Contemporary Authors

• Spin the Sky Skyhorse (New York, NY), 2016

1. Spin the sky https://lccn.loc.gov/2016028845 MacKenzie, Jill, author. Spin the sky / Jill MacKenzie. New York: Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., [2016] pages cm PZ7.1.M2457 Spi 2016 ISBN: 9781510706866 (hc : alk. paper)

• The Fandom - http://www.thefandom.net/books/spin-sky-author-jill-mackenzie-reveals-book-cover-design-story/

  Jill Mackenzie, a Vancouver native, is an ex-ballerina and contemporary dancer. Now working toward her MFA in creative writing at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Jill chassés between roles as part-time student, full-time mom, and always-writer. Though Jill no longer studies dance, she still tries to dance herself clean whenever she can. Currently she lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she spends her free time beach-bound with her husband and two beautiful daughters.

• Team Rouge YA - https://teamrogueya.wordpress.com/2015/05/18/introducing-jill-mckenzie-and-spin-the-sky/

  INTRODUCING JILL MACKENZIE AND SPIN THE SKY

  May 18, 2015
  jillpic

  Today we’re so excited to introduce you to Jill MacKenzie and SPIN THE SKY, which is slated to release Fall 2016!

  Why did you choose the setting for your book? Did you draw from any real places to create your world?

  The setting in my book, Summerland, is actually a real place on the Oregon coast that stole my heart when I was fifteen. I stumbled upon it on a rogue road trip with some girlfriends, and never wanted to leave. That was the summer I met a boy and fell in love and learned to surf and learned how cool and calming clamming can be. I gave it a fictitious name for my story because it’s how I see the town, like, my own interpretation of it. I was worried that if I called it by its real name, the people who actually live there would be like, “that’s not how it is here at all” and I definitely didn’t want to upset anyone with this story–especially because I paint the town in not a very pretty light. But I just wrote it the way I felt it–the good parts, the bad parts, and the really, really bad parts. I chose it for my setting because it’s the only small town I’ve ever spent a significant amount of time in and it just felt right. When the story started to unfold in my head, the town of Summerland took shape around it, and through it.
  What was your inspiration for SPIN THE SKY?

  My inspiration for SPIN THE SKY obviously came from the TV show SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. I danced my whole life, but there was nothing like this for me to work toward growing up. If there had been, I think I would have worked harder in dance because I would have known just what it could do for me. Also, in watching the show, I was always moved by some of the stories the competitors had, and I wanted to write a story about the competitor who had the really, REALLY brave story, the thing that made her want to win the show more than any of the others. I love the show, so I wanted to compliment that…but I also see the “larger than life” aspects of the show because it is reality TV, and I wanted to (gently) poke fun at that, too.
  What was your favorite part about writing this book?

  My favorite part about writing this book was that I got to live out my dreams while writing it! I wish I could have been a professional dancer, and I think I could have been…in another life. Also, sometimes I have these weird, small town fantasies and think how nice it would be to grow up in a place where everyone knows your name. It was really interesting for me to start with that fantasy and then realize that the things about small town life I had romanticized in my head, might not be as great as I originally thought.
  What was the hardest part about writing this book?

  The hardest part about writing this book was definitely trying to squeeze an entire dance competition into the time frame I wanted the main plot of the story to happen in. It was hard! Also, all of Magnolia’s “mom stuff.” That was really hard for me to write, too. A lot of tears were shed for this story, but I feel stronger coming out of it! 🙂
  Who is your favorite rogue character from a book, TV show, or movie?

  My favorite rogue character from another book? This one is SO easy for me! I’m obsessed with all Matt de la Pena’s characters, and they’re definitely all rogue. I guess if I had to pick one, I choose Kidd from I WILL SAVE YOU. I seriously fell in love with him after the first read (and I’ve read it like six times.)
  Which character in SPIN THE SKY do you identify with most, and why?

  I definitely identify with Magnolia the most. Wait. Maybe I identify with George the most. Er…maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it’s Rose I’m most alike. Ugh. I suppose that the truth is that they’re all part of me, and I identify with all of them! I think I have George’s lust for life (except for when I don’t), Rose’s protective side (most of the time) and Magnolia’s drive and passion (some of the time.) But they’re all me, and none of them are me. It’s the best I can do.
  SPIN THE SKY deals with a reality TV dance competition. Tell us about the process of creating an original competition show for a book–did any current reality shows influence or inspire yours?

