The Spiral Key

by Kelsey Day

For fans of Holly Jackson and Jessica Goodman, this high-stakes thriller is set in a virtual-reality paradise turned hellscape, from a celebrated writer making their YA debut.

At the start of each school year, Madison Pembroke, the most popular girl at Lincoln Academy, sends out invitations to her epic birthday party in the form of custom forged spiral keys. For that one night, a few lucky teens get to enter Ametrine, a virtual paradise designed to be the party of the year—an unforgettable celebration that will secure their social status in the real world. As Madison’s hated ex-BFF, Bree Benson never receives a key.

Until this year.

Despite warnings from her boyfriend, Bree sees the invite as an olive branch, the perfect opportunity to rekindle her once-amazing friendship with Madison. But as the party games begin to turn provocative and violent, Bree finds that Ametrine might not be the virtual paradise she was promised. And that Madison may have let Bree enter Ametrine, but she has no intention of ever letting her leave . . .

Kelsey Day’s gripping debut shows that while best friends know each other the best, ex–best friends know how to hurt each other the worst.

Genres: Thriller, Young Adult, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Horror, Fiction, Friendship

272 pages, Hardcover

Published February 24, 2026

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

☽⛤☾ Bree Benson was once best friends with Madison Pembroke, the most popular girl at Lincoln Academy. But now, they don’t even look at each other, let alone talk, until Bree receives a spiral key and an invitation to Madison’s birthday party, where a few of their classmates get to enter Ametrine—a virtual world where they spend one wild night in celebration. Even though her boyfriend is wary of Madison’s intentions, Bree can’t help but hope that her ex-best friend wants to mend things between them. But once the party gets started and things take a violent and cruel turn, Bree quickly realizes that Madison is out for revenge, and the guest of honor for her insanity is Bree.

.⭒☆━━━✰━━━☆⭒.

☽⛤☾ Ho-ly cow. Holy cow, that was intense and insane. 😱 I went into this not remembering what it was about, but let me tell you, I was beyond shocked that it took that dark of a turn.

Even though I don’t like any of the characters (except for Bree’s boyfriend and her protective little brother, who made me smile), I really liked the virtual world of Ametrine. It reminded me of Ready Player One (the movie) and the video game A.I.L.A, and I am all here for it. Virtual reality never ceases to amaze me, but just because I am in awe of what it can do, it doesn’t mean I want it in every aspect of our lives. 😂 Seeing it being used and abused in the book just for a birthday party and a way to get revenge because Madison is absolutely insane and needs to get over herself, I realized how grateful I am that it hasn’t come to that level of insanity…yet. But I can totally see it being a big problem in the future because evil has money and resources, too.

The plot is absolutely crazy, and the reasoning behind Madison’s intentions seemed over-the-top and a bit dramatic, but it is fiction and a YA thriller, which means drama is its middle name, so I’ll overlook it. 😉

Overall, this short, intense book was a wild ride, and if that’s what you are looking for, I recommend it. 💙

✧ Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own. The book is now available! ✧

❗Content Warnings❗
Violence, blood, torture, and mentions of murder.
Swearing: Yes
Spice: No–only kissing (🌶/5)

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ | At first I thought this YA thriller would be full of typical teenage drama! But these kids took revenge to new heights & the “get back” was crazy!

Bree is dealing with the difficulty of loosing their home, her dad has been arrested and her life long friend Madison has turned her back on Bree. Madison is the “it girl” and everybody wasn’t to be at her parties, but to attend you have to receive a mysterious invite in the form of a skeleton key! Simple enough right? NOT

I like how this story dove into the different social classes and spotlighted how sometimes, people truly are treated different based on their zip code! One thing’s for sure, I will never look at virtual reality the same again! Thank you NetGalley & Penguin Young Readers Group for an advanced reader copy.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars, rounded up

So this ended up being nothing like what I expected it to be but I still mostly enjoyed it.

The premise was interesting — an epic birthday party in a VR setting — but I didn’t like any of the characters much, especially the main character Bree. She was clueless! At one point she thinks to herself about the dumb decisions characters make in horror movies, while making similar dumb decisions herself (I don’t want to say too much because of spoilers).

