This book was a lot of fun! The initials pages drew me in immediately- creepy and haunting while relating an experience of childhood television programs I’m very familiar with. So many of those shows feel like a fever dream now that I’m an adult.

Val was very quickly a sympathetic character and it was fun, albeit a bit frustrating, to be just as confused as she was and figure out what was going on in tandem with her. The pacing of this story was great - jumping right in with very little delay. I felt like the story itself was written in a way that made it feel like just as much a whirlwind as it felt for Val and the other characters.

Some of the descriptive writing lost me a bit but I mostly attribute that to my inability to imagine things very well. I wanted to be able to envision what was being described so much better than I could because it was weird and unique and so unsettling. I could picture this being an incredibly creepy movie or show.

The ending of this story shot my review from a 3.5 to a solid 4 star rating. While I caught on to the theme of the pretty quickly and could somewhat anticipate where it was leading I was not expecting to be so emotionally overcome. While Kiersten White and I don’t share the exact religious background I know first hand some of the issues she brought up both in the story and in her acknowledgments. I felt like the way she wrapped up the story was so hopeful and mirrored a lot of my own experience. She wrote this story in a way I’ve never seen anyone write about topics of leaving religion and I’m very grateful to have been able to read this.

Thank you so much to Netgalley & Random House for opportunity to read and review this ARC. My review will be shared on Goodreads and Instagram on pub day 8/8 !

Dripping in the atmosphere, this novel is a tangle of misdirections and vagueries. A study in the hive mind of a cult and child abuse, the novel didn't shy away from dipping into disturbing narrative waters. Although it is incredibly well-written and engaging, this one wasn't really for me.

Kiersten White delivers another fantastic tale in her second adult offering, this time tackling a mysterious children’s show that everyone remembers, yet no one has any solid proof that this show actually existed. Val and the other cast mates have unexpectedly reunited after personal tragedy. Val barely remembers the show or her childhood, and it’s only after reuniting with these old friends that certain memories start to resurface. Slowly, ever so slowly, Val can feel herself being pulled back in to The Circle.

Mister Magic was one of those surprising books, the ones where you’re 99% certain you know what it’s about and where it’s headed, but then you reach a certain point where it becomes obvious that everything you thought is completely wrong. I don’t want to give too much away in terms of what the book is exactly about, but it’s a brilliantly written metaphor for *something* and its only after you realize that that you pick up on the many parallels between Mister Magic and that *something*.

This book had one of the best acknowledgment sections I’ve read in quite some time, and I’m glad that the author was able to cut ties with the toxic establishment she was once a part of. I wish her and her family nothing but the best for the future, and I can’t wait to see what she brings readers next.


*eARC received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.

Mister Magic

This book in 3 words: Eccentric. Disturbing. Abstract.

Our main character, Val, is greeted by some old friends at her father's wake. While it takes some time for Val to remember, it's her cast mates from a show she was on as a child. There's a podcast coming out that's bringing the group back together to discuss all things Mister Magic.

I want to devour every single word Kiersten White has ever written. Ever. I mean it. This book felt the novel version of creepypasta and I LOVED IT.

I love the mixed media aspect of the story with threads from internet discussions. It pulIs in so many different opinions and views of what could be happening. I found this aspect really makes the reader think further about what's happening in the story.

The writing is stellar. The characters are rich. The themes are high-stakes and unique for a horror novel. This will end up being one of my favorite reads of the year because I love just being creeped out and IT JUST HITS THE SPOT.

I enjoyed this book quite a lot. Val remembers nothing about her life before she turned 8 years old but after her father’s death, she learns that a lot of things happened in the years that she can no longer recall. She was part of a show called Mister Magic that everyone seems to remember but nobody can seem to find a single copy of it anywhere. As Val spends time with the other children (now adults) from the show, she starts to remember some of the things that happened before her father took her away.

The story was rather unique and I was taken by the whole world of Mister Magic. I found myself getting more hooked as I worked my way through this story. I just had to know what was really going on with this weird show and exactly what it was that Val can’t seem to remember. I loved the sense of dread as the story moved toward the final showdown.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Rebecca Lowmen did a fabulous job with the story. I thought that she did a wonderful job of bringing this cast of characters to life. I thought that she added just enough excitement and emotion to her reading. I found her voice to be very pleasant and had no problem listening to this book for hours at a time. The author takes over the narration at the end to read the author’s note at the end that explains her motivation for writing this book. I am certain that her narration added to my overall enjoyment of this story.

I would recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a well-done and imaginative story that kept me hooked until the end. I liked that the author shared what was behind this story. I do hope to read more of this author’s work soon.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Del Rey and Penguin Random House Audio.

“Mister Magic” by Kiersten White (4.5 stars) (pub day TOMORROW! 08/08/2023!)