  As I said before, the show was really hard! I always knew I wanted the framework to mirror SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE because I love it and think they accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Even though there are some classic reality TV moments on that show, I also think they do incredible things for dance and dancers and challenge their competitors in ways I never could have imagined when I danced seriously. I hope I did the show justice. I hope I put my own spin on it enough to make it my own.
  Describe the type of reader you hope will pick up your book when it’s on shelves.

  The kind of reader I hope picks up my books is the kind of reader with big dreams that will stop at nothing to achieve those dreams. But also, I hope someone that is looking for a sign, a reason, a way to let go of the shadows they’ve walked in for too long also picks up my book. That’s the heart of the story. Letting go. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to learn, but the best thing, too.
  What sources did you draw inspiration from while writing SPIN THE SKY (this can include music, movies, books, art…etc!)

  I’m a huge music fan, and like with SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, I drew a lot of inspiration from music while writing this book. I love music that makes me feel something and makes me want to dance and just shake it all off, you know? For this book, I listened to LCD SOUNDSYSTEM’s “This Is Happening” over and over. It made me feel everything. It made me get up and move and then sit down and put it all on paper. It gave me the original title for this book, which was DANCE YOURSELF CLEAN, a track from that album. I always knew that title would change, but it was a constant reminder to me what I wanted this book to be. A book about gaining the want, the ability, the desire to dance yourself clean from the things that try and try and try to weigh you down.
  I love books that deal with sibling relationships. Talk to us a bit about the sister dynamic in SPIN THE SKY.

  I, too, love books that deal with sibling relationships. The thing is, when you have a sibling, you know that nothing is a deal breaker with them and that’s comforting, you know? You can love them and hang out with them…or you can tell them you want them dead or to eff off and you know it won’t kill your relationship because they’re the only other person on the planet who knows your childhood the way you know your childhood, and vice versa. I guess it’s that whole “bearing witness to your life” thing. You can love them or you can hate them, but either way, you’re kind of just stuck with them and that’s just nice and warm feeling. The relationship between Mags and Rose is nothing like the relationship I have with my sister, though. Again, I sort of took the vision of what I wanted my ideal sibling to look like and act like around me, and tried to write it like that. But as I started writing the story, I realized that their relationship didn’t look as rosy or pretty as I thought it would either and, somehow, that gave me comfort, too.
  Jill’s bio: Although my heart will always be on the West Coast, I’ve lived in the heat of Florida for nearly 11 years and am finally getting used to it. Together with my South African husband named Gus and our two gorgeous little daughters (one girly, one not) named Alice and Lila, our lives are pretty much spent on the beach, navigating the clear, warm waters of the South. In addition to being an avid member of SCBWI Florida, I’m currently completing my MFA in Creative Writing through the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC. I also work as a freelance writer and write book reviews as a sideline gig whenever possible because, you know, I’ve got to help bring home the bacon, too. In my free time, (free time? What’s that?) I enjoy dancing, reading, snorkeling, surfing, running and travelling.

• YA Highway - http://www.yahighway.com/2016/11/author-interviw-jill-mackenzie-and-spin.html

  Author Interview: Jill Mackenzie and SPIN THE SKY

  Today we are so pleased to feature an interview with debut author Jill MacKenzie, whose SPIN THE SKY (Sky Pony Press) is out in the world today! She swung by the Highway to talk craft, reality television, her journey to publication, and baby animals.

  About the book: Magnolia Woodson wants nothing more than to get her and her sister, Rose, out of the pitifully small, clamming-obsessed Oregon town that hates them—she just doesn’t know how. Forced to put up with the snide comments and hateful looks the townspeople throw at them, Mags thinks she’s destined to pay for the horrible, awful thing her mom did—and that she’s left her and Rose to deal with—until the day she dies.

  But when a nationwide televised dance competition posts tryouts in nearby Portland, Mags’s best friend, George, says they have to go and audition. Not only have they spent the past fourteen years of their lives dancing side-by-side, dreaming of a day just like this, but also it could be Mags’s chance of a lifetime—a chance to win the grand-prize money and get her and Rose out of Summerland, a chance to do the thing she loves most with everyone watching, a chance to show the town that she’s not—and has never been—a “no-good Woodson girl,” like her mother. But will the competition prove too steep? And will Mags be able to retain her friendship with George as they go head-to-head in tryouts? Mags will have to learn that following her dreams may mean changing her life forever.

