The Thoroughbreds Interactive Mindmaps for The Thoroughbreds (Free)

The Thoroughbreds — Interactive Mindmaps

The Thoroughbreds by Elin Hilderbrand Book Cover

by Elin Hilderbrand

Elin Hilderbrand's The Thoroughbreds follows Charley Hicks and her classmates through a transformative senior year at Tiffin Academy, where college admissions pressure, a seven-million-dollar financial crisis, and campus rituals shape adolescents on the cusp of adulthood. Written for devoted readers of The Academy Series and fans of boarding-school fiction.

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Chapter mindmaps

Free preview: chapters 1–4 are fully interactive. Click any node to expand or collapse. Subscribe to unlock the rest.

Chapter 1: 1. So Back

Key concepts: 1. So Back

So Back

Return to Tiffin

  • Charley returns for senior year in East's black pickup
  • A year ago she arrived scared and friendless
  • Now confident, with East beside her, she claims the place

Family and Escape

  • Fran opposed boarding school but Charley fled stepfather Joey
  • She followed her late father's path to Tiffin
  • East charmed Fran into driving Charley from Baltimore
  • Fran stayed home to keep an eye on Joey

Goals and Shadows

  • Targets: straight A's, standout essay, three college acceptances
  • Junior year brought Cinnamon's suicide, Zip Zap app, East's speakeasy
  • Past events still affect her senior year

Chapter 2: 2. Tiffin Talks: How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Key concepts: 2. Tiffin Talks: How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Tiffin Talks: How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Tiffin's 115th Year Begins

  • Chapel bells, Ms. Robinson greeting cars, Mr. Rivera helping boys
  • Rhode Rivera spent summer in West Village sublet
  • Worked out at TMPL, played pickup basketball at West Fourth

The Bumble Date and Its Aftermath

  • July date with Yardley, a Stuyvesant teacher, goes well
  • She sends red-flag emoji next day and ghosts him
  • Rhode writes 'Green Flag / Red Flag' telling both sides

Publication Journey of the Story

  • Oscar likens it to 'Cat Person,' shops to top outlets
  • The New Yorker and Esquire pass; LitBoo offers $1,600
  • LitBoo asks for initials; Rhode refuses, gets $2,000
  • Story gets 25,000 downloads and Best American submission

Sixth-Form Girls and Shifting Dynamics

  • Olivia H-T now admires Tilly Benbow, who looks unwell
  • Taylor jumps into Hakeem's arms; Cassie feels worse
  • Davi arrives by Escalade, runs to Andrew and Charley
  • Olivia asks Tilly about revenge, but Tilly has changed

Key Takeaways

  • Bad date produced a useful story instead of just feeling bad
  • Refusing initials led to apology, better terms, wide readership
  • Social ranking among girls has shifted from old grudges
  • Tilly returns unwell and without appetite for revenge

Chapter 3: 3. New Blood

Key concepts: 3. New Blood

New Blood

Financial Crisis at Tiffin

  • Audre Robinson discovers $7 million missing from operating budget
  • Only Audre has account access, ruling out Cordelia and Chef Haz
  • Financial adviser Oak Bellamy won't return calls
  • Audre's 'Feeling' suggests the problem is bigger than theft

New Hires and Ranking Drop

  • College counselor John 'Mav' Maverick and history teacher Dr. John 'Coopersmith' arrive
  • Both were handpicked by admissions head Cordelia Spooner
  • Tiffin drops from 2nd to 6th in America Today rankings
  • Northmeadow sits at 9th, intensifying rivalry

Liam Donovan's Arrival

  • Scholarship student from Flushing High arrives with belongings in trash bag
  • Admission arranged by board president Jesse Eastman and girlfriend O'Malley Donovan
  • Room 307 stocked with clothes, supplies, and MacBook
  • Audre promises optometrist appointment for broken glasses

Olivia's Social Scheming

  • Olivia sees Liam as potential boyfriend who doesn't care about money
  • She is calculating and scheming, drawn to his vulnerability
  • Comparison drives her insecurity and ambition at Tiffin
  • She lost 30 pounds and got a Goyard tote to impress peers

Davi's Sign and Social Sorting

  • Davi hangs neon sign: 'comparisons are odious' from Evelyn Waugh
  • Olivia declines old sign but calculates its future value
  • Tilly calls Liam poor; Charley defends him as good and smart
  • Girls' reactions reveal status hierarchy and social dynamics

Chapter 4: 4. Tiffin Talks: Jewel Pond

Key concepts: 4. Tiffin Talks: Jewel Pond

Tiffin Talks: Jewel Pond

The Jewel Pond Cookout

  • All-School Meeting and pig roast mark the last first day
  • Olivia grossed out by whole pig but eats skin
  • Davi pulls Liam away; Olivia throws plate in trash

Taylor's Last Cookout

  • Tilly cries in woods; Taylor knows it's her last Move-In Day
  • Taylor would trade places with rival Cassie Lee
  • Plans to lose virginity to Hakeem on First Dance night

Rankings, Faculty, and College

  • Audre calls sixth-place ranking a relief after last year's second
  • New teachers John Maverick and John Coopersmith introduced
  • East refuses to apply to college; Charley stuck between East and plans

Dub's Unopened Email

  • Dub acts weirdly cheerful despite grief
  • Hasn't opened Cinnamon's email saved until graduation
  • Seems to be avoiding grief, not moving past it

Cordelia's Deleted Message

  • Alone at pond, gets text from Honey saying she misses her
  • Deletes it, instantly wants it back
  • Goes looking for her sandals
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