I had high hopes for this book. I saw many 4+ star reviews and the synopsis sounded unique and creepy. Unfortunately I just did not connect with any of the characters nor did I enjoy the storyline at all. I found myself bored, skipping over repetitive scenes to hurry things along, and oftentimes considered DNFing. I did read a review that said to read the authors note at the end, and I found that interesting in how it connected with the story. I’m giving this ⭐️⭐️ simply because it was a unique idea for a book.

Definitely a slow burn, but it was intriguing enough to keep me going. A lot of the time I was unsure what was happening and what was going to happen. The ending could have been more developed, but overall a solid read

I really enjoyed Kiersten White’s Hide so when I saw that she had a new book coming out with that beautiful cover, I had to have it.

Mister Magic is about Val who was raised in a camp with no memory of her childhood. When her father passes away, several of her childhood friends seek her out. Come to find out, Val and her little sister (sister?!) along with 4 others were all child stars of a show called Mister Magic. Val has no memory whatsoever of any of it.

Everyone remembers Mister Magic but there is absolutely no evidence that the show ever really existed, sort of a Mandela affect.

It’s been 30 years since the show abruptly ended and her friends have come to convince Val to return with them for a reunion podcast that if received well could start the show back up.

This story was remiscent of a creepypasta story and was definitely a creepy, horror book. I was not quite sure what was going on throughout until everything came together towards the end. And the author’s note explained the rest.

I was invested enough to keep turning the pages but found my mind wandering throughout. Overall, I’m glad I read Mister Magic, and I appreciate what the author was trying to convey about her life in a cult like environment.

*Thanks so much to Del Rey and NetGalley for the gifted eGalley!*

This book was well-written and easy to read. I was thinking it would be more of a thriller, but read kind of like a fantasy to me. If you enjoy fantasy, magic, and otherworldly things then this is the book for you!

I've really struggled with writing this review. In fact, I don't think I've ever struggled this much on writing a review before. It's taken me a while to try and find the right words, but I still don't think I've got it quite right. The story itself is a 4/4.5 star. It was very well done, with the creepy nature and not really knowing what's going on. But my feelings for the layers underneath the surface of the story bring it down a bit.

This book is an allegory about the author's life, which you don't realize until you get to the author's note at the end. There is a lot going on, and it can be a real struggle to figure it all out at times. It reminded me a lot of A.S. King's books, with the speculative nature and illusions. And while on the surface I enjoyed this, underneath it all is what I struggled with. While I don't doubt one bit that the author had some hard times and issues growing up, I hope people don't take it as that is how the entire group of people the author is talking about acts. Has the LDS church done wrong things in the past? Yes. Are there people in the church who are not good people? Yes. Does that mean the entire church and everyone in it is a racist, homophobic, bigot? Absolutely not. However, it almost feels as if that is how the church and everyone in it is. I applaud the author for writing this book, as she said it helped her to heal, but I hope anyone who reads it also understands that while this was the authors experience, it does not cover everyone's experience with this church. My feelings would still be the same had a different church or group been portrayed instead. We can talk about the wrongs people or groups or churches have done without claiming everyone in them is a terrible person and actively trying to get people to foster more hate. That's the last thing this world needs.

I think this will appeal to fans of A.S. King, those who like speculative fiction or working hard to understand what's going on, and those who can appreciate the story and still understand those experiences are not indicative of an entire group.

I enjoyed the beginning and the set-up for this one. I just needed more with the ending, which is not usually the case for me haha. I loved the author's note and thought the premise was unique and interesting!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sharing the digital advanced readers copy with me in exchange for my honest review.

What intrigued me to read this book was the idea of a children’s show that no one has any evidence of ever existing. There are forums on the internet with different theories of what happened to the show and the kids who were on it. The story follows the child actors who are reunited for a podcast. The Circle of Friends are hopeful to uncover the event that ended their show and who Mister Magic is.

This book was very unique and had supernatural elements. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, as they were all very different and interesting in their own ways. However, it read a bit slow for me and I found myself losing interest a couple of times. What kept me going was wanting to uncover the mystery of this show. What tragic event happened that led to the show being cancelled? Why isn’t there any evidence that it even excused? Who is Mister Magic?