The antagonist was quite ridiculous and over the top. I also wanted more from the resolution and ending.

I did find the book to be a very quick read that drew me in and the VR setting was interesting and definitely unique. I also thought the book was well written and the story was engaging, if a bit over the top in spots.

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A high entertainment YA thriller, it reads like a high stakes movie - a little over the top with high stakes and action.

Bree has been pushed out of her friend group for years because of something terrible her father did. Madison, school queen bee and oh so rich, she runs the school with her band of bullies. As with every year, it's Madison's birthday and her big party that everyone wants to go to - because Madison's parents are working on a VR world and Madison gets to have her "no rules" party there, in a virtual world.

If you go into this one expecting it to be over-the-top and more like an YA action movie than reality, then it's a quick easy read. Rolling with it means interesting entertainment, high stakes, and some twists as you learn about every player in the VR world. I liked imagining Ametrine and how it would work and what it would feel like for the ground to drop and to be shuffled around and I really liked that added part in the story.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

[Christina O’Keefe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so different than other thrillers I have read. Very fun❣️❣️

[Leticia🌻 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5

The Spiral Key is a YA thriller with horror elements. The story follows Bree, whose life has turned upside down due to her father's actions. The story starts the day, Madison, the IT girl at Lincoln Academy and Bree's ex BFF, is set to distribute the invitations (shaped as a spiral key) to her epic birthday party, the most anticipated event of the year, as this event takes place in Ametrine, a virtual world designed by Madison's parents. Bree is full aware that she will not get an invite, as she has not gotten an invite for the past 3 years. However, this year, Bree receives a spiral key, and takes this is a message that Madison is interested in rekindling their friendship. As Bree gets transported to Ametrine, she realizes that attending this party might have been the worst mistake she ever made; as this journey in Ametrine turns out to her worst nightmare.

Overall, the story is very fast paced, but the plot line was crazy, intense, there are times I forgot I was reading about high school seniors. The storyline would be perfect for a movie adaptation.

Thank you Penguin Young Readers Group & Viking Books for Young Readers for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dang... When you say you're bullying the bully but in reality you've become so much worse than the original problem. The revenge plot? Wtf even was that? Especially after finding out what you did to her father? Girl, what? You still thought you deserved MORE payback? All over some petty middle school name-calling? I loved the virtual reality aspect. It definitely made for a unique thriller. Overall, this was fun and wild and I highly recommend it!

[Caitlin]

counting myself really lucky at the moment that my childhood ex best friends did not have full access and ownership to advanced, invasive, and incriminating surveillance and data to then use to bend the reality around me as they please : )

[Bbecca_marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review📖✨🗝️🩸 🩸✨thank you so much partner @penguinteen @storygramtours for the gifted copy!

The Spiral Key
by Kelsey Day
out now!

Each year, Madison Pembroke—the most popular girl at Lincoln Academy—invites a select few to her legendary birthday party with a custom spiral key. The key grants access to Ametrine, a virtual paradise where teens attend the most exclusive party of the year, securing their social status in the real world. As Madison’s former best friend, Bree Benson has never been invited—until now.

Seeing the invitation as a chance to repair their broken friendship, Bree enters Ametrine despite her boyfriend’s warnings. But the party games soon turn dark and dangerous, and Bree realizes the glittering virtual world isn’t what it seems. Madison may have invited her in… but she has no intention of letting Bree leave.

🗝️ My thoughts:

A virtual party, toxic friendships, and chaos I couldn’t stop reading.

I absolutely binged this one and could not put it down. From the first page to the very end I was completely entertained, and the fast pacing made it so easy to fly through. The tension kept building in a way that had me constantly wondering what was going to happen next. There were so many moments where I wished I was buddy reading it because I needed someone to talk to about what the heck was going on. At one point I was so frustrated with Madison that I even messaged the author just to let them know🤣. Books that make me react like that are always a win. If you love fast paced thrillers with messy friendships and twists, this one is definitely worth picking up. Safe to say this one had me turning pages way past my bedtime. 🌙

💖 Gossip Girl vibes
🩸Thriller 
📱Digitally forward story
🖤Murder Mystery

Happy reading 📖✨🗝️🩸

[IG | TorturedHeroesDept · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up

If you love Pretty Little Liars you’ll love this book. Most of the book is set in a virtual reality world where the antagonist controls everything and basically tortures people.