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  1. SPIN THE SKY centers around a reality show, which has a built in sense of tension due to the competitive frame of the show, but what do you find compelling about reality television? How does this format reflect who we are as a culture?

  Reality television, ah yes. The question of all questions! Here’s the interesting thing about reality TV: Twenty years ago, we didn’t even have reality TV apart from MTV’s The Real World. Then all of a sudden—bam—it was everywhere and now it’s just so commonplace that we often forget it’s for entertainment purposes and therefore not as real as the “reality” component of the name would suggest. If reality TV was really real, it wouldn’t be as exciting because life doesn’t unfold in thirty minute segments (or fourteen minute segments, if you’re not counting commercials) with a clear beginning, middle, and end. And that’s what I find compelling about reality TV. I never could have predicted that it’d still be as popular as it is today. I’m baffled that people treat it as though it were completely real. I’m saddened to think that home viewers watching reality TV don’t consider the individuals involved—usually new actors or A-list wannabees—at all.

  In Spin the Sky, cameras follow Magnolia everywhere, scrutinizing her every word and move to an almost uncomfortable level. I really wanted to expose this side of reality TV so readers would get the chance to not only be part of a reality TV show themselves, but to see how it must be for those people on reality TV. Sure, a lot of it is scripted, but what about the parts that aren’t? How do those reality TV participants deal in situations where parts of their lives are aired and exposed that they never meant to reveal? That’s what I wanted readers to think about during the reality TV sections of my book. How it feels to be on the other end of the camera. How it feels to be watched in your most vulnerable moments. Because the fact that most of us don’t think about the other side of that camera when we’re watching reality TV does say something significant about our culture: we’re in it for the drama. We want to see the train wrecks. We’ll sleep peacefully, even after we have.

  2. Magnolia’s family life and her dreams are complex and intertwined. How did you come to understand her as a character? What are her driving motivations and values?

  Magnolia has been a part of me since I was fifteen years old. That’s when I spent a lot of time on the Oregon Coast, in a town very much like Summerland (called Summerland by me because I was only there in the summers.) Of course, her character didn’t start to develop until many years later, but when I first thought of the idea of the dance show, I wanted there to be a really big reason for Magnolia to want on the show; something other than dance. At first I thought she would want to find her mother. Then I realized that she was past that point. Maybe she’d always secretly want and dream of her mother’s return, but more than that, Magnolia wanted a way to move forward and live a normal life.

  After my own teenage years were coming to an end, I started working in a youth shelter in my hometown. It was a life-changing experience. I spent a great deal of time with homeless youth and was always struck by the stories they told me of their own families. Most of them dreamed of being reunited with their parents one day. And most of them knew that they could never, ever go home.

  This idea of knowing what you want, versus knowing what’s good for you, really resonated with me. Magnolia wishes her Mom was home and things were normal like they used to be—at least, how they used to be inside her own head. But she also knows that Mom being there with her and Rose wasn’t good for them. So even though she won’t give up her dream of living the kind of life that isn’t weighted down by her mom’s shadows, she also knows (at least, for two-thirds of the book) that she’ll never be totally happy because her mom isn’t there to complete her family. Magnolia’s drive to be herself—to live up to her own potential, unburdened by her mother’s crime—propells her and her story. And it’s her motivation toward dance—the one good thing she’s always been able to do—that provides her with the vehicle to live up to this potential.

  3. What was the hardest scene to write?

  It’s difficult to answer this question without revealing what happens in the climax! So I’m just going to say this: that scene of “all is lost” for Magnolia was really, really tough for me because I felt so drained after writing it. She’d already been through so much, and I felt like I had intentionally hurt someone that I really loved and believed in anyway. I took a long nap after I wrote that scene. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.

  But it was also hard to write the very last scene of the book where George and Magnolia meet, once again, on their beach. I cried like a baby during this scene because friendships are very important to me; I pride myself on having nearly every friend I’ve ever made. Having them resolve their issues but leaving things a little up in the air, too, made me uncomfortable. And sad. I’ve made my peace with it now, though.

  4. What was your favorite scene to write?

  Without a doubt, my favorite scenes to write in this book were the dance scenes. They all flowed so easily for me. I chose a song that I imagined Magnolia or George dancing too and then actually saw them dancing and wrote them so fast—like lightning fast! I was always pleased with these scenes in the book. Even through the countless revisions Spin the Sky has seen, the dance scenes remained nearly unchanged.

  5. Can you tell us a little bit about your journey to publication with this particular book? When did you begin writing it and how has it changed from that first vision you had of the story?