I recommend this book for readers who are fans of abstract endings and slower-paced reads.

Source: DRC via NetGalley (Random House Publishing Group – Ballentine, Del Rey) in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: August 8, 2023
Synopsis: Goodreads
Purchase Link: Amazon

Other books by this author that I have reviewed:
The Conqueror’s Saga (YA)
And I Darken
Now I Rise
Bright We Burn
YA Horror
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein
Wretched Waterpark (Sinister Summer #1)
YA Fantasy
The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising #1)
Adult Horror
Hide

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**THERE ARE MINOR SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW** I tried to get around them but they are integral to understanding this book.

Why did I choose to read this book?

I was very excited for Kiersten’s adult debut Hide, and when that didn’t quite land in my heart I wrote it off as a first try and readied myself for her next book. When Mister Magic was announced, I was ready for some real adult horror

What is this book about?

I thought the book was going to be about a tv show that haunts/eats children and hypnotizes people who watch into loving and demanding that the show continues. This book is actually about how we force children into the box that we believe they should fit in instead of treating them like individual people and allowing them to grow into their true selves. Be quiet, be modest, speak when you’re spoken to, be clean, etc. – you know the childhood rhymes.

What is notable about this story?

This is a parable about the dangers of cults that masquerade as religions, specifically the Mormon church and its off-shoots. The idea that adults choose a path and then any kids they have are also trapped in that system without consent or knowledge, and that indoctrination creates a cycle that is very difficult to break. Something that people may not think about as much is that even when this system is harmful, after breaking free people feel the loss of the system as a kind of withdrawal and should have support to adjust. The TV show Mister Magic is the manifestation of how these ideals have seeped into society via our communication and entertainment, and the book serves as a warning about how we prevent children from being children simply to adhere to a golden set of rules.

Kiersten speaks about this in her acknowledgements, that she used to be Mormon but she isn’t anymore. it takes a lot to admit and speak publicly about this kind of departure (see also: Scientology), so it is admirable that she chose to fictionalize the conditions she probably had to endure, and then speak about them factually.

Was anything not so great?

Story-wise the only thing I would say is the same thing I said about her adult debut Hide: the characters don’t mean anything to me. When you’re pushing a message through so fast and basing it on characters who have a past that we never see or experience, the character development and reader investment is going to lag behind. The past that this group of characters experienced is revealed in flashbacks towards the end of the book, far past where we could have developed connections that would have in turn created tension in the plot. If I don’t care about the characters, then I’m not going to be invested in what is happening to them. You can’t just throw 6 people in a weird location and call it horror. You have to make me like them first so when the horror starts, I’m scared FOR them because I want them to be okay! And this book does not do that very well. I do not understand how the same person that wrote The Conqueror’s Saga, a trilogy that has 3 of the most compelling characters I have ever read about, could have written these two adult books. It’s like it’s a completely different person.

I have to be honest and say that this was another swing and a miss for me. I wasn’t scared at any point. It had the skeleton of horror but it was never fleshed out. I can’t think if a nicer way to say this, so I’m sorry, but it felt like this was a therapy assignment that White completed to process her feelings about escaping that life and the Mister Magic show was her way of saying she would be changing the message and offering a new path to other people in her same situation. THIS IS TOTALLY FINE AND I LOVE IT…

BUT

I return to the same exact issue I had with her novel Hide. I did not get what I was promised. This was a beautiful story and if it had been marketed as a thriller/mystery type story I would have been just as hyped and devoured it for what it was. Stop selling her adult books like they are Stephen King or Alma Katsu and sell them based on what they are. This is not horror. I bought it because you told me it was horror. I’m not mad at the story, I’m mad at the marketing team and the publisher for setting my expectations up for one thing and then handing me something else. This isn’t Kiersten’s fault. She wrote a good book!

What’s the verdict?

Three stars on Goodreads. This is a solid story with a good message. It was fine. Get it at your local library.

