Definitely a cool read. Makes you think back on all the shows we watched as kids. This author has knocked 2 books out of the park.

We all remember that show from our childhood. The one that you cannot recall specific episodes of, but someone on the internet posts the theme songs and you are magically transported back in time. All of the sudden memories come rushing back that you didn't even know you held inside of you. With it comes the nostalgia of being young, of being carefree, of being a kid. A simpler time in life.

The Mister Magic tv show was that nostalgia for so many kids. But no one can find the episdoes on the internet. The production company appears to be non-existent. And what happened to the cast members? As time goes by the Mister Magic tv show becomes an urban legend. Everyone knows they saw it, but where is the proof? What about the rumors....did someone really die on the show? Surely not.

Now it is 30 years after the tv show ended. 5 surviving cast members are trying to move on. But how do you move on when Mister Magic holds the keys to the happiest and possibly worst time of your life? Do you go back and face what happened? Or is the past better left in the past?

Mister Magic is all of the things you want from Kierstin White. It is dark and twisty, but also has so much heart. You root for the characters of the show. For a good 50% I was invested but had no idea where the book was leading. The end had a surprising twist that I did not see coming (which is how I like it). While there were elements that were out-of-this world, the heart of this story really touched me. What is good look like? What roles do we fill in society? Who are the real bad guys? Timely message wrapped up in Mister Magic.

Book Review:
Mister Magic
Written by Kiersten White
Read by Rebecca Lowman
Book 173/200
Genre: Thriller / Horror
Format: Audio
Pages/Time: 293/10hr 31min
Published: 2023
Rating: 6/10

"Children accept absurdity because everything is absurd, everything made up of complex rules and systems that they don’t understand."

Mister Magic is an intriguing discussion of childhood trauma and the disillusion that comes with adulthood. I very much enjoyed the premise of this book; a kid's show that no one can seem to exactly remember and no one can seem to find is pretty neat. In an age where we can find almost anything with a few minutes of searching, the idea that a piece of media has disappeared seems nearly unfathomable.

Where I found this book to be lacking was in its execution. I thought the setup was pretty solid, but unfortunately I just couldn't get invested in the characters, making the end a little stale for me.

This was such a weird book and plot line and I absolutely loved it. When childhood castmates if a beloved kids show (somewhat Barney-esque) reunite as adults for a podcast things get really strange! I did not at all see where this story was going but I loved the ride and the final destination! I’ve never once read a book where the “Acknowledgement/Author’s note” gave me such an “Aha” moment. It made mr like the book even more after reading White’s personal words.

I was so excited about going into this one, and it did not disappoint. It was a bit of a slow burn, and incidentally a slow read for me. That's definitely not a bad thing, I felt that it needed to be a slower read so I could capture what was going on and take my time savoring this book. This book deserves to be savored, and if you like trippy fiction with a side of crazy cults? I'd recommend this one to you in a heartbeat. The characters, god, I cannot even begin to state how much I rooted for the characters and wanted them to overcome their various challenges. They were all so wonderfully crafted, and well rounded. Kiersten is definitely becoming an insta-buy author for me, and I can't wait to see what else she comes up with. Big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a digital copy to review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I liked the overall feel of this book. There were many questions I had after reading that I felt should have been answered, but I sometimes feel like that is part of reading a horror novel. There are always little questions that are meant to keep you up at night. I liked White's first adult horror novel - Hide - and I continued to be enthralled with this book as well. The characters are well developed. The story is creepy. The whole thing lives on the edge of your mind - the Mandela Effect in book form. I liked it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this DRC.
A TV show hosted by Mister Magic, someone that no one can remember their face, with a cast of children who grow up with confused memories is just the beginning for this creepy magical and cultish book. When the last cast has grown up, they meet for a reunion that only brings up more questions and fears and the manipulation of an entire town.

Kiersten White is a favorite author for spooky fun! She loves to tug you in one direction and then another and then down a deep dark hole underneath a very weird town. Great fun and great reveals in this mysterious look at children’s TV, their fandom’s and what can go terribly, terribly wrong.

#MisterMagic #NetGalley

I was very intrigued with this book. It was interesting and at times strange and slightly creepy. I feel like it all comes to light if you read the author's note. I overall enjoyed the book and devoured it very quickly.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book to review.

