betrayal of social media and the anxiety and pressure to perform their best for their parents.
It’s not just a book about boarding school. In this story, you will find themes of ambition, belonging, and the need to meet parents’ expectations. Elin Hilderbrand’s The Academy is dramatic, a page-turner, emotionally rich, and a perfect fall read during the back-to-school season.
The sequel to The Academy is out now! Read our review of The Thoroughbreds.
Maria Childs, Contributing Writer
Maria Childs is a marketing and communications professional living in Milwaukee. She is passionate about motherhood, co-parenting, and being a girl mom. When she’s not busy working in K-12 public education, you can find her running her two daughters to sports practices, dancing to Taylor Swift, browsing bookstores, and catching up with friends.
Image in graphics linked in article.