I think the confusing part for me was why would these people want to continue to come back every year when she is so mean to them, but I guess when you’re a teenager, it’s more about the fear of not being included than the fear of being miserable when you are included.

That girl kinda deserved to die idk.

Thanks to Penguin for the ARC!

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

This was a quick, entertaining read.

Bree is pulled into a virtual reality/AI world for her ex-best friend, Madison’s birthday party. She goes hoping to reestablish their friendship, but it turns out Madison’s motives are more sinister than they appear.

I think this touched on the very real feeling of loss when close friendships end. The what-ifs and blame that can surface, and the underlying hope for a reunion in the future. I sympathized with Bree in regard to these aspects.

In an increasingly digital age, this also touched on the ethics of AI, cellphones, cameras, and the constant monitoring of our lives. Day provided a well thought out critique on our increasingly digital (& invasive) world.

I received a digital copy from Penguin Teen Canada in exchange for an honest review.

[Elyse · Rating 3 out of 5]

NetGalley ARC.

Too over-the-top. And all characters were a bunch of a$$holes and b1tches so who was really right or wrong here? lol. The cover is misleading but I do really like it. It's what drew me in, I didn't even read the synopsis before requesting from NetGalley or before reading! 😅 But it's definitely a bit out there with the virtual reality world and haptic suits, like if I was reading Ready Player One as a mystery instead of dystopian.

[Corinne’s Chapter Chatter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I’ve read a ton of YA thrillers this year, and I’m forever on the hunt for the one that actually rises above the chaos — the one that truly deserves all that publisher hype we’re constantly being sold. Well… this one delivers. I’ve been gushing about it all day to friends and family IRL like a woman possessed. Honestly, they’re probably screening my calls now.

So what makes it special? First: the writing. The author doesn’t spoon-feed you; she shows you everything with cinematic flair. I could see, hear, smell, and practically taste the world she built. At one point I realized I hadn’t blinked in five minutes. That’s the level of immersion we’re talking about.

Second: it’s actually unique. We’re drowning in stories about teens getting sucked into brands, influencers, aesthetics, curated nonsense — pick your poison. But Ms. Day said, “What if… virtual reality, but make it terrifying?” and somehow made it feel completely fresh.

Is it a little far-fetched? Absolutely. Did I care? Not even a little. Because what grounds this story is the beautifully messy emotional reality of its characters. I adored the neurospicy and queer representation — not forced, not spotlighted, just naturally woven into the cast like real teens being real teens instead of checking off “Diversity Trope #4.”

I could go on (and honestly, I will if someone even whispers this title near me), but I’ll spare you the full TED Talk. Just know this: I highly recommend this YA thriller. It’s my current #1 of the genre for 2025, and if another book wants that crown, it better come ready to fight.

Audiobook update: You know I had to do a reread on audio before release day, and it did not disappoint. The narration by Taylor Meskimen was fantastic. I’ll admit, bumping the speed up slightly to 1.1x made the experience even smoother, but her natural pacing at 1x was already solid.

What really stood out was the fluidity of her voice — a light huskiness that perfectly captured the FMC’s personality. Her character distinctions were subtle but effective, never distracting, and always clear. This audiobook gave me an experience just as strong as my first read-through, which is saying a lot.

I’m officially adding Taylor Meskimen to my narrator watchlist because this was my first time hearing her work and I am absolutely on board for more.

Bottom line: this book remains my favorite YA thriller of 2025 in both formats. Whether you read it or listen to it, you’re in for a wild, immersive ride.

I was fortunate to receive a complimentary eARC from Viking Penguin via NetGalley and the ALC through PRH Audio’s influencer program, which gave me the opportunity to share my voluntary thoughts.