Mister Magic was the perfect mix of spooky and scary - scary enough to keep you turning the page but not enough to give you nightmares. I bought this book as soon as I spotted it at my bookstore and it's currently being read my one of my friends [because I RAVED about it and needed her to read it so we can talk]. I have thoughts! But for now I will anxiously await Kiersten White's next masterpiece

Mister Magic by Kiersten White is a dark supernatural thriller about former child stars that reunite to figure out why their show ended so many years prior. But it's like the show never existed. How were these child stars able to suddenly find each other? Are they being lured into a trap? And who exactly was Mister Magic? While this story was very interesting and well-written, it was just a little too weird for me. But I'm sure others will enjoy it. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

The beginning of this book was amazing. The intrigue about the mysterious tv show and the nature of main character, Val's upbringing brings a lot of questions. The first half of the novel looks at these things slowly and there is a true feeling of uneasiness and mystery. But the second half of the novel is so much more confusing. While the author's goal is loosely made, it is still heavily confusing and relies on a strong since of science fiction that you don't expect in most thrillers. All in all, the story is beautiful even though the second half of the novel was disappointing.

The premise of this novel was absolutely enthralling, but for some reason, the execution didn't really land with me. I had issues with this author's previous book, which is a shame, because her ideas are always original and I like them, but the writing style has something that just doesn't jive with me.

I cannot stop raving about this book. I thought I was just getting into a creepy thriller, but turns out it's an eloquent allegory about religious trauma and authoritative parenting?! It contains multitudes!

Val's dad has just died, and some of her friends show up at his funeral. The problem is, she doesn't remember these friends at all. They inform her that she used to be on a defunct TV show with a strong fan base, Mister Magic, and surprise, her mother (who Val thought was dead) is actually alive. She hops in the car with them and is wrapped up in a physical and psychological journey to rural Utah, where she does start to remember what happened, and more importantly, how Mister Magic ended.

This book was cerebral and deep. I binged it in two days; absolutely could not put it down. The story was compelling when it was "just" a standard thriller, then White starts to add additional layers and it becomes so beautifully complex. I'm still thinking about it weeks later.

I give this 3.5 stars/5. This I will admit is a difficult review for me to write and I have been putting it off a bit. When I first read the description, I was very intrigued with the plot, mysterious cultish children’s TV shows, a investigation podcast and a supernatural element sign me up. I also was a fan of the authors previous book Hide. I feel like when I was reading the book, it was a lot of lead up for an ending that fizzled out for me. Then I read the authors note, on how this was an allegory for her experiences, and it made the book make a little more sense for me. Thanks NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest opinion

How do you even begin to review a book like Mister Magic? After I had finished the final page I honestly felt like I had experienced a break through in therapy.

It made perfect sense because White writes in her Acknowledgment/Author Note section about her experiences dismantling toxic religious upbringing and all the trauma, pain, and loss that comes with it. I am so grateful she chose to share such a personal story within these pages. I am so grateful she fictionalized it in a way that makes it easier to talk about and gives perfect illustrations to feelings that are hard to verbalize.

Of course, not every reader will connect with Mister Magic in this way; for them, this will be a somewhat strange yet still enjoyable cosmic horror book. It will be as fun as Hide with the character depth of The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein.

But if you’re like me, if you’re in the process of working through trauma from an extremely religious childhood, if you’ve been struggling with how to share your big feelings with family members, if you wish you’d been accepted for who you are at your core and not molded… you will fucking love this book.

I hope Kiersten White knows how special this book is. I hope she knows how much it helped me. I am eternally grateful I have it in my hands. Thank you SO much to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for this very (maybe too) honest review.

I read Hide a few months ago and this one has very similar vibes. White writes books that make you ask “what’s going on?” and keep you asking. There’s a mystery waiting to be uncovered. A creepy uneasy feeling. An un-knowing. Bone-chilling stuff and I’m absolutely here for it.
.
The five surviving childhood stars of the iconic 90s show, Mister Magic, have gathered on the original set of the show in a house in the desert for a reunion podcast. Val has no memories of being on the show, and the other children don’t quite trust their memories. Nobody understands exactly what led to the death of the 6th cast member. And they have even less understanding of the mysterious shadowy figure for whom the show was named. It becomes apparent quickly that there is something not right about this house. And it seems like they weren’t just called to gather for a podcast. Val must uncover the sinister truth that lurks under the surface of this carefully crafted facade.
.
The children were given rules on the show, seemingly light and harmless. Helpful rules. Except for the ones that were more insidious. Except for the ones that were meant to control the girls who became women, with antiquated patriarchal notions of modesty and misogyny. I loved Val’s feminist pushback.
.
This is a book about identity, about the innocence and limitlessness we all possess as children, and how that so often gets crushed at some point. It’s about searching for that hopeful infinite version of ourselves we used to be.
.
.
Mister Magic - Kiersten White
4.5/5⭐️

I was obsessed with Kiersten White's previous book and FLEW through it so I knew I needed to get my hands on Mister Magic. The cover is insane! The way horror and religion were blended together was so good. Even though I couldn't necessarily connect with the characters, I enjoyed the read. The ending was bizarre but in the best way!

