What a ride!

This is like a conglomeration of so many things. But if you’ve ever checked out Channel Zero in SyFy then you will have a great time with this book.

Conspiracies, a childhood show that may or may not have existed. A mystery of something gone afoul. And traumas… The broken people of a controversial existence of a beloved children’s show.

Imagine that. Something from your childhood that you count as real that proves to have no way of ever being. Now that can drive you a bit loopy but imagine starring in one that you can’t quite remember clearly.

Something happened to these kids, and nobody is remembering it all correctly. Or are they?

These are the questions you ask and more as you go through this novel. I would have given it a five but certain things kept this from appealing to a bit more darker side of me. But that’s all personal like and opinion. It does not take away from the experience.

Come flip through the channels, and find yourself in that between place of dark and static and meet.

MISTER MAGIC.

White never fails to deliver! This nuanced masterpiece was a welcome balm, at surface level a fun story of former child stars and a cult classic kids show, but layered with so much more heart and meaning and just MORE. Blown away, as always!

I love this author and thoroughly enjoyed her last release. This is a DNF for me after two tries. There are so many plot holes, and there is such a lack of character development I have no urge to continue and am stopping at 50%. I would like to find out what is going on with this story, but unfortunately I am not invested enough to continue struggling through all this surrealistic, confusing, flat prose. I will check in with this author on her next release and hope for better results.

I finished this book in one day. I couldn’t put it down. I had so many questions. Who was Mister Magic? What happened to Val? What happened during the last taping of the show? Listen I finished this book and still had questions. But man did this book take me on a wild ride. Also i read the acknowledgments and it made the book make sense to me. It answered a few questions I had. 4⭐️

I really enjoyed this book, and it cemented Kiersten White as an automatic buy author for me. The story follows Val as she reconnects with four mysterious, unremembered friends from her unremembered childhood. Her friends. The group was the last cohort on a children's television show called "Mister Magic" that unceremoniously ended after an accident on air. Despite cultish devotion to the show and widespread memories of it, there are no existing recordings or transcripts. The crew are traveling back to the site of filming to record a podcast about the show and take part in a reunion. Val is a hesitant participant because she remembers nothing of her time on the show at all. As the book progresses, the show slips from a whimsical children's show with a hint of danger to something that is squarely dark.

Things I liked: this book was truly creepy; very atmospheric; the characterization was excellent; as with other Kiersten White books I've read, this is an allegory, and she paints it masterfully.

Things I didn't like: the very ending felt a little jumbled to me, there were a few plot progressions that felt like they didn't completely make sense/weren't thought out all the way.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey and to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mister Magic grabbed me at the start and held me tightly in its grip until the end of the story. It is still hard to shake off. The story opens at Val's cabin at a horse camp. She's capable and very good at her job. She mostly likes it, but she has always felt like something is missing. When her father passes away, she's surprised at the number of people who attend the service. Even more surprised to run into three men who greet her like their favorite sister. She has no idea who they are until memories start seeping in. Then she learns that her dead mother is alive and living in Utah. Val , with Isaac, Marcus, and Javi were in a beloved children's television show featuring the mysterious Mister Magic. The producers are trying to create a revival, starting with a reunion podcast recorded at the site of the original show, also in Utah. So she immediately leaves the ranch with three men she barely remembers to return to the site of her childhood. What she learns, and what she remembers becomes increasingly terrifying as Val uncovers more about the show and Mister Magic then any of the former child actors dreamed. Fans of horror will love this! White is an excellent writer, flipping seamlessly between the characters as children and adults - reminiscent of It and The Body by Stephen King. Many thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read the ARC. This one will stay with you for a while!

This book nails the creepy vibes, and I honestly had no idea where the story was going. I recommend if you're looking for a creepy, other-worldly read.

Kiersten White's finest story yet, MISTER MAGIC takes all the nostalgia of a beloved childhood show and mixes it with the twisted terror of confronting the biases with which we are raised.

This was a really interesting, unique horror/mystery. The quality of the writing was really good….very immersive. I found the connection to Mormonism (and religion in general) super interesting and it was obvious the author has a personal connection to her story. The author did a great job making the situation appropriately frustrating, especially knowing in a metaphorical sense, it was entirely realistic. I can’t say I loved the ending, although the book overall still felt very hopeful.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!

So more fantasy than horror for me and still trying to figure out what I read…..very trippy and just hard to follow. Slightly angry with myself that I finished this one and didn’t abandon it earlier when i thought about it. Kept thinking maybe the ending would wrap it up or clear it up but sadly for me that didn’t happen.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random house publishing for my electronic advanced reader copy in an exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Mister Magic is an intriguing book with interesting characters. It is filled with twists and turns that keep you guessing as to what will happen next. Once you start reading the book, it is hard to put down. Horror fans should definitely check this one out.

3.5 rating for this horror book/speculative fiction. This book was very intriguing from the first page when we find out a children's show that was on the air around 30 years ago. Lots of people remember things about this show and think it was called Mister Magic, but no one can find clips, production information or any sort of proof this show actually existed. The book uses some web articles, Reddit postings and other media along with the main story about the group of children who were in the last season of the show.