Would recommend for fans of…
📺 Jordan Peele films
📺 Don’t Worry Darling
📺 Shiny Happy People

Horror is one of my favorite film genres, but for a long time it was one of my least read book genres. That’s changed in recent weeks though, as I’ve found myself majorly gravitating towards new horror releases. Kiersten White’s Mister Magic is the latest title on my list and it is one to add to your TBR ASAP!

Mister Magic is the story of a kid’s TV show that has been off the air for years that is preparing for a reunion podcast. The only catch is, no one seems to remember the show. Not even the kids who were on it. No one can find the footage and posts about it are mysteriously deleted from the internet. Weird, huh?

This book is my favorite kind of horror story for two reasons.

First of all, it’s not gruesome or gory. It’s a very smart kind of psychological horror that is suspenseful and unnerving. As a reader, you know something is off, but just can’t place your finger on it and you find yourself turning pages, trying to get to the bottom of what’s going on.

Second, in general, I love the genre as a whole because I think it’s a really great medium to discuss the social injustices and atrocities of the world we live in (see: every Jordan Peele film). Horror content that delves into these issues creates a really accessible way to broach these topics with large audiences and helps us all reflect on our own experiences and actions. Mister Magic is a perfect example of that. To explain what issues it explores would be a major spoiler, but I highly recommend reading White’s acknowledgements at the end to gain a new appreciation for the novel.

This is going to be one of my favorite books of the year, so if you’ve read it, please DM me to discuss it!!!!!

Mister Magic is out August 8th. Thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I stopped reading after about 57% of the way through. The prose and characters were both really strong, but the religious zealotry became a bit too suffocating for me to read through. A lot of the writing is clearly informed by the author's experience growing up in a faith based culture, and it seemed to override the plot itself. Maybe I could read this at a different point in my life, but as of now, the thin veneer of a horror plot to point out religious issues isn't something I'm interested in.

As a horror book, this shines. A children's show that everyone remembers but no one can find any artifacts from, a podcast reunion of the final cast, and blog posts, Reddit-type threads, and interviews to lead you into the story, all add to the feeling of creepiness from the very beginning. As our heroine untangles her own life story, the background of Mister Magic becomes clearer - and more disturbing.

As a "cultish" story, I also enjoyed it, although at times it felt very in your face as to what the author thought about religion. Reading the author note clarified it, and I appreciate the place of trauma and healing it came from.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy. All opinions are mine.

I was very excited to read Mister Magic and I love the cover. The book started with a good concept and introduction of characters was appealing. Val is a woman that has been seemingly been in hiding for 30 years. At her fathers funeral, a group of three men arrive that says they know her, but she has no memory of who they are and what her past is. Without hesitation she leaves with them for what they say will be a 30 year reunion.
Throughout the story, odd things happen in a house in the middle of nowhere. There is no explanation as the why it’s happening. The story seems to take turns without explanation. In the final quarter of the book, the mystery to the show Mister Magic is revealed and it’s confusing to figure out what the explanation of who Mister Magic.
I do like the authors writing style and the initial premise of the story, but it does become haphazardly confusing and I realize that the book begins to feel very cult like

*Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review.*

I first found out about this book from a subreddit for a horror ARG (augmented reality game) called "Welcome Home" about a team trying to solve some of the mysteries around an old Sesame Street-esque show. As soon as I read the synopsis I knew I had to read this one. The book follows Val, a woman in her 30s who has spent her whole life on a farm in hiding with her father. She doesn't remember much about her childhood and doesn't feel like she can ask her dad what happened. After her father passes away she meets a few men who inform her that they've been looking for her for years and that they were all on a children's show called "Mister Magic" together. They finally tracked her down and are heading to a reunion for the show that has been organized by a podcast covering the show's history. She agrees to go with them since she has a lot of questions about her past and hopes that this will be the key to unlocking the memories that she can't quite seem to remember. There are a lot of questions that come up throughout the story that could take it in several directions. Who was (is?) Mister Magic? Was he a human? A puppet? Why was the show cancelled? What happened to make Val's dad take her and hide? Can she trust her former co-stars to tell her the truth about her past?

