That first crush. Most of us remember the swirl of emotions when you can’t take your eyes off a classmate. You do silly things to get their attention and worry they won’t like you back.
This sequel to WORLDWIDE CRUSH that I reviewed two years ago, has plenty of teen angst and humor as 8th grader Millie backs away from her celebrity crush. The focus now is on a boy in her social studies class, cute Scott Fenwick.
Millie receives a lot of advice from her best friend who often uses a magic 8 ball to answer questions, two grandmas who know a lot about foxes, Pringles her bulldog, and a bunny loving neighbor. The ultimate ending is near when Millie gets invited to Scott’s Bar Mitzvah. Instead of a perfect outcome, Millie is humiliated. A tragic event comes next, but through the turmoil Millie discovers a lot about herself, friendships, and Scott Fenwick.
The 31 chapters pass by quickly. They often include Millie’s written entries in her SFD (Scott Fenwick Diary), a series of personal thoughts about her crush. It’s spot on as to how a girl this age would react. It’s all very innocent. THE SCOTT FENWICK DIARIES will appeal to mostly girls in the 10-13 age group. Reading the novel just might help them see a different side to their first crush.
BOOK BIRTHDAY: JULY 22, 2025 PAGES: 272
FIVE MOIRE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: THE Scott Fenwick Diaries by Kristin Nilsen
- Such a realistic portrayal from passing notes to waving at each other in the hallway, and running into your crush at the store. So embarrassing!
- The humor throughout made me laugh many times.
- The no phone policy at family meals was tested to the max. What does a girl do when their phone is taken away? Millie solves that problem with a little help from Grandma.
- You can read this one without having read the first, but with such a great cast of characters it will be hard to resist revisiting them in the first book.
- It’s not all about that crush. The story gives readers the power to trust themselves and value friendships.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kristin Nilsen is a children’s author and librarian with an encyclopedic knowledge of all things 70s and 80s.
She is the author of Worldwide Crush, a middle grade novel inspired by her own childhood crush on Shaun Cassidy. She also co-hosts The Pop Culture Preservation Society, a weekly podcast celebrating the cultural nuggets of the classic Gen X childhood. Kristin lives in Minneapolis with her Gen X husband, her Gen Z son, and their rock and roll goldendoodle, Axl Rose Nilsen. The Scott Fenwick Diaries is the sequel to Worldwide Crush and Nilsen’s second middle grade novel. (Website)
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This sounds like a lot of fun and maybe something my tween niece would enjoy. It reminds me of Not Exactly Love by Devin Brown that I reviewed a few months ago.
I also like that it’s a diary format. I’ll look for this one!
Looks like a fun, level-headed romance and great for the audience level. I’ll see if I can get my hands on a copy. Thanks!
Sounds like a very true to life book–I would have loved this when I was in 8th grade!
This sounds like a lot of fun. I’ll bet young girls will love it. Thanks for the review.
It wouldn’t be for me but it sounds like it’s done really well and I can see it being hugely popular with the target audience! Thanks for sharing!
Ouch! I sort of cringe just reading the blurb and review–I don’t think I care to relive that part of my life (not that I did a lot of crushing at that age–I was kind of a late bloomer).
I just met Kristin at LITaPalooza – glad you enjoyed her book. I definitely want to read it!