Review: The Thoroughbreds by Elin Hilderbrand
Thank you Little Brown for my copy! All thoughts are my own.
Before you proceed, this book is the sequel to The Academy and the books must be read in order. I will get into some spoilers in my overall thoughts, so if you plan on reading it, beware.
I think overall, I enjoyed this book more than the first one. I felt like the character development was there and the drama kept me intrigued. But it also felt like a book about nothing? There were a lot of elements and plot points that were introduced and then not solved. This author doesn’t typically write series (though she has a few) so maybe that’s why.
It’s a juicy, festive Fall read and really captures the vibes of life on the campus of an elite New England school. But it also left a lot to be desired. I read it quickly, as the pacing and content was easy to digest, but when finished felt like I didn’t really learn anything.
Synopsis:
“September at Tiffin Academy is always a heady time, especially for the senior class—“sixth formers,” in Tiffin-speak—a season of college applications and intense pressure, of partying hard and last hurrahs. As the chapel bells ring in students and staff, everyone has something to look forward to—but in the midst of the anticipation and excitement, nagging questions and dark secrets lurk beneath the surface…
Are Tiffin’s It Couple, Charley and East, on the rocks? What sparked the rift between football star Dub and his best friend Hakeem? Will Pippa Sacks, posh day student, topple the delicate social hierarchy—or wreak even worse havoc? Can Head of School Audre Robinson save her job—and the school—after a disastrous financial mistake? And what was in that email attachment Cinnamon Peters sent to Dub before she died?
Elin Hilderbrand and her daughter Shelby Cunningham answer these questions and more in The Thoroughbreds, a page-turning story about friendship, treachery, ambition, and growing up, at any age.” —NetGalley
What I Liked:
The Fall/New England School Vibes—The majority of the book takes place between September-December, aka a favorite time of year for most of us. It really captured the vibes and was perfect to read in September.
The Attention to Detail—One of the reasons why I’ve always been drawn to the author’s work is how much detail is put into her stories. The food, the fashion, the backstory. It’s fun and easy reading.
What Didn’t Work for Me:
SO MANY CHARACTERS/POVs—I feel like I never really got to know the characters because there wasn’t really a “main character.” I suppose the school could be considered the main character but I would have liked a bit more through line on who I was supposed to care about. Also, I feel like we never got a resolution for a lot of things introduced, namely the college counselor Mav. Was he a creep? Did he do something bad involving a student at his previous position? I don’t know because we never found out. And what the heck happened to Pippa and her desire for revenge? And Taylor and Joey?!
The Ending—It was a bit too saccharine for my taste. There wasn’t any conflict blow up, which felt like we were building to the whole time. And everyone wanted to know what was in Cinnamon’s email…nothing juicy or revealing. It was a sweet ending, but I don’t know if I’m satisfied with it.
Character Authenticity: 3/5 Spice Rating: 0/5 Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Content Warnings:
mentions of suicide, homophobia, overdose, fire, miscarriage, bullying