“Mister Magic” by Kiersten White was a “what the hell is happening, oh wait, that actually happened…” kind of story with a ton of not-so-subtle symbolism, and a super-fun scary / sci-fi / fantastical premise. I read it in the same manner I watch horror movies, with a “don’t go in there?!?!?!...girl, don’t get in that car?!?!” reflex that was entertaining and craftily evoked.

Positives: The details were great, and sometimes random, but always value-add. The concept was both original but still ‘comfortable’...familiar but net-new. I really just liked the idea the author had and how she ran with it. I also really liked the ‘witchcraft-adjacent’ descriptions and the ‘wait, this is actually about _____’ realization. But I got to choose to step in and out of that realization. Surface simple but artfully presented. I also loved the cover of this book (@sbiel )!

Wish List: I would have liked a little more segue between scenes, decisions, and events. I told a friend as I was reading that I felt like I was following instructions on how to take in the story…but now that I think about that statement, I also realize that this feeling of being ‘Candy Land instructed’ through the story was most likely purposeful and now I love the book even more. No wishes, only skittering cape things and smack-in-the-forehead ‘doh’-moments. Of COURSE it ended THAT way. Maybe my wish list is really that I’m less of a dope..

As always, I appreciate the opportunity afforded me to have an early read by netgalley.com and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine. The opinions in this review are expressly those of ButIDigressBookClub and are intended for use by my followers and friends when choosing their next book. #butidigress #butidigressbookclub #MisterMagic #netgalley @authorkierstenwhite #kierstenwhite #MISTERMAGIC #MISTERMAGICbook @delreybooks and @randomhouse

Details
Review Shared on Goodreads - www.goodreads.com/leah_cyphert_butidigressbookclub
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Review will be Shared on Amazon - 8/7/2023
Publishing Review 8/7/2023

This book was beautiful.

Yes, it was creepy, with dread trickling through all the cracks just like I want a horror story to be, but it was also bursting with insuppressible love and the desire to be loved. In the afterword, Kiersten White explains how personal this book was to her, and you can feel it more and more with each turn of the page.

When a horror book makes me cry (and I'm a bit of a crier, so this isn't exactly a rare occurrence), it's usually because of the senselessness of a particular loss. Loss features in Mister Magic, too, but it was the love that made me cry.

Mister Magic, in the fiction of the book, was a long-running children's program that began as a radio serial in the 1930s and continued until it was canceled under mysterious circumstances in the early 1990s. The show featured a caped, faceless figure called Mister Magic who led a circle of children through wondrously vivid adventures into their imaginations while teaching them moral lessons. It became something of a cult classic.

Conspiracy theories regarding the show's sudden end abound, but none can be confirmed because no one can prove that the show ever actually existed. It survives in the memory of the kids who watched it like a collective Mandela effect hallucination.

30 years after the show's cancellation, Val has no memory of it at all, which is strange, because she was on it.

An unexpected reunion with her former castmates, whom she does not remember, leads Val to start digging into her childhood. Into the life she had before she can remember.

Not coincidentally, a reboot of Mister Magic is rumored to be on the horizon. Val accompanies the cast to the former studio site, where they plan to participate in a reunion podcast. Everything about the reunion feels wrong, from its isolated desert location to the weird Stepford-esque town that is pushing the show's revival. Most unsettling are the glimpses Val gets into her memories of the show, that suggest that the titular Mister Magic was more real and more dangerous than she could ever have guessed.

The atmosphere of the show, the town, and the podcast grows to be so chilling over the course of this book, sparking with flashes of religious trauma and pressure to conform. It tackles both the tension of being a child in a world built for grown-up sensibilities and the fear of a parent trying their best to raise their child to be a good person.

As both a parent and a child still struggling to grow up right, I loved this book.

I can not stop talking about this book. I practically melt over the cover every time I see it. The mystery and horror elements were eerie and suspenseful, and the themes of childhood trauma and religion moved me to tears.

Who is Mister Magic? Everyone remembers watching their favorite 90's kids' show. But, there are no clips on YouTube, there's no production info on IMDB, and no one seems to agree what exactly they saw on the program. When the remaining cast members reunite in a creepy house in the middle of the nowhere, will they find the magic of their youth or something much darker?

Questionable technology, cryptic nursery rhymes, a town with secrets. I loved how everything was shrouded in mystery and evoked an uncanny feeling of malevolence. There were moments that felt a bit repetitive, slowing down the pace of the book. But for most of it, I was on the edge of my seat, creeped out, laughing, or crying, and sometimes all at once.