I loved all of the twists and turns in this story, and I was pretty sure I had everything figured out several different times before a new reveal would debunk my theory. Ultimately this story is about the stress and trauma that society puts on us, specifically as children, to be "good". Be polite, but not boring, Be creative, but stay grounded. Ask questions, but know when to stop. There are several songs throughout the story that were on the show to help the cast remember how to behave, and some of them are unsettling. There were definitely some points where I was a little confused about what was going on and why, but all of my questions were answered.

I also highly recommend reading Kiersten White's author's note since it goes into a lot of detail about why she chose to write this story which makes it hit a little harder.

Rating: 4 stars
Once I read the acknowledgments, the story really processed differently than before. The story makes sense now that I know that Kiersten White lived her life as a Mormon and how she created a story about a children’s tv show that was extremely popular, but now as adults, people have forgotten Mister Magic. There are rumors that the show ended because one of the child actors died on the episode. I really loved the different formats throughout the story like blog entries and podcast discussions. I thought the story had many creepy and strange moments that kept me going. I’m interested to see what Kiersten comes up with next.

This was haunting in a very real way. I took my time reading this and then found it hard to get back into it. When I was in it, I was unsettled. Most characters were weird and the last 20% flips as we reflect on such lifestyles for a child.
This is a title that is not for everyone.

"Mister Magic" is a must-read for fans of Horror, Thriller genre. From start to finish I was captivated by the author's storytelling and intricate world they crafted.

Throughout the course of this book the thin line between reality and supernatural elements was so masterfully blurred. Mentally it was a tug-of-war between trying to find a rational explanation or accepting the fantastical one. The atmospheric storytelling was both chilling and alluring.

The skillful pacing of this book left me on the edge of seat chapter after chapter both eager and nervous to unravel the mysteries lurking within the pages.

I felt like the characters were so well-developed. Their struggles, fears and reservations really brought them to life with such depth and authenticity. Which allowed me as the reader to form emotional connections and be fully immersed or invested in their storylines.

I will definitely be recommending this book and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Thank you Kiersten White, Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed Kiersten White’s previous book, Hide, so I was excited to read this one. This is the story of a former children’s show that people everywhere remember, but somehow can’t find records of anywhere after it’s shut down due to a tragic accident. Now a podcaster wants to reunite the last former cast members to get to the bottom of what happened. The main character, Val, was interesting and the supporting characters were great (I loved Marcus and Javi!). While Hide was more of a horror story, this book is more creepy and speculative. It left me a little confused, but I think the point of it was for the reader to interpret some things on their own. Overall this was a great, binge-worthy read.

“Back together, at last. Thirty years after tragedy shut down production and they were flung out of their loving magic circle and into the real world...”
Six children. A magic television show. Val— running summer programs for Gloria’s Ranch and living with her father in a cabin on the ranch for the last thirty years—can’t quite remember the name of the show or anything about it really, except the theme song sounds strangely familiar. And who really was Mister Magic? Some think a puppet, some think an actor, some think a CGI. Memory is fuzzy and nothing is clear.

WOW, this book starts off with a bang with such a creepy prologue. It has readers dying to know what is about to unfold in this podcast about a long-forgotten television program. It’s clear that whatever it is, it can’t be good. I loved how eerie and dreadful this story was. It’s short and it’s an absolute page-turner, making it easy to finish in one sitting. If you’re looking for a quick, thrilling read that will send chills down your spine, pick this up!

This book feels like it was made for me specifically. As a queer ex-Mormon who loves lost media and internet horror, this ticked all my boxes. There were so many many lines that took my breath away. So many themes that hit close to home. I'd like to type a longer review, but I have a broken elbow and typing with one hand takes forever. The only thing that I didn't love entirely was how ungrounded and floaty the world felt. I think that's more of a personal preference than a failing on author's part.

This book felt like an old-school page-turning horror novel and also a strange metaphorical journey at the same time. Wild stuff that uses urban legends/creepypasta, reunions, and repressed memories effectively. Can't wait to see the clickbait reviews. "You won't believe the real thing this book is based on!"