Nick McDonell (born in Manhattan on February 18, 1984 as Robert Nicholas McDonell) is an American writer. He attended to Riverdale Country School and graduated from Harvard College in January 2007.

He wrote the novel Twelve in 2002, at age 17. The subject of the novel is violence and drug use among wealthy Manhattan teenagers. The publication of McDonell's novel at such a young age was the subject of many articles in high-profile publications such The New Yorker and Entertainment Weekly.

"Twelve" was compared to Jay McInerney's debut novel "Bright Lights, Big City" and Bret Easton Ellis' "Less Than Zero". Michiko Kakutani from The New York Times called it "as fast as speed, as relentless as acid."