Val is nearly 40 and living on a ranch that does summer camps for kids. She is cut-off from much of the world and has never been to school, travelled, watched TV or been exposed much except for bits and pieces she finds out from Gloria the owner of the ranch. Val lives with her father and when he dies, three strangers show up at his funeral to tell her she was once in the children's show Mister Magic with them and is needed for a reunion and a podcast. Val does not remember any of this but goes off with the three men to a mysterious house in the desert where they will be interviewed and where she hopes to receive some answers about her missing childhood..

The house in the desert is creepy and unsettling and I was anxiously awaiting what types of horror was to come from this reunion. But most of the middle and rest of the book is about Val asking questions over and over and receiving no answers from these people who keep saying they are her friends. None of the group seem to question the podcast interviewer who appears to be a shapeless figure who is often rude to them and explodes into bursts of static. Each of the now adult cast members represent a type and their conversations seem very YA rather than people almost 40. Val is somehow hated and blamed by people in the town because her father pulled her out of the show and I never quite understood why she was blamed for something not in her control. Val also learns she has a mother she doesn't remember and had a sister that may have died.

The author tells us in an epilogue that the book is written as a metaphor reflecting her experiences in the Mormon church. I did understand that but also wanted the story to make sense as its own entity. The concept was really interesting but I was left with so many questions such as why a controlling rigid church would have a TV show where children used magic to conjure things out of thin air, what Gloria's role was in everything and why she never appeared again and why parents would be so invested in putting their children in a strange situation where they never slept (until Val intervened), and had no schooling besides learning the types of basic lessons on being clean, not swearing etc that they would already be learning at home, school and church/temple. Spooky idea with an ending too abstract to really mean anything although I did get the point of her anti-religion message. Thank you to Random House Publishing group and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.

For Val, life began at eight when her father and herself arrived at Gloria’s ranch. Thirty years later, Val’s father dies from complications due to a stroke. With no past and a present only at the ranch, Val feels like a half-person. That is until Javi, Marcus, and Isaac appear at her father’s wake and end her life. Val discovers she was part of a children’s TV show called Mr. Magic, and she left after a horrible accident took the life of a 6th castmate. But Val feels there is more to the story than what the men say and agrees to return to Bliss. Once there, Val starts remembering more and more about what happened that day. With the help of her friends, can Val finally remember what happened that day and what happened to the sixth castmate? Or is Val hiding her memory for a reason?

When I saw Mr. Magic’s cover, I knew I needed to read this book. And when I read the blurb, it reinforced my need to read it. I decided to take a chance since the publisher had this as Wish only on their NetGalley page. So, imagine my surprise and delight when I got the email saying it was granted. I couldn’t wait to sit down and read this book. I am glad I did because it was something different (and creepy) to read.

The main storyline of Mr. Magic revolves around Val, her lack of memory, and The Circle of Friends. I did feel a little bad for Val. This storyline was well written. It drew me in, didn’t let me go, and spit me out a chaotic mess at the end of the book. It is a fast-paced storyline with zero lag and just zipped along. I loved it.

All of the remaining castmates have issues and are stunted emotionally. The author showcases those emotional issues while crafting characters you couldn’t hope but root for. Out of the surviving five, Isaac was my favorite. My least favorite was Jenny. She didn’t hesitate to needle Val about what happened and knew that Val had no memory.

The storyline with Val, the other Circle of Friends, Mister Magic, and what happened the day the show ended was compelling. Several twists and turns in the plotline made me raise an eyebrow and think, “Hmmm.” I was surprised to discover who Mister Magic was and what happened afterward. And I certainly wasn’t expecting the end to be as it was. Talk about trippy!!

The storyline with the missing 6th castmate was heartbreaking and also creepy. My heart broke for Val once she remembered who it was. But it also strengthened her resolve to do what needed to be done. Again, I am not going to say more because of spoilers.

I enjoyed how the author crafted a mystery around the show. There were no reruns; people flocked to boards, Wiki pages, and other sites to discuss it and to reassure each other that what they remembered was real. The author nailed it with the rabid commentators and the trolls. But she also wove a bit of truth through it all.

The end of Mister Magic was interesting. As I said, I wasn’t expecting it to go as it did. But, in a way, there was something right about what happened. It came full circle for the friends. The epilogue made me happy, but I wondered if Isaac would go back.

The author’s note sheds some light on various parts of the book. I can’t explain more than that (because of spoilers).

I would recommend Mister Magic to anyone over 16. There is language, violence, and no sexual situations.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey, NetGalley, and Kiersten White for allowing me to read and review Mister Magic. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Mister Magic was every child’s favorite television show…until it went off the air one night when many kids claim to have seen a child die on set. Since then the show has become a mystery. There is no video of the show still around, and no information about who directed, produced, or played the show. Fans are thrilled however to find out that a podcast with the original “circle of friends” is on its way! When the groups gets back together however, the web of mystery begins to unravel.

