The Thoroughbreds

After reading several heavy books, I sometimes want to dive into something light but still thought-provoking. The Thoroughbreds by Elin Hilderbrand and her daughter Shelby Cunningham was an excellent escape. It's the second book in the Academy series. I would recommend reading the first book, The Academy, before diving into The Thoroughbreds.

The story takes place at Tiffin Boarding School in Massachusetts and features all the typical characters you might imagine attending. But it was a fun read, following the drama of the staff and students as they navigated the rigorous academic challenges and goals expected of them. I was surprised how quickly I got caught up in the family dynamics and the school happenings.

Although it sometimes felt like a YA book, it had adult themes that were thought-provoking and would provide great discussion points for a book club meeting.

Class is back in session! New York Times bestselling authors of The Academy, Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham, return with The Thoroughbreds: what has more high-stakes drama, tension, and intrigue than senior year at a New England boarding school?

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.

1. What was the book's most important theme?

2. Was there one character that you connected to more than the others? Why?

3. What did you think of the school administrators' and teachers' actions and behavior?

4. How does the boarding school setting impact the students' friendships, identity, and self-worth? How does it differ from a public school setting?

5. Many characters struggled with their relationship with their parents. Which parent-child relationship resonated with you the most? What was the main theme behind the struggles?

6. The novel includes both student and adult drama. How does blending the more mature issues with teenage life affect the story?

7. How do family expectations and academic goals differ amongst the students? Which character do you understand better once learning about their background?

8. How would you compare boarding school to public school life? What are the strengths and weaknesses of both?

9. Were you satisfied with how the different storylines came together at the end? Was there anything you would have liked the author to resolve differently?

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