Book Review of The Scott Fenwick Diaries
The Children’s Book Review
The Scott Fenwick Diaries
Written by Kristin Nilsen
Ages 9+ | 272 Pages
Publisher: SparkPress (2025) | ISBN-13: 978-1-68463-326-5
What to Expect: Contemporary fiction, middle school, first crush, friendship, family, and self-discovery.
In this authentic and engaging sequel to Worldwide Crush, Kristin Nilsen captures the exhilarating and often anxiety-inducing experience of a first crush.
Millie, a sixth grader navigating the turbulent waters of middle school, receives a note from the undeniably cute Scott Fenwick, setting off a chain of internal monologues, elaborate daydreams, and relatable anxieties as she tries to decipher Scott’s intentions and her own rapidly growing feelings. But when misunderstandings and middle school drama threaten to derail everything, Millie must find the courage to be honest—both with Scott and herself—about what she really wants.
Readers are invited directly into the heart of preteen emotions, from the thrill of potential romance to the fear of not being good enough. Utilizing Millie’s distinct and humorous voice, Nilsen expertly explores the complexities of friendship, family, and the journey of self-discovery. The everyday realities of middle school life ground the story through social studies classes, talent shows, and navigating friendships, all of which are convincingly portrayed and authentic. Millie’s struggles with telling the truth, her invented vocabulary, and her keen observations of the world around her make her a highly relatable protagonist.
What sets The Scott Fenwick Diaries apart from typical middle-grade romance is its unflinching focus on the internal landscape of first love—Nilsen doesn’t just tell us about Millie’s crush, but immerses us in the storm of overthinking, misinterpretation, and emotional intensity that makes young romance so simultaneously wonderful and torturous.
The Scott Fenwick Diaries is an emotionally intelligent story that makes a solid choice for readers who enjoy middle-grade novels that blend contemporary coming-of-age themes with a heartwarming and humorous exploration of first love and self-acceptance.
Buy the Book
About the Author
Kristin Nilsen is a bookseller, a youth services librarian, and the author of Worldwide Crush, a finalist in the Humor/Comedy category of the 2024 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. She is also a self-proclaimed “pro crushologist” and cohost of the popular Pop Culture Preservation Society podcast, which celebrates the cultural nuggets of Gen X childhood (and often shares stories of awkward, pre-teen heartthrobs of yore). Kristin lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her Gen X husband, her Gen Z son, and their rock-and-roll goldendoodle, Axl Rose Nilsen.