How I Rate
Because I mostly read ARCs, I focus on how I think fellow readers with similar tastes will respond. I sometimes round up or down based on pacing, prose, or overall impact, and I try to keep my personal preferences from weighing too heavily.

⭐️ 1 Star – Finished, but not for me as it has way too many issues; I never DNF ARCs but would have had it not been one.
⭐️⭐️ 2 Stars – Struggled due to writing, content, or editing issues.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 Stars – Decent read with untapped potential; recommend with some reservations.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Stars – Really enjoyed it and would recommend for several reasons.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Stars – Exceptional; lingers in my mind well after reading. A story I’d gladly revisit.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tense, twisty YA thriller that’s impossible to put down. Kelsey Day perfectly captures the drama and danger of friendship gone wrong—smart, sharp, and full of surprises.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.34

This was a quick and fun read with the added bonus of real world lessons for its target audience (teens), and maybe some not so target audience, if they haven’t learned these yet. I’m not a huge fan of AI, I hate generative AI and think it should be gone, so a book featuring a generative AI model being used for evil? Definitely can get the point across. This book also has a running theme of perception=\=reality, both with the present moment of being in the VR and feeling things physically as if they weren’t, as well as in their recent past. The first half of the book we are being told by the first person narration that she’s just an insecure girl who lost her bff and she doesn’t know what she did wrong, while the second half is her finding out other’s perceptions of those same things she doesn’t remember as being wrong or mean. Now, does this mean those perceptions were true either? No. But it hammers home that perception is not truth.

The character’s motivations were sometimes a little far fetched, even in a world about a virtual reality immersion, and I feel like one character was brought in at the end to be a deus ex machina to help save the day, but his motivations at least made more sense than others.

At one point, a character apologizes for past behaviors with the excuse that she was probably just jealous because she was bi and didn’t know it yet, but was jealous of another character spending time with someone. In fact, multiple characters are known to be bi, and all but one are terrible people, and some use their identity as the excuse for being terrible, which feels like biphobia wrapped in inclusion, but I could be wrong about that-it’s kids saying “I didn’t know I was bi so I was mean to you because I was jealous of you spending time with the person I didn’t even realize I was crushing on” which could be biphobia or could just be mean girl behavior, cuz middle school girls will be mean to other girls getting close to a guy too. But it just felt a little off putting to me when I read that, using their bi identity as the excuse for being a mean girl.

The plot and pacing were good, and well planned out, the world building was fun because of the potential inside the AI to have our world but tweaked. Overall I had a good time with this book, minus those few detractors I mentioned.

My rating breakdown:

Characters: 8/10
World Building: 10/10
Relationships: 7/10 (note: relationships include platonic or romantic, this isn’t about a romance subplot or anything)
Plot: 9/10
Writing Style: 10/10
Personal Enjoyment: 8/10

Average: 8.67/10 or 4.34 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.

[Zara Bisalehalli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book, with vivid details and takes you along for the ride through hard friendships, misunderstood pasts, and realities that aren't always as they seem. Bree finds out that things aren't always as they seem to appear...

[Dani Tsuboi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received a free copy from Goodreads giveaways.

Was a bit all over the place in the beginning, like it was trying to cater to too many people at once. It was a fun YA read though, clever and relevant. Makes me not miss being a teen.

[angelpompom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t expect to like this so much, but it’s a lot more entertaining than the usual teen drama.

3.5 stars✨

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! Friendship breakups are seldom explored in literature (nor in society as it turns out. Why do we devote so little energy to talking about friendship breakups in favor or romantic relationship breakups, or hell, why are friendships and platonic relationships so devalued?? That's a topic not for this review though), and this is captured in such a raw manner. All breakups in general obviously center the person feeling the emotions, and it was interesting to explore the things the main character missed as to her own culpability (though her friend was kind of a psychopath).

((a friend of mine wrote this book and they killed it!))