There aren’t enough stars on the entire internet for this book. I wanted to write this while it was still fresh in my mind, because several years of depression and trying to treat it make it hard to hold onto things the way I used to. I tend to cry every time I read a book by Kiersten White, and that’s a good thing, because books are supposed to change you, help you, heal you, make you feel all the emotion as that are too big to hold in. Good books, the best books, break open parts of you you never knew you sealed away out of shame or the false belief that feeling things is a weakness that was infused into you as a child. This book is magic, and it is painful, and it is hopeful. It is so many wonderful things woven into a rainbow of prose.

When I was younger I used to love Stephen King and Dean Koontz because they made me feel so many things, they are still great authors but sometimes get lost in how drawn out there work can be these days. Kiersten White is my new Stephen King. I mean that as a compliment because ofcourse Kiersten White is so talented she doesn’t need to be Stephen King, she just needs to be herself, and who she is is awesome.

Mister Magic is a classic TV, One of those childhood classic staples that everyone remembers…sort of. Because no one knows what Mister Magic looks like, whether he was a man or a puppet. No one remembers his voice. And if you try to talk about him online, your posts disappear. Instantly, you might say, magically. Everyone has wonderful memories of the kids and the songs in a hazy, pleasant, childhood Christmas morning way, but anyone who questions the wholesomeness of Mister Magic and what it was is shut down in short order. Especially if you question what happened to the youngest of the six children, the one that disappeared.

Val was one of the six kids, but she remembers none of it until her former co stars come looking for her to set up a reunion. In todays reboot culture, doing a reunion podcast for an old and well loved show is nothing unusual, but the questions that come with this reunion are. Why can’t Val remember any of her friends, the show, her childhood, the town she grew up in? How are the special effects on an old Tv show that everyone remembers but no one can even find a YouTube video of so advanced? And is the spinster, supernatural air of mystery something real to be feared or just the unease we all feel when we are forced to confront our pasts?

I loved the characters, all of them, even the ones I thought I wouldn’t be able to stand on first meeting (Jenny) and what’s more, I found them very relatable. All of them are struggling with being disappointments to their parents and afraid of hurting their own children and I felt that on a deeply personal level. None of them have been able to move on from not being the perfect children Mister Magic was supposed to turn them into, The concepts that are so well portrayed here are deeply disturbing, more so than any monster , because the monster is the everyday mom and dad, the conformities of social, the expectations, the deep seeded profoundly long lasting effect of the feeling of failure as a child that effects every part of our lives. It’s hard to read, and sometimes I sobbed my eyes out. On more than one occasion exactly what I wanted to happen did, and at other points I felt the soul crushing loss of my bubble bursting because I knew the happy ending I longed for might not turn out the way I wanted, but I can say without a doubt that I was glued to the story all the way through and that is touched my heart deeply. And for that I am sincerely grateful.

An old kids TV show called Mister Magic ended suddenly after a mysterious accident on set. Thirty years later, the former child stars agree to reunite for a podcast, but there’s something sinister about the house where the show was filmed and the cult-like behavior of the surrounding town. Interspersed with the narrative are excerpts from contemporary fan forums discussing whether Mister Magic ever actually aired and the creepy rumors surrounding its cancellation. This psychological horror story unfolds slowly, revealing a truth even the most devoted online theorists of the show could never have imagined.

A weird, quirky, and ultimately really fascinating book. I definitely got hints of religious and cult ideology, so I wasn’t surprised to read that the author is an ex-Mormon, but I didn’t feel like it was super heavy handed in that aspect. The buildup of spookiness was delightfully shivery as I got deeper into the story, and the weird, secretive behavior of Val’s former costars and the townsfolk of Bliss added to the feeling that something huge was going to blow up when Val finally figured things out. The way things were wrapped up was great - I felt like I got enough closure without having every single thing explained to me, and if it was a little too perfect, that honestly worked for a story about perfection and magic, too.