This book is like a memoir wrapped in a supernatural blanket. I can't guarantee it will hit everyone the same, but it hit me in ways I was definitely not expecting. It spoke to me as a mom trying to parent with mindfulness and empathy and as someone who has sometimes felt broken. With MIster Magic, Kiersten White has become, not just one of my favorite writers, but also one of my favorite people. She has taken a compelling premise and created an allegory that is both deeply personal and relatable. You can really tell that she put her heart into this novel, and, in doing so, has touched mine. That is why I will praise Mister Magic incessantly and recommend it to anyone who enjoys a spooky mystery that makes you think and makes you feel.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Del Rey for granting my wish and providing me with an eARC of this book to read and review.

My favorite thing about Kiersten White’s thriller novels is that I care about the characters. I often find reading thrillers to be hard for me because I want a main character I can love. I want to root for them to get through, maybe find love, and be safe at the end of the novel. Does that always happen? No, but I WANT that for them.

Mister Magic is set up beautifully, instantly having me intrigued but cautious of what the story will bring. I had chills reading this book. I was completely spooked and it’s a feeling I hadn’t had while reading before! The concept of this book was unique and the plot had depth. The whole kids tv show vibes meets spooky was phenomenal. I loved getting to know the characters, not knowing who to trust, and uncovering the story.

The characters in the end are what had me needing answers and then crying at the end of the book. What can I say? Give me some potential romance and I am hooked. I appreciated the epilogue no matter how much it shredded my heart.

If you’re looking for a spooky book to read this fall this is it! Think kids tv show x Mandela effect x uncovering the truth. You uncover the truth of this old kids tv show that was canceled with the main character who starred on the show and has lost her memories. You read through reddit threads, emails, and articles. I absolutely loved this and cannot wait to see what this author will come up with next!

Thank you for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! I was so excited to receive one of my most anticipated books of this year.

I went into this book expecting a mystery/thriller uncovering the secrets behind a children's TV show loved by many, and not only did White provide just that, but she served it with a surprise course of reflecting on your childhood trauma! Mister Magic follows Val, a woman in her thirties who works on a ranch and has no recollection of her past before her Dad brings her to the ranch. That is until one day three men approach her at her father's funeral, informing her that they all starred in a popular children's show together before she moved away. Throughout the story, Val is attempting to piece together the parts of her childhood that she doesn't remember, with the help of the Circle, all in their thirties and still searching for answers themselves. The story of The Circle touches on topics such as the importance of loyal friendships, breaking generational curses, and religious trauma. Truly, a reflective read.

*Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group for an electronic Advanced Reader Copy of Mister Magic by Kiersten White! All opinions are my own.*

After finishing this book I immediately texted my best friend and said "I'm not entirely sure what I just read, but I think I loved it!". It was eerie, imaginative, complex, and an overall page-turner.

I had a hard time putting this book down and finished Mister Magic in one day! I was immediately drawn in and captured by the characters White created and needed to know what in the world was going on. The story had a good mix of suspense, creepiness, nostalgia, wit, and overall life lessons. I also liked the way she infused the message boards to bring out the nostalgia of childhood shows and infused that with The Mandela Effect idea. Definitely got me thinking about several things from my childhood!

White lost me a little at the end and I found myself having to reread some sections to fully process what was happening, which is why I can't give it a full 5 stars. Based on the first 80% of the book, I had high expectations and felt that the ending fell a little flat compared to the rest of the novel.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and the trip White took her readers on. The author's note at the end also explained a bit more and opened up my eyes to another perspective/deeper meaning. I will for sure be recommending this one and checking out her other works!

Thank you to the publisher for the approval of this book! I have been a fan of Kiersten White's since Paranormalcy and I just found this book from reading a post of hers on Twitter. I was happy to rediscover her books again. The mystery aspect of Mister Magic is awesome and written well. Tons of page-turning suspense on every page! Many twists and turns. A great read.

I was so excited to hear that Kiersten White would continue writing adult horror and maybe that's why I had such high hopes for this. I had seen some posts she'd made alluding to the overall theme of the story so I knew exactly what I was going into, and once you see where it's set it should become fairly obvious where she was coming from with it. Maybe it's because I'm hardly familiar with the subject matter but I feel like I might have missed the big picture.
I admit I had a couple of sleepless nights if only because that is the effect Kiersten White will have on your mind but it just didn't meet up to the hype I'd hoped for.

I'll be honest, it took me way too long to sit down and review this book because every time I did it was just 4,000 exclamation points.

I had no idea what to expect, but the cover and synopsis immediately pulled me in. Then, it became so much more!

This is a genius, heartfelt, batshit, incredible force of a novel and I have not stopped raving about it. It will linger long after you've finished and stay there just inside the nearest corner of your mind to remind you it exists.

No line is wasted, no character falls flat, and the plot, however complex, unwinds itself to a perfect and complete tale that had me laughing, crying, and smiling all the way through.