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a YA book it is very well written. If you like VR, ex best friends and horror you'll love this. I did like the horror aspect however the VR aspect of it wasnt for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin young readers group for the ARC copy to review!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one had me on the edge of my seat for the majority of it. The twist was shocking. The main characters Bree and Madison are girls I would have hated in high-school. I know we're supposed to feel sorry for Bree but I can't bring myself to. Even though Madison is quite psychotic in her revenge, Bree learns the consequences of being a typical mean girl and bully.

[Sonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first read the blurb for this book I was intrigued, but thought “How could the stakes possibly be high enough to get the reader invested when it’s virtual and the characters can just leave”. But the author did a fantastic job remedying that worry early on. The stakes, the fear, the pain, and the emotions felt very real and raw. I couldn’t put this one down.

The pacing was fantastic. It was so entertaining all the way through and I got so engrossed in the story. It also was a super quick read, but didn’t feel too short.

The world building in the virtual reality was so good! Each area was described so well and i really felt like I was in this world with the characters.

I also appreciated how messy, raw, and real our main character, Bree, was. She was clearly flawed and that’s revealed more and more throughout the book, but you just couldn’t help rooting for her anyway. Such a great example of how to create a fully rounded and real character.

The author illustrated so beautifully how perception is really everything. Our perception is our reality, but through someone else’s eyes that reality can look completely different. Such a great case to show how important empathy is.

This also was a great allegory for the dangers or AI and then technology that is taking over our world. It honestly didn’t even feel very far off as to what could happen in the very near future.

There were only a few things that bothered me throughout:
- All the “cool guy” characters kind of bled together for me. I had a hard time remembering which one was which.
- The biggest question I had was “Why now?” After everything that happened between Madison and Bree in junior high, why did Madison wait until senior year to get her revenge. It just felt a little out of the blue and didn’t fully track with me.
- I also had a hard time believing that so many of the students would be so physically violent and enjoy it. I get that it was virtual reality, but even so, I feel most kids would not find so much pleasure in physically hurting someone just because they gossiped about them.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it! If you enjoy Jessica Goodman or Joelle Wellington, I think you would really like this one too.

I received a a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and statements are my own.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Stephanie Munguia · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review!!
Thank you to NetGalley.

This was such a good book! I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did!!! At first I had no idea where it would go but it turned out so good! The beginning was a little slow and confusing for me with Madison and Bree but getting more background on them made more sense.
Madison throws a party every year and only a select few get a spiral key, which is their invite, and Bree has never gotten one despite previous years of friendship. Finally her time has come and she gets a key. Devin, Bree's boyfriend, finds it suspicious but Bree believes Madison is ready to be friends again.
They arrive to the party and everything is good until it isn't. Things start happening where Bree believes she's being set up and can't find a way out. Devin ends up hurt and Bree finally finds out why Madison hates her. Bree also finds out why her dad left a party and drove drunk. The plot twist was insane.
Such a good book and such a good ending. Madison's ending was left up in the air but overall a very good book!
4 stars!!!

[Rebeccah Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

All opinions are my own! Thank you to NetGalley

Remember that old movie quote: “If you die in the game, you die in real life”? What if that quote had some truth to it?

Kelsey Day’s “The Spiral Key” takes that premise and twists it in her YA debut.

Madison Pembroke is the Queen Bee of Lincoln Academy. And in such fashion, she is notorious for her birthday parties, where your invitation, a custom spiral key, gives you entrance into Ametrine, a virtual reality world designed by Madison’s tech billionaire parents, solely used to host Madison’s uber exclusive birthday party.

Bree Benson, Madison’s ex-bff, has been branded as Public Enemy Number One since freshman year, and thus has never been a recipient of one of these coveted keys.

But when she finds one in her possession, with a note from Madison that she sees as an olive branch, Bree decides to go, with the hope of rekindling their former friendship.

When party games turn provocative, bordering on violent, Bree realizes that there was more to the invitation than she thought, and Madison’s olive branch was just a ploy to get her here. And while Bree was lucky enough to enter Ametrine…well, she’ll be even more lucky if Madison actually lets her leave.