  I actually love talking about this. Maybe because being a writer is the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do with my life. I was writing stories by the time I was six. I remember writing a seven book series when I was seven called The Doggone Dogs, a story about a family of dogs who irritate their neighbors with wacky antics. Then, when I was ten, I wrote an eighty-page story on my family computer about a girl who runs away to live on a deserted island, which my dad accidentally deleted. I’ve been writing my whole life. So I really thought that sitting down and writing a novel would be no biggie. I’d just do it, it’d get published, and that’d be that. Ho boy.

  Writing this book was a journey of epic proportions for me. Though it did land me my wonderfully kind-and-patient agent, Victoria Marini, she took it through at least six revisions before she submitted it to any editors at all. I had several revision requests after that, which I completed. Then, when Sky Pony bought the novel, I did another four revisions on it to get it into the shape it is now. The entire process, I do believe, took eight years. Granted, I had very small children during the first through fourth draft stages of this book. I hope that I’ve learned enough along the way to make things go a teensy bit faster for here on out.

  And I like to think that the book it is today is consistent with the original story I had in mind for Spin the Sky. Though the title has changed (originally, it was called Dance Yourself Clean) the story itself has maintained its integrity and I’m pleased with that.

  6. What’s next for you?

  I have some good things in the works. But I’m incredibly superstitious so I can’t tell…yet. :)

  Fast Five
  Coffee or tea?

  Coffee. OMG. I have it rigged to my alarm clock to brew precisely twelve minutes before I need to wake up. My house knows better than to speak to me unless I’ve consumed at least half a cup. I never re-fill my cup. Always, always start a brand-new cup so the perfect cream-to-coffee ratio is maintained.

  Last book you read: I’m almost finished David Arnold’s new YA, Kids of Appetite. I love everything he writes. He is a genius with character. I also just finished Neil Shusterman’s Challenger Deep, which was one seriously powerful story. I highly recommend both.

  Favorite baby animal: This one. This is a baby aardvark. Oh my god, he kills me. If I had him, I’d let him snuggle on my pillow.

  Best piece of writing advice: Butt in chair. Butt in chair. Butt in chair. The stories won’t get written if you don’t stay seated. It’s why I got a cat, actually. She sleeps in my lap for hours at a time. And I don’t get up for a break until she does. Now if only she’d figure out a way to keep me off social media…

  Favorite place to write: At home. I live in a very, very sunny place. Sometimes I actually feel overwhelmed by all the sun. So I like to close all my curtains and pretend it’s rainy out and envision myself in the perfect, perfect rainy-writing place. I even have a noise machine that emulates rain noises. You can take the girl out of the Pacific Northwest…
  ______________________________________________
  About the Author: Jill Mackenzie, a Vancouver native, is an ex-ballerina and contemporary dancer. Now working toward her MFA in creative writing at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Jill chasses between roles as part-time student, full-time mom, and always-writer. Though Jill no longer studies dance, she still tries to dance herself clean whenever she can. Currently she lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she spends her free time beach-bound with her husband and two beautiful daughters.

• Proquest - http://blogs.proquest.com/sks/whatcha-reading-now/

  How Can ProQuest Support Common Core Research? »
  Whatcha’ Reading Now?: An Interview with Jill MacKenzie
  Posted by Amy Shaw on October 10th, 2013

  whatcha-reading-now-mission
  From left to right: Jill, Michelle and Kerry (photo used with permission by Jill MacKenzie)

  Whatcha’ Reading Now? is a community website that offers author interviews and book reviews for kids and teens. The reviewers on the site–Jill, Kerry and Michelle–review only books that they love and pledge “to bring you books for kids and teens that will make you think, cry, laugh out loud, or keep you at the edge of your seat.”

  All three reviewers are children’s and young adult writers (Michelle publishes under the pen name Shel Delisle) and, as such, their enthusiasm and love for the craft shines through in their posts.

  As a fellow avid reader (and writer!) of children’s lit, I’ve been following this site since its inception in 2010. (Disclosure: Jill was my critique group leader of a Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrator’s chapter I used to attend in South Florida.)

  It’s been a while since I’d seen Jill, so I caught up with her for this interview.

