Series · young adult fiction
The Academy
The Academy series by Elin Hilderbrand has 1 book and is best read in publication order, starting with The Academy (2025). The next book, The Thoroughbreds, is due 5 September 2026. Elin Hilderbrand wrote the series; book 1 were co-written with Shelby Cunningham.
- Books
- 1 book
- First published
- 2025
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: The Academy (2025) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Academy
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Academy
About The Academy
After more than two decades of Nantucket-set adult fiction, Elin Hilderbrand's 2025 novel The Academy marks a deliberate change of both setting and audience: a young-adult boarding-school series co-written with her daughter, Shelby Cunningham. Set at Tiffin Academy, a New England prep school that jumps seventeen spots to become the country's #2-ranked boarding school just as an anonymous gossip app called Zip Zap starts exposing every student's and staff member's secrets, the book follows a rotating cast -- an international-influencer queen bee, a suspiciously young new history teacher, a transfer student determined not to fit in, and an admissions director with unconventional methods -- through a year where nobody's reputation is safe.
Hilderbrand has described The Academy as the first of a planned two-book series, with a sequel already under contract; it has also drawn early attention as a TV development project. It represents Hilderbrand's first solo genre pivot into YA and her first published co-writing collaboration with her daughter.
Frequently asked questions
Who writes the The Academy series?
Elin Hilderbrand wrote the series; book 1 were co-written with Shelby Cunningham.
Is The Academy connected to Elin Hilderbrand's Nantucket novels?
No -- it's a standalone-setting young-adult series at a fictional New England boarding school, a deliberate departure from her Nantucket-set adult fiction.
Who is Shelby Cunningham?
Elin Hilderbrand's daughter and co-author on The Academy series.
Is there a sequel to The Academy?
Yes -- The Thoroughbreds, book two, has a confirmed title and a scheduled September 2026 publication, but had not been released as of this catalogue's August 2026 curation, so it is not yet listed among this page's books.
Reading order last verified .