A thriller/mystery with the setting of a virtual reality game? That immediately peaked my interest. The concept felt interesting enough to get me reading, and honestly? It kept me hooked through to the end. Day crafts a world that feels so real, so that the stakes feel like they’re equally real. Coupled with the way she designed the world and how the characters interact (specialized suits that allow them to experience things in the game, but also experience the feeling (like being touched, or eating, or even smelling).

The characters, primarily Madison and Bree, felt the most fleshed out, which makes sense, since this is their story. Day has captured the essence of a childhood friendship turned obsession, and how one moment can ruin it.

The side characters had their moments, and did feel like they were necessary to the story in different ways, so no one felt unimportant. I would have loved to hear more about the previous parties and what happened to the guests of those, especially Everly, Madison’s right hand girl and Bree’s ex frenemy.

This book was a quick read, and enjoyable. Definitely something to grab on a snowy day and allow yourself to get lost in Ametrine for a few hours too.

[Prof. Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kelsey Day’s YA debut, The Spiral Key, is a high-octane thriller that feels like Black Mirror meets Mean Girls. The story follows Bree Benson, who is unexpectedly invited to Ametrine—an exclusive virtual-reality paradise hosted by her former best friend turned arch-nemesis, Madison Pembroke. While Bree hopes the "Spiral Key" invitation is a peace offering, she quickly realizes that Ametrine isn't a playground; it’s a digital cage. What follows is a brutal game of survival where the stakes are life and death, and the primary weapon is a shared history of secrets.

The core of this book isn't just the "death game" mechanics; it’s the emotional fallout of betrayal. Watching Bree navigate her desire for revenge versus her need for redemption was the highlight for me. Day captures the "social status is everything" mindset of high school perfectly. The characters often make impulsive, emotionally driven, and—at times—infuriating decisions. While their behavior can be frustrating, it feels authentic to their age and adds a layer of anxiety to the plot. You truly feel their desperation to belong and their fear of social extinction.

The book is a wild ride of twists and turns, though the resolution didn't quite hit as hard as the rest of the story for me. The climax is incredibly intense—a heart-pounding sequence that left me breathless—but the ending felt a bit rushed in comparison. After such a high-velocity build-up, it fell slightly flat, leaving me wishing for a punchier final reveal. Overall, The Spiral Key is a gripping exploration of how the people who know us best are the ones equipped to destroy us most effectively. It’s a fast-paced, imaginative thriller that I would definitely recommend to fans of Holly Jackson or Jessica Goodman.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Penguin Teen for an e-arc of this book.
This book follows high school student, Bree, who gets invited to her former best friend's birthday party but Madison hasn't invited Bree to mend their relationship. This book had me at the edge of my seat with intense moments, suspense and drama. The writing was fantastic and this story had me gripped from page 1.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sci-fi twist added to an insane amount of high school drama.

The FMC, Bree, is being ostracized by Madison, the queenbee of a fancy private school. And of course, they used to be besties until Bree's dad did something unforgivable.

I was definitely waiting for the other foot to fall for most of the book. And when it finally did, ooooh goodness it was satisfying. While YA, this story encourages readers to think about how they see themselves, how they're perceived and how actions have consequences. Questions about the use of AI, surveillance, technology, etc are at the forefront as well.

Overall, this was not only entertaining, it had a lot of food for thought.

Thank you Penguin Young Readers Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Alora Khan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love when I read a novel that has a new idea, and this was definitely contemporary. The main character has an ex-BFF who has a fancy birthday party in a virtual reality world every year. She finally gets invited and thinks that she will be friends with her ex-BFF once again. Throughout the novel, the main character figures out that maybe that’s not a good thing, and finally figures out what kind of birthday parties have been going on in this VR world. I had a hard time putting this down as I wanted to know the mystery. Solid writing, and I liked the characters.
Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this ARC. This will be out in February of 2026.

[Storhmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d like to thank NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC of The Spiral Key by Kelsey Day.

This fast, entertaining YA thriller has a clever VR twist that kept me fully engaged. Bree’s journey is tense and suspenseful, and the VR world grows darker and creepier as the night goes on.
A few plot points were predictable, but the pacing and suspense make it an enjoyable read. I’d definitely be interested in reading more from Kelsey Day.