  Q. How did you become interested in children’s/YA literature?

  I’ve actually always been interested in children’s literature. I read voraciously as a child. When I grew up, I found that I still loved kid’s books just as much as I always had (maybe even more.) Lucky me, right? 😉

  Q. What are some unique topics addressed in the books you’ve reviewed?

  I’m definitely a fan of “issues books.” That means I like reads that aren’t afraid to cover the tough subjects but present them in unique ways. In my opinion, the issues teens face today haven’t really changed since I was young(er), but the way in which we accept them and deal with them certainly have.

  Q. Do media specialists or teachers use your e-zine? If so, how have they used it in their classrooms/schools?

  Lol, I hope they use it! No, in all seriousness, I have met teachers and media specialists who have told me that the e-zine is one more way to make reading cool again, which really is awesome, (because we think it is cool.) Also, it’s a resource; When I look at the reviews my partners have written, I’m always like, “wow, I’ve never heard of that book but I definitely want to read it now!” And I like to think kids use it to stay on the up-and-up on what’s hot in book-world. I mean, who wouldn’t want to know that?

  Jill MacKenzie
  Jill MacKenzie (photo used with permission by Jill MacKenzie)

  Q. Issues such as self-esteem and bullying are often addressed in schools. Have you ever done (or would you consider doing) a special feature in which you review books on such topics? If so, what was that feature?

  We dedicated our eighth issue entirely to the topic of bullying, actually, because we all felt that this is one subject matter that can’t be over discussed, in any capacity. Not to mention, there is soooo much great literature out there written about bullying. And the topic of self-esteem enters our issues a lot, actually, although we haven’t centered a whole issue around this particular theme (although you may be on to something…)

  Q. Today’s students have so many distractions, from social networking sites to cell phones and video games. What are some ways that parents and educators can help young people develop a love of reading?

  I have kind of a golden rule with this one: kids learn by example. If they see their parents plunking down in front of the television or tapping away on their iPhones night after night, that’s what they’ll learn to do too. But if they see their parents taking an active interest in books themselves…well, you get the point. Same goes for educators: if kids see their teachers passionate about something they’re reading, they’ll want to know what it is, and why it is.

  Q. I recently read a statistic stating that a quarter of all public school children in the U.S. are Latino but only three percent of children’s book are by or about Latinos. Can you recommend any books or authors that reflect the experiences of this demographic?

  Oh my gosh, yes! My absolute favorite YA author of all times is Mexican-American. Matt de la Pena, is his name. I will forever read anything he writes. Anything. Others whom I especially love are Rita Williams-Garcia, Pam Munoz Ryan, Gary Soto, as well as Florida authors Christina Gonzalez and Gaby Triana. All of their works, I believe, reflect some aspect of this demographic.

  Q. Whatcha’ Reading Now?

  Right now, I’m reading three books I love! The first one that I’m almost finished, is IF YOU FIND ME, by Emily Murdoch. The second, is WHAT ALICE FORGOT, by Loraine Moriarty, and the third is Gayle Forman’s JUST ONE DAY. All of them are fabulous!

  Thanks, Jill!

  (Readers, you can access Whatcha’ Reading Now? and other editorially-selected book review websites and more in SIRS Knowledge Source. Just type in the subject heading Books, Reviews in the search box.)

  Special thanks to ProQuest Editors Michelle Sneiderman and Sarah Ruggles for contributing interview questions for this post.

MacKenzie, Jill. Spin the Sky
Kathleen Beck
Voice of Youth Advocates.
39.5 (Dec. 2016): p64.
COPYRIGHT 2016 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Full Text: 
4Q * 4P * J * S
MacKenzie, Jill. Spin the Sky. Sky Pony 2016. 352p. $17.99. 978-1-5107-0686-6.
Magnolia is desperate to get herself and older sister Rose out of Summerland. The tiny Oregon coastal town has rejected them ever since their
addict mother sold the mayor's daughter the drugs that killed her. Hope arises when Mags's best friend, George, a talented dancer like her,
persuades her to try out for the popular "American Idol"-style TV show, "Live to Dance." If she wins, the prize money will give the sisters a new
start. She is shocked when George, to cover up a mistake during his audition, spills her entire story on national TV, painting himself as her
champion. She will do it alone, Mags decides--she will show everyone. Doing it alone proves a lonely business, until she begins to see that
everyone on the show, George included, has a story and a struggle. When a devastating injury forces Mags from the competition, she must, at last,
confront the real hindrance to her success--herself.
Fans of dance, reality TV, and family drama will snap this up. Though Mags's self-pity gets tedious as times, her love for her wayward mother
and her hurt and confusion about George's apparent betrayal are real and touching. George's refusal to narrowly define his sexual preference is
handled adroitly. The other dancers, though lightly sketched, will engage readers' interest, as will the behind-the-scenes look at talent
competitions. MacKenzie uses well the timeless themes of finding yourself and recognizing true friends. Spin the Sky will prove popular in both
school and public library collections.--Kathleen Beck.
Source Citation   (MLA 8th
Edition)
Beck, Kathleen. "MacKenzie, Jill. Spin the Sky." Voice of Youth Advocates, Dec. 2016, p. 64. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA474767946&it=r&asid=9ac94bfe96ca7793dff5eca541f515f2. Accessed 4 June 2017.
6/4/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
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Gale Document Number: GALE|A474767946