Damn this book was insane. I just kept thinking of Barney while reading and how obsessed I was with that show as a kid. It was seriously how my mom and I told time! “How long mom?” “One Barney episode!” Remember those days @lisacfulton? Now, after reading Hide by White last year, I went into this book expecting it to be really freaking weird. Guess what! It was really freaking weird. But really freaking weird in a way that I couldn’t stop reading it! This is basically the other side of The Daydreams by @Laurahankin coin! A beloved childhood tv show that abruptly ended-but this is a MUCH darker version! So if you loved The Daydreams, pick this one up for a just as bingable, but very different time!

Did not finish book. Stopped at 11%.
Love the premise but realized I was just not going to get on with the main character and her decisions, and the writing was just not for me.

Well…that’s another 5-star book in the books. Man, I loved this one! It was giving Jordan Peele movie vibes with its ever present foreboding that was equal parts unsettling and intriguing.

The themes of nostalgia, childhood friends reconnecting as adults, and reckoning with the past were spectacularly done. I highlighted so many sections about children not being allowed to fully be children if it didn’t align with the expectations of their parents because they were so powerful. It was clear there was a deeper meaning to Mister Magic but I didn’t connect all the dots until reading the acknowledgements which only solidified my 5 star rating.

This story confirmed what I love and appreciate about about the horror genre: how authors are able to turn their real-life experiences, hurts, traumas, etc. into insanely unique, entertaining, and propulsive stories that pack an emotional punch.

Huge thank you to Del Rey Publishing for the arc — I’ll be running to the store to buy a physical copy today!

This was my second adult Kiersten White novel and I have to say, she's really developing at hitting the ending. Overall I really enjoyed this. It was fast-paced and weaved in blog posts/forums/emails etc to break up the chapters well. I couldn't quite get a hold of what was going to happen, which was a good thing. The ending had a lot going on, but overall, it was much more optimistic than her previous adult work, Hide. The author's note at the end added a lot of context to the novel and was really important.

I could not put this book down. The characters were SO realistic—broken, doing their best people—and the message was SO relatable. I love the complex yet somehow simple plot, I love the world building. One million percent recommend.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC version of this magnificent and creepy title. Opinions are my own.

First off, I want to hug Kiersten White and shake her hand. I’ve had many friends leave their religions (including LDS), and it’s not a decision any of them undertook likely. It cost some of them their families and most of their friends.

Kiersten White channeled her experience of leaving the Mormon Church into the book Mister Magic. If you left Mister Magic alone as just a work of supernatural horror/speculative fiction, then this is a solid four star read. When you view it through the lens of it as a parable for walking away from religion, then this book totally elevates itself to a heavily solid five stars, and I cannot get over it. It’s truly magical in that way.

I love how White chose to use a children’s tv show that has had an almost-Mandela Effect on the public (“I saw the last episode!”, “A kid died in the last episode,” “No, there was no death,” “Didn’t it burn down live?”, “It didn’t burn down!”) and a cult following in popular culture as an echo of the fact that the television show was, in fact, the result of the Stepford-like cult that needed their children to always be watching Mister Magic on the television, entranced by the silly songs that taught the best of manners, the proper gender roles, the proper diets, and just about anything else these adults deemed to be proper. The children of Mister Magic could be found in-between the channels 24/7, even sleeping together in a puppy pile on set. They were the best of friends you never knew you needed but always wanted, just always waiting for you on the screen.

No one but the cult knew the cost of Mister Magic. And one day it was over. This book is about how they try to bring it back. The problem is: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Those children of the last circle of friends are now adults. It won’t be so easy to get them all on board again.

White has one of the most imaginative and stimulating minds in speculative/horror fiction today. Last year’s release, Hide, was one of my favorite reads of the year. This book is beyond amazing. Both books are not only incredibly creative in the realm of storytelling, but they’re also amazing at making you think about the meaning of the story. White doesn’t only have chills and thrills to throw at you–she has questions that will linger in your mind along with the monsters. I highly recommend it.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Cult Fiction/Cult Horror/Horror/Speculative Fiction/Supernatural Horror/Suspense/Suspense Thriller/Thriller

Val doesn't remember her early childhood, nor does she know why her dad thinks everything is dangerous and they haven't left the ranch in thirty years. Then, when her dad dies, she meets Isaac, Javi, and Marcus at the funeral who all claim to have been really close childhood friends and that they were all on a tv show together. Val is curious about the childhood she can't recall and joins them as they head to the show's reunion. They stay in the house where the shows' families stayed, but it's very creepy and something seems off. The other cast member Jenny seems to have it out for Val but Val doesn't remember what happened or why the show ended. She tries to investigate the people of the town to find out what they know, but only ends up with more questions. The more she learns, the more it seems like there was something more sinister than a children's show occurring. Overall, a somewhat creepy thriller that questions what was reality and what was supernatural. The author's note may have had a bigger impact if it had been included in the front of the book, as it helps explain a lot of the plot elements.