If I could (and I just may,) I would write an entire dissertation to this novel, it's that amazing! It is wholly original and delves into so many deep, important, and necessary issues and traumas that feel cathartic and not overwhelming, which can be tricky given what White brings into the novel.

It is a rare occurrence for me to be so heavily invested in each and every character, but they are so expertly brought to life and made real by the magic that Kiersten White wields throughout the novel.

An instant reread and forever on my bookshelf. This novel reminds me of just why reading is so powerful...

...All words are magic. Something from nothing. Forcing others to feel things, to think things, to understand things simply by uttering the right combination of noises...

White's words are magic and the combination of words in this novel are just the right ones for a perfect read.

A children’s tv show but something not quite wholesome? -

Children’s show - Everyone remembers the Mister Magic TV show, however no one can find it online to rewatch it

Survivor - Val works on a ranch, and it’s basically all she can remember of her life. Until 3 guys come and tell her
she is one of 5 survivors of this show and a tragic accident

Reunion - they convince her to come with them to the site of the original show for a reunion of sorts

Podcast - to record a podcast. But Val can’t remember any of it. Maybe it’s time she finally did.

After reading this book I was not sure if I liked it or not. The writing is great, the story is compelling and creepy. But the ending was kind of - not what I was expecting. The author compares themes in this book to her decision to remove herself from the mormon church. And after reading I can definitely see how some of the teachings of the tv show did mirror conservative Christian teachings. And for that I respected what it did. But I just think I wished the ending was a little different overall.

I have read Hide and feel this to also be a 3 star.

I understand the who cult and child abuse. I feel us elder millennials would grasp that concept of the book. I started to get lost and was trying to really focus on what was going on.

This wasn't for me but not totally bad. I would recommend to someone if they did enjoy HIDE.

This was one of those stories where you finish and you are like what in the world did I just read. I think this would work better as a movie or tv show. I think some of the elements in the book would come across easier to understand if you could actually see what was intended. It wasn't a bad book per se just something where I found myself having to read parts over and over to really grasp what was going on. It just felt super confusing for some of this story. I would say if you want to check this one out. Maybe grab it from the library. Now if you are totally into those weird creepy mysteries then grab this one with both hands.

she had me then she lost me then she had me again!

I read Kiersten White's book Hide last year and while I really liked the concept, the execution didn't quite click for me. I was afraid that this would be the same thing about halfway through, but once more is revealed and the ending starts to take shape I ended up enjoying it a lot more. The overall premise was really interesting, and I thought the explanation for it all made a lot of sense <spoiler> (as much as evil magic can make sense) </spoiler> and felt more purposeful.

All that being said, I do wish I connected with these characters more. The entire book we are being told of their bond, but I felt like more could have been done to show that. Without really knowing how long they spent together, paired with the fact that many of these characters didn't completely remember the time they spent on this show, it was hard for me to believe in this special connection we're being sold. But I get it, trauma bonding and such, I just think it would've been cool to see these people building more of a relationship with each other on the page rather than just being told that it exists, it would've made the ending more impactful.

This is my second of Kiersten White's books, having read "Hide" previously. What an interesting and ominous idea for a book; a children's tv show that everyone remembers watching but no one can find documented proof of which is being brought back my a podcast. I was so intrigued with this concept and while the overall story was great the middle 70% of the book really dragged on. This could have been told, and likely more clearly, in 100 pages. By the end I was ready to be done, which I hate feeling that way during a read. Oddly enough, I got the most clarity from reading her acknowledgments at the very end. I wish I had read that first because it all made a lot more sense and made the story much more enjoyable once I knew about her personal background. Still a fan of Ms. White's but I had high hopes (maybe too high) for this and it fell a little short.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.

What a weird and wild story this one is! This book was not what I expected at all, but I couldn’t put it down. After reading Hide last year that didn’t totally work for me, I went into this one a little apprehensive. But I ended up enjoying it overall and am just so intrigued by Kiersten White as an author (and not just because of her name!)

This book follows a group of people who were formerly on a children’s show together as they reunite for a podcast about the mysterious show and what happened on the final episode. Needless to say, the show wasn’t all that it seemed on the surface level. Add in a dash of suppressed childhood memories, and this became a mystery that I could not wait to see resolved. This book definitely requires you to embrace the odd and suspend reality, but if you are able to do so, it really is an enjoyable ride as you find out how dark this situation really was.

This book truly had some creepy parts that I appreciated (even the description of Mister Magic set me on edge). There is definitely something about childhood songs and playtime that make the perfect setting for a horror novel. I think this is a book best gone into blind, so I don’t want to give too much away but would love to discuss it with anyone that has read it. If you do read it, I cannot encourage you enough to read the author’s note as it adds a very personal connection on the author’s part that made me appreciate the book even more.

QOTD: What was one of your favorite childhood television shows?