Review: The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand
Thank you Little, Brown for my copy! All thoughts are my own!
I have always loved a campus novel. I’ve been fascinated with boarding school since I learned what it was as a kid and this author always delivers with the drama and rich people problems that are brain candy to read about. This book was no different and it was interesting to see a new setting and age range to read about. It was a page turner and enjoyable, but also left me wanting more and feeling unsure about some of the topics addressed.
Synopsis:
“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.” —NetGalley
What I Liked:
The Setting—Boarding school in New England will forever be a favorite setting of mine. I also loved that we went through a whole academic year with the characters and saw the seasons change.
The Drama—Very Gossip Girl esque with the Zip Zap plot line. I will say, I was hoping for a more cathartic in regard to this…kind of felt like a throw away to me. But maybe that means there is another book coming.
The Multi-POV’s—Nothing is boring when this happens and I’ve always liked this aspect of the author’s writing.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
Fatphobic Comments from Characters—It’s so hard to accurately describe how I feel about this, because I think it’s natural for self conscious teens to think and say things that are unkind. But I didn’t love all the bodytalk…however, I do know that it was part of one character’s journey. Still deciding how I feel about it.
Felt a Little Disconnected from the Story—With so many characters and so many POV’s, it’s natural to feel attached to some and want more from others. I wanted more discovery and attention applied to some plot points that felt glossed over, but it did give the vibe of being an outsider looking in.
Character Authenticity: 3/5 Overall Rating: 3.75/5
Content Warnings:
fatphobia, eating disorder (bulimia), suicide, alcohol, addiction, grief, death of a parent