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Jill MacKenzie: SPIN THE SKY
Kirkus Reviews.
(Sept. 15, 2016):
COPYRIGHT 2016 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text: 
Jill MacKenzie SPIN THE SKY Sky Pony Press (Adult Fiction) 17.99 11, 1 ISBN: 978-1-5107-0686-6
Magnolia has a chance to dance her way out of her small, coastal Oregon town and into stardom on a reality TV show called Live to
Dance.Magnolia, an 18-year-old with “perfectly pecan color” skin, needs to get away from the shaming she and her white half
sister, Rose, face because of their absent mother’s actions. Many of Summerland’s residents steer clear of them, even while
they’re digging clams to make ends meet. Magnolia’s audition takes her to LA, where she’s plunged into a diverse
cast of hopeful teens, all under the scrutiny of judges who pick them off one by one. Like Katniss and Peeta in The Hunger Games, the
contestants are prepped by stylists to reveal their individual back stories: “You look perfect,” Magnolia’s assures her.
“Raw. Wearing your own sores.” TV and internet viewers watch clips of the dancers’ reactions to being on the show
and the interactions among them, along with weekly dance performances. The fast-paced story moves away from the theme of
Magnolia’s love of dance and into a soap opera laced with betrayal, breakups and hookups, friendships lost and gained. Life lessons
abound, as Magnolia’s dance instructor’s encouragement to “dig deeper” is reflected in Magnolia’s
clam digging as a metaphor for escaping the psychological distress that holds her back from her dreams. A lively and absorbing story with all the
drama of teen life. (Fiction. 12-15)
Source Citation   (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Jill MacKenzie: SPIN THE SKY." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Sept. 2016. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA463216076&it=r&asid=39c14328269e54aaa66b51deac8c8200. Accessed 4 June
2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A463216076

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Spin the Sky
Publishers Weekly.
263.39 (Sept. 26, 2016): p95.
COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text: 
Spin the Sky
Jill MacKenzie. Sky Pony, $17.99 (352p) ISBN 978-1-5107-0686-6
Magnolia "Mags" Woodson, 18, has always turned to dance when things got bad. After Mags's mother, a sometimes prostitute and constant drug
addict, causes the death of the mayor's daughter in a drug overdose, the reputations of Mags and her older sister, Rose, are tarnished, making life
in Summerland, Ore., almost unbearable. But Mags has a plan: she is going to try out for a reality dance competition, Live to Dance, where she
hopes to win over her town, in addition to the cash prize. Debut author MacKenzie, a former dancer, believably captures Mags's overburdened
and self-defeating voice, as well as her confusion over her crush on her (probably gay) best friend George and her petty jealousies involving
others vying for George's attentions. However, as realistic as Mags's voice is, and as on-point MacKenzie's descriptions of dance are, the narrative
is slow and meandering. The story picks up once the competition begins, but Mags's development as a character doesn't really start until after her
inevitable injury. Ages 12-up. Agent: Victoria Marini, Gelfman Schneider (Nov.)
Source Citation   (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Spin the Sky." Publishers Weekly, 26 Sept. 2016, p. 95. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA465558317&it=r&asid=e3185869da5ee41fff647c970f338c4e. Accessed 4 June 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A465558317

Beck, Kathleen. "MacKenzie, Jill. Spin the Sky." Voice of Youth Advocates, Dec. 2016, p. 64. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do? p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA474767946&it=r. Accessed 4 June 2017. "Jill MacKenzie: SPIN THE SKY." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Sept. 2016. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do? p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA463216076&it=r. Accessed 4 June 2017. "Spin the Sky." Publishers Weekly, 26 Sept. 2016, p. 95. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do? p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA465558317&it=r. Accessed 4 June 2017.

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