“The Thoroughbreds” is the sequel to Elin Hilderbrand and her daughter Shelby Cunningham’s “The Academy.” Each novel follows students and faculty over the course of one year at Tiffin Academy, a New England boarding school. Though it can stand alone, I recommend reading “The Academy” first, as many storylines begun there are resolved in the sequel. This also helps in tracking the development of students and teachers.
I love novels with an academy in the background, from classics like “Brideshead Revisited” to the Harry Potter phenomenon, to the hauntingly beautiful “The Secret History.” “The Thoroughbreds” is much simpler than those classics, but fans of Elin Hilderbrand’s will probably find it enjoyable, especially now that her Nantucket series is over. I, although not a huge fan, also found it very fun.
Enjoyable as it was, I’m not sure about the target audience: many musical and social media references seem to address a younger audience, but the faculty stories seem aimed at parents of those younger readers. In general, I found all plots are interesting and not overly dramatic, even when they deal with important issues like teenage pregnancy, eating disorders, parental issues, trauma, and drugs – in fact, the plot steers in positive, at the end, directions, leaving me with a musing of “this too shall pass” vibe.
I enjoyed this novel much more than the first, and more than I expected. This seems to be the last book in the series, unless the authors choose to go with a spinoff. There’s a hint of nostalgia looking back at times young people spend in prep school, when their world can seem like it’s falling apart, but ultimately, they keep growing, ready to face “the real world.”
“THE THOROUGBREDS” by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham, published by Little, Brown, and Company, 2026
Infinite Books 
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