Q&A: Kelsey Day, Author of 'The Spiral Key'

We chat with author Kelsey Day about The Spiral Key, which is their YA debut and a high-stakes thriller set in a virtual-reality paradise turned hellscape. PLUS we have an excerpt to share with you at the end of the interview!

Hi, Kelsey! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hello hello! I’m so grateful for the chance to chat with y’all. My name is Kelsey Day (they/them), and I’m a queer Appalachian poet and young adult author. My debut YA novel, THE SPIRAL KEY, is hitting shelves on February 24^th, and I can’t wait to share it with the world.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I was eight years old, sitting in Mrs. Hyler’s class at Hardin Park Elementary School. Every student had been given a handmade notebook made out of green construction paper. Mrs. Hyler read a story prompt out loud, and then we had to write in our notebooks for twenty minutes. I completely disappeared into the story. The characters cartwheeled off the page. It felt real to me. I got so wrapped up that I didn’t want to stop writing at the end of the twenty minutes. When I got home from school that day, I jumped straight back into the story and kept writing. And writing. And writing. I was a goner.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

The first book you ever remember reading: Sally Goes to the Mountains by Stephen Huneck
The one that made you want to become an author: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
The one that you can’t stop thinking about: One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad

**Your latest novel, The Spiral Key, is out February 24^th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?**

Sharp; queer; tense; honest; unputdownable.

What can readers expect?

Readers can expect a fast-paced thriller about the terror of friendship and ex-friendship. The bulk of the story takes place in a virtual reality that’s controlled by the narrator’s ex-best friend. And that virtual reality—a place called Ametrine—is specifically designed to punish the narrator for her part in the friendship breakup.

So imagine being locked in a VR that is completely controlled by a person who knows you better than anyone else…a person who will stop at nothing for revenge. You can’t take off the goggles. You can’t leave the simulation. You’re trapped inside, and have to fight your way out. This locked-room concept drives the plot, but it’s also a story about friendship, betrayal, and isolation. It’s about two girls who love each other and hate each other at the same time. Readers can expect a full cast of queer, complicated characters—all with their own motivations, and many of them keeping secrets from each other.

**Where did the inspiration for The Spiral Key come from?**

I’ve always been fascinated by memory, and how the stories that we tell ourselves impact our experience of the past. Memory isn’t some objective dataset that you can reference when a question arises. It’s an ever-shifting collage that we’re constantly editing and re-editing, to fit our personal understanding of the world.

I wanted to write a story about how we remember things differently, especially how we remember conflict with loved ones. The two girls in THE SPIRAL KEY remember their friendship, and their friendship breakup, very differently. What happens when one person tries to force their version of a memory onto another person? What is the texture of that particular kind of violence? I took that question and brought it to its most extreme conclusion.

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Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I really enjoyed writing the relationship between the main character, Bree, and her partner, Devin. Both Bree and Devin are bisexual and gender-bendy, and I didn’t get to see that particular relationship dynamic in many books growing up. As a non-binary bisexual person myself, it feels especially rewarding to bring these characters into the world.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

The beginning of the book is always hardest for me. I remember pacing the apartment in circles, talking to myself, trying to untangle different aspects of the story. When I get stuck, it helps to move my body and to think out loud.

What’s next for you?

Next month I’ll be setting off on my book tour! I’ll be visiting 12 cities, doing events at bookshops, speaking at universities, leading writing workshops at community centers, and more. I’m unbelievably excited for the chance to meet readers and share THE SPIRAL